OOC: This thread is open to anyone interested in plots found here (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=20339.0).
The collected whits of like minded individuals was a rich commodity. The people of Uthlyn were a well educated bunch, if anything, but a bunch who were still at a point in their lives they were still forming their political opinions. It wasn't a surprise that most scholars were still in support of the Grand Duke, finding his reasons, although, perhaps rash, were exactly what Ansgar himself might do. After all, they were a country built on strength of the people, their minds and their creations-
Not the 'magics' most of those praise in the south.
For it, many new infrastructural ideas were coming into bloom, which had lead to the great building of the New Church of Ansgar in the capital. It had become an overwhelming success as far as architecture was concerned and propaganda. It provided many jobs and a means to pray in a church with new style for the citizens of Reajh.
Uthlyn took this very idea to mind, and was concocting a new set of towers to the west, where a pair of bridges would join them in a new architectural feat. There would be a bridge over the land that no only offered more defense, but a boastful superiority on what Connlaothians were best known for. And in this key time in it's history, Connlaothians were truly looking to make marks on the world.
First thing was first, was to even get the idea approved and funded. The towers would be a twin tower, both mirroring the other in the North and South of the area. They would both be located on the outside of opposing Matron rivers, and allow a taller outlook over the flat lands. The uthlyn tower was currently the only structure that allowed such lengthy sites, and with more height and prominent location, the towers would surely add to the great landmarks that made up Connlaoth as a whole.
This idea was being proposed now in the city square, where many people were congregating outside the tower of Uthlyn and the college nearby. The speaker there had many good key points, and while many in the streets were listening, Cullen preferred his view to be a bit higher in prospective. So he had taken to the Tower in Uthlyn, and moved to one of the top most floors where he was high enough to over hear the proposal, but not be too high so the winds would drown it out.
He also was no fool, and knew too many knew his face in such a location. He had taken to greasing up his hair in black oil, and painting his eyebrows and lashes the same in color. ANd with his long hair now back in a tail, he looked completely different than the wanted criminal he had become. But he looked handsome, and very proper in his blue suit as he peered out from the stone window, while scholars, too busy studying for their exams, were still nose deep in their books- though had one ear open to the murmurs from the crowds below.
Again. The image of her family members being dragged away lit again in a wholly new horror, this time not of her mother's death and loss of her sisters, but of her father and younger brother being taken away. Ailbe's father had just enough time to tell her to run. And run she did, all the way to their humble shack where she lit it ablaze and left the village she had since known as home. All she could do was pray that Lorcan would see the burnt hull of their home and stay out at sea. That he, too, would not be captured by the soldiers and taken forcibly away, perhaps to be killed.
Shoving her hands deep into the pockets of her oilskin fisherman's coat, Ailbe refused to believe that her long ago captured sister, nor her recently taken father and brother, were dead. They were all still alive, and all she need do was seek help to rescue them! And the only one she knew for certain that could help her now was the handsome man who had delivered the recent families of mages to be smuggled away by her brother Lorcan on their fishing vessel.
And so here she was in Uthlyn, sticking out like a sore thumb among the crowds surrounding a speaker in her raincoat and rainboots. She bent to pull the wool socks further up her legs, sweating underneath the stuffy raincoat as she looked up to the sky, eyes squinting as she wished for rain. She had not had the time or presence of mind to take her dress or a pack with her, only what money she could scrounge together and a few fishing knives and such.
Now that she was here, she was quite beside herself on how to go about finding the man. He had called himself Cullen, but she certainly could not go around asking folk if they had seen or heard of him. As young as she was, she still knew the danger that would bring to herself and the man. Shrugging out of her heavy raincoat, Ailbe's tight-fitting sleeveless undershirt damp with sweat, she placed the jacket beneath her as she sat perched on the steps of a building on the outskirts of the crowd. She clasped her fingerless gloved hands together, staring down at them as she fought back the hopeless, angry tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
Meanwhile in Reajh
"Aldwin, sir, you requested my presence. Is there another mission for me?" The young artificer looks nervously around The Clinic, she never felt comfortable getting missions from the infamous Witch Doctor, but she never disobeys. Glancing down at her wrist, she shutters, remembering what happened last time she did. Besides this was apart of their arrangement.
The masked man of Thanati descent adjusts his coat then looks at her. The tinted goggles to his plague doctor mask only increases the discomfort of looking him in the eyes. "Yes I do, but very different from my previous tasks." He begins pacing. "Other agents reported troubling news that Uthlyn is planning on making a new landmark."
Confused, Lynette interrupts him. "How will that concern us? We've never operated out of the capital."
Rubbing his temple, Aldwin stops pacing. "Lynette, Lynette, Lynette. You've seen how this new church of Ansgar has been a central point of propaganda and brainwashing here. Ms. Norville please use your deductive ability and see that this landmark is another subtle way for the nobles to sway support to their side. They are trying to make themselves seem unbreakable." He pauses to let this set in to Lynette. "I will be the one to break them. I will take my experiments and show them what all their friends and family have become. I will show them what happens when you kill and enslave innocent people."
Though his voice was calm, a distinct venom was laced with every word. "So that is why you, my most trusted agent, will be guarding the home front. Whatever you do make sure no one finds The Clinic's location. Do you understand?"
Gulping, Lynette nods. "Yes sir, I can do that." Her feelings were mixed about this. She for one is happy the those flesh monstrosities won't be under her feet whenever she enters The Clinic, but she doesn't know if its the right way to go about it. But like every decision she's doubted her boss on, she shoves the thoughts to the back of her mind."
Aldwin smiles under his mask. "Good, I will try to be back within the month, I already have other agents keeping the tunnels clear." And with that Aldwin steps down to his dungeon. Within it holds a dozen former humans in cells who have become more or less feral, and see Aldwin as their alpha. Unlocking their cells, the flesh monsters slowly creep out of captivity. "Come my subjects, we have a statement to make."
A cloaked figure hidden himself in the shadows of alleyway close to the college. He watched in silence as the crowd that gathered in the city square, listening to the speech about the Regime's latest project. Nemesis had no love for the Grand Duke and his cronies but he realized there were plenty of good and honest people of various classes who blind themselves to the injustices their rulers had committed.
In many ways the vigilante understood why, the fear of the unknown, the fear of change, the fear of magic. Yes magic can be dangerous...when abused the same as you would with political power. It's not the powers or abilities that are the problem it's the wielders who choose to commit wrongs that are at fault. A Mage did kill the last Grand Duke was it a crime that the whole nation had to pay for? Many times since he opened his eyes to the truth that Nemesis asked himself that question.
The crime fighting crusader guessed that no one really knew the answer.
This would be an excellent chance to pull another stunt.
Nemesis thought but he decided not to avoid making a scene unless there is a need for it. So far he didn't see one. Yet Nemesis had been hearing rumors of something big was going to happen here today and it wasn't the event he was watching now. The information was vague but Nemesis felt there is a storm coming, one born of trouble. The vigilante intended to stay in the city until that suspicion is proven true or not
"Ansgar, I hope I'm wrong." Nemesis whispered softy to himself.
He (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=15949.msg165458#msg165458) and Fiona (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=19813.msg266666#msg266666) had been on the road for forever (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=19817.msg266718#msg266718), or at least the past few days felt like forever. He was grouchy, grumpy and any other word one might think to describe it- he was . So when he was making his way towards his home, and noted a large gathering in the town square, he rolled his eyes and grumbled over to his traveling partner,
"God, don't people have jobs to do?" Although he didn't realize it was nearing the holy Day of Respite. But then again, he wasn't much to attend church, or really believe in all of that. Church seemed like a thing for those with money. "Looks like we might have to take another way to get to my place," he grumbled. He hadn't been home in months, and since he had been greeted with a draft paper by the soldier's at the town gate, and now had to deal with this group of people in his way, it only made the already soured mooded Jack, well... sour-er...a nd... moodier.
Fiona tilted her head, shifting unconsciously a little closer to Jack as they approached the large crowd. He may not be the most palatable of companions, but he was still safer than a mass of people she didn't know.
"Don't you think they're all going to church?" she murmured. She may be a bit of a shut in, but she at least knew the holy days of the calendar. Well, most of them anyway.
Jack made a face and rolled his eyes at Fiona.
"Oh, please. You think there are this many faithful ruffians? And the church is the other direction, the one we had come from remember? You think their so devout with their backs to it?"
He was still pushing through the crowds, which was annoying but easier for him than it might be for most. He had rather strong shoulders. As they moved in a chaotic but intimate pattern through the masses, he was beginning to hear bits of conversation over a concern that seemed to be creating a tense, growing presence over all.
"Matron's Hallow is scarred, the bridge needs repaired, yet here we all are on the streets listening to proposals for two new bridges? We can't even keep the ones we have, what's stopping the traitors from offing these two once they're built?"
"Yeah, and who knows how long Uthlyn will even be safe for us to keep pretending the war is outside and not in."
"The draft is already taking the remaining men. Soon the women will be running the home and the jobs."
"And soon we'll all be bowing down to that Duke from Turgall!"
These such murmurs from the crowd drew attention away from the speaker, as he went quiet and looked out towards the people.
"Are there comments you all have about the proposal?"
She screwed her face up at him, huffing indignantly, but kept her mouth shut as she followed him through the crowd. Well how was she supposed to know where the church was anyway?
Fiona couldn't help listening closely to the snippets of conversation her sensitive ears manage to pick up. They seemed like reasonable complaints to her. Perhaps these people were going to try to make some sort of change.
When the speaker addressed the crowd, she automatically shrank back against Jack's side, ducking her eyes. "What proposal is he talking about?" she whispered, hoping no one else would overhear.
"Hell if I know, I wasn't paying attention. I just want to go home," Jack complained. He looked around, dark eyes still grumpy, as was his disposition. "Come on.." He grabbed her by the hand and began to pull her through the crowd.
"Yeah, how about we stop ignoring the real problem!" A man from the crowd called out. "Matron's Hallow was just under attack! How can we be sure we're even safe here when the next city over is war torn?"
"The Matron Bridge should be our concern! It was blown up!" A woman chimed in.
"Are there plans to fortify the city border? A lot of scholars, both local and foreign alike live here!" A well dressed man added in.
The crowed continued to grow restless, more words being spat forward until so many people were talking, it was hard to even know what was being said anymore. But as tension's continued to grow, Jack's grip on Fiona's hand tightened and he continued to pull her along- that was until he ran into some strange woman in a fisherman's coat and boots (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=20364.msg294162#msg294162).
"Hey!" Jack growled. "Watch it there! We're trying to get through!"
Legitimate concerns Nemesis thought, listening to the crowd as they voiced their complaints. The Turgall army is dangerously close to the city. Considering that fact, he is a bit surpsied that the Regime had been letting such armed opposition without a counter-attack. Perhaps they're more deserpate than he thought.
The vigilante scowl underneath his mask. For his blustering, the so-called God of War, Krah seem to be no where in sight to fight the threat. Was he truly a coward, Nemesis didn't think so that unless he see with his own two eyes. He hoped that the General Krah wasn't dead yet. Not because the crime fighter cared for the man because he personally wanted to avenge all the victims Krah had butchered in his so-called victories.
I swear Krah you will answer for your crimes. One way or another.
Nemesis squeezed his hands into fists at the very thought.
"Grrraghh....Herrrghh" The subjects continue to growl and grumble. Though they had no sign of discontent. These things did their part, helping him learn about human anatomy, and now they're going to help him in another way...a way that will cost many lives, but how Aldwin sees it, this is only an eye for a head.
Checkpoint after checkpoint, Aldwin treks through his underground tunnels. Eventually he reaches an opening, where one of his agents is dutifully awaiting for his arrival. "Sir, the door above us leads to my music shop, I have closed it for the day so no costumers will see your arrival."
"Very good, I can't unleash these subjects quite yet, its foolish to destroy without evaluation. Your music has been able to calm even the most wildest of beasts, correct?"
"That is correct sir."
"Very well, lull my subjects to sleep, I will wake them when the time is right." The agents nods, and Aldwin climbs up through the door. Exiting the shop, he begins his evaluation.
The unrest amongst the crowd was what pulled Ailbe from her momentary lapse into self-pity. Although she was unclear exactly what the orator was talking about, it was clear that the public had opinions on it and quite a few other things.
Had she somehow found herself on the cusp of an uprising? She had heard that the larger cities in Connlaoth had begun to face the destruction of the war-torn country, but her small fisherman's village had seen next to nothing of the war. The closest the war had come to her village was through the mages, mostly the harmless and the innocent among them, who she and her family helped to sneak away in their boats to Serendipity and beyond. But here she was, and the tension among the people was palpable.
Standing up from where she was sitting, Ailbe tossed her mussed braid over her shoulder and tucked her fisherman's coat beneath her arm. She took a few tentative steps into the outskirts of the crowd to better hear what was being said, her heart hammering in her chest. There were an awful lot of people here... A lot of displeased people. Perhaps this wasn't the best place for her to wait to find Cullen... Perhaps she should leave and find some place higher up...
She had begun to weave her way back out of the crowd when she collided with a stocky man dragging a blonde woman through the crowds. Stumbling back a bit, Ailbe glared up at them both, her temper flaring. "Yeah, and me too! Not my fault you ain't got eyes!" She turned to keep forcing her way through the crowds, but she was fairly boxed in. She cleared her throat, trying her best to wiggle her way past.
"Oh!" Fiona winced and looked back and forth between Jack and the stranger. "Look, um, sorry. We just-"
She didn't seem to be paying much attention. Sighing, she ran her hand through her hair and tugged on Jack's hand. "C'mon, let's just get out of here."
Still listening from his perch, Cullen's lips grew into a small smile at how the conversation in the square changed drastically.
"Interesting," Cullen mused. "Looks like the conversation has changed hands."
One of the scholars sitting nearby looked up from his book.He didn't need to ask for Cullen to inform him,
"Seems more of Uthlyn wants to talk about the war-"
A scholar cut him off, "What of it? What do they propose?"
Many others began to perk up now, looking towards Cullen.
"Its hard to hear from way up here. It might be easier to listen on the ground."
At Cullen's suggestion, most of the students left their studying and began to make their way quickly down the tower stairs. Cullen remained perched at the window, studying the crowd to gagde its demeanor. He was also scanning the crowd for familiar faces, be them friend.... Or foe.
Ailbe was beginning to feel rather claustrophobic as she continued to weave her way out of the crowd, in the same direction as the man and woman who had just bumped into her. This was the path of least resistance through the crowd.
Finally emerging from the crowd, Ailbe leaned forward on her knees and sighed in relief, using her rainjacket to wick some of the sweat from her forehead. She straightened up and looked around, finally angling herself in the direction of the tower. She looked it up and down, and could just barely make out a figure in one of the higher windows of the tower.
It took his carriage the better part of an hour to traverse the tightly packed streets of Uthlyn, and by the time the horse drew the vehicle under the College's portcullis and into the cobblestoned quadrangle, Fletcher was nearly fuming. "What the bloody hell was that about?" he asked his driver angrily as his boots hit stone, a handful of bound scrolls under his arm.
"Some sort of demonstration, my Lord," the driver replied with a shake of his head as he went to tend the horses. "But it looks like the people are restless. I've never seen so many packing the streets. And none o' them sounded happy. It might be that bridge they're planning to build."
"Perfect," the young Master said with more than a modicum of sarcasm. "Late shipments, disrupted trade lines... I'm already behind schedule on my next order. If my luck holds up, they'll be rioting and looting next."
The driver said nothing, but the concerned look upon his face betrayed his fear. Fletcher sighed and patted the man on the arm. Truthfully, he felt the concern too. "I know the war's getting a bit close, but we'll be fine, Janus. Here, bring my lockboxes and notes into my workshop and take the rest of the day off. Go spend time with your sons."
He had to figure out what was happening though, and while it felt relatively safe behind the walls of the College, he needed a vantage point. Making a beeline straight for the Tower, he bounded the stone steps two at a time even as all manner of scholars descended past him. The top floor of the Tower was nearly empty by now, books and papers still strewn across tabletops where they'd been abandoned. Fletcher could hear the sounds from outside though.
There was a man perched in the window with the best vantage point, and he quickly stepped over to the opening. "Excuse me," he said abruptly as he extended a looking glass and began peering down at the crowd gathered in the City square.
Nemesis had stopped wasting his mind in anger at the Krah the criminal by this point. The crowd's mood had stolen his attention. If this keeps up they will reach a boiling point. As much as Nemesis sympathize with the people's frustration, he was concerned what their fury will possibly wrought if enraged further.
Riots can be messy affairs, people regardless if they done wrong or not end up suffering. Nemesis doubted if he can prevent one here as much he hated to admit it. Still if worse comes to worse, he didn't intend stand idly by.
Time to find another spot.
Finishing that thought, Nemesis drifted further back into the darkness.
Cullen by no means hid his curiosity as he studied the man who came to share his window, or rather, was attempting very openly to take full advantage of it. He smiled at that and simply studied the man a he got to work putting some sort of scope together and looked down at the crowd.
"Seems the bridge talk's got them all mighty restless," he commented, looking from Fletcher then back out the window. "Hopefully they'll calm down soon. I'd hate to remain up here and have to piss in the school's chamber pots." He moved to a nearby table and poured himself a glass of whine. "Care to share a cup? It's a good vintage, good year."
----
Elsewhere, down below, Jack simply stomped off through the crowd, pausing near the tower himself to scratch at his head. "I think the angry mob here is drawing out more people," he went on bitterly, and paused a moment when he saw the strange fisherman's jacket wearing woman from a moment before. Never a man to consider someone a spy, he couldn't help but wonder...
Was she a spy and did she know he and Fiona were mages? And so there he stood, quite obviously staring at her like some sort of frayed haired weirdo.
Ailbe had a strange feeling somebody was watching her, and as she turned her head she found herself looking at the rude man from before. Was he following her? She swallowed heavily. Did he somehow know that she had been part of the team smuggling mages out of Connlaoth? Was he here to take her, too?
Not wanting to draw attention to herself, Ailbe turned and walked as quickly as she could away from them, peering over her shoulder as she did. She wanted to run... Oh she wanted to run so badly! If they caught her, too, then there would be no chance to get a hold of Cullen and to somehow find a way to rescue her father and brother!
"Did you see that?" Jack asked, grabbing Fiona's shoulder and giving it a shake. "The woman from earlier..." He looked around, then to where she was disappearing. "I don't normally think too much into things, that's not my thing, but don't you think the way she was... looking at us? That it was a strange look?"
Aldwin stuck to the shadows, examining every possible escape route, and eavesdropping on every conversation. "Very interesting...there are people willing riot against the nobles, but not support the mages. They believe that they're not properly safe from the of Duke Turgall...well this is defiantly a fear I can play with." The Witch Doctor mutters to himself.
Emerging from the shadows, Aldwin wades through the sea of people spreading dissent by whispering one simple sentence. "Turgall's army is approaching." He doesn't stay long enough to hear their reaction, by the time he goes from one side of the crowd to the other, Aldwin already returned to the depths of the shadows.
"Well..." Fiona tilted her head as she glanced in the direction Jack indicated, hedging. "I- I don't know. Maybe?" She blinked up at him, starting to feel incredibly agoraphobic. "Do you think we should...I dunno, do you want to talk to her?"
Anything to get them out of this crowd at this point.
"Yeah, the wrong bridge talk," Fletcher replied, still peering through the looking glass. Down below, he could see the shouting match that was beginning to develop between the speaker and his frustrated audience. "If they don't fix the broken one, this City will have plenty of other problems to deal with aside from an architectural monstrosity." It was a terrible design in his view, but he was a gunsmith not a structural engineer.
He looked back at the man (who was not a scholar he recognized, but Fletcher hardly spent time up in this Tower anyway) and to the wine sitting upon the table. After a brief second he smirked and nodded, but added, "If the other Masters see you up here with that, you'll be pissing sitting down for a month."
Inside the bell tower of a nearby chapel, Nemesis watched on as the situation worsen down at the city square. He had an excellent vantage point from this spot. Sure it didn't command a perfect view like Uthlyn's main tower, but this church served its purpose well enough. He eariler had thought about staying on the rooftops of buildings. Yet Nemesis realized that any onlookers above in the large could spot easily with a looking glass.
So the church gave him the added benefit of remaining hidden. That fool of a speaker needed to somehow appease the growing mob or just leave already, Nemesis thought in utter frustration. The Justice Seeker had pulled out his crossbow and loaded with an explosive fused arrow. Preparations were certainly needed at this point.
"I won't tell if you won't," the man said, and handed Fletcher a glass. "Besides, I'm pretty sure the whole of Uthlyn has bigger problems at the moment." While Fletcher continued his scouting, Cullen peered over top of his head. The window, was thankfully, big enough for the both of them. He caught wind of something, some more words coming from the crowd. He couldn't help but chuckle.
"Uthlyn's are supposed to be the most educated of all of Connlaoth, yet they're starting to believe the Turgallian army is on it's way. If they were paying enough attention, they'd know the army has been split up, most pieces heading North."
~*~*~*~
Down below, Jack continued to look around like a suspicious cat.
"What? Why would we go talk to her? What if she's some spy out to get us?" He moved to roll his shoulders, cracking them as he did. "Come on, let's just get out of here. This many people is making me nervous."
Fiona nodded quickly, itching to be away from the crowd now. "Do you really think there'd be some sort of...spy after us?" she asked quietly, eyes wide.
Ailbe found herself in the small courtyard at the foot of the tower she'd been looking at earlier. Looking over her shoulder, she noted gratefully the absence of the man and woman she'd believed had been following her. Perhaps she had just been paranoid, but the man had stared at her rather openly. But surely he would not have looked at her so brazenly if he was really following her.
She looked back up towards the tower window before shrugging out of her raincoat again, eyes still glued on the crowd. Her fingers flicked to the small fishing knife attached at her waist, wishing she had something more... Wishing she had a bit more fighting practice to defend herself. Toughness could only go so far in comparison with sheer skill, and if that man had actually been following her she wouldn't be too hard to capture or kill... Just like her father, her brother, her sisters, her mother. Only her brother Lorcan knew how to fight, but he had never thought to teach his little sister how. She'd only ever been taught stealth, to run when there was danger. That wouldn't always work though. Hadn't worked.
As she watched the crowd, Ailbe made a resolution to herself. She would learn to fight, to defend herself and those she loved. Even if she should never find Cullen, she would find a way to learn so that she could rescue her family all on her own!
Waiting, silently observing, Aldwin hides away just enough to not be seen. He's planted the seed of doubt, and now he'll watch it grow. At this moment The Witch Doctor made an executive decision to hold off his subjects for now, he wants to see how unstable this city truly is.
During his observation though, he noticed a woman walking rather briskly. His curiosity was peaked once she drew a knife. He could use some allies here, the bardic shopkeeper is his only agent in Uthlyn, and he'll need more than that to successfully escape. Emerging from the shadows he approaches the woman.
"You are holding that knife wrong, if you intend to attack another being, then I'm afraid to tell you that you'll loose that confrontation. That grip makes me think that you're ready to prepare me dinner." Aldwin draws one of his own knives out of his coat. "You see this is the proper position."
Eye still glued to the looking glass, he accepted the cup with a gracious "Thanks." A quick sip of it brought a wide grin to his face. By Ansgar, against protocol or not, that was a good vintage. He set down the cup on the windowsill next to an old copy of Winslow's Alchemical Transmutations, which brought up sour memories. "Now that's the way to get through a class. Who was your Master in here, Barentsz? No wonder you've resorted to wine."
With a shake of his head, Fletcher folded the looking glass and stored it away in his coat pocket. Indeed, the crowd was beginning to grow more restless, their collective voices crescendoing. He didn't have to strain to hear the word Turgall flying around. "Good, the farther that army goes, the less trouble we'll have here. This is a place of learning and wars have no business being here." Ironic, coming from a gunsmith.
Ailbe jumped, startled by the appearance of the man... She had been so wrapped up in the crowd, not considering that anybody was paying attention to her. The man looked rather fancy to be any good with a knife, all tailored clothing and neatly combed hair. She'd dealt with rich folk before, mostly the mages she helped her family sneak out on to the ships, but that didn't mean she was comfortable around them.
Looking up at him, she hesitantly shifted her grip on the fishing knife to mimic his before shoving it back in her belt. "Gutting fish, not meal prep." Should she use honorifics with the man? He certainly looked to be well above her own station as a fisher, but then again not many people above her station lived in her village. There was the village elder and a few guards, but not many else. "Thanks," she added.
Aldwin stashes his knife away as well. "Don't thank me, I'm only doing my duty to help the innocent defend themselves." He looks curiously at the once drawn knife then looks her in the eyes. "Now I do quite wonder, why draw a weapon now of all times. There is a mob of people nearby, and they seem on edge. Do you know something that most do not, or are you just merely expecting the worst?"
The Witch Doctor folds his hands behind his back, and walks up next to the woman. Staring towards the tower, he continues. "Because if you are expecting the worst, I guarantee you, it won't nearly be as bad as the reality." Aldwin then offers his hand. "I can show you a safer place to hide, than the open. I only request a favor in return."
Innocent. Ailbe felt resentful towards the word. There were many ways that she was not innocent. Many ways it had been taken from her. Seeing ones entire family be killed, taken captive, or escape in exile hardly made one innocent. Smuggling fugitive mages away illegally hardly made one innocent, either. But she probably appeared innocent to this man. She was a small young woman, traits that often had men mistaking her as delicate when some of them first asked for her hand in marriage. But in the context of her current situation, Ailbe was innocent, even if she didn't know it.
The question set her on edge, but what came next sent a chill down her spine. The way he said it made her feel very uncomfortable, and she stared down at his offered hand suspiciously. Ailbe might be young and naive to some of the ways of the world, but growing up during the war and in a fishing village had taught her to distrust strangers. She could hardly tell him that she had thought she was being tracked by a man and a woman who somehow knew of her involvement in smuggling mages away. But she was also unsure how she felt about being asked a favor.
Looking up at him, she bit her lip nervously. "Yeah, an' what favor is that?"
As Jack was pushing his away away from the crowd, and the tower, he couldn't help but peer over his shoulder and saw that strange woman again. He grit his teeth, muscles tensing.
"She's like something out of a horror story you tell children before they sleep at night. A strange fisherman far from the sea...."
Yeah, he definitely didn't want to stick around longer than he had to! And with the crowd murmuring over the Turgallian army, which was now at the peak of their conversation, the speaker went on to ensure them the army had successfully been chased North, and that more soldiers are being stationed throughout all the major cities to ensure their is peace and safety.
That being said, there were already extra soldiers and guards in the town patrolling the outskirts of the masses. And the street Jack had wanted to go down seemed to be crawling with too many guards and not enough peasants. So he simply turned around.
"We might need to go the long way home," Jack muttered, eyeing where the fisherman girl was and trying to avoid getting to closer to her and.... some new friend she was talking to! He KNEW it. He grabbed Fiona's arm and pulled her close ot him before ducking with her into the shadows of a building.
"There she is again!" he whispered. "And she's contacting some strange man to help her." His eyes narrowed on them, and watched them with a judging stare.
And while so many were paranoid in the square, high above them in the tower Cullen was holding his own glass of wine, sipping it once before keeping his gaze glued to the crowd. But at Fletcher's words, he simply said, "If only war'd would listen. Greedy bastard, that one." And to that, he lifted his wine and finished the glass.
Fiona yelped at the sudden grab but allowed Jack to pull her into the shadows. She pressed a little closer against him, eyes darting over the crowd warily while she sort of half hid behind his body. "What makes you so sure she's after us?" she murmured.
The crowd alone was enough to make her all kinds of edgy. Jack's supposed spy- or whatever- was certainly not helping things.
This question caused a chuckle from The Witch Doctor. Though with his mask on, his facial expressions were hidden from the world. "Clever girl, but I cannot answer that question so in the open. All I can say is that it will help keep you safe, It will help keep me safe, and it will help keep many people in need safe."
Keeping his hand extended towards her, Aldwin then asks. "So do we have a deal? If not, I recommend you forget you ever met me."
Ailbe still didn't like taking a deal when she wasn't certain what her obligation to him would be. Making a deal with a man in a rather scary mask reminded her of some old folk tale, where the human was tricked into a covenant with the fae. Before they knew what happened, their entire life was overturned.
But... It seemed like something bad was going to happen here, and that this man intended to be on the living end of things. She herself needed to stay alive long enough to find Cullen and rescue her family. Ailbe still hesitated in taking his hand, tentatively taking a hold of it, her small hands calloused and strong from her work. "I want the chance to negotiate whatever this favor of yours is when we're not in the open, then. If not, then I'm sure I'll figure out some other way to stay alive."
Jack saw the two shake hands on something.
"Look... they're working together!" he hissed. "Oh man..." he cracked his neck and looked back towards the crowd, which was still as restless as ever. "Yeah... I think it's time to make our exit. Come on!" ANd he turned around again and tugged Fiona in another direction.
She didn't need any more encouragement than that, nodding and falling into step beside him as he tugged her along. "Please tell me we can get to your house quickly," Fiona said quietly, nervously, glancing over her shoulder with every other step.
Cullen was still enjoying his wine when he noticed something outside the window. The priest from the city's church had come out and was commanding all these people to disband. The greased-black haired man couldn't help but smile as, after some reluctance, the crowds did part.
"Looks like we might have our Day of Respite yet." He set his glass down and nodded to Fletcher. "It was very lovely sharing a view and drink with you. I hope your study's here are prosperous." And he moved to exit down the long winding stone staircase of the tower.
These hands...so delicate yet so course. So small yet so much hardship. Maybe this woman isn't as inexperienced as I first thought. Aldwin thinks this to himself has she allows him to take her hand. The Witch Doctor very well knows that body parts like the hands tell a lot about a person, but he also knows that with magic like his, those stories could be lies too.
Breaking out of his train of thought Aldwin nods. "Fair enough proposition." He then grips tighter on her hand and begins leading her throughout what he knows of the city so far, and eventually leads her to the music shop in which he entered from. "This store will be safe for us, trust me.'
If only Ailbe had known that she was mere moments away from seeing Cullen again, she might not have followed the suspicious man through the city. He pulled her along, the grip on her hand making her anxious. Eyes darting about, she tried her best to keep track of the street names and buildings they passed by. While she was an expert at navigating the ocean and the surrounding landscape of her small fishing village, she was not as confident in her skills at navigating through a city. If it came down to it, she could perhaps just figure out her bearings and head west through the city... But that could have her winding up somewhere even more dangerous.
Trying to keep her anxiety from her face, Ailbe followed him into the shop. A frown creased her lips as she looked around the shop... It seemed just an ordinary music shop to her, which made her even more suspicious of the man. She could hear the muffled sound of music coming from what seemed like the underbelly of the shop- perhaps someone was practicing in the basement? Even so, she positioned herself so that she was close to the door.
Crossing her arms, she shifted in her fishing gear, uncomfortably warm. "Alright, what is this deal you're tryin' to make? And what's so bad that's gonna happen? And why would ya choose to keep me safe of all these folk in this city?"
Jack got the pair of them out of the crowd and to the lesser part of town. Though not as grand in appearance as the main square, it still held a lot of tall and proud buildings that followed along a few small tributaries that fed into the Matron. It was across the small bridge and east they went, down towards the docks, then beneath them, to where it seemed a whole other world was revealed- for the section where Jack lived was the underbelly of the city, and it was evident only the poor, or seedy types, lived there.
"Come on, home sweet home is even deeper underground," he said, making his way towards a stone staircase.
Fiona paused, taking in their new surroundings. "Under- under...ground," she repeated with no small amount of trepidation.
Taking a deep breath, she gave herself a brisk shake and followed after him. Her wings shuffled nervously under her corset, a habit she'd thought she'd lost years ago. "How much further then?"
"Probably further than you'd like," Jack admitted, and continued to guide Fiona home (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=20476.msg296974#msg296974).
OOC: This ends Fiona and Jack's interaction in this thread :D but the link above is for those who wish to read up on their hi-jinx XD
All these questions just get responded with a simple chuckle. "You are quite the curious one aren't you? Well once we enter the shop, everything I tell you will remain hushed." Aldwin opens the door to the shop. "If you can't keep this a secret, then I will find a way that you can."
The Witch Doctor motions her to come in as he enters. Once they're both in he closes the door behind them. "To answer your first question, I need a map. I don't care if you draft one yourself, buy from a cartographer, or even steal one, I just need an accurate map of Uthlyn. Do this for me, and I'll protect you. As for why you, merely the whims of fate brought you to that place and time, and just that."
Aldwin glances towards the cellar door then back at Ailbe. "I think its best to wait until we trust each other for me to answer your second inquiry."
Ailbe did not believe in fate, or at least did not want to believe in fate. If fate existed, then hers had been a cruel one thus far. But what he requested did not seem unreasonable for a promise of safety. What a map in the grand scheme of things? He was not asking her to kill anybody or to put herself at risk, and surely getting her hands on a map would not be too difficult. And should it become difficult, what was holding her to keep such a promise? As long as he did not actually do anything to actively keep her safe, then by her standards he owed him nothing. She did not owe him the map until he upheld his promise of keeping her safe. It also meant that he might owe her something if she delivered the map to him before whatever he thought was going to happen, happened. And if it did not, she would have done him a favor for no reason.
Ailbe's eyes followed his towards the cellar door, her back still at the door. "What's in it for me if whatever you think is comin' doesn't?"
There was a lot to do, a lot to be done. Cullen wasn't going to waste any more time here. There was plenty enough reason for Uthlyn to rise up in protest and flood the entire place into chaos. He would't need an army for this, just a little shove. And the world would come tumbling down.
So long before the rest of the masses were breaking up for the night, Cullen had his hands in his pockets and was sauntering off to his place of rest. He saw a couple nervously looking around and nodded to them, "Good day we're having. Should be a beautiful night. And the Day of Respite is nearly at hand!"
The couple tried to smile about it, but they still looked frightened. He continued to walk on past them, all smiles. They had very good reasons to be afraid. And the day after Respite, the only masks the people would dawn are those of their own fears and frustrations towards the crown.
Aldwin looks Ailbe straight in the eyes at this question. "You are very lucky that I am a patient man, some people would have killed you for asking all these questions by now. So let me bring light to this situation, whatever I think is going to happen, will happen because I am in control of it." The Witch Doctor folds his hands behind his back and starts pacing. "The only way to stop this from happening is if I'm dead...and I'm a very hard person to kill, so getting me this map will ensure your safety from what I know will happen." Aldwin stops a foot away from her. "Do you understand?
A shiver ran down her spine, certain that he was not a man she would like to cross. He certainly seemed powerful enough to cause something great enough to warrant this kind of proposition. Still, Ailbe scowled at him, tilting her chin up at him obstinately. "Oh yeah? Well some folks woulda killed me because I didn't ask questions. You're just some strange man I just met on the streets, and I'm just a girl from a small village. My Da taught me better."
She frowned and crossed her arms, steeling her jaw when he stopped just a foot short of her. Amber eyes leveled on his face as she forced herself to stare him down through the mask, feigning fearlessness. "But yeah, I understand. I'm stubborn, not dull." She walked to the door and opened it up, wedging her foot in between the door and the doorframe as she looked over her shoulder at him. "I'll get you your map, mister."
Shouldering herself into the door, she stepped out of the shop and into the street, hearing the door shut behind her with the clanking of the bell attached to it. Taking one last look back at the shop, she took off into the street in pursuit of the map. How she would procure it yet was not entirely certain, but perhaps she would circle back to the building she had been at before. Surely she would find a map among the books, and perhaps she might bump into Cullen along the way.
The Haberdasher was an interesting little pub, with a quaint atmosphere that was stifled only by the tension hoovering over the city. The man made simple hats and served beer, and also was connections to a friend of a friend Cullen needed to advise.
Nothing was ever spoken, naturally. Cullen simply ordered the right amount of booze to get his message across. And with each sip, the whole of Uthlyn would be none the wiser.
once Ailbe left, Aldwin double checks for any curious onlookers before opening the door to the sewers. Within in it his agent stands there with all the abominations soothed to sleep.
"Good work, but soon they'll need to be waked. I have someone procuring a map for me, once I have it be ready to flee, because once I have it, I'll be preparing their release."
Ailbe wove through the streets of Uthlyn, doing her best to remember the way she had come before and the way back to the shop so she could return with the map. The closer she came to the city center, the easier it became to find her way. The streets became littered with bits of trash and articles of clothing, evidence of the disgruntled gathering she had witnessed before.
Once at the building she took the steps to the door, opening them and entering the dimly lit entryway. Just as she stepped forward to ascend the stairs a middle-aged scholar appeared at the top of the stairs, glaring down at her.
"Get!" He shooed her with his hands as he took the stairs in a hobble, "Get out, you street urchin! You know we give no handouts here!"
Ailbe looked down at herself, realizing that she did, indeed, look like a street urchin. She was young and unkempt from her travels, still carrying her raincoat and wearing her rainboots. She had never been mistaken for anything other than her father's daughter in her village, but to this man she was a complete stranger... And a rather poorly kempt one.
Raising her hands defensively, Ailbe tried to explain herself, "Look, mister, I'm just lookin' to find a map o' the city."
"To do what with? To be able to steal from the citizens better?" The man grabbed her by her shoulders and began physically pushing her out the door.
"No... I just-" She had no time to explain herself as he pushed her out the front door and onto the street.
Stumbling down the stairs and back onto the street, Ailbe turned just in time to see the man close the heavy doors. Running a hand through her hair and walking backwards, she released a frustrated sigh... Well, next option was to ask around to see if anyone knew any map makers.
And the first place she came across that looked promising was the small pub Cullen happened to be in. At first she didn't recognize him as she sat down in one of the booths, what with his dyed hair, but the longer she sat and stared at him the more she was certain that it was him. Heart in her throat, she tried to remain as relaxed as possible so she wouldn't draw attention to herself. Pushing her auburn hair behind her ear, she sat down beside him.
Uncertainty tinged her voice as she asked in a quiet voice, "Cullen?"
He feigned indifference when the woman approached. He was a handsome man. And he knew it. But when she spoke his real name, he stopped in middrink to eye her up, then casually observed the room.
"I'm sorry, I believe you have me confused with someone else."
But he had to wonder who this woman was. Judging by the looks of her, she was well worn from the road.
"I..." Ailbe swallowed heavily, suddenly extremely anxious now that she had managed to find Cullen after her long search. Fumbling in her raincoat's inner pockets, she produced a small, tarnished silver pendant with a seal on it... Her family's crest.
Placing it in front of him, she was quiet as she presented her case to him. "My father, Alroy Nevin, and older brother Lorcan... They smuggled mages for you to Serendipity from a small fishing village on the coast. You visited once some time ago... But your hair was blonde then. And we did not speak." She hoped he would remember her father's fiery red hair and see the resemblance in her own hair and features.
She worried at her lower lip, her amber eyes bright and imploring. "We were caught... They came and took my father and little brother Padraig, but Lorcan escaped out to sea with your recent group of mages. There were two women with young children..." Fisting her hands in her raincoat in her lap, she stared hard down at her lap, her jaw set tight as she bit down the tears. She was no longer a child. She was a woman grown, and had to be strong for the sake of her family. "I had nowhere else to go, nor did I know anyone else to seek out..."
Cullen tried to remain calm as the woman went on with her story- and thankfully in a lowered tone. He shifted a bit closer, stole a glance around the room. It seemed no body was really listening, nor cared. But the woman had said far too much out in open than he would have liked. So he scooped up the coin and pocketed it as he gave the woman a smile.
He still had to drink another beer to get his point across, but now this woman brought... complications.
"That's a very interesting story," he went on, forcing a smile and masking anything else upon his face. He finished up his beer, ordered himself another and took another drink. He regarded the woman carefully, and when the bar maid walked passed, he caught her by the arm and told her, "I'll need a room if you've got it."
She looked at him,t hen to her boss, then to Cullen again.
"I'm sorry, I'm not sure what I can do for you. We're all full up."
Cullen looked over at owner as he knocked back more of his beer. Then he smiled over at the bar maid.
"I don't need it for the night." He turned to look at Alibe as he gave her a wink. "Maybe just a couple o' hours."
The bairmaid blushed and rushed off to the owner, all the while Cullen contemplated when to finish his cup. His eyes never once left Alibe, studying the dirty girl before something metal was slipped beside him and he picked it up, pocketed it and finished his cup.
Rising from the table he told her,
"Come, you must be tired from your long trek on the road. A bit of fun ought to do you right good, girl. And not just for you, but me as well."
Not giving her much time to reply, he took her hand within his own and began to lead her towards the stairs that lead up to the room. He just hoped she wouldn't make a fuss-
Or be upset that he didn't want to sleep with her. Gods only knew he had to discretely get her the hell out of that room.
When Cullen's demeanor seemed to stiffen and he discretely surveyed the room Ailbe began to catch on to her mistake. Of course in the fishing village she had always expected people to be nosy and listen in on their chats, but here in the big city she hadn't given it a second thought. Nobody had shown her much attention besides the scary man from before, and so she had assumed that city folk stayed out of one another's business. And now it was clear she had assumed wrong.
Shutting her mouth tightly, she tried her best to play along with him, though her heart fluttered angrily in her chest in humiliation. When he made the suggestive proposition she hoped that he did not really mean to do as he said, but it was something she would play along with until they were out from under prying eyes. She, too, needed to keep a low profile. So she blushed appropriately and ducked her head when he pulled her up and across the room towards the stairs, looking and feeling like a young harlot preparing to bed a strange man.
Once in the room Ailbe's eyes darted around, keeping her back to the door and appraising him nervously. Her hands clasped in front of her, fingers wringing together in her anxiety. Swallowing heavily, she spoke, "I... I'm s-sorry, mister, but..." She steeled herself, eyes both fierce and frightened. Squaring her quivering jaw, she forced herself to look him in the face, "B-but, seein' as my pa's business was helpin' you out, I thought you might know how to help me out. Look, I ain't lookin' for no trouble, promise, and I certainly ain't lookin' for you to help me like... like that..." She bit her lip as her eyes flitted to the bed, the furious blush of a virgin coloring her cheeks. "But, as I said, you're the best bet I have."
Unable not to counter her denial to wanting an intimate time with him on the bed, he found himself grinning and poking a jest her way.
"Oh? Skinny little thing like you couldn't use a good bed for something?" He slicked a hand back through his hair, and after a moment, he recalled just why he had been avoiding that the whole week.
"And here I thought I was irresistible... handsome even..."
Ailbe crossed her arms over her chest, blushing brighter and puffing up her chest "I'm tougher than I look, alright? Just ask all the lads back home that thought they'd suggest the same thing t'me. I'm not no won-ton woman." She said the word like one who had only ever read it in a book before, but she stuck to it.
"My Da says don't matter how handsome a man is, that he'll try just the same, and I ought t'wait until I meet a lad with smarts and a good work ethic. That he has t'live up t'my brother and my Da, so ain't many men who'll do that." She chewed her pretty lower lip and continued bluntly, "Plus, I got bigger fish t'fry than t'worry myself with bedside matters." Gods she had a big mouth when she was nervous around handsome men.
In spite of the seriousness of the moment, Cullen couldn't help himself but smile.
"It seems you're Father's got a pretty smart head on his shoulders." He looked her over, but not once the entire time did he seem nervous around her. Nor seem threatening, flirts aside.
"You know coming to this place was dangerous... not to mention foolish." But he didn't miss a beat, presuming she'd cut in with some long winded conversation where he wanted to keep things rather... limited. After all, as much as he wanted to trust her, it was hard to tell whose side who was on these days.
"Coming to find me.... Well you had a good hope and thought behind it, has probably lead you into more danger than you realize," And here he paused to see if she was following him before he went on. "Now I have no doubts in who you say you are. I haven't forgotten what happened to your father and your people. It's the same story everywhere and the same things me and my men have to traipse around in order to make any sort of progress without being sniffed out and stomped on like an ant." He continued to study her, adding, "You look like you could use a good night's rest." It as a comment off the cuff, really.
She was not to be diverted from her path, but she listened to him all the same. "Don't bother me none..."
She paused, breathed, and took the time to school her speech pattern away from that of a fish monger's child. It was difficult for her. "My Da says that the line between foolish and brave is a thin one. I'd like t'think I'm still walking the line between them, but desperation doesn't leave much room for caution."
He was right, she was exhausted, but she didn't necessarily feel she had the luxury of time on her hand with him. She could tell he wasn't sold on her story. "Doesn't leave much time for sleep, neither." She pulled in a deep breath again, trying to keep herself calm. Her mother always told her that she got louder and more long-winded when she was riled up, and that getting worked up wouldn't do her any good.
She tried to picture the calm waters of the ocean on a sunny day before continuing. "Mister, Cullen, whatever people around these parts call you, I know enough about all this t'know that my Da and my family don't amount to much to higher up folks like you. But they mean everything t'me. I'm not askin' for protection, not expectin' handouts, not beggin' you t'go and rescue them. I'm askin' you to help me learn how to do it on my own. Or point me in the direction of someone who might."
Her amber eyes were fierce, and though she was young she had experienced enough to not be overly naive. "They're my family, and I'm the last of us with freedom to do something. I plan to use it or die trying. Was comin' t'you in this big city here foolhardy and dangerous? Might be. But it's worth it to me."
Cullen let her words sink in. Though he figured she was no spy out to expose him, he also didn't trust her enough with the news on the events to come.
"There's... a safe haven. It's not too far from here. You could make it before morning..." he said, standing now and walking towards the windows. He clasped his hands behind his back. "You need to get there before morning. Uthlyn's not safe. Not now.... and things'll only get worse within the approaching hours."
"I..." She thought about whether or not she should share with him the deal she had been offered. Chewing on her lip, she continued, "I know... I was approached by a man in a..." She tried to find a way to describe him in a way other than the way a child might describe a nightmare, "A suspicious man in a mask. He asked me to bring him a map of the city, and promised I'd be safe- from whatever it is that's 'bout to boil over."
She swallowed heavily and twisted her fingers together. "Look, I appreciate your concern about my safety an' all, but it's not my safety I care about. I get yer busy, but is there a way t'find y'after... Maybe I might join yer men, learn how t'go about helpin' my family? I'm tough an' smart, I helped my Da with the mages." She squared her jaw, "I'm not no frightened girl, Cullen. If y'need me in the city for whatever it is y'got goin', I can be covert. Folks don't expect someone like me t'be up to nothin' bad."
At her mentioning about a man in a mask, he simply let her talk over it, quietly chewing on the information himself. Then his eyes fell away from her again. Before he could comment, she went on to offer her support and gratitude, but still, he said nothing, eyes lingering on the window.
"It looks like it might rain tonight," he commented, indifference in his tone.
Ailbe released a sigh of exasperation in response to his indifference, stuffing her hands in her pockets. "Y'know, I don't know why my Da always spoke so highly o' you and yer ideas. If y'forget the men helpin' y', no matter how insignificant y'think they are, I don't know how y'think you'll ever make a difference in this shite country."
"I'll figure it out on my own." She swallowed back the angry tears that were fighting to be shed, "Sorry t'waste your precious time. Hope whatever mayhem you're planning goes just peachy."
It would be so much easier if he just let her go like that. If she supported his cause she could help in the after math, not die with it before she even knew what was going on. She was in over her head and didn't even know it.
And then the words were out of his mouth before he could think any better.
"Have you got a place to stay?"
He wasn't entirely heartless, even as he was trying to be.