Beneath the Shadows Chapter Three: Enigmas

[scorri]

[spoiler=Forest Talks]

Kaia sat nervously next to the elven queen as she was questioned by various important members of the elven community.
"Why did the prince send you alone and not come himself?"

"He knew that he would be followed and believed that I would be able to reach here quicker than he would. He did not wish to bring the Senians upon you."

"How did the Senians even manage to take the capitol?"

"I... I don't know. One minute there was no one, the next minute the walls were falling. I barely escaped. The prince saved me by warning me when he did."

"Queen Idairia, why should we even get involved in this matter? While it is true that we have close ties to the Antarians, this is a squabble of humans. Not of elves. While it is regrettable that Joanne has been caught up in this, she was aware of the risks when she agreed to the marriage."

"My lady, he has a point. We have long held ourselves back from the world and there is still the matter of your daughter. Can we really set aside our efforts in finding her to spend time fighting a fight that is not ours?"

Kaia grew more and more agitated as the discussion continued before finally bursting out, "But you have to help! The Senians captured the Shadowed Star!" At her outburst, the elves fell silent and stared at her. Finally, the queen spoke for the first time, "Are you sure?"

"Yes. The prince was unable to take it and that's why the king and the queen did not escape. They were attempting to warn the Senians of the danger but... I fought demons twice on the way here. If anything, it's getting worse. They must have not listened. You know what a source of magical energy that stone is and the consequences that were theorized about it."

The queen frowned. "... This is dire news indeed. We have much to think about. Leave us for now. But keep searching for Severine. The world is growing darker by the day. I would not want her to become ensnared in these falling shadows."

As the last of the Harrier's made their way into Esterness, Adari breathed a slight sigh of relief. Although they were in Antar proper now, it seemed that Senian troops were still few and far between. The few travelers they had met along the way spoke of skirmishes happening between Antar troops and Senians that seemed to be spreading out from the capitol. It seemed like the initial assault had in fact been just aimed at Tairyn and that the conquerors were now taking on the rest of the country. This allowed them to sneak around easier than she or Andre had been expecting. Following the group to the nearest inn, she shook her head. They would only be here for the night, heading out in the morning but this couldn't end soon enough for her liking.

Rayil was walking with Toqua and Sayina, all of whom were quietly laughing and joking together. Even though they were on edge, they were doing their best to appear as normal as they could. No need to attract too much attention after all.

Alexander was on the edge of the pack, eyes roaming the town, clearly looking for something or someone. Not seeing what he was hoping for, he sighed and made sure that the hood of his cloak was fully covering his hair and ears. No need to risk being recognized by anyone.

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, a tall, well built man with forest green hair and gold eyes strolled casually into town. He waved at a few vendors, clearly at ease and well known here. He slowly made his way through the village, hoping that today would be the day that his journey here was not wasted.

[Nanami Touko]

Linn had woken up the morning before they'd started out again, doing her best to keep to herself during their walk to wherever they were headed. That was hard enough to do, along with keeping quiet about why Vera was still there, let alone still alive. But she did keep quiet, almost the entire trip.

Arriving in a village again was probably the best feeling she'd had in a while. She could get that nice bed she'd wanted, and curl up in a room all to herself. At least for a little while. She'd been hanging around the back of the group as well, noticing Alex had done so too, so she figured, hey, why not? At least it'll be him that I talk to first.

"Uh... H-Hey, Al...Xane. You doing alright? Want to talk, at all?" It's you that wants to talk, moron. You're just... Why are you even anxious?

----------

"Aye, a village. Good, I'll hit the inn right away, and get meself somethin' t'drink," Franklin said to no one in particular, his cheery voice just as cheery as ever. He brushed past the doors of the first inn he'd spotted, and made his way to the counter. "G'day there. Mind if I order a drink, and get the latest on what's been happenin' around here? Gossip's always fun!"

[MRDRHAWK]

Elsewhere in the village, a slender young man in light blue armour and a darker-hued wyvern-riding tunic was busy in the inn, gathering up the remainder of his research materials and his Earth tome before he set off on his beloved mount, Veronica, in search of more places to continue his research efficiently. He'd hoped that he'd be able to show his parents of the Brownlee House that he hadn't wasted his time in his studies, though he wasn't too focused on that matter due to the fact that he was simply enjoying himself.

Walking down the steps to the 'lobby' of the inn, the man removed the hat he'd worn into the inn and bowed politely to the nearby innkeeper, who was busy checking in a large group. "Thank you, my good fellow, for providing me with lodging for the last few evenings. I suppose I shall be on... my..." The man trailed off as he examined the group more thoroughly. Among them were several armoured individuals, as well as those in garb more fit for travelling mercenaries. "Hmm... what have we here...? A band of mercenaries..." he asked, stroking his chin and tapping his Earth tome against his leg. This seemed like a quality chance for him to gain some more... practical use... though there was the chance that they were rebels against the crown. Still, he figured that either way the Brownlee House stood to benefit from his actions.

"Excuse me, but might I speak to the one who leads your group? I wish to join your charming-looking band." The man said politely, yet loud enough for all of the group's members to hear his request. He only hoped that he would be able to further his research if he joined this group. And if not... well, he had some company, at the very least.

[Ether]

Having only been informed about the goings on afterwards, Elysia was still somewhat starstruck by everything that had occurred... at least she had learned of Linn's heritage before she had passed out, but the rest of it was a tough pill to swallow.

***

With the Antarian forces focused on the war in front of them, the nation's employed medics had mostly been swept off to the battlefield, leaving those left in the wake of the fighting without much to turn to. With that fact in place, a travelling healer could find plenty of work within these border towns, from injured civilians to soldiers thought dead and left in a hasty retreat. Wartime would bring such things, however, and with that in mind, and hopes that someone would at least have the thought to repay her good will, Cassandra wiped the sweat from her brow as she stabilized the last patient of hers, for that day at the least.

A kind thanks and a firm handshake, as well as the delightful feel of gold coins shoved into her hands, were more than enough to raise the temple maiden's spirits, if only for a few moments. They would duly be lowered as the advance of a scrappy group... several of their members obvious fighters, meaning that a good chunk of those less obvious likely were as well, rode into town, apparently looking to fill the inn. Cassandra could only hope they didn't cause any trouble, this town had enough of that already, these past weeks...

Edited January 16, 2014 by Ether

[eclipse]

Much to Celine's surprise, everyone made it to the next village, mostly unharmed ("mostly" because Raelyn had hit her over the head a few times for various things). A strange young man asked to join the group. Luckily, Celine's mouth was full of bread, so she said nothing. She did arch an eyebrow at him, though - she could probably break him in half on an off day.

---

Raelyn should've been at the inn, but there was nowhere inconspicuous for her to sit. Instead, she wandered near the stores, intent on checking the prices of the wares, and buying none of them.

[Vestige]

Distressed by the recent unfolding of events, Zeff thought it best to avoid the inn for now. He wasn't too keen on drinking glass after glass like he had done last time. Drink numbed his mind in the most peculiar way. His feelings of anguish would subside momentarily but his heart would still feel heavy. No, none of that today. I have to...keep a clear head.

As he wandered through town, a peculiar sight caught his eye. "Looking for something in particular?" he asked, walking up alongside Raelyn. "You've been here for a bit, but you haven't gotten anything. If it's not too much trouble, mind if I accompany you? I might be able to help you if you're searching for something."

[MRDRHAWK]

Sighing at the fact that his request seemed to have fallen on deaf ears, Micah decided to take his things back up to his room. On his way there, he passed by the bar and shrugged; he supposed he could have one drink at the moment. Just one.

Placing a small handful of gold coins on the table, he ordered a mug of ale and proceeded to pull out his Earth tome and begin studying it's back pages. For the tenth time. Could never be too careful with tomes; after all. Though he was well-versed in it, magic could be a dangerous thing...

[eclipse]

"Ah, didn't expect to see you here," Raelyn said lightly. "I'm doin' a bit of clothes pricin', if you will," she said softly, then cleared her throat and spoke up. "The prices in the last village were outrageous! Surely the wares here fetch a more reasonable price!"

[Vestige]

"Yeah, guess you could say I'm trying to keep low for a bit.." he trailed off before speaking up again. "As for those prices, you don't need to tell me twice. I was out at the last village taking a bit of a walk, if you will, and lo and behold what do I see? A man selling dye for sixty gold. Sixty! It's incredible how people like that manage to stay in business," he said. Well, of course. I'm the one who fueled his business for a couple more days. Man, regal he tells me...

"Anyhow, hopefully you'll find something suitable to your tastes. Don't worry so much about the price, I'll pitch in a little. I'd rather spend the gold here than back at the inn getting drinks anyway," he shrugged.

[Oersted]

Ernce felt himself relax as the Harriers arrived at the village, though he couldn't understand why. Like a few of the others he headed towards the in. Not necessarily for a drink, but to enjoy his feeling of relaxtion; he doubted he'd keep it for long for obvious reasons.

As he seated himself at one of the tables he overheard someone asking to join the Harriers. He doesn't know what he's getting into. We're no longer mere mercenaries... We're soldiers. Funny how the world works. Ernce let out a laugh as the irony of his situation struck him. Once a soldier always a soldier... It seems I'm stuck in the family business afterall.

***

As soon as the Harries arrived in town Zeke headed for the stables, intent on taking care of Srene and sitting down for a nice drink before Conan could drag him off to restart the ruined meditation. Given they had made it to the village without getting into another fight it was relatively easy work. With the most important task of his day done Zeke decided he could go for a drink or two.

The first thing he saw as he entered the inn was a man fiddling with a book all by his lonesome. That won't do, Zeke thought as he shook his head in dispproval. One should always have more company than a book when they drink! "Hey there," Zeke greeted as he sat down by the man before turning to the barkeep and saying, "I'll have what he's having," placing the required gold on the counter as he did so. "So," he said as he turned back to face the man, "what's your name? I'm Zeke, one of Harrop's Harriers."

[MRDRHAWK]

As Micah continued reading and slowly downing his drink, he was shaken out of his focus by the arrival of another man, calling himself Zeke... an interesting name, to be sure. He'd have to keep it in mind. "Zeke, is it? I'm delighted to meet you. My name is Micah Brownlee, and I... well, I am but a scholar at a small Antarian university. With the seeds of war planted, it's... difficult to work on my research at home, especially since many members of my family are skilled fighters." Setting his tome down on the counter in front of him, Micah turned himself fully towards Zeke, interested in the other point he made during his introduction. "Harrop's... Harriers? Is that the name of this delightful band that's entered the inn? Oh, well... I'd very much like to know how you got that name, but I won't press into the matter." Micah added with a smile, extending his hand to Zeke as he scanned the area for someone else he may be interested in meeting out of the group - especially since he was now at least acquainted with one of their own, who could help him in that regard.

[Oersted]

"Oh it's nice to meet you too, Micah," Zeke said as he shook Micah's outstretched hand. "To be honest you'd probably have to ask Andre himself about name, being the boss an' all. Speaking of Andre..." Zeke trailed off as he too scanned the inn for familiar faces. Surprisingly there were only three other Harriers in the inn at the time; two of which he didn't know that well and one who seemed to finally be able to relax. Probably best to leave them alone... "Well I can't seem to find him at the moment. Probably off doing whatever mercenary leaders named Andre do."

"Ah, so you come from a familly of skilled fighters? I kinda do too though I'm the youngest and least experienced of our lot. Didn't stop them from sendin' me out though."

[riariadne]

An elderly dwarf pushed open the door of the inn, a look of obvious discontentment on his face. "Just can't get a simple deal through these days." Shaking his head, he gave a brief glance to the rather large group that checked in without much of a thought, but looked back after a few moments. It was an odd group, to be certain, but evidently rather battle-ready by their equipment. "Are you soldiers? Seems some of you could use work on your equipment. A bit worn down in some spots, dulled in others, or with some minor imperfection or another. Mostly seems to be of decent quality otherwise, but even the smallest flaw in your weaponry can be costly in a battle. Mind if I assess some of them? It's an area of my expertise."

[MRDRHAWK]

Micah was a bit disappointed that the head of the band of mercenaries Zeke was a part of was not in the inn, but he decided to overlook that little detail and continue chatting with his new acquaintance. "Yes, my family is a noted house amongst the military folk of Antar. Myself, however... I am more of a scholar, though I am studying the field of magic. In particular..." He trailed off as he reached for his Earth tome once more, to show it to Zeke. "I am well-versed in Earth magic. Which is what I'm travelling the world studying at this moment, and I had hoped once I saw your band of mercenaries, I could join you and further my research into the combat utilities of Earth magic."

[Oersted]

"Oh so you're a mage?" Zeke asked as Micah showed him the tome. "I've always thought magic was interesting but it could never match up to flying in my opinion. Though, the most I saw of magic were little street tricks. It wasn't till recently I saw how effective it was in battle."

"Looking to better your magic? Well let me tell you, Harrop's Harriers are as good a group to learn with as there ever was!" Zeke said excitedly, though he thankfully managed to keep that they were hired by the Antarian prince a secret.

[Shin]

Aeson had spent the beginning of his time in search for items most luxurious, the things at the top of his birthday list every year... socks. Unfortunately, his quest had proved nil, whilst socks were very much available for sale, he couldn't quite say that they were not unlike his other pairs. The priest retired to the bar, defeated by his mediocre benchmark for footwear. He spotted many of his allies in the bar, some speaking to rather pleasant looking strangers. The locals seemed rather pleased to meet their band, although one seemed rather out of place, a young temple maiden, whose sock status had been veiled by her footwear. Still, she had set up an interesting stall around herself, perhaps she could solve Aeson's woes?

However, as he drew closer, it became increasingly apparent that her goal was to aid the unwell, rather than sock the unsocked. Still, it had piqued his interest, despite the change of focus.

"To help others is an admirable goal." he said, rather impressed with what Cassandra had set up. "I can imagine that many people here are need of a helping hand, one that's not always available in times like these."

[Ether]

"Well, with all of the injured left behind from skirmishes, and all the healers drafted into the military, those who are still able should do what they can." Cassandra replied with a sigh, wiping her brow once again.

"Though at least for the time being, seems I've managed to stem the flow of the wounded... for a little tarp I set up by my lonesome, I'd say I didn't do too bad." The woman continued, examining the man a bit closer.

"You were with that group that just came into town, weren't you? I suppose if you've come here that makes it less likely you're here to cause trouble..."

[MRDRHAWK]

Micah nodded, reassured that he had found just the people he was looking for. "Ha, well... I thank you for your reassurance. Are you already employed on a job, or are you merely taking a rest for the time being?" He asked Zeke, wondering if perhaps they had a clue as to his family's mission for him - even if he had no real intent of finishing it.

[Shin]

It made a lot of sense, and it did Aeson's heart proud to see others so concerned in the well-being of their fellow people. It looked like she'd had a busy time, and rather worn out from it. The priest recalled one time where he spent a whole day harvesting parsnips from his garden, if only he could have harvested a pair new feet afterwards as well! The poor girl seemed in need of a beverage, it was very important not to dry out when working hard.

"From the sounds of it, you've been doing a splendid job." Aeson applauded, "Would you care for a drink? Helping those in need can be thirsty work, it's often very easy to forget about oneself when doing work of this nature."

[Oersted]

Andre'll probably have my head if I tell him that we're employed by the prince before he's hired. "Yeah, but we're resting here for today I think. You should ask Andre the details when he shows up. Or any of the veterans, I was hired by their healer, Sayina. Nice guy, healed my cut arm for free 'fore I was even hired."

[Ether]

"That sounds lovely, thank you." Cassandra replied with a light bow. It couldn't hurt, could it?

[MRDRHAWK]

Micah wore a look of indifference; clearly, he was having information withheld from him. Nonetheless, he figured there was a reason for that, and chose not to press the matter further for the time being. "Fair enough. Who would you recommend that I speak to in order to join your band?"

[Oersted]

Well at least Micah had the decency to let sleeping dogs lie when necessary, something Zeke was thankful for. "Well, other than Andre himself, you should probably ask Adari. She's the one who's officially in charge of signing people up if I remember right. I'll point her out when she walks in."

[Psych]

Leon yawned and rubbed his eyes, before walking into the commons room. He had been up late last night practicing another one of his circus tricks and was looking for inspiration. "Did you all know that juggling for three hours straight starts to make everything spin?"

[Nanami Touko]

Dulled? Who'd even dare? Franklin, shocked, turned to the dwarf and hopped off of his stool, drink in hand. "Good sir, I'll have ye know my sword's in perfect shape. Not dulled nor imperfect. I'll take it ye think ye know a wee bit about weapons, then? Well go on, give it a look, tell me what ye think's wrong with good ol' Needle." He produced his sword, probably a large knife to anyone else, and held it towards the dwarf, hilt first.