Fire Emblem: Curse of the Goddess [IC/PG-16/Not Accepting]

[King K. Azo]

 
"I'm sorry, but you have to leave," the guard came to the pair, breaking some bad news to them. "The library has now become a crime scene. This is for your own safety." Asura stared at him. It wasn't an angry stare, it was an exhausted, 'are you kidding me?' sort of stare. Shaking his head and sighing, he rubbed his neck and looked back at the guard.

"A crime scene, huh? Well, since you're forcing us out before we can meet up with our friends like we were supposed to, and this girl literally just lost the ability to walk, then you need to help me. Give me some gold so I can rent a room and get some food. My group carries the gold, not me," He stated as he sat on the table next to Ciela, folding his arms. "I refuse to take a crippled girl out to the cold, without food or somewhere to sleep," He was not going to budge on this, and he hoped they wouldn't be so heartless as to actually throw them out without some gold. 

Then he took a look behind the guard. He blinked once. Twice. "Are you... oh god dammit...," He placed both of his hands on his face as he groaned. "Don't tell me they're the suspects...," With a sigh, he got off the table and picked up Ciela. "Fine, whatever, let's just get the questioning done with. It's not like you people listen to cold, hard logic anyways,"

[Alaina]

As Lute responded to the fighter's question, he wasn't quite sure if she knew anymore about this place than they did, which made him all the more curious about the situation at hand. He looked to the body, looked around the room, looked to Sienna briefly and just continued to think more on the situation at hand. While he wasn't actually one hundred percent convinced that she the fox girl didn't do the killing, he would still rather her not be. He was still really curious about this room, to which all he really knew was that, 'it was secret.' And so this entire murder thing had really inconvenienced that, and were she actually the killer then what little chance they'd have to get back here would probably be gone entirely. Regardless, the time for questioning here was over and as such they had to start leaving the premises and be escorted to be questioned. The guard brokering no argument on this, the group started to walk up the stairs, with Alois keeping his head down and looking to the ground for most of the way back up. 

 

As they continued their trek, Edrick started talking about the whole situation seeming off, which while true, continuing to do so now wasn't the greatest idea. As such, Alois just turned to look at the farmer and put his hand up, facing the man. A small smile on his face and the intent of his hand being to silence him, the fighter had a consoling tone in his voice as he said, "Eddy, buddy, please. You can tell the nice guard over there all the things you think in a bit, since trying to dispute it here isn't really getting you much anywhere. Besides, you don't have the uh, mettle to deal with their kind." Alois's hand then gestured to the armor Edrick was wearing, as if to cement his point. 

 

Looking over to the sage he then said, "though, I wouldn't mind talking with you more on this matter later, oh high level almighty sage," he stated with the patented Alois smirk across his face. The girl gave him a much more intense vibe than a certain someone else, and given she was likely not just really good at guessing, she was the perfect one to talk to about this whole thing. Besides, there were some things about her as well that Alois was kind of curious about.  "I'm sure we can both learn something more from it. That is, if you're also fine with it," he said to the guard. As the group eventually got to the top of the staircase they started walking towards the entrance. Soon enough, the guard seemed to be talking with someone else, who appeared to be Asura who was awfully on edge. After the man seemed to notice the rest of his group's presence, Alois had an unexpectedly cheery smile on his face as he waved to the man. As if to make completely light of the whole situation, Alois corrected the man saying, "nah, Asura. It's only fox face," this time. Maybe it was like a rite of passage for the group. "It's okay though, she probably didn't do it," probably, "and we're totally going to be fine, because this guy seems very willing to not damn us at the drop of the hat." He gave a double thumbs up to the guard with a much cheerier looking smile then his normal smirking expression.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

 

Penelope was oddly silent as the guard told them to move on. She wasn't going to start any fights here. That would be extremely counter-productive. She was interested in this Sage though. She seemed to be powerful. And, even more interesting, casually so. She couldn't imagine many Sages would be so open about being able to use healing magic in such a way.

 

The more pressing issue was, again, some of the group, well one, was still quite adamant about arguing. She couldn't very well tell him to shut up, but she almost wished she could.

 

"I'm tellin' ya, I don't think that hair is hers. It doesn't look like human or fox hair to me. And about the scrolls, let's call it a lucky guess. Beyond that, we've been here in the library for what I'd call too long to have done this and only left a couple hairs behind. Maybe we lost sight of Sienna, but that was for two minutes at the most. And I mean, suppose she was responsible. Why in the world would she have come and got us and then led us over here right to the scene of the crime? That just don't make sense."

 

"If you would only look at it you'd see. It's quite clear....Perhaps I am even more observant than I thought! I will leave it to the authority to decide but I believe you are underestimating how quick such a thing could be done...and I would advise you to not try to argue how much time it was. We only have your word, after all. I cannot say that they will listen to such a testimony. Her leading you there only would indicate, if she is guilty, that, one, you are accomplishes, or, two she hoped to get you to defend her."

Lute smiled again. She was able to show her supreme wit once more, it was a good day. She was glad she decided to leave her, temporary, home finally. The sour note of the death still hung in the air, though. She didn't know Anna well, and, honestly, couldn't be sure that she had ever met this particular Anna but it was still concerning. However at this point she, as distressing as it was, had seen so many deaths...Her thoughts, straying as they were, came back to the present as Alois spoke.

 

"though, I wouldn't mind talking with you more on this matter later, oh high level almighty sage,"

 

Penelope perked up at this. For two reasons. One was a weird uncomfortable feeling she couldn't explain, but the other... "I agree! Maybe with less sarcasm though. Did you know that studies show sarcasm is a sign of poor confidence?"

 

Lute frowned at Alois. "If this is what is called flirting I will have to stop you. I am not interested. But I am not opposed to sharing my vast knowledge."

 

The group made their way up to the main area of the library, only to see Asura and Ciela.

Penelope's mind raced as she tried to figure out the best course of action. Perhaps she should pretend not to know them? But if it was found out they did, later, it would be suspicious. Same for if she tried to hint at them to not speak up. It would be good to have some people in the group on the outside, tactically, but the risk....She had to leave it to them and hope they made the right choice.

 

"A crime scene, huh? Well, since you're forcing us out before we can meet up with our friends like we were supposed to, and this girl literally just lost the ability to walk, then you need to help me. Give me some gold so I can rent a room and get some food. My group carries the gold, not me,I refuse to take a crippled girl out to the cold, without food or somewhere to sleep,"

 

Penelope had no idea Asura was so clever! He didn't explicitly say they weren't part of a group and so he could avoid the trap of lying. But he also didn't put his lot with the group and get himself arrested as well! He even fabricated a story of Ciela being hurt to make it feasible that they not leave so soon. Penelope was impressed.

For several seconds.

 

"Are you... oh god dammit...,Don't tell me they're the suspects...Fine, whatever, let's just get the questioning done with. It's not like you people listen to cold, hard logic anyways,"

 

Oh. Never mind then...Wait did that mean Ciela actually was injured? How did this happen? This was meant to be the peaceful part of the city. Perhaps a few stray rogues but none that would go out of their way to harm someone like that. She needed to know, but, they didn't have time to get the story right then. Curses.

 

Lute seemed amused at something, though she looked sadly at the crippled girl, and spoke towards Asura. "Some of your group does indeed seem to have trouble with facts and logic, good observation." Her tone was an unusual one. Making it hard to tell if she was being catty or if she honestly didn't think Asura was talking about anyone besides Edrick.

---

"Wooow, that's sooo cooool! Mister mister, when I grow up, do you think I'll be strong enough to wear that too so I can protect my friends?"

 

Cool, him? What? Gunther was blushing now. Golly that wasn't something he expected to hear today. He thought about her words for a bit. He wouldn't exactly want to encourage someone to take such a dangerous job. But, what harm would it be? It's not as though anyone would really take someone like his words to heart to that extent. "Sure, of course. If you try hard enough you can do it. I'm sure you'll grow up to be an incredible Knight. What's your name, anyway? So I know who to look for when I hear news about future heroes!"

[Sethera]

 

Catriona walked silently up the stairs, listening to Edrick continue arguing with Lute. Penelope was once again, focused elsewhere, not seeming to care at all that they were currently being escorted to the city hall. Alois seemed the only sensible person here, and the princess couldn't help but feel relieved by his common-sense attitude.

 

However, he seemed curious about the sage as well. "Though, I wouldn't mind talking with you more on this matter later, oh high level almighty sage," he stated with the patented Alois smirk across his face. "I'm sure we can both learn something more from it. That is, if you're also fine with it," he said to the guard.

 

"I have no problem with that," the guard gave a shrug before catching himself in the act and straightening his posture.

 

When they emerged from behind the bookshelf, Asura immediately betrayed his affiliation with them, causing the white-haired woman to shake her head. Then again, the mercenary had never been a thinker from what she had seen, rather a doer. Speaking of, she noticed the second sword he usually wore seemed to be missing. However, that was not important. What was, was that while there were no open wounds marring his companion's body, her complexion was paler than its usual hue, her cheeks no longer flushed with health.

 

The guard took notice of that as well, hastening toward the blue-haired girl while stumbling over his reply. "What? Oh dear, oh dear, they never taught me how to deal with this," he muttered the last half of the sentence to himself. "First a murder, and now an injured lady. What to do, Tullus, uhhh..." he shook his head. "Well, if she's with you, and you're with them, then you all have to come in for questioning, no question about it."

 

"Nah, Asura. It's only fox face. It's okay though, she probably didn't do it, and we're totally going to be fine, because this guy seems very willing to not damn us at the drop of the hat." the fighter spoke from nearby.

 

"Well of course!" he retorted indignantly. "What kind of guardian of justice--I mean, guard would I make if I were to just convict you all without a proper hearing?"

 

Catriona sweatdropped. At least we don't have to worry about poor treatment from him, she thought. However, on second glance, the boy looked...familiar. Like a younger version of Marcus, that guard from Sector Three. Perhaps they're related? she wondered. But their personalities are far different.

 

They exited the library, where Remy and a mule awaited them. At seeing the horse's familiarity with Ciela, the guard, Tullus, suggested, "Put her on there for now, but we will have to see about getting some wooden supports for her, since the horse can't enter the city hall." He seemed to regain his composure with each word he spoke.

 

Nearby, a little girl was talking with Gunther. "Sure, of course. If you try hard enough you can do it. I'm sure you'll grow up to be an incredible Knight. What's your name, anyway? So I know who to look for when I hear news about future heroes!"

 

"My name's Salvia, mister," she said, puffing out her chest. "And I'll be the bestest knight ever!" She stopped when she saw the guard. "Ehh, what's Tully doing with those people?" she asked, tipping her head.

 

Meanwhile, Catriona had paused upon seeing Gunther, and then pretended she hadn't seen him at all. Though he might give himself away anyway, but she wouldn't be the one to do so.

 

The march through the town was heralded by whispers. However, rather than hostile, the citizens just looked curious. When they reached the city hall gates, Tullus greeted a couple other guards flanking the doorway, much like they had in Sector Three. "Hello!" he said, "Official business this time, very important, so if you would let us through...?"

 

"Go for it," one said, while the other nodded. Both of them seemed at ease despite the fact their compatriot was leading an unknown group into the very heart of the sector.

 

Once inside, Catriona noticed that the foyer, while similar in layout to the last one, was still different. It looked officious, but the warm lights bounced off earthy-colored walls and marble alike, lending some color to the room. And, unlike the last place, there was no sign of anybody at all. "Wait here," Tullus told the group, before exiting through a side door, beckoning Lute with him.

 

"I am sure you know this, you don't have to be a prodigy to realize it, but it would be best not to try and run," the purple-haired girl stated, before leaving them alone in the room.

 

[spoiler=OOC]

Tullus and Lute have left to who knows where in the city hall so you're all by yourselves now. React and stuff.

 

 

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

Ciela had stopped crying by the time the guards approached her and Asura. It wasn't because the fact that she was able to get over her crippled legs already, even by a little. She couldn't find any more reason to cry now. Her face's expression painted a resigned, defeated image. Crying more wouldn't change her fate. It wouldn't make her feel better. In a way, it felt painfully inevitable. Even since she joined this group, it felt inevitable that her journey with them would end similarly like this in hindsight. Yet she blinded herself from it, busying herself with the joy of finally not being alone once more. The thought of Gunther passed through her mind, and Ciela's grip on Asura became tighter even if she wasn't sure exactly about why. 

 

She could faintly pick up the guards saying that the library had became a crime scene. Asura's reply would have surprised her, but with how tired and resigned the entire experience had made her, Ciela barely reacted at all to it. However, his next one took her attention better. He recognized the group that was with the guard. Would that mean-

 

Alois' voice confirmed it. To make matters worse, he said it was Sienna's doing. He said it in a non-chalant tone too, and Ciela shivered. Was...was all her worries about the fox girl all these times right? Those irrational fear, the shock she felt about the strange girl that the others had told her to not think of much, were those actually based on something concrete? Sienna, that shy and awkward girl, killed someone? It was hard to believe, but something inside of Ciela made her want to believe it. Still operating on the assumption that she was going to be kicked out from the group due to all her failures, her thought process attempted to construct a defense mechanism. Facing the inevitability made her decide that perhaps, the faults weren't from her part, but it was the group itself that were in the wrong, somehow. They were the ones that attempted to have Sienna join in despite her anomalous capabilities. They were the ones that kept on having troubles with authorities. If it's weren't for their sake...perhaps she could still walk like normally right now. She would have been a lot happier together with Remy had she never met these people.

 

Putting up a broken smile as she continued to fill her mind with those poisonous thoughts, she offered no resistance as the guard lifted her from the table and brought her outside along with the group. She was silent the whole time, and she didn't spare any moment to look at the rest of Cat's group. The guard helped her to get on top of Remy, which gave her some comfort as she embraced him during the trip to the City Hall. Remy sensed something was off with Ciela, but with her not being in the state to communicate with him in any way, all that he could do was to follow the guards that guided the group towards the building. The guard helped to get Ciela off him too, and all that he could react to it with was with some worried noises. He was sure Ciela whispered something repeatedly during the trip to him, but it was too faint and unrecognizable for him to understand.

 

With a lot of efforts, they managed to get Ciela inside. She and Cat's group now were now at the heart of the Sector, standing before a set of polished stairs that would have put some nice impression on Ciela had she was capable of thinking about it now. After the stranger with the purple hair left the room with a threatening note, Ciela found herself stuck in a corner of the room, still unable to look at the rest of the group. Even now, in the middle of her attempt to poison her thought with spite so that when she's inevitably kicked she wouldn't feel any attachment to the group, Ciela was trying her best to accept the fact that she had lost the use of her legs now. She tried pinching her calves, but nothing. Clawing the exposed skin as hard as she could in frustration also felt like nothing. 

 

But, even then, in the end the thing that she thought the most about was about her inevitable dismissal. Was that how much she had stooped after joining this group? Caring more about being lonely once more rather than being crippled? Once again, she tried to inject spite into her thoughts to counteract her worries and fears about it. But, as silence broke over the room, she was unable to continue. She could try her best convincing herself that the group was secretly trying to instigate a war, she could try her best convincing herself that Sienna was a nothing more than a beast that would kill in cold blood, and that it was due to all of this and the group's demented side that got them into trouble with authorities over and over again, dragging her with them. 

 

That's all nonsense. She's just lying to herself to make her feel better.

 

Ciela opened her eyes, and gave a good look on the group from her corner. She could see how frantic Sienna looked for being accused of a crime a girl like her would never able to commit. She had long admitted that her fear about the girl was unfounded and irrational. Sienna had only been with them for days, but Ciela knew that she was genuine. Cat and the others too...it would be silly for Ciela to doubt them. 

 

Perhaps it's really inevitable that her time with them would end soon, but perhaps it's for the best. If it's anyone's fault, it's just hers alone, and she couldn't just try to pretend that she's somehow in the right with all of this. Pretending like that didn't even make her feel better. It was hard to accept...but if it's what fate said, then it's not like she had any choice on the matter. She would still have Remy with her. Her soulmate, the one that would never leave her behind no matter what. 

 

It was hard making peace with herself regarding this, but for the time being, it was enough closure as the group faced another, more important matter at hand. Ciela decided to crawl towards Catriona while the guard and the purple-haired stranger were still out, and tugged at her legs. At first, she thought of apologizing for all the mess she had made and that she would accept any decision that she would make for her fate, but she thought that perhaps it could make Cat feel more pressured. Ciela didn't want her to feel any guilt for what happened to her, and this situation with Sienna would be stressing enough. She froze before her leader for a few moments, trying her best to figure out what to say to her.

 

"C-cat...what happened with you guys?"

 

Yet, in the end, she couldn't say more than those few words. 

 

---

[Wind Rider]

Asura didn't like the fact that they were coming along with the group, something was apparently wrong with Ciela's legs to the point the guard had to carry her out to her horse. Alois tried to sound reassuring that Sienna didn't do the murder, but all she got out of his words was "fox face". Great, now they're just referring to her by names, it was only a matter of time before they just kill her to get it over with.

 

The walk to the guards office was filled with nothing but silence and the whispering the crowds of people watching the group as they moved by. This was Sienna's best opportunity to run, just make a break for the crowd and disappear, but in her heart, she has given up all hope. The evidence was stacked against her, her newfound allies defending her are probably thinking twice on helping her, it was only a matter of time. To think, her journey was going to end by these humans executing her over something she didn't even do.

 

Moments later, the group finally arrived at the guards office, both Lute and the guard had things to attend to before interrogating the group and Lute's words on not leaving or else, stuck right in Sienna's head. A good minute passed and everyone was silent, until Ciela decided to break the silence with a question. "C-cat...what happened with you guys?"

 

Though this question was directed at Catriona, Sienna couldn't help but answer. "I'm being... Accused of murder..." Sienna could only mutter these words quietly as all her strength seemed to have faded away. "And... You Ciela.... What happened to you? You don't seem to be able to move your legs..." Sienna probably shouldn't have asked that considering how Ciela was crying a while back, but in her last moments, maybe Sienna could do something.

 

She took a few steps towards Ciela but backed off realizing that she may need space, especially seeing that she wasn't really fond of Sienna. So, Sienna just sat down on the floor in Ciela's general direction. "You remember that thing that.... Penelope said, about Proteans being able to grant wishes? Well... Hit me with one... It may come true it may not... But it's something to hope for, right?" Sienna tried to crack a smile, if she could make up with the person who didn't like her the most out of everyone, she could die with a clean conscience.

[King K. Azo]

"... Well, she's a b****, isn't she?" Was the very first comment out of Asura's mouth after Lute left the room. "I can see why you all got arrested,"
 
"C-cat...what happened with you guys?" Ciela asked quietly. Well, at least she could talk again. Thank the gods for that. Maybe she would be able to walk on her own two fe--- oh, wrong expression there. Still, her... crying against him... somehow... it scared him. More than any enemy, more than any dragon, more than any god. Someone... depending on him again? He wasn't sure if he could do it... 

"I'm actually quite curious of that to," Asura stated, trying to get his mind off of his fears. "I heard something about Tails over there killing someone...?"
 
"I'm being... Accused of murder..." Sienna stated. Asura blinked before his mind began to run at a million miles a second.

"Murder? How do they think you murdered someone?" Asura asked, muttering more to himself than talking to the others. "Do they think it was in your fox form? That can't be right, the only way you could really attack is your claws or mouth, and that would cover you in blood, unless they think you used magic to clean off the blood. Still, if it was by your claws or teeth, you would leave very distinctive markings on the body, or at least torn off a good portion of the skin and muscles. There's no way even idiots like them could confuse that for a sword, axe, or a spear. Each one leaves a very distinctive kind of cut on the body, and there's no way they could fake the weapon...," He began to ramble more to himself, talking about the different kind of marks a slash or stab from each weapon would leave, and not shutting up about it.

If there was one thing Asura knew for sure, it has how to kill and what it looked like.  

[Alaina]

As the group had been lead all the way to the guard station, they were simply put to sit there, waiting for the time to be questioned. Alois had been sitting back, wondering what the best thing to do would be here in making sure their canine companion did not get found actually guilty of the whole thing. As the boy sat back, he wondered more on the scenario, figuring a few things here and there out but ultimately didn't know who could have done it otherwise. As the canine, alleged, culprit herself started to try and explain the situation, Alois couldn't help but raise a curious and completely skeptical eyebrow as the girl asked Blue-head to make a wish and see if she could make it come true. He started to wonder if the girl was slightly delirious at the moment, but didn't comment further, as Asura had started to go on a whole rapid fire tangent about weapons and the kinds of wounds they make. Savage wounds like that of a beast that did not compare to those of traditional ones made by weapons. A thought crossed the boy's mind, though it was mere speculation with nothing else to back it. 

 

Regardless, he then looked at Asura and said, "it was pretty clearly not any kind of normal wound you'd expect from a weapon of ours. You weren't there but the evidence was quite clearly stacked against her," he bluntly stated. He then turned to fox face saying, "that being said, it's starting to get clearer that you didn't do it. So you have basically nothing to freak out over," he spoke as if downplaying the entire situation once again. It would have been way easier if she had done it though, but at this point he understood that she was looking less like the actual culprit. Even then, though, he hadn't really a good idea of who actually it was that could have done it. As if completely shifting the topic he then said, "you can't just magically poof into different places, can you?" But something like that would be crazy...probably. He actually had no idea if these weird mythical beast people were entirely capable of, other than transforming, so who knew. 

[Asriel Dreemurr]

While Edrick did have to admit that this girl had a few points, he was not going to do so out loud. He had already decided that the group would become his flock, and that included more than just converting them to the true faith. He would do what he could to defend them from all harm, whether they had earned it or not. So long as they elected to stay with him anyways. Before he could say more to her on the subject, he noticed Alois trying to get his attention.

 

"Eddy, buddy, please," he wasn't sure he liked the nickname, but that was something for later. "You can tell that nice guard over there all the things you think in a bit, since trying to dispute it here isn't really getting you much anywhere. Besides, you don't have the uh, mettle to deal with their kind." Before he could ask for clarification on what the fighter meant, he was given it. The gesture at his armor made the point clear, so for now Edrick bit his tongue, figuratively of course, and remained silent. The guards here were more polite than they were in the previous sector, but they were still being brought in. Much as he disliked the notion of being considered suspect in this city, there wasn't anything to do about it now. Instead they would just have to get over with the rest of this. At least they weren't being disarmed. He felt somewhat more confident about his chances if they were attacked while he had his weapon.

 

The brief delay in the library proper gave him a chance to catch his breath. That stairwell was longer than he thought it was, and going up it in armor he was still not fully accustomed to was painful. He didn't catch much of the conversation once they reached the top, but Lute's comment about logic had him considering making a rude gesture in the girl's direction. Of course he didn't, but it would have made him feel better to do so. 

 

On their way to city hall, he couldn't help but notice Ciela's condition. That was problematic, having someone the party would rely on so much in combat injured as she was. Of course his thoughts turned to something he had in his bag that, if what little he knew about such things were true, would help. He'd intended to save it for when one in their party was near death and needed saving, but perhaps this would be a better use of it. Edrick was so caught up in his own thoughts on the subject that he barely noticed the trip to city hall, and his attention was only brought back to the present when he heard Asura speak up.

 

"...Well, she's a jabroni isn't she? I can see why you all got arrested." And so his attention returned to the present situation of the group, where they began discussing the details of the crime. Asura mentioned the thing about using magic to clean herself off, and Edrick found another piece of evidence against Sienna in there. He didn't believe she was responsible of course, but their situation was not good. Asura went on about the wounds different forms of attack left, and all Edrick could do was nod along. At this point, though, he decided his time was spent elsewhere. So he went over to Ciela, and began digging around in his pack.

 

"I don't know much about this stuff," he began as he dug out the bottle he had taken from the thief in Sector 3. The small vial of blue liquid, which he moved to slip into her hand. "But this should help. I mean I was gonna save it in case someone almost went down, so... just drink it before I change my mind and we have to make Remmy and Asura carry you the whole rest of the way."

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

 

"Ehh, what's Tully doing with those people?"

 

Gunther looked up curiously...only to see his group in the, startlingly familiar, situation of being escorted by a guard. Was it time to go to the Councilman already? Wait. The looks in their eyes were...hmm. Finding Penelope he met her gaze for a brief moment and then dropped it.

Looking back at the girl he said. "I'm sure it's nothing. Don't worry about it Salvia, just focus on the knighting you're going to do later, okay?" He smiled at her and did his best not to glance back at the group.

 

Though he did see two things that worried him. One was that Asura and Ciela, what was going on with her?, had crept in behind him. The other was the girl he spoke with earlier was with them. Should he have prevented her entrance? Did he even fail at this? Great, just great, good job Gunther.

He decided he'd wait around a bit before finding out where they had headed. He didn't want to get caught up in whatever this was but it would be a good idea to be nearby so he could do...something. What that would be was something he had absolutely no idea on.

---

 

Penelope was relieved to see that Gunther was smart enough to avoid suspicion. It helped that he had become quite good at blending into the background when he really needed to. She wondered what that kid was talking to him about so energetically.

Granted she didn't give it much thought. There were much more important things happening.

 

Going down the list in her head, Penelope tried to figure out which were most pressing, and which could be dealt with now.

Ciela. She was hurt. How and why Penelope had no idea. But it seemed Edrick and Sienna were doing their part to try and calm her down.

Sienna. She actually was trying to help Ciela so it was clear she was in a much better mindset than earlier. Penelope probably didn't have to do anything there.

Lute. She had left. The girl was an enigma. One that Penelope doubted she'd be able to solve in this current situation. Perhaps after all this she'd have a chance to talk more with the Sage. It could be extremely helpful.

Struck with the realization that she had nothing to do, and no real way to work on the mystery, for she didn't have the clues before her after all, and it wouldn't do to jump to conclusions without knowing what the argument against them would be, Penelope felt a moment of confusion. She wasn't used to not being able to make a plan. It was quite uncomfortable for the girl...

 

Asura was going on about weapons and Penelope felt a spark of curiosity. The man DID know things! Well, not that she didn't think he would, but she felt a bit of fondness as she listened to his ramble. It was quite a familiar thing to her. So she listened, and soaked in the information.

In the middle of it she gestured him towards her. She had a couple things to ask and she made sure to keep her voice low.

"About Ciela...what happened? She was only sent on her own because violent crime is near non-existent in this sector. Was there an accident? Also..." Penelope thought about her blade, Katarina, and added another question. "Do you know ways to fight that prevent serious injury?"

[King K. Azo]

"---Poison could have been applied to the blade. If they forged grooves into the blade, they could hold the vemon... Would need to see if the wounds were smooth or jagged...," Asura's ramblings were interrupted by the Book Worm princess motioning got him to scoot closer. He complied out of curiosity. 

 

"About Ciela...what happened? She was only sent on her own because violent crime is near non-existent in this sector. Was there an accident? Also..." She paused before adding another question. "Do you know ways to fight that prevent serious injury?" Asura sighed weary to himself.

 

"I'm just going to say, no matter what the crime rate is, it's a horrible idea to send a woman that could barely walk out on her own. I blame this on me, however. I had my head up my own ass and didn't even notice she left until she was gone," Asura shook his head. "Anyways, there was a thief, and she chased him. Jumped out of a second story window...," he folded his arms and sighed in frustration before muttering to himself. "Crazy woman, she is,"

He closed his eyes and thought to himself about the princess's second question. "There... is a way... in theory," He stated. "A reverse-blade sword, or Sakabatō. It's like my Killing Edge... except the edge is reversed, making it really bad at killing people," He sighed to himself. "I think I might be able to teach you the form and techniques, but the sword itself will have to be custom forged, seeing as most people want to kill with their swords,"

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

WIthout saying anything, Ciela grabbed the elixir offered to her by Edrick and drank it immediately. It tasted as nice as she remembered, and as the warm magical liquid traveled down her throat, she waited for any reactions from her legs. A few seconds passed, nothing. Only change that happened was the small wound she caused on herself earlier in her attempt of feeling something on her legs had been healed, but other than that, she still was unable to move it at all. Might as well they're not there.

 

Perhaps the full implication of the damage had not passed her mind yet, but Ciela stopped herself from thinking about her injury for the time being. Their current predicament was a lot more concerning than her injury, and it was definitely not helped with the stuck up scholar that dragged them into this place. One thing the elixir did to her was clearing her mind from most distraction that clouded it for the time being, and so she was able to realize her need to maintain some dignity for the last stretch of her moments with this group. She smiled and thanked both Edrick and Sienna, but told them that she was fine, she was alright (even despite of how she was still not being able to use her legs). She listened to to Asura's rambling, but when Pen asked him about why did she get injured, Ciela couldn't help but feel down again - realizing how much of it was her own funk up. More importantly though, the case of murder. As much as she was trying her best to accept the inevitabilitiies that were befalling her, Ciela still needed a distraction.

 

She took a deep breath, and looked at Sienna. Something about her still made Ciela felt quite the unease that made it hard for her to get close to the Protean, but right now, it's for the best that she helped in calming her down so they all could focus on escaping the accusations that befell them. No way Sienna's a murderer - someone like her would end up a worse nervous wreck than Ciela herself if she murdered someone out of the battlefield.

 

"Yeah...they're right. You are...really not a murderer by any means, even your looks supported it. If I can ask...what are the evidences that they used against you? If our accuser is that scholar...well, our defense would need to impressive, right?"

---

[Sethera]

Tullus and Lute walked through many rooms and hallways, eventually circling around to the back of the hall, where Harris' office was located. "Phew," the guard breathed. "I'm a little nervous," he admitted. "This'll be the first time I've ever talked to the councilman face to face. By myself. Well, I guess you're here too," he was babbling by now.

 

"You shouldn't worry so much," Lute reassured in a flat tone. "You are speaking with me and I'm a prodigy. Surely you will be fine speaking to your own councilman. Besides. I doubt it will just be him. There will probably be other guards. Higher ranked ones of course."

 

"True, true..." the blond nodded. "Prodigies are something else, aren't they? Even in this mess, you've kept your cool." He wiped his sweaty hands discretely against the side of his pants. "And you're right. I won't be the only guard. I guess this whole situation is getting to me," he seemed to regain his composure as he spoke, knocking on the door.

 

Lute glanced at him. "I was joking about the last part."

 

Before the blond could react, a voice called from within. "Come in." Straightening his posture, the guard walked in, Lute right behind him.

 

The inside of the office was fairly elegant, the terra cotta walls lit by floor torches. Additional light came in through a pair of doorways leading to an inner courtyard. The only pieces of actual furniture were a large cabinet filled with scrolls, and a wooden desk that took center stage. However, the desk was empty. Instead, Tullus could see an old man standing outside in the courtyard, hands clasped behind his back. His eyes were closed, and he seemed to be enjoying the afternoon breeze. However, after a few seconds had passed, he turned, opening keen blue eyes. "Hello, young ones. What seems to be the problem?"

 

"C-Councilman Harris," the first word came out in a stutter before Tullus cleared his throat. "There has been an incident in the library. A woman was found murdered, and we have brought the suspects in for questioning. Lute here can tell you more," he gestured at her a bit helplessly. I wouldn't be able to explain it nearly as well as she could, he thought.

 

"Your guard is well trained to recognize a superior explainer. First of all; the murder took place in a secret room of the library. It involved a girl. A young merchant named Anna. One who had...similar circumstances as myself. The group we brought in are made up of a rather strange assortment, possibly mercenaries, possibly more." Lute paused, thinking about a princess she was once with who travelled under the guise of a mercenary company, before continuing. "They have a Protean with. The wounds found on Anna seemed to be caused by some kind of animal. And there was hair found on the body that matched hers." Lute seemed to consider her next words for a moment. "The Protean in question doesn't seem to have the personality for it, in my expert opinion, but the circumstances are more than suspicious. As such I wouldn't give the group the idea that I think she is anything but a suspect. I was able to learn much by putting such pressure on them." Lute smiled, thrilled at her moment of extra ingenuity.

 

"Hmm," the councilman mused, raising his brows at the woman's last words. "Not the method I would have used, but I do not doubt it was effective. This all seems rather strange, not to mention we still have those other "criminals" from Sector Three headed this way to worry about, if Silas is to be believed. I would like to meet these people before I make any judgments. However...it might be best to have a second opinion on this. Vanessa?" he raised his voice for the last word.

 

"Here," a voice replied at the same time a nearby door opened, revealing a young woman with green hair and matching eyes. She was dressed in polished armor over a well-worn scarlet uniform with thigh-high boots. In her hands she held a lance. "What can I do for you?" she asked politely.

 

Tullus stared. Wow, she's fast.

 

"How's Titania?" Lute said as soon as the woman stepped inside. She seemed to be leaning forward, towards the green haired girl as she spoke. "She seemed a bit off when I flew...when I saw her this morning."

 

"Hello to you too Lute," the woman replied, face easing into a smile when she saw the purple-haired woman. "Titania's been a bit under the weather, but it's nothing more than an autumn chill. As long as she doesn't overexert herself, she should be fine," she stared at Lute for a second too long at this, brow wrinkling, before turning away to address Harris. "Did you have need of me, sir?"

 

"Yes," Harris replied warmly. "Vanessa, there is this...situation," he proceeded to explain their circumstances, "and I desire your opinion on this matter."

 

"Oh," Vanessa looked down at the stone flooring. "Anna's dead? That's...troubling," she turned to face Lute. "And you say this...Protean is the suspect?" Her face was grave, but calm. "We should at least question them on what happened, although I fear if they are the murderers, they will have had plenty of time to come up with an explanation. Maybe individual questioning?"

 

"I must be rubbing off on you; for that's exactly right!" Lute exclaimed, prompting a smile from the green-haired woman. "It won't be easy, they already had some time together, but this is our most logical course of action."

 

At that moment, a dove flew into the room from the courtyard, bearing a scroll. Taking it off, Harris began to read, brow furrowing. "We may not have time for that," he addressed the three people in front of him. "Silas is already here, and Olivette no doubt right behind him. The monthly meeting will start very soon."

 

--

 

Salvia nodded trustingly toward Gunther. "All right!" she chirped, bouncing on her feet excitedly. "Do you think it'll be hard, being a knight?" she asked, and started to chatter on about how she thought it would go. While she was talking, Gunther would notice the arrival of three familiar people, who were also headed to the city hall.

 

--

 

Catriona frowned at Lute's last words. Even if they did attempt to escape, they would be quickly stopped by the guards at the door. Just how dumb did she think they were?

 

Asura seemed to agree. "... Well, she's a b****, isn't she? I can see why you all got arrested."

 

"C-cat...what happened with you guys?" Ciela asked, and it was only then that the princess really took in just how injured Ciela seemed to be. Whatever could have happened to her?

 

"I'm actually quite curious of that too," the myrmidon stated. "I heard something about Tails over there killing someone...?"

 

"Um..." how best to explain their circumstances?

 

While she searched for the right words, Sienna took it upon herself to answer. "I'm being... Accused of murder... And... You Ciela.... What happened to you? You don't seem to be able to move your legs..." She took a few hesitant steps toward Ciela before backing off and sitting on the floor. "You remember that thing that.... Penelope said, about Proteans being able to grant wishes? Well... Hit me with one... It may come true it may not... But it's something to hope for, right?" Sienna summoned a trembling smile.

 

Meanwhile, Asura had started rambling to himself soon after Sienna's answer. "Murder? How do they think you murdered someone? Do they think it was in your fox form? That can't be right, the only way you could really attack is your claws or mouth, and that would cover you in blood, unless they think you used magic to clean off the blood. Still, if it was by your claws or teeth, you would leave very distinctive markings on the body, or at least torn off a good portion of the skin and muscles. There's no way even idiots like them could confuse that for a sword, axe, or a spear. Each one leaves a very distinctive kind of cut on the body, and there's no way they could fake the weapon... Poison could have been applied to the blade. If they forged grooves into the blade, they could hold the vemon... Would need to see if the wounds were smooth or jagged..."

 

Catriona shook her head. The wounds did not look as if they had been made with a weapon of any kind. Alois agreed. "It was pretty clearly not any kind of normal wound you'd expect from a weapon of ours. You weren't there but the evidence was quite clearly stacked against her," he bluntly stated. He then turned to Sienna, "that being said, it's starting to get clearer that you didn't do it. So you have basically nothing to freak out over," he looked thoughtful, "you can't just magically poof into different places, can you?"

 

Meanwhile, Edrick was showing concern for his fellow Pontic. "I don't know much about this stuff," he began as he dug out a blue bottle. "But this should help. I mean I was gonna save it in case someone almost went down, so... just drink it before I change my mind and we have to make Remy and Asura carry you the whole rest of the way."

 

Penelope, on the other hand, seemed to be curious about something else, as she beckoned Asura over. "About Ciela...what happened? She was only sent on her own because violent crime is near non-existent in this sector. Was there an accident? Also... Do you know ways to fight that prevent serious injury?"

 

"I'm just going to say, no matter what the crime rate is, it's a horrible idea to send a woman that could barely walk out on her own." Catriona stiffened at that, feeling a trace of guilt. She hadn't noticed Ciela's trouble, though that could be in part explained by how she barely walked to begin with, usually riding her horse. "I blame this on me, however. I had my head up my own ass and didn't even notice she left until she was gone," Asura shook his head. "Anyways, there was a thief, and she chased him. Jumped out of a second story window... Crazy woman, she is."

 

Speaking of Ciela, after drinking the elixir, she seemed to have recovered some of her former poise, thanking and reassuring Edrick and Sienna. After which, she took a deep breath. "Yeah...they're right. You are...really not a murderer by any means, even your looks supported it. If I can ask...what are the evidences that they used against you? If our accuser is that scholar...well, our defense would need to impressive, right?"

 

Numerous, Catriona thought, though even she was getting less suspicious of Sienna. The girl was either a great actor or innocent, and while she had heard stories of trickster foxes, for some reason, she didn't think the girl was tricking any of them.

 

It was at this moment that the double doors behind them swung open, prompting the white-haired woman to turn and look. There, flanked by two familiar-looking guards, was probably the last person she wanted to see at the moment.

 

"Oh?" thin, gray brows rose. "What a surprise. To think you would come crawling here even after the debacle you made of my sector. It appears you have not learned your lesson." Silas scowled at the group with contempt, though he did send a curious glance Ciela's way.

 

Beside him, Marcus gave the group a nod, looking them over before pausing. "Where is Link?" his eyes settled on Sienna briefly before moving on, not commenting on the new face.

 

However, Hilarion, the other guard, decided to acknowledge her more openly. "Hey there, cutie," he greeted, grinning. "Why don't you show me what's under that hood--ow! Marcus! What was that for?"

 

"For indiscretion during your duties guarding the councilman," the blond replied, stone-faced.

 

"Fine, fine, hey wait! It's you!" the brunette pointed at Alois. "You owe me a match! Arm-wrestling, loser acknowledges the winner as the better man!"

 

To Silas' credit, he seemed to not even hear the antics of his guards, focused on the two princesses, "I can't say I'm surprised they let you through the door. Harris has always been foolish that way. But if you think to cajole him into giving away state secrets, then I'm afraid I have to relieve you of that notion. Now that I am here, you will not find it nearly so easy."

 

Hot anger bubbled up underneath Catriona's skin. Forcing it down, she stared at the councilman with glacier patience. "Whatever misconceptions you hold of us, I can assure you we have only the noblest of intentions." For indeed, what could be nobler than saving the world from utter destruction? If only he had just listened, then they could have avoided all of this.

 

"Bah!" the old man waved a dismissive hand. "I tire of this. Hilarion, go summon Harris. If he's still the same, then there probably won't be any guards in this place. Trusting old fool," he grumbled.

 

"Yes, sir," the guard saluted, sending one last glare Alois' way, and a wink Sienna's way, before departing through the same side door that Tullus and Lute had left through.

 

Which left the group, Silas, and Marcus in the same room, though Silas seemed determined to ignore the gathering's presence. Marcus on the other hand, looked concerned, but did not say anything, conscious of his duty to the councilman.

 

[spoiler=OOC]

Silas has arrived! Along with Marcus and Hilarion. A Histian or somebody well-learned in Histian government could probably discern that they are here for the monthly meeting to discuss matters of state. The location rotates every month, and this month, it just so happens to be at Sector One. They also have no idea that the group is here for questioning because of a murder, but think that they are here to ask Harris the whereabouts of the Great Dragon. React and stuff.

 

 

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

 

"I'm just going to say, no matter what the crime rate is, it's a horrible idea to send a woman that could barely walk out on her own. I blame this on me, however. I had my head up my own ass and didn't even notice she left until she was gone," Asura shook his head. "Anyways, there was a thief, and she chased him. Jumped out of a second story window...," he folded his arms and sighed in frustration before muttering to himself. "Crazy woman, she is,"

 

Penelope tilted her head to the side. "Well I didn't send her anywhere myself. In fact I only learned later that she didn't just walk off." She glanced over at Catriona and sighed "So much for advising." She muttered, an annoyed tone in her voice.

 

"A reverse-blade sword, or Sakabatō. It's like my Killing Edge... except the edge is reversed, making it really bad at killing people," He sighed to himself. "I think I might be able to teach you the form and techniques, but the sword itself will have to be custom forged, seeing as most people want to kill with their swords,"

 

Penelope's face fell. She glanced at the sword at her side. The thought came to her how odd it was they never took their weapons. But that was just a minor blessing that she wasn't going to bring up. "I can't get rid of Katarina." She whispered.

 

"Yeah...they're right. You are...really not a murderer by any means, even your looks supported it. If I can ask...what are the evidences that they used against you? If our accuser is that scholar...well, our defense would need to impressive, right?"

 

Penelope glanced around to make sure no one outside the group was listening and spoke up. "To be totally honest I'm unsure we have much of a defense. We can't prove we only found the body. Our timing was such that it was fully possible the killing occurred while we were...while we..." Penelope's eyes widened a bit. "Maybe that's it!" Before she could elaborate, however, a rather familiar face came in.

 

"What a surprise. To think you would come crawling here even after the debacle you made of my sector. It appears you have not learned your lesson."

 

And Penelope had to fight the urge to stick her tongue out at him. But it would do no good to aggravate him farther and she had given up the thought of talking with him. Even if Catriona didn't share the sentiment. His response to her did tell her one thing. Harris would most certainly be the right choice in learning the information needed.

 

She would, however, talk to that guard. "Where is Link?"

Seeing an opportunity, Penelope jumped on it. She had her own ideas on what was wrong with Link. "He's not feeling very well. In fact he hasn't seemed well since he talked with your Captain. I wonder what happened there?" She paused and then, almost as a side-note, added, "Did you know that there are, on average, 3000 suicides a year due to loss of job?" Not that she expected Link to kill himself, nor did she know for sure if he had been fired, but she was quite curious to see the man's reaction.

---

 

"Do you think it'll be hard, being a knight?"

The girl was chattering on and on, reminding Gunther more and more of a certain someone, and he just nodded along with her words. He did want to answer her question, though, but he didn't want to ruin her hopes...Even if he thought it best she not take this path. However the emergence of a certain group made Gunther's mind take a different path. That couldn't be good. Silas being added to the equation meant nothing good....It did make him curious. "Hey, Salvia, what kind of person is Councilman Harris?"

[Wind Rider]

Sienna let out a defeated sigh when Ciela said she was alright. "Ok... Wish is still there... Just saying..." She remained seated and listened to everyone's ramblings, mainly Asura's going on about different wounds left by different weapons.

 

"that being said, it's starting to get clearer that you didn't do it. So you have basically nothing to freak out over," Sienna turned to Alois when he stated that, Sienna's odds were growing more and more, she was relieved at the thought. "you can't just magically poof into different places, can you?"

 

"That... That is something I certainly cannot do..." Sienna stated almost smiling at Alois's question.

 

"Yeah...they're right. You are...really not a murderer by any means, even your looks supported it. If I can ask...what are the evidences that they used against you? If our accuser is that scholar...well, our defense would need to impressive, right?" Sienna was a bit surprised to hear Ciela ask about the case, like she did actually care.

 

"Well... The most evidence they got is strands of fur... Or hair if you wanna keep calling it... That look exactly like mine... Plus the victim... She looked like she had been mauled... By an animal or something..." She tried explaining as best she could to Ciela.

 

"To be totally honest I'm unsure we have much of a defense. We can't prove we only found the body. Our timing was such that it was fully possible the killing occurred while we were...while we... Maybe that's it!" It sounded like Penelope had figured something out, but an unfamiliar voice stopped her from speaking.

 

"What a surprise. To think you would come crawling here even after the debacle you made of my sector. It appears you have not learned your lesson." Sienna did not recognize the man but he seemed well acquainted with the group. He also looked important given that he had two guards escorting him.

 

"Hey there, cutie," Sienna looked up to see one of the guards greeting her. "Why don't you show me what's under that hood--ow! Marcus! What was that for?" Sienna had pulled her hood a bit down in response, she needed to keep herself hidden like Penelope said. Though, if Lute were to come in and just point her out as a Protean, there wouldn't be any use hiding.

[Alaina]

As the girl had answered his question, Alois nodded. It was a fairly obvious answer, since turning into a fox and teleporting seemed like two very different things. Nevertheless, hearing the answer to his rather random question made him only more confident in why she had not been able to do it. As the group seemed to start talking with each other, Penne had asked if there was a way to fight without killing to which Alois jokingly answered, "you could try punching. I'm sure nothing would die if you did that." As Asura had gone on to explain something he had heard of, Alois had started to tune him out to put his thoughts elsewhere. Once their conversation had ended, he tuned back in as Penne started speaking more about the case at hand. While she was thinking out loud, she seemed was cut off by the arrival of a certain someone. Even though she hadn't finished, he figured what she was going to say and could only nod a bit, coming to a similar conclusion.

 

However, any and all thoughts were cut off as he felt a glare come across him, and almost instinctively went to glare right back at the source as it called out to him. "It's me," he retorted at the guard's exclamation towards him. A grin, that conveyed more malice than joy, formed across Alois's face as he stared down the guard, as he talked about their fated showdown. "Oh don't worry, I'm still ready whenever you are for it, Hilarious." After Old Man and Cat had gotten into a bit of a quip battle against each other, his arch nemesis was sent elsewhere, the two giving one final glare at each other before he departed. With the man gone, his eyes went back to Old Man, with a look of understanding crossing his face as unconsciously muttered, "oooh, he's Silas. That makes sense." Nodding to himself, and feeling a bit of nostalgia as he looked at the scowling visage of the man. Turning back to the head guard man, person, Alois added to the littler princess's comment, "yeah, now that you mention it, he looked like sheet." 

 

After that, he then went to completely ignore the new arrivals and just looked at Asura. "Hey, Asura, man. You know a lot about weapons and stuff. Like, for no specific reason whatsoever, how exactly does your use in them differ between fighting like other people with swords and people with like, say an axe." Alois knew that he had basically thought out as much as he possibly could on his, and talking about it in front of the sector that demonized them would probably not end well. And the only other person he could, almost definitely, get more info off of was nowhere in the room at the moment. So instead, he tried to make productive use of his time and ignore the ass hat in the room. 

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

Talking about forming a defense in response to the accusations that would soon be aimed towards them noticeably helped Ciela not think about her bleak future ahead or her injury for the most part. Allocating her mind towards this kind of purpose had helped her get past a lot of issues in the past, and trying to figure out something regarding this case proved to be quite...exciting, in a way that Ciela didn't really understand the reason of. Apparently, Sienna was mainly being suspected for the murder because of the fur found around the body, which matched hers, and how the victim looked like it was mauled by a beast of sort, although what Asura said made sense that it could be any kind of beast and it would be something that wouldn't really be known without Sienna transforming again...and performed some sort of reconstruction. Ciela shuddered a bit at the thought, so she chose not to continue there.

 

The group's timing was quite unfortunate too apparently. The self absorbed scholar probably found Sienna at the most awkward moment just as the Protean found the body. How the truth about her ability came to light, Ciela had no ideas just yet, but suffice to say that fact didn't do them any favors right now. Although, on the flip side, there weren't any hard proof of Sienna doing it anyway. The connection and possibility would be there, but unless the people here had some...predisposed fear or prejudice against Sienna's kind...ah, Ciela had to hold herself back from laughing at the irony, wouldn't the law system for the most part should be unable to actually punish Sienna outside of, like, detaining her for a few days for questioning?

 

Although, maybe they're just fishing for moments anyone from the group to slip up? Ah damn it, Ciela wished she actually took notice during her tutor's attempts to teach her basic knowledge of laws. Back then she hadn't even thought about ever actually being out of the castle, so why would that knowledge be useful? No use about crying over spilt milk perhaps. Ciela tried for a moment to approach the case as if she's the murderer, but the issue with that was how she had no idea about what she would do in that role. Of course, she would try to keep herself from being charged with anything, first of all. But then, what? Ciela's a bad liar after all. If she's in the killer's shoes right now, she would've depended on divine intervention to get out of the problem. But that's like, a crapshoot.

 

Wait, did Pen just said something about-

 

"...Who the hell is this jabroni, anyway?"

 

An unpleasant-looking man approached the group as they talked. He seemingly knew about the group, and for some reasons his guards were looking quite familiar to Ciela, but since she couldn't remember them that well, she chose to ignore that fact. Although, soon Penelope started talking again, and what she said made Ciela notice something that were amiss from their current group somehow. One certain person that was not Gunther, that had went missing, yet no one seemed to realize until Penelope talked about him. In reflex, Ciela spoke up with her voice suddenly raised, voicing her question more out of shock rather than any other emotions at least for the time being due to how sudden it was.

 

"Wait, wait, wait, Link committed suicide?! W-when did that happen?"

 

---

[Asriel Dreemurr]

Well, that was an incredibly valuable potion wasted. Still, Edrick felt that at least trying was a worthwhile use of the thing, and thanks to his lack of proper understanding as to how they worked he made up his mind that the thief he had taken it from must have stolen a spoiled one. There was not much point in cursing the dead, but he now had even less reason to respect that "great pumpkin" or whatever he had called himself. Not just a thief, but a terrible thief! In any case, he took the now emptied bottle back from Ciela and slipped it into his pack. If nothing else, they might find a use for it later.

 

While the others seemed to be preparing a defense, he set about considerations for what came afterwards. Of course he would pray to Inera for some miracle to allow Ciela to walk again, but one could not plan on a miracle occurring even if one asked for it. So they would need some means of transporting her when indoors. Remy did well enough when they were outside, but one couldn't just bring a horse inside. What would make the most sense was for him, Asura, Alois, and Gunther to trade off carrying her around. Yes, that could work as long as the place didn't have a low ceiling. He was about to bring this up to the rest of the group, when the arrival of a trio from sector three took their attention. He didn't recognize their faces, as he hadn't met any of them. He did recognize that none of them were the rat bastard of a guard that had tried to throw them in prison without so much as an explanation, but it seemed that the old man was not much better than him. Well, he'd let them know what he thought of them. 

 

The others had a few things to say to each other about this group, but Edrick wasn't especially interested in much of what they said. No, he just marched himself right up to the front of the group and fixed the old man with a piercing gaze. The sort of thing that was half glare and half appraisal. Perhaps he lacked some of the intimidation of his Uncle given that he was not mounted on some giant beast of war, but he was still quite large for his young age. He was also armed, though his spear was currently rested against his shoulder. Behind him, he heard Penelope say something about suicides related to losing their job followed by Ciela jumping to conclusions about Link committing suicide. That confused him, but after a few seconds he figured out what must have happened and turned his head back to the group.

 

"Link is fine, well as fine as he gets. You're the only one we have to worry about being hurt right now soră." He shot Ciela a smile, perhaps somewhat jarring given his earlier expression, and then turned his attention back towards Silas. His expression was much less hostile, and his voice was even friendly as he said, "Arăți ca un fătălău." He did not expect anyone around them to understand him, so the insult was more for his own benefit than anything else. Also just to see if the language itself was enough to frighten the old man.

[King K. Azo]

Asura was confused as an old man with some guards walking in, acting like he knew them. What was going on here? Who were these people? Asura leaned over to Penelope and whispered,

"Who's this jabroni?" It seemed like the right thing to ask. Seriously, who was he? However, Asura's attention was snatched up by Alois asking him a question.

"Hey, Asura, man. You know a lot about weapons and stuff. Like, for no specific reason whatsoever, how exactly does your use in them differ between fighting like other people with swords and people with like, say an axe."

"Well," he began, folding his arms and thinking. "When I'm fighting a skilled swordsman, I approach it a lot more carefully. Unlike an axe, the entire weapon from the blade to the hilt is a sharp object that can and will cut you. A sword is also capable of faster swings with less movement, so I have to stay on my guard.

Fighting an axe user, I'd be observant, but not as careful. You see, as you probably well know, with an axe you have to wind up a bit more in order to get a more damaging attack, but the way the body twists as you wind up is a tell, which let's me figure out where they are aiming and where to block," he scratched his cheek as he finished up his explaination. "That answer your question?"

[Sethera]

Hilarion marched through the manor, grumbling to himself the whole while. "Oh don't worry, I'm still ready whenever you are for it, Hilarious," he mimicked. "Stupid stick boy. His mouth's bigger than his muscles. I'll show him hilarious. He won't be laughing once I beat him. Oh no, he'll be begging for me to teach him how I got so awesome, but I'll just--"

 

He stopped when he saw two people approaching from the distance. A familiar-looking blond guard and a young woman with short green hair. "Oh, are you two Councilman Harris' guards?" he asked respectfully, though he glanced at both curiously. The boy looked...kind of like Marcus, actually. And the woman was pretty cute.

 

"Yes," came the reply from the woman. "My name is Vanessa and this is Tullus. I take it you are one of the two guards accompanying Master Silas, then?"

 

"Yeah," the brunette nodded. "He wanted to let you know that he's waiting in the entry room. Though...not sure if you know this, but you have some...guests."

 

"Yes, I do know that," she replied, prompting a short, awkward silence. "Thank you for telling me," she nodded to him. "I will tell Master Harris to expect you, though I will have to ask him to wait, as some unexpected business came up."

 

"Eh? What business would be so urgent that Councilman Harris would postpone the monthly meeting? Not that anything ever gets done in those," he muttered the last bit.

 

"You will hear soon enough, so I would rather not repeat myself," Vanessa said, and then started walking, Tullus following close behind. Shrugging, Hilarion followed suit, occupying himself with checking out the fine figure of a woman in front of him. Maybe I should transfer to Sector One, if they have fine cats like this here, he thought.

 

--

 

 

Catriona barely heard Penelope's grumbles beside her, too caught up in her own thoughts. A part of her argued that she shouldn't be so guilty over a Pontic's troubles, but the larger part told her that Ciela had done no harm to the group, and in fact, had helped quite a bit with her healing. And she had even gotten herself injured on an errand for the group. Granted, it had been her idea in the first place, but Catriona was the one who had allowed it.

 

Soon after Marcus spoke, he regretted it, as the younger princess took that opportunity to guilt-trip him. "He's not feeling very well. In fact he hasn't seemed well since he talked with your Captain. I wonder what happened there?" She paused and then, almost as a side-note, added, "Did you know that there are, on average, 3000 suicides a year due to loss of job?"

 

"Yeah, now that you mention it, he looked like s***."

 

Marcus had since come to terms with Link leaving the guard, and would not be bullied by a girl and a boy who looked to be ten years his junior. "Oh, really?" he said no more. He had seen for himself the renewed life in the boy. How his reunion with the princess, and her companions, had ignited something within him. Life. He would have been miserable spending the rest of his days as a guard, though he likely would not have even realized it.

 

"Wait, wait, wait, Link committed suicide?! W-when did that happen?"

 

The blond wanted to facepalm at that. He hated dealing with oblivious people. They were just...annoying.

 

"Link is fine, well as fine as he gets. You're the only one we have to worry about being hurt right now soră," the young spearman from earlier said. He then turned to Silas, speaking once more. "Arăți ca un fătălău."

 

Silas had ignored many comments today. He had ignored the group's overall lack of respect. Rather than greeting him, they had either ignored or insulted him, barring the elder princess. However, being called a pussy boy was the last straw. "Și tu ai maniere de un porc. Chiar dacă mă cac în gura ta, ar fi în continuare mai curat decât este acum," he snapped.

 

Marcus glanced between the two. Whatever the lancer had said, it had obviously not been very polite, given Silas' reaction. He stepped in front of the older man protectively. "Please do not insult the councilman," he decided to pretend he understood, and hopefully that would be enough to make the Pontic back off.

 

It was amidst this tense atmosphere that the doors opened once more, admitting a dignified-looking older woman flanked by two guards. She seemed the picture of decorum, with ramrod straight posture and a slow, delicate walk. Her gray eyes were calm, just like her two guards. "Why, hello, Master Silas," she curtsied. "Whatever seems to be the matter?" she glanced curiously over the scene.

 

"Oh, nothing, Madam Olivette," the older man seemed to visibly control his temper. "However, now that you are here, it is about time for us to start the monthly meeting."

 

"Ah, yes. I'm surprised Master Harris hasn't come out to greet us yet. Perhaps he is...otherwise engaged," she said, once more looking at the group.

 

"Whatever it is, it couldn't be that important," Silas sniffed, glaring at the group with disdain.

 

At that moment, the side door opened, and Hilarion, Tullus, and a third, green-haired woman the group hadn't seen before entered the entry hall. Her armor and serious expression however, made Catriona believe she couldn't be anything but a guard.

 

Marcus' eyes widened as soon as he saw Tullus. The younger guard looked about to speak, eyes shining, but stopped when the woman stepped forward. She bowed to the two councillors. "Master Silas, Madam Olivette, Master Harris bids you welcome and asks for your patience. A prior matter has taken precedence and must be handled immediately." She turned to the group, "If you could come this way, please, Master Harris awaits you in the courtroom." She turned to leave.

 

"Hold!" Silas barked, his voice staying her movements. "What is the meaning of this? Do tell me why Master Harris sees fit to deal with this...rabble over fellow councillors."

 

The woman turned back around. "Apologies, Master Silas, but these people are under suspicion for a murder within this very sector. As you know, crime scenes are delicate, and should be tackled as soon as possible. I hope you understand."

 

That made the man pause, stroking his beard. "I see," he muttered, eyes shining with malicious glee. "A leopard cannot change its spots. First the bloodbath in my sector, and now this," he glared at the two princesses. "The apple does not fall far from the tree, it seems."

 

The green-haired woman glanced at him. "If you have any information to offer, that would be appreciated. However, you will have to wait till after the questioning is finished."

 

"Oh, no," Silas muttered, before raising his voice. "No, I have a better idea. Why not have Madam Olivette and I preside over the hearing along with Master Harris? Three heads are better than one, after all, and my own experiences with the group could bring new information to light that much sooner."

 

"You make good points, which I'll relate to Master Harris, but for now, if you could wait here--"

 

"You're quite the upstart, for a mere guard," the old man sniffed. "I see Sector One has been sorely lacking in discipline--"

 

"Now, now, Master Silas," Olivette interrupted. "That was the agreement decided upon long ago, that each councillor would govern his or her own sector as they wished, but Ithome's general administration would be decided upon by all three." She glanced at the group, though Catriona couldn't read her expression. "It would be best to abide by Master Harris' rules while we are in his sector."

 

"Fine," Silas bit out, which surprised the princess, as she hadn't expected him to give in like that. "But he better let us preside. He's far too...lenient for matters like this."

 

"We shall see," the green-haired guard said. "If you will," she spoke to the group, turning and beckoning for them to follow her through the side door.

 

--

 

Salvia babbled on and on, becoming wrapped up in fantasies of the future...of her in armor protecting her friends in battle. The two of them were always getting into trouble, anyway. Arminius wanted to see the outside world, while Eirenaios dreamed of joining the Pelinna Patrol. They would need someone to be their shield. Someone like Salvia Micasa Ackermius.

 

And then the brave knight spoke. "Hey, Salvia, what kind of person is Councilman Harris?"

 

"Huh?" the girl paused. "Councilman Harris? He's...really nice!" she grinned, spreading her arms wide for emphasis. "He likes to visit the library or just walk around town. He never has any guards with him, which I don't think is a very good idea, but Eiren says that just means he's brave. Every Saturday he tells stories in the plaza. Most of them are about other countries, especially Galtea!" she gave him a wide-eyed look at that. "Are you Galtean, mister? Cuz you're a knight, and I always hear about the Galtean knights and how great they are!"

[Alaina]

Alois sat back, listening to what Asura had to say. Nodding his head he took in the information wondering how he could apply it to himself. Everything the man had said was true, and he knew that he definitely did a good wind up before striking at someone, so it was just a matter of figuring out how to minimize that. Sword users were always a pain to deal with, after all, though for now he hadn't much use to try and practice with this advice. Instead, they had a murder to solve. Or at the very least disprove. Alois was briefly amused by what the councilman had yelled at Edrick, not so much because he understood what was being said between the two, but more so because whatever it was, the councilman was certainly angry saying it. Whatever it was that Edrick said certainly managed to rile him up, though, he had passed the optimal point of irritation, and thus his technique in antagonizing a person still needed work. But perhaps, he had potential him in yet. 

 

Soon enough, after a short exchange between guards and council people, the group was called in to go in for their hearing. Or questioning. Something. Standing up, Alois was about to follow after the guard, before looking to the rest of the group saying, "alright gang, let's go prove our innocence." Again. Alois was pretty sure that this could be resolved in their favor, smoothly enough, though there was one thing that concerned him. Taking a brief look at the farm boy he said, "oh and Eddy, be sure to keep your temper in check and your shirt on your body." With that, followed after the green haired woman. 

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

 

Penelope frowned at the guard's boring reaction. He must have been sharper than she thought, to not fall for her trap, oh well. She'd have to keep her eye on that one in the future, though.

"Wait, wait, wait, Link committed suicide?! W-when did that happen?"

Penelope was so baffled by how the girl would come to that conclusion, perhaps she had injured her head as well, that she didn't respond. Instead letting Edric assuage her fears, in his own way.

She was almost relieved. Until he started trading insults with the Councilman. She groaned. Her father had practically forced her to learn Pontic and, while she wasn't fluent, she could at least understand the current conversation. This was not a good sign of things to come.

She decided not to interfere, however, as it would be bad to reveal such information about herself.

 

A new, wrinkled, face came in to calm everything down and Penelope once more felt like she could breath freely...and then Silas insisted on being part of the group that judged them. She wasn't going to raise much of a fuss, but...

"A leopard cannot change its spots. First the bloodbath in my sector, and now this," he glared at the two princesses. "The apple does not fall far from the tree, it seems."

"Don't speak of our parents like that!" Penelope snapped at the man, before freezing, realizing what she had done, and clamming up. There was a passion in her eyes that she couldn't quite get rid of, though, as she looked at Silas. She may not express it much but her parents were quite dear to her and she, having mingled with many commoners, knew that there were those who liked to spread vicious tales about her father especially.

 

She breathed deeply and looked towards the guard. Something seemed off about her, but Penelope couldn't put her finger on it, though there was another odd fact that she felt should be mentioned. As she followed the girl she spoke up. "Excuse me. But, I thought Councilman Harris didn't keep any personal guards?"

---

 

"Councilman Harris? He's...really nice!" she grinned, spreading her arms wide for emphasis. "He likes to visit the library or just walk around town. He never has any guards with him, which I don't think is a very good idea, but Eiren says that just means he's brave. Every Saturday he tells stories in the plaza. Most of them are about other countries, especially Galtea!" she gave him a wide-eyed look at that. "Are you Galtean, mister? Cuz you're a knight, and I always hear about the Galtean knights and how great they are!"

 

Gunther was relieved to hear that this Councilman seemed like a good sort. It would be tricky, still, but he had faith in Catriona and Penelope to pull them out of this trouble. Though... "I wonder how much he listens to Silas." He muttered, before turning to Salvia again. The girl seemed excited about something. "Well the Galtean knights can be quite strong, yes. Titan-like, some might say." he chuckled. "I'm Galtean yes...though I'm not a good example of a Galtean soldier..." He shook his head. Now wasn't the time for this. The girl was still looking at him with that expression that he had, honestly, never seen someone give him. "Er, well, glad to have met you, Knight-In-Training Salvia."

 

He glanced towards the library again. Perhaps, if it weren't swarmed with soldiers, he'd be able to get in, and check this supposed crime scene out...

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

_{"Whoa, calm down gramps."}

 

The words came more like a whisper, as Ciela watched Silas get talked down from his constant annoyance by the other member of the Council that had just arrived. "Töketlen kis béna pöcs." This time, it was said a little bit louder to make sure everyone could hear it, despite the flat tone. It wasn't really in Pontic, but it was included in part of a book of foreign insults she stumbled upon on her library back then, and it stuck with her. Ah, although talking about it did still make her blush somewhat due to how dirty the words used in it. Although, it's at least not as bad as the other ones on that book...

 

Ciela had calmed down after Edrick gave the explanation that Link was still alive, just not with them now. Jumping into conclusions like this felt shameful, and she knew that some of the people on the group, perhaps people like Cat, would lower their view on her even further after that, but...at this point, it wouldn't even matter, would it? What she should think about now would be how to get the group out of their predicament. Which might have gotten harder if Councilman Harris agreed to let the other two join him on discussing their fate. Edrick and the rest's annoyance towards the slimy old man made even more sense now. Especially with how Silas offhandedly insulted the princesses' father. Thinking about it though...

 

A green-haired soldier appeared not long after, asking the group to follow her. There weren't any reason to disobey her, and no one seemed to think of doing that anyway. Using the nearby wall as leverage, Ciela attempted to raise herself up so she could walk. Of course, with how weak the push from her arms was and the fact she had lost the function of her legs completely, it didn't do anything other than making her embarrassingly fell over a few times over before she decided to just crawl on the floor. Perhaps it hadn't fully dawned on her mind yet after all, about how bad her injury actually was.

 

Mimicking the old folktale ghost of a woman that had their body cut in two below the waist due to being trampled by a chariot, Ciela dragged her body on the floor as she focused on what she should do next. Planning was never her cup of tea, and her lack of insight about the possibilities of the future made it hard for her to actually push any coherent plan for the group. She could choose to naively believe that it would end up working out just like usual for her, but when did that ever happen anyway? At the very least, she knew one thing. It would be hard for them to detain her in any way. No matter how unfair the laws here would be, from the group, Ciela believed that she was the least possible one to get dragged into this, so perhaps she could...maybe work out something with Gunther to free the rest in a worse-case scenario once she leave this place?

 

Then again, aside from the irritating sage and Silas, the odds were favoring the group anyway. The amount of evidence weren't damning enough, for one. While magic was able to hide blood and any other marks from Sienna after she de-transformed, a lack of evidence was also still not an evidence. The white fur was the strongest evidence against Sienna, but surely there would've been more evidence around the body that would have been mentioned by the others. Ciela recalled someone saying something about that too. How did people know about Sienna being a Protean anyway if it's supposed to be a big, surprising thing- oh, the sage probably noticed the unusual ears and maybe the tail movement. Sage instinct or something.

 

Though yeah, for the time being, Ciela was sure that the law wouldn't just screw them over. Too little evidence, unless something happened and more evidences were planted on the scene. But eh, even then at least a few of them could probably leave at worst, just with the threat of a killer still being on the loose. The connection between Sienna and the murder was quite strenuous, surely they would at least give the benefit of doubt and let some of them help with the investigation. After all, the good relation between this sector and Galtea was real, no? Although, that reminded her of something. She approached Catriona while she was still crawling on the floor, and tugged at her skirt to get her attention. It was awkward, it felt like it's not something that she should even say, but what happened earlier made her remember about it, and she had to get it out of her chest. After all, it might be the last time she could say it to the princess.

 

"Cat...I...I need to say this appreciation to your old man. Perhaps one day, can you pass this message that I'm thankful of him for getting rid of someone from my life? Although, it's fine if you don't want to pass it or if you can't. In that case...I'll express my gratitude to you instead, as his daughter."

 

With that said, Ciela continued to follow the greenhead, with her mind still thinking about the things that she might need to say about their situation during the inevitable interrogation or hearing. Even with her knowing that they're on an advantage now, why couldn't she shake off the feeling of an incoming dark turn of events?

 

---

[King K. Azo]

"A leopard cannot change its spots. First the bloodbath in my sector, and now this," Silas glared at the two princesses. "The apple does not fall far from the tree, it seems." the old man stated. Asura rolled his eyes. Goddammit, this man, nay, that entire sector was annoying.

"If only your guards did their jobs, then maybe we wouldn't have to defend ourselves from thieves in the first place," Asura muttered. Seriously, this man was getting on his nerves more than the entire Beir tribe put together. It seemed he wasn't the only one that was bothered though, as the Bookworm Princess called out,

"Don't speak of our parents like that!" Asura looked over at her. She needed her Flower Bot right now, because Asura already did his lifetime quote of awkwardly comforting a woman. He was not doing that again.

Soon, a guard came in to escort them to the place they would be judged. Asura wasn't nervous at all, because, no matter what they did, there was no way he could screw this up. He literally had no idea what the person looked like, where the wounds where, or anything. Even that old man with a spear up his ass couldn't convict him. If they let him go free, he could help look for clues to prove Sienna's innocent. Yes, this was a good idea.

[Asriel Dreemurr]

Edrick had quite the hard time keeping a straight face after the Councilman's response. Not only was it startling that the man spoke his native language, but on top of it all he had an insult of his own ready to go right then. The young farmer-turned-mercenary might well have laughed aloud if he wasn't doing everything to maintain his composure at the time. He gestured an affirmative at the comment about not insulting the councilman. He couldn't trust himself not to laugh right now. Oh, maybe there was something good about this horrible horrible place that was Ithome after all. He did catch Ciela's own insult, but he couldn't make sense of it. It was in some language he didn't know, but bringing it up was something for another time.

 

Then, in the midst of all of this, an elderly woman made her entry to the hall. She caught his eyes rather quickly, though mainly that was because he had been looking in her direction. His suspicions were quickly affirmed when Silas addressed her as Olivette, whom he had wanted to go and speak to first. Her alleged neutral stance on outsiders had appealed to him, and looking over her now he thought she had the look of someone with a great deal of wisdom. Were circumstances different he would have given her a proper greeting, but for now he was busy trying to look intimidating so the rest of the party didn't have to. As the green-haired guard came down to call them off to questioning, he paid attention to the exchange that came next.

 

"I see. A leopard cannot change its spots. First the bloodbath in my sector, and now this. The apple does not fall far from the tree, it seems." Well, it seemed Silas and Edrick had similar opinions of the girls' father, though Edrick could not help but think that the two were quite different from that rat bastard of a king. Predictably, though, Penelope took offense.

 

"Don't speak of our parents like that!" The girl shouted, before promptly realising that it was less than ideal for her to go about like that. Well, Edrick for one didn't care about keeping this particular fătălău's opinion of him high.

 

"If by bloodbath, you mean that incident of our defending ourselves against a clan of bandits that your guards were too incompetent to keep out of your city." He said once more in Galtean, which he was rather confused so many people outside of Galtea spoke now that he thought of it. "Or perhaps you deliberately ordered them not to intervene in the matter. Were those little dragons giving you a share of their hordes?" Maybe that didn't come across quite so well in this language, but his point stood. In any case, he left his words hanging as they were in the here and now. In any case, they were being called to follow after the guard and that was enough for them to leave. He gave Silas a curt nod, and then bowed his head to Olivette before turning to follow with the rest of the group.

 

"Oh and Eddy, be sure to keep your temper in check and your shirt on your body." And there was Alois with the teasing. All Edrick did was make some slightly rude offhanded gesture in his direction, but then something else caught his attention. There was Ciela trying to drag herself along with her hands. Oh, that just wouldn't do at all. A quick movement to stuff his lance partly into his backpack, and thus free up his hands, preceeded his stooping down and scooping the girl masquerading as a Pontic up in his arms.

 

"Don't even try to protest, okay?" He said, a bit more edge in his voice than he'd intended as he spoke. "We can't just leave you behind by accident or something, soră." He managed a slightly more friendly tone, and even a smile that time, while he waited for Ciela to either protest or let him continue along in that manner. She didn't seem quite so heavy, at least to him.