Angelcynn: The Myrcian Conflict - Act 5

[Nanami Touko]

Everything Gewaint was saying was all too familiar to Cass. They were working with Raewald, after all, and those Justice Goons popped into her mind again, with their claims of Raewald's terror. She didn't believe them, but believing Gewaint, that was a lot easier... As unfortunate as it was. "I... Our group is working with Raewald. That's where we came from. We're working with the queen directly, but... I had hoped that some claims I heard of Raewald being as horrible as Deira were false. To hear from you that they're not, I--"

"Cassandra!"

Cass froze, that was Owen, wasn't it? Why was he shouting?

"Come out this moment!"

"Excuse me, Owen?, For Belial's sake..." Was he truly going about ordering her around, now? If Gewaint could see her face, he'd likely notice the frustration mounting on it. "You should let him in before he makes even more of a scene... Ugh, I can't understand what he's thinking doing this. Does he really think I'm just going to hang my head and walk out like I've done something wrong? What a fool." Cass sighed. It wasn't becoming to get to upset at him, but like his decision with that Deiran commander, she didn't quite get why he was doing this either. "I'll get him myself, if you'd rather. Open up and give me a moment."

Edited December 14, 2017 by SnakeMomMelissa

[Nanami Touko]

SF is a hellsite

Edited December 14, 2017 by SnakeMomMelissa

[Vestige]

Accolon's shrill cries were all the encouragement Alain needed to turn his attention the other way. "Forgive my lack of consideration. It appears I was misinformed... and I wrongly assumed that you might be a... " He pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a deep exasperated sigh. What a bizarre situation. 

Still, rather than exit the room with his head hanging low, he took a moment of pause to listen to the continuation of Accolon's story. "So you escaped from Deira to find peace, almost dying in the process, only to wind up joining the Raewalden army as it marches straight back to your homeland--cutting down your former comrades along the way... Not only that, but you've gone from blindly pledging your loyalty to one man, to doing the same with another. Not much of an improvement, if I'm being honest. I hope the irony of your situation has not been lost upon you," he said, shaking his head. 

"You should consider returning to Raewald and then continuing your journey for peace elsewhere," he suggested. "War is war, and as much as it troubles me to admit, I'm confident that the same issues that plagued you as a Deiran soldier will continue to eat away at you as you fight on behalf of Raewald. I don't doubt we'll be meeting your sub-commander, Laudine, sometime soon. Are you prepared to face her in combat branded as a traitor? Would you be able to sleep well if she were to fall by my magic--like the rest of your brothers and sisters? Your penance to Engel can be repaid elsewhere," he said.    

"...I'm curious though. Upon what basis do you believe Cassandra to be allied with Belial?" He turned back for a moment, before remembering his predicament. "And how exactly do you plan on saving my soul? I mean, don't get me wrong, somewhere in my heart I actually feel quite elated to know you're praying so diligently for someone like me," he said, hiding a smirk from Accolon. "But tell me, why do you stay your hand? After all, aren't those who have strayed from Engel's light beyond redemption? Instead of prayer, would it not be best to try and lay me to rest?"

 

[Bluedoom]

The group that went on about the Owen lookalike left quickly, not even responding to anything that he had said to them. There wasn't much that Suleiman could do in the bar except order another drink. Thankfully, the bartender told the Princess something that sent her hurrying off, so he didn't need to worry about the princess for the time being. He decided to check the houses nearby before coming back for a drink; after all, he had a lot of time on his hands with no interruptions.

 

Suleiman visits the Occupied Houses.

[Shin]

Claire's World

The wind was causing havok in the village centre, taking panels from houses and fences into its swirling centre. Sidney's assault of Feran was hampered by the howling winds, but her blade nicked the side of his hand. He wasn't making any more quips, his face showing how focused he was on both avoiding being blown away and stabbed. Peasants and soldiers were still scrambling away from the madness, their shreik and cries filling the already turbulent air. Many of the party were gathering in the centre, drawn to the chaos.

"Holy... f-f-f-..." Steve began, hopping up and down as he fretted after Constance. He drew his blade obediently, completely terrified by the madness. "Why is so windy? It was clear earlier!"

It had only been a matter of moments, but the winds began to die down, the debris it had gathered starting to fall back to the ground. There were a good few seconds of silence, there was a lot of hesitance as the village square slowly repopulated. Nobody seemed quite sure where it had come from, numerous conversations about worries and woes springing up around them. Feran had blended into the crowd, glaring viciously at Sidney as he vanished - Claire had at least managed to scare him away.

Angus' steps found him coming into contact with someone, Nelon had found his way to the mess. He seemed to be focused on Claire, his expression somewhat fearful. "Baron Kearney? Did you observe what has happened here?" he asked, quickly taking a step backwards. "I had been with Prince Owen searching for Princess Cassandra, but they have both left to attend to their own matters."

 

Sides of a Coin

Gewaint lowered his head, visibly torn by Cass' revelation. "That makes things more complicated... Raewald aren't innocent by any means, they've been out here longer than Deira. I'm going to have to reconsider-..." he began, rubbing his temples as the door sounded. His expression became rather sour as he heard Owen knocking on the door, the presence of Owen wasn't particularly welcome to him. "It would be better if you answered, the temptation to punch him in the face is hard to ignore. You might have a better chance of mediating things between us."
 

Between the Velvet

"It is not a path I am proud to take... I have abandoned my comrades, but this is the only way I can now contribute towards peace. If I must suffer with the pain of facing my allies, it is a punishment I must accept." Accolon replied, looking down solemnly at the water's surface. "I have disgraced myself by fleeing to avoid discomfort, I am not fit to call myself a Reliant. My honour has been shattered, this is the way I must repay Engel. My own people would not accept me back, and I owe my life to Baron Esclabor, it is my duty to continue forwards."

Accolon was visibly disturbed by the mention of Cassandra and Belial, the mention of the dark god a rather powerful topic for someone as devote as the wyvern rider. "Her aura disturbs me. There's a darkness within her that you also possess. I had not believed it true until I saw your performance of magic." Accolon replied. "Belial will snatch your soul at the soonest opportunity, no matter what lies he tells you. Nobody deserves such damnation... I will try to lead you to redemption until my last breath."
 

No Vacancy

Abandoned by his allies, Suleiman's choice to check the villagers' houses had also led him away from the small storm that Claire had caused. Raewaldean forces had claimed many of the houses in better conditions. Groups of gray armoured troops were gathered around the buildings, thankfully most of them relatively well behaved. One particularly merry group was gathered around an expressive man with a thin mustache, who appeared to be telling some sort of story.

"An zen I zaid, it waz not a baguette, I waz just pleased to zee you!" he laughed, slapping his knee as the men around him began to laugh with him. 

Edited December 14, 2017 by Shin

[Jotari]

Him? Constance thought upon seeing Feran. If he's the kind of person Ethel is employing, then those rumours of Raewald sacking villages are almost certainly true. She considered following Feran to give him a good telling off, but she dismissed the idea. Short of killing him, there was little she could do. Instead, she decided to see what calibur of soldiers Raewald was employing in general. "If you've nothing to do now Serge, then I'd like you to acompany me," she said.

Constance heads towards the Soldier's Tents

[Nanami Touko]

"Please don't go punching each other. I want this to work out..." Cass sighed and pushed herself past Gewaint, unlocking the door and peeking out to scowl at Owen. "What are you doing?" She didn't want an answer, storming out, grabbing him, and dragging him in. She closed the door after him and huffed, making sure to put herself between the two of them. "Owen, you can't just go screaming down the streets after me. Gods, what if someone heard you and decided to come see what nonsense was about? Please... And yes. Gewaint is here... As we thought." Cass smiled at him again, before clearing her throat. "So... The two of you can talk. Explain things. But no! Shouting! And act civilized, or I will step in. No taking swings at each other and no snide remarks... We're the only family we have left, at this point. We should try to act like it."

[Vestige]

Alain shrugged, not entirely impressed by Accolon's convictions. Whatever peace you aim to achieve will never last. "It's funny--you're trying to warn me without considering that I might already be aware about what he wants from me. Yes, the demon told me as much himself, but I thank you for your sentiment," he replied, heading towards the arch-way from where he came. "Just pray that you do not find yourself on a path astray as you chase after those whom you wish to save. You may one day regret allowing me to live," he said, leaving Accolon with a parting wave before exiting the chapel. It appeared Eric was still meandering about, speaking with the priest. "I'll be seeing you then, Father, wheat boy. Apologies in advance for sullying your holy grounds with my presence," he said, giving the priest a polite bow and made his way to the village square. 

He didn't have to travel too much to get to his destination, but things were looking a bit more disorganized than he remembered. It looks like there was a damn battle in the middle of the village, what in the hell happened here? Carts were knocked over, people looked quite uneasy, and the street was littered with an assortment of goods. "Er, Lady Charlotte, you're wearing a rather dangerous looking scowl there," he said, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "I feel as though I've missed something," he said, looking over towards Claire, Nelon, and Angus. 

 

[riariadne]

"You're not... ugh!" Sidney fell to her knees as the winds raged on, dropping the Claw and scrambling for it before it was lost, but the man had escaped in the frenzy. "... Damn." Still, he wouldn't be causing trouble in the immediate future. She was startled at Alain's approach and drew back, but calmed herself quickly once she wasn't as on edge. "Dangerous scowl? Well, I was dealing with a dangerous man... the sort of man who shouldn't be here." Her sour expression certainly hadn't faded yet. "He was attacking the poor owner of a fruit stand to try and get free food, and when I called him out, he said that he was dismissed of crimes so long as he fights Deira. What is the Queen thinking to let a man like that into the army? He was truly vile to attack civilians, and unrepentant about both that fact and that he was locked up for violence in the past. It's war, but... under what sense of justice should that kind of monster be dismissed, but petty thieves are wanted for years? I can't understand that he walks free to torment whomever he wishes." Why is royalty so weird?

[ThicreanPhoenix]

The people ransacked the...wow. I'm not quite sure how to respond...Eric took his hand out of his pouch and fastened it shut, leaving the radish inside. "I-I wouldn't call the entire Deiran army pious. I mean, look at me. I signed up for the glory. I wanted everyone to think I was some hero." Eric stopped. He was missing the point.

"Well, at least we shouldn't be here long. We'll pack up and go fight us our war, and we won't have to bug you people any more." That's how it works...right? "Still, though...it's a real pity random civilians have to get caught up in this in the first place. And from a country what hasn't taken a side, too."

Eric paused, letting out a quiet sigh. "Sorry, I don't think saying that helps anything. But hey, despite everything the people may or may not feel, it looks to me like they at least cared enough to leave the garden alone. So that's something."

All of that made more sense in my head.

...Eric flinched but chose not to bite back at the "wheat boy" comment. He had brought it upon himself.

[Vestige]

"Hmm, I see. That is quite troubling," he said, rubbing the back of his head. Just because Ethel claimed to want to liberate Myrcia from Deira's occupation, didn't mean all of her soldiers were necessarily on the same page. That still doesn't explain all of this mess though. But... With Claire moping about, he had a sneaking suspicion about the reason--though he decided against commenting on it. Good thing Cassandra isn't here. Crisis averted...  

"With an army of this size, there are bound to be a few bad apples that slip into the bunch. As long as nobody was killed it's about all you can ask for, really. But perhaps I'll have a chat with General Tarasque about keeping her men in line. It's a poor reflection upon our army for men to be terrorizing the civilians. I'm sure Tarasque will understand that. Else, I'll have to give the man a stern speaking to myself. I don't suppose he gave you a name, did he? Perhaps you can describe him for me?" he asked. 

[Xinnidy]

It made the prince indignant to have Cass greet him with a scowl like that, but at least it meant she wasn't being held by force --that was good. "Cass--" Of course, he was hastily dragged in just like her... Owen didn't know what he expected, but he knew he shouldn't have been as surprised. "Cassandra, after all the things you went through, including in our homeland, you'll have to forgive my being wary of your being pulled into a house so abruptly. I wanted to know if you were still in command of the situation..." It was a bit roundabout, but Owen was far beyond his mind to converse with abductors by now. Siblings, however...

Of course Gewaint was here, of course he was the lookalike. Owen hoped his luck would be more flexible, but it seemed family was fated to meet again. "Gewaint, huh..." What a mess, once the prince's gaze was off of Cass, he stood more guarded, though admittedly a bit curious. "As long as no sword is being brandished against me this time, I am willing to talk."

[Shin]

Happy Family

Gewaint's expression became incredibly sour, crossing his arms as he scowled at Owen. Despite sharing their pink hair, the atmosphere wasn't a familial one at all. "Awfully kind of you, Owen. It's nice not to be awaiting the gallows this time." he replied bitterly, gesturing towards a wooden chair near a table. "Perhaps you would like a seat? I'm afraid it's the best I can offer. I hear from our dear sister that you've allied with Raewald. Both large nations have their eye on claiming as much of Myrcia as they can, I would be cautious in choosing your friends."

He shook his head, peering between the gaps of the boards on the window. "It's been going on for the last few weeks, it's almost disgusting how many of their troops are here." Gewaint explained, clenching his fist. "They use everything as if they were their own, and leave the people to go hungry and freeze at night. My group has been setting villages free from Raewald and Deira. Clapcot was going to be our next target, I'd recommend you leave before we act. Myrcia doesn't have much of a military force, but I've gathered enough willing fighters to take a single village."
 

[Bluedoom]

Suleiman didn't notice the commotion not far away from where he was, instead walking straight into one of the occupied houses, There didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary happening. In fact, the mood seemed pretty light. There were a few soldiers gathered around a man with a thin moustache, speaking in a familiar accent. Suleiman quickly realized that this person was from Toulouse. Another man from pa's land...

"Sounds like you guys are laughing at a great joke. Pardon me, Monsieur. Can you share ze story avec moi?"

Edited December 16, 2017 by Magnificence Incarnate

[Shin]

Mon Amie

The foreigner looked at Suleiman curiously, his use of language particularly intriguing him. "Oui, oui. I zink I might 'ave some stories to tell you later." he replied, twirling his mustache as he approached Suleiman. He put his arms around him, smiling contently. The other soldiers were still laughing from the story, sharing an almost brotherly sense of amusement amongst them. "You look like a man 'oo would appreciate a glass of wine and a croissant, no? Come join us, mon frere. We 'ave saced ze village, might be a good time to go view ze ladies, oui? Zere might be a few that catch your eye. Ze countryside 'as always got surprises in store. I 'ave seen enough city girls in zis country, zey are nothing like ze ones back at 'ome. But ze farmers' daughters. If zey are not built like an 'ouse or as fat as a cow... zey can be rather spectacular."

Steve followed after Constance, looking at the Raewaldean soldiers fearfully. "Oh geez, oh no... they seem a little rowdy, miss." Steve whined, hiding behind the old woman. "I actually uh... tried to join the army, I didn't pass the entry requirements... oh man, I hope nobody recognises me."

The foreigner looked over at Constance, nearly gagging at the sight of her. "I zink we can give zat one a miss, no?" he chuckled, putting his hand to his mouth. "Unless zat is your type, I am not one to judge. She looks like she is old enough to be ze grandmuzzer of my grandmuzzer."
 

Wheat to Bread

The priest waved Alain fairwell, seemingly unbothered by his devotion to Belial. "Not at all, please do come by to visit if you please." he replied, rather genuine in his acceptance of the sinner. "I shall attempt to make it at little more presentable in future. A farmer cannot keep his tools in a broken shed."

As oblivious as he appeared to Alain's disdain for Engel, he did pick up on Eric's distress. He sat himself down on the grass, patting the grass next to him for Eric to join him. "Sometimes Engel's plans for us do not make sense. The events in our lives can come and go, without reason within our comprehension. The most important thing is to continue on with what you believe is right." he mused, eying a particularly healthy looking carrot sticking out of the ground. He laughed at the mention of his garden. "Perhaps I'm lucky that Deira do not represent vegetables. Although with food shortages, there may come a time where my garden is subject to attack. I hope they give my potatoes a chance to grow a little more, the first crop would need until June at the earliest."

Edited December 16, 2017 by Shin

[Xinnidy]

Owen could have expressed his disappointment at Gewaint's immediate sour expression, but that would be lying. It comes without saying that your sentence is a result of your actions, trying to usurp the throne through my murder. Gewaint should have been thankful for his second chance at life, honestly. Still... lassive-aggressive quips and shrugs would take the conversation nowhere, and as little elation as Owen felt for Gewaint, the prince still cared for his sister in that situation, and decided to take the offered seat without much of a response back to Gewaint.

"Allow me to give you information you might not have heard around these parts: Deira has launched an offensive against Wyke, just as I had left for the mainland to speak with Queen Ethel. I had not formed allegiances then, but I was hard pressed knowing that our kingdom is in danger." What Gewaint thought of Raewald bothered the prince surprisingly little, the same seemed to show more concern with the idea of liberating the village instead. "You'd best not launch an offensive while General Tarasque is here. We are moving with her unit and our aim is to march towards Deira. We shouldn't be overstaying our welcome, considering our mission. No matter how much you think your men are able, you'd be doing Deira a favor moreso that the village, and that is assuming you win." He shrugged, not particularly concerned with liberation acts from within Myrcia. His aim was to counter Deira and talk to King Olaf now.

Edited December 17, 2017 by Xinnidy

[Nanami Touko]

"Please get along..." The snipes were already coming out, between Gewaint's words and Owen's apparent tone. She really hoped that this wouldn't get worse than that... But the seeming threats weren't going to make it easier. "Owen, if he's telling the truth, don't you think we should at least look into it? We... We can't just use the people here like this, our fight is with Deira. Those Justice people said the same thing, you know? When it was then, I just supposed it was a Deiran lie to spread worry, but... I trust Gewaint, and if they're both saying it, it has to have some merit." That, and Cass couldn't bear to see the two of them fighting again. They'd already been at odds once, doing it again, it would break her heart.

"If... If it comes to it, Owen, I'm going to help Gewaint." Cass bit her lip, looking away from them both. "I know why we're here, but I... A lot of things have come to light over these travels. I can't condone stepping over these people like they're just wheat to be culled."

[Juliette]

"Wyke's not really in the best position to be visited right now, anyway," Freya noted darkly, before mulling over her choices. "I don't have the luxury of having too much to spend at the moment... what about a mail coif? It's a pretty good halfway point... still pretty sturdy, stops cheap shots, limited head motion but doesn't affect vision too badly, but something I'd imagine is a bit more within my pricing range. How much is it for one of those?"

[Shin]

Brotherly Love

Gewaint grit his teeth, not pleased with Owen's explanation. "So the rumours were true, I hadn't expected Deira to act so suddenly. Niko had promised to try and gather information and send a letter, but I haven't heard from him since we part ways." Gewaint replied, visibly unsettled by the conquer of Wyke. None of what Owen had to say was particularly easy for him to take, it was almost possible to see his annoyance with every revelation. "Great, so Raewald's decided to make Clapcot their main base for now. We won't have the numbers to deal with Tarasque... today just keeps getting worse-..."

Cass' mention of the Justice Friends stunned him into silence, a horrified expression spreading across his face. "Sister... did you mean the Justice Friends?" he asked, his hostile front dropping instantly. "Sister, they were meant to be tens of miles away, they shouldn't be this far west. "Reports have seen them take villages and towns individually. How many of them were there? If General Tarasque is here, they're likely to be coming here... which may make me the least of your problems, Owen. If they attack, it's not going to be pretty."

Heads Up

"Real shame about that, both Wyke an' yer finances." he replied, somewhat disappointed in the news. "Yer got that right, it's second only to full plate. Takes a while to put together, but the results don't lie. Still, yer want to keep yer noggin safe. A big enough bash will still boggle yer brains. I'd price it at nine hundred pieces. Some of the soldier folk have been buyin' them and yer lucky enough to buy my last one."

[SB.]

When had Angus arrived? Claire shot gave him a weary look that told him that she didn't know. She noticed Ceirch a few moments later, and quickly glanced around to make sure that none of the villagers were paying them any mind, before speaking quietly. "I don't understand what happened." It wasn't a lie, but Claire couldn't quite meet their eyes all the same.

So instead of that, she walked forwards into the wreckage, towards Charlotte and Alain. The former seemed angry, but fortunately unhurt. "I've seen the man before. He was in an asylum and threatened... well, that doesn't matter." It wasn't the kind of thing Claire wanted to repeat. "You're alright, aren't you Charlotte?" She was less sure of what to do with Alain yet. His reveal was a little off-putting, but perhaps speaking to him later could be useful.

Edited December 18, 2017 by SB.

[Terrador]

The fool baron says nothing at first, only beginning to piece together the events he'd witnessed after Claire's response. "Well, uhh... those two, her an' Sidney, were real miffed with some soldier. Claire did some kinda spell, an' the fella split." Gently, and with the tiniest coo of "stay, pumpkin", Angus rests the bear on the ground. One thing still puzzled him, though. "What's there... not t'get? She mighta been clumsy, but... oh." [Kearney you absolute cow pie! Did you forget what happened to the man in that world?!] The boy feigns a chuckle after a moment, hoping to lighten the memory with a weak stab at a joke. "Well, that'd be nothin' new at least, righ'? Eh heh... heh."

[At least that's not the first time I missed the broad side of a barn.]

Edited December 18, 2017 by Terrador

[Xinnidy]

"Niko... you mean that man whom called himself a Reliant?" Owen was surprised to hear the name again in his life, honestly, from Gewaint of all people to boot. "He just up and vanished from Wyke one day... and we had to deal with wyvern riders that called themselves the Reliants on the way here. Now that is truly puzzling..." His sister seemed intent in standing by Gewaint's side... which was more bothersome than Owen wanted to acknowledge. What was up with her and liking that traitor of a brother? "And you condone Deira stepping on Wyke's people like grass on the side of a beaten road? Myrcia is a land that went through many hardships with its neighbours' dispute, but simply liberating Myrcia will not stop the two powers from waging war as they can. If we end this war decisively instead, we can have give both Wyke and Myrcia room to breathe. Do not lose sight of this."

Gewaint's surprise at the Justice Friends they'd met was a bit... curious, as well. Are they really that high-profile...? I guess it was a good idea to negotiate with them. "I was there with my sister when we met them. There were five in total, all wearing golden uniforms, two women and three men... at least I think it was three men." He'd already forgotten the facial features of that Mihail or whatever. "They seemed rather odd, and had come to negotiate the life of the commander we had captured. Their entrance was rather... flashy, according to my soldiers." It was really strange that they were any sort of important, but here they were. "...In any case, I have no personal stakes in whether Myrcia remains under Raewald's control after all is said and done. If you wish to fight for this village's independence, do as you must, but I hope you can at least let us pass through -- the main brunt of the army is headed straight to Deira, and I hold no sympathies for soldiers who abuse their powers." That was about the nicest thing he could have said to Gewaint, all things considered. Owen wondered if Cass would appreciate that. "You seem to have a knack for picking fights with higher powers... at least don't risk it all in a duel, this time. Cassandra seems to like you." 

[riariadne]

"A poor reflection indeed... he was horrible." Sidney crossed her arms, Claire's explanation not really helping her feelings. "What? Why was he in an asylum of all places?! He should've been locked up in prison, he's worse than almost everyone else in there right now! I can't believe the state of the way the law is in Raewald..." She shook her head. "But no, I'm fine. What... what was that, Claire? I had no idea you could cast magic of that much power... is this what you've been practicing?"

[SB.]

“That was uh... a bit of an accident.” Claire lowered her voice, not wanting to be overheard. “I was going to try and trip him, to humble the brute in front of the crowd and hopefully that would be enough to subdue him. Instead...” She nodded her head towards the mess of a square around them.

“I don’t really know what happened. I was only going for a light gust, but instead I was just...” Not in control at all. Claire bit her lip, not wanting to say it. Instead, she had a question. “Sir Alain,” She regarded the diplomat with a frown. “Have you ever cast a spell and felt like, erm, you weren’t really there? I’ve never had it happen before, but...”

There was some level of familiarity there, she realised. But she couldn’t place it. Perhaps Alain’s pact with Belial would colour his experience with the matter, but still, he was a mage. It wasn’t like Claire had a long list of alternatives she could trust with the question either.

[Shin]

Wild Challenger

"I travelled with Niko for a while, we left Wyke together but parted was at the border between Deira and Myrcia. He said he was going to try and get to the bottom of things in Deira, he asked me for as much as I knew about the woes in Wyke." he replied, visibly irritated with Owen's line of logic. "I don't like the idea of Raewald slowly swallowing up Myrcia. Raewald might seem like your friend, Owen. Maybe you've taken a liking to their Queen, but you're going to be used as a pawn if you're not careful."

He leaned against the wall of the house, shaking his head. "All five of them? That's not good news. If all of them are united in one place it means that they've got something planned. My men have been gathering intel about them, we didn't think they were real until they were sighted. They're apparently a big thing in Deira, the stories say they win battles single-handedly. I thought they were just over-exaggerating, but Totton was snatched back from Raewald by one of them. That was meant to be a real stronghold, but it crumbled." he added, glaring sternly at Owen again. "And you seem to have a knack for doing somebody else's bidding. I'm not about to go fight two armies, but I'm going to stop you if you pave the way for Raewald to keep lording over these people."

Ghastly Reminder

Nelon waited patiently for Angus to explain the situation as best as he could, his gaze diverting down to the ground at the mention of Claire's coordination. He gave the mooncalf an awkward smile, the deliberation of what to say next very visible in his face. "Magic must be a difficult force to fully restrain." Nelon replied hastily, his hand reaching behind to his own back. "There are some unsettling characters within the Raewaldean army. I had spoken to one of the junior commanders, they have recruited whoever they could to try and match Deiran numbers... some were likely less wise choices than others."

Edited December 21, 2017 by Shin