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Dark Diplomacy (Laveriel)
Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2023 5:14 am
by Aegis
Searing 1, 123 following this post viewtopic.php?p=28078#p28078 , occurring concurrently with the Coronation.
It wouldn't take long for her to find the portly human with a ridiculously large, red, bushy mustache. His cart was on wheels and he was moving slowly behind the parade of onlookers. Like the many venders there in the tail end process, he was shouting his wares. "Krab Kebabs! The finest Udori Deep Blue crab! Legs so long and meaty you might think you're with Prince Rien!" He laughed shamelessly, as many of the merchants around were oft to do.
Eventually, the Wrath approached the man and he smiled brightly, "What can I get for you Miss? The buttered blue legs?" There was a bit of a knowing glint in his eyes as he awaited her order. If she purchased the crab legs, that would be the end of it. But if she purchased the krab kabob, he'd brighten up further, "You know what would go great with this? The candy floss from Ol' Blue Feathers, wherever he's disappeared off to."
This trail of vendors and purchases went on until the fourth vendor suggested that she eat all of her wares from the old bell tower, all she had to do was give the tower guard a bit of her candy floss and a tip, maybe a kiss on the cheek, and he'd let her have the best view of the coronation. Up a long set of winding stairs was a massive, copper bell hanging there, and sitting in the window, basking in the sun, was Pathfinder Torchthief.
She smiled brightly, despite the circumstances with which she'd summoned Laveriel. Then she turned to look out over the parade and the coronation as it was underway. She sighed and climbed down from the window, "Can I have the kabob?"
"You know my mother." A sad, soft smile graced the elf's features. "Pathfinder Allbright." That name would certainly not be forgotten for Laveriel. Pathfinder Allbright was the primary reason Laveriel's mission with Novuril was such a success. The woman was a once in a generation gifted Semblance mage and she'd managed to contain and hide Novuril for the many days of fleeing and pursuit from Ailos to the northlands. But containing an artifact of such power is a near impossible feat and it did not come without a cost.
Pathfinder Allbright had had her aura so heavily burnt and frayed by the raw power of Novuril that she never used magic again. Her body's natural aetheric pathways were so burnt and scarred that after they delivered Laveriel, the woman slipped into a coma as her organs were shutting down, and that was the last that they saw of each other.
"She's still alive, but our healers haven't been able to do much of anything for her. They aren't even sure if she's comfortable or in pain, we just know she's still alive."
Torchthief let that hang in the air for a bit, a somber remembrance. "I know my mother was proud to serve the Order and to help you and wouldn't regret it for a moment. And it is in that bond you and her share that I come to you now."
She sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose, "When the coronation finishes, the Imperial delegation will return to their airship, docked out in Lake Udori, and depart." Another deep breath, "And when they do, they will be shadowed by the Ecithian delegation."
She took a bite of the kabob, savoring the soft and buttery meat, "The moment the Commonwealth heard that the Imperium was invited, they accepted their own. With the intention of assassinating the entirety of the Imperial delegation." A nervous glance around, a common trait among the pathfinders, "We are aware of it, of course. We were informed the moment it was decided both delegations would be sent. And normally we wouldn't bother to stop it but..."
She fidgeted, setting the half eaten kabob in the window sill, "Well, you saw him. You saw the likeness."
A long pause before Torchthief continued, "They do not intend to spare any of them."
She pointed out at a ridge on the northern edge of Udori, "That ridge marks the diplomatic boundary. The attack will happen after the Imperial's cross that line and lose the protection of Kalzasi."
She turned to Laveriel, her eyes worried, "I worry what will happen with Arcas if his son is killed."
A loud cheering came from the coronation area as the event progressed. Torchthief looked out that way, "We cannot intervene ourselves, not with the relationship between Ailos and the Commonwealth as it is."
She turned back, "But you can."
Re: Dark Diplomacy (Laveriel)
Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2023 11:32 am
by Laveriel
No one would have guessed that she was on her way to a secret rendezvous.
The dark-haired siltori bowed in greeting as she saw Pathfinder Torchthief. “Knight-Commander.” At the request, she gladly handed over the kabob. “As much as I have enjoyed going the food tour, I can’t help but be a bit concerned about the lengths you have gone to keep this meeting a secret.”
“I had an inkling. Your mother talked about you all the time. Her stories of you comforted when I-” Allbright was a mother and she had tried her best to keep Veriel sane. Everyone did. No part of her would have survived those few days after her losses if they had not coaxed her out of the dark. “I am forever indebted to your mother. How is she now? When I last saw her… she was perhaps the most injured of us all.”
The answer made her heart drop. Over the years, Veriel had convinced herself that after they parted ways, everyone would have been fine. It was foolish of her to cling to such blind optimism, but she couldn’t help herself. It was easier than to accept how much everyone sacrificed to take Novuril into these lands. Even as the world was supposedly in a state of peace their people still bled every day. And after all these years still, no one was willing to take any action. No one but the Ecithians.
Veriel turned to look at the younger siltori in her eyes, walking over to the window. She opened her mouth and then closed it again. It took a while for her to find the words - and even then she wasn’t sure if they were the right ones. “It is I who should be honored to be saved by her. Perhaps when this is all over… will you let me see her?”
As the pathfinder briefed her on the situation, Veriel set down her hoard of food. It was definitely tempting to just let the Ecithians have a go at the Imperium. If the fates were kinder, perhaps the senators could kill Irdan for her. But of course, things could never be so simple.
“They sure know how to pick their representatives,” Veriel said darkly, gazing at where the Imperial delegation was. Her hands gripped the window sill until her fingers turned white. Even from this distance, she could pinpoint exactly where they were sitting. “So, that boy really is Arcas’s son. I have heard that Kathars age somewhat faster as they were trained, but this… It has been only what? A year since they captured Arcas?”
“You think he’ll go on a rampage?” she asked, not really expecting an answer. She followed the pathfinder’s gaze, making a mental note of the ridge Veriel was more familiar with Talon and even she didn’t know the answer to that question. “If we’re worried about how he will react if his son is hurt, shouldn’t we be more worried that his son’s fate is in the Imperium’s hands? I saw no collar, so it’s not unlikely that he’s there willingly.”
Why would a son of Arcas be with the Imperium? If everyone had noticed, there was no doubt Talon would have too. “Does Talon know about this? About the Ecithians?”
Veriel sighed when the pathfinder said that she would be able to interfere. “I suppose that’s because my ties to Ailos aren’t as strong? Also, it doesn’t hurt that it makes sense when Arcas’s Wrath moves to protect his son.”
“I can certainly try, but I am probably no match against three Ecithia senators. This will not end well for everyone involved.” There was a minuscule part of her that wondered that perhaps she should join the Ecith instead. She had no interest in taking the life of a boy - Arcas’s son or not - but if they could get him out of the way… Veriel shook the thought away before she could even finish herself. Her personal vendetta needed to take a backseat. She was a knight. She was a dawnmartyr. That should come first, right?
She knew wars. She knew battles. There was a stillness slowly washing over the siltori. The tension slowly seeped out of her as her mind went through scenarios. As appalling as it was, the threat of conflict brought about a sense of comfort and familiarity. “Tell me about the senators. Who they are. What they can do. How far would they go.”
Re: Dark Diplomacy (Laveriel)
Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2023 1:32 pm
by Aegis
Torchthief's throat tightened and her eyes shimmered with water as she smiled. "Yes, she would love that, I am sure of it." She wiped her eyes, "Bring her some flowers from here. She loved the whites and blues from these mountains."
And she listened, slowly eating on the food between them. "We don't really know anything about his son. Was he conceived years ago? Was he conceived while Arcas was captured? We have very little intelligence on any of that. But he is a problem." She sighed, "The lengths people will go for their children are unfathomable. That boy, or man, it's hard to tell, is a wildcard beyond all others. Is he a hostage used to control Arcas from abroad? Is he a free man, choosing a path against his father? We are blind in this." She shook her head, "I can't even begin to imagine what Arcas might be thinking. If my own daughter were in Imperial hands.." She grit her teeth as she looked away, "There would be a lot of blood spilled to bring her home, whether she wanted it or not."
She shrugged lightly, "I can only imagine that Talon is aware who that boy is. The Ecithians have probably figured it out, it's terribly obvious. The problem is he doesn't look like a child. And they likely won't see him as one, if he even is one. If they did, they would spare him, at the very least. Rescue him even." She was shaking her head now. "I don't know. This is just... there's too many unknowns with him in play."
At the questions on the Senators, however, Torchchief's perplexed face vanished to one of certainty. "Well, you know how the Ecithians are proudly open books. The leader of this delegation is Senator Khijata, the blue Orkhan woman. She's a Bard, and one that fought during the Imperial March. She bears the runes of Mesmer and Masquerade, and is the most proficient user of a style of dance fighting from her now destroyed village. The other Orkhan Senator is Senator Firich. He was a medic in the war. I didn't see any Runes in his markings, but that doesn't mean they aren't there. Finally, there's Senator H4R0LD, the Awoken. He was brought by the Imperium during the Imperial March, and apparently he Awoke and broke free of his bonds and escaped the Imperials. He's an incredibly gifted Negator, Kineticist, and Elementalist. These three were chosen specifically for this assassination, not the diplomacy. The Avialae is a native, Toka, serving as guard as scout. No magic that I am aware of, but vicious in aerial combat and tactics. Finally, the final man, the human... I don't know. His markings aren't Ecithian so I can't read them. I do know he's an Iron Dragon, he was their ride into Kalzasi it seems. Something is off about him though. He smells... wrong. Rusty."
She took a breath after giving this first report, before taking more into consideration. "Each member of the delegation is extremely capable in combat on their own. Excluding the dragon, we know that the other four are veterans of the war, so their tusks are blooded and their hatred is intense. I don't think they will give any quarter on this mission, but if any of them can be reasoned with, it's likely Khijata. Bards are... different than most, in the best and worst of ways. And being the leader, she can stop this at any time."
A long pause.
"What will you do? How can I help?"
Re: Dark Diplomacy (Laveriel)
Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2023 7:58 pm
by Laveriel
“By Drimera’s tears, the gods must be punishing me,” she mumbled in silandris as she stepped away from the window that faced the coronation, turning to another where she could see the expanse of Lake Udori.
“It will be an aerial battle, then,” the siltori concluded with a shake of her head. Between the airship and the dragon, Veriel would be fighting in an environment where she had a distinct disadvantage. If she were to interfere, she would have to somehow disable the Ecithians while protecting herself from Imperial attacks. “Even if I want to, right now I won’t be able to reach them. Any thoughts?”
The younger siltori turned to Veriel and smiled slightly. “That I can help with. Find Knight-Commander Tukor after this.” It was a cryptic instruction, but she really had no reason to question the pathfinder. If seeing the spellforged commander can somehow make her able to fly, she’d take it.
After a few moments of silence, weighing her options, Veriel decided. “I will talk to Khijata first then. They can have their way with the Imperials, but maybe I can convince them to leave the boy untouched.” She was never really the eloquent type, but she should at least try. If this came down to a fight, Veriel would be outmatched and outnumbered - something she would like to avoid. “Do you know where they are now? I saw that they had left the coronation.”
Torchthief pointed at the lake. “From what I can gather, they will be heading out to the lake right now. If you’re quick enough, I think you might be able to catch up to them.
“Thank you,” Veriel said with a nod. The wind suddenly blew harder snatching at the skirt of her white dress. “Of course, I can’t bet everything on the Ecithians listening. We’ll still need to prepare. I’ll need more people. Is there no way for the three of you to join me?” Each of them was an experienced fighter and shared a similar style with her, so it would have been easier to work with them.
She shook her head apologetically. “We can help you prepare, but other than that… I’m afraid we have to stay our hand.”
As disappointing as that was, Veriel nodded. “I understand. What about Arcas? Have you told him yet?”
“Knight-Marshal Neverfall should be informing him at the moment. She reached out to him the moment I did to you.”
Lips pressed together, the dark-haired elf gazed between Torchthief and where the Imperials were sitting. She kept looking back and forth, almost losing the nerve to ask. A part of her didn’t want to know. If she didn’t ask she could convince herself that it was just her imagination. Yet, Veriel felt something nudging her to find out. “One last thing. It’s a favor really.”
Her mouth struggled to find the words, but she managed somewhat. Veriel wasn’t sure how much Torchthief would know about her relationship with Ryo so she figured she should explain as much as she could. “When the Imperials arrived, I felt something odd and familiar at the same time. I used to be core-bonded with Knight-Commander Shiryo. When he died, I felt the connection break. I was sure of it.” The pain had been excruciating, even just thinking of it made her spine shiver. “But now I felt it again. The bond. Not quite the same but similar enough. It’s weaker, but I can clearly sense it from Irdan. Even now standing here, I can feel his presence. I can’t explain it but… something is wrong. I’m sure of it. Can you see whether or not I’m imagining things or is something really there?”
As the last words left her mouth, Veriel swallowed the lump in her throat. Her heart was racing as her anticipation grew. A part of her didn’t want to know the answer, but she had to make sure.
Torchthief nodded grimly. She hadn’t missed the distraught in Veriel’s manner. Whatever this was, it was bothering her more than she cared to admit. “I will see if I can find something there.”
Veriel gave the pathfinder her gratitude before she started walking to leave the tower. It was at the last moment before she turned the cornered that she thought of one more thing she might need. “Is there a way for us to communicate again? I figured I’ll need someone to update should the Imperials start moving.”
“See Tukor. He can help you with that.”
Well then, next stop, Knight-Commander of the Spellforged.
Re: Dark Diplomacy (Laveriel)
Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2023 6:10 am
by Aegis
With a nod and a wink, Torchthief disappeared before Laveriel's eyes, "He's at the pavilion," was left upon the air in her departure.
Much of the celebration and partying was moving past the Ecithians' pavilion, so reaching it would be quick and easy. Upon stepping inside, Laveriel would find Knight Commander Tukor, sitting there upon one of the sofas, sipping at some wine, a tray of cheeses upon the cushion next to him. He was not one that Laveriel would know from her time at Ailos, nor was he familiar with her other than knowing she had carried Novuril northward. This man was at Dratir when the attack began, and defended the city until it fell, and he was on the Imperial March every step of the way.
And his name was spoken among the surviving Ailosians with reverence for he killed more Imperials than any other in the Order.
With a nod and a smile, "Torchthief has sent word to me."
He set his wine down, popping one last cube of cheese in his mouth, standing up. "You're pressed for time, so let's be quick, shall we?"
The man summoned a roaring ball of Dawnfire between them, containing it between a rotating arc of his fingers. His mastery over it was seemingly absolute. Not one bit of extra light or heat escaped from it, the flowers on the table beneath it did not wilt, sweat did not form on his nor Laveriel's brow, and no one need even droop their eyes to stare at it. With a clap, he crushed the fire ball in his hands, then pushed it out in a beam at Laveriel, striking her in the chest, pushing through her then out her back.
The Dawnfire swirled around her, not burning flesh nor clothing nor hair. She could feel a bit of itching in her shoulder blades, as the flames were forged into shape, a pair of wings forming on her back, majestic, fiery. "Do be careful, first time flying is always tricky. These will last until nightfall." They would feel as part of her body, natural even though new.
He then reached into his pocket, pulling out a small pouch, tossing it to Laveriel. Inside were one small conch shell and five iridescent pearls. "Link pearls. Slip that shell into your ear. The same can be done with the pearls for others, and Torchthief has one already for a total of six. As the shell holder, you will be able to speak directly to any or all of the pearls and they will hear you and be able to speak back to you. It is intuitive, so it will know who you are directing your speech toward. The downside is only you will be able to hear them, so they can't use them to communicate to one another."
He turned to sit back down, pausing. He stopped, the white haired elder Orkhan looking at Laveriel with a weary but understanding sympathy in his eyes. "I helped to train Ryo, he was one of the best pupils I've ever had, and was a good man, until the very end."
There was a mirror there in the pavilion, and if Laveriel took the chance to look in it, she'd recognize that the shape of her Dawnfire wings was an exact match to Ryo's, wings that she would surely never forget.
| ! | Message from: Aegis |
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Dawnfire Wings - These wings give Laveriel access to the Flying Skill and any flight she performs with them will be determined by that skill. The Wings can be damaged by any means that can damage Dawnfire of a Tier 1 Eminence Emblem. The wings can be "stowed" away and reactivated by a simple thought to do so. Upon a full setting of the current day's sun, the wings will fade away permanently.
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Re: Dark Diplomacy (Laveriel)
Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2023 10:34 pm
by Laveriel
As she pushed her way through the throng, she tried to replay the conversation in her head. There would be time for her to prepare, but the siltori wouldn’t call herself a planner. Her brain worked better in the midst of battle, so coming up with a solid plan with limited information would be a challenge for her. Not that she had any choice. Whatever her head could come up with would have to do.
Fortunately, it didn’t take her long to find the Ailosian pavilion. The Knight-Commander seemed to be enjoying himself and when their eyes met, it was clear that he already knew exactly what she was there for.
“You're pressed for time, so let's be quick, shall we?”
She didn’t know what to expect as she watched the flames transform. It was difficult not to be transfixed as it hovered between them with golden light. There was no fear in her as the light passed through her. Her eyes widened when she saw what the man had created on her back. Wings built out of dawnfire. While she itched to ask how he did it, Veriel knew that they didn’t have much time.
The elf could only laugh nervously at the spellforged’s comment. The last time she got into a battle involving a dragon and an airship… well, she survived so that’s a good thing, right? But that had involved riding on a horse-shaped Imogen rather than flying by herself. At least she would be flying over water. “Well, let’s hope that I learned something from all those years watching Ryo fly.”
A moment later, Tukor was already handing her another thing. She opened the pouch and peered inside as she heard his explanation. While it didn’t exactly offer the communication she imagined, the elf was grateful nonetheless. Slipping the shell into her ear, Veriel considered who she would be able to drag into this reckless operation. Based on how it worked, she would have to be the one to organize everyone, to send out the instructions. It had been far too long since she did anything of sorts.
It was times like these that Veriel wondered if things would have been if she was the one who died that day while Ryo survived. He would know exactly what needed to be done. She missed him.
Veriel gave Tukor a sad smile. “He had always been such an annoyingly ambitious student, wasn’t he?” Even after years of being with him, she still had a difficult time breaking his focus when he was poring over a tome. It was jarring how in these past four days Ryo had come up more than it did through the eighteen years. Even though every mention of his name added weight to her heart, it was also good to know that some still remembered him. That his existence in this world still mattered to more people than just her.
As she turned away from the knight-commander, the siltori caught her own image on a decorative mirror. She stared at the wings perhaps a moment too long, making sure she wasn’t imagining things. He didn’t have to, but somehow he had shaped them as a twin to Ryo’s. Veriel turned back to the orkhan and bowed her head. “Thank you.” It almost made her feel like perhaps her partner was close, watching over her. Slowly, the wings faded away.
For a moment, Veriel turned her head again to where the Imperials were seated. To Irdan to be precise. If the Ailosian struggled to find out about his compound, then she would need to find a way to pry out the information from somewhere. Forcing it out of him… it was definitely not an option. The Kathar would easily take her down in a battle. If the Grand Marshal couldn’t defeat him with Novuril, she would be doomed if she engaged him right now.
There would be a time for her to settle her score and today was not it. She forced herself to walk away. The siltori had been staring for far too long and it would be better if they never noticed her.
Back to scanning the crowd, Velaine looked for an individual that came into her mind. When Torchthief had mentioned the lake, it occurred to her that she would need at least one Elementalist to make things easier. Luckily, she knew exactly one who was currently present at the event. So she started looking for him.
Once she found Hikami, she would suggest that they find someplace where people couldn’t hear their conversation.
Re: Dark Diplomacy (Laveriel)
Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 7:02 pm
by Hikami
龍 1st of Searing, Year123, A.o.S 龍
龍 There was a part of him that couldnt help but feel uneasy. Like turbulent waves in the ocean, his thoughts raced around his head. Closing his eyes he did his best to meditate, to isolate and ease the source of his disturbance. That's when he felt it, the call of Udori Lake, and the spirit within him.
It had given off the impression of danger, a sense of dread, and the imagery there was of a battle. It was blurred and most of the vision was obscured. His heart sank as he could feel that someone would die. He could feel that feeling of a life coming to an end. He knew whatever the spirits were trying to warn him of, it was coming soon. He also inferred that it would happen somewhere around the area of the lake.
The last thing he saw, with great clarity, was the visage of a familiar face, Laveriel. It was the Dawnmartyr from earlier. Whatever was coming, she was surely involved. Opening his eyes he looked around looking for the woman, as he had questions and she had answers.
Politely excusing himself he went on a search, taking to the air in the area of the venue outside, as many citizens and business stalls had set up outside the coronation hall. The prismatic from the prismatic ice on his wings dazzled on the ground below as he had perched himself high up to search for her. The wind seemed to wish to help as a breeze came rolling through the crowd, weaving between individuals until it found the woman.
The spirit of the wind would have whirled and swirled around her, alerting the avialae of her location. Swooping in, he descended, folding his wings onto his back. "I've been looking for you." 龍
"Common Speech"
"Synskrit Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"
Re: Dark Diplomacy (Laveriel)
Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2023 7:13 pm
by Laveriel
“You have? What a coincidence!” she said lightly, trying to sound casual to anyone who could be interested in eavesdropping. While she was curious about why he was also looking for her, Veriel figured it was something she could ask later.
The siltori tilted her head slightly towards the direction of the dawnmartyr pavilion, signaling him to follow her closely. With the celebrations surrounding them, Veriel pulled out one of the pearls and handed it over to his hand discreetly. She gestured at him to put it into his ear. It would hopefully remove the need for her to yell above all the other noises.
Once she could see that it was secured in his ear, the dawnmartyr said with a low voice, “Can you hear me?”
As they walked through the crowd, Veriel started, “I need your help. A really big help.” Then she started telling him about the situation, not in much detail yet. She first started sharing about the fact that there might be an attempt to attack the Imperial delegations once they flew out from the lake and passed the city borders and that she wanted to stop it. If he agreed, then she would continue with the details.
She began with the fact that the silver-haired boy walking around with the Imperials was possibly Talon’s - she didn’t know how else to put it, everyone else seemed quite convinced that was the case. “That’s the main reason we’re doing this. The politics are of no concern to me, but I’d rather have the boy out of danger and if possible, out of Imperial hands.” Veriel had no silly dreams of rescuing the boy. She would be indescribably grateful if they could manage to hold back the Ecithians. But if the opportunity did present itself…
“The Imperial ship is parked out on the lake. I don’t know what ship it is or how many people they had or what kind of defenses. I was hoping you could help with that.” While her first encounter with Hikami was the avialae trying to murder her - against his will, of course - it was not the first time she had heard of him. She knew how the people of Kalzasi had called him the Hero of Udori. Considering how things might unfold right above the lake, it seemed only logical to ask him for help. “We really don’t have much time honestly and I’m desperate.”
When the words came out of her mouth, it truly dawned on her how little preparation she would be able to have. In hopes of using the best of her time, the knight-captain started to reach into her aether and started plucking at the curses stored inside her soul. It would have been easier if she could materialize Dolorex, but she figured having a weapon would draw too much attention. She started braiding them, the process slowed considering that she had to focus on the conversation. Veriel pulled at the affliction string that would paralyze and weaved it together with the aether-eater - right now that combo would be the best to have at the ready. Probably it wouldn’t be enough, but it was better than nothing.
“You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. I have no idea if this is even a good idea,” the siltori said as she paused, turning to look at Hikami in the eyes. Her silver eyes glowed softly, a hint of the aether she was manipulating as they spoke.
Re: Dark Diplomacy (Laveriel)
Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2023 8:00 pm
by Hikami
龍 1st of Searing, Year123, A.o.S 龍
龍 He listened to her as she explained the situation. Most of what she divulged fit with the vision he had been given by the spirit of the lake. He was surprised in the least by it at all. It also helped that this was for Talon and his supposed son. Hikami didnt really need anything else to convince him to help. "You came to the right person then. Believe it or not, I am connected to the Lake.......more so the entity that resides within it. It is the reason for my unique state of being. It showed me visions of a battle among other things."
He wouldn't go too far into detail about the part of the vision where someone dies. He couldn't make out that part; for all he knew, it could be him or her. Whatever the case it was paramount that they move quickly. "I will go and scout out the imperial ship, see what their defenses are, and make some preparations of my own. It may also help if we had some reinforcements, as just the two of us won't be enough. I will go find my aunt, she will be able to gather her forces and aid us for that I am certain."
As they reached the pavilion, he could see where she was sitting. He decided subtly was key, asking the wind air around her to stir, to gain her attention. She would have felt a gust of wind ever so gently brush against her, and upon looking around she would see Hikami, motioning her to join him. After some time she eventually joined them, a look of curiosity on her face. "You are in need of me nephew?" she purred, the avialae explaining what was told to him, Yumeko never breaking her composed appearance.
After a few minutes of contemplation, she nodded, turning to leave them. "I will muster as many men as I can spare lady Laveriel, and will meet you the moment the ceremony concludes." she said, departing them. "I too will go and scout out the area around the Imperial ship, see if I cant coax the spirit of the lake to aid us." Bowing to the woman he sprouted draconic wings of prismatic cold crystal and departed from her. 龍
"Common Speech"
"Synskrit Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"
Re: Dark Diplomacy (Laveriel)
Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2023 9:19 am
by Laveriel
“No, wait-” the elf protested as she realized what Hikami wanted to do. It was too late when she saw his aunt was somehow already notified and started moving towards them.
The siltori’s jaw tightened and her eyes flared as she watched them conversing. It was not what she had in mind. This incident was not something she wanted to announce to strangers. It was done and there was nothing she could do to undo it. She would have to work around it somehow. Involving fifty people whom she didn’t know in an excursion where she would be trying her best not to severely injure their opponent was too much of a headache. While she did not care about the Imperials, the Ecithians… they were the people who had helped her order when no one else would.
Hikami did not even allow her to explain who they were going up against before flying off. She watched his figure grow smaller and sighed. This was the thing with young heroes - they had a habit of getting ahead of themselves. Veriel should know considering she had the same tendency during her early days as a dawnmartyr. She couldn’t even count how many times Ryo had scolded and disciplined her when she first joined his team.
At least they still had the earpieces.
Veriel took a deep breath before pushing her way to where the dawnmartyrs were. She spoke into their line again. “Ideally, I’d rather not bring armies into this, especially if they’re avialae. That Kathar in the black suit, he can trap avialae and strip away their magic somehow.” Her voice cracked as the memories flashed in her mind. Blood in his pale hair. Blood on his gray wings. “I can’t tell you how it works exactly, but it’d be best if you stay away from him.” Of course, there was no guarantee that Irdan couldn’t impose the same powers on everyone else, but the bastard didn’t use it when faced with other races.
Then there was the boy. For him to sit comfortably with the Imperials… Veriel still didn’t know what to make of it. She wondered if he knew of his lineage. Trying to remove him from them forcibly could be dangerous when she didn’t know where his loyalties lie. The siltori couldn’t even begin to imagine what a son of Arcas would be able to do. There was too much of the unknown and not enough time.
Shaking her head, Veriel forced her mind to refocus and realized she finally reached the dawnmartyr’s pavilion. She scanned the group and found the two people she needed. Knight-Lieutenant Melise Corbi from the Spellforged and Knight-Lieutenant Ismael Haine from the Warforged. She knew Haine worked with the gryphons while Corbi was an experienced Negator and Animus mage.
Pulling them aside, she gave them a general idea of what was going on. It was very brief, but enough for them to realize the severity of the situation. She looked at Corbi. “I need you two to find Knight-Lieutenant Rivalron and bring him to the lake with you. He should be here somewhere on duty.” The siltori would need Valron. Hopefully, his Mesmer would help shield her against what Senator Khijata might have in store. Then to Haine as they handed each of them a pearl and an extra to give to Valron. “You need to return to Dawnhold and get some of the gryphons.” It would have been easier to drag along avialae dawnmartyrs to the battle, but just like she had warned Hikami: she wasn’t sure what it would mean for them if they had to face off against Irdan.
For now, this was the best preparation that her brain could come up with. Veriel knew certainly that there was probably something more she could do, but rather than wasting her time pondering on it, she needed to find the Ecithians. With that in mind, she started relaying into their comms what she knew about their opponents, their abilities and dangers.
“If we’re lucky, we don’t even need to fight at all. I’ll try to convince them to stand down.” Even to herself, Veriel didn’t sound too convinced. She was no negotiator, but she had to try.
And if that didn’t work… Well, her aether was already back spinning and twisting inside of her, preparing what affliction she could in the limited time. Sparing one last look at the celebration, the dawnmartyr made her way towards the lake.