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

[Asriel Dreemurr]

Edrick had kept pace near the front of the pack, admittedly in an effort to be closer to Catriona. The thought of being "her man," whatever that actually meant, was not really all that awful. Plus if anyone needed his help...well alright so she probably didn't need his help with much of anything. But if they met someone on the road he could talk to them instead! The elder princess definitely needed to work on her people skills. All the same he padded along, and found his gaze drifting down to the path again and again in search of any sign of horse tracks. Considering he was ahead of Ciela and Remmy he was not particularly concerned about mistakenly identifying the wrong tracks. Even so, in spite of the heavy pack on his back he was walking considerably taller and straighter than he had when they made their way into the forest. Maybe because the gambeson fit him better than the armor did, even with Jake's help.

 

When they came to the fork in the road that Licorice said would lead to the hideout he perked up, and then quickly sighed and just shook his head as most everyone else decided they did not want to check it out. Well...no sense in going on his own. He was pretty quick on his feet but he was not about to slow down the reason for their entire journey. He was certain he could find a lead to where Elba had gotten off to somewhere else anyways. Though as the group, presumably, continued their way on the North path some considerations he had yet to share came to mind.

 

"Oh, Edrick, there has been something that is going on in my mind. As you know, while I am a practitioner of your goddess' magic, I am...well, very lacking in knowledge regarding her or her faith. It's kind of awkward, with what our group's goal was, but do you think you'd be able to teach me Her teachings? Personally I don't really have any opinion regarding the Goddess. I was asking mainly since I was in need of deciphering an ancient book about the faith. Though, perhaps if this faith actually interests me, I could adopt it. That was my goal before I stumbled into this group anyway. So how's that?" And then Ciela went and caught him off guard with all of that questioning. Well...this was certainly interesting. She had a prayer book? That was wonderful! Assuming it was written in a language he could read. If it was not then he was decidedly out of luck.

 

"I would be happy to!" If nothing else that seemed to cheer him up. "In fact I was planning on starting to teach everyone in the evenings. I-I mean it's hard to...fight...something you don't understand." That was true, but he was uncomfortable saying it. Especially since he had already made it fairly clear he intended to try and convert the group. "But...um...we should talk about something else right now." His attention turned towards the Princesses. "We don't have anything to go off of about where the Great Dragon is aside from 'North of here' right? That could mean a lot of things. It could just mean Northern Histia, it could mean the Dran Mountains, or it could even mean Western Pontus. Sinope's almost straight North of us." He looked back at the group, and began counting on his fingers. "We're gettin' pretty well into Autumn, so the first snow's already started fallin' up in the mountains. Any passes we might need to go through won't be open for much longer than the first few weeks of November if we're lucky. Which means if we have to go into Pontus before the Spring thaw our only option's goin' through Locris in the Winter." He was not sure how much the others knew about that, but having done it himself he knew that was a feat easier said than even attempted.

[Sethera]

 

BGM

 

Catriona listened to Tsetseg's various suggestions on the road. "Lily Wolves..." she mused. "I feel that might be too amicable for our task." Still, it seemed her suggestions were little better. The woman colored slightly at her sister's pointed comment. "I believe it is a good name," she defended primly, but said no more on that, her pride stung. When Shiro arrived, the lord put those thoughts from her mind to listen to his report. "Good," she nodded briskly. "Thank you."

 

"Our hearing is keen," Licorice explained to Penelope patiently. "Though it is keener still in animal form." She watched the girl's antics with amusement, twitching her ears to see how she would react. "Would not it be easier to face forward?" she asked guilelessly. After hearing that most of the group seemed ready to move on, the black fox nodded in deferment to their opinion. "Very well."

 

"Yes, we should be fine," Catriona said, before glancing at Link, lowering her voice. "I would like to speak with you about the bandit you talked to, when we get the chance." She turned to Edrick, listening to his concerns. "I know," she said, her tone gloomy. "But that is all we have to go off of, so we shall head north unless we get a clue otherwise. As for winter..." she hesitated. "I can only hope that we make it through."

 

Eventually, as time passed, the trees started to thin, the sunlight casting wide beams of light upon the ground. It was...odd, seeing actual uninhibited sunlight. It feels as if we have been here far longer than these few days. There was something about not seeing the sky that made time pass in strange ways. Soon enough, the trees ended and the sky stretched out before her, an expanse of azure broken only by the pale forms of what had to be mountains in the distance, their peaks tipped with snow.

 

We have come far, she thought. Galtea only sees the tip of the Dran Mountains. I never thought I'd see scenery such as this, with people such as these. She had thought if she were to see this, it would be as Queen of Galtea, on a diplomatic visit to their ally. But instead...she was here, not even as Crown Princess, but as a regular traveler, hoping to stop what might very well be the end of the world.

 

But we have farther yet to go. So, turning away from the grand view in front of her, the white-haired woman looked back at her companions. "Let us move on," she declared.

 

Chapter 5: Creeping Darkness

Date: Ramesoth 7th, Year 556

Time: 6:00 PM (Vespers)

Location: Pelinna Road

 

The road seemed to stretch on for forever, though Catriona knew it had only been a few hours since they had left the forest. So far, they had had no troubles on the road, but she knew that might not last. Still, it was odd to see a land so...empty. There were no houses, no villages, nothing but the ever unfurling road before them.

 

"We shall have to think about finding a place to set up camp at some point." Though it was still too early to do so, in another few hours, it would be dark. As soon as she said that, she noticed a sign pointing forward, though the words were far too weathered to make out. "Is there anything up ahead?" she asked the Histians of the group.

 

Meanwhile, a crow, flying overhead, had spotted the gilt wrapping of Link's present from Santa, poking slightly out of his stuffed pack. With a caw, it dive-bombed the man, grabbing the gift soon afterward and flying off with it.

 

"How unlucky," Licorice observed.

 

--

 

BGM

 

His Royal Majesty, King Reginald of Galtea, Archduke of Augusta, and Head of House Nabudis, paced the floor in his room. "So you say that it is true then?" he demanded. "Sir Cyrus's departure...he really had known, hadn't he? Why else would he leave?"

 

"Yes, your Majesty. It is said that he conferred with Lord Lucati before the latter was executed," the man before him replied, his voice soft and deep.

 

"Do you think, then, that he has some connection with the fallen House? With Pontus?"

 

"I would not count it out of the realm of possibility."

 

The royal's face soured. "If that is so," he muttered darkly. "Then we must investigate...the man's background, his current whereabouts, and the squire who left with him."

 

"I have sent some men already, Sire."

 

"Of course you have," Reginald shook his head. "How could I have expected otherwise from my spymaster?" His face hardened. "We must stamp out all Pontic activity, especially while my daughters remain missing. Are there any updates on their whereabouts?"

 

"None, My Lord," the other shook his head sadly. "Though my spies say that they entered Histia."

 

"Yes, mine have informed me of that as well," the king mused, his eyes narrowing at the man, but at the other's lack of reaction, he continued. "It is imperative that they return here, to Galtea, where I can at least keep an eye on them. To that end, I would have you bring them back. Can I trust you to do this, Lord Sebastian?"

 

"Sire, you can rest assured," the other bowed with an ambiguous smile. "I shall have them back well before the ink dries on your seal."

 

"Good, dismissed."

 

As the door closed with a soft sound, Reginald turned to stare out the window, one hand hovering over a draught board. "And so the piece makes its move," he said softly, picking up one of the carved wooden pieces. "But for which side? Black...or white?" he smiled thinly. "Black might move first, but I always choose white. And," he slammed the piece down with a clatter. "I have not lost a game yet."

 

OOC: We're finally out of the forest, woot! Also, Link has just received a trick--his present has now been stolen by a passing crow. And this is your second warning, Wind Rider.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

 

The younger princess had an urge to tease her sister more. There was something about it that felt almost nostalgic. They hadn't gotten to play together much growing up but she did remember coming up with pranks to play on her older sister.

But Licorice's words distracted her. And piqued the young girl's curiosity.

 

"So even more than just your body shape changes in animal form. I wonder, does the mentality change too..." She gave the fox a cheeky grin at the latter part of Licorce's words. "It would be easier, facing forward, yes. But this is much more fun."

 

"For you." Gunther muttered in response.

-----

The group at long last exited the forest. Penelope, though she did enjoy the forest, was happy to see the open sky so clearly. They traveled for a while before she seemed to explode with energy. "Ah, yes, I missed this...this is why I never liked being cooped up at home. I ever so much prefer seeing the sky above me. Reading in the daylight is much more effective than under candlelight." She ran forward with her arms outstretched, laughing and spinning as she took it in with a huge grin on her face. "Come, Ever Valiant Lily Wolf Seekers," she began playfully "our quest continues down this road."

 

Gunther couldn't help but laugh. "I was wondering why she was so reserved lately." He said towards Catriona. He, too, admittedly felt better now that they were out of the forest. While they were much more open now they could also see more. Gunther always preferred guarding an open space over somewhere with so many twists and turns and hiding spots.

 

As they continued on they were suddenly attacked...in a sense. He gave a start when the crow suddenly stole Link's package. "Well, that's rather...unusual."

 

Penelope made her way closer. "You must have wronged that crow somehow, Link. They have a tendency to take revenge on those who do something to them you know. Very intelligent birds." She then snapped her fingers. "That's right, I never opened my own did I? Gunther, you have it right? I think now's a good time to see what is inside."

 

"Er...probably." Gunther muttered. He was indeed carrying many things that weren't his own...when did that get there? Gunther shook his head. It seemed Penelope had slipped him several more things when he wasn't looking.

 

Finally he dug out the present, noticing his own at the same time, and handed it over to Penelope. He should check that himself, as well...

[spoiler=OOC]I don't know what's in the presents for sure and don't want to wait so lemme know if I should edit it in or something, Sethera.

 

[Wind Rider]

Sienna was keeping to her own thoughts the whole way through the forest. She had a lot to think about what went on for the past couple of days. She was happy that her people and the frogs could come to a peaceful conclusion, but the fact still remains that someone stole Inari's Beads and that they were still out there, plotting. Would things have been different if she had just stayed in her village? Would she have made a difference? Maybe, maybe not, she couldn't tell at this point what fate still had in store for her.

 

Her attitude towards everything seemed different now, after she left the village she wanted to explore, meet new people, see new things, but now she was just scared for her life. Her life flashed before her eyes several times now, first when she was tried for murder, second when an axe bashed her in the head, and third when she was held as a hostage by the hands of a bandit. Was she really helping this group? Or was she just holding them back?

 

"Eep!!" she came back to reality when she felt something clamp down on the tip of her tail. She yanked it away and looked behind her to see the culprit, a little wolf cub. "What the... Where did you come from?" she mumbled. She shook her head and turned around, holding her tail in her arms as she continued to walk.

---

Finally, sunlight without the branches of any trees blocking it. The land ahead of the group was empty to say the least, no house, or farm, or village in sight, just an open road leading... Somewhere.

 

The caw of a crow caught her attention as she turned in time to catch the black bird flying away from Link, with a gift held in it's beak. "Oh no..." she turned to look at Link, only to realize that she still had a present of her own packed away. "Uh... I can... Help you get that back if you want." she said to him.

[Hakima]

---

Link wasn’t used to being addressed when they traveled. His pale blue eyes snapped from Rohns to Adel, and his hand found the worn leather of his sword and squeezed for comfort. “Lincoln Harkinian, formerly of the 31st regiment of the Galtean military.” The response was robotic, even to his own ears; rehearsed to the point of losing all meaning. It was the way he had introduced himself to everyone after joining the Night Wolves. “You can call me Link, though. Everyone else does,” he said, trying to sound as welcoming as possible but failing miserably. 

 

His eyes narrowed imperceptibly at the next question. “Lord Balfon and his family have always sponsored the Garou Regiment.” That was common knowledge to anyone though. “That’s the closest I’ve ever been to any of them.” That was a lie. He had met Lord Balfon, had given reports directly to the man, but that had never officially happened. They were strangers. There was also Anais, but he wasn’t going to bring it up if he wasn’t required. She had made her feelings on him clear. 

 

Suddenly, Link caught a blur of movement out of the corner of his eye. He whirled into motion faster than his brain could register what was going on, instinct overtaking thoughts, drawing his Iron Blade and taking a shot at the dive-bombing bird.

 

The crow got away with his gift, but a handful of tail feathers floated to the ground, cut cleanly into pieces. Link held his sword with both hands and stared down at them. It was just a bird. It was just a bird. Just a bird. He reminded himself over and over again, slowly taking deep breaths, until he had fully regained his composure. 

 

"Uh... I can... Help you get that back if you want,” Sienna offered.

 

Link shook his head, cupping a hand over his eyes to block the glare of the sun and watching the crow fly away. He hadn’t been attached to the gift much anyways. ;">“No thanks,” he murmured, sheathing his blade and looking around until he found Rohns. The wolf cub had gotten scared by Sienna’s reaction and hidden in a nearby bush, but seeing Link in distress, he had peeked his head and was watching the scene unfold. 

 

When the two locked eyes the wolf cub came running out and pounced on one of the severed tail feathers, shaking it back and forth in his jaws viciously. Link moved forward and took it from him, crouching to look the wolf in the eyes and patting him on the head. ;">“Good boy.”

---

[Alaina]

 

As the flower faced knight made his question, Alois looked to him with an expression as if the answer was obvious. "Well, obviously it's because..." The boy stopped, as he tried to figure out something. After a bit, he shook his head saying, "well, come on. Look at me. Do I look like a flower kind of guy?" As if that was sufficient enough response before continuing onward. 

 

It didn't take much longer for the group to finally break out of the forest, and finally have clear blue skies above them. The sight had revitalized Alois, much as it had everyone else, and the boy seemed to not even mind the entirely ridiculous name that the littler princess gave the group as they made their way forward. With new found resolve that he had since felt being bogged down, the boy continued on his way towards the mountains ahead. He, quite like the rest of the group, was startled by the sudden crow attack towards the ex-library guard. 

 

Alois wasn't quite sure what to make of it, but didn't have to as Cat had asked him about the road ahead. Looking at the sign, the boy started to think about where they were and what could be ahead before he snapped his fingers. "Well, we could probably set up camp there, but it'll be a bit awkward... for most of us anyway. Up there is an old abandoned shrine to the first goddess that comes to mind. Never been there myself, but I'm pretty sure you'll find nothing but ruins there, so it can probably serve for a camp." With a sly smile he said, "unless you're afraid of a boogieman jumping out there." 

 

 

Tsetseg, meanwhile, seemed to be happily walking along without a care in the world. She watched the crow fly away, ready to pull out her bow to try and fire at it, though the green man seemed uninterested in any retribution against it. Instead, walking near her other friends, she looked with wonder as they spoke. "Whoa, you guys got presents? Did you do a good job for something? That's generally why Urvan or Hange would get me anything." The girl nodded contently, before looking curiously at whatever it was they were pulling out. 

[King K. Azo]

The entire trip thus far was uneventful. Shiro had kept to the back, watching their rear while keeping a close eye on the two foxes. That was his job after all, and he wouldn't be deterred from it. He thought he was being pretty discreet about it himself. He was more used to hiding in trees to travel and spy after all. Walking in human form by the others was a different experience, and he may have messed up, who knows?

That wouldn't be an option forever any ways, as they soon exited the forest. This did seem to trigger a strange reaction in the wildlife though, as a crow swooped down to steal something from the evil man in green. Then again, it wasn't so odd for a crow to steal things, but it seemed like a bad omen nevertheless. He walked up a little closer to the front as the group stopped. It seemed they wanted to get ready to set up for camp. Not the worst idea, to be honest. He listened to the suggestions of one of the members, one who he did not met prior...

 

"Well, we could probably set up camp there, but it'll be a bit awkward... for most of us anyway. Up there is an old abandoned shrine to the first goddess that comes to mind. Never been there myself, but I'm pretty sure you'll find nothing but ruins there, so it can probably serve for a camp." With a sly smile he said, "unless you're afraid of a boogieman jumping out there." 

 

"Don't taunt him," Shiro commented. "He doesn't like being taunted... and angering him will just make it more likely that he will jump out,"

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"Alright then, if that is what you say."

 

It really was weird, to think about it. Why would Edrick be in the company of people that wanted to stop his goddess' followers? Well, Ciela couldn't really do anything about it. That's what he had chosen to do, but it felt like like with how he said he's going to teach the others about the faith so they could supposedly fight the goddess' faith better, it felt like it really went against what he believed. Edrick then continued with his own concern, that they might be stuck on the road when Winter came.

 

"You're right. It's probably a concern you should voice to the Princesses though."

 

Well, even as she said that, Cat had already listened to their conversation and said her opinion on it. Ciela was fine with it. And so, she spent the rest of the time in relative silence. She saw later on that Link's gift was taken by a crow, and muttered that it looked like a bad sign. Cat brought up the idea of setting camp not long after, and she nodded in response. With her saying that, she turned towards Edrick again.

 

"Still. You did say that you'll teach the others about it too, for...that reason. But I'd rather learn it from you directly. One on one mentorship has always yielded better results than group teachings. Furthermore, how can I learn about the nuances if I'm just learning how to combat the faith?"

 

---

[Sethera]

 

"A little," Licorice admitted. "How to put it...you think more like an animal. Because you're closer to being one yourself. Those who stay in the form too long run the risk of losing their human reasoning." The air grew heavy around the fox until she smiled. "But rest assured, most Proteans have no intention of doing so."

 

--

 

It was good to see that everybody else was happy about finally being out of the forest. Catriona felt her own heart lighten a little, just standing next to them.

 

"Ah, yes, I missed this...this is why I never liked being cooped up at home. I ever so much prefer seeing the sky above me. Reading in the daylight is much more effective than under candlelight." Penelope ran forward with her arms outstretched, laughing and spinning as she took it in with a huge grin on her face. "Come, Ever Valiant Lily Wolf Seekers," she began playfully "our quest continues down this road."

 

"You are happier," Licorice observed.

 

"I was wondering why she was so reserved lately," Gunther laughed.

 

The lord's mouth quirked into a wry smile, though she felt her face reddening slightly at her sister's reminder of her naming skills. "And yet, reserved for Penelope is still far more exuberant than most people...save for a few," she said, glancing at Tsetseg.

 

Said bow thief was currently looking at their presents with wonder. "Whoa, you guys got presents? Did you do a good job for something? That's generally why Urvan or Hange would get me anything."

 

"Something like that," the princess coughed. Watching them open their presents, she remembered that she had a present of her own. She then took out a brightly-wrapped square package. It was rather small compared to the others', both of them being rather large and flat. She soon found out why, seeing Penelope take out a draughts set and Gunther a...frying pan? What?

 

That Santa has the weirdest presents, she thought as she unwrapped hers. That thought was confirmed when she saw her own, a pouch of crushed herbs and roots, along with a note. "This is a mixture of marshmallow root, thyme, and ivy. Brewing it as a tea relieves coughs." She paled, wondering exactly when he had caught that. She had been so careful to not cough around others, though she did remember that one time at the inn...perhaps he had heard her then? If so, he had keen ears. She dropped the pouch and note into her bag discretely, relieved that the most observant of their number were currently distracted. Hopefully Tsetseg wouldn't question it too much.

 

Movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. It was the wolf cub, shaking a black feather in his mouth. "Good boy," Link said, which meant that it was a boy...come to think of it, had the man ever officially introduced the pup? "What is his name?" she asked.

 

Soon afterward, Alois answered her earlier question with a snap of his fingers. "Well, we could probably set up camp there, but it'll be a bit awkward... for most of us anyway. Up there is an old abandoned shrine to the first goddess that comes to mind. Never been there myself, but I'm pretty sure you'll find nothing but ruins there, so it can probably serve for a camp." With a sly smile he said, "unless you're afraid of a boogieman jumping out there."

 

To the goddess? Her heart skipped a beat. I do not know if I could be comfortable sleeping there...

 

"Don't taunt him," Shiro commented. "He doesn't like being taunted... and angering him will just make it more likely that he will jump out."

 

Catriona stared. Does this man really--? She shook her head. No, of course not. She then decided to reply to what Alois was saying. "That would work. It is likely a better camp than most other places we could find." I will just have to ignore my discomfort, she thought. It would make little sense to avoid an optimal place to bed for the night solely because of one person's reservations.

 

--

 

BGM

 

Whatever the case, three hours later as the sun was falling, the group found themselves standing in front of the abandoned shrine, a large structure that had obviously seen better days. It was old, with decaying walls and a missing roof save for the high tower. Gravestones littered the lawn, which in itself was mostly weeds and dead grass. A few spindly leafless trees completed what made for a depressing picture.

 

Still, it would be worse if the place were actually looked after. "Let us head inside." She took one step...and then another. Calm down, this isn't the same...

 

"AWK."

 

The princess jumped, glancing up to see a raven perched on top of the wall. Ravens. Bearers of misfortune, messengers of the goddess, she thought. No, I can't think like that. This is just an ordinary building, and that is just an ordinary bird. Still, her feet felt as heavy as lead, and it took all her concentration to keep her legs from shaking. Eventually, she made it into the building itself, which was more like a small courtyard. "The high walls will keep out the wind, at least."

 

The inside wasn't much better than the outside. Catriona had walked through an opening in the walls, the actual door being barred shut with a rusted portcullis. A large slab of weathered stone made up what most likely used to be an altar, and a doorway nearby led to the tower, with a spiral staircase made of stone going all the way to the top room, where a cracked bell lay on the floor, the rope holding it up long since broken.

 

Finished exploring, and content that there were no traps or enemies in wait, the white-haired woman turned to the others. "We need to figure out what to eat, as well as who will be on watch throughout the night." She had forgotten about setting up watches for quite some time, but this location unsettled her. At least with a watch, if somebody tried to kidnap her again, well...hopefully that just wouldn't happen.

 

The lord took stock of their inventory, noting their food supply. The rations were nothing of note, just hardtack, jerky, dried fruit and vegetables, nuts, and cheese. Stuff that would keep well on the road, and not make a mess of things. She had also bought tea, salt, spices, and portable liquors such as rum and whisky from the Patrol. It was too bad there was no wine, but it was not in her best interest to get drunk right now anyway. Catriona had been carrying most of the group supplies in a separate pack, but even with her strength, she was glad of the rest. It really was a pity that their mule had disappeared. Where did that beast go, anyway?

 

"We have enough trail rations to last us for ten days, but we might want to conserve that if we do not find civilization soon," she announced.

 

"You need not worry about me, at least," Licorice reassured, looking around the place with interest. "I can find my own food easily enough."

[Asriel Dreemurr]

Edrick had been largely lost in his own thoughts as they emerged from the trees and the sunlight shone upon them, the sight of the Dran Mountains in the distance once more brought on pangs of homesickness as he remembered how his father would point out each and every one of them and name off the peaks on their journeys to Sinope. He felt his conviction waver as the unexpected distress of not being able to name them off came to him. The mountains looked different from the South. Maybe he couldn't even see the peaks of Dara and Peleaga from here. Maybe these were in fact very different from the ones he remembered from his childhood. It was hard to believe that it had only been two years since he had looked upon their westward span, because it felt like an eternity. Eventually he steeled himself again, choking down a sniff and reminding himself of his twofold purpose. He had to find Elba, and he had to see to the spiritual health of the group. As his mind returned to the faith, he remembered what Alois had said about a ruined shrine to the Mistress of Undeath and a spark of excitement came to him.

 

"I- I can deal with anything that might take offense to our entering!" He spoke up shortly after the Shrine conversation had just begun to fade out. Expecting a question, he once more pulled the iron icon of Inera's death aspect out from under his shirt to display it to the others. "My father taught me some rites. Including the Rite of...what's the word in Galtean...Appeasement? I think that's it. It's sort of like a funeral, but for those who are already dead and buried. It'll make sure anyone who might be upset at people intruding on the grounds won't bother us. Though...it does require a burnt offering. My dad always used barley..." and he trailed off, once more getting lost in thought as they continued down the road. For the time being, it seemed that he had forgotten Ciela's request to be taught one-on-one about the faith.

 

Coming upon the ruined shrine, the graveyard about it long since weathered and abandoned, put Edrick in a somber mood. If his mother and father could see this they might well be moved to tears, and he had to admit that it was a tearful moment to look upon a place of worship to Beloved Inera that had been so mistreated. To look out and see how many families lying in such a state, untouched for what looked like hundreds of years.

 

AWK

 

The sound of the birdcall shook him from his revere, and then he saw it. A raven. The bird brought a smile to his face. Perhaps her faithful had been driven away from this place, but Inera still watched over it. That only made the need for an appeasement all the more pressing, as the dead who lay around them could well be restless. All the same, he chose to wait until the rest of the group had satisfied their curiosity with exploring the campsite.

 

The interior was no better than the outside, perhaps worse considering that the great bell had fallen to the floor of the tower's top room. Though all of this did appear quite strange indeed. A temple of this size, with so many graves, would normally have been at the center of a good sized town. As the group settled down to discuss watches and the prospect of acquiring more food, Edrick looked over Catriona's shoulder to examine their supplies. Spying the whiskey, he reached in to take the bottle of it.

"First things first," he said in answer to the assumed question of what he was doing, "I need to appease the dead, before they take exception to our being here. This will also make a good first lesson in the faith." Assuming that he was not prevented from doing so, he took the bottle to the altar and removed from his own pack something surprising. Bundled up in ritual wrappings bearing both the golden sunburst of Inera's life aspect and the black raven's skull of her death aspect was a small, pristine dish made of alabaster which he set upon what he assumed to be the altar. He also removed a trio of short, stout candles which, unfortunately, had chipped and cracked here and there across his journey, and finally a small piece of flint and a steel file. It took him a few tries, but soon enough the candles were arranged upon the altar, the dish set in the center, and the candles struck to light.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

 

Licorice's information, while interesting, and brought to Penelope's mind the myths of feral Proteans, wasn't enough to distract her from the gift. A Draughts board. But not just any board. There were multiple different colors. Red, yellow, green, as well as the usual black and white. They even had symbols on the top for each of the elements of magic, as well as dark and healing. She smiled with bemusment. "I wonder who that man really is." She wondered. To be able to give such things that fit with the person so well.

 

She saw Gunther examining his frying pan. "It's rather good quality." The Knight admitted. "It may be on par with the royal kitchen even. I suppose I should make sure to get some more supplies to put it to good use."

 

"And if it rains you can use it as a drying pan!" Penelope chimed in. A stunned silence was Gunther's only response. Though it wasn't long before another point of interest came up.

 

"unless you're afraid of a boogieman jumping out there."

 

An abandoned shrine. Yes, that could be problematic for some of them. However it didn't bother Penelope much. Given that it was abandoned they shouldn't encounter any issues. She didn't think there would be any remaining magic there either so that should be fine.

 

"He doesn't like being taunted... and angering him will just make it more likely that he will jump out,"

 

Penelope turned her head with a look of astonishment. There was no way he....She smiled. "Don't worry Shiro I'm sure if he jumps out he'll only get one of us. I suppose he'd target the largest one. To feed and all."

 

Though she said this with lightness her eyes flicked over to Gunther.

 

The young man was staring straight ahead, stone-faced, and hard to read even for Penelope. But he never gave that look unless it had something to do with the Goddess or their supporters. She wanted to say something to make him more comfortable but she knew it would be in vain. And she didn't want even the slightest risk of upsetting her dear friend.

 

Gunther fought to steady his breathing. His skin crawled at the very idea of using one of the Goddesses shrines to rest. Even if it were abandoned. There were plenty of things he wasn't comfortable with but this was above many of those. Yet what could he do? Ask people to sleep outside when there was a roof to keep them protected?

 

Thus it was, with heavy heart, he trudged along.

---

"Well this is...lovely." Penelope said as they found themselves at the shrine. Graves. One of the most clear indicators of the loss of life. The princess shuddered as she thought of what it would be like to be buried underneath all that dirt. Without anyone around you. Without even a book, let alone the light to read one. Death was truly a dreadful thing no matter what truly happened after.

 

Gunther continued on without saying anything. He just had to keep going and deal with it for now. It seemed the place hadn't been used in many years so he should just think of it as another building. That shouldn't be too hard. It wasn't as though there were worshipers here.

 

Penelope once more thought she should say something but, once more, nothing came to mind. Instead she focused on the surprising sight of her sister appearing...startled. She realized a moment later why and was about to open her mouth to tease her. Then she noticed the look on her face, though it vanished soon after, and the words stopped before leaving her mouth. "Everything should be fine." Penelope said. She spoke it to the group but her words were directed towards her sister, though she didn't look her way, and upon saying it the girl continued onward as well.

 

To find Gunther staring at the altar. A place that may have very well been used for some sort of sacrifice.

 

It was only Catriona's mention of food that got Gunther's attention. "Yes, we should be careful of our supplies. If we had something more I could make us a meal but...for now I suppose we shall have to make due."

 

"I need to appease the dead, before they take exception to our being here. This will also make a good first lesson in the faith."

 

Gunther became silent once more as he watched Edrick walk forward and start to prepare some sort of ritual. His eyes narrowed and his fist clenched while he watched. He took a step forward, fully intending to stop the young man from his actions. How dare he even think of doing something like that in front of the princesses? But he hesitated. The princesses both trusted this man. And wanted him around. It wasn't for him to say what Edrick could or couldn't do.

 

But that didn't mean he would like it. Giving a strangled noise of discontent Gunther turned around, tearing his gaze away, and walked stiffly back out of the shrine.

 

Penelope looked between the two, biting her bottom lip, and seemed unsure how to proceed. She didn't think Edrick's actions would really cause anything to happen but she knew how it must have made Gunther feel. She SHOULD go to him but...she wasn't ready for that confrontation. "I....am going to check out the tower." She said, her words rushed, as she hurriedly made her way to the staircase in order to examine the top of the tower.

[Alaina]

 

Alois couldn't help but nod at the littler princess's comment about the location they were in. The fact that it was a shrine to the goddess didn't bother the fighter all that much; it was abandoned for a reason after all. However, he couldn't help but get over the still eerie presence the large field of graves and ruined building provided. The rather dead flora that surrounded didn't help either. Yet, all the same, he followed in alongside everyone else. Once there, a loud raven's croak could be heard, Alois's own steps were brought to an abrupt halt as the suddenness of it had startled him. 

 

Though, as the older princess before him also had seemed visibly startled as well, the boy couldn't help but say, "I didn't take you to be one so skittish around birds, Cat." After the boy's small joke, it seemed that everyone was beginning to get to their own business. Alois was none too interested in whatever it was that Edrick was taking part in, and as Cat asked about what they would do he said, "I might as well go first for tonight's watch." 

 

The boy then looked to the knight, seeing his demeanor far more reserved and distant than normal. He figured the atmosphere of the area probably had something to do with it, though raised an eyebrow as the man silently walked out of the building. This eyebrow did not lower, as he looked to see the smaller princess not say anything, but instead move in the exact opposite direction. He briefly wondered if he had missed something, but merely shrugged it off. Still, he figured that exploring this building by one's lonesome would only lead to bad things. Looking to Cat, he said, "don't worry, I'll make sure she doesn't get jumped on by the boogieman," before following after the girl. 

 

 

Tsetseg, meanwhile, had seemed a bit on edge herself. Everything about the area had seemed to rub her the wrong way, and as the raven croaked the girl's eyes went to focus on it. Staring, defiantly at it as if she were challenging the bird to some kind of staring contest that it was very unaware of. Eventually, though, she broke away from staring at it as one of the princess's mentioned food. Shooting her hand up, she said, "oh oh oh! Me! Me! I'm good at getting food and hunting a stuff. Like, I was super good in my tribe- at least against people my age. Oh but also sometimes adults too! Addle can tell you. Right Addle?" Her attention then shifted to the green clad mercenary saying, "oh, Green Man. Do you want to go hunting too? I bet you're really good at it too."

[Wind Rider]

"Oh... Ok..." Sienna backed away from Link when he started interacting with the wolf cub, he didn't seem frustrated over the crow snatching his gift. She couldn't wrap her head around that, did he not care for the gift at all? The thought brought sienna's attention to her own gift, she hadn't had a chance to open it since she got it and it was starting to nag at her. Maybe once they had found shelter she could open it, until then, she continued to walk along.

 

And sure enough, after a good few hours, the group came upon an old ruined shrine. From what she heard, this was a shrine to that goddess that Catriona and Penelope were talking. The thought of resting in what was essentially a shrine to the enemy didn't sit well with Sienna, especially with all the graves around the shrine, but it was probably the only shelter for miles, so it really was the only option.

 

"I need to appease the dead, before they take exception to our being here. This will also make a good first lesson in the faith." Appease the dead? What Edrick said only gave Sienna the creeps, he surely couldn't mean the dead would harm them, right? Right?

 

She shook the thought out of her head, she wouldn't be able to sleep if she kept the thought of ghouls and zombies coming to attack the group. Sitting on some steps, Sienna opened her travel pack and took out the gift Santa had given her. Her curiosity was getting the best of her and she started to open it.

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"Appeasing the dead, huh?"

 

Adel watched in silence as the Pontic boy went inside of the ruined church and started to perform rites in it. She shrugged and not pay it much attention, though she saw the girl riding a horse tried to enter to follow him too. Truth to be told, she didn't believe about the necessity of appeasing the dead. To her they're already gone from this world. If they die with regret and hate, then that should be it. Those things disappear when one's life fade from their eyes.

 

Or so she hoped. If vengeful spirits did exist, she probably wouldn't be able to sleep for the rest of her life.

 

"Ah, right." Adel pushed those thoughts aside, and went towards the elder princess and offered herself.

 

"Should tents be necessary? The place seems like it might not provide decent enough covering for our group." Adel offered. "I'll also be available for night watch."

 

---

[King K. Azo]

Shiro noticed that the smallest princess was giving him a look of astonishment. She then smiled, however, and spoke to him. "Don't worry Shiro I'm sure if he jumps out he'll only get one of us. I suppose he'd target the largest one. To feed and all." There was no way they didn't...

"I guess you wouldn't know," He said simply. "That creature... and its habits," He said, but it seemed that the princess had turned her attention to her handler, who was obviously distracted. Shiro wasn't sure what was up with him, and he decided it was best to simply slip back into the back.

 

---

 

They came to the shrine, the place looking old and decrepit. He supposed this temple was a monument to humans and the frailty of their creations. After all, this building had came to ruin long before the trees and grass around it. He stood by the entrance as the group looked around the temple, assigning jobs and... doing sacrifices or something. He didn't know. 

He did know that the big one in green was coming back outside. Shiro was unsure how to approach this. On one hand, he'd like to have minimal contact with these humans, just doing his part in the shadows... but on the other hand, this one was acknowledged by Glenn... that wasn't something he should just ignore. There was really only one thing he could do...

 

As Gunther passed by him, Shiro commented, "This place making you uneasy as well?"   

[Hakima]

---

"What is his name?" Catriona asked. Link started to respond but the words died on the tip of his tongue, the realization that she would know who the cub was named after suddenly dawning on him. Would she think less of him for dwelling on the loss? No, he wasn’t dwelling. He was paying his respects to his best friend.

 

“Rohns,” he finally said. “His name is Rohns.”

 

Rohns leaned back on his haunches and growled, tail whipping back and forth rapidly. Link patted him on the head again and tossed him another piece of jerky, which he snatched up and carried off into a nearby bush to eat. Link dipped his head respectfully to Catriona and, feeling rather awkward and unsure of what to say, took the opportunity to return to his normal position at the edge of the group. Conversation wasn’t easy to begin with, but conversation with a princess was even worse.

 

 

Link was uncomfortable. He wasn’t a superstitious man, but the decrepit shrine was getting under his skin. He had felt physically ill since they entered; his stomach tightened, and no matter how much he swallowed his throat felt clogged up. When he started to taste bile in the back of his throat, he could barely hold back the urge long enough to slip away behind some trees and empty the contents of his stomach.

 

Planting both hands on the trunk of the tree to support himself, Link took several deep breaths. The worst part was over, and his stomach felt better, meaning he just had to collect himself and return to the group—

 

Rohns was eating the vomit. He was nosing through the viscous liquid, picking out the chunks of meat and whatever else he found appetizing and noisily gobbling it down. Link almost threw up again. “No! Don’t do that!” he groaned, pushing the pup away to no avail. Rohns continued to eat until he had gotten his fill of partially digested jerky and rice. He tried to nuzzle up against the soldier’s leg after that, but Link wouldn’t let him, and after being shoved away a few times he growled and slunk off towards the shrine with bits of bile still stuck to his muzzle.

 

Link took a minute to clean himself up and drink some water before he followed him. He walked into what could only be some form of prayer to Inera, and discussions of setting up a guard. “Ahem…” It took him a few tries but he cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. “That was something I’ve been meaning to talk about, Your Majesty. I should have dealt with it before, and that’s my fault, but you all act nothing like a company of mercenaries really would.” He pressed his right fist over his heart and lowered his head. “May I be blunt, Your Majesty?”

---

[Sethera]

 

Link took longer than expected to answer Catriona's question. “Rohns,” he finally said. “His name is Rohns.” And now she knew why.

 

The noises around her seemed to fall away, her sister, the presents, everything, as she remembered that one night around the campfire, the two singing away, Link pretending to be a...demon, was it?

 

“The demon did cry, the demon did howl,” a man with a surprisingly good voice sang, staring at Anaïs with a dopey smile. “But he never returned to the man at the plow!”

 

It felt like so long ago, but no, that hadn't been that long ago, had it? A few years, and yet, in those years, so much had changed. The man who capered around the fire with a flask under his hat was now standing before her with a face like stone. Now that she thought about it, when was the last time she heard him laugh? Perhaps he had lost that at the same time he lost his best friend. Or perhaps it was earlier? Later? No, she couldn't quite recall.

 

At the time, she had been more concerned with her own best friend, the one who had lost a fiancé. And the one who had left the princess for her father's side in Rabans. The woman's heart clenched, and she wondered if, somehow, her sickness was spreading from her lungs to her heart now. If so, that was concerning, and she would have to quicken the pace. There was no time to dawdle in thoughts of the past.

 

"It is a good name," the princess said simply, feeling the tightness in her chest loosen somewhat as Link dipped his head and left. She eyed the pup briefly, before giving it a nod of her own and focusing all her attention on Alois and his explanation of the shrine up ahead.

 

"I- I can deal with anything that might take offense to our entering!" Edrick spoke up shortly after the shrine conversation had just begun to fade out. He once more pulled the iron icon of Inera out from under his shirt to display it to the others. "My father taught me some rites. Including the Rite of...what's the word in Galtean...Appeasement? I think that's it. It's sort of like a funeral, but for those who are already dead and buried. It'll make sure anyone who might be upset at people intruding on the grounds won't bother us. Though...it does require a burnt offering. My dad always used barley..." as he trailed off, Catriona's own thoughts started to as well, mind turning backward to a dark room and a hooded figure with searing green eyes.

 

"That is..." she hesitated, "wise." Her throat choked up on the last word. Still, it was not like he knew, and it was different this time. The offering was barley and not...herself. It is not the same.

 

--

 

"I didn't take you to be one so skittish around birds, Cat."

 

Catriona shook her head. "It is not birds in general, just..." Just those birds. Ravens, and sometimes crows, were heavily associated with Inera, and she couldn't help but fear and despise them, just a little. The soldiers would often call them the grave keepers of the battlefield, a morbid, but true sentiment. At the time, she hadn't paid them much mind. They were just birds, after all. But now...now they were symbols.

 

After the princess asked about what the group would do for the night, it seemed that everybody had at least some idea of what they wanted to accomplish.

 

"Yes, we should be careful of our supplies," Gunther replied. "If we had something more I could make us a meal but...for now I suppose we shall have to make due." That was too bad. His cooking in itself was enough to make her jealous of her sister.

 

"First things first," Edrick said as he took out a bottle of whisky, "I need to appease the dead, before they take exception to our being here. This will also make a good first lesson in the faith." She watched him silently as he went about the task, her eyes darkening at the sight of the candles, only distracted by Alois's words of "I might as well go first for tonight's watch."

 

It seemed that Gunther and Penelope had left, but to where, the lord didn't know. Nervous, she glanced around, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw her sister near the tower, and Gunther just outside.

 

"Oh oh oh! Me! Me! I'm good at getting food and hunting and stuff. Like, I was super good in my tribe- at least against people my age. Oh but also sometimes adults too! Addle can tell you. Right Addle?" Tsetseg's attention then shifted to the green clad mercenary saying, "oh, Green Man. Do you want to go hunting too? I bet you're really good at it too."

 

Nearby, Sienna was opening her present, which turned out to be a small box, but it was inside the box that was notable. An orb that seemed to hold a living blaze within it. Catriona had only ever seen one other stone like it, and it was the one that the fox used for her attacks. Still, this one seemed...brighter, somehow. More vivid.

 

Adel spoke up at that time. "Should tents be necessary? The place seems like it might not provide decent enough covering for our group. I'll also be available for night watch."

 

"Perhaps," Catriona looked up. "I do not see any sign of rain, at least, and the wind is calm. Unless the air cools down more than expected at night, we should be fine. For now." The days were still warm, but they wouldn't last that way for long. Soon enough, they would start to feel the winds of autumn.

 

“Ahem…” Link cleared his throat at that time. “That was something I’ve been meaning to talk about, Your Majesty. I should have dealt with it before, and that’s my fault, but you all act nothing like a company of mercenaries really would.” He pressed his right fist over his heart and lowered his head. “May I be blunt, Your Majesty?”

 

"You may," Catriona inclined her head, but she couldn't help but notice that Link had, in fact, not answered Tsetseg's question. Remembering days back in the Garou, and the man's...experiences with anything resembling a bow, she could understand why. Still, I wonder what it is he is going to say? Was it a flatly honest opinion of her company name ideas? If so, she wasn't sure if she would be able to take that without offense.

 

--

 

Licorice watched Edrick's ritual, her eyes glittering with an unknown emotion. She then decided to explore the area herself, coming across a puddle of vomit in a cluster of leafless trees. This smells like, she paused, and turned back, to see the green-clad man standing straight and speaking, when in all honesty, he should be lying down. Still, this is not my problem. She wasn't here to help a sick man. No, she was here for--

 

Her eyes settled on Sienna, and the Firestone in her hands. Correction, an Elfirestone, judging from the light coming off of it. I am surprised to see another one, let alone one of this level. She scoffed. Poor little white fur probably doesn't realize the value of what she has in her hands. But it wasn't her fault. After all, she was young, far too young. And I am young as well, in comparison to Her. But I have been blessed with some of Her wisdom. For now, however...let us focus on the present.

 

The black fox stood up and walked over to Tsetseg. "I can help with the hunt," she smiled at the girl who had been momentarily forgotten. She was a child still, but Licorice was curious to see just how well she could hunt. The Patrol didn't take in useless people, after all.

 

--

 

Penelope and Alois wouldn't find much up in the tower that Catriona hadn't already found. Though they would notice that one of the stone steps had crumbled, so they had to jump over it. And that while most of the windows were long shattered, one remained whole, if cracked. They would see the last of the sunlight fading away from their high vantage point, and the clouds starting to gather in a large gray sheet, though the air did not smell of moisture. They would also see a a blurry smudge on the eastward horizon, though it was hard to identify what exactly it was from this distance.

 

--

 

Outside of the shrine, Gunther would see the raven once more, staring at him and Shiro with a single beady black eye before letting out a mournful croak. With a powerful flap of its wings, it took to the air, flying over Gunther and dropping a load of...droppings on his head, before arcing northward and away.

 

OOC: Yes, that really did happen. Gunther's trick is...bird poop. And Sienna's present is an Elfirestone, which has the same magic power as an Elfire tome, so it's stronger than the one she already has, which has the power of a Fire tome.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

 

Penelope hopped over the crumbled step. She turned back to look at it which was when she noticed Alois following her. "You followed me." She stated, turning around and walking backwards up the steps. Which would be a dangerous idea if not for her incredible luck seemingly guiding her footsteps. "You know I never expected to be holding up in a place like this. I don't really mind, and you seem not bothered by it either, at that. I wonder why that is. Everyone else has their own reasons to be uneasy here but you. You really do seem to just be tagging along at times like this." She watched for his reaction. Alois was unusual to her. He didn't have much reason to be here unlike the others.

 

The top of the tower wasn't particularly interesting. Though the Princess did like the view from up here. If only the scenery was less drab and dismal. "Even the clouds seem to be depressed." She stated, looking up at them. Her gaze was drawn to something in the distance. She couldn't tell what it was but it did seem to be a something. Perhaps some animals moving about in search of food.

---

 

Gunther hated how he had acted the moment he found himself outside. It was a ridiculous overreaction, he knew, and yet he couldn't bring himself to turn back and go inside. Not while the Pontic was doing...that.

Not much of a guard was he?

 

"This place making you uneasy as well?"

 

"I..." He wasn't sure how to respond to the Protean. A companion of Glenn was surely someone he could trust but it was unnerving to realize how obvious it was he was distressed. "Not in of itself, exactly." Gunther looked out towards the gravestones. It was a place of Her after all. Yet as it was it was simply a broken building and a badly taken care of graveyard. The issue wasn't the building itself.

It was Edrick. Or more specifically how casually the boy began rituals that Gunther could only think of as evil.

 

But was he comfortable telling Shiro of this? Then again, perhaps he could understand. "My countrymen generally do not....get along with the Pontics. And for me it's more...personal than that." He finished awkwardly. His attention was caught by the bird staring at them. Surely it wasn't truly an omen right? He wondered what Penelope would say. And how much of it would be tall tale. Before he could think to hard about it the bird took off. The suddenness surprised Gunther and he watched as it flew overhead....

 

Splat.

 

Gunther let out a sigh as he took out a handkerchief and began to wipe at the mess the bird had made. "It seems I'm not very welcome here at all." He grumbled.

[Asriel Dreemurr]

Edrick was disappointed that so many of the others were leaving, but took solace in those that chose to remain. Ciela, surprisingly Adel, Sienna (though she did not seem to be paying attention), and most importantly Catriona. Link he did not count, as he seemed about ready to turn and leave again, and Licorice and TsegTseg were about to go out hunting it seemed. Still, though the others were not present, they were certainly in his thoughts. Gunther and Penelope especially, the latter because she had saved his life and the former because he seemed the most worried about what was to come. All the same, with the candles lit before him he closed his eyes and began to breath. Slowly, deeply he breathed as he gathered himself in both mind and body. His father had cautioned him against performing any of the rites without proper preparation, and so he was going to be as careful as he possibly could.

 

A Prayer for the Dead

 

He parted his lips and began to sing, his hands raised palms up on either side of the dish into which he had poured the whiskey and the flint and steel set on the broken altar before him. Perhaps the lyrical nature of his words confused the others for a time, but soon enough those with reason to know would recognize the prayer. Though it was sung in a slow and somber tone instead of shouted out with all the might in the lungs of dozens of priests, it was unmistakably the very same prayer that was said over the Pontic Legions before they entered battle. Though those with a more scholarly knowledge knew that it was their principle funeral prayer, said in the words of an ancient language that every Cleric in Pontus from the very lowest all the way up to the Pontifices themselves swore had the power to change the world. It, rather morbidly, reminded the dead that one day they would be joined with the living and all would be brought before the Goddess. Those who had remained true to her would forever be at her side and know true and final peace, while those who had not were to be cast aside on the so-called Day of Wrath. If he were not interrupted, this prayer of his was to go on for several minutes yet.

 

When he reached the end, Edrick finally opened his eyes though his gaze was unfocused and he did not quite seem awake. He moved as if in a trance, taking the center of the three candles and bringing it down to touch the flame to the whiskey in the dish, which caught and began burning soon enough. The candle was replaced, and he opened his mouth to speak.

 

"Ferice de Inera, acordați pace acestor spirite care au fost lăsate abandonate atât de mult timp." He spoke, swaying slightly with a rhythm that it seemed only he could hear. "Sfinte Inera, trimite-ți corbii să-i îndrume pe cei pierduți să te alăture. Oamenii strămoși onorați, nu vă ofensați venirea noastră." It was such a short, simple follow-up to so long a prayer with such a history, but it was what the boy could think to say. He closed his eyes again and set his hands upon the altar on either side of the dish, becoming still and simply standing there. Waiting for an answer, from Inera or from the spirits themselves.

[Alaina]

 

After crossing the crumbling step, Alois raised an eyebrow as the girl stated that he had followed after her. With a slightly sarcastic edge to his voice, "oh I'm glad you noticed." All the same, as they had just crossed a break in the floor and the girl had began walking backwards, Alois couldn't help but not look at the girl but rather behind her to make sure she didn't plummet off the tower. All the same, he also seemed to be curious as to what she was trying to get at with her questioning, before telling him that he seemed to be just along for the ride. With a small smirk he said, "I'll take that as a compliment."

 

As the two had made their way to the top, both of them looked out the window towards the overcast skies. Alois could get what the girl was getting at with the whole scene being dreary, and there was certainly something strange in the distance he couldn't make out. All the same, still looking out the window he said, "you know what this place is? A creepy old abandoned building. You know how many I have in my home town?"  After a brief pause, without answering he said, "no matter where we've stopped so far, I've managed to find  myself in some creepy old abandoned place. And the two I've been in have seemed interesting enough so far, so, I doubt this place would be any different." Looking directly at the princess he said, "so why wouldn't I follow you to some creepy old tower? Besides, if you found something cool or strange here, you can't possibly expect me to believe you'd carry it back to show everyone else yourself, do you?" 

 

 

Tsetseg pouted a bit as the green man hadn't seemed to take her up on her offer, and seemed to be a bit more restless to get going as the Pontic boy began his prayers. But this seemed to be all alleviated as the girl was approached by the black fluffy tailed fox girl. As she had seemed willing to go with Tsetseg on hunting, the girl seemed absolutely thrilled saying, "woohoo! I know you'll be a great hunting partner Licorice. Oh man, I've never hunted with a fox person before." While the girl seemed to start happily thinking to herself about the fun she and the fox would have in hunting, little could she suspect the insidious plot cooking within the girl's head. For while she had not planned on going hunting with Licorice initially, this had all certainly worked towards the girl's greater objective. That, of course, being to pet the black fox's tail. 

[Wind Rider]

Opening the small gift box, Sienna tilted her head curiously when she saw the mysterious orb in the box. She picked it up and looked it over, a thought went through her head as she took out her beaststone. It looked just like her beaststone, only it had a much brighter blaze to it and she could feel more power coming from it.

 

"Wow..." was all she could say about it, she loved the gift. But it was strange, where did that Santa person find this and why did he think to give it to Sienna?

 

She shook herself back to reality, just in time to catch Licorice walking away from her and over to tsetseg. It looked like the two of them were about to go hunting. While it seemed like something to do, plus she would get to spend time with another fox, Sienna changed her mind. She put the new stone into her pack and wandered around the shrine. Inside, she noticed Edrick giving an unusual prayer. She couldn't make heads or tails of what he was doing or saying but decided to sit and watch the spectacle.

[King K. Azo]

"I..." The human hesitated. "Not in of itself, exactly." He stopped to look at the gravestones... "My countrymen generally do not....get along with the Pontics. And for me it's more...personal than that." He finished awkwardly. Shiro listened to Gunther, nodding as he did. He actually did understand slightly, even if their discomfort was slightly different from each other.

"I think I understand," He replied. "It is similar to how a frog would feel travelling with humans and foxes," He decided to leave out the fact that it was also more personal to him. The nearby raven let out a mournful croak, not unlike a writing desk. It then took to the air, flying away from this Gods-forsakened place, but not before leaving Gunther with a special present.

 

Shiro watched as Gunther attempted to clean it off with a handkerchief, the frog sighing to himself as he did. "Let me do it. I can see it better than you can feel it," Shiro swiped the cloth away from Gunther's hands before standing on his tip toes and beginning to clean off the poop from Gunther's head.

[Hakima]

“We would never survive a fight with anything but bandits,” Link said, his eyes only briefly flickering from Princess Catriona to Edrick and his ritual. “You don’t need me to remind you that most of them don’t have any formal training. The few of them that do haven’t ever had to apply that training when it really matters. It might not be my place to say this, but Princess Penelope and Gunther are obviously both struggling with their duties in battle.” 

 

Link was starting to feel sick again. His throat constricted and there were alarm bells pounding in his head, warning him not to forget his place. He ignored them and pushed on resolutely. “I’m not saying any of this to offend you, Your Majesty. What I’m getting at is… I can help, if you let me. I can keep track of things like guard duty, chores, and oversee training.”

 

Link finished his statement by saluting Princess Catriona, then swallowing heavily several times to work out the knot in his throat. Waiting for a response, he listened to what was going on around him. Edrick was still muttering a prayer to Inera, and Licorice was speaking to Tsetseg about going hunting with her.

 

… Send the two new, unproven members out on their own. What a great idea.

 

 

Rohns wasn’t happy. The pink fleshy one had scolded him for stealing his meal, and the rest of his pack had gone to hide inside of a bad place. Could they not tell it was a bad place? Only the icky-tasting birds and the mean fleshy ones went into that place. The only good thing about the place was there were bones to dig up, which was what he was currently doing.

 

It took him a few minutes to dig deep enough but Rohns finally found a good-sized bone in the ground. He scooped it up and, feeling proud of himself, decided that he would go hide it inside the bad place and meet up with his pack again. He crept inside the building quietly, following the sound of the high-pitched growling of the fleshy ones, until he came upon several of them in a room.

 

His fleshy one was there, talking to another one. Then there was one of them having a conversation with a Fake Fleshy, and finally one of them was on his own with…

 

Rohns dropped his bone to the ground and started to growl at the last one. He had fire! It smelled bad and ruined his home! Fire! He bared his teeth and growled again, warning the fleshy one away.

[Sethera]

 

“We would never survive a fight with anything but bandits,” Link said, his eyes only briefly flickering from Catriona to Edrick and his ritual. “You don’t need me to remind you that most of them don’t have any formal training. The few of them that do haven’t ever had to apply that training when it really matters. It might not be my place to say this, but Princess Penelope and Gunther are obviously both struggling with their duties in battle.” The man paused. “I’m not saying any of this to offend you, Your Majesty. What I’m getting at is… I can help, if you let me. I can keep track of things like guard duty, chores, and oversee training.”

 

Catriona blinked. "That is true. It is...something I seem to forget often. We are not soldiers. Or at least, not all of us." Her eyes lingered on Adelaide before turning back to Link. "So yes, that would be helpful. You have my gratitude for your assistance in this matter." She dipped her head formally.

 

It was then that the woman registered Edrick's voice. Edrick, who had been singing, and was now chanting. In Pontic.

 

"În numele lui Inera, ofer această femeie. Prin vene, alerga sângele Profanei Unu." Though she couldn't see much of the man's face underneath the hood he wore, she could see his malicious grin.

 

I can't let this happen, Catriona thought, starting to storm toward Edrick to stop this madness. He couldn't sacrifice...was he trying to bring back Inera? No, no, no, NO, NO!

 

And then a bone dropped on her foot.

 

Looking down, it was that cub of Link's, Rohns. He was currently growling at the Pontic, fur stiffened and ears flattened against his head. While such actions were probably terrifying on an adult of his species, they were rather...underwhelming on a puppy.

 

When the princess looked back up, she saw that Edrick was just...burning whisky. There weren't any magical symbols engraved on the ground, there was no blood, and he wasn't even wearing a hood. Her cheeks burned suddenly, and she felt the unique sensation of desiring to flee on the spot. Or perhaps just blending into the wall behind her. Stopped at an awkward pose mid-run, she straightened and glanced around surreptitiously. Edrick was in all likelihood too preoccupied with his ritual to see her faux pas, and with any luck none of the others noticed. Sienna was watching the ritual as well, so that just left...she glanced back at Link, Ciela, and Adelaide before turning her head back to listen to the chant.

 

Once the lancer finished his ritual, he closed his eyes and set his hands upon the altar on either side of the dish, stilling and...standing there. For what, the lord wasn't sure.

 

BGM

 

The air, which had been still just mere moments ago, picked up, and a breeze blew through the area, causing Catriona to shiver slightly from the unexpected chill. Oddly enough, it carried a slight...floral scent, sweeping away the smell of burning alcohol. The area, which before had seemed so bleak, now felt at peace. The princess felt the taut muscles in her shoulders loosen as she stared up at the twilit sky. In fact, everybody, even the animals, would feel just a little bit calmer, as the place seemed to lose much of the grim cast it had before.

 

It was only then that Catriona remembered exactly what Edrick had been trying to do. "Do you think they are appeased?" she asked in the quiet of the wind's passing.

 

--

 

"Woohoo! I know you'll be a great hunting partner Licorice. Oh man, I've never hunted with a fox person before." Tsetseg seemed thrilled at the idea.

 

Licorice chuckled, her eyes softening a touch before she resumed her normal serious expression. "It's probably a little different than hunting with a human. Do you have everything you need?"  She sniffed the air not long after. "It smells like...asphodel," she muttered. "I wonder..."

 

Once the bow thief was ready, the fox lead the way outside of the shrine. On their way to the surrounding fields, they passed by Gunther and Shiro, who were currently trying to clean off... "Are those avian feces?" Licorice asked. "You are quite unlucky."

 

--

 

Penelope and Alois would be able to see everything that had happened below, though they would have to crane their heads or actually lean out the window to see the people within the shrine. The raven that had pooped on Gunther flapped its way past them, followed shortly after by a mild breeze that carried with it the scent of fresh flowers.

 

OOC: Everybody feels more relaxed right now, though it's a slight thing, so your characters might not have consciously noticed it, especially if they were distracted.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

 

Penelope leaned back against the wall next to the window, hands behind her back, as she listened to Alois speak. She realized she was smiling as he talked. "That's a good answer." She told him.

 

The smile turned devious for a moment before going back to a more relaxed position. "Do you know something interesting?" She began in an innocent tone. "I've never been courted before. I can only imagine that they were scared of my father. Though I probably would be more focused on my books had they tried anyway."

 

She leaned forward. "Speaking of my father. He would probably throw a fit if he knew I was alone in a tower with some small town boy." She pushed herself off the wall and took a couple steps forward towards Alois. "He'd probably have your head if you tried anything you know." She stated plainly. Though there was a hint of laughter in her eyes.

 

Eyes that glanced out the window at the people below. She noticed Tsetseg and Licorice were leaving. Logically she assumed this meant they were going hunting. "Good luck!" She called out towards them, waving if they looked her way. "And remember we still need to start your lessons, Tsetseg!"

 

She turned back to Alois as a floral scent wafted up to them. "I've always enjoyed flowers. Especially irises. They represent wisdom you know. Among other things."

---

 

"It is similar to how a frog would feel traveling with humans and foxes,"

 

Gunther hesitated in his wiping. Was it really that bad for him? He chose to travel with them but, from what he had seen of the frogs, it was likely out of some sort of duty. Which brought to Gunther's mind his own duty. Which was to the princesses. Regardless of his personal feelings.

 

He was startled when Shiro offered to help him clean up but took the Frog up on the offer. It would be rather unbecoming if he missed a spot. And Penelope would be merciless in pointing it out.

Granted she might not be able to see that high.

 

"It must be difficult. At least for me I have companions." Gunther frowned. That didn't feel right. He didn't want to reaffirm Shiro's belief. "Shiro...if you ever feel the need to talk about anything I can..."

 

"Are those avian feces?" Licorice asked. "You are quite unlucky."

 

"Ah." Gunther said, blushing at being caught in such an embarrassing state by two ladies. "Yes...er, I suppose this is a bad day for our group where birds are concerned. Are you heading out on a hunt?" He noticed Tsetseg had her bow. "Perhaps you should avoid hunting any birds." He suggested dryly.