In the weirdest of the Battalion's training grounds, there had never been anything like this. Classes had hammered 'Cold Iron' into the student's brains; the cure-all for fey-related problems. Standing at the entrance to a hedge maze that had not two minutes ago had been a castle, Ellena was thinking that lecture had been just a tad inadequate. Thankfully, her mother's bedtime stories were a lot more helpful.
As the fey swung at Azaghâl, Ellena reached into her pocket and pulled out her pocketwatch.
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The attack was a poorly aimed one, but she couldn't tell if it was simply meant as a warning, or just the sign of an inept opponent.
In the absence of anything else, Corynne had to take the assault at face value. Not only was the fey protecting the Duchess, but he had attempted to assault one of the team. This needed to be put to an end now, they didn't have time for this.
Drawing a cold iron bolt she loads it into her crossbow, speaking in a loud clear voice. "You will drop your weapon and surrender!"
Unfortunately, the eerie clam that often unnerved her fellows was far less effective on a creature from the fey realms....almost laughably so.
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Ever since the war, Alice has been struggling with anger issues. She's been working on it, she really has. She can manage to be friendly, personable and somewhat tactful, if she wants to, and most of the time she can avoid flying into a fit of rage. But there are two things that never fail to make her snap: questioning her loyalty to Risur and calling her a liar.
And the fey has just done both.
Sprinting towards the creature, she leaps into a reckless thrust with her rapier, aiming the point towards the foe's face in blind rage.
"You will DIE! Glassman, torch the place!"
Miselle sighed. Well, they'd at least tried. "How many flame carrying Elves do you know can storm a fortress single handed?" she said outloud, without much hope of a reply. After all, Alice was not subtle when angry.
She raised the gun to her shoulder, and scanned the area, waiting for the creature to appear again.
Fortunately, the fae's blow was a clumsy swing telegraphed overmuch, leaving Az ample room to dodge away from the weapon. The attempt thwarted, the dwarf follows Miselle's example, raising his musket and making sure he's ready to put the cold iron ball in the thing's face the next time it showed it.
Unfortunately for their enemy, the failed attempt at a surprise attack left him within mere feet of an enemy with a firearm already prepped and loaded with a bullet tailor-made to bring pain to his kind.
Alice's rapier and Jeb's dagger wound the fey, but it stays focused on Azaghal ... until Glassman hurls a flaming flask at a wall of the hedge maze. The fey shrieks in pain as a tiny wisp of smoke begins to rise from its shoulder, and it disappears into the hedge wall. It steps back through the hedge beside the newly-burning section and begins to beat out the flames.
Miselle tried to get a clear shot. If they were going to kill a Fey, it might as well be spectacularly.
-
Az yells in frustration when the shot goes wide, taking a moment to reload another cold iron ball into his musket.
Pivoting on the overgrowing plants, Alice attempts to move around the creature and attack him from the back. "Face me, you dishonorable scoundrel! You who have the gall to call me an liar and a Danoran patsy! You'll remember Alice Kildare for the rest of your short life!"
I thought for sure that would do something...
"It is the Hedge! Attack the hedge, and you're attacking it!"
Taking her own words as gospel, Ellena advances and tries cutting her way through the shrubbery.
The ensuing chaos and dancing firelight send Corynne's shot far askew. As the fight continues she quickly works to reload.
Ellena chops away at the hedge wall, but it grows back as quickly as she cuts it down . Alice nicks the fey's side as it steps back into the hedge and reappears behind Corynne. "Is that name supposed to mean something? I swear, you're nuttier than that other Alice from so long ago." Instead of swinging his club again, the fey waves a hand, the the hedge stretches out in an attempt to trap you.
Steel not good enough against you? Eat this!
"The name of the one who'll kill you, you coward! Stand and fight me, instead of fleeing like a rat!"
Grabbing a vial of acid from her belt, Alice hurls it at the fey.
Welp, that didn't work...
"Alice has it right, burn the hedge. Try to keep the flames away from us!"
For her own part, Ellena steps up alongside Corynne and does her level best to ward off the fey over her shoulder.
[ooc He was talking to you, so I assumed you're his target[/ooc]
As she begins to turn, Corynne's eyes widen in alarm as the hedge growth entangles her, hampering her movement. A flash of anger flares in her eyes before they go completely white, an eerie glow surrounding her body as wild otherworldly howling fills the maze, the temperature in her immediate vicinity notably dropping a few degrees.
"You will pay for that." she says in a cold flat tone, pointing at the fey creature. At her command a number of angry spirits, half solid, some with weapons brandished, others with clawing hands, manifest to viciously swarm her enemy.
Not as quick as some of the others, the spell caught Miselle quite handily. Struggling with the bindings, she fired once more.
Alice and Corynne wound the fey, but it's the allied soldiers hurling alchemest's fire at the hedge that ends the combat. As each flask connects with the hedge wall, the fey shrieks in pain, and as the plants turn to ash, so does he.
With the fey dispatched, navigating the maze is a relatively simple matter. Jebediah's able to deduce the layout, after only a few wrong turns, and you reach the center in just a few minutes. There, you find the tower keep, a sixty foot tall structure that your briefing mentioned has three floors and holds a library and observatory. Your Danoran friend from earlier gave you a key to the rooftop access, but there's another clear point of entry. The front door is ajar and burning - clearly blasted open by powerful magic. The bodies of over a dozen of the Duchess' guards lie scattered around the area slashed and charred. Judging by the still-pooling blood, they were slain mere less than a minute ago.
"Um... do we think the fey with the flaming sword is on the Dutchess' side? I'm really not looking forward to climbing again, but if he isn't she only has one way to run..."
"No. I think we are seeing a falling out. These men were wounded with that flaming sword, or something much like it. Notice the char? Still, if he slaughters her troops, it does not bode well for us to arrest her." It would be ironic, Miselle considered, if they had to save the Duchess before they could arrest her.
Alice points at the corpses on the ground. "Allies don't do that. And running after him will likely be quicker, as I reckon we're out of potions. Pass me a cold iron ball, Az?"
Alice quickly goes through all her weaponry and steels her resolve for a fight to the death. "He's obviously very strong. But we're tasked with getting the Duchess back to Risur, and failure is not an option I want to consider. Ready, friends?"
Did I just include a Danoran in "friends"? Oh, Stars.
"Three of us still have monkey fish potions that would allow the climb, but it may be faster just following in his wake. Also, this man is sort of a legend. Should we engage him, it could well take all of us to stand even the slightest hope of survival." Corynne says thoughtfully.
Az nods to Alice, passing her four of the cold iron balls, just in case she needs more than one shot.
"On other hand, if we could climb to top floor, it would be like pincher maneuver. Duchess is not going to be fleeing from the fae in this direction; she will probably either be trying to hide inside or be heading for roof and try to escape from there."
Alice loads her pistol with a cold iron ball and holsters it under her armpit. "Ah, thought we'd drunk the last one. Split like earlier? Az, Fitelle, Spooky, you three climb and cripple her wings if she tries to take flight, while I, Doc and Princess storm in through the front with swords?"
"Agreed." Corynne says slinging her crossbow over her shoulder. "Just....be careful." she says giving Alice a look. Turning to Elenna she sighs.
"Try not to let her get herself killed in some 'blaze of glory' madness." she says with a smirk.
Blushing a little bit, Ellena responds "That... may have been a poor turn of phrase, but I'll try."
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Alice half glares and half smirks, as she grabs her last aid potion. "Hey, I'm careful. Careful not to let you get hurt if I can help it."
"I appreciate that......so stick around so you can keep doing it." Corynne quips with a grin.
"Hmm...it sounds like good plan to me, but I am thinking we have to stop all this 'splitting up' once mission is finished." Az answers, making sure to give a few cold iron bullets to anyone else in the party with a firearm, just in case.
Heading cautiously through the destroyed front door, and ascending the stairs inside, you pass dozens of corpses - all marked with the same burning wounds. On the one hand, the lack of resistance makes your task a simple one. On the other hand, the fact that Asrabey's body is yet to be found implies that he's still alive after single-handedly eliminating an entire garrison of elite guards. As you reach the top floor of the tower, you begin to hear what sounds like an argument. The duchess' voice is easily recognizable, and there are two other voices present.
With your potions, the climb up the side of the tower is an easy one - especially as you face no resistance. Any defenders either haven't noticed your presence or are dead. As you reach the roof, you can see the tower observatory below you. Almost twenty guards lie scattered around the floor, each slashed and burnt. Three individuals remain alive. The duchess sits on the ground holding a hand over her stomach, which is blackened and bloody. A tiefling cowers behind a orrery at the far end of the chamber. Circling the duchess is a tall, noble-looking elf. He's limping slightly and covered in a multitude of small cuts and bruises. A few broken arrows protrude from his arms and legs, and his lion-faced shield bears fresh blood on its fangs. He wields a flaming sword that occasionally flares as if for emphasis.
Asrabey?: “Save your pleading breath for prayer.”
Duchess: “If you have come for the reason I suspect, you should pray with me as well. You are a murderer, Asrabey. Did I so displease the Court that you needed to slaughter a hundred to reach me?”
Asrabey?: “To forestall war, yes! Your people must not think we ally with a kingslayer. And worse, one who consorts with devils.”
Third Voice: “Um, perhaps reason is bit much to expect at this time, but can we talk about this?”
Asrabey?: “You are lucky your cursed flesh will not burn. But I have other ways to make you suffer. Prepare yourself, and you may die with dignity.”
Duchess: “Wait! My brother won’t execute his own blood, and so long as I live I can still oppose him. There are more important matters than-”
Asrabey?: “You struck the first blow. Aodhan was a soldier, as I am, and forgiveness does not come easily to our kind. He’ll never listen to you, not in the short years he has left. Already you are vilified. You promised your land would pull away from these fiends, would return to the old ways, yet you have fallen in with them yourself.”
Duchess: “You don’t understand. Nathan is on our side. There’s a threat to Risur and the Unseen. I told the Court as much-”
Asrabey?: “Enough. Ethelyn, please do not make me watch you beg.”
Duchess: “Asrabey Varal, your closed mind has doomed us all. Very well. Finish it.”
Third Voice: “Wait a minute, Varal? Are you kin to a Kasvarina Varal?”
Asrabey: “How do you know Kasvarina?”
Third Voice: “Um, what? She— she was here, months ago! She was on the arm of a Crisillyiri man. In the company of my cousin. They took a tour of the mines. They left a few days later. I…I think she was the one who crafted the portal ring.”
Duchess: “Asrabey, I’m trying to tell you, he’s an ally. He’s seen things, and we’re trying to find out what it all means. I think Danor means to destroy both our nations. My brother wouldn’t listen, even the Court ignored me, but you have to believe me.”
Alice stops at the door, listening at the conversation while uncorking the potion. So, he's here to kill her. That would make things easier, but I have other orders. Stars help me. She quickly swallows the content of the vial.
She strides inside the door, rapier and pistol in hand, and offers the elf a small but respectful nod with her head.
"So I understand that you truly are Asrabey. And I can see for myself that the tales of your skill in combat have not been exaggerated. I am RHC Constable Alice Kildare, formerly Royal Risuri Navy, and it's an honor to meet someone of your renown."
"You mentioned being a soldier, and so am I, at the service of King Aodhan, long may he rule, in life and death. And I have been tasked with returning his sister to him, so that she may face justice. Before we debate that, however, there is something I don't understand."
"I don't claim to understand the Hidden Court politics, I doubt any mortal could. But the Duchess, here, acted against our King with the support of some of the fey. From your conversation, here, she pleaded for her life, stating that she could still oppose him. And yet you replied that our King would have executed her. Why bother coming here, fighting all of her guards then, just to off her yourself?"
"Unless... of course, unless you were afraid that she would spill some secrets about her conspiracy. Your mission was assassination then? Murder her before she could spill the beans? I mean no offense by these words, but it does seem logical to me that they would send their best warrior on such a delicate, if underhanded mission."
"I don't know if you stand for those who tried to kill our King, or if you are just following orders. I don't much care either. But unless I am mistaken, there is no bad blood between Risur and the Hidden Court. There will be, however, if you murder her. There may even be war. And Duchess Ethelyn, treacherous snake that she may be, spoke of a threat. Would you really risk weakening my country and yours, should it be real? Or wouldn't information benefit the Hidden Court as much as Risur?"
"I know it's every soldier's nightmare, Asrabey, to be given an order that may harm your homeland. It's been my nightmare as well. What is it going to be, then? Will you blindly trust the politicians, the conspirators who would kill every witness to their ill deeds, or would you be cautious and careful?"
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Miselle took in the scene. The Duchess and the Tiefling - the cousin they were after? - looked to be no threat, but to be in danger. Focusing on the Elf, she took out her rifle and loaded a fresh salt round. Killing what appeared to be a Champion of the Fey would cause all sorts of problems. But her mission was the Duchess. If the Elf decided he was going to use that sword, she would put him down if she could.
As they watch the interaction, Corynne quietly activates the scroll that would allow her to better see the flow of life passing through all present, letting her better access the Duchhess' gut wound. She trusted Miselle and Az to unleash hell on Asrabey before he could take a step towards Alice's team, but she had to make sure the Duchess was secured in the mayhem that was probably seconds from ensuing.
Az pulled the butt of his musket into his shoulder, though he kept the barrel angled down at the ground, not at direction at any individual on the roof, but it was clear from the way he was angled that he would also focus first on the elf along with Miselle.
The situation was tense...he could feel his heartbeat in his ears. Still...he didn't say a word, but right now merely observed, waiting to see what would happen. At the very least, the Duchess wasn't dead yet...though if she were killed by Asrabey there was hardly anything they could do to stop it from happening.
No, don't go... damn it!
Elena enters as well, Fabian drawn but at her side. She stands silent during Alice's speech, thinking, They could just be trying to clean up their mess - they don't want to go to war with us. He doesn't seem inclined to give her to us, though.
Your spell tells you that the Duchess' condition is fragile.
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The high elf cocks his head slightly at Alice. "You are brave, young one, and you're correct in that you don't know everything that's transpiring. The truth is simple: I'm here to deliver a message to your king. The Unseen Court did not endorse this woman's actions, and as such, she is to be executed as a traitor. While I've been sent to ensure this is done, I need not be the one to carry out the deed."
He's about to continue when Duchess Ethelyn abruptly speaks up. "Fools, all of you! What I did was necessary. There's a vision - " Asrabey cuts her off. "Cease your lies, you treacherous snake! I will not have my time wasted."
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"Killing the Duchess would be tantamount to a declaration of War against Risur. Is that the intent of the Unseen Court? If you wished to inform the king that the unseen court had no part in this, just sending an ambassador would have sufficed; Murdering Risuri citizens of such prominence without a public trial would simply be perceived as assassination. Whatever her crimes, it is for the courts and the judges to determine her guilt and punishment."
Alice punctuates Asrabey's words at the Duchess with a kick in the woman's ribs as Jebediah speaks.
"That was for trying to blow me up. The next one will be for the Risuri soldiers who died today."
Speaking right after her colleague, she expands on his reasoning, trying to hold her gaze against the high elf's. She would like to take revenge for the sailors on the exploded ship, but she is not eager to anger such a powerful warrior.
"Let's not speak of hostilities and murder right away. The Court has been a steadfast ally of Risur, and reckless words might put that in danger."
"Lord Asrabey, I understand how your presence here could be seen as diplomacy from a point of view, having actions speak louder than words. I respect that. As RHC Constables, we are currently the highest-ranking Risuri authorities on this island for all matters regarding her capture. Therefore, it would be in my full power to thank you for your assistance, certify that your actions proved beyond any reasonable doubt how the Court distanced itself from this woman's action. I can put that in writing, should you-" a small muscle in her cheek twists as she swallows a bit of her pride "-should you not trust my word. A full report of the fact that you fought teeth and nail, only to bring her to justice. In exchange, we will collect her alive. You did say, a moment ago, that King Aodhan would not listen to her, would not forgive. And I swear upon my own blood, the blood I gave for Risur, that I'll hand her to the King's justice. Please do not rob the old man of this, the only comfort he might have after her betrayal."
"You brought glory upon yourself and the Court with your valor and bravery, you would not bring more by killing her now that you bested her already. "
As Alice steps forward, Asrabey moves to block her way. The Duchess speaks up again, though, before the high elf kicks her sharply to shut her up. "Please, I had no choice -"
Asrabey considers Alice's words for another moment before making a counterdemand. "You seem passionate and honorable, but there's no guarantee your forces will feel the same. By now, your troops will be surrounding this tower, and I wish to leave this island unmolested. I give you two choices, therefore: get me a ship with an unarmed skeleton crew. Once I've secured safe passage to my homeland, I will release Ethelyn into your custody. Alternately, if you refuse, I will kill her here and now before making my exit - regardless of collateral damage. The choice is yours."
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Blaze of glory...
Ellena steps forward, and the catch in her voice - not to mention her sweating palms - make it very clear she'd really rather not be speaking. Still, she did promise Corynne that she'd try.
"Col- No collateral damage sounds good. That sounds good." She coughs, shifts her grip on Fabian. "We can give you a sloop and the men to crew it..." and here her eyes narrow and she starts speaking with a slight accent, like she's imitating someone - no, it's not Alice - "...and one of us will go with you. They're our men."
Corynne winces when Alice kicks the Duchess. If she were to die here and now everything they were negotiating would be pointless. Descending as her companions keep their weapons trained on the tense situation , she walks toward the point of conflict.
"Ellena's counterpoint seems fair wouldn't you think?" she asks as she produces a pair of mage cuffs from her belt. "Now if you find our terms agreeable, I'd like to take custody of the prisoner. In her current condition, if we stand here discussing things much longer, her expiration will make this quite moot."
Shifting her eyes to the teifling she shakes her head slightly. "And while I'm cuffing her I wouldn't get any ideas. You take a step toward me and the cuirgeons will have a hard time figuring out whether it was the bullets or blades that killed you." she says directing her gaze first to Alice and Ellena, then back up toward Miselle and Az. "Though I could still question you both after you were dead."
This time, the utter calm and confidence in her voice makes it unnervingly clear how true her words are.