The Queen shakes her head once again, "We fear that any additional aid provided will draw too much attention, even if it is only from the merchants. And with your explorations of the other cities of our realm perhaps it is best if you set up bases of operation there. And as we said before, these first cities were chosen as a compromise to those wishing to march on Treerazer's forces now. As such we have no contacts with whom we trust implicitly."
The Queen touches lightly the crown on her brow, whose vines move as though in tender affection. "For how we will determine your progress, we will be using the might of the Viridian Crown. It has many powers, including allowing us to scry on those loyal to us. Every Oathday during the midnight hour we will observe you, please report as though you were in our presence. Any further instructions or information we can provide based on your report will come to you that night in your dreams."
Exhaling lightly the Queen becomes serious once more, "Finally, we would like all who are willing to partake in this mission for us, and for the good of Kyonin to put their hands forth. We ask that you know, once this is done, there will be no turning back until Treerazer is destroyed and the Tanglebriar returned to life once more."
With no hesitation, Maeglin proffered his hand, speaking softly. It was the softness of a blade sliding from its sheathe, and there was no mistaking the iron in it.
"They broke my body. They stole my future. They strangled any dreams of romance or glory, marking me for all time. I would give all I have and more to spare others my fate. If by my life or death I can rid our land of this blight, I swear to you it shall be done."
Ero...Eroges is the furth..furthest away, we we could start there and work our w.w.way back.
He began nervously again. The spread of that vile... cult well it must be stoped certainly or else they would be like weeds. You killed the weed then removed the roots. He wondered though if he could do...what the queen was suggesting and swallowed. Nature.... nature held a cycle of violence to it as much as a cycle of regrowth. He decided sitting there if he must kill other elves to stop the spread of the cult then he could. . . He certainly wouldnt like it though.
If..if yo.you were to ord...order us to m-m-march on Treerazer ri...ri...right now I would go my Queen. Roo..rooting out the the cult before they disease others mus..must be done. I'm in.
Any stands immediately, and gets down to one knee.
"My Queen, I will slay the Cult of that Demon-Filth. I will rend them from this world, and cause ruin and grief upon their every endeavor. If it be your Will, it will be done."
Callanniel also puts his hand forth. "I accept you quest, my Queen, and not just because your Highness asks us to do so but also because my blood and family are also connected to this blight and even if my ancestors failed to cleanse this blight, I feel I shall never abandon their quest."
The Queen's eyes glisten with unshed tears and her voice only barely checks her emotion. "All of you have our undying gratitude." She reaches out to touch your hands, which emit a brief light and warmth. Looking down there is a strange mark on your hand, a hawk encircled by vines and leaves, which slowly fades into your skin.
Queen Edasseril controls her tone once more, "This is my personal arcane mark, should you ever desire to bring it forth again just intone The desire of Kyonin is for the Tangle to be free. Now, I think I've taken enough of your time tonight, please enjoy the festivities, for tomorrow you begin your quest. We," she pauses significantly before continuing, "I, will see you throughout the night." Around you the Queen's guard and entourage look stunned that she dropped the use of the royal we so significantly.
"We must go and see to our other subjects. We are sure they are tired of listening to a rote speech." With a wink she dissipates her illusion and appears in its exact location, continuing its speech as though she were there the entire time. The entourage around you quickly scatter into the crowd, calling off all of the spells that had shrouded your conversation.
Maeglin glanced down at his hand.
Branded once more, he thought, bemused. He idly wondered if he would just collect marks for the rest of his life, his flesh becoming a storybook that only he could decipher.
He shook his head to clear it, then took a sip from his wine. Maeglin placed his glass on the table before locking eyes with each other person at the table in turn.
"I know the Queen bid us enjoy the festivities, but I think that I, for one, wish to disobey her in this regard. Long have I wished to revenge myself upon the demons that have wronged so many of our people, and unless I miss my guess, the Queen has selected us because we all have a similar, personal stake in this matter.
Rather than wine or cheese, I would gorge myself on you, my new fellows. I would drink in your stories, marvel at their textures and savor them. I would know you all, as I would have you know me, for I have no doubt that before this is done we will all be tested. We cannot afford to hesitate, or to have any discord. We must have trust and respect. For this to happen, I think we must know why it is us, specifically, that the Queen is entrusting with this monumental task. And the answer to that lies in our stories. What say you?"
Anyborthelos looks uncomfortable at the idea of sharing, and holds his peace. He squirms a little in his seat.
"Um...maybe...uh...you go first?"
Maeglin nodded towards Anybethelos.
"I assumed I would, my friend. I hope it's all right to call you, all of you, friend. It might be a tad presumptuous but I pray that by the end of the evening we shall have accomplished at least that much."
Maeglin regarded Nilelane, noting her revulsion and accepting it stoically.
"You are perceptive. I shall tell you the whole of it."
Maeglin drained his glass in one long swallow, signaling a passing servant to have them refill it. The telling of this particular tale never got easier, and when he spoke, his voice was thick with torment.
"You just saw my father, Dergeroth. He's one of the Queen's personal guards, a warrior of irreproachable skill. He raised me to follow in his footsteps, and I was an apt pupil. By the time I was forty, I was deemed competent enough to lead a patrol near the border of Tanglebriar. It was then that I learned how insidious Treerazer's threat truly was.
One of my men betrayed us. We had trained together, gotten drunk together...he had dined with my parents. Lysarius."
Maeglin's hand tightened on his wine glass, and his features contorted with rage.
"Cultists ambushed us. My men died around me, and then Lysarius turned traitor, quite literally stabbing me in the back. He left me alive, but I lost consciousness. When I came to, the cultists had crucified me, flayed open the flesh of my arms and inserted some sort of instrument. I was so badly hurt, I could only remain conscious for a few moments. Just long enough to learn of my rescue.
My father and the Queen herself rode into the clearing where I had been taken. Lysarius had been watching the proceedings, and he used the confusion of the battle to flee. The last thing I saw was my father's face, and the horror on it when he saw what they had done to me.
My next memory was of waking. I was in my old room at my father's home. He was there, as was the Queen. They explained to me that I had been in a coma, for decades. My body had become thus; this ruin you see before you. My arms are permanently damaged. There was no hope of regaining my skill at arms. I sunk into a deep depression, turning to alcohol and feeling that my destiny had been ripped from me. Many of my former friends were so disturbed by my appearance that they ended our acquaintance. A ray of hope, however, arrived in the form of my old friend Thalion.
We had met during basic training. We he different career paths, though. He was a wizard, and serves Kyonin as such. He cared not one whit for my altered appearance, and told me that though what happened to me was tragic, not all was lost. That what he made me a great warrior was not my body, but my mind, and I still possessed that. That all that was now necessary was a redirection of focus."
Maeglin relaxed a bit, even smilin slightly at the mention of his friend and mentor.
"He was right. Once I dedicated myself to it, the arcane arts came easily to me. Thalion himself instructed me. I've recently begun to ponder how I may use this newfound power to fight back against the corruption of Treerazer, so I count tonight as a true blessing. The Queen herself has given us the task of removing the demonic blight from our lands, and put me in contact with allows you. You, whom I would know. Whose struggles and suffering against this darkness are likely no less than my own. You, whom I would call allies and friends and strive with, that no Elf may suffer as we have.
Tonight is an affirmation. That I was right to not give in to despair. That there is still hope. I am grateful, and hopeful, for the first time in...I cannot remember when.
And that is my story."
"Would I go back to not looking like a demon and an Elf got really drunk and had no access to prophylactics? Would I go back to looking normal? Of course I would. I was handsome, once. Women enjoyed looking at me. I'm not dead inside. I miss that. But I am trying to make the most of my life now. It is all I can do."
Corrin sat there mouth agape at Maeglin's story. He didnt ...didnt even begin to have the words to describe the horror inside as the elven wizard described the... well things that were done to him. He suddenly felt very very very cold.
M-m-my fa-father,"
He blurted out suddenly interupting though not truly meaning to.
h.h.he he wa...wa..was a cul..cu....one of them.
He began physically shuddering from the painful recollection.
He..he.. he took me th..th..there on..once. To to ini..initiate m..m..me. He said. In..instead of ....plan..planting som..some thing in..inside me the...they de...decided to sacri.... whe.when he real...realized what the new new pla..pl..plan was he tri..tried to stop them but they... they.
He was rocking slightly in his seat now and he glanced torwards where the queen had been sitting, after a moment as if looking to where she had been sitting was some sort of strength he contiued on his voice steadier.
Th...the queen arrived with some of the gu..guard and rescued me at th.. the st..start of the ritual.
He finished somewhat meekly his shoulders slumping for a moment then lifting up a little. He felt like a weight had been lifted from them.... well a little at least.
Maeglin grimaced. His physical torment had been great, but he had not suffered the loss of a family member. Maeglin found it interesting that the Queen had saved both him and Corrin, and he sympathized with the he difficulty that Corrin clearly had when discussing what had happened to him.
"Then, it appears we are brothers in suffering."
Callanniel listens to every word of Maeglin's story and also when Corrin tried to tell his own. Moving his head towards Maeglin, the blind elf spoke in his low tone. "I'm sorry to hear about your loss and even if I do not judge about your personal loss and how it affected your life, I must say that your tale was the only thing that revealed your condition to me... my eyesight is ruined but my hearing is quite sensitive and your voice betrays nothing. Your are not broken, my friend, just changed." He then looks to Corrin. "On the other side, I sense in you a deeper wound... shackles. If you wish, I could try help you to free yourself."
Callanniel then sat and abandoned his empty glass. "We were all damaged by the insidious plague that is the Tanglebriar and this is why the Queen had chosen us, not because we are expendables... she chose us because we KNOW what is to lose. We have already lost once, a fact that I will fight with everything I have to not repeat."
"You told your story to us, Maeglin, a clear sign if trust so I shall trust you with my own... I think you are aware that I'm not from Kyonin... a forlorn. My family the Dars'Mer, lost their home in Shevaroth and we vowed not to live in any other city until we have retaken our legacy."
"I was born in Hymbria, where our kin also fights to reclaim Sevenarches... much of our legacy is still lost to us and we all should do what we can to restore our former glory... Since I could hold a sword I joined in the skirmishes and open battles to retake my home and it hurts me to say that we failed time and time again."
"On our last battle to retake Shevaroth I was blinded and much like you, Maeglin, I had to reinvent myself. I was a scout and my keen vision was famous among my men and, the irony is that even if we manage to retake our history, I'll never lay my eyes on it but if what happened to me was the price for our success, I'm glad that I have paid it."
He remains silent for a couple seconds before finishing. "I trust that you'll guide me and my spear to the heart of our enemies."
"You have my oath, Callaniel. It shall be so."
A tiny voice pops up from the table near Corrin, slurring neatly, "Woooaaahhh. Heavy sschtuff." A pixie fades into visibility a moment later, her face red as a cherry and a tiny mug made of acorn in her hand. Though it is difficult to see there appears to be some of the wine from this evening in the mug.
Corrins eyes widened the moment her head the voice of the familiar pixie blushing a little at the same time.
P..ppyrromae!
He exclaimed jumping in his seat before smiling. His amusement at seeing his tricksy little friend was quickly dashed when well, he realized the sobriety of the situation. He had to begin to wonder if well she had been eavesdropping the whole time. That could be awkward.
Wh...wh.what are...are you do... doing here?
He exclaimed helpfully trying to gently take her acorn mug away.
The pixie leans drunkenly on Corrin's arm and doing her best to keep the mug away from his fingers. "I wash *hiccup* looking for you boyfriend!" Pyrromae staggers closer to the center of the table, "I shaw you enter this building, but when I flew in I couldn't find you. I searched ." The pixie expands her arms and spins in circles for emphasis. She dizzily collapses on her back near the center of the table before continuing, "So I thought to myself, maybe I'll have a drink or two. Six mugs later and POOF, here you are *giggle*. You elves make the best booze, it brings your heart's desire to you." She points at Corrin and screws up her face to ask a serious question, "I feel like I'm flying." With those final words her arm collapses across her face in a fit of giggles.
The cringe on his face when the peapot little pixie called him her boyfriend was obvious as was the blush on his face. With her spin and collapse he easily slips the acorn mug far away from her and he slides his hands to catch her assuming she will quickly fall over in no time.
He had never seen anyone so drunk before. It was hard not to break out in giggles with her.
Th.the ci..circle sent me here f-f-for an important mission Pyrromae. We.
He began making an arm motion to the others in their group with his free hand.
just gone done with our ...briefing. I...it was very nice of you to fo-f-f-follow me all this way.
He finished with a slight frown. He felt like he had already said too much and truth be told, he wasnt sure how to well, send her home without well, hurting her feelings. He glanced to the others with pleading eyes... maybe they had some idea how to extricate him from this situation at the moment. Without thinking he held out his hand a bit for her to hang on to, much like one would offer their shoulder to a drunken friend to lean on.
The appearance of a drunken pixie out of nowhere caught Maeglin quite by surprise, and after observing her antics he felt a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. He had to fight down a laugh. When be spoken, his mirth was evident.
"Ah...well, I wouldn't want to intrude on such a fine couple. Shall we leave you alone, my friend?"
Maeglin winked and grinned, taking any sting out of the words.
"In all seriousness though, you must get some water in her. Hangovers are the result of your body combating the poison of alcohol and being severely dehydrated. Make sure she has plenty of water and no more booze."
This has been an odd night, Maeglin reflected. It had gone from a fancy party to a grand quest to giving advice for how to care for drubken pixies. It was more excitement than he'd seen in years.
Maeglin quite liked it.
Anyborthelos wasn't sure how to react.
'Do I pretend the pixie isn't there? Do I tell my story? Or should I wait for another time?
Unsure of how to react, Any busied himself with his drink, still a bit too nervous to speak up.
Maeglin glanced over at the Elf that was now paying attention to his beverage.
"And you, my friend? Hopefully your story is less fraught with tragedy than ours."
Anyborthelos begins, slowly at first, his voice raising as his confidence grows in the telling. He stares at his lap this whole time he speaks.
"Well, you...uh...may have noticed I have a slight accent. It's mostly gone now, so many people don't catch it right away. I'm originally from the Mordant Spire Colony."
He puts his hands up defensively.
"I know, I know. I've heard it all. What a bunch of weirdos, right?"
He sighs, his expression miserable.
"I have heard it all. And, to be fair, most of it's true. We...they, are very xenophobic, and it was rare for one to have as much contact with outsiders as I did. Which is to say, any at all. My village was near the edge of what's considered the Spire's Territory. What I mean is, part of our time was spent off the island, as opposed to never leaving, part of our time was on the island, and part...I'm rambling aren't I?"
He takes a sip of his wine, and a deep breath.
"Anyway, I was very young, and thankfully, many of details are rather blurry at this point. I was taken one day, snatched off the boat from a trip to Magnimar, We'd docked back at home, but I was supposed to wait on the boat until everything was offloaded. Someone crept onto the ship, and knocked me out. I just recall a scar on his left hand. It was over a brand, as if he'd intentionally carved his own flesh to remove the brand of allegiance. Nasty stuff, really."
He took another drink, and finally makes eye contact. He looks at Maeglin first, then the rest of the table.
"I saw...horrible things. Torture, rape, murder...it was exactly what you'd expect of the most depraved of a demon's cult."
When he speaks again, his voice is wavering, and his hands are shaking.
"This next part I remember vividly, however. I had been beaten for what felt like hours, and was currently being hung by my wrists from the ceiling. I was only half-conscious. But I promise I remember it clearly!"
His look is that of desperation, as if no one has ever believed this story. It is pleading, and the pain on his face is worse than a raw wound. It is decades of nightmares and pain.
"This Angel, this Glowing Beauty, she kicked in the door, and began spreading rage and ruin upon the cultists. It was like nothing I've ever seen, nor will again. This Celestial Savior, she came to me. She laid her hand upon my brow, and I was healed. My vision cleared, and I saw her as she presents herself to the world. Not her true form, no, but rather the form you know her to be. The Queen, she graced me with a smile. She cut me down, and handed me to Shalendras. That was the mage with the Queen. Shalendras carried me out of that wretched place, and helped raise me. I think they must have come through the Aiudara near the Spire, because I woke up in Kyonin, and have been here ever since. Happily, I might add."
He accents all the descriptive words of his savior with a mix of devotion and embarrassment. Then he smiles at last. He makes eye contact with Maeglin again.
"Does that answer your inquiry?"
Amy's smile was infectious, and Maeglin returned it.
"More than satisfactorily. It seems many of us have closer ties than we would have guessed. The Queen has clearly been planning this for quite some time."
"I agree, it is more than coincidence, to be sure."
He looks around, visibly relieved, and feeling a little more comfortable.
"Anyone else want to partake? The threads of our lives are apparently already entangled."
Pyrromae forces herself into a sitting position, only having to try three times to succeed. "I...have a shtory, one for the ! A tale of intrigues! Hardship!" her voice gets lower, and sultry, "Romance!*hiccup*"
She giggles quietly to herself for a bit, before mustering the most serious face she can. "It wasn't too...ooo long ago that I was minding my own business when I heard voices! Well, a voice out by the tree where I make my home. I was intrigued *hiccup*," she throws her elbow as though nudging someone in the ribs, "see what I did there, and followed it." She gets up and mimes following someone sneakily.
It was out a bit from my tree, but I shpied this handsome hunk all by his lonesome. He was talking to a moose! I didn't hear what he said, but it sounded flowery and the moose snorted. I wanted to know what would make a moose exhaspherated like that sho I flew closer. I was toooo focused on listening and I didn't see it, " smacking her hands together for emphasis. "I was caught in shome inshidious shpider's web! My wings felt glued to the shticky shtrands and I could only barely keep a hold of my shpear! I shtruggled mightily for hours, but all for naught." Her slurring becomes much more prevalent when she speaks quickly, as she is now.
"It's all over I thought! No one around but that stranger, and he won't help me, so I cried out in despair. Help! I'm stuck and cannot get out! Just as I saw a million little eyes looking hungrily in my direction there was a mighty crashing through the undergrowth. Behold my hero!" Pyrromae points with both hands at Corrin, "So gallant, so brave! Rushing to my side and plucking me from the strands of that web as a shea of shpiders was about to come rushing down on me! When he asked if I was ok, I knew he truly cared about me. And that was when I found my boyfriend! Such a charmer he is! I'm lucky to have snatched him up first!"
You can no longer tell if her face is red from exertion or from alcohol, but you'd have thought she flew a marathon with how hard she's breathing from telling her tale.
Any laughs, trying in vain to cover it with his hand.
Maeglin takes a long swallow from his glass of wine to keep from bursting into laughter.
Corrin seemed a little exasperated and almost embaressed.
Breathe....deeply, s..slowly now.
He began dipping her little acorn mug into his cup of water and handing it to her. He wasnt going to try and refute he claim certainly now that she was drunken. It was hard enough to do so when she was sober. There was the hint of a small smirk on his lips though.
t....two years now, tha..that she has been my friend.
He put a little emphasis on the last word hopefully trying to be clear that regardless what Pyrromae said that they werent well a couple. At least he didnt think they were a couple. He wasnt honestly sure how normal relationships worked.
"Well...I suppose now we should discuss what city to visit first. I'm interested to know all of your thoughts."
Pyrromae giggles to herself and mutters sleepily, "OmGrEr."
Maeglin nodded.
"That seems perfectly reasonable to me."
Any chimes in.
"I'll go with the group consensus, since at this point one place is as good as the next."
Callanniel could not hold himself from laughing of the situation between Corrin and the pixie. At Any's words, he remains silent though. A normal person could analyze their surroundings with their sight and hearing and talk at the same time, even if talking could diminish his hearing capabilities... Callaniel had not that kind of luxury no more so to properly analyze his surrounding, he used to remain silent for the most part of the time.
At Maeglin's question, he felt the need to express his opinion. "There are more things to consider besides the simple distance among the cities. Our Queen gave us a mission that, even if righteous, is somehow vague... we might get intelligence about the cultists activities is the cities, but we have no information about where to start, for whom or where to look. In this situation, if we ask only one question to the wrong person, and that person is a cultist, we will have already compromised ourselves."
Callanniel pauses for a moment to hear his surroundings. Good, I think they are listening to me...
"Following this line of though, a city with less 'outside interference', like Omesta, might be the best place to start... on the other side, a more isolated place might have less information available and if we do not know what/where/when to ask, we might lose information or time in excess. In this line of thought, a city with more 'outside interference', like Greenbelt or Erages, might be the best option."
Callanniel sighs. "I think there is not an obvious answer here and for sure not a correct or wrong answer also..."
"Indeed, we will have to be careful. But I think the direct route will be best. Especially since Omestra is closest to here if we have to retreat or return, I think it's a good start."
t-tthat seems a go-go-good choice Maeglin.
He said even as he gently cupped the drunken pixie in his hands rocking her slightly back and forth.
Maeglin pursed his lips, clearly amused.
"Then I think it is time for me to take my leave for the evening. I have some arrangements to make before we go. Shall we meet tomorrow by the city gate at dawn, then begin our journey?"
Pyrromae curls up in Corrin's hands and mumbles a bit.
You all look up hearing the beat of wings and see Nyranin, who lights on your table carrying a scroll case. When relieved of his package Nyranin flies back to the Queen's side.
There is a note attached to the scroll case which reads
All, please come to the Aviary at dawn.
T.E.
Maeglin decided to keep his amusement to himself, but damned if that pixie wasn't the cutest thing he had seen in years.
Maeglin examined the note, then quirked an eyebrow.
"Or perhaps we'll do this instead!"
Maeglin inclined his head politely, bidding his new companion farewell.
"I think perhaps we should take our cue from her. I am going to adjourn for the evening. I'll see you tomorrow when the sun rises, my friends."
Maeglin headed home, gathering his belongings for a journey. He would have left a note for his father, but Dergeroth clearly was already in the know. Maeglin slept contentedly, secure in the righteousness of this mission.
He woke before the sun had begun to cut through the darkness, and made himself ready, reaching the Aviary as the sun rose.
Do...do you st-st-still want a guide for the l-l-leftover par-parts of the festival?
The druid asked Callaniel somewhat quietly still rocking the drunken little pixie to sleep. He had somewhat offered to do so earlier at least in his mind. He smiled down at her and grinned slightly. At least no one teased him about her declarations of love... some of the others back in training had well teased him a few times about it.
Any rises and bows stiffly, and hustles off without a word. He is obviously still upset about his experiences.
In the morning, he gets up early, and goes through an extra vigorous exercise regimen, before he prepares his spells for the day. He also spends an hour in mediation, and packs his bag. As he is unsure of the plans, he brings his travel bag with him to the Aviary.