Fire Emblem: Curse of the Goddess [IC/PG-16/Not Accepting]

Maeriberii Haan · October 5, 2016

Ciela was still shaking really bad. Never once in her life had she seen anything like that, and no amount of what had she read prepared her for it. Would she eat her now? Struggling as much to get up, she felt like a paraplegic. The more seconds passed, the fear inside of her grow bigger and bigger. What she could hide somewhat easily before, had become something painfully obvious. Was it just because she couldn't understand what the hell did just happen? As she was in the middle of her struggles, Gunter approached her, and offered his hand to her.

"Ciela it's alright, nothing's going to happen." He glanced at the fox. "Right? You don't mean any harm?"

Too flustered to answer, she grabbed to his hand and used him as a leverage to get up. Her legs hurt pretty bad even then, perhaps a slight dislocation at worst. Gunther positioned himself between Ciela and the fox, obscuring her view of Sienna. Not having to stare at the Protean slowly calmed her, but it was still a shocking experience to her, and as she was still shaking, she went closer to Gunther. She was seeking any form of comfort she could get now, and even against the cold, layered armor of the Knight, at the very least Ciela felt a sense of security she desperately needed to reassure herself. Contrasting with everyone else's curious or excited expressions, Ciela's shock and fear stuck out like a sore thumb, and the fact she caused of it made her feel a lot of shame. Just like that she lost her face in front of the group, and even as she reassured herself that Sienna was not going to attack her, it was still hard to get herself to look at her again for now.

Her hold on Gunther's hand tightened.

"A-are... You ok? I'm sorry if I... Hurt you in anyway..."

Sienna had returned to her human form, and now tried to comfort Ciela, reassuring that she wasn't going to do her any harm. Yet Ciela was still pretty much frozen still, stuck in her thoughts of shame and irrational fear. She thought of answering the girl, but she couldn't think of anything that wouldn't make her situation even worse.

"Don't worry, you only startled her. I'm sure she'll be fine after she had some time to recuperate, after all, if she can't get over the shock of a transforming girl, a real battle is going to hit her like a runaway cart."

Ciela's face reddened even further as Asura mentioned that to Sienna. H-how dare he! But, what could she do? She couldn't even refute it at this point. Her expressions, and everything made it all too obvious on what was happening. She wished that she could just run away, away from everyone to spare herself the shame, but of course, she wasn't in a condition to do so. So, still unable and unwilling to say anything, Ciela attempted to ride her horse again, slipping several times as her focus slipped, before finally succeeding on the fifth try. Even once aboard, she couldn't bear herself to look at any of the people present there, and spent her time laying down, hiding her face as she seek the comfort from her trustworthy long time partner, who had recovered far better than her.

LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow · October 10, 2016

"Hang on... Let me see if I got all that... I use my beaststone's power to channel my beastform and release it... Only Proteans can use these, but mine is... Special... I got it from my father when he recieved it from a mysterious merchant, Anni? Ann? Not sure what they were named... Don't know who this Great Dragon is unfortunately... And I am soft, I don't mind being petted..."

Penelope smiled at how open to discussion the fox seemed to be. This Anni person sounded like one she'd need to meet. Penelope started petting the girl, marveling at the softness. "I wonder, is this natural, or do you do something with it? Did you know some tribes use ground up dead animals to condition their hair? Apparently it gives the hair incredible softness and shine, if you don't mind the smell."

She was slightly upset that the girl transformed once more, but realized it was important that she make sure Ciela wasn't too afraid. Penelope just realized how very startling this must be for most everyone else, and scanned the group.

It seems that, besides Ciela, everyone was taking it more or less okay. It made her curious what was going on in their heads. Though, perhaps now was not the right time to ask. They needed their new member (for how could she turn down this kind of help?) to feel comfortable.

She looked towards Link, feeling a sudden concern for their quietest member. She approached him and stared at him, stared, and kept staring, until he responded somehow.

Meanwhile Gunther let out a relieved noise when Ciela took his hand. At least she wasn't so far gone as to not be able to do that. He couldn't quite feel her against him but he did feel the grip on his hand. A thought about last night crossed his mind and he flushed lightly, but tried to stay standing tall, faking confidence for Ciela as best he could. He was a bit worried when the fox girl approached again but Ciela didn't seem to react much. However as Asura spoke Gunther began to worry again. Would she take it as an insult? Would it make this situation even worse? Even so he couldn't bring himself to say anything. His nerves were so strong that he couldn't trust himself to speak and so he remained silent.

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Ciela trying to get on her horse. However by the time he fully turned she seemed to be fully secured on top of the beast. He decided she didn't seem to be much in the mood for talking and so instead he simply made sure to keep near. Trying to show that he was there if he was needed.

He wondered briefly why he was doing this. Penelope was his charge and he wasn't half as worried about her. Perhaps it was because of how well Penelope took this. It made the Knight smile a bit. She needed something as strange and interesting as this to get out of her funk. He had no idea how she'd fair once they get into battle but, at least for now, she seemed more than stable.

Wind Rider · October 10, 2016

To be honest, Sienna really liked the feeling of being petted, it felt nice, whether it was from Asura or Penelope.

"I wonder, is this natural, or do you do something with it? Did you know some tribes use ground up dead animals to condition their hair? Apparently it gives the hair incredible softness and shine, if you don't mind the smell." Dead, ground up animals? That made Sienna sick to her stomach thinking about it.

"I'll say ahead of time, welcome to the group," Asura seemed to be alright with her joining them.

"yeah, welcome to the group an all. Just uh, watch what you eat I guess." Even Alois was in ok with her joining. At this point, Sienna was relieved that everything worked out, happy in fact.

"I'm so happy we could come to an agreement. I promise I won't get in your way and to pull my weight... Though if physical labor is involved... Don't expect much help..." Sienna said, smiling nervously at the last bit of her statement.

Sethera · October 14, 2016

Catriona paid little attention to Penelope, though she did perk up at mention of the Great Dragon. When the girl talked about "permission" and "allowing" her lips quirked ever so slightly. She seemed to finally be getting back to normal, regaining her usual bossiness. Perhaps it was the presence of this...Protean that was doing it? If that were the case, then that was one more reason yet to allow this strange woman to join the group. Though she would have to consider the thoughts of the rest of the party before she put forth her own opinion.

Glancing at them, they seemed to be taking this surprisingly well. Asura, for one. He had recovered fairly well, as if he had seen such a thing before. Though he had mentioned a woman who could turn into a bear. Though whether that was true or not was another story. Alois had been disbelieving, but quickly returned to his usual snark. Still, his bafflement was apparent. As for Edrick and Link, they didn't seem to know how to react, from what she saw. Gunther looked concerned for Ciela, and Ciela...

She was currently lying down atop her horse, face buried. Out of all of the members of the group, Catriona was most worried about her. However, she was new herself, and Pontic to boot. To be blunt, her opinion did not mean as much as say, Asura's, especially as she was still under suspicion. The princess was grateful for her earlier aid, but that gratitude would not extend so far as to show her her back. The same with this new woman, if she joined.

Though it seemed as if she was willing, from her words. Perhaps it was the work of that mysterious old man? He had seemed quite mysterious. And his words had been a bit worrisome as well...

Realizing that she was getting lost in thought, the white-haired woman stepped forward. "You would be more than welcome. Who knows, we might need a giant fox in the near future." The odds of them specifically needing such a creature were slim to none, but she could still be useful. Looking around at the group, she nodded once before addressing the fox woman once more. "We make for Ithome, Sector One to be precise." She said no more, hoping that nobody would ask why. Turning around, she resumed walking.

The woman didn't realize it, but she set a hard pace. They had already been walking for several hours, and they continued walking even beyond that. However, they did stop to eat lunch when people started to complain. The princess took that time to check her bags. Supplies are running low. Then again, it's been a while since Sochen. Which was the last time she had been given any provisions. And she had been reluctant to spend her gold on the obviously overpriced goods of Sector Three's market. Perhaps she would take advantage of Sector One's apparent friendliness to buy some supplies at reasonable prices.

Speaking of, her gold itself. She hadn't had much money on her during her time on the border, seeing no need for it. She had picked up some gold from her personal funds on her return to the capital, mainly to spend during her birthday. Thankfully, it hadn't been stolen in the subsequent kidnapping, her purse put with the rest of her possessions, which she had regained during her escape. In truth, her gold could last them quite a bit, and would probably be needed for quite a bit, so she was being careful in its use.

After lunch, they resumed their walk. When night hit, they camped underneath the stars. The whole of the next day was spent traveling, interspersed with short breaks, and they camped out once more. The nights were getting chillier, and Catriona would soon have to look into buying warmer gear.

The next morning, they arrived at the gates of Sector One.

Chapter 3: Suspects

Date: Ramesoth 2nd, Year 556

Time: 9:00 AM (Terce)

Location: Ithome Sector One

BGM

The guards were rather friendly, joking and laughing as they let them in without even asking for a toll. A far cry from Sector Three. In fact, the difference was almost creepy, would have been creepy if they had not seen the gradual change in behavior themselves. It's amazing really, Catriona thought, how two places so close by each other can be so very different. The citizens themselves seemed to fall over themselves to approach the group, hailing them and pumping their hands cheerfully. "Nice to meetcha," they'd say, "how are you folks doing?" A few seemed a bit too friendly, such as the woman who seemed absolutely fascinated with Asura, or the young man who kept making eyes at Ciela.

Catriona paused in the middle of the street. The layout of the city looked much the same as Sector Three. If that were the case, then the library would probably be in the same place. Still, to be sure, she stopped one of the passerby, who readily gave directions. When they reached the place, Catriona stopped to look it over. The library was a large building in the style of Ithome's public edifices. The roof was larger than the actual building--jutting out overhead, supported by fluted columns. A frieze arced over the entryway, depicting marble human beings reading from scrolls or sitting at desks with sharpened pens in hand. The words "Ithome Public Library" were etched in the center.

Turning to face the group, Catriona explained, "Since it's on the way, I thought we could check this sector's library as well, in case it has different information." It wouldn't hurt to be thorough, after all. Plus, it wouldn't take nearly as long to look through now that they knew what to look for. Though not everybody knew their goal. Swallowing, the woman contemplated explaining the whole truth to them. However, she could not bring herself to completely and wholeheartedly entrust everybody with the purpose of their quest. She was all for confronting difficulties, but there was a difference between forthrightness and foolishness, and she hoped she fell on the former end.

Instead, she took a moment to glance around, to be sure nobody was within earshot. It had gotten quieter the further they climbed within the city, so other than a few curious passerby, there were no interested ears. "For those who have recently joined us, our quest is simple--find information on the Great Dragon, specifically their whereabouts. It is said that Histia was once guided by the Great Dragon. Whether that is true or not, we stand the best chance of finding the Great Dragon through either research or the help of the Council." More than that, she could not say without delving into the specifics of the goddess' revival and their goal to stop Her, something she felt certain that at least one of their number would have problems with.

Taking a deep breath, the white-haired woman opened the doors, revealing the inside of the library. While the outside was much like Sector Three's, the inside was far different. Rather than closed, haphazard shelves, this library had open, airy hallways and desks for studying. Glass-paned windows let in the light, and a strange sphere sat center stage. From what the princess could tell, it seemed to be a map of sorts, though why it was in the shape of a ball rather than flat she could not say. Perhaps it was a Histian idiosyncrasy?

A single guard stood at attention, though he seemed to pay them little mind, more interested in the book he was falling asleep over. This early in the morning, it seemed they were the first to enter the building aside from the guard. Catriona wasted no time in diving for the first bookshelf. "A Guide to Breaking and Entering," she read out loud. Nope. Not what she needed. Nor was Equine Leg Cramps or Tyrant of the Potatoes. Brow furrowing, the woman moved to the section marked "History." Maybe she'd find what she needed there.

Once there, looking through the books, she noted that quite a few mentioned the Great Dragon in passing, such as their love for music, or their participation in the First Great War along with the Twelve Crusaders. She even found a book that mentioned their connection to the fabled Proteans. But nothing on their whereabouts. Nothing except for one passage she found. "For more information on the Great Dragon's actions after the war, refer to collection ten of Hesiod's The Great Dragon, scroll nineteen." "Scroll?" Catriona wondered aloud. Glancing around the library, she could see nothing but leather-bound books. "Would they still have them?" Nowadays, manuscripts had become the primary way to pass on information in large quantities. She glanced at the guard, who was openly snoring by now. They'd get no help from him, it seemed, unless they wanted to wake him up.

[spoiler=OOC]

All right did a transition thing and then new chapter! Also you're in a library again, woo! So yeah, finish up your character's actions on the road; feel free to put in what they did during the camping nights and stuff. Also how they reacted to Sector One, and what they're doing in the city, and if they're in the library, what they're doing there.

For reference:

August 31st

-Group leaves Sector Three in the morning.

-A few hours later they meet a crossroads.

-Several hours after that they meet Sienna.

September 1st

-Whole day is spent traveling.

September 2nd

-The group reaches Sector One in the morning.

Asriel Dreemurr · October 14, 2016

It had a little less than a full day since the Protean girl had joined their party, and Edrick was still not exactly sure how to react to her. The transformation into an enormous fox had been quite the surprise indeed, but even though she was very clearly not using magic that came from the Goddess, or maybe she was and it just was a form he couldn't recognise, she didn't seem to be evil. She hadn't tried to kill any of them, and it certainly didn't seem she was trying to claim their souls. Of course perhaps she was just biding her time and waiting for an opportune moment to strike. Still, she seemed nice enough. If anything, he was just wary about her but not presently opposed to her presence. No, the only thing he was opposed to was what came about when they reached the library.

""For those who have recently joined us, our quest is simple--find information on the Great Dragon, specifically their whereabouts. It is said that Histia was once guided by the Great Dragon. Whether that is true or not, we stand the best chance of finding the Great Dragon through either research or the help of the Council." This set off a large number of alarms in Edrick's head, namely because she was talking about finding the source of all the evil in the world. Of course simply finding it wasn't something to take issue with, apart from that he would be needing a much bigger spear to kill it, but he needed a bit more than just his idea of what was going on. The library be damned, he needed to get some answers from their fearless leader on the subject. Though that globe was certainly an interesting thing. He remembered his father telling him that his uncle had flown high enough to see that the world was round, but that could wait. He needed to catch up to the princess. He found her over by the bookshelf nearest to the door, already digging through the tomes there.

"Catriona." He said, trying, and failing, to get her attention as she was busy with her excavation of knowledge. "Catriona," he said again, a bit louder this time, just as she slipped away from the first shelf and went over to another marked "History." Maybe she just hadn't noticed him, or maybe she was actively ignoring his presence. In the case of the former, he could fix that with more volume. The latter he could fix with persistence. Thankfully, she looked away from the shelf an the book she'd taken off of it after saying something about scrolls. His right hand, as he was gripping his lance with his left, made its way to her shoulder before she could turn away and get back to ignoring or not noticing him. "I need to talk to you, and I think you know why."

Maeriberii Haan · October 15, 2016

Ciela spent the rest of the way to Sector One barely looking at the rest of her group. Even during their stop for lunch, she secluded herself to eat near Remy instead of the rest of her group. She was ashamed of having this kind of reaction, yet she couldn't still bring herself to not be afraid of...whatever Sienna was. She knew it. From how the group looked at her, from Asura's words, from how Gunther moved in to protect her as if she's now a liability, they're now dismissing her, right? What else would it be? Catriona was not really welcoming her here, and Penelope was busy being curious about Sienna now.

She's in the middle of a group, yet...why did she feel like she's lonelier than before?

Ciela kept those thoughts to herself, of course. Even during the night, she opted on sleeping near Remy, spending her night with her horse by telling him jokes and brushing him, and also giving him treats for accompanying her throughout her journey. It really felt nice to have a friend. Although...at times she just wished that for once, she could actually hear what Remy's saying. It'd be nice if she could have someone to talk with.

The next day was spent on the road still, and Ciela, while still being avoidant, was starting to feel better about herself. The day after however, right at the morning the gates of Sector One became apparent on the group's sight. The welcome they got was quite warm, unexpectedly so, and Ciela felt that some of the people there were eyeing her for some reasons. A fan of hers? That thought made her snicker a bit. While they're on the middle of the street, Catriona stopped to ask for directions, and at that time Ciela excused herself to split from the group. Throughout the night she was building back her courage to try talking to Catriona so that she could be the one that handle supplies while they're doing whatever they're doing. It was a bit hard to convince her, but in the end she agreed with some conditions that Ciela was ready to accept.

Splitting from the rest of the group felt nice, it cleared her mind somewhat from what happened a while ago. It's just like the usual again, just her and Remy, braving the world. She had pawned off the last of her gem for thankfully a slightly higher price, she did her thing and uh...raised some money from some hapless people, and she had bought the two things she had been thinking of buying for a while. First off was the wooden bathtub set, something she had coveted for a while but only now that she's traveling on a group, she'd actually be able to carry and assemble it. And the other was of course, the aphrodisiacs. The place she bought it from looked pretty shady, and the people there eyed her in a way that made her uncomfortable. But that's done and all, and now would be the hardest part.

Operating on a limited budget, she had to force herself to buy the cheapest options available for her group.

Ciela had herself bought a pack mule earlier since she panicked at the thought of having Remy carrying all the supplies, and right now she wondered whether it's a good move or not. But eh, at least they gave her some discount when she said she's here alongside the princess of Galtea (ohohoho, Cat wouldn't be happy if she knew about this), and now, she's busy actually figuring out what kind of supplies she needed to buy. She rarely bothered herself in buying supplies, usually asking someone on the inn she's staying to prepare it for her, and she spent her times on villages and cities eating on diners and such anyway.

She wanted to stay on top of Remy during her time on the marketplace to avoid getting herself too dirty and since her legs still hurt like hell after falling from her horse, but she forced herself to walk on the ground with the help of a cheap walking staff she bought earlier just so she could see what she's buying.

It really felt quite annoying, but what could she do?

Hakima · October 15, 2016

"...Link, what the hell?" Ciela’s voice was a proverbial whip, and Link flinched like he had been physically struck by it. His head craned up, looking confused when he saw who was on the back of the horse. Ciela...? Realization hit him as Ciela shouted again, beginning her verbal assault, but it didn’t have the desired effect. Link’s expression only became more confused, and then, distant. He could see her mouth was moving, but her voice was muffled and blurry, like he was hearing her from underwater. Eventually, his vision began to blur as well. He could still see Ciela, but it was more like a Ciela painted with water colors, a blurry blob of mismatched colors. It reminded him of when he would first get up as a child, when he would rub the sleep from his eyes to clear his vision. Before he had drilled responses like that, unprepared sluggishness that could cost you or your comrade their life, out of his system.

The feeling of oblivion was… pleasant. In the back of his mind, he could hear people shouting. Feel the subtle shift in the air caused by the recent presence of magic. A very small part of him, a secluded corner in his mind, told him that he needed his sword, that something was going to go wrong, but it wasn’t the overpowering sense of danger that he normally felt. It was… tolerable. He still worried for Catriona and Princess Penelope, but he could honestly say that it wasn’t his top priority. He didn’t have a top priority. Right now, he had no worries. It felt like he was seeing the world through the eyes of a stranger, instead of his own.

Coming back to himself was jarring. One second, he was completely blank and barely attentive, and the next, he was back to himself. Every noise seemed louder than it had before, every color sharper. Link blinked several times, and to an outsider, it would look like he was waking up from a heavy sleep. Everything came back into focus slowly, and Link immediately saw Princess Penelope hovering just inches away from his face. He instinctively took a step back, feeling uncomfortable, and then took a moment to reevaluate his surroundings. Most of the group seemed to have come to an agreement on Sienna, as they were getting back onto the road. It seemed she would be traveling with them for at least a little while.

Link made to follow them. What had he missed? And more importantly… what had happened? Nothing like that had happened to him before, not even on his worst days. He had messed up in front of everyone, treating Ciela’s attempt at invading Sienna’s personal space as an attempt on her life. Thinking back on it made him sick to his stomach and it brought to the surface a lot of the feelings his mental lapse had suppressed, but he knew that it was a necessary evil, if he was going to figure out what had happened. In that moment, he had been feeling lower than ever before. Link’s first thought had been that Princess Catriona was going to deem him unfit, and force him to leave the group. He was going to be on his own again. And then Ciela had started to yell, and… The best way he could think to describe it was feeling like he had shut off, but that wasn’t quite it. It was… It was like he wasn’t him anymore. It was terrifying.

Link kept his distance from the group the rest of the day. He was pale, more so than normal, and deathly quiet. When the company stopped to eat lunch, Link forced himself to choke down a single dry, leathery piece of jerky that he had brought in his rations. It made him feel worse, ill and sick to his stomach, but it seemed to quell some of the looks the soldier felt like he had been getting from the others. When night came and they set up camp, Link went out of his way to insist on taking the first watch, the only time he had spoken since the meeting on the road. After a couple accusing, or maybe just confused, looks he was allowed to, and he never bothered to wake anyone up to take over for him. Link knew very well sleep would prove fruitless that night, and he wanted the time alone, away from the prying eyes of all the party. He passed the time by trying to decipher the music of the Great Dragon Mirana had gifted him, but when it eventually proved futile at quelling his restlessness, he took his sword and began to go through mock battle routines. They did a number on him mentally, but physically, they gave his tense muscles something to wear themselves out with.

He repeated the process the next day. Taking up his position at the rear of the party, he matched the brisk pace easily. Marching was easy for him, something he could autopilot with little to no attention. When they set up camp, Link was feeling the effects of his sleep deprivation, but he couldn’t find it in himself to face the nightmares yet. He could tell it was going to be worse than normal when he finally did submit to facing it, and enduring another sleepless night was a much easier alternative for the time being. Link took the first shift once again, and he kept watch the entire night. The temperature was getting colder, the wind biting into his exposed face and neck, but his extra layers kept the rest of his body warm.

When the sun finally broke the horizon, Link was finding it hard to focus. He tried to help the group break camp, but it took him so long to register that people were up and about, they were done before he could start. His marching pace, though he never uttered a single complaint, was sluggish compared to normal. His eyelids were heavy, his eyes were bloodshot, and dark, crescent-shaped bags colored the area beneath them a sickly purple, like matching bruises. Link knew how bad he must have looked, but he had acting alright down to a science. He kept his face angled at his boots, never meeting anyone’s eyes, and pulled his cap down to provide extra shelter. If anyone noticed, they didn’t voice it.

He barely noticed the jovial guards that let them into the city, he barely had enough motor functions to not walk into anyone in the streets. He followed blindly, forcing one foot to land in front of the other. Princess Catriona stopped all of them in front of a library, and Link was momentarily confused, wondering how they had ended up back in Sector 3. It didn’t click with him until they were inside what had actually happened, but before that, Princess Catriona thought she needed to tell them something. Link respectfully raised his head, standing at attention, but his limbs felt like they were made of lead. It was a struggle to straighten himself up, much less snap to the proper position. "For those who have recently joined us, our quest is simple--find information on the Great Dragon, specifically their whereabouts. It is said that Histia was once guided by the Great Dragon. Whether that is true or not, we stand the best chance of finding the Great Dragon through either research or the help of the Council."

Link didn’t respond, besides a quiet, nonverbal nod of affirmation. Translation: understood. In reality, Link had no idea what Princess Catriona was talking about. The Great Dragon? She wanted to find that? In his sleep deprived state, the first thing he thought was, bet they’re wherever Epona is. When they entered the library, Link had enough of his sense about him to make sure he kept close enough to Catriona that he could see her. It was his job to safeguard her.... Even if he wasn’t sure why he bothered. She was probably just as sharp as she was at the border, and she had already been the superior warrior between the two of them. Meanwhile, he had gotten worse and he knew it. His strength was lost the less he ate, his reflexes dulled by a thousand nightmares. If it came to it, the only way he could contribute was as an extra body to stand in the way.

He had gone to a nearby bookshelf to help the group look for information, but somewhere in the process, Link leaned up against one of the shelves and dozed off. He woke up to the sound of Edrick’s voice, and cracked his eyes open just to see what was going on. The first thing he saw was Edrick’s hand, gripping Catriona’s shoulder more firmly than Link thought he had any right to. The second thing was his grip on his spear, more tense than it should have been in one of the most peaceful places imaginable. Alarm bells were going off in his head like crazy, demanding he intervene, but Link wasn’t in the mood to make a fool of himself twice. He watched Princess Catriona closely, looking for any signs of discomfort. In that moment, he saw nothing to warrant his help, but he wasn’t going to look away until he was sure.

He couldn’t lose anyone else because he wasn’t there, or wasn’t fast enough. He wouldn’t take any risks.

Wind Rider · October 16, 2016

"You would be more than welcome. Who knows, we might need a giant fox in the near future. We make for Ithome, Sector One to be precise." Sienna nodded her head at Catriona's statement. "Right behind ya, heh heh..." Sienna said following the now leaving group.

The rest of the day was spent traveling on the road, Sienna was keeping up to the best of her ability but she couldn't keep her mind off scaring Ciela like she did when she transformed. When the group sat down for a bit to eat lunch Sienna wanted to try to sit by Ciela but she apparently had other ideas and sat away from the group with her horse.

Catriona was also going over the supplies and funds that the group had, things were looking low for the most part. This brought to mind the red gem Sienna's father had given her before she left home. During the trek to Sector One, Sienna made sure to let Catriona know about the gem and told her that if they needed it, she could sell the gem for some extra funds.

The Next Morning

The people at Sector One were surprisingly kind, a couple passersby even said some greetings to the group as they made their way through the Town. Ciela broke off from the group to go on a bit of a shopping spree and Sienna would've went with her, if it weren't for the fact that the group stopped at a large library.

"For those who have recently joined us, our quest is simple--find information on the Great Dragon, specifically their whereabouts. It is said that Histia was once guided by the Great Dragon. Whether that is true or not, we stand the best chance of finding the Great Dragon through either research or the help of the Council." So this Great Dragon was what they were trying to learn about, good thing Sienna was a bookworm herself otherwise she would've sat this one out.

The library was bigger than Sienna expected, but her eyes widened at the sight of all the books. She immediately ran in, keeping in mind that she was to be quiet and search for anything on the Great Dragon.

Sienna spent a good while looking through the long hallways of books. Some caught her attention, including one called "The Scouring". The book itself talked about a great war between humans and dragons and the events that took place afterwards. It was a nice read, but nothing on any specific dragon that the group was after. She put the book away and went back to searching, until she found a peculiar book. "Ancient Entities: Spells and Magical Items... Hmmm, this sounds interesting..." Sienna started flipping the pages of the book, losing focus on what she was trying to do beforehand.

Sethera · October 17, 2016

It seemed that their group was full of money. Or at least the newcomers. Not only did Sienna possess a red gem, but Ciela seemed to have experience with money, if the way she offered to buy their supplies was any indication. Still, the girl wasn't, and rightfully so, going to spend her own money on the group, so she had asked Catriona for some funds, which she had granted after a moment's hesitation. Even if the girl spent it all on useless accessories, it wouldn't cripple them, plus it would give the lord a chance to learn a little bit more about her this way. You could learn a lot about a person by the way they spent their money.

When they reached the library, the white-haired lord couldn't help but feel relieved that that was one less Pontic to hear her explanation. Though she knew she wouldn't be able to put it off forever. Once inside, she went straight for the books, barely noticing Sienna diving in as well.

Catriona hadn't realized how lost in the books she had become until a hand gripped her shoulder. Startled, she almost drew her sword on the owner before she realized who it was. Cursing her tunnel vision, a fault she had to rectify, she turned her head up to meet sea blue eyes. Though right now they looked more like solid chips of ice.

"I need to talk to you, and I think you know why."

The woman squared her shoulders. She had been expecting this, and now that it had happened, she wouldn't back down. "Yes, I do," she replied flatly, starting when she noticed Link hovering nearby as well. She was really off her game today. Well. This was going to be a bit more awkward now that she had an audience, though she couldn't help feeling a bit safer as well, having a fellow wolf at her side. She gave him a nod, not only to thank him for the silent support, but also to reassure him she could handle this.

Glancing at the sleeping librarian, she couldn't help but be relieved there was nobody else in the building--she rather not have everybody and anybody hear what they had to say. "Feel free to speak your mind." She couldn't help but think she was letting loose the hounds with that statement, but so be it.

--

Ciela's shopping spree had not gone unnoticed. Though Ithome was in general an honest place, more so than most cities, the girl's rampant spending of so much in so little a time had attracted the attention of more than one honest citizen, and one not-so-honest not-so-citizen.

Brown-haired and brown-eyed, he appeared nondescript at first, though if one cared to listen to him, he would proceed to inform them about the embroidery on his toga that set him apart from the other denizens of the city. How he had started a trend with that style back in his home country.

He hadn't been here long. In fact, only for a couple days. However, being adaptable, he had immediately adopted the expression of "When in Carcino, do as the Carcinans do" even if this wasn't actually Carcino. Though it was similar enough. They even had a similar form of government, though why they felt the need to live in separate "sectors" was a mystery. Then again, Klimt had almost gotten assassinated, so maybe these Ithomenes were wiser than he thought.

The brunette had been looking over fabrics, bemoaning the lack of silk, when the clip clop of hooves caught his attention. That sound had become a death knell of sorts for him, because it always heralded her arrival. Glancing up, he caught not the telltale peridot green locks but sapphire blue. Breathing a sigh of relief, because she hadn't somehow followed him through, he took another glance at the blue-haired girl.

Her clothes were fine, nobility fine in fact. And she wasn't just a crow in peacock's feathers, no, she was the genuine deal. After all, he knew nobility, had rubbed elbows with them, sometimes literally when snatching their purses. It came with the job description. Speaking of the job description...he edged a little closer to the girl. Well, she was obviously green and untried if she were flaunting her wealth so obviously, but at least this experience would educate her in the ways of the world. If he didn't do it, someone else would. Plus, he needed the money if he were to investigate this strange continent. Money always loosened tongues.

Looking her over, he debated on what he would take. Perhaps the purse? Or maybe the bottles? Or the mule? That last one would be tricky, but doable for a rogue of his caliber. The bathtub he had no use for, seeing as he was staying at a perfectly fine inn, but he wasn't particularly choosy. Making up his mind, the man slipped by, muttering a small "sorry" as he passed, before making off with not only her purse, but another pouch of gold, a bottle of aphrodisiac, and the mule. He would have gotten away clean if it weren't for that dratted horse, who had noticed him as he was moving away. Her horse had been rather sharp as well. Maybe it was a horse thing.

Moving slightly faster, the brunette cursed the mule when it decided to hold its ground stubbornly. Cutting his losses by letting it go, he ran through the crowd, heading for a crowded inn. He would blend in easily there.

Asriel Dreemurr · October 17, 2016

Edrick was doing his best not to come off as too angry or aggressive. Either one would be counterproductive if he wanted to stay on good terms with the princess, and he certainly did. So he removed his hand from Catriona's shoulder while she turned to face him, and he took a moment to breath deeply in an effort to keep his composure.

"Yes, I do." At least there was not going to be any confusion between them once he got going on the subject. "Feel free to speak your mind." Much as she told him to tell her anything that was on his mind, he decided to be a bit more careful in his wording than what his initial thoughts were. If he went off on her about how everything evil in the world stemmed from the Great Dragon, all that would happen was their different beliefs getting in the way and he would get nowhere. If there was going to be any sort of conversion of anyone on the party, it would have to come slowly. So it was that Edrick rested his weight on that sturdy lance and began to speak in a calm, casual tone.

"I just want to know why it is you are trying to find the Great Dragon." Maybe it was obvious that he was putting effort into appearing calmer than he was, or maybe he was actually succeeding at hiding the mix of anger, fear, and revulsion that the very idea of seeking out that creature brought about in him. He had spoken more slowly than he usually did, but that was out of an effort to keep his thoughts in order and to not start screaming. "I do not know how much you know about my homeland," he dropped to a quieter tone now, remembering that a place friendly to Galtea was hostile to Pontus, "but we, understandably, have a certain revulsion to the creature in question. In my eyes, trying to find the Dragon means one of two things: either you are exceedingly desperate to accomplish something that is beyond your normal means, or you are going to kill it. I do not think your reason is the latter." The education in proper speaking that his father had been so insistent upon giving him proved helpful here, because the longer way of saying things gave him time to order his thoughts ahead of saying them. Maybe it was suspicious for a simple farmer to know how to speak in that manner, but they could cross that bridge when they came to it. It would only be fair for him to share some secrets of himself if Catriona shared that of her quest.

King K. Azo · October 17, 2016

Asura actually felt a little bad about his words to Nurse. He was perhaps a tad too harsh, something he didn't think too often. He figured she would try to spite his words, something he noticed a lot of women usually tried to do. Instead, it just seemed to crush her spirits even further, causing her to seek comfort with her horse. He sighed to himself, he seemed to have done the wrong thing. Something that was becoming commonplace, it seemed.

As they traveled to the city, his thoughts wandered to home. Would his family be proud of him? Of what he was doing? No, they wouldn't be at all... he knew it. That's why he was on the road, why he was an 'Asura', why he was on the journey... and had not returned home in the past six years. He sighed to himself. He needed to improve, to become a better person. Sadly... he doubted he would learn it from this group. Link was a strong warrior, but he was suffering under the burden of his past. He wouldn't be fit to teach him.

Catriona was also carrying a heavy burden, and to be honest, was probably worse with people than he was. The Bookworm Princess had plenty of knowledge, but a lack of common sense, or at least she refused to use it. He prayed he would never turn out like Gunther... Alois was average, dry, and sarcastic. While he could respect the dry and sarcastic, he didn't want to be average. Nurse... well, it seemed like she never had even seen the outside world before, so that was not happening. Edrick was an honest boy, but that was about it. Asura was honest as well, that wasn't what he was missing. Sienna... he didn't know well enough from the one encounter.

The thoughts kept him occupied the whole way to the city, and he remained silent the whole trip.

After a day of travel, they had made it to the city. The atmosphere was a lot more welcoming... to the point it was almost strange. Well, it was really only one person, a woman that for some reason was fascinated with him. It made him uncomfortable... he wasn't used to such attention. There was also a guy that was a little too interested in Nurse. He'd seen that look before, and he was tempted to draw his sword right there and then and be done with it. However, he was a good mercenary and kept his sword in his sheath.

Eventually, they made it to the library. After explaining what they were on this journey for- Great Dragon, blah, blah, blah- Asura decided that he would be helpful. He had to have a use outside of battle! There had to be something he could do... Walking over to a book, he opened it up, looking at the contents. With a sigh, he closed the book after a few seconds. The book could have told him the secret to immortality and how to find the Great Dragon, along with how to make a kickass chicken dinner, but he wouldn't be able to tell. The markings looked weird to him. He put it away and reached for another book, opening and staring into it. Maybe if he stared hard enough, he would magically understand what the markings meant.

It took a few more minutes before he sighed and closed the book. It wasn't happening. He wasn't going to magically learn how to read. With a sigh, he placed the book away and walked to the the entrance of the library, quietly slipping out. He was no help here, and seeing how helpless he looked, he was pretty sure an observant person would pick up on his shortcomings.

Walking out towards the marketplace, he felt in his pocket and smiled. His pouch was still there, and it had some gold from his last job. He might as well get something to calm his nerves. It was nice to get away from the group. With a band of mercenaries, he felt some comradery with them, since his lack of skills didn't matter. All that mattered was that he was good with a blade. Here, looking at royalty and the smarter people... he felt left out, like he was sorely lacking something. He didn't know any more...

Still, he was going to clear his mind. He had been too gloomy for far too long. It was a new day, and a new city. He would make the best of it.

LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow · October 18, 2016

"Another library!" Penelope practically skipped inside the library, happy to be back in her natural habitat. Gunther, meanwhile, was worried. For multiple reasons. Not the least because he was already carrying several books from the last library that Penelope managed to "liberate" and he was sure that she'd try to add even more to this collection.

Add to that Ciela's departure...it was not a good day for Gunther. The Knight decided it might be good for him to stay outside the library, watching for any trouble, or for sign of Ciela returning, and also to help steady his breathing. He got the idea when he realized that Link was making sure to keep to their rear. The rearguard was an important, honorable, position and Gunther was determined to show everyone he could do it too.

Thus he noticed Asura as he left, seeming disappointed. Gunther raised his hand to greet him but the man just walked on past and Gunther stood there, hand raised awkwardly, before shrinking back a bit and shifting uncomfortably.

Inside Penelope was tearing books down and adding them to a growing pile. Her usual book-carrier seemed to be indisposed and so she called Alois over to shove a pile of books into his arms and carry on. She couldn't find anything in her looking that related to the Great Dragon however. She went to announce this to Catriona but saw her discussing something, seemingly important, with Edrick. For the time being she decided not to interrupt them. However she did see Link nearby, standing at the ready, and she spoke to him.

"Hello there, our hippie friend...Oh, you might not know. The term Hippie is an old slang term. It refers to people who always have their swords at their hip, at the ready, you seem the type. Did you find anything? This library reminds me of back home." She was now speaking a bit louder, to everyone in the area. "I loved that place. The castle had a ton of secret passageways. I found some of them but probably not all. There were three in the library, which I found interesting. Did you know libraries were rated number 2 in places to hide things?"

Maeriberii Haan · October 18, 2016

The first thing Ciela focused herself with was salt and other preservatives. She knew that it'd be important to keep the group's meatstocks edible, and as much as she hated eating dried meat, it's for the rest of the group anyway so she could find something better for herself later. Meat was harder to choose, and looking at the price tag, she wondered whether she should even bother. In the end though, she decided to get chickens and fowls in general instead. Potatoes and breads are next, and Ciela felt that it should be easy. Although, looking at the choices presented on the market...she wasn't really sure about buying bread here. Even if it's just for the rest of her group, they're still pretty bad.As she considered to try buying those in another, better place instead, Remy broke her thought, pointing out that something went wrong. She turned around, and much to her annoyance, it was a thief!

He was quite well dressed for a thief which baffled Ciela , and he's trying to steal her mule, all while holding her purse. She faintly recalled him as one of the person she felt like watching her when her group entered Sector One earlier, but she had no time for nostalgia as the thief noticed her and Remy, and started running. Of course, that made her quite furious, and blinded by her emotions, she attempted to give chase, leaving Remy and the mule behind. She was pretty sure anyway that Remy would be able to fend off anyone else that attempted to steal anything else, though to tell the truth she wasn't really being rational now. She attempted to run to give chase, but the thief was a lot faster than her. Yet, Ciela continued to force herself to chase the thief-

And so she fell to the ground, tripping herself. Her legs were still far from recovering properly after the accident two days ago. She felt cramps there, but she was too furious to stop her chase. It was not a matter of how she lost her purse. For Ciela, money could come pretty easily if she gave it enough try. It's her pride that was being slighted by how the thief managed to steal from her, and for that reason instead of yelling for help, she forced herself to stand up using her walking stick as leverage, and continued her chase-

Only to fall again after traversing several meters. It hurt a lot, she was having cramps, but no way she would give up now. She continued her best to run after the thief's direction, following the faint trace of his brown hair, but again and again, she fell flat to the ground as her legs simply refused to cooperate with her.

No, no way I'll stop now! I...I won't lose the trust that had been given to me!

Still refusing to ask anyone for help, she got up again, and dragged herself to follow where she figured the thief went. She pushed herself past the crowd standing between her and her target. The thief's haircolor made it harder to figure his position out inside of a crowd, but Ciela was helped with the fact that he was dressed and styled rather extravagantly, which made him stood out a bit more compared to the peasants. With the belief that sooner or later she would caught up with him, she saw saw someone that looked like him entered an inn, and thus Ciela zealously followed him, believing that she would now be able to catch him as an inn would mean he's cornering himself. Yet, once again, just as she attempted to enter, her legs gave in once more, and she fell to the group with a thud. Perhaps she broke her nose and had a light concussion this time.

When she looked up after falling several times, all that she could see was more and more people, a crowd of people that obscured where the thief escaped. It was then that she realized that she had no chance of catching up with him. Not with her legs in this condition, not with the thief's agility, not with how many times she fell, not with this crowd. That was it, she couldn't do anything else. What would she say to Catriona if she lost all of the money that had been entrusted to her? With how much the princess didn't trust her, perhaps that would be the cue to kick her out.

And foolishly, she had left Remy and the mule alone back on the market. As much as she trusted Remy, she started to dread that perhaps someone used her absence to try stealing him from her. Perhaps, it had already happened. What would she do if she lost her only partner?

Still unable to say anything to others, the girl started to cry on the floor as the gravity of her situation started to dawn on her.

King K. Azo · October 19, 2016

Asura smiled to himself as he took a bite of the apple he bought. It was pretty good, he had to admit. The juice was sweet, and it was nice and firm. Slung over his shoulder was a bag of apples from the same stall owner, so he hoped they were all were of similar quality. He took another bite. Oh yeah, today was a much better than the past week. Maybe things were looking up for him for once.

Finishing his apple with a satisfying crunch, he tossed the core over his shoulder into an alley without a care. Seems splitting from the group for a few hours was the right idea after all. He dusted off his shirt before looking up. Hey, wasn't that Nurse's horse? Was it with a mule? Oh my god!! Was Nurse's horse cheating on her with a mule?! How... Asura's thought process was interrupted by him holding back his laughter. Where the heck was he going with that joke?

He walked over to the two, pulling out an apple for each of them. "Hey there, where's Nurse?" He asked the horse, like it could answer him. "She really shouldn't be walking without you to support her, you know?"

Alaina · October 19, 2016

The following walk to the next sector of the city was rather uneventful. It was a simple walk to the next city on a hill, and it was practically a straight line that they had to go through in order to get there. And while nothing of note had actually happened to them, there was still an indescribable feeling of tension within the boy. While they had recruited the fox girl into their group, the boy was still a bit wary of her. Sure, he had come to terms with her being able to turn into a giant fox and not maul them while doing so, but the thought that she could still lingered around. Nevertheless, he didn't voice any complaint about her, as his worries seemed to be unfounded at the moment, and kept walking along with the rest of the group.

When their journey had finally gotten them to the sector, Alois was a bit at a loss for words around them. They had walked in, and without any hassle at all, had managed to get past the guards. If anything, the guards were more than happy to allow them to get into their sector and do whatever business it was they had. All of the locals seemed strangely ecstatic and cheerful that there was a new group of people to enter their down. This stark contrast from pretty much most of what Alois had known was incredibly unnerving. He couldn't help but feel weirded out by how nice everyone seemed to be, and kept a somewhat wary look about him as they continued to travel further and further into the city, apparently in search of a library.

The news of having to go to a new library, one that was likely as big as the last one made Alois perk up a bit. Though he knew he probably couldn't go through it at his leisure, having a clear goal in what they were searching for in mind, Alois was still excited to go back to another library so quickly. As they approached it, there their fearless leader went on to explain to the group what it was they were looking for. Granted, Alois had already known about the whole Great Dragon hunt they were going for, but at least now he didn't have to attempt to tip toe around the subject about it (or use it as a means to tease those who didn't know.) Regardless, the group had gotten to the library, and paying not much heed to what everyone else was doing, Alois entered.

While Alois himself was ready to get to reading the books, the littler princess had needed his assistance with something. As he followed her deeper into the library, he was tasked with holding a book. Looking at it, it seemed to be nothing more than an odd book about surviving zebra attacks. Weird. However, before he could make out any other details about the book, another one was thrust into his possession. And before he could look at it, another. And another. And another. Before the boy had realized what was going on, a small pile of books had formed in his arms, leaving him to simply seem dumbfounded at this. Not really knowing what he was to do now, he simply kept carting the books around until they had finally stopped near the green clad man.

Once there, the girl had seemed to start going on her usual splurge of facts with telling Link that he was some kind of dirty "hippie" or something, and asked him if he had found anything. Looking over to Link, the fighter then added, "and if you haven't then boy do we have a place for you to start." Saying that, he then gestured the piles of books in his arms towards the man, starting to actually feel the weight of them. As the girl went on to talk about her home and library, Alois couldn't help but feel envious towards her, thinking that the place sounded pretty interesting to live at. However, as she said her odd fact about the library, Alois jokingly chimed in. "Is this where you tell us what weird things you've hidden before are?"

Maeriberii Haan · October 19, 2016

Remy was feeling quite uneasy as he saw Ciela left him alone to chase the thief. If it was not for the fact that Ciela trusted her to keep the new mule safe while she's away, Remy would have galloped without any care to hunt the thief down. He could only stand in his ground while getting others away from the mule and the supplies Ciela bought, even while he saw how Ciela fell over to the ground several times in her chase of the thief. It hurt to see his partner end up in that kind of situation, but he couldn't do much about it now. Others seemingly wanted to help the girl, but she stubbornly continued on her own, heading towards an inn on the distance. Ah, she still hadn't changed. Even a horse like Remy understood how his master's stubbornness usually end up going pretty badly for her.

Soon, however, Remy noticed the foreign swordsman from Ciela's group headed towards him and the mule. He noticed the weird look he's giving to him and the mule, and all that Remy responded it with was with him tilting his head in confusion. The swordsman got over it quickly though, and brought two apples, presumably for him and the mule. He seemed to be wondering where Ciela went with how he questioned the stallion, and so Remy pointed him towards the inn on the distance where Ciela had run off earlier, and he made his gestures to look like it was urgent. Of course, being a horse would mean that what Remy was trying to convey probably had some chances that it wouldn't be understood by the swordsman. Nevertheless, Remy tried his best to convey the urgency of the situation to the swordsman, in hope of him actually rushing towards Ciela before she did something that could endanger her in her current state.

Though, Remy concluded that one way or another, something would happen that'd end up with Ciela getting saved anyway.

King K. Azo · October 20, 2016

Asura looked at the horse, confused. It seemed to be pointing towards an inn, making noises and moving like it was urgent. Asura tilted his head and looked towards the inn. Why was this horse wanting him to go over there? He sighed and rubbed his head.

"Did little Timmy fall down the well again?" He muttered sarcastically to himself. He looked at Remy, squinting his eyes. Should he lead the horse to the inn...? He thought about it for a few seconds before shaking his head. Nope, he wasn't risking his life over it. In his experiences, horses were smart, but ill-tempered, and they liked kicking anyone that wasn't their master. He wasn't dealing with any of that. He placed the apple he had for Remy on the ground and walked towards the inn, hands behind his head.

He quietly opened the door to the inn... to see Celia on the floor, sobbing to herself. What happened? Why was she...? He bent down, gently trying to pick her up and support her.

"You really shouldn't be walking alone with your legs hurt," He muttered. How... why did they let her do this? He should pay more attention. He had her lean against him for support. "So, what's so important that you left your horse and... apparently mule, out in the marketplace?" He asked. Wait a minute... what if she didn't leave them...? "Did someone hurt you?" He asked. He'd be reaching for his sword if he had the chance.

Sethera · October 23, 2016

After speaking, Catriona noticed Edrick take a deep breath, removing his hand from her shoulder. "I just want to know why it is you are trying to find the Great Dragon." He spoke more slowly than usual, as if picking over his words. "I do not know how much you know about my homeland," his voice softened, "but we, understandably, have a certain revulsion to the creature in question. In my eyes, trying to find the Dragon means one of two things: either you are exceedingly desperate to accomplish something that is beyond your normal means, or you are going to kill it. I do not think your reason is the latter."

Catriona took a moment to settle her gut...and was immediately distracted by the close proximity of her sister, chattering to Link about...secret passageways? In their old library? What? Alois piped up soon after. Unsettled by the revelation that there were three--she had only found one--she attempted to get her mind back to the concern Edrick had voiced. And the very real complications that would arise from answering honestly. However...she would not lie to him either. Not only did it go against her grain to lie to someone's face, she doubted he would believe anything less than the truth anyway.

"...No, we do not mean to kill it." She glanced around the room, fearful that somebody might overhear and get the wrong idea. "There are people who are...attempting to revive the goddess. In fact they have partially succeeded," her voice trailed off in a whisper, unwillingly going back to that time. Blinking, she refocused her eyes back on Edrick. "I mean to stop both them and Her as well. But to do that, we require the aid of the Great Dragon." She stood strong, chin raised in challenge--though she had to look up to address him anyway. This would not end well, of that she was sure.

While the others had started to cluster and carry on conversations after searching, Sienna was the only person remaining still looking through the shelves, and had in fact lost sight of the others, her back to a bookshelf set against the wall. Thus, she was the only one who noticed the sudden breeze from behind her that died as quickly as it began, followed by a soft click. Were she to turn around and look, she would see that the bookcase in front of her appeared...off, one of the books leaning forward ever so slightly.

--

The inn the man had entered wasn't the same as the inn he was staying at, but that didn't matter. Only a fool would run for their hole in sight of their mark, unless they were confident they could get away with it. Not to say he wasn't confident, but he wasn't stupid either. And acting overconfident in a strange and unknown land? Pretty stupid. At least his mark seemed foreign as well, which was part of the reason he picked her out, as most of the people around were locals. People were less likely to care about a stranger, but they would care if he stole from a friend of theirs. Most likely the girl was here with a party of nobles, or accompanying her parents on a visit, though why she wasn't escorted by at least one servant he couldn't guess, unless she had slipped under their radar.

He wouldn't have minded if she had done the same, but oh no. It was "Come along Rennac," this or "Try not to lag, Rennac," that, and most infuriating of all, was how she expected to get away with not even paying him for dragging him along with her on her crazy adventures.

The whole time he was thinking, the brunette had made sure to keep moving, following the general flow of people, ending up at the second floor, heading for a window, when he paused at the sound of crying from the first floor. Looking down, he spotted the girl, fancy clothes scuffed with dirt from falling down, legs crumpled beneath her, and bawling her eyes out. Rennac felt a flash of pity despite himself. This was a necessary lesson in the ways of the world, but it wasn't an easy one. However, common sense told him she probably had more money elsewhere, and was just crying because she wasn't used to being stolen from.

Still, something looked wrong with her legs, and now that he thought about it, she had been leaning pretty heavily on her staff earlier as well. Perhaps she hadn't been the best choice of mark, after all. Cripples were more likely to garner sympathy from the crowds. Not only that, but he would feel a bit guilty if she ended up injuring herself further because of him. He didn't have anything against her, after all, didn't wish her harm. She had just been a little...unlucky, being both rich and naïve.

Soon afterward a strangely-dressed man entered the inn, approaching Ciela as soon as he saw her. By the way he addressed her, he seemed familiar with her. Perhaps a mercenary guard? Either way, he wasn't looking up, and that was all that mattered. He was fairly visible up here, but unless one knew to look for him, nobody would be able to pick him out amongst the other well-dressed Ithomenes. Even if somebody tried to get at him, he could be out the window and on the street before they even had a chance. So he stayed where he was, if only to make sure the girl didn't die in her attempt to chase after him.

Meanwhile the mule was munching happily on the apple. As soon as Asura left, however, it let out a bray and moved to follow the man into the inn, desiring more delicious apples to eat.

Asriel Dreemurr · October 23, 2016

"...No, we do not mean to kill it." Unsurprising, but whatever Edrick may have been expecting was completely blown out of the water with what Catriona had to say next. "There are people who are...attempting to revive the goddess. In fact they have partially succeeded." It took every last bit of Edrick's restraint not to break out in praise and hymns, for now he knew why the Goddess had sent him to Catriona! He was to learn news of her return from the princess, and bring it back to his homeland! At least that was what he thought, until the princess said the rest of her piece. "I mean to stop both them and her as well. But to do that, we require the aid of the Great Dragon." And now he was thinking that he had been sent to smite this...this heretic standing before him! Once more it took all of his restraint not to act, something which was made easier by a cursory glance at the others around them. Maybe he could take Catriona alone, maybe he could take her and Link at once, especially with how tired the soldier was, but he certainly could not take the two of them, Penelope, whom now that he remembered he still owed his life to, and Alois all at once. And that was assuming the guards decided not to get involved, which they would. If this was to turn into a fight, he would not be able to win. In all likelihood, he would not even be able to take Catriona down herself.

"You do not..." he had to stop for a moment as his voice failed him, the strength of the many emotions in him choking off his words. It was several seconds before he spoke again, his grip audibly tightening on the haft of his lance. "You do not understand what her return would mean for my people, but that is not your fault." He released his hold on the lance, letting it fall to the ground at his feet. Right now he couldn't trust himself not to do something stupid, and getting his weapon out of his hands was a good way to help his case. "What you should understand now, is that if I remain with you and do not inhibit your plans I will be committing the highest of treason and the greatest of heresies possible." He let those words hang in the air, both for emphasis and because he needed a few moments to collect his thoughts. It was his hope that, given he appeared nonthreatening, the others would not decide to try and kill him now that he was apparently a liability to their cause. He breathed the way his father had taught him to when he was at risk of losing his temper: in deeply through the nose, and then out completely through the mouth. It started frantic, like a shot deer desperately trying to fill its lungs with air instead of blood, and gradually calmed as he fought through the rage and forced himself to think. His expression, which had hardened into a glare that, if they knew the man, would remind any looking at him of his father, began to soften. Gradually it turned to one of calm, and then elation as a proper idea formed in his mind. When he was ready to speak again he was grinning from ear to ear, and his voice had regained its usual jovial tones.

"So I will hinder you, but not in any violent way. I owe you and yours too much to turn my lance against you, Princess." Speaking of the weapon, he stooped down and collected it in his left hand, letting it rest against his shoulder as he had before. "No, I will not try to slay you. I aim to turn you, who at this moment are likely Inera's most hated foe, into her greatest champion. Princess, I will convert you to the true faith or I will die trying!" His mind was made up, and he just looked oh so very pleased with himself. "Your first lesson will be tonight, after we've finished with this business of finding scrolls. Oh, and don't think you'll easily be rid of me now. Not only do I owe your sister my life, since the armor she told me to wear saved it, but I have made up my mind on my purpose here." He let out a single laugh, and stepped aside to let Catriona continue out into the library if she wanted. "Though, I do have a suggestion. In my home town we had a temple, and they did have texts of the faith in it. They also had some...easily damaged writings, which they kept away from the hymnals and the like which the townsfolk had access to. I would be willing to bet these scrolls are kept somewhere away from the books for the public. You know, so no one spills stew over a priceless piece of history."

Maeriberii Haan · October 25, 2016

The crowd didn't seem to notice Ciela even as she was weeping on the floor, minding their own business, or perhaps, simply unsure on how to react on a stranger that suddenly broke down like that. Of course, that was not what happened inside of the girl's mind. The girl was convinced that they're now looking at her in pity, and that thought disgusted her. It was enough for her to stop weeping, but even then her head wasn't really clear as it was now filled with thoughts of proving to others that she was not someone to be pitied. She could do it by herself. Nevermind the fact that the thief could've left long ago, Ciela stubbornly believed that she's going to catch him on her own.

"You really shouldn't be walking alone with your legs hurt,"

Who was it? Ciela heard a familiar voice, and used her staff to raise herself enough to see who said that to her. It was Asura, the swordsman of their group apparently, somehow managing to get to her. He offered himself to help her stand up, and at first, Ciela was quite annoyed at that offer. She could stand on her own! Ignoring her breakdown earlier as she was intent on proving her capabilities, she attempted to stand up on herself, only to fall again as her legs refused to support her body. Grunting, in the end she accepted Asura's offer, and leaned on him so she could stand up. It took a bit for her to stabilize herself, but soon she managed to keep herself balanced using her walking stick as the focal point.

"So, what's so important that you left your horse and... apparently mule, out in the marketplace?"

“Don't mind me, just go back there and guard the two for me, please.”

"Did someone hurt you?"

“I said, don't mind me!”

She turned around after voicing her defiance, and then proceeded to drag herself forward, towards someone not too far away from her that looked like he had been there for a while. Her frustration was clearly shown on her expression, and still with tears on her eyes and bloodied face, she demanded to talk to him.

"Sir...” Ciela took the time to catch her breath. The strain she subjected on her body so far was more than what she would usually manage. “Did you see a foreign man with brown hair and a toga pass through here earlier? I have some business to do with him."

"Foreign? What kind of foreign? Lots of foreign around here, you including, miss."

The man was seemingly not that willing to cooperate with her, perhaps aware of the sense of hostility from Ciela's expression even though it was not aimed at him. Ciela ground her teeth in annoyance, but she attempted her best to calm herself soon to ask him again.

"Uh...I haven't seen people like him on this land, so he's definitely not from Galtea...or perhaps not even from this land either...? Fancy clothing and all that too."

"Well that don't help me much, er, there's some young brown haired lads way over there."

Ciela turned to where the man pointed. Three brown-haired boys were there, seemingly was curious about her. The only thing Ciela gave them was a death glare before turning back to the old man.

"Older!” Ciela paused. She was still frustrated, but now she realized that she was being a bit too rude for her own sake. Taking another breather to calm herself down, she later asked him again. “Ah, sorry...I mean...he only entered this inn recently, and I think he'd be in quite a hurry. And yeah, he looked older than those kids, though not that old either. Maybe...late 20s?"

"Mmm well how about him then? That boy came in recently, never saw him in here before. Is he your friend or something?

He better keep a better eye on you, you look like you're in a right state.”

But by then, Ciela had left him. She had found the person she was chasing, and she focused all her thought on catching him. Even if she was practically dragging her broken feet through the floor, and through the steps of the stairway of the inn, even if he had clearly noticed that she was going for him, none of those really passed her mind now.

It wasn't the first time someone stole for her. Most of the time she didn't even notice, and at the end of the day she would've figured out how to get more than what she had lost anyway. Perhaps it's karma hitting her at an unfortunate time, but she couldn't care if that was the case. But this time, that money weren't just for herself. No, as much as the princess distrusted her now, Catriona was entrusting the money to her. That was for her group, and if she couldn't manage to get them back...that would be it, no? There would be no reason to keep her there anymore.

And so, she would be alone again.

Remy didn't really feel like enjoying the apple now, but it was really nice to eat something like that right now, however soon he realized that something unexpected happened. While he was occupied with the apple, the mule he was assigned to guard had run off towards the direction where that swordsman left. Of course as it was his charge, Remy followed it, forcing his way through crowds of people that were bewildered of a packed horse without a rider that went off on its own. Being a horse, Remy didn't concern himself with those people, and noticed that the mule had entered an inn. Perhaps the mule simply wished to get more apple from that swordsman. Remy considered to wait there as the entrance was too small for him to enter, but just waiting felt...wrong, and went off around the inn to see if he could find another way to enter it.

[spoiler=OOC]

The convo is done with Cow's consent.

tl;dr : Ciela stopped crying and get disgusted with the perceived pity around her, asked asura to handle the mule, asked someone where the thief is, and then dragged herself to catch him.

Meanwhile the mule entered the inn and Remy's figuring out an alternate way to enter.

Wind Rider · October 25, 2016

"These books are so interesting... Humans have such a rich history." Sienna said as she studied each and every book that caught her attention. It was only until her twentieth book that she had realized she had become separated from the group. She looked a few hallways over to see that the group of travelers were still there chatting amongst themselves. Breathing a sigh of relief, Sienna went back to reading through the books, when a sudden breeze blew against her back.

"Brrr... That's strange... Is there a draft in here or something?" It was only until a clicking noise caught her attention that she turned around. "Weird... Sounded like a mechanism of sorts..." She studied the book shelf that the cluck originated from and found that one of the books was slightly pulled from the shelf. "Hmm... I guess i was just imagining it... Wonder what this book's about..." Sienna reached out and proceeded to pull the book from the shelf.

LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow · October 25, 2016

It was. Nice out here. Gunther looked into the sky, watching the clouds swirling around, and imagined himself up there. Floating, floating...falling falling falling. Shaking his head Gunther broke his gaze from the clouds before he could imagine what it would feel to fall from that high up. Instead he focused on the ground, or, rather, the flower there. It was a nice flower, blue, and seemed to be growing well despite the slight chill in the air today.

Gunther knelt by it, glancing around to make sure no one was around, and began to speak. "Hello there little flower, how are you? It's a nice day isn't it?" He sighed. "You're such a stalwart little guy, maybe I should be learning from you instead of Link." He laughed at his own, stupid, joke, and then felt embarrassed by it. "Gosh I really am lame aren't I?"

"Acceptance is the first step to recovery, they say. Of course 12 steps is much too little I think. I could do 12 steps in an hour, personally, but not everyone can be me. No one, really." Gunther looked up and saw a curious young girl who was watching him. He blushed entirely, realizing he had been caught talking to a flower, and stood up as swiftly as his armor would allow.

"Are you the library guard?"

"Er, no, I just...um. I'm just standing here." The girl observed him for a while and then shrugged, walking past him. Gunther wondered if perhaps he should stop the girl. But she didn't seem dangerous. Actually she seemed somewhat familiar, in a way...

"Is this where you tell us what weird things you've hidden before are?"

"Oh, do you want to know? Well, I certainly have a few stories to tell about that. There was this one time, with father's crown, that..." before she got too far into the story, however, Edrick responded to Catriona in quite the dramatic way, taking her attention entirely.

She was curious how he aimed to turn them. "Well that is just strange. Logically speaking every tome about the Goddess shows that her path is not the correct one. And I will say right now." Penelope was bristling a little at this point. Had Edrick been more confrontational she likely would have dropped it and left but left as it is, she found it in her to speak up. "You will never convince me to betray my people, my home..." Then she stopped, looking away, and gasped. "But you ARE a genius! Well, not by the dictionary definition, but nonetheless!"
She turned to Cat. "Away from the books. Secret passages in libraries! We need to find one!" Excited she whirled around, hoping the others shared her enthusiasm. That's when she realized....they were missing several members. Asura, she remembered, was seeming out of place. But Sienna... "Where's the Protean?"

Sethera · October 29, 2016

"You do not..." A long pause where Catriona could hear Edrick's grip tightening on the lance. She prepared herself with a touch of grim regret. "You do not understand what her return would mean for my people, but that is not your fault." He let the weapon drop to the floor, causing the woman to stop in surprise. "What you should understand now, is that if I remain with you and do not inhibit your plans I will be committing the highest of treason and the greatest of heresies possible." And this was the crux of the matter. They just stood on opposite sides. He breathed in and out, expression terrifying. She remembered stories she had heard about the Pontic nightmares, Eragon and Roran, and wondered if they had looked like this boy before her did. However, the effect was lost when he calmed down and started to grin. The white-haired woman started to wonder if he was entirely sane.

"So I will hinder you, but not in any violent way. I owe you and yours too much to turn my lance against you, Princess." He scooped up the weapon. "No, I will not try to slay you. I aim to turn you, who at this moment are likely Inera's most hated foe, into her greatest champion. Princess, I will convert you to the true faith or I will die trying!" He looked ridiculously pleased at the thought. "Your first lesson will be tonight, after we've finished with this business of finding scrolls. Oh, and don't think you'll easily be rid of me now. Not only do I owe your sister my life, since the armor she told me to wear saved it, but I have made up my mind on my purpose here." He let out a single laugh, and stepped aside to let Catriona continue out into the library. "Though, I do have a suggestion. In my home town we had a temple, and they did have texts of the faith in it. They also had some...easily damaged writings, which they kept away from the hymnals and the like which the townsfolk had access to. I would be willing to bet these scrolls are kept somewhere away from the books for the public. You know, so no one spills stew over a priceless piece of history."

Well. This boy had given her quite a lot to think about. She wasn't sure she was looking forward to this conversion attempt, but supposed it was better than the alternative--the two of them locked in battle, hatred and duty overriding any prior feelings of friendship. Still, she wasn't sure how best to convey such feelings. It seemed Penelope had no such problems.

"Well that is just strange. Logically speaking every tome about the Goddess shows that her path is not the correct one. And I will say right now. You will never convince me to betray my people, my home..." Then she stopped, looking away, and gasped. "But you ARE a genius! Well, not by the dictionary definition, but nonetheless!" She turned to Catriona. "Away from the books. Secret passages in libraries! We need to find one!" She whirled around. "Where's the Protean?"

"Yes, I very much doubt you will have much success in converting me to Her worship," Catriona stated. "However, despite what you may think, I have no desire to face you in battle." Then his last words, and Penelope's, hit her. "A secret passageway?" She found herself doubting. This was not the palace, where secret passageways were all too common to enable the royal family a quick getaway. What need would a library for the public have of such things? Would they not rather just store such documents in the town hall? That was the conclusion she had reached, but her thoughts quickly turned to their wayward fox. "I do not see her, nor Asura. Do you think they left?"

Meanwhile, Sienna would find herself unable to pull the book away from the shelf, as it was attached for some reason. Stuck in a forty-five degree angle, the book seemed to clunk into place, and the case in front of her swung open, revealing a descending spiral staircase. It looked quite beautiful, carved from the marble Ithome was so partial to, and lit from the side by windows that must have been cut into the hill itself. However, her keen nose would pick up the familiar, coppery tang of blood from below.

--

Crap. He had been seen. Looking back at this, frankly, crazy woman who was dragging herself after him, Rennac ducked back into the crowd, glancing through a door left ajar. Good. An empty room and a window that could be opened. Running into the room, he pushed the window up and, glancing down to mark his fall, dropped to the ground. Ignoring the murmurs of nearby people, he started to walk away, whistling.

Only to smack right into a hard surface. Looking up, he saw the white horse from earlier, looking highly unamused.

He ducked to the side. The horse ducked with him. He feinted to the other side. The horse didn't fall for it. Backed up against the wall, he gave a nervous chuckle. "Heheh, you wouldn't be so kind as to step aside, would you, good...sir? I have places to be, after all. Places that aren't...here."

Alaina · October 30, 2016

After Alois's comment, the girl actually seemed eager to go into talking about what she had done in the past. While Alois didn't actually care when he had made his quip, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as the girl mentioned something about stealing her father's crown. However, before the story could go on any further, Cat and the farm boy seemed to start getting into a much more intense discussion then what was currently going on. Looking at the two, Alois couldn't help but feel the tension in the room start to rise, and seeing as both Eddy and Cat seemed ready to go at each others throats, he too started to feel on edge. However, as the conflict came to a resolution that left Alois slightly confused, the boy looked to the younger princess and said, "man, Pontus really is filled with weirdos." Alois wasn't exactly sure how to feel about this. The goddess was definitely not a good thing to have around, and the fact that there was someone in their party who really wanted her to be...it was odd. Granted, he didn't really seem to be dangerous at the moment but the man definitely had a certain savagery to him that Alois wasn't quite sure what to make of.

It was soon that Penne had come to some kind of conclusion that there was likely a hidden passage in this library, which Alois found to be oddly fitting given their conversation. When she had asked where the fox girl was, the cat seemed to wonder if she had left the library, to which Alois only shook his head. "Probably not. She had a different kind of vigor then the sword boy did when we came in." It was definitely something more like what Alois himself or the littler princess seemed like when they entered. With them having to go on a fox hunt now, toting the books around would get a bit difficult and so the boy just placed them on the ground, stretching his arms out and looking to the girl saying, "I am not carrying those," looking at the book on the top, he then took it off the pile and said, "okay, maybe this one."

With that, the issue became trying to find out where the fox was now. "Alright, if I was a fox in a library where would I be? Because I can tell you right now, it's not here so standing here longer ain't gonna help us find her." With that, the boy started to walk through the library in search of the fox girl. With a joking tone in his voice he said, "anyone got a whistle? Maybe that'll lead her to us." Internally chuckling to himself, the boy continued to search, supposedly with the rest of the party, trying to find just where Sienna was.

Wind Rider · October 30, 2016

Sienna tried to pull the book from the shelf but it didn't seem to budge. "Odd..." before she could inspect it further the book seemed to make a clicking sound. The bookshelf the book resided on opened up like a door, to reveal a large spiral staircase going further down than Sienna could see. "Wooow..." she stood in awe at the sight of grand marble structure, but a strange scent brought her back to reality.

"Wait..." she took a minute to analyze the scent, onlt to take a few steps back into the library. "Blood? What is this..." Sienna thought the matter over and proceeded to find the group. When she found them, they were apparently on a lookout gor her, she must've strayed a bit too far. "Hey! I think i found something over here." she said, turning back to lead them to the secret doorway.

When the group had followed her to the staircase she would turn to catriona and penelope. "I'm not very knowledgeable on your libraries... But I'm certain this isn't something you normally see... I've got a bad feeling about it..."

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Fire Emblem: Curse of the Goddess [IC/PG-16/Not Accepting]

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