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Post by Greed on Apr 2, 2012 15:32:33 GMT -5
Everything happening around the scyllan girl struck her into a dead silence... until Caius questioned her directly. It... was a little insulting that he asked WHAT she was, but this far from the coast, he couldn't really know.
"L-Look, please, I'm not a monster or anything... m-most of my kind lives underwater so yeah, you couldn't know... I was just in town for the festival, th-that's all!" Kali wasn't even sure if what she said would work, but she continued anyways, "L-look, this guy here is sick! Could you at least let me get him out of here?" All the while, that red moon's light shone down on both of them. If she didn't do something about it soon, there was going to be trouble.
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Post by Jisui on Apr 2, 2012 17:49:57 GMT -5
(...Are you alright, Max?) The voice eventually asked him as his vision corrected itself, and the bright lights of the fountain plaza finally got themselves into view.
"Aw... it sounds like you're worried about me, inner." The priest smiled lightly as he heard a vicious growl in his mind, whoops... it'd probably be best not to push it. "I'm alright, Kali. I just need to-" Max attempted to push himself up to stand, but his eyes widened as he collapsed with a terrible thump as his body refused to work.
W-What the... why did he feel so tired all of a sudden...?
(I'll tell you why. Look up there.) The voice muttered, Max's eyes widening as he spotted a red moon hovering with a crimson glow above the plaza. Why... when he looked at it, he felt as if all the energy in his legs and arms seemed to fade away slower and slower...
(...It's dark magic. It's working faster on you though... probably because of me.) The voice explained, Max catching the slightest twinge of guilt in his voice that faded away almost instantly.
"Great..."
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Post by Shin RyuKen on Apr 2, 2012 19:31:18 GMT -5
The crimson moon was now reaching past its gibbous. If nobody in the area was beginning to feel sick and weak already, they would begin to feel it now. It was only a matter of time before the full moon set, and the numbers of the guards would begin to dwindle like flies. Vydunas was really hoping the guards wouldn't be heartless enough to stifle a PRIEST'S escape of all things, but given what he had seen before, he wasn't expecting any promises.
But he made one message clear: Never underestimate the capabilities of a wolfen. This is why Vydunas remained a perpetual skeptic of the humans and their treatment of the northern tribes; none of them understood the full extent of the power the tribes and their significance to the world, they just wanted to destroy. To pillage their resources and ravage the tribes themselves. Many attempts in the past to neuter the tribes have utterly failed, and although Vydunas wasn't intent on saving face of the other tribes, he lived by the code to liberate his katana before he would submit to the arms of death.
First of all, the guards were forgetting one major thing: Vydunas was right on the seat of the very fountain they were trying so hard to protect. If they shot at Vydunas with that much artillery, they wouldn't just be firing at Vydunas, they would be firing at the fountain and surely destroying it at the process. And Vydunas was going to expose that. It was foolish to fire at all sides and think that the battle took place on one ground. No. It wasn't that simple.
The wolfen leaped far into the air with the stellar physique that he and the rest of the wolfen had built for years on end. The fountain rose far, farther than that giant boxer's head, and at its apex, Vydunas stood at its broken top and leaped forth beyond the trajectory of the guards. He wasn't going to lie: Even though his body is coursing with a grueling amount of energy from all of the guards he disarmed, he didn't seem all that physically rapt. It was because the reservations within his mind were just moving too fast for him to make sense of anything. It was by his sudden bout of mental sluggishness that he neglected the few shots that managed to nick him in the back. The sheer potency of the magic was no joke; even though the crimson moon was onsetting, it didn't diminish the sheer burn Vydunas took to his body. He howled in pain as he tried to leap outward; the guards, unfortunately, would probably outnumber him by then.
Before they could turn to him with dwindling spells in hand, Vydunas thought quick. Very quick. He sprinted at as high of a pace that he could and pursued the nearest inn to recollect. Veronica ironically was in front of him, somehow looking for the same thing. Surely they wouldn't be desperate enough to track him down and destroy the rest of the town in the process. Vydunas never felt so underprepared before for an army in his life. Vydunas knew there were times as a warrior to back down, as much as he felt imprisoned by the bloodlust of his katana, but he definitely had never been on a day quite as chaotic as this for a while.
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Post by deathsentence on Apr 5, 2012 0:36:15 GMT -5
Despite the barrage of attacks deployed against Vydunas, Vydunas somehow managed to escape. Witnessing this gave the guards the instinct in trying to pursue the now wanted swordsman. It was an act that the guards wouldn't think twice about till the prince intervened with an order.
"Soldiers...Sta-stay in your positions!" He hesitantly demanded. It was a circumstance that befuddled the prince who couldn't think of the next plan of action. He expelled that order from his lips in an audible wheeze. The crimson moon was now taking its toll on him too and he knew that. It was also foolish enough to pursue the wolfen in such a fatigued state, especially if he was heading to where innocent bystanders might be present. Either way, it was a lose/lose situation for the Regalia forces if they obstinately tried to pursue that man.
"Touchê, Wolfen Swordsman. You've made my crimson day, hu hu hu." The old man near the prince let out a chuckle. It was a surprise to see him make light of the whole situation.
Caius spat out a swear at the wolfen's escape before turning his attention to the Scyllan. She was ranting something in Caius's ears about her origins, but he could only let out a sigh at the explanation. Even if he didn't want to admit it, he too was affected by the crimson moon. After dispelling "Ides of March", he gave the Scyllan another stern look, then turned his attention to the very ill priest on the ground. "I told you to not get involved." Caius sharply stated. Just that statement alone not only might have irritated the priest and the scyllan, but Caius himself as well. "If he ran away like any other spineless coward rather than being a diplomatic hero, he wouldn't be in this mess", or so Caius thought.
Before Caius attempted in trying to command his guards to assist the priest, the prince and the old man made their approach. They were near Max, Kali, and Caius. Unlike the bold declarations and commands the prince ordered before; when he laid eyes on Max's pathetic state, and then Kali, his facial expression was that of pity. In a hasty motion, he gestured to a small group of guards. "Guards! Assist this man! Make sure to bring him to the nearest hospital!"
The small group of guards slowly approached Kali and Max, slowly putting away their weapons. Just the sight of Kali being there made them more hesitant in offering assistance despite the Prince's orders. The guards' prudent approach immediately prompt an uncharacteristic "Hurry up already!" from the prince. In response they gave out a "Yes, My Prince!" and obviously reacted quicker than before. Two guards approached Max and crouched. They slowly picked him up and not before long the two guards were acting as Max's support by carrying him on each side. Another group of guards surrounded the large sword Max was wielding. One of the guards in that group questioned: "My Prince, what shall we do with this?"
"It belonged to that injured pauper in white. Confiscate it." Caius interrupted. The questionable guard was troubled on how to particular respond on whether or not he should acknowledge Caius's order first before hearing the Prince's.
"Do not confiscate it. Make sure to bring him his belongings too." The prince ordered with a nod. It wasn't even a second later that Caius glared at the prince and abruptly asked him "Only a fool would bring a man their own weapon, Prince. Are you sure the red moon didn't take away your reason to think?"
It was unheard of to even speak to a prince in such manner, but Caius had done so without a second thought. The prince could only gaze at the ground in response as if he was trying to avoid Caius's gaze. This prompted a response from the elderly man in white: "Shouldn't you assist in apprehending that man over there, Sir Caius?" He pointed at Drago, and Caius could only sneer at the old man before focusing his attention to someone else.
Caius had now locked eyes with Drago, catching that smirk of his in the process. Just by Drago's expression alone, he could tell what Drago requested. It was a request that even made Caius grin for the response he prepared:
"Request denied."
Shorty after, Caius averted his attention at the guards surrounding Drago. In a loud voice, he commanded: "Tie him by his hands and feet if you have to. I don't care if you have to drag him to prison." Afterward, Caius turned his attention back at Drago, giving him a mocking smirk. "If you're strong enough, maybe you can drag yourself to prison with your chin instead of the guards' help. Once you do that, find me and I'll fight you anytime."
The guards that surrounded Drago were ready to arrest him right on the spot. Even if he was able to resist, just the sheer numbers would be more than enough to apprehend him.
After everything else that happened, the only remaining thing left for the Prince and his army to do was to leave the Memorial Square due to the waning moon. There were too many questions on what happened on this particular day before the festival. Before the moon had taken its toll on everyone else, the Prince issued his final order. His order was to make sure that if the wolfen swordsman or pale woman were to appear again, that they would be apprehended at all costs.
[[super lazy post at the end. It was getting pretty weird trying to address every detail and add more dialogue etc.]]
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Post by Mayor on Apr 5, 2012 6:44:06 GMT -5
Strangely, the smile on Drago's face only seemed to grow. This wasn't what he wanted for an outcome, but it was good enough. His hands still raised above his head, Drago addressed the guards encroaching on him.
"Oh, have no fear. You'll find no trouble in apprehending me," and raising his voice to finish his statement, "I just didn't realize your commanders name wasn't Clover, but Coward."
Of course, the lack of violence was only going to raise Drago's blood lust for their next encounter. The brute may be going to jail, but that by no means meant that he would forget what transpired here today. Coward would owe Drago a fight, and when the brute would eventually stand over the knight's mangled and bloodied body, the anticipation would be worth it. Drago hated how cliched the next thought to run through his head was, but it summarized his state of mind perfectly; he would pay, in fact, they would all pay.
But for now, there was nothing to look forward to except the familiarity of the penal system. So little to do, so little unregulated violence. Drago was never a fan of prisons; if they would just let the prisoners battle royale constantly, Drago would be both prisoner and warden. Looking at his captors, Drago asked quite flatly, his slouch and bored mood both returning, "Which way to prison?"
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Post by BloodValkyrie on Apr 5, 2012 14:05:27 GMT -5
Vindictus Outside the Inn
[[SRK, you can name the inn and all that specific crap if you want. Can't really think of anything right now.]]
Veronica walked towards the inn, cautiously turning around to double-check no guards were following her. She stopped moving when she noticed Vydunas was right behind her and stared at him for a few moments.
"Huh...and here I thought you were going to be torn to shreds in the midst of that crowd of guards."
She then turned her attention forward and walked into the inn.
Inn
Veronica calmly walked through the hallway entrance, her green eyes shifting as she briefly looked at the various decorations on the walls. The hallway lead into a large circular room and, immediately to the right, was a long beige desk with appealing markings etched across the front. Behind the desk's large glass window was an attractive woman with short violet hair in a black and purple dress. She raised an eyebrow when she saw Veronica walk up to the window. The woman's eyes briefly moved up and down, looking at the newcomer's bloodstained clothing.
Veronica noticed this and casually cleared her throat. "I'm here for a room. I assume you have one to spare?"
The woman opened a notebook on the desk and flipped through it. "Actually yeah. Normally, around the time of the festival, we get a lot of visitors and have no space. But lucky for you...two." She peered behind Veronica and noticed Vydunas at this time. "So, what'll it be? A room with one bed?"
Veronica's eyes widened at this and she quickly looked back at the wolfen behind her. Was this woman...really...was she really thinking that?! The raven-haired maiden looked at her and slowly shook her head. "N-no. Me and him are not together. I will be getting my own room, thank you very much. He's on his own with that."
The purple-haired woman giggled quietly. "Ha, all right." She disappeared under the desk for a few moments, coming back up with a small key. "It's going to be 50 credits for night, all right?" Veronica nodded and handed over the money, receiving the key in return. "Now I just need your name so I can write it down in my book here" The battle-maid hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Veronica Sienna."
The woman nodded and wrote it down. "You're all set. The key's for room 7 upstairs." Veronica nodded and walked away, heading towards the staircase on the other side of the lobby. The woman turned her attention to Vydunas next, already taking out another key for him.
[[Go ahead and powerplay the chick, just so we can move this along faster.]]
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Post by Shin RyuKen on Apr 5, 2012 15:27:45 GMT -5
The guards were wise in stepping down, because the old aphorism "A cornered fox is more dangerous than a jackal" was about to be proven in wolf terms. The moon 's eerie red gaze came full circle. The full crimson moon seemed to echo out a terrifying, shadowy wind upon the guards. Everyone who didn't escape was in grave physical danger. The guards were fortunate in getting the priest and the scyllan girl out of there, custody or not; had they stayed longer, it probably would've been fatal for the priest at least.
Vydunas was surprised they weren't pursuing him; the strategic placement of the moon seemed to fare him well. But it was too drastic and the swordsman was now a wanted man...after tomorrow's events, he had to exile himself from the town. In the meantime, he needed a place of refuge, a place where he could lick the brutal wounds inflicted on his body. The blood of the guards satiated his katana for the time being, so he was fortunate enough to not worry about it for one night.
Vydunas's growl become more of a damaged snarl as the burns on his body began to tense his very conscience. He maintained his composure pretty well for the damage on his body, answering Veronica with a light tone in his voice. "Nah...I'm not ready to die yet. I need to throw away this sword first."
Inn: Iron Maiden
Vydunas entered shortly after Veronica did and peered at the keys being directed to him. The innkeeper was awfully polite; he questioned for a moment what kind of characters she solicited at this inn. It seemed well put together, with checkered floors and polished wooden walls to boot. Vydunas nodded in response to Veronica and the innkeeper and said, "Yeah. One room for me as well." He offered the credits to the innkeeper and prepared to receive his keys.
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Post by BloodValkyrie on Apr 5, 2012 15:49:25 GMT -5
The Iron Maiden Inn Lobby
The innkeeper smiled sweetly and took Vydunas' money, giving him his key in return. She then pointed towards the staircase, which Veronica had just gotten to and was walking up. "Your key is for room 9, upstairs as well." She then leaned closer to the window, whispering to the wolfen. "Also, try to keep your friend under control. She looks a bit...odd. Especially with her clothes like that."
Veronica could be heard sighing loudly as she continued up the stairs. She stopped partway and looked at Vydunas. "Hey, wolfen. If you don't mind, I'd actually like to finish our conversation from earlier. So, I suggest you finish flirting with the innkeeper soon." She leaned against the rail of the stairs as she waited.
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Post by Shin RyuKen on Apr 5, 2012 16:35:09 GMT -5
Vydunas chuckled at the rather abrupt emotional response to receiving his keys. He wasn't really in the mood for jokes, but at the same time, he may as well save face while he's still at the inn. The wolfen turned right back to Veronica and jested to her, "Heh, somebody's jealous." The innkeeper laughed at the discourse between the two, which was obviously as wide of a gap as the two were positioned right now.
Immediately, the muscles in Vydunas's face dulled out as he returned to a more normal expression. Of course he didn't mind to finish their casual conversation; the battle maiden even had a fight to finish with that boxer. "Nah, it's not a problem." The wolfen nodded in response to what seemed like a demand...he didn't expect the woman to be that curious. This might've been the suspicion the innkeeper was foretelling. Still, it was a large step up from being burst aflame by thousands of guards.
As Vydunas walked up the stairs, he raised his head very slightly to recollect where he last stopped in his conversation with Veronica. He recalled they were talking about their respective hometowns and continued from there. "I remember something about you not being there during the genocide," Vydunas remarked. "You know anything about what might've happened in the meantime?"
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Post by BloodValkyrie on Apr 5, 2012 16:52:33 GMT -5
In response to Vydunas' joke, Veronica huffed, turned her head, and said "As if." She resumed walking up the stairs once he was there, shaking her head at his question. "No, I actually know practically nothing about it. I was just gone for a while and, when I came back, Platuna was in the pitiful state it's in now. So I gathered my belongings, what I could find at least, and headed here. Although...I do wish to find out what happened. Perhaps I'll come across some clues in this town?" Veronica shrugged. "If not, then I'll simply move on to the next one. It doesn't matter to me too much but, even if I wanted to, I can't stay here."
She smiled and looked at Vydunas. "I am a wanted criminal here after all. Quite funny too since I haven't even been here for a whole day yet. You're in the same boat as I, though, aren't you, wolfen?"
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Post by Shin RyuKen on Apr 5, 2012 17:15:53 GMT -5
Vydunas shrugged his shoulders for a moment and continued walking up the stairs. "Eh. Fat chance of finding anything here now," he remarked looking outward out the windows. "The festival is all I can think of, and I don't even know if it's happening anymore."
The wolfen laughed in affirmation of Veronica's comment. "Hahaha, damn straight. I don't have much of a choice now. I'm going to have to head up north where the Sinin Plateau is, cause I fear that war is about to brew between the tribes and the soldiers down south."
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Post by BloodValkyrie on Apr 5, 2012 17:34:12 GMT -5
Veronica facepalmed in realization. "Oh bloody hell...I completely forgot about the festival. I really hope our activities today haven't jeopardized it. That was my whole reason for even coming to this place." She sighed as she reached the top of the staircase and looked down the hall, noticing the many doors on each side.
However, Veronica's attention was further grabbed by the last thing Vydunas said. "War? You think there's going to be a war between your tribes and some soldiers? Why would you think that?"
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Post by Shin RyuKen on Apr 5, 2012 17:50:18 GMT -5
Vydunas shook his head in disapproval. It was no disapproval at their behavior, but rather, his disappointment at if his actions really did stop the festival. "They'll probably relocate it or something. I don't think a few street hooligans could've stopped an annual tradition. Those guards probably damaged the fountain more than we did." Vydunas pointed outward to the view of the fountain which was now completely incinerated.
Vydunas looked around for his room and was a little alarmed at how many damn rooms they arranged. Normally this place is bustling; but after what was done today, nobody will probably feel safe here. In the meantime, the wolfen raised his head and to an extent, the volume behind his tone cleared up a bit; he felt ascertained by his words. "I don't think that. I KNOW it's happening. You know how the festival celebrates colonial independence? Well, Vindictus was once a nation-state to Landiel, the kingdom in the south it seceded from. That kingdom tried to genocide my entire people more times than I can count, really. I'm beginning to suspect that humankind doesn't have any willingness to keep my people alive. They know nothing about us; they just want our resources to keep their country afloat."
Vydunas looked away from his room and back at Veronica's face. "Our country isn't going to war because we want to; we have our own intertribal warfare to deal with. Going to war with Landiel has simply become a rational response to their racist behavior. I'm no supporter of the war on either end, but when my tribe is threatened with death each day, it becomes a big deal."
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Post by BloodValkyrie on Apr 5, 2012 18:04:19 GMT -5
Veronica stared blankly at Vydunas. She had never really heard of such a thing. Wanting to wipe out an entire race just to take their resources? Plus, the whole racism thing? She was completely fine with killing and such, but genocide was...a bit much. Even she had an odd feeling about such a thing.
"That's damned stupid. Wanting to wipe out an entire civilization for that? Some of the stupidest stuff I've heard. If you're going to kill someone, do it for a better reason. I can't say killing an entire race sits well with me though, no matter the reason." Veronica didn't particularly care about Vydunas' people themselves, but...something about their situation just sounded wrong.
"Do you think your people can win?"
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Post by Shin RyuKen on Apr 5, 2012 18:16:17 GMT -5
Vydunas shrugged his shoulders once again. It was strange; he was asked a lot of things he couldn't really predict, so there wasn't a strong affirmative to respond to, as much as he wanted. He felt it was always necessary to maintain his rationale just like how he remained out of the political affairs of Landiel for so long. "My culture was born to years of learning how to fend for themselves. We learned how to use a weapon and how to hunt just like we learned any other practical skill. Most of the soldiers in the Landiel military are only superior to us in technology; they, like many people in this world sadly do, don't learn how to fight because they want to. They learn how to fight as teenagers because their family forces them to conscript into the military from then on."
Vydunas turned to his weapon as he concluded his remark: "In a world driven by the trenches of constant violence, people need to learn to fight to survive. Survival is a skill that most people don't need anymore; it's a damn shame." It really was a shame. And he didn't feel like he was alone, looking at how Veronica was so easily driven by the tides of battle.
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