Tragic Negotiations - RPLOG
From Rusted Promises
Participants
Date
25/12/475
Log
There is a small gathering of Royal guard looking standing around three large ships, in the middle of the group is a large poodle with no clan seal anywhere on his body. He is in chains and down as a small female mouse on rose red armor look to the crowd. "Alright! You've volunteer to help us rid this Felis Island of the apostate scum torturing the inhabitants. This little pup behind me is helping to naviagte all of us to the island in exchange for a little prison time instead of my axe in his chest. Now if you comming aboard step up and give me your name so I can assign you to your unit."
The Black Iguana-dragon is one of the first to step up, outfitted like he usually is when in his draconic form. A salute is given just before he announces his name. Well, his title anyway, "Private Lunch of the Lightbringer Unit at your service. Growing Clan."
Selena steps forwards to the guard. "Selena is my name." She states, with a short bow. "Taskmage of the Graceful folk."
Arimia steps forward with her golem stomping along after. Her banded tail flicks behind her as she continues to talk toward the mouse. She stops a short distance away and says, "Arimia." She doesn't offer anything else, though her Clever Clan seal is visible.
Claire steps up as well, smiling and waving to the guard. "Ehehe~ Claire of the Graceful folk here~" she smiles, the dancer bouncing up to the mouse.
Kiyasai follows behind the intimidating figure of Mazurek, almost looking like she's trying to sneak on board despite her royal purple ceremonial regalia accompanying her polished heavy armors, a large hammer strapped to her back to create a great irony of a priest. "K-Kiyasai, clever folk. Priest on duty..."
Trailing behind Arimia, Annabel's eyes are wide as she stares up at the ships' masts, the tall shark-girl all but bouncing along as they approach. It's with reluctance and a bit of embarassment that she realizes that she'll have to say something to the mouse, glancing back down to earth. "Er, Anna. Just Anna. Water folk, 'course. When do we sail?"
The mouse looked at Mazurek, "Private lunch eh...Unit one!" She points to the first boat before a small black rat walks up, "Leeroy...Begger." The mouse rolls her eyes, "Unit three." She listens to female wolf, "Odd Accent on you, Taskmage... Unit 1!" Behind her a yellow tooth Feline with pathes of fur missing speaks up. "Jenkins...Retired warrior." She looks him over, "Unit 3." After pointing to the third boat. "Arimia.....Not much to the name? I'll take you as a wild card, Unit 1." She grumbled as a snow leopard and a cat approached her, "Both of you will be unit one." She smacked her face while looking the Shark. "By the creators, Your the fierces looking one, I would send you to unit three but I have high hops for a Shark... Get on the first boat and wait with the rest we set sell soon as the other captains fill their boats." She shouted to all the unit one members and instructed them to board the boat. "Alright, We are unit one to put it simply we are the ones that are going to clear the ruin itself. Unit three is foot shoulders and unit two is medical and math. Any stupid questions before we sail," The boat starts to leave the port while she talking, "Well too late direct all your stupid questions to the nearest moron with a blank expression on his face and all the smart ones to me." She says gruffly.
Mazurek doesn't miss a beat after boarding the first boat, crossing his arms while he asks, "Where are we going, how long do we get there, and what do we do during the trip?" The eleven foot giant lizard smiles after a moment before heading to one side of the boat to gaze at the waves ahead.
Selena nods, and strides across to the boat she'd been assigned. "Will we need a tailwind?" She queries, not expecting a response.
Arimia narrows her eyes at the mouse's rolling of her eyes at the beggar. She doesn't say anything, however, and makes her way to the ship indicated. She finds somewhere as out of the way as someone with a large golem can get and sits down to wait until they arrive. As she waits she starts to go through her things, pulling out a few easily recognizable items, like a wrist mounted crossbow, and some more suspect looking things, like tools one would use to spring open locks. She seems to be going through and checking she has everything in order.
Claire nods enthusiastically as she bounces up the boat, twiling along the way. "Hm.. I wonder what's there in the ruins...? Maybe... trasure? Or something else~! Oohh... I'm getting excited just thinking about it!" she laughs, happily moving over to the first boat.
"S-Shouldn't I be in unit two?" Kiyasai manages before she's silenced and she squeaks at the mouse's tone despite her size and wisely chooses not to pursue the matter any further and boards the boat quietly, curling up so her knees are in her arms, picking a comfortable (as comfortable as they get anyway) seat far away from any oars, beside Arimia, and looking a little bit more comfortable now.
"I /am/?" Annabel hunches, a bit too close to Arimia as they board the gangplank. "I... I wouldn't say anythin' about fierce, miss, but we /are/ gettin' to sail, right? There was somethin' else about buckling some swash?" Once the ship is moving she runs to the side, hands on the edge as she leans over and tastes the sea breeze. "Wooo!" The shark-girl is lanky and thin, dressed shabbily in a loose shirt and baggy pants with an old, burnished cutlass hanging from her belt; there's a hole cut in the back of the ensemble for a broad, vertically-finned tail, which slaps against the deck somewhat carelessly as she moves, like an overgrown puppy.
The red mouse eyes the large lizard, "Stupid question, four to eight hours, Nothing the deck is full stocked with seafolk that are more than capable." She chuckled, "This boat is powered by Water Math below deck. The Sail is mostly for show or a lack of mages." She answered. She looks over the at Arimia and snorts, "Rest of you punks could learn from this pup." She stats not realizing what kinda creatuer Arimia is. "We've got a few hours so make the most of it, thought if a single one of you starts to lose your nerve or writing letters to whatever scum sucker you have back home feel free to swim back to your cuddly little holes in ground." She speaks gruffly as a small shimmer can be seen in distance from the water.
Mazurek grins at the mouse while she gives her retort, having been wanting to see how far he could push the rodent. There will not be any writing home for this one, and that shimmer in the water attracts his attention nonetheless even though he is clueless of what it might be heralding. He's watched the sun rise and set over the waters many times before.
Kiyasai stays in her curled up position but makes sure that if the rodent ever got injured, treatment would be especially painful, and of course no less effective. "I wish I'd paid more attention in classes over some of these things...I only aced healing and earth magic classes..."
Selena looks across at the captain. "Sir. There's something ahead in the water; Some crystals imbued with water magic. With your permission, I'd like to try and remove one for a closer look." She askes, a little concerned.
Arimia lifts her head, noticing something, then stands up and quickly moves to the mouse, saying abruptly, "Change course. There's something in the water. Water mathmagic." When she speaks she'd have an accent similar to Selena's, but rougher, less refined in many ways. She then moves forward on the ship, toward the prow, so she can get a better view of what is in the water.
Claire leans against one of the ship's masts. "Urgh... I feel... a little seasick..." the cat mumbles, a hand cupped over her mouth to prevent herself from chucking up. She slowly stumbles over to one side of the ship and leans over, grumbling in restrained pain.
Annabel stares blankly at the horizon, trying to wrap her mind around something or other... and quite suddenly, she seems afraid. Muttering, she backs away from her position in the forward deck, passing Arimia as she says, "Dunno /what/ it's supposed to be, but no good will come of it. This trip's giving me the willies."
The shimmer grows brighter before a espiecally brave sailor tosses a crown inside of the water. The crown lands with a simple splash and nothing happends. "Well I guess we are.." "JEWELS" A cry so loud that most of the crew on both boats turn to see Leeroy leap off the boat and begins swimming towards the gems. "I'M GONNA BE RICH!" The rat makes it close to on of the gems and suddenly his skin start to crack and split open until there is a single water elemental made from the blood of Leeroy. The creature pics up another gem and begins tossing them on the third units ship. The creams are horrible as the blood from the crew leaps out of there body and jumps to the other ships. A dozen of the bloody creatures land on the unit ones ship, each of them rushing the crew with a shrill scream.
And Kiyasai demonstrates just why you don't push her into the corner, by the Creator's sweetroll, for she goes into a berserking frenzy with her hammer that she seemed to have trouble weilding before, sending several crushing blows to the elemental attacking her and splattering her gear with Jenkins blood until it is no more than a puddle, and continues to hammer until there is a very evident hole on the floor, screaming.
Selena swallows slightly at the sudden appearance of the lementals. "Okay. That was unexpected." She looks towards the remaining crystals and gestures to them. "Do we have any other earth mages? We might be able to get rid of them before they cause any more damage."
Annabel parries some, slashes a few, but doesn't make much headway herself against the elemental scourge. Seems to work out all right, her footwork keeping the would-be-pirate out of trouble. She's clear enough from the fray to stop and stare, slack-jawed, at the screaming leopard priestess. "I... just... wow." Clearing her throat, the shark glances around nervously. "Right! So what was that about swimming home?"
At some point during the fight the raccoon been replaced by an eight foot long, sinuous dragon with tentacles sprouting out it's sides. After the elementals are defeated the dragon starts to shrink and change, regrowing fur until the raccoon is back to her normal shape. Mostly. The tentacles are still there. She adjust her vest, which seemed to have changed shape with her, and glances into the water wordlessly, looking to see if more of the crystals are down there.
Mazurek is quick to rush over to Kiyasai while she is hammering the deck with that huge mallet. He goes so far as to attempt to grab the girl's wrists to prevent her from hammering the floor like Mario is known for in the old Donkey Kong game.
Claire scratches her head, chuckles to herself softly. "Eyaaaa~ I was kinda useless in that fight, huh?" she laughs, walking over to the blood pubble and crouching down, poking it. "Hm... blood elementals... interesting..." she murmurs, still poking that blood puddle, she then looks over to Kiyasai and bounces over. "Hey, hey! Calm down, girl!" she says.
The blood moves of it own accord and moves into a sold mass that flows into Leeroy elemental standing over the water. The Elemental shift and matches the face feature of the orginal rat. Tear of blood travel down his face, "I just wanted to be ri-" The magic holding his body fade and the blood blashes to the water as the stone glows brighter, The other ships seem to be moderately safe. The mouse in the red armor is shouting orders, "Alright anyone with the barest amount of skill know what the hell just happed?" She yells.
Kiyasai does calm down. But she's still writhing in Mazurek's arms. "Don't tell me to calm down or you'll join that puddle of blood down there, you hear me?" She wrests herself free and wipes her hammer dry with one of her skirt sashes. "It was kill or be killed. No other option, the thing had me cornered. Don't talk to me like I don't know how to fight!" Pant, pant, pant.
Arimia looks toward the mouse, and says, "Water mathmagic can be used to conjure an elemental crafted of water. Or in this case the liquid inside a body. Blood. I suspect someone put those out her as a trap. Perhaps if the boats had touched them they would have crafted elementals out of the water around them, instead of the poor man's blood. Now. Excuse me." Saying that she turns over and walks to the squirming leopardess saying, "Nobody is questionin' that. Just relax and stop puttin' a hole in the boat, yeah? I smell funny when my fur gets wet."
Claire sighs and hugs Kiyasai from behind... at least, as much as she can when her wrists are hand-cuffed to her belt. "There there... calm down Kiyasai. No one said you can't fight. Geez, lighten up~!" she smiles happily. "Nothing good will happen if you're hysterical, eh?" she asks logically.
Selena looks across the water in front of her, less concerned about the priest than the other stones there.
Selena looks across the water ahead of her, scanning for any more of the crystals that had just been used to conjure blood elementals and making an effort to systematically break them, in order of those nearest the ship to outwards.
Mazurek grunts and releases the Leopard without incident, "Instinct can drive you to do things you would normally not do. I know how that is, yet I have been able to learn to control such through discipline. It takes time to accomplish that, so do not think ill of yourself for your loss of control."
"It's not...it's not loss of control. I knew just what I was doing but I just have a bad history with blood and the like, alright? Especially, especially if it's trying to kill me. I've had to do some..." Kiyasai cuts herself off and winces at Mazurek, swatting him with her tail and then sitting back down on the floor after she cleans her robes with a bit of help from water magic.
The Rocks all shatter with Selena's effort. The mouse grumbles and shakes her head, "Alright, That is why you keep the rejects away from the better qualified." She raises her nose up and a cabin boy rabbit walks behind her, "Miss Risca, The Captain' says well be there in under and hour and that he want you to pay triple from the loss of life." Risca moves her fist quick as lighting and punches the Rabbit in the eye, "My folk men died, If I hear another complaint from that disgusting waste of time, I will have you, him and all three of the ships crew hung and flayed. Tell him to hurry up." She growl as the crying male rabbit scampered back below deck.
Arimia moves back to sit down where she was before and starts to sort through her things again. Her golem moves back over to join her, standing impassively. After a couple minutes of looking through her things she holds up a water bottle and says, "Kiyasai, come have a drink of water an' let the adrenaline leave your system."
Mazurek rests a hand on Claire's shoulder after he get swatted, "Try not to be instantly cuddly around folks, miss. Some don't like it while others don't care one way or the other."
Selena looks back across the deck, and walks across to Arimia, still paying intent attention to the area ahead, particularly after the last trap.
Claire sticks her tongue out at Mazurek and giggles. "Says the one who has his hand on my shoulder." she teases, turning around to face him. Her chains jingled as she turns. "Name's Claire, and you, my mystery assaulter?" she tilts her head.
The Ship sail calmly the rest of the way, as they get closer to the Island, The ship containing unit one breaks formation and moves around the island till they reach a large beach surround by forest, "Alright unit one, This is your time to shine, you didn't die from the blood..things and you won't die here." She smiled wickedly before stepping off into the sand. "We head north and we should be at the ruin in just a few minutes."
Arimia follows the mouse off the ship and to the shore, saying, "Elementals. Blood elementals. Not just things." She walks a short distance away then, and turns to face the ship, waiting for everyone else to disembark. Her eyes scan the forest from where she stand, looking about to see what she can, be it a clear path, traps, or spying eyes.
Mazurek smirks, removing the large hand, "Mazurek is my real name. You might know me better as the recent captive of the Cliffwater Siege." Out on the beach he stretches a bit, flexing in the process, "Mmmm. So, who's leading?"
Selena chuckles quietly. "I'll keep my eyes open for traps." She states. "As for point man, I'd suggest Arimia's golem." She offers. "It's certainly tough enough, but I don't know if it'd help visibility too much." She shrugs. "Of course, that's up to Arimia herself."
"Maybe... maybe I'd better fall back," Annabel murmurs, still looking unsettled by the recent fight. "Keep an eye on the ship, keep her ready 'case we need to make a clean getaway. I'm better here than on land, anyway."
"Nobody's dying while I'm here." Kiyasai takes the front line, probably still seething from the fight before and her former nervousness already forgotten. "I want to give whoever killed those people hell."
Claire walks down from the ship onto the beach. "Woohoo~! Dry land!" she laughs, hugging a tree. "Great to be back." she smiles.
Risca Look at Arimia, "I don't care what they are called, Pup. I just want to make sure we don't have to deal with more." Risca look at Annabel, "Grow a pair or whatever sharks have..." She growled, "Ah." Is the only comment she has to Mazurek after looking disgusted at his flexing, "I'll be leading, Mazurek will be point and the rest of you stick close while Pup and Shark take the rear." She places a helm on her head and moves forward. "Lets save some lives, If you kill even by accident a single civilian I'll have you hanged in front of your family, these dirt suckers may have picked a crappy place to live but we need dirt suckers like everyone else except Apostates. Those folk can die horribly for all I care."
Annabel glares back at the mouse. "Right. When th' rigging isn't ready and you're waiting on your precious water magic to get us off the beach, I'll try not to be smug." She hops off onto the shore, tail dragging in the sand as she takes the rear.
Mazurek shakes his head, "There is no need to stay in the rear, unless you don't want to be known as one of the heroes of the situation. Besides, who says it won't be fun in the meantime? Oh, I know of another shark, but haven't seen him in quite some time." He takes the point as instructed. Being the (second?) largest of the group, he'll have quite the large profile. Maybe his dark body color will help.
Kiyasai follows behind quietly, her hammer replaced behind her as she fiddles with a bloodied knife, though caked with more layers of blood than the elemental could have done on its own, looking very on edge.
Arimia closes her eyes and lets out a low, annoyed sound. When she opens them she's looking at the mouse, her oddly banded tail lashing behind her. "One. Stop callin' me pup. It's annoyin' me. Two. Stop talkin down about people. It don't increase your status in others eyes. It just makes you sound like a dumb little rodent. These Apostates may be causin' some problem for folks, but not all Apostates do. An' if that's not enough then be aware that if you're insultin' them it'll cause problems if they decide to take hostages or somethin' when we come after 'em. An' if you keep up your rude attitude I'll just tie your ass to a tree until we sort matters out here in a sensibe fashion." After saying this she and her large golem move over to join Annabel, waiting for the rest of the group to fall into position.
Claire giggles as she pats Kiyasai on the back. "Calm down, sister!" she tells her before moving up to the don't as well. "Ooooo... big fighters." she murmurs as she looks at Annabel, the golem and Maz.
Selena nods to Risca, taking her place in the marching order. She mutters something under her breath, keeping a low enough voice to be unheard.
"Really? I was raised by sharks!" Annabel says, calling back to Mazurek with a scowl. "Right, do you suppose there's a reason I'm up here with th' landlubbers, instead of with my family?" Shaking her head and muttering, the girl falls into line behind the golem, aware of how thin and scrawny she must look in comparison.
Kiyasai startles a little at the pat, but doesn't otherwise say very much, seemingly deep in thought and distracted with her knife, walking just fast enough to keep up the march. "Apostates, huh." She mutters again.
The mouse smirked at Arimia, "I'm not smart and I don't plan to be much more than a good soldier, Apostates are clanless monsters and if those blood creatures and any sign they are more evil than I thought. If they take hostages I'm sure I could trade them for an insubordinate raccoon. Now if you got the gall to want to be leader you better pry this axe form my dead body." She glares before moving past Arimia as the party continues up while before the forest leads out to a clearing at the end of the path. A golden Armor wearing Zebra leans on a sword in front of the ruin. His eyes lock with the group the moment they arrive, "Please Turn back. You have no business here." The Zerba speak softly almost in a feminine voice as Risca walks up and shouting, "Listen you clanless scum sucking dirt-eating, striped son of a skrith- Guh." In the middle of Risca's rant the Zebra draw and swings his blade across her throat before sheathing it in the same motion. "Please my mother was a nice slay and not a skirth." He says while looking at the group. "Please go away."
The mouse gets what had been coming to her, and the skill that the Zebra shows in dispatching her gets a cheerful clap from the large dragon, "Thank you, Madame, for doing what should have been done a long time ago to that filthy mouthed creature. We may have no business here, as you say, but that will remain to be seen. Could you enlighten us on what is happening here, perhaps?"
Selena readies herself for the event that the Zebra takes any further violent action, allowing for the others to make a move before she does anything.
Arimia lets out a low growl, narrowing her eyes at the mouse's words, but doesn't do anything yet. She follows along after, tilting her head at the zebra. When the zebra draws the blade and presses it to the mouse's throat she laughs, following it by saying, "Should'a just killed her. So you could deal with someone more sensible." She makes her way forward, golem following in her shadow to stand before the zebra, looking them over while ignoring the mouse. "We're here 'cause we were told that the natives of the island are being forced to excavate a ruin. If they are indeed being forced, we want to stop that. If they aren't... Well, then I don't care if there are any Apostates here as we heard or not."
Claire slinks her way up to the zebra tapping her armor. "Oooo... this armor is impressive." she gives the Zebra a thumbs up. "We mean no harm, don't worry~" she tells the Zebra cheerfully. Apparently, this cat has no idea how to read the situation at all. "And I'm sure your mother was a good lady." she nods, as if she knows.
Kiyasai close to lunges forward to check Risca's vitals and frowns. "She's alive...but there's nothing we can do for her..." Then the leopardess grips a little tighter around Risca's neck to stem the flow of blood while trying to end things quicker, blood seeping into her white fur. And then the rat is gone, and she mutters a prayer, looking at the zebra every now and then as fingers slide the mouse's eyelids shut.
Annabel stands back, eyes widening as she watches Arimia. "Mutiny! Treachery!" A beat. "Classic, really, th' stripey horse did the hard part for you, cap'n!" she says, in an admiring sotto voce. Of course, the shark is still several lengths away from the action, staring warily behind her to check that they aren't being flanked.
At the first sign of Risca struggling, Kiyasai abandons her initial plans and tears off one of her sashes as a makeshift bandage instead, willing a little bit of earth magic to harden the bandage protectively with hardened mud. "She...she'll live."
Selena nods to Kiyasai, and then to Arimia. "Even if she's abrasive and doesn't know anything about stealth, We could use the extra people" She sighs, before looking back to the zebra to await their response.
The Zebra look at Mazurek with a small and speaks in his soft voice, "What is happening here is that my clan is making our own fortress, We desire what those with clans have... Protection and family." The zebra nods to Arimia, "Indeed we have started to use the native as labor but we plan to reward them with entry into our kindom when we have finished." He looked at the downed Risca, "I don't think your a very unified group if so many cheer at the defeat of your own. Are the rumors of the Clans false?" He scratched his chin.
Arimia lets out a soft sigh and gives a small shake of her head. "In a way it is, yeah. First off, we aren't all of the same clan here. An' I've been on both sides. I was an Apostate most of my life. Took the test to join a clan 'cause otherwise I couldn't get into Cliffside's academy. When you're part of a clan you're treated better by other members of a clan. An' by that I mean they don't spit on ya. But... Apostates tend to look out for eachother more." She gives a small shrug of her shoulders, unable to explain better. She follows with a frown and says, "That said... If you're usin' them against their will... It has to stop. Release them, tell them that any who wish will be welcome an' treated equally with all the others. An' explain you'll be protectin' the island as it'll be your home too, at that point. I'm sure some would join with you. I would. It may take longer to excavate an' all, but... You wouldn't be making enemies right away."
Selena nods, and whispers something across to Arimia.
Kiyasai is busy with mending Risca's wound, still holding the pressure to slow the blood flow and artificially feeds breaths via mouth to mouth to lessen the strain on the mouse's body. She's vulnerable and exposed while in medical mode.
Annabel's face falls as it looks like the mouse captain is, after all, going to make it. "Aww. Well, was a stupid move for her ta make anyway. Getting her throat slit," she mutters, before clearing her throat. "Er. Scuse me. We're still trying to reason with this guy? How's that going, exactly?" She waits and squints, still way to the back of the line.
The Armored zebra smiled at Arimia, "You speak with good intentions and if it were up to me, I would certainlly let you through but I cannot break my watch for common sense and smooth words of a wonderful and well spoken female." He blushes but doesn't move aside with a practiced motion he tosses a small bag of herbs at Kiyasai. "These will help with the poisons and infections that the insects of this area my carry." The Zebra points to the cat and asks for her to approach. "Please step forward."
Arimia flicks her ears slightly, briefly frowning. "Is there some way you can send a signal for someone to relieve you? Or for someone to come escort us to a leader we can talk to?" She sighs again, crossing her arms over her chest before continuing, "I would much rather talk to someone and get all this sorted out reasonably, but if that is not possible then... We will have to resort to other methods to handle things."
Claire blinks, a smile permanently frozen on her face. What could the zebra possibly want to do with her? Tilting her head curiously, she steps forward. "Yes...?" she asks, a little trembling in her voice in fear that she had done something wrong.
Selena quirks a brow as the cat steps forward.
"Oh? New infectiond and poisons?" Kiyasai makes sure that nobody is looking when she stashes the herbs greedily into her armor, then finishes stabilizing the mouse's condition. She swats down a nearby insect and may or may not have tested out said venoms on a comatose target...
After a careful look at the feline, "If you want to get past me how about... you who think my armor is so shiny give me 40,000 crowns ot have a better armor made? This armor is old and belong to my father, If you pay this I will walk away otherwise. You will not pass me." The zebra groaned, how dare this feline mock his armor as if it was some sort of bauble... "He looked Arimia, "Anyone else I would send out would probably attack first sound the alarm and then loot all your valubles."
Arimia gives a small shake of her head and says, "Can't sound an alarm or loot valuables when dead. We are not all so easily put down as that dumbass rodent." She walks forward, though stopping well out of reach of the zebra and his blade. She watches as the feline walks forward but doesn't add anything to that, continuing talking, "An' would they really just attack if they saw you were here, and we were talking peacefully?" She falls quiet, tail twitching, then says, "I would be willing to help excavate if you agreed to release the villages from bondage. Give them a choice. Earth magic isn't my strongest talent, but I'm still a Cliffside trained mage. An' I've got my golem. It doesn't tire, an' it's strong."
Selena bows slightly. "I would be glad to help as well, if you meet Arimia's terms. I would love for you not to continue the stereotypes most people know about the apostate, with all due respect."
Claire started checking her crown, pacing as she did so. She slowly walked around the zebra. Once she was done, she was behind him. "Ehehe... sorry, I don't have enough..." she tells him, keeping her money.
The Guard in a single smooth motion grabs Claire and smashes her face into a nearby pillar, "I can't give the order but I will allow you to pass but please... Don't let this one speak to our chief." He grunts and steps to the side. "I wish you the best of luck we could use some more diggers and a metal man might be a step in the right direction." He smiles and allows them to pass as he lets the cat go. "Take her with you before I forget that I don't like to kill weaklings for just being plain ignorant."
Arimia gives a small nod of her head and starts forward. "How do we find your chief? We do not know our way around, and since you must remain here, you cannot guide us." While waiting for an answer she glances over at Claire, taking note of the damage, before leaving her for those with skill in medicine to tend to.
Selena takes a short bow to the Zebra. "Thanks for hearing us out." She smiles, before looking across to Claire to see if she's in any pain, or if she requires some medicine.
Claire groans as she clutches her face. "Urgh... that hurt... a lot..." she murmurs, blood pouring from her nose. "I'll be fine..." she staggers.
Selena gently guides Claire back to Kiyasai. "Let Kiyasai take a look at you anyway, okay?" She offers.
The Zebra nodded, "This will be the simple part the work is further down. The leader is a Polar bear probably wielding a Pickaxe or barking out orders. His name is Frie, Don't tell him its a girly name and also tell him you are leaders of your warband, Frie is a big old folk and very much invested into the tribal mindset." He smiles and look Kiyasai, "Would you like help with you with tending to the loudmouth and moron? I hate to give too much work to someone that doesn't deserve it."
Arimia gives a small nod of her head, saying, "Thank you for the advice." She then starts down the previously blocked path, banded tail flicking. Her golem stands impassively, letting anyone who is following her fall in line behind the raccoon before it too starts down the path, effectively creating a big, spiky, metal shield behind them.
Selena gives a short bow to the Zebra. "Thank you for the help." She smiles, falling in line with Arimia as she begins to walk off.
"So, er, about getting the boat ready?" Annabel chirps, looking more worried now. "That seems like a good idea, yes? Seein' as th' previous captain is... if not dead," she mutters something angrily under her breath, "At least incapacitated. Maybe I'll just fall back for a bit."
Claire groans as she pouts at him. "I'll be fine, thanks..." she says bitterly, walking along with Arimia and Selena. "I can take care of myself, you know. Sorry for being friendly." she murmurs.
Selena sighs quietly and looks back at Claire. "I'd like to request that you don't be so careless next time, then. If you anger the head of these people, then it will effect everyone here." She says, inspecting Claire's face for any otherwise unseen damage.
Arimia stops and turns to face Claire, crossing her arms over her chest. "Fine. If you say so. But you won't do anythin' to upset the bear we're goin' to talk to. Don' touch him, don' go near him. If you start to say somethin' I think will upset him, I'll have my golem break your jaw so you can't say shit." She turns around again, continuing on, not stopping until she finds Frie.
Claire shivers at Arimia's comment. "Yeesh... how cold... have you no concern for a comrade?" she sighs, wiping her blood off and walking along with them. "I'll note that though." she says, keeping her hands to her back as she looks around the cave. She walks next to Selena though, seeing as she's probably the only friendly face in this room.
Calire isn't infected with a disease but Selena does find a small jewel imbedded in the gap between the felines teeth. The final chamber is filled with many workers most are chained to Apostate workers and warrors. A polar bear is working hard and telling dirty jokes as he work, "An then I said I was outta season..." The area roars with laugher even some of the slaves are chuckling fearfully. He turns and looks at the crowd coming into his chambers, "I take it Zebi is dead or your got a good reason for being here."
Selena chuckles quietly at Claire's response. "Arimia takes things very seriously." she says. "Call her cold, but she knows better than either of us. And from the sounds of it, if she wasn't willing to make an example we'd be in more trouble." She finishes her statement just before entering the encampment.
Arimia stops and makes motions for the others to do so, though with her height if it's noticed or not may be debatable. Her golem, at least, stops, moving right up behind her once the others are out of the way. "You're Frie, then? An' the guard is Zebi? Didn't get his name. Probably should have. He lives, an' we have, what I think, is a good reason for bein' here. I'd like to talk to you. If you want it somewhere private, that's fine. If you don' mind those here hearin' it, that's fine too."
Kiyasai has slipped behind the zebra with the body of the mouse slung over her form, catching up and panting heavily. "Sorry, sorry, had to...make sure that she's ready to be moved." When she does enter the place though, she bows politely to the other people she doesn't recognize and puts the body away. Gently. Mostly gently. Ok, she drops Risca, but softly, and kicks her gently to a place where she won't jut out like a sore thumb. "
Claire thinks about it. "I suppose..." she murmurs bitterly, walking alongside Selena into the encompment. She looks about, ears twitching as she looks around. "Woah... this is a nice place..." she murmurs, her tail flicking about.
The bears stand at a incredable eight feet tall as he thunders up to the group. "Ah the Stiff Zebi is too soft to be a warband leader but I'm glad of that otherwise I would be outta a job and a life." The polar bear chuckles, "Now what can I do for you all? I doubt you are all here just to keep us old men company." Her look at Kiyasai, Arimia and Selena, "You don't look soft... So speak."
Arimia gives a small nod of her head, looking up at the bear, a position the runt seems familiar with. "We have come here to discuss the freedom from bondage of the villagers. Most of us have, an' the one who didn't..." She trails off, glancing over to the incapacitated mouse. "She won't be complainin' anymore. An' if she does, it won't be for long."
Selena takes a small bow, remaining quiet to allow Arimia to speak. She doesn't seem to trust herself to negotiate.
"Yeah, as this rat over here has learnt." Kiyasai kicks Risca into an acceptable position that isn't a crumpled pile and returns to the polar bear and bows again with a salute. "We're of the clans, yes, but we're not trying to harm you or anything. And we can negotiate privacy with Firmament at the very least...probably not Cliffside, no, but anything Cliffside wants is sure to be thwarted by the other side."
Claire places her chained hands behind her back, bowing as well. She doesn't say anything, due to the fact that she was an entertainer and not a negotiator. She would use her body if needed, however.
A groan is hear as Risca starts the wake after recieving a delightful kick to the ribs. "Ooooooh..." Risca starts to weakly try to stand, "What kind....of healin'.....was that?" She wheeze out quietly as the bear look at Arimia, "Freedom? Well that a tall order, I hear this place was once a castle with over fifty chambers and made to withstand everything. Look at it its magnificent, I just took these guys because my warband is only forty males and my whole tribe is less than 100 folk." He looked softly at Arimia, "Can't afford or even hire those that do this for a living because of the status I have under you civilized folk, I wouldn't even be down here if my tribe didn't get torn in half after settling down too close to that weird mine." Shivers occur in almost all of the tribes folk.
Arimia glances over toward the waking mouse, and without any visible signal or word from the raccoon her golem starts to move toward Risca, hostile intent fairly obvious. "Please do not lump me in with others belonging to a clan. I was an' apostate for most my life. Only took a clan when I found it to be required to join the Cliffside academy." The raccoon ignores the actions of her golem, speaking as if nothing were happening. "I understand your reasoning. And understand the thought processes that lead to you taking them captive first, with plans to make your offer to them after. However, I ask you make the offer now, speak and try to sway them. Explain things. Then let those who wish to leave to do so. We will take them away from the island. In exchange I would be willing to help you excavate the area. Earth magic is not my specialty but I am still an academy trained mage, and I have a worker who never tires." She waves her hand at the golem, which might now be venting is hostile intent on the rodent. "Further, if you do not agree to at least negotiate terms, there are two full ships we will have come here and end a possible threat. I wish to avoid that, however."
"Triage healing. I'm a field doctor, a surgeon, not a pamperer. And if you move you might bleed out again when the bandage I make out of earth magic dissociates. You don't want that, you really don't. And you got stung by insects while you were out too, my tail can't swat for two people. If you'd like the infection to spread~" Then Kiyasai turns back to the polar bear with a smile. "I understand what it's like to be outcast. I was always singled out in school and it was a horrible experience for me. And I think among us three of us are professionally trained mages who can excavate whatever you need...in a matter of minutes."
Selena smiles. "You are no less civilised than us, from the experiences we've had on this island. I would also be willing to help here; I am a capable earth mage as well. I have some experience with medicine as well as Kiyasai."
Claire smiles sheepishly. "Ahahaha... yeah... I'm a fire and wind mage, so even though I might not be of much help." she chuckles awkwardly. "And yes... even though you have no clan... you've bonded like one here." she smiles. "That's what matters, doesn't it?"
Frie smiles and tears come to his eyes for a moment, "I expected worse of you Clan folk. I gotta say your all right, I'll let these guys go..." He reaches down and with strength almost unreal pulls apart the chain. "Alright now if you could help me clear out this main hall way I could-" A Loud bang is heard as a group of pea size pellets are embedded within Frie face, several more bangs are heard an the bear drops as a most of unit two pours in, "Unit 1 are you ok?!" A male bat walks into area holding a blunderbuss, "We took care of the Zebra, How many of them are with the bear." The Apostates and the prisoners could only stare in horror at the dead bear, "Frie..." A few of the Apostates Cry out before rushing soldiers many of them are gunned down but plenty remain to swarm the group. "FRIE FRIE FRIE!!!!!" Even the prisoners seem to be caught up in the frenzy.
Kiyasai
Selena checks if the wounds on Frie are to severe to heal.
The Last of the Prisoners and the Apostates fall to the might of unit 2 and unit 1. The final death was a Boar male who wouldn't stop screaming as he was cut down. The Leader of unit 2 looks at the group, "Heck we could have sent you to do this whole operation solo." The bat says with a smug grin, "Its a shame that they went made like the others in the village... Oh Well. So how were they controlling the Natives? I couldn't figure it out from the village, we killed everyone to quickly after nagotiation fell through."
Kiyasai emerges from the battle, blood soaked and in tears as she's forced to kill the things she was so ready to help and protect to defend herself, the lessons on placing her life over anyone elses kicking in. With a growl, she starts treading towards unit two with blood in her eyes, and a dripping hammer. Drip, clink, drip, clank, and she swings it wildly in a rage.
Claire wasn't listening. She wasn't listening at all. The ring of fire around her were filled with burnt bodies - all unidentifiable as she stood in the middle, laughing hysterically as her hands engulfed with fire. "Fire... FIRE... FIRE!!! Ahahahahaha!!!!!" she laughs out, everything in her ring of fire burning indiscriminately.
Arimia looks at the bat and doesn't say anything for a long while. Her eyes narrow, and when she speaks her voice is practically a low hiss, "We could have solved this peacefully. We could have got through this without loss of life." She lifts a hand, pointing at the bat and orders her golem, "Kill." Then the raccoon starts to advance on the squad as well. Her small form changes as she moves, tentacles sprouting again, then elongating and shifting, growing much larger and thicker, until it's not a runt raccoon approaching with hostile intent, but a large, sinuous dragon.
Selena picks herself up from the ground near Frie, and glares angrily across at the Bat. With a gesture of her hand, she attempts to wrench a section of ceiling down onto the bat in a blind rage.
Unit two notices the insanty that the blood and fire warriors seem to going Postal, "Warriors stand firm. The members of team one have gone insane." He doesn't notice as a section of the ceiling tears itself free and land on him. Before the peice can crush him his armor glows and fire a blast of wind in all direction knocking everyone back and changing knocking the slab of rock of course as it lands at an angle and pins him to the ground. "Everyone stop them! They gone mad!!!" The warriors of unit two ready thier weapons.
Selena glares at the squad leader. "We're no more insane than you." She spits, and presses the rock as hard as she can against him
The rock on top of the bat crushes him harder as he scream his legs are broken under the immense weight but his armor keeps them from becoming paste. The unit seeing their command under attack, decide to end the threat once and for all.
Kiyasai uses the butt of her hammer to batter the rock for good measure, then continues her wild battle from the front line, hammer swinging in an impassioned fury to swat down the approaching unit, one member at a time if she had to.
Unit Two proves to be nothing against the unit one's rage and sorrow, The Elite Bull of the fallen unit manages a weak cry before Selena dispatches him with a power bolt of earth math through his throat. "You'll be hanged for this! You've killed your own folk for some Apostates!" Risca screams out from the corner she was left in as the bats eyes widen in fear. "Mercy.... Please!"
Kiyasai couldn't care more about the fate of the person she saved. It was her job to save lives, not to protect them, a very, very fatal difference in this situation. Putting her bloodied hammer aside, she makes her way back to Frie to put his soul to peace, as well as his body, starting to extract the bullets and sealing his form with earth to complete it before burial.
Arimia flicks her ears and turns to face Risca. She starts toward the mouse, then glances back over her shoulder at the bat. "Do something about that thing," she says, before continuing toward the rodent. As she moves her form returns to it's normal shape, sprouting fur and shrinking down, until when she stops in front of the rodent she's entirely normal looking. She stares at the mouse in silence before reaching up and ripping off her clan seal, tossing it to the mouse. "I am an Apostate. I was born one an' raised one, an' don't give a damn what some test says." She tilts her head consideringly before saying, "I am not going to kill you and I won't let the others do so. Instead, I am going to take you to Shanty Town. I am going to break your legs. And I am going to tell them your opinion on those who live there. Then I am going to leave, and let them do with you what they will."
Selena glares at the bat and walks directly towards him with an unflinching conviction. "You want mercy? YOU!? Why should we give YOU mercy for killing innocents!?" She rages. "If you had come here without a gun in hand and maybe a HINT of compassion or understanding, maybe you'd have got somewhere without your violence!"
Claire looks about the bloody scene, the crazed girl smiling at her handiwork of seated flesh. Her hands hurt, yes, covered in burns and whatnot. But it was comforting to be with fire once again. "I need more to burn, it seems..." she laughs, stepping down from her pile of bodies to walk over to Risca. "Perhaps you'll like to add fuel to the fire?" she smirks, a hand on her cheek as she readies herself to set the mouse ablaze. "It'll be slow and painful, burning in my flames. But you know what? It'll be PERFECT for you~" the pyromaniac smiles.
Arimia turns to Claire, saying, "No. This one lives until Shanty Town. If she's lucky, skilled, and heals enough before we get there, she may survive for a few minutes."
"Dear, if you touch Risca you'll have a hammer through your head. Slowly, painfully, and for as long as I can medically make possible." The snowleopardess seems serious enough about that as she continues tending to Frie's face.
Risca pales at Arimia, "Please don't..." She looks for mercy in the eyes of Arimia, "All I did was talk a little rough and take.... A blade to the neck. I don't....deserve....that." She wheeze. The bat on the other hand looked at Selena, "Do you have mercy for the elementals you kill in a field? The Skriths, The Jarls, Shanty town bandits?" He waits for a second, "I bet you don't but you attacked me." While he is speaking he is slowly reaching for his Blunderbuss.
Selena glares and dashes the blunderbuss aside with a burst of air magic. "We do what we have to to survive. This didn't have to be done." She glares. "These people listen and reason. When I have to defend myself, I do. But your attack was unprovoked, unnecessary, and completely unforgivable in my eyes." She growls. "Arimia. Your call" She fumes.
Claire chuckles as she walks on over to the bat. "Oh? Arimia, can I burn this one then?" she licks her lips, a small trail of fire left behind as she walks, standing next to Selena. "I'll be sure to roast this one nice and crispy."
Arimia stares impassively at the mouse, no mercy to be found in her eyes. "You do. And that is what awaits you. Don't worry. I am sure your body will survive for a few days at least, as they amuse themselves with you. I suspect your mind will not last anywhere near as long." After she says this she turns away, walking back toward where the bat is pinned. Her golem moves to take her place, and the implied threat is clear. If the mouse tries to move, the golem won't wait until Shanty Town to break her legs. She glances over at Claire before looking to the bat, then says, "Ask Selena nicely and she might let you when she is done."
Selena grins wickedly at the bat. "Oh don't worry. You'll live." She glares. "But you're staying right. Here." She fumes, forcing the roof further into his legs. "Good luck surviving." She glares, picking up his blunderbuss. "That's my 'mercy'". she fumes.
The Bat looks at the when his weapon is kicked away, "Why? Why do I have to die for following orders. Monsters..." He growls and tried to push the rock off him to no effect as Risca crying and be hear further away. "Please, everyone don't let that pup kill me." She pleads, "I'm a soldier who has always fought for the Good king and his nobles." Risca pleads.
Claire blinks as she puts her hands on her hips. "Do I get to roast him, Selena?" she asks, wondering if she wonders what she would do. "Oh! Never mind!" she says happily as she traps the poor bat in a ring of towering fire. "That'll keep you nice and toasty for the rest of your life... which isn't going to be long~" she laughs.
Kiyasai smacks the rock at the side to crack a piece off carefully and frowns. "Well. I'm still a priest." She hits the ground with the hammer butt and it causes the earth carrying the fire ring to shake and disappear. "Stay under the rock any longer and your limbs are done."
Arimia says to Claire, "I guess she won't." After saying that she walks back over near Risca, picking up her clan badge, then searching for and taking the mouses as well. She turns her Clever Folk badge over in her hands and says, "I think I will keep this one, to remember I can be a clan folk. Remember what I've done." She turns her gaze to the mouse's clan signet then and says, "This one... I am going to reshape. I think it's high time Apostates had a badge of their own." Saying that she tucks both signits into her pack and points at the mouse, saying, "Take." Which prompts her golem to pick up the rodent, and not all that carefully.
The bat see the fire around and screams like a little girl before Kiyasai puts it out. "Thank you, Priest..." He sighs out, "I'm Everette and I'm probably not long for this world with those three." Risca looks at Arimia before being pickup, "Give it back! I earned that, I worked hard for...... my-" She starts whimpering and coughing, "Break my legs.....but don't take my legacy..." Risca screams before her bandage around her neck starts to turn a darker red.
Arimia looks at the mouse as she talks. "Amazing how quickly you can lose all right to something, isn't it?" She turns and starts to walk back down the path leading out, before pausing and saying, "Keep up that screaming and struggling and you'll bleed out before we even reach the ship. Let alone get to Shanty town." She says this in a conversational tone, however, like one commenting on the weather. She glances back and says to the others, "Are you all coming? I want to get back an' have a bath. An' I think I'll be buyin' a meal for everyone, an' drinks for those who want 'em."
Kiyasai manages to extricate the rock and slings the crushed bat over her shoulders with a solemn look. "Enough blood has been shed today. Why waste more life?" Then she frowns and walks back towards the ship.
Selena looks across at the bat. "Be thankful the priest does her job well." She glares. "Next time we cross paths, you'd better hope you haven't just ruined negotiations with your incompetence."
Risca looks at Arimia and shakes he head. "I won't let you do this to.....me." She pulls a night from within her armor and slits her own throat even wider removing the bandages, her hands reaches into her throat hole and pulls as she gurgles wetly and dies within moments." Everette looks around but can't see from the his vantage point.
Claire sighs. "Man... can't get any fun here..." she mumbles, pouting as the girl walks back to the group.
Selena shakes her head at Risca's suicide, pausing in silence for a short moment. "What a waste." She sighs.
Arimia watches as the mouse slits her throat, then the golem drops the corpse without any concern for it. She walks over and searches through the mouses possessions for any coins or anything else of value she had. After that she turns to regard Kiyasai, a small frown on her muzzle. She walks over and speaks with concern in her voice, "Are you sure you want to do that? Bring him, an' heal him? If you are I won't stop you. But he'll survive. An' he can get you an' the others here into a lot of trouble. If you go this route you could all end up hanged or exiled. If you do want to do this I'll do what I can to take all the blame. Make it sound like it is my fault. But... I can't guarantee it'll work."
"I have to heal him. It's my duty. And I have diplomatic immunity being a medical student transferring here. If anything, its our word against his. And you all are serving Ironsoul. Well, cept Claire."
Claire nods. "Yep. What is Ironsoul, anyway? I just came into town after all." she says.
Everette hears Arimia and shivers in Kiyasai's grasp, "I will say nothing of your presence here or how unit 2 died other than a trap on the water killed unit 2 and 3. I don't want to die.." The bat doesn't move. A salior come into the mine and look at carnage, "Whoooa trippy," A Komodor sailor looks at the group, "Hey your all thats left, wanna get out this blood bath and bat to the ship." He look at the area and start to vomit, "Ugh lets go." He offer as he leaves to get away from the smell of burnt and dead bodies.
Selena shakes her head. "Arimia, your position in Providence is more important than mine. I will take the blame for you before you." She states.
Arimia looks at the bat, saying nothing. She turns around as the sailor enters, then gives a small nod at his words. "Let's go. I believe there is nothing more to do here." She starts to walk back down the path out, saying over her shoulder as she goes. "Kiyasai, if you wish I can have my golem carry the wounded." She glances to Selena and gives a small shake of her head. "It may be a moot point. If it is not... No. I have places I can go if it comes to that. Providing, of course, I have warning and can get away in time."
"No thank you. He's my patient now. In my care. None of you hurt him." Her tail is wrapped around an exotically large wasp though...with its stinger removed. Oh boy.
Kiyasai is, after all, a student still.
The crew is only made up of sailors and none of them ask any question to the blood covered crew and make every effort to keep them happy on the way back. The moment they arrive soldiers take away Everette for healing who mouths the words 'thank you' to Kiyasai. The group is taken before a small council who passes them a little bit of goal for thier had work, Everette doesn't say a peep about what happened and the whole incident is swept under the rug as a tragic end to many good soldiers.
