The Deceptions of Dance (Combat RP)

Discussion in 'Theocracy of Plegia' started by Lightascetic, Apr 2, 2014.

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  1. Lightascetic

    Lightascetic Member reg

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    "One thousand, two thousand, three thousand, four..."

    "No matter how many times you count the gold, it's not going to increase..."

    "Easy now. At least he's occupied."

    "Been a long time since our last heist... So ladies and gents, who fancies a show?"


    ___________________

    Having grown used to wandering Plegia's barren wastelands and sparse countryside, Hannah's feet were absent of aches and pains as she approached the gates of Thearen: a town famed for its mercenaries and adversely, its information. Two stalwart guards, coated in light armour, collaboratively fenced off access to the gate with their spears. At her harmless demeanour however, they raised their spears, one of the guards even tipping his helmet at her. As the gate screeched open, the iron hinges well beyond their best years, Hannah looked back to Noah, her recent and only travelling companion. As she moved through the open gates, she heard his crunching footsteps behind her. As the screeching behind them signalled their enclosure in Thearen, Hannah turned to him, offering the briefest and faintest of smiles.

    Noah had suggested this as a destination after vowing to help Hannah find a way to return her stolen voice. Initially, the idea of being in such a popular dwelling frightened her; she was no longer the crowd-seeking performer she had once been. After some gentle persuasion from Noah, she eventually agreed. With her harp a comforting weight against her hip, Hannah walked alongside the tactician as they began to enter the bustling populace of the town. As one would expect on a sunny afternoon, the streets were fairly packed. Merchants attempted to shift their wares from makeshift stalls while travellers were enticed by what they thought were 'reasonable' prices.

    "Fancy havin' a good luck charm around that sweet little neck of yours, pet?" A large, middle-aged merchant asked Hannah as she walked past his stall. For perhaps the first time, Hannah was glad of her inability to speak. As Noah led the way to one of the taller buildings, an inn presumably, she moved closer to his side, hoping to draw even less attention to herself.
  2. Squishy

    Squishy tl;dr this is all, still, toko's fault admin

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    "Another!"

    Emilia slammed her tankard down on the bar, watching as the barkeep filled it up with another round of ale. Her recent loot from the encounter with the desert bandits had been large enough to treat herself. Not that she wouldn't have done that had it been a small loot, but with a large loot it felt especially satisfying.

    After crossing the market and collecting a little extra pocket money from some unattentive travellers and merchants alike, she had sauntered over to the inn, and claimed a stool at the bar. Sadly, the charming lancer wasn't there to keep her entertained this time, and the men that were present at the inn were mostly of the dull and brutish sort.

    For the time being, alcohol proved to be enough entertainment, the thief thought, as she drank down the last of her ale.

    And ordered another one.
  3. UnnamedDude

    UnnamedDude Lighting up the Fire in the Night vet

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    Noah ran what facts he had through his head. He didn't have much to work with. All he knew was that some form of magic had been used to rob her voice from her. Magic wasn't quite household, but it was far from rare and he would likely need to delve into the more unsavory towns if he wanted to get to the bottom of it... But for now, he would try to check the cleaner areas. Cleaner, of course, was a relative term. Mercenaries ran the gamut from walking-the-earth do-gooders to scoundrels to those who would sell their own mothers for a profit. But their general lack of roots would prove useful here. He needed any scraps of information, from everywhere, scattered to the winds they may be.

    Of course, in the mean time he had to keep his mind on the current task. He silently guided Hannah past the merchant, ignoring the disapproving glance he earned for it. The inns... the inns were the gateway to any town or city, where anyone who passed through would go. It would be positively painful to wade through the slush, though...

    Entering bombarded the pair with noise, as inns so often did. Loud voices chattered about this and that, missions and gold and taste in men or in women. Mouths ran like water here, tidbits washing over the tactician. Though none seemed terribly related to voice-taking mages. An uncommon subject even here, he'd venture. "Well, this is the place to start," he muttered, half to Hannah and half to himself.

    Noah wondered if the bar would have more information. They certainly abounded with bizarre stories. The question was, how many of them were reliable...?

    But a familiar voice inspired him to check it anyway. Sure enough, a certain redhead was happily draining tankard after tankard.

    "Not that I care, but do you always feel the need to drink yourself under the table after a windfall?" He called dryly.
    Last edited: Apr 2, 2014
  4. Blonde Panther

    Blonde Panther Not always sweet and delicate vet

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    The purple-haired, white-clad girl turned one last pirouette, struck her leg out behind her one last time and lowered herself to one knee, in an elaborate bow that cued the audience to give her applause. Standing up and waving to the people in front of her, she turned around, waved to the people who had been behind her as well, and bowed once more for more applause. She stayed around in the middle of the circle of people for a little while longer, until the hat came back to her. Taking it and resisting the urge to look into it, she started weaving her way through the people to where her companion was. Some people patted her on the shoulder, complimenting her dancing, but she ignored most of them.

    "Good music, Laura," she said, "Nice and uptempo. Just what I like to dance in times like these." She handed the hat to her flute-playing partner, who had less inhibitions than her and looked into it, frowning. "I know," Ariel said, "People in these last few towns haven't exactly been paying much for my performances... it's almost as if they have something against street performers."

    "I'm pretty sure that's not the case," Laura said. "If it were, you'd be getting smaller crowds and something else than applause." She frowned. "Rotten eggs and tomatoes, most likely."

    "Ha ha. Anyway, let's go grab some of that money and get a bite to eat. That was what the dance was for in the first place, right?" She pointed to a particular inn. "Maybe we can get a little discount if we provide some live entertainment..."

    "Ariel, you're still winded from just now." Laura rolled her eyes, but followed behind her partner into the inn.

    Noise swamped over Ariel, but not in a bad way. Some people called out to her and Laura, not because they knew them but Ariel knew some men were drawn to their choice of clothing. Laura paid it no heed, but Ariel laughed, called back and waved. It was then that she caught sight of not one, but two familiar figures. "Ohmygosh!" she called out, sticking her neck out to see better. "Hold the horses Laura, I know those people! Noah! Emilia!" She waved frantically, hoping to get their attention.
  5. Lightascetic

    Lightascetic Member reg

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    Hannah was once again reminded of the fact that her crowd days were behind her. If she had been any closer to Noah, she would have been under his skin. Clinging sheepishly to his cloak, she followed him through the throng of patrons, bar maids and gossipers. When it became apparent that he was addressing someone, she drew the line; she couldn't hang on him like a third arm. As she detached herself from his cloak, Hannah straightened out her skirt, checking her harp was still fastened securely to her belt.

    At that moment, a slightly drunken man stumbled straight into her side. Though not forceful enough to move her from her stationary position, Hannah's hand was shoved into the strings of her harp, which emitted a discordant note, along with a few slivers of magic residue.

    "Oops, sorry love." He said, steadying himself as he waited for her response. She looked at him with a sad expression. When she did not reply, he merely shrugged and carried on. Hannah took a deep breath and tried not to look like a sorrowful sight to Noah's acquaintance.

    When she heard his name from across the room, she chose not to look at who it might be. Noah knew what he was doing, so Hannah just remained by his side, silent as could be.
  6. Squishy

    Squishy tl;dr this is all, still, toko's fault admin

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    "You're fast to to speak, seeing as you've only met me once before." Emilia said, putting her tankard down when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

    She turned around and shrugged, eyeing the tactician with a raised eyebrow.

    "I could say the same about you picking up women. Where'd you get this one?" The thief asked, gesturing at the woman next to Noah. There was something strange, something sad about her. The short man really had a... diverse taste in women, it seemed.

    But before she could ask more, she heard a shrill voice cutting through the din of the tavern. A voice she had heard chanting spells not too long ago. A tiny smile crept over Emilia's lips as she quickly downed the last sip of ale.

    "Speaking of women. Looks like we just can't leave eachother alone, huh?"
  7. UnnamedDude

    UnnamedDude Lighting up the Fire in the Night vet

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    "With the vigor you attack those with?" parried Noah. "That's not the behavior of a first-time drinker." But his face went sharp at her later comment. "You're a smart woman. You should know that's not what I'm up to." He said nothing more to the thief, but he thought he saw something like recognition in her eyes. Not the full extent of Hannah's problems, perhaps, but she knew that there was something deeper going on.

    He waved slightly as the sound of Ariel's voice drifted over above the din of the inn and bar. Her enthusiasm was commendable, if nothing else. "But the short version is, we're looking for a certain nasty someone. Heard any strange tales lately? Particularly, those involving mages?"
  8. Blonde Panther

    Blonde Panther Not always sweet and delicate vet

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    Emilia's response wasn't loud or obvious enough for Ariel to register, but Noah waved at her. She took that as an invitation to join them and listen in on their conversation. Having nothing to really add to it, she instead turned to the only person in their direct company that she did not know by name or face. "Hi," she said, lowering her voice slightly. This person hadn't responded to her yet; perhaps she'd been intimidated by her high energy. "I'm Ariel. Are you a friend of Noah's?"

    When she heard Noah ask about mages, she looked up. "Going to beat up bad guys again Noah? Can I come? I have some frustration to vent."
  9. Lightascetic

    Lightascetic Member reg

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    Hannah became slightly overwhelmed at the abruptness of her acknowledgement by Noah's acquaintance. She felt her cheeks rise in colour, so quickly darting her eyes mindlessly into the shifting, drinking crowd that swamped the rest of the inn. Did this woman think that she was some kind of... Had her appearance slipped that much!? Hannah ran a hand through her long, knotted hair, wishing she'd taken more time to brush it this morning. The worst part of situations like this was her inability to clear up any false accusations. Luckily for her, Noah soon jumped to her defence. However, she wasn't to be ignored for much longer.

    Beside her popped up another woman, presumably the one who has called Noah moments ago. She hated to appear rude, but she had no choice. To Ariel's question, Hannah began to nod, but she had already looked back to Noah. She bit the insides of her mouth to try and get over the extreme anxiety that had formed in the pit of her stomach. Her hands twitched above her harp.

    It was then that a shrill, high voice cut across the burly chatter of the inn. Several people rubbed their ears before turning towards the door.

    "Come one, come all, it's time for the show of a lifetime! For today only, it's the Plegian Performance Platoon! Come one, come all!"

    Of course, Hannah had heard of them. as an ex-performer herself, she had heard many a tale about their treachery, nestled beneath their dazzling shows. With the briefest of touches to Noah's arm, Hannah weaved her way through the moving crowd towards the door. Most of the patrons were heading outside, too.

    Out in the afternoon air, a crowd had already formed around the performers.

    Jake: The lean, blade juggling, sword-swallowing machine, noted for his black, spiked hair.

    Melley: A sultry pyromaniac, suitably garbed in red. She loved nothing more than playing with fire.

    Aaron: An impossibly flexible man, whose body also belies tremendous strength. He could climb poles like no other.

    Rita: A shifty, seductive dancer, able to beguile her crowds with illusions and glamours. Those that touch get a crack of her whip for their troubles.

    And Ed, their loudmouth announcer; ten of age and short of stature, but a voice that could crack a window pane. After introducing them all, he barked once more:

    "Step back!!!"

    Hannah squeezed to the front, her eyes attentive as the performance began.
  10. UnnamedDude

    UnnamedDude Lighting up the Fire in the Night vet

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    "Ah, this girl is named Hannah. She's... lost her voice, though I'm not entirely certain how. I only know it was intentional on someone's part. And if it comes to combat? I'd honestly be ill at ease to put you in danger," said Noah quietly. It was true that she had been quite capable in combat, but... she had also been somewhat unstable. He wasn't certain he could afford such a possible distraction on the battlefield, even if he felt comfortable asking a civilian to help him do battle with what he could only imagine was a very powerful mage. Being allies of circumstance was one thing. Actively enlisting her aid for an endeavor that would almost certainly be fraught with danger was quite another.

    But he was interrupted before he could ruminate any further on it. He turned to see Hannah moving quickly through a crowd. "Ugh... wait!" he tried to call, but he received no answer, and none of the people here were willing to part for him.

    Seeing little choice, he threaded his way through the throngs of people himself, looking back and forth through the maze of bodies for the familiar flaxen locks, eventually finding her with great effort and forcing his way to her side with even more inconvenience.

    "What is it? What's going on?" He asked, looking shortly at the performers. "Do you know these people?"
  11. Squishy

    Squishy tl;dr this is all, still, toko's fault admin

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    Emilia looked up at the sudden noise from outside. She tilted her head to listen to the announcement with curiosity, but then her face twisted up with a mix of annoyance and disgust.

    Hannah, as Noah had introduced the girl, was seemingly more interested and darted outside, shortly after followed by the tactician himself. Which left Emilia and Ariel standing at the bar. The redheaded thief sighed, pushed her tankard away and got up, grabbing her weapons from the bar and strapping them on their respective places.

    The way Noah had spoken to her made clear that this girl was not just any girl he had picked up. And then that talk of magic and a lost voice? It seemed like interesting situations just kept popping up like weeds lately.

    "Well then, let's see where they went, shall we?"
  12. Blonde Panther

    Blonde Panther Not always sweet and delicate vet

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    "Party pooper," Ariel said, grinning. If Noah knew her at all, he knew there was no way to deter her once she'd chosen a course of action. She was about to produce her tome and inspect how much power was left within it, when she heard a shrill voice announcing the Plegian Performance Platoon. Ariel didn't know who they were, but to announce themselves in such a gaudy manner and fully expecting -and getting- a huge crowd, they had to be pretty confident in themselves. Maybe they were the reason Ariel didn't get much for her performance? Did the audience already spend its money on the Platoon?

    Giving Laura a quick glance, Ariel wandered out of the inn, following the others. She couldn't find Noah and Hannah in the crowd, but did find Emilia. She knew better than to pull out her full energy on the redhead, so she simply said, "Forget about that, Emilia. If there's one thing I've learnt in my years of performing it's that once you lose people in a crowd like this, there's no finding them until the performance is over." She stood on tiptoes. "I wonder who these people are, though. I know some performers from this region, but I've never seen these particular ones..."

    Next to her, Laura had apparently caught sight of them, and she frowned deeply. Ariel didn't miss it. "Are you okay?"

    "I have an inkling who these guys might be... but I can't prove anything." Laura fell back on the soles of her feet and shook her head. "I'm going to find the rest of the troupe, I don't feel like getting involved. Are you staying?"

    "Yeah," Ariel said, "At least until I know for sure my friends are safe. Don't worry, if things get out of hand I can take care of myself." Laura then took off, disappearing into the crowd, and Ariel turned back to Emilia, clearing her throat in an attempt to gather some of her courage. The redhead made her nervous. "Do you know anything about these people?"
  13. Lightascetic

    Lightascetic Member reg

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    Noah had appeared by her side. There was no simple way for her to express the fact that she knew -of- these people, but had never met them, so she nodded only slightly before turning back to the performance.

    Rita was in the centre, one hand on her lightly-garbed hip, the other held high above her head. The buzz of conversation in the crowd died. Melley moved to her side and touched her arm casually, housing a chant from her lips as a gasp. From Rita's arm, a lick of flame spread along her body. As she began gyrating, Aaron pulled out a set of pan-pipes, playing an exotic tune that matched Rita's flamboyant dancing. As she spun, the flames spread to surround her silhouette.

    Hannah felt a strange twinge, almost an invasion of her senses. She shook her head lightly and turned away from the display. She looked to the stranger next to him, and his eyes appeared glazed, his arms limp by his side. After steeling herself, Hannah returned to looking at the performance. Indeed, Rita was surrounded by a thin veil of flame. But almost like a second shadow, Hannah could see another Rita, completely consumed by a raging fire while she continued her dancing.

    After a few moments, Jake stepped forward, tossing two blades in his grip. The bedazzled crowd gasped as he launched a blade straight at the dancer. It appeared to strike her mid-section, remaining buried in her flaming torso. She kept dancing, seemingly undeterred. Behind the illusion however, Hannah could see her holding the blade in her hand. Jake threw another, which had the same effect. For the third, he drew a short blade from behind him, tossing it swiftly at her. As it 'struck' her, Rita clutched her stomach, then fell dramatically to the ground. The illusionary flames intensified, swirling into a furnace the size of a large bonfire. Although she moved with incredible speed, Hannah noticed her darting into the crowd, while the illusion remained.

    Gradually, the flames dissipated, leaving nothing but the blades, laying scorched on the ground. After a few seconds of crucial suspense, Rita burst from the crowd, returning to the centre, unharmed.

    The response was deafening. As the audience erupted into vigorous applause, Hannah sank into Noah as the man next to hers arms threatened to knock her flying. Coins were descending on the performers like a flash-flood. All four performers bowed deeply, appearing completely humbled and surprised at the generosity of the crowd. Hannah felt a brief pang of nostalgia; she remembered having a crowd commending you on your performance. For now, the crowd gradually dispersed, leaving the platoon to gather their spoils.

    "Thank you one, thank you all!!" Ed cried. Hannah caught sight of a bulging sack attached to his waist. Coupled with a snigger at Melley, she finally understood. While Rita mesmerised the crowd, he'd been pilfering pockets. Hannah patted herself down, but everything on her person remained. She supposed he had spotted that the illusion hadn't taken hold of her. As the crowd dispersed, Hannah spotted Emilia and Ariel across the street. She walked towards them, scanning them for potentially missing objects.
  14. Squishy

    Squishy tl;dr this is all, still, toko's fault admin

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    Emilia refused to look at the performance, well aware of the low tricks these people used. Judging by the quieting of the hustle around her, the performance was an effective one.

    'And they dare to consider themselves thieves...'

    She had heard about this particular band of thieves before, the Plegian Performance Platoon, as they called themselves. Concealing their thievery with flashy shows, and frankly, tacky shows, if Emilia was honest. Though perhaps her harsh judgment was also fuelled by the fact that these thieves were competition to the thieves of her own guild, and in turn herself. Then she heard Ariel's voice pipe up nex to her.

    "Oh yes, I know these guys. Your friend was smart to leave while she could. Better keep a hand and an eye on your stuff, or it'll be gone before the show's over." She stated matter-of-factly, though contempt for the performing group was clear in her voice. Then she flashed a sneaky smile at the purple-haired dancer. "But you'll manage, don't you? Us girls always do." She had not forgotten how the dancer had slung spell after spell at the bandits last time. Should it get out of hand, they would be capable of defending themselves.

    When the crowd started to move again, Emilia noticed the voiceless woman coming over. She checked her own pockets, finding nothing to be lost much to her relief.
  15. UnnamedDude

    UnnamedDude Lighting up the Fire in the Night vet

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    Her subdued reaction was fairly clearly not one of a direct acquaintance. He made a note to keep an eye on them, then. Almost immediately Noah was rewarded with a foreign sensation attempting to beguile him. With a small noise of displeasure, he pushed back with his magic. It wasn't a strong enough radiation to actually do much, but it was certainly a firm enough action to both counter whatever was working and give a clear message as to his attitude about it. He wondered if Hannah could sense it. Probably. She'd demonstrated some magical aptitude before.

    That done, the tactician scanned the act the troupe put on. Something felt... off. He couldn't place it, but there was something dissonant about all this. Was it the reactions of the crowd? He wasn't certain, but they seemed to be too.. extreme, perhaps?

    He felt as though something passed behind him and put a hand on his sword. Turning, he found nothing, and nothing seemed to be missing. He had few valuables in the first place, but it would not do for a cut-purse to take what gold he had.

    Noah had little solid proof for the suspicions now forming in his mind, but between whatever spell had attempted to bewitch him and what he thought was a thief in the crowd, this was shaping up to be a very suspect performance.

    As the four regrouped, he muttered darkly. "Charming group. Is anyone missing anything?"
  16. Blonde Panther

    Blonde Panther Not always sweet and delicate vet

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    "Yeah," Ariel said, following a bit of a growl, "My patience." She had already checked her possessions when Emilia had done the same and noted nothing missing- at least nothing that Laura hadn't already taken with her. However, the entire way this farce was set up, the methods used to rip off perfectly innocent and kind people, had woken her ire. These people violated both of her greatest passions; the art of dance and the arts of magic. And they did it for what? For something as stupid as money? If they had really been good, there would have been no need for that.

    People commonly feared the kind of Dark Magic Ariel wielded- she herself was well aware that it was dangerous, more volatile than Anima magic, both unpredictable and powerful. But she'd never used it in any other way than she would have used her old magic. Until now. If these people thought they had the right to violate her arts, she would put them in their place. Whether they were in that place dead or alive was of very little relevance.

    "I'm going after them," she said coolly, producing her tome. "Is anyone coming with me, or would you prefer to stay out of this? It won't be pretty."
  17. Lightascetic

    Lightascetic Member reg

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    The Platoon were swiftly gathering their things together, the chink of coins emanating from them like a swarm of flies. Soon, the relief that Noah's friends had not fallen victim to their trickery ebbed. They had been fortunate, but the bustling crowd had not been: she knew that much from the sheer size of the coin purses that jangled against the performers' hips.

    "Mommy, my necklace, I can't find it!" Wailed a little girl in the street nearby.

    "Oh Jill... That was a gift from your father! It must be on the ground here somewhere, help me look."

    Both irritated mother and distraught daughter fell to the sandy ground, frantically dusting the floor in the hopes of locating their lost treasure. Knowing exactly what fate had befallen the necklace, Hannah couldn't help but gaze at the innocent victims and feel anger rise up in her chest. Swiftly she blinked, her head swaying as though she had just woken from a trance. The fiery rush, the sparks of fury: she had not felt such a thing for what felt like an age.

    Checking herself quickly, Hannah looked back over at the Platoon, who were retreating down a quiet street that she presumed led out of town. Peering into the distance, she saw one of them pull aside some stones from the encompassing wall that sheltered Thearen, soon replacing the yellowed blocks once all the members of the platoon had snuck through. Clearly, they had their exit planned, and didn't want to be followed.

    They were dangerous -that much Hannah knew from the performances and their reputation-, but Ariel had already announced her wishes to bring them to justice. Perhaps, once caught, they would merely hold their hands up and do the right thing? Hannah didn't know if she had it in her heart to fight.

    Glancing up at Noah, it was clear from her blazing eyes and taut mouth that she wanted to do something about this injustice. She turned to Ariel again, and gave her a thoughtful nod, her hands clutched into little fists at her side.
  18. Squishy

    Squishy tl;dr this is all, still, toko's fault admin

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    Emilia looked from the two other women to Noah with an amused smile.

    "Well, seems like we all feel the same. Let's go get them, girls."

    The brick wall had been odd. The redhead had followed Hannah's line of sight, just in time to see the troupe disappear through a whole, which they promptly closed behind them. No matter the outcome of their newly-decided mission, at the very least Emilia could do some spying on the competition.

    She sauntered over to the wall, taking a good look at her surroundings. It was a very quiet street, with the wall on one hand and the backs of houses on the other. No chance of anyone looking out of the window at the wrong moment. How clever. Emilia traced the mortar between the bricks with her finger. From a distance it was almost impossible to see it had disappeared in some places, though up close the loose bricks were better visible. Perhaps a good kick would open them up...
  19. UnnamedDude

    UnnamedDude Lighting up the Fire in the Night vet

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    "Let's not be hasty, Ariel. I don't see any reason to go after them," protested Noah initially, arms crossed. "We can just notify the guards of this." He wasn't about to start a fight in broad daylight with what appeared to an outside observer to be a perfectly respectable performing caravan. They weren't pillaging people like bandits or razing villages like the Risen; as far as he was concerned, the proper authorities could handle it.

    But then Hannah shot him that look, which was quickly followed by Emilia's assent. "Oh, fie," he said despairingly, "you too?" Of all people, he didn't expect her to act without promise of reward... "Ugh, fine..." he grumbled under his breath, "Next thing you know I'll be fomenting open rebellion." He didn't want to imagine what a particularly angered Dark Mage, a highwayman of a woman and a mute mage would get up to without supervision. And he certainly did not want to hear about it on the lips of some town crier the next morning.

    As Emilia inspected the wall, he approached and, seeing the replaced bricks, he took it as an opportunity to relieve some stress. He grunted and kicked it with more intent to push than to destroy. Nevertheless a good-sized hole was formed. It seemed the thieves had over-prepared a bit...
  20. Blonde Panther

    Blonde Panther Not always sweet and delicate vet

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    Ariel was about give Noah an angry retort, but he saw reason soon enough. "I don't think we'll be prosecuted over a bunch of low-lifes," she told him as they followed Emilia. "Don't be a chicken." Of course, if he did chicken out, that was equally fine with her. She had raw power at her disposal, so his strategic insight wasn't strictly required. Still, having him around would be an advantage. Emilia found a peculiarity in a nearby wall, and Noah struck it to open up a decent-sized hole. It was near-certain that the criminals had gotten away through here, so Ariel gently pushed her companions aside. "Manually opening that hole further will take too long," she said, opening her tome. "Here, I'll help."

    Flux struck home, its implosion dragging enough bricks from their place that the hole became big enough for them to fit through. Ariel wasted no time going in. "Don't get your smallclothes in a twist," she said over her shoulder to Noah before he could complain. "They're not here. Must have moved further ahead." The bricks had hidden a tunnel, from what she could tell, but not enough light filtered in from outside to see where it went or even how long it was. "I need a light," she added. "I don't suppose anyone has Fire Magic at their disposal?"
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