[ - Author's Note - ]
Well, here we are on the last chapter before we ride off towards Geofu. As you might have guessed James will have to meet and deal with Cyrus Mandeville, but another little plot thread will be tied in here as well that I hope you didn't forget about.
Please do enjoy and let me know what you thought as I write this... Between bouts of getting all my Final Fantasy 14 classes to level 90.
I maxed out all my gatherers and crafters already, so I'm most of the way there!
Anyway, enjoy.
[ - Act II - Chapter XVI: Like Father, Like Son - ]
'You can't have half a bride, but you may have one and a half' is a phrase in Eostia that some outside of Ansur are confused by. It refers to a common problem with human/halfling romances and it's most common solution.
Halflings have long since proven their worth. Their smaller size yet greater strength for that size makes them excellent miners, oddly effective warriors and they are well known for their metal craft and engineering. However all this doesn't change one, notable thing; they look like children. Well, to humans they look like children; an adult halfling looks like a ten to twelve year old child to us. This can be a bit disturbing for some when you get the odd female halfling with moderate to large breasts as nothing quite draws the curiosity as a halfling woman with watermelon sized teats.
Yes, I am aware of the odd human child who had blossomed surprisingly early. Yes, they also gain that sort of attention, even if they really shouldn't. No, just because a child has large breasts doesn't make it okay to ogle her.
However what I just wrote also showcases what the issue with what human/halfling relations is; they look like children and, as such, most think the human half of the relation must be a pedophile or hebephile (The two are separate things, although closely related enough that the two are often considered one and the same) and thus perverted in one of the worst ways possible; even in the rather sexually open Eostia. If you are dating someone who looks like a child then surely it's only because it's the legal way to fuck someone who looks like a child.
To solve this one must prove that they are interested in a woman that is, without a doubt, a fully adult woman. As such men interested in a halfling in a serious, romantic manner then must have a normal, human woman as a wife or concubine. Hence one a half(ling) women. That said there are some places in halfling heavy areas where this stigma is much softer or all but removed.
And since I'm sure the question will come up; yes, despite the size differences they are sexually compatible with humans. The orifices of the females are much more flexible and stretchable then human women and halfling males are, by nature, the definition of a 'grower, not a shower'. Most human penises will grow by half when erect while halfling penises, although smaller while flaccid, grows by three to four times the size. Their testicles remain half the size of their human counterparts and do not output the same level of semen, but recover their output much quicker.
Oddly halfling males are most popular with older human women; ones who's children have left the home and lack husbands through one means or another. Why I can only speculate... And I'll leave it at that.
~Dominic James Pencraft, The Eostia Historia
[-]
After a brief stop into Feoh and Lancefort City to drop Alicia and her entourage off, regale the good King Aston with what we did (With a few... Omissions about what happened in Pulca) and stayed the night before heading off on our way. Albert, from what I could tell, was asking about Beardsley so I left him to it There wasn't really much more I could do on that front, after all, so I had to rely on the King's brother to work things out..
After that we left directly for home; heading straight to Mungale. While I spoke with Prim on the voxlux we bypassed Ur and Stonewall City entirely to make time. Between fighting Legion, court cases and investigating Caldwell we were a little behind schedule, although not egregiously so. We'd just cut our break in Mungale short by a day and it should be fine. It wouldn't take long to resupply, after all. Soon familiar sights came to our eyes, Argon City and on it's heels was good old Mungale Manor not far behind that. We rode up to the front door, sure the guards have noted our arrival as we rode through the gates of the walls and to the doors of our home, filing out of the door of the carriage and taking a moment to stretch... And I noticed something was off right away.
Mom didn't ambush us right as soon was we arrived. That was... odd to say the least. I shared a look with Miria who shrugged back to me as we moved to the doors of the manor and walked in. There were the guards and maids about, of course, but no parents... But a sound of rushing footsteps soon after we entered. Soon someone rounded a turn and dashed up to us, panting as he stopped short. "H-hey guys! Welcome home!"
"Cress!?" Myself, Miria, Aeris and Riri let off. Makoto blinked to him as did Ur'Akara. Indeed, it was my cousin Cress who was greeting us as he smiled nervously and gave us a wave.
"Uh, what are you doing here?" I asked him, clearly confused.
"Yeah, where's Mom and Dad?" Miria asked, blinking as she gave me a confused glance before looking back to him.
"Well... I'm kinda stuck being Acting Baron for the moment..." Cress said, chuckling nervously as he rubbed the back of his head. Him? Acting Baron? Really? "Mom and dad got an invite over to Bria to try one of their many spas and resorts." The Barony of Bria was part of Ken, next door to the High Kingdom even. It was a bit of an unusual territory as they only accepted women for it's throne and not men, making it a matriarchy. Aside from being home to a notable religion centered on fertility (Not sex, fertility although the two come hand in hand) it was most notable for it's high quality spas, brothels (Non-Slave variety) and resorts centered around a small lake that was made from craters made due to mage-on-mage warfare back in the Age of Conflict. "Mom liked the idea of a romantic getaway so they decided to go. About a day later Uncle and Auntie came calling to ask both of them to look after Mungale while they were off to trade talks in Moara but ended up appointing me instead since I was still around."
"Huh... Well, at least you have Gregory, Sora and Tiffany looking out for you." I added with a smile... As Cress sheepishly sighed and shook his head, hands moving to his hips.
"Umm... Tiffany is here, but Sora and Gregory aren't." I blinked at him wondering about that now. "Gregory got a request from someplace in southern Ur, requesting help chasing down some goblin tribes that he was unable to ignore... And Sora got a letter from Terra, asking her to come to her, quickly."
"Tsk..." I let off. "Yeah, she wouldn't ignore any letter from her of all people..." I mused, rubbing my chin for a moment.
"Beg pardon..." Makoto spoke up. "Who is Terra?"
"Terra Reinclive, she's Sora's daughter." I said, looking to my bodyguard. "Long story made short they're a bit... estranged and Sora has wanted to mend relations for awhile and Terra... Much less so." I said with a sigh. There was more there, of course (A lot more) but it was not the best time to get into it.
"Heeey!" I heard, as we turned to see... Tiffany coming out into the front hall wearing... Not much... A sheer white nightie that was semi transparent (And nothing under it at all. Yes, we could all see) and a set of slippers. "Everyone's home!" She said as she stretched her petite body for a moment as she smiled to us. "Welcome back, how's the trip so far?" She chirped as she ran up to us and jumping into my arms, giving me a large, loving hug before moving to give one to Miria. Distracting as her outfit (Or lack thereof) was my thoughts were on the move elsewhere as I tapped my chin with a thumb.
"Tiffany... Haven't changed I see." Miria let off as Aeris refused a hug, crossing her arms.
"Have you considered getting dressed?" The elf huffed to her as the blonde human giggled, Makoto bowing to her before getting hugged by Tiffany as well.
"Well met, my under dressed friend." My bodyguard let off before Tiffany hugged Riri.
"You really should get dressed though." Riri giggled out to her as Ur'Akara got her own hug.
"So, Cress..." Miria let off, smirking a bit to the feminine male. "Angling for James' position as the heir, ehh?" I was stroking my chin, paying attention to the conversation around me, but thinking on something else.
"Ehhh! N-no, it's just everyone else was gone, that's all!" Cress replied with, waving his hands before him defensively. For the record, Cress was currently behind me in the line of succession fo Mungale. "I just had to keep things going while everyone was gone, is all."
"Eh, I think he did fine!" Tiffany said, moving over to Cress and wrapping an arm around his shoulders as he did his best to not stare at Tiffany (A challenge, I had to admit) as Miria snickered at him. "Even Sora said he was doing great before she took off!"
"Indeed? Perhaps if James ends up wed to someone such as Prim you can... Hmmm? M'Lord?" Makoto let off, the first to notice I was thinking about something else. "Is something the matter? You seem rather distracted."
"Something's off." I said, tapping my chin. "Am I the only one who's wondering why everyone's gone all at once?"
"I... Excuse me, what are you thinking, exactly?" Aeris asked, blinking at me.
"Just think about it for a moment." I said as I turned to look at her. "A trade talk comes up at the same time Uncle and Auntie are off because of an invite to a spa and resort treatment in Bria, Sora gets a letter from Terra finally after how many years while at the same time Gregory happens to get called out to fight in southern Ur against goblins of all things? All in the span of when we return to the manor? Maybe I'm being paranoid, but this removes Mungale's six most powerful, experienced and accomplished combatants from the region all at the same time."
"You're being paranoid, Brother." Miria said, sighing as she moved to set a hand on my shoulder. "I mean, you're acting like someone arranged this; who would do that?" She let off, laughing a bit as my eyebrow twitched in annoyance. I was about to answer before the pinging of a voxlux sounded. After a moment Cress reached into a coat pocket and pulled one out, turning it on and looking to the face of a guard.
"Yes?" Cress let off, blinking at the interruption.
"Sire, there's a carriage with a small escort approaching the manor. The occupant claims to be Cyrus Mandeville." The guard said with more then a small amount of disdain. The room went very quiet. I sighed before pinching my nose and counting to ten before speaking.
"I'd rather have been wrong." I said as I saw Riri's jaw tighten from the corner of my eye. "Well, let's go see what he wants... And then we can tell him which direction he can go and fuck off."
[-]
I initially wanted Riri to stay inside with the guards, much like last time when the damned old man showed up, but she refused. Whether it was her own personal growth or the fact Cyrus was not his father she was feeling brave enough to be part of the confrontation when Cyrus arrived. Tiffany would be the last one to join us; taking sometime to get dressed and get her equipment. A lone carriage with two guards on horseback rode up to us with another two sitting with the driver; levels thirteen to sixteen. As the vehicle parked an additional guard stepped out as did a female guard. I winced when using Observe on her; I doubted a slave trained since age two would be jumping ship if offered. And with no collar on her bare neck there was no way I could object openly.
Fuck.
And stepping out last in a red long coat over black, leather gambeson was the man of the hour himself, Cyrus Mandeville.
(-)
Name: Cyrus Mandeville
Title: Heir of a Mercantile Empire
Class: Swordsman
Level: 23
Alignment: Hostile
Reputation: 22
Status: Healthy, Cocky, Smug
Known Traits
[?]
[Sword Master] You are a master of any sword set to your hand. +2 Damage to all one handed swords in your use, +4 Damage to all two handed swords in your use.
[Lightning Reflexes] You deflect missile attacks with great ease. +50% Dex when parrying or deflecting ranged attacks.
[Light On Your Feet] If your Dex is higher then your Agi increase Agi by 5.
Son of Sir John Mandeville, he lived in luxury's lap for most of his life. He was not in line to take over his father's business and estate, but with his brothers either dead or becoming disowned he found himself as the only heir apparent in line for the Mandeville name. Despite his best efforts he's proven to be a middling merchant at best and lacking in economic talent like his father.
(-)
Wait, his brothers are dead or disowned? Huh. I'd heard all of the old man's sons were utter jackasses. There was a set of stories here I didn't know about, and that annoyed me. Regardless now was not the time or place to start asking questions about that. Cyrus put on an insufferable smirk and glanced to Riri (His smirk widening for a fraction of a second, I noted) before looking back to me and walking over to us, his guards dismounting the carriage, the two on horses staying mounted. To his credit he didn't act or look nervous, unlike his men. There was fair reason to be nervous; archers were on the Manor's central tower and walls facing inwards, additional crossbowmen at the windows plus our own horseback mounted soldiers and infantry. They were outnumbered eight to one easy before taking my group into consideration with Tiffany and Cress factored in.
"Ahhh, James Noxdecus! A pleasure!" He said smoothly, starting to extend a hand. "Cyrus Mandeville, nice to meet you! Heard you had some project of import you are dealin-"
"Shut up..." I let off at him, huffing a bit. "You have no reason to like me, I have less of a reason to like you. Rather then try and butter me up and pretend to be friendly I'd prefer if you got to the point of why you're here." I said as I crossed my arms as he withdrew his hand. The false smile he had one faltered and lessened, but stayed, if in a reduced state.
"Very well, as you wish." He said with a shrug. "To the point then." He said reaching into his coat pocket and removing a slip of paper folded in half, holding it up then out. I gave Makoto a glance and she moved towards him, took the paper in her left hand and backed up to me; her right hand on her blade's handle the whole time. Once she was back to me I took the paper and opened it. "I imagine you are aware of that sigil."
He was right; it was the sigil on the enchanted circlet I pulled off of Peter Hacksaw, the one that made him see everyone as a zombie and make everything around him look like a damned hellscape. While not exactly secretive about it we haven't been screaming at the top of our lungs that we've encountered this before and we didn't show the sigil off to anyone save Celestine, Prim, Maia, Claudia, Kara and whoever got the thing in the Adventurer's Guild for study; it's not something he should have heard about. Still the sight of my face scrunching in disgust proved to him that, yes, I had indeed seen it before.
"So our information was quite accurate then? Good. Now, allow me to explain the current situation in full." Cyrus said, his smirk growing back a little bit more. "A small, Balanar town named Kirirus had killed a murder claiming everyone else was a goblin. Ludicrous, I know... Or so we thought. The circlet he was wearing was taken, noted and was going to be sold but someone put it on their head. By what reports we have he wanted to see 'how it looked on him' or some such thing. Then he started attacking everyone around, thinking them a goblin and managed to escape; arming himself with a blade. Needless to say we're quite... concerned about this and moved to follow the man; a former solider so he's not to be trifled with."
"And he just happened to come to Mungale?" I asked, tapping my foot as I passed the note to Miria who bristled at the emblem on it. Cyrus, for his part, shrugged.
"I just followed his path to the north is all. And when I learned someone in Eostia had dealt with this before, well, your experience would be invaluable in handling the situation." He said simply as an explanation.
Uh huh.
"Riiiiight... So rather then have someone chase this guy down you decided to come yourself." I said, tapping my foot in annoyance. "To Mungale. To ask for help from someone your father is feuding with. From the guy with the fewest reasons to trust you. Why should I trust a damned work you said?" He started to open his mouth but I cut him off straight away. "And before you say anything, for all I know the goblin circlet story is absolute bunk and you're just here to cause trouble for me."
"My, my, so very distrustful!" Cyrus let off with a small chuckle before giving me a shrug and small grin. "Ahhh, but you're not wrong either, I have to admit. You have no reason to trust me, to be fair... Beyond knowing there is a high chance that a good man suffering, most likely causing harm to all he comes across and possibly even murder a person or two. You may not trust my words, but by what I've shown you then you know this is possible, and with what I've shown you you know it is, you have to trust enough is amiss to render a bit of assistance in traversing Mungale and helping me in finding this man." He said with a smirk. "After all you have a... reputation, for this sort of thing. Your good deeds in assisting and protecting the people of Onglave and Leosol have reached our shared borders in my own home country, after all."
"Uh huh..." Shit. It's not just what he's saying but what he's not saying that annoys me here. "Well, you'll have to wait here while we have a discussion on what to do. Excuse us." I said looking to one of the guards. "Make sure he doesn't do anything or go anywhere." I said as I turned and walked back into the manor, my party following me. Cress shut the door as we walked in a bit deeper. Myself, Tiffany and Aeris all cast our own spells to ensure there was no way in hell Cyrus could listen into us. "Okay, I do not trust this guy as far as I can spit on him. Any dissenters from this opinion?"
No one answered save for a collection of scoffs and shakes of head.
"We all know what he wants, really." Aeris huffed out, running a hand past her long hair. "Really, we should just send him on his away. I'm sure the guards will prod his backside with spears to our borders, if you were to wish it."
"While I agree, we must consider for a moment the question on if he is being truthful or not." Makoto inserted, frowning in thought. "I agree that he is not to be trusted, however we must considered the possibility he is right about someone wearing a cursed circlet. He may not have caused the situation, but I still imagine he would aim to take advantage of it were it to arise."
"There's another thing to consider; he stressed the word reputation for good reason." I let off as Cress sighed and nodded.
"I'd have to imagine he's heard a few things. I don't know if you've heard, but people are speaking of you." My cousin said as he looked to me. "Fighting bandits in Onglave, beating the Legion in Arafe, overcoming a Dominious ship in Cauldona. You're hardly becoming a celebrity based on your deeds alone thus far but coupled with your 'great work' more people are hearing of you and forming an idea of who you are based on them; an intelligent, honest lordling willing to defend good, honest folk." I winced. "There's also a rumor going around saying to slept with an entire ships worth of pirate women but-"
"Please ignore that one, Cress." I said crisply as he nodded. "But yeah, I see the point. This is damned annoying..."
"I... Do not understand what you mean, James." Makoto let off, blinking. "He admits that you have a greater moral character then he does; why is that an issue?"
"It's not because of what he said but what he didn't say." I said, turning to face her. "Even if this cursed circlet of his is bunk what would it sound like is someone were to come here, petitioning my help to solve a threat I had dealt with before and I ignored it because the man making the report seemed a bit shady, or that I had issues with his father, despite being an 'upstanding merchant'?" I let off, complete with air quotes.
"Ah... I see..." She said, sighing. "Your choices are, in short, accompany him on his hunt for the circlet and march your ways towards whatever trap he has laid or give him an excuse that allows him to paint you as less of a man then you are. He is, in short, trying to box you into one of two bad choices."
"This can get pretty frustrating..." Riri added as she tapped her chin nervously. She had reason to be nervous, but I had no intention of letting them abduct (They'd claim recover, but we know the truth) my maid.
"I'm not the sort of be obsessed over a reputation, but I'm not dumb enough to ignore what a bad one could do; doubly so if he isn't bluffing and someone gets hurt." I said, sighing. "So, our best bet, I think is to spring the trap... While making sure he can't take advantage of it."
"What do you propose?" Cress asked as I took a moment to think. Soon an idea came to me as I started to outline it.
[-]
There was an agreement made before we set out between my party and Cyrus. Him and his half dozen guards plus myself, Miria, Cress, Tiffany, Makoto, Aeris and Ur'Akara making both sides of the equation bringing seven people on the hunt. The driver of Cyrus' carriage remained at the manor, under watch just in case. I also asked for the carriage to be searched, just to be sure there wasn't anything or anyone unwelcome smuggled in it. Naturally Riri wasn't with us; Cyrus was annoyed with that but took it in stride. I had to guess he knew, or at least knew there was a strong chance, that I'd leave Riri behind. After all, I had no plans to let him recover his father's 'property'.
I wasn't sure I wanted him to leave with all of his teeth, to be honest.
First stop was to the Adventurer's Guild to see it's receptionist, Kara Greenbay. I made sure everyone else stayed outside; Cyrus and his group to avoid any conflicts and the rest of my group to babysit them and ensure there wasno conflicts. There was a small buzz as I entered (I hadn't been around for weeks now, so that was understandable), and Rowdy and his boys gave me the stink eye (I didn't miss that) as I moved to the desk, Kara looking up from paperwork and giving me a smile. "Well, look who's back!" She chirped at me as she waved and smiled. "If I knew you were back I'd have saved you a job... Actually, one just came in... Someone with another circlet it seems like..." She said sadly as she looked up to me, adjusting her glasses.
Fuck.
"I half expected that." I said as she gave me a 'huh' and confused look. I took the time to explain the situation at the manor and about Cyrus. She frowned and rubbed her chin with a thoughtful look as I finished the tale.
"I see, I see... Truth be told, I was a bit suspicious about this job." She let off, considering things for a moment more. "Two of these things showing up in Mungale is odd, odder still that both were near Argon. Additionally, the coin used to put in the job are clearly Balanar coins, which I found odd." I frowned at that. Eostian coins were round with a thin ridge on the outside that raised up slightly; the tail's side bore the Seven Shields Alliance Emblem (Although simplified with no words and no colors, obviously) and the head's side boasting a ruler of one of the Seven Kingdoms or a High King or Queen (As one might expect, the bulk of them had Celestine on them due to how long lived she is). Balanar coin had a thicker ridge and a series of dots inside of the ridge, circling the coin with the Red Bear on the tails side and a ruling King on the heads side. The shape alone made it easy to tell the two coins apart, even by touch. However...
"If he used Balanar coin to put the job in then he's not as smart as he think he is." I said, cupping my own chin for a moment. "Anything else about this seems suspicious?"
"A couple of things." She said, leaning over the counter. "The man who paid for the job is a local, but putting in more coin then he should be able to afford; he's a farmhand... From one of the ones that's struggling. On top of that he made sure to stress the circlet; as if it was more important then the crazy guy. I found it odd, but with what you said I think he's been paid off. I guess when your struggling for coin and are asked to do something you don't ask questions if you're paid. Doubly so if you think you're doing a good deed, reporting on trouble to someone in a position to do something about it."
I nodded to myself. Cyrus wasn't making very smart moves, it seems. At least he was making more mistakes then his old man; I was grateful for that. If all my enemies wanted to make mistakes I wouldn't stop them on that. That said, not all of my enemies would; The Black Storm wouldn't need someone like me to fight it otherwise. That said, underestimating Cyrus or taking him too lightly could bite me in the butt; he might not be the sharpest knife in the drawer but given his level and traits we wasn't a lightweight in a fight. "Listen Kara. I'm going to spring his little trap and deal with things. Can I ask for a favor?"
"Of course. What do you need?"
I outlined what I wanted as she took a moment to nod before I accept the job formerly.
[New Quest Gained: Cyrus and the Circlet]
[New Objective: Investigate the Location of the Cursed Circlet]
Ah, quest text, it's been too long... Good to see you once more.
[-]
"A fine day for a hunt, don't you think?" Cyrus let off as I felt my eye twitch. "Good clear weather, more then enough sun and almost no wind." Thanks to Kara we had a general direction; a forest about an hour's ride from Argon where the trees were well spaced; it seemed like no tree was within twenty feet of another. There were long stretches where the trees opened up, giving a wider birth between fifty and eighty feet wide. We were all on horseback; two of the manor's horses borrowed by Cyrus and his group; his bodyguard riding two to a horse and Cyrus having one to himself. I also had one to myself, as did Makoto who as it turns out knows how to fight from horseback. Tiffany rode another with Miria riding pillion behind her, and Ur'Akara rode another with Cress riding pillion behind her (Happy to do so, but clearly wishing it was Miria he was behind). Aeris sat on her staff as it hovered by us, as per usual. This did allow both of our archers to aim and fire without worrying about guiding the horse, if need be. "I'm sure it won't be long until we find the poor bastard."
"Hard to say. He could be in hiding as well." I pointed out, making sure to keep him in my peripheral vision. For my mount I, of course, took White Peach as the gentle mare was easy to handle and I was still a novice at horseback riding. "We could be out here for awhile in that case."
"Don't sound so dour, my comrade." I frowned at that term of endearment. "Just bask in all the good that you're doing my man." He let off a chuckle as he shrugged. "You Eostians seem to prefer that."
"I'd hope you can learn from that." I shot back, trying to keep a neutral, level tone as I spoke. Did I mention I didn't trust him? At all? I didn't trust him. At all. I trusted Halbert more then him and that bastard of a butler tried to poison me. I kept an eye out for our quarry as well as I tried not to sigh in annoyance at him.
"Like I'd want to. Your country has been fighting Garan for what? Seven hundred years?" He let off, scoffing with a smirk. "How weak are you and yours to not finish off an enemy after so long?" It was a bit infuriating to have him go off on that, That being said, I knew my history too and quite well.
"Uh huh. And we've held out for those seven hundred years." I replied, keeping my voice level. "It took, what, Justical twenty odd years to subjugate Balanar?" His head snapped over to glare at me with his smirk vanishing in a second as I resisted the urge to smirk myself in response. "The first time? I mean took, like what? Sixty years to rebel fully? The first time?"
"You..." He hissed out at me, gritting his teeth nearly losing his cool fully as his knuckles turned white briefly as his hands gripped the reigns tighter. I didn't expect such a strong reaction, to be honest. I wasn't kidding, however.
Balanar is an older kingdom then Eostia, appearing during the Age of Conflict and formed in the fall of the Unitum Imperium; most kingdoms at that time did, really. When Verlangen made the Brazen Empire he took a sizable chunk of what was then northern Balanar. Balanar, as you might expect, was not happy with this and moved a massive army northward to retake it... And failed. Badly. They lost almost half their military in the war they launched and lost another chunk of their land. Enter Justical, stage left.
Justical was Balanar's southern neighbor and most notable rival. As you might have guessed they took their name from the word 'Justice'... But they had an... Interesting view of it. They were a very orderly, structured society with a rigid class system and believed in doing good... By insisting that other countries follow their 'right' way of doing things. By insisting I mean invading and oppressing. And Balanar being a kingdom with slavery is a hell of a target for them. That said, Justical has the issue of invading and picking fights with almost everyone around them, sometimes to their own detriment. As I'm told the Knight reincarnation of Larentia has tried to curb this issue more then once and failed... Miserably. And each time they conquered Balanar they would go off, pick another war, get bogged down and the Balanarians would rise up, throw off the shackles of their oppressors, reinstate slavery and their own brand of oppression and do what they could do to deal with their rivals.
As mentioned Balanar was conquered for sixty years the first time. After their conquest by Justical they reestablished themselves after rebelling against The Knight's Kingdom but was too weak to pick a second fight with Eostia or their rivals for a time. After the Brazen Empire fell and Eostia was getting steady on it's feet they took aim at her south west territories and about a hundred and fifty years after the Seven Shields Alliance was founded attacked once more to reclaim what they had lost earlier... And failed to win and was turned back. A ten year long war with Justical followed and Balanar once again faltered; although it was only half conquered this time. They would push back and rebel when Justical was involved in yet another war and push their borders back to their original position.
After the Great Pox hit some thousand years ago Justical attacked once more and fully conquered Balanar while they were struggling to recover. They managed to keep Balanar under their thumb for about a hundred and forty years and two rebellions this time before a third uprising dislodged them, coupled with Justical fighting another war on two fronts; one of those being Eostia. Justical would conquer a another good chunk six hundred and fifty years ago before being pushed back and once more again recently just a few years back in yet another war.
"Tch." He let off, snorting as he looked straight ahead. "Well, comparing Garan and Justical is hardly an equivalence." He let off with a huff and a snort as he tried to control his frown.
Of course not... Other people picked fights with Justical, distracting and weakening them while we were left to deal with Garan mostly alone. Mostly; Wereagell would jump in anytime Garan pushed too deep into Thorn and our main ally, The Rycall Republic, would send their own forces to help when they could afford to do so to both assist and give their troops front line experience. I didn't bring it up because that would start an argument, which constituted a conversation and I did not want to talk with him if I could help it. At all.
Behind us other conversation across lines were taking place; mostly small talk but awkward small talk. Everyone was avoiding potential sore points; no talk of slavery, working for Maneville, Balanar/Eostia relations and so on. I will give Cyrus' people this much credit; they were nothing if not professional. After a few minutes more Cyrus spoke up once more. "I've heard of your little project. As proud as you must be about it, what will you think once it's been copied?" This time I couldn't help it; I did smirk. Quite widely. "What's so amusing?"
"Oh, nothing. I just got creative with my defenses is all." I replied with, not saying anything else. After all, no sense tipping my hand to him, or anyone else for that manner.
As I said before; Enchanting is like computer programming and while I wasn't a programmer I did know some HTML and understood the concept quite well. As such I got creative with my defenses, things I had never heard of being done in this world before. For starters, the spell code made checks. I loaded it with a lot or garbage code; standard for enchanters to keep things obscure and because of how I made the voxlux, via mass production of identical code, that meant you couldn't check one with the other to see what was different from little mistakes.
To be fair, some of that gibberish code was jokes no one but myself would get; Stay awhile and listen, Wii would like to play, This is a voxlux; there are many like it but this one is mine, and so forth and so forth. That was the tip of the iceberg, but they would be obviously removed when trying to copy it... Code which the normal operations would check for and would refuse to work if that 'gibberish' code wasn't found. Additionally, said code also checks other, small details; deliberate 'mistakes' that most enchanters would fix and, thus, cause a failure. On top of that I installed one final bit of code that would send me an alert if someone had managed to find some sort of work around.
In short; copying it was a pain in the ass, if you could I'd know about it and even then I still have some options to counter it. I know the power of what I had made and was very cautious about it.
"You are a smug one, aren't you?" He let off.
"Pot, this is kettle. You're black." He followed with a snort to my cheeky reply. Thankfully he quieted down for awhile.
"Well, as long as your satisfied that it's being used well." He quipped out.
"I'm sure everyone I gave them out to are using them responsibly." I replied simply as I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
[-]
Primus City, Nobility District
Levantine-Curtis Manor
Office of Klaus Curtis
Previous Night
Klaus' office was one of the most comfortable rooms in the manor he lived in with his wife; given how long he was in there reading and writing reports, studying various odds and ends and learning various new spells there was good reason to ensure comfort. Fine, reddish stained floorboards and matching desks and shelves lined with books from all of Eostia and beyond; some rare books older then Eostia itself. A large chair for him to sit in, covered in green, padded leather that was as comfortable as any seat he had used before. He sipped from his cup of coffee and set it down; a metal plate on the desk acting as a stove top to heat the pots of coffee or tea, coupled with his ability to conjure water with his magic meant he didn't need to leave his chair for another shot of caffeine; hence why he preferred coffee.
A trio of spell orbs hung behind him on chains, each set into a ring. Another trio hung at the other side of the room, each one giving the room light allowing him to read clearly. The book before him was a tome detailing the various methods and types of enchanting. His wife was soon to play escort to one James Noxdecus; a good acquaintance albeit one he wished he had more time to speak with. Klaus, well learned as he was, was an enchanter as well although no where as near as skilled as James or more dedicated practitioners. Indeed, Klaus was versed in many school; alchemy, summoning, conjuring, knew spells of every elements, a more then adept healer and one of the few the Alliance trusted to research of transmutation.
Yet he always enjoyed being with his peers in learning and spellcraft; not just James but others. As a young boy his father, Grave, attempted to pull Klaus along and drag him through his own footsteps along the path of the warrior. Even at a young age, however, it was clear that Klaus lacked a warrior's constitution and instinct. His father attempted to just ramp up the training regime to the point of abuse but to no positive results; if anything given the days he spent sore and nearly bedridden it was giving negative results. However Archmage Argus Von Starlong had discovered in Klaus a talent for magic. Indeed, while his physical abilities were average at best his magical abilities were excellent.
And thus his magical education began under his kind, old mentor.
Grave never enjoyed the fact that not only was his son ill-suited to being a knight but well suited to being a magician of no small skill and power; even forcing him to take his mother's maiden name and barring him from using the Levantine name. It was when he was still in his studies that Grave brought in his future wife, Claudia, and adopted her seeing in her in spades what Klaus never had. And yet there was no resentment from him for her being what his father desired nor from her for himself being the man's flesh and blood son. In a strange way they complemented each other and just... clicked. Grave seemed to accept their union, although he wasn't overly happy for it. Klaus didn't much care for his father's opinion on the situation; just Claudia's.
Sadly between their combined responsibilities there hadn't been time to bear a child but both agreed after the next Garan conflict they would begin in earnest (Something he was looking forward to, greatly) as they would have had time before the next possible incursion... But the Black Storm had thrown another wrench into that plan. Given the time span when the expected the Storm was to come Claudia would be either heavily pregnant or recovering from such if they tried now.
Maybe that was why Claudia doted on children when she could and mothered James during his family's stay in Geofu. Indeed, seeing the young spellblade bravely save a girl from being trampled and putting his own life on the line to do so quickly endeared him to the couple and while his budding sword skills pleased Claudia his magical knowledge bonded him with Klaus. In a way it felt like he was taking Archmage Starlong's place and becoming the mentor where he was once the student. Long nights of speaking and theory crafting... He wondered if any of their conversations had helped him create his voxlux. He was a bit jealous, really. That the young heir of the Barony of Mungale had come up with such a novel, revolutionary device when many of his elders hadn't invented anything like it spoke volumes.
It was at that moment his voxlux pinged on the desk beside him. He set his book aside and answered, seeing his beautiful wife's face projected from one of it's stones with the back window of her own office in view. "Ah, Claudia my love... Seems I'm not the only one stuck in an office, then..." Indeed, his wife was making final preparations for the young Noxdecus' arrival and likely would be staying in Fortress Geofu until next morning at least. It was more likely the next night, sadly.
"Indeed... I still needed to see you, My Dearest... And..." She said, smiling softly. "I had something important to show to you..."
"Oh? What is it?" He let off, smiling... As her voxlux shifted and moved downwards, between her legs... And showing off her uncovered, bare and softly furred sex. Two fingers moved down, spreading the lower lips wide; the folds moist and her clitoris exposed to his view as he instantly turned red.
"O-o-o-oh my!" So many years of marriage, so many nights of passion, so many times he'd seen this sight in person, yet even over the distance between them and projection of image via illusion magic built into the device the beauty of her sex still took his breath away.
"I had to show you how much I missed you..." She cooed over the device as she began to toy with her own, moistened slit.
No more work or reading was done that night.
[-]
"Well?" After an hour of searching we came across something more promising then 'a general direction'. Miria dismounted to sniff about, putting her nose to good use. In short we found tracks of a man. By the steps he was making he was moving about briskly; as if being chased... With no tracks displaying anyone acting as a chaser.
"I have his scent." She said moving to remount Tiffany's steed behind the blonde before they steed was guided towards me. "I'll be able to pick it up with that if the tracks become too sparse." I nodded a bit as Tiffany directed her steed closer, passing by me and my steed... and Miria added in a whisper, ensuring only I and Tiffany could hear it something else of note. "He smells of a soap."
"Right. Let's be along then; mounted as we are we'll be upon him shortly." Cyrus let off, directing his steed as we followed as I kept an eye on him. The sus was strong with this one. How did a man, running all the way from Balanar, find time to bathe with soap? I tapped two of my fingers to my thigh on the side no eyes were on as I watched Cyrus from the corner of my eye for a moment then glanced at Miria as she and Tiffany rode up along beside me. Her ear would twitch twice before I refocused on Cyrus and the tracks we were following.
It was becoming more and more clear to me that Cyrus had a plan in mind, and more and more I was getting an idea of what it was. And more and more I was glad I planned the level of insurance that I did. Full glad.
It was some half hour and change later that we found the man who made the tracks; he hadn't noticed us yet, but I could see the circlet, even from the rear angle, and a sword in his hand. Some five foot ten, short brown hair, brown tunic, black pants and brown boots. Nothing fancy I focused on him for a moment.
[(⸜∕ ) Investigate the Location of the Cursed Circlet]
(-)
Name: Jack Darkman
Title: Bartender of Argon
Class: Fighter
Level: 13
Alignment: N/A
Reputation: N/A
Status: ?
Known Traits
[?]
[Goblin Slayer] You hate goblins have become quite good at killing them. +3 damage when attacking goblins of any kind
[?]
A former adventurer he set down his weapons to open a bar in Argon City called the 'Bottomless Mug', but he would come out of his retirement for a time when his wife and daughter was abducted by goblins and suffered rape by their hands. After rescuing them and ending the goblins they birthed upon their entry to the world he spent another two years killing every goblin he could find before returning home to support his family once more.
(-)
[New Objective: Get the Circlet Off Jack Darkman]
[Bonus Objective: Remove it Without Using a Weapon]
...
Mother. Fucker. So much wrong with this, so much wrong. "Okay, let's take him off guard, get the thing off him before he notices us and-"
"Charge!" Cyrus let off, charging forwards with a cocky grin and making the man jump and flee. I face palmed. I already knew what he was going to try; at least to a degree, but did he need to aggravate things more? I gave gestures as we took off after him; if nothing else to make sure the idiot didn't kill the guy and try to pin it on us. Because he'd do something like that, I'm sure. The poor circlet wearer glanced back and grit his teeth as I moved my horse to the side, intending to cut him off. I fully planned to end this quickly, before things went wrong.
Honestly, he was going to get hurt at this point; the only question was how much can I minimize that pain while catching him? I drew mana into my hand as I took aim, minding the trees. White Peach seemed to sense what I was doing and started steering herself to avoid ramming into a tree or trip over a root which I was glad for, doubly so as she picked up speed. The rest of the riders behind him fell into a wide line (As wide a line as the trees allowed for at least) but I managed to get ahead and to the side as they slowed down, weapons drawn as they waited for someone to do something first.
That would be me as I threw an Arctic Orb out into the ground in Jack's path. He yelped, slipping and landing hard on his back as his sword fell out of his grip, pain flaring in his bearded face as I used Levitate to fly off White Peach and charged at him. Before he could get up I was able to tackle him and get one hand on the circlet, even as he tried to wrestle me off, hands on my arms; one by the wrist one by the elbow of the one holding the circlet. Even so I had enough of a grip to pull and pry the circlet off by force as the rest of my gang dismounted first; the man blinking up at me as he saw me with unclouded, green eyes, circlet in my hand. "What...? How...?"
[(⸜∕ ) Get the Circlet Off Jack Darkman]
[(⸜∕ ) Remove it Without Using a Weapon]
I was about to speak to him... But it was then a massive gust of magically generated wind hit me and knocked me and my people back; yelping and gasping from most of my party as I rolled to my front. The origin? The female slave of Cyrus...
And it was Cyrus I was glaring at as he had tackled Miria to the ground before the gust was cast and pulled a knife out, holding it to her throat. She hissed and grit her teeth, but to her credit stayed calm otherwise as she tucked her arms in as close to her chest as she could and even under it as Aeris groaned, picking herself up; she took the hardest fall of us all being knocked off of her staff. Cyrus' bodyguard formed a line between us as I pushed myself up. "Bastard!" Jack let off, gritting his teeth as he saw Cyrus. "That bastard-"
"Is the one that put the circlet on you; I figured." I said with a very annoyed tone... Which I took on to hide just how furious I was in the moment as it wouldn't help. "Tell me, was the wind spell the main plan or the back up plan?" I let off as I wondered how good it would feel to wrap my hands around the asshole's neck and wring it.
[New Objective: Save Miria and Defeat Cyrus Mandeville]
Oh, I intend to.
"Oh, look at you." Cyrus sneered openly at me, pressing the flat of the knife to Miria's throat to avoid cutting her by accident. It would be easy to turn the blade to her neck in a second though. "Here you are, thinking you're just soooo smart, like you knew it was going to happen, like you knew-"
"The man paid for the job with Balanar coin, if a man from Balanar wore the circlet up until then he would have caused havoc the whole damn way up here and the guild would have heard of it, and to top all that off... No one trusts you." I said as I calmly drew my weapon as he blinked at me as I pointed my blade in his direction.
"...I... ...I... I have a knife to the mongrel's throat!" Miria and Ur'Arka both, hissed softly as all weapons were drawn on both sides; Cress taking direct aim at Cyrus and pulling his bow back taut. One word from me and I knew Cyrus was dead. "...You wouldn't risk her life, would you? With my knife to her throat? Damned fool!"
"Of course not." I said as calmly as I could... With a hint of anger coming out as I glared at him. "Now, you let her go and you can walk away unharmed. On the other hand keep this up and I can't promise you'll leave in one piece."
He blinked at me for a long moment in stunned silence as if comprehending what I just said before laughing loudly with a smirk. Miria trembled a bit under him, from anger or fear I couldn't tell but if I had to say it was the former. "Oh my, what a bluff you're making. Very high stakes too. I admit, the wind spell was a backup plan... I had hoped Riri would come along like the good little puppy she is but I guess you aimed to protect her... Not that it matters, really... You will surrender, I'll have the sword you use taken back and exchange your lives for the return of my father's property while my associates have their fun with your friends as they please. Or, I can just slit her throat, your choice." He said with a smooth, smug grin. "In the end, the better man will win."
"Well, thanks for acknowledging I'm the better man." He sneered deeper at my firm reply, the smirk replaced with a frown and and angry glare. "This. Is. Your. Last. Chance. Let her go and you can walk away."
"...You damned Eostian fools... How such a weak set of kingdoms survived two millennia I'll never understand." Cyrus let off as the guards chuckled a bit as I backed up slightly, my weapon still pointed to him as his smirk returned in full. "Disarm them. If they try to resist I'll just start by taking an eye."
"Well then... I guess you'll get all that you deserve now, won't you?" I hissed out as Cyrus' guard approached us, weapons drawn. My group, of course, mimicked me in backing up slowly, Aeris taking a moment to recover her staff as we watched them. I couldn't help it; I was grinning openly now; one of the guards of Cyrus watching me a bit unnerved as they came closer to us... And further from Cyrus, just as I wanted...
"Bloody fools..." Cyrus let off, eyes rolling in his head. "You damned, bloody, stupid fools. With how you talked you'd think you still had the upper ha-AHHHHHHHH! ARGGHHH!"
Like I said, I had expected this. As from the last moment I spoke last another figure was on the move... After all, I never trusted this man for a second and I didn't leave Riri at home like he thought I had. No, I had her follow us and stay in hiding, stay up high if she could and here it paid off as Cyrus' guard turned to see what had happened... What had happened?
Riri dropping down from the trees like a damned ninja, one of her blades drawn and landing next to him as she drove it point first into his knife arm just below the elbow, sheering it off with a Combat Art of some sort. It was why Miria had her arms tucked in; to keep them out of a possible strike zone when Riri swooped in and attacked. It was, in the end, Riri's call how to handle it beyond one detail; I needed him alive at the end of this. I wish I didn't but I did, sadly. Under better circumstances I'd have him killed, burned to ashed and buried, pissing on them before we covered them with dirt, but you can't always get what you want.
This was a good substitute for that, though.
With the Mandeville heir screaming in pain (Losing an arm does that to a guy, I guess) he clutched the stump of his arm to halt the bleeding as the slave battlemaid cried out 'Master!' as Riri grabbed the bastard by the hair, yanked him off Miria and up on his knees and allowing my sister to get out from under him before setting her blade to his throat. "Drop your weapons and don't make a fucking move!" Riri bellowed out, anger ringing from her voice loud and clear.
I didn't even know her voice could get that loud. "I'd listen to her, if I was you." I replied with as calmly as possible. "While I'd rather this didn't end with a corpse, well, Riri really doesn't like his father. And she can be a bit defensive over me." Cyrus' guard squirmed in place but the slave battlemaid was the first to act, dropping her weapon to the ground. The rest of his men followed suit as more horseback riders approached; led by one of our guards, Kelly Conners.
"You were right sir, there would be other men in his employ around." She said with a salute, a couple of the Mandeville guards giving a wince and she and the Manor's guard dismounted. "They've been dealt with."
"Thank you, Sergeant Conners." I said, smiling a bit. "If you'd mind making sure they're fully disarmed, stripped of armor and then bind them for the time being." I said as she saluted as I walked forwards, moving around the batch of people as my guard moved to arrest Cyrus' men, holding my rapier at my side still.
[(⸜∕ ) Save Miria and Defeat Cyrus Mandeville]
"You... You... Son of a whore..." Cyrus hissed out, Riri yanking on his hair harder. "This... it's impossible... There's no way you could have-"
"You're an idiot..." I said, sighing softly. "I didn't trust you from the start. And if someone was going to chase down the circlet it wasn't going to be a pampered brat pretending to be a merchant-" He glared harder as I kept speaking. "-but rather they would send an adventurer or competent soldier. Not to mention, your plan sucked from the start. I already guessed you'd use a hostage to try and get your way; like father like son, after all. You seem to have inherited his arrogance. Just none of his competency." He grit his teeth and jerked slightly, as if to rise only to be yanked by his hair once more as he squawked, Riri quickly reminding him of his position as he clutched his arm's stump, somehow able to focus on something other then pain.
I guess rage was a hell of anesthetic.
"Damn you... You won't get away with this..." He hissed out, shivering on his knees as Miria huffed next to us, crossing her arms. "Do you know what my father will have done to you for this!? To your family!? I will-"
I casted Blazing Weapon on my rapier and pointed it right at his face as he balked and stopped talking then and there, eyes going wide and showing open, naked fear as I glared at him. I wondered if his open anger at his situation was a mask for it how afraid he really was, but it didn't matter to me, really. I shifted my weapon into a reverse grip and drove it down into Cyrus' arm.
His already severed arm for the record.
Cyrus screamed out as he watched his detached arm catch fire; the removed part of the long coat burning as smoke emerged from the flesh as it started to cook. If it was left intact it could have been reattached by a good healer with very little issue. When it was burnt to a crisp? Not happening, at all. "You know, if you had kept your damned mouth shut I might have let you take your arm back and maybe, maybe you could get someone to reattach it. As it is I'll claim it as my pound of flesh with interest." I said firmly as I ended my spell, pulling it free from the smoking limb and sheathing it. "Sergeant, when you've stripped them of all weapons and armor I want you to contact the manor; have his carriage escorted to the border and drag them to it. If they don't leave you have permission to kill the lot of them save Cyrus; you can just rough him up as you please."
"Sire." Kelly said crisply with a salute as she moved to Cyrus. Once she was close enough I'd moved to heal the stump on Cyrus', forcing the wound closed so he wouldn't bleed out and die; fitting a death as it would be for him. Kelly would grab him by his remaining arm as Riri let him go, yanking him to his feet and away. Miria walked over to me as he was dragged away, rubbing her throat as Cress finally relaxed, putting his arrow away.
"Is letting him live a good idea?" Miria asked as I sighed, Cress moving next to us.
"No. But killing him could be a worse idea." I replied before smirking softly. "But this time is a bit different. I have one hell of a screw to apply to the bastard and his father." I gave a bit of a chuckle as Miria and Cress shared a confused look before looking back to me.
Cathartic as evil cackling would be I'd have to wait until I was in private for that joy of joys.
[Quest Complete: Cyrus and the Circlet]
[Gain 3000XP]
[Gain 5 RSP]
[Gain 2 USP]
[Gain 8 Silver]
Achievement Unlocked: Disarmament
Your foe was disarmed. Literally!
Achievement Unlocked: Family Feud Winner
Win Three Rounds in a Family Feud
Oh, that's a good bit of bonus. Come to me, my stat points...
[-]
The report came in not long after we got back to the manor; Cyrus and his company were escorted to the border and forced to leave southwards. In addition to the six bodyguards he had with him on our hunt he had an additional half dozen as back up on horseback... All sharing the carriage by the sounds of it.
That has to be cramped as hell. I imagine the mood and company was worse.
In addition we took the armor and weapons of his guards and added them to our own stores and Serra was more then happy to have even more horses as donated to us by House Mandeville. In addition I made sure to sneak a couple apples over to White Peach for being a very good girl.
While I'm sure taking Cyrus' arm was quite the firm and loud statement of 'leave us the fuck alone' I decided to give him and his father another reminder of that. When his father came up to stir shit up I was reluctant to kill the man and when his plan failed I was willing to let him leave uncontested from Mungale; killing him would cause more backlash then it was worth, as would killing Cyrus now. Indeed, the trouble that could be caused could do more harm to the Barony of Mungale then ending either of the Mandevilles was worth. That hadn't changed in this instance.
What had changed however was when his old man made a go at us the voxlux was still in the testing phase and I had kept it mostly quiet at the time. Now, however, it was part of a public work project I was, more or less, spearheading, it's fame was spreading wider and, most importantly, I had the backing of the most powerful woman in all of Eostia behind me, meaning he wasn't screwing around with just an heir from a middling barony this time. And you better bet your ass that I was going to take advantage of that.
"That is most regretful." I was in my father's office at the moment, voxlux propped up on a thick book on the desk so I didn't need to hold it as Celestine's face was projected over it, her eyes shut as she sighed, making an exasperated face. She opened her eyes and looked at me as she spoke once more. "For the time being I will contact our lords in our southern borders with Balanar. I will advise them that Cyrus Mandeville should not be permitted into Eostia." It must be noted that due to the Aegis Accords one of the rulers of the seven kingdoms or the ruler of all Eostia didn't like to tell local lords who they could or couldn't let into their borders; overriding their authority was generally frowned on unless said person could be declared as a threat to the realm.
On the other hand, when someone as high up in the food chain as the Goddess Reborn and High Queen of Eostia tells you 'hey, this guy shouldn't be allowed into our kingdom' most of them will listen. At least House Highreign and House Rexvenandi would be more then happy to listen. Houses Rongera and Bludhorn was up in the air, leaning to not caring or at least asking for a good bribe to let him in. House Silversail, House Erotique and Magister were all questionable. As a leader of a trade focused Duchy House Silversail likely would, but if Cyrus wanted to go that way to get back to Mungale or visit Elddale through South Point it would be a hell of a detour. Celestine continued on further with her assurances.
"Additionally I'll send a letter with my seal on it to King Xerander. Once I mention your work and it's importance I'm sure he'll have very stern words with the leader of House Mandeville. I'll further advise that he should ensure that House Mandeville relinquishes all claims on your maid as a slave, with a written declaration of such. With luck this should ensure they'll no longer bother you; or at least have no reason to do so beyond normal animosity and pride."
"Thank you, Your Highness." I said as I bowed by head slightly and with a sigh of relief I knew I shouldn't have needed; I knew she'd help us out of course but it was still a relief to hear. I was quite sure King Xerander of Balanar would heed what she had to say; with Justical still a threat to his kingdom and their current position weakened they needed to rely on Esotia lest they collapse in on themselves and become conquered, yet again. Additionally I doubted Celestine wanted Justical as a neighbor.
I don't think anyone wanted Justical as a neighbor, really. As much of a pain as the nation was, Balanar was better to deal with.
"Please, you need not be so formal with me when we speak in such a private manner." She said, smiling softly. "You pulled me into a public dance and took me to a Fair. I would hope that qualifies us as friends, at the very least." I couldn't help but chuckle softly at that; I knew underneath all the titles she was just a woman with the urges anyone had... But it was still easy to see the titles. Too easy.
"Of course, Cele." I said, smiling warmly as I used a shorthand version of her name, to her surprise given how her eyebrows lifted up.
"Well, I haven't been called that in some decades... Regardless..." She said, her tone and face taking a more serious mood. "There is another thing we must address; the circlet."
"Yeah, we really do..."
Between Cyrus' antics and the emotions they stirred in me and my party I almost overlooked that the circlet was a major issue that still needed to be addressed. Once we had the circlet off him and Cyrus dealt with we spoke with Jack Darkman for a bit; his tale was what was we expected. Cyrus' men ambushed him one day as he was walking home, dragged him to the forest, dropped a sword near him then slapped the circlet on his head. Once it took hold fully he grabbed the sword to defend himself, but the 'goblins' he saw were now fleeing on horseback. It projected the same hellscape into his head the first one did; just replace zombies with goblins that had glowing red eyes and made him even forget about the circlet at all.
I was satisfied that we were dealing with the same enchantment but Cress decided to be double sure and donned it to see for himself, tearing it off moments later, panting and wide-eyed. He took it about as well as I did, to be fair. Which is to say not that well...
"That one of these things has appeared is bad enough, that a second has appeared suggests something more. That someone is producing them for a purpose." Celestine said with a sigh. "But beyond causing terror and heartbreak, I do not know the objective of these things."
"If I needed to hazard a guess I don't think they are being used for a purpose yet." I said, leaning back and rubbing my chin in thought. "I could be wrong but I think what we've seen so far is... Just a test run." This reminded me of the anime Death Note really, specifically the point where Light Yagami (As Kira) killed several prisoners but made them perform or write odd things before they died to get an idea of how much control he could impose on them while under the Death Note's influence. Just less 'magical note book of death I can use from the comfort of my room' and more 'I have to get off my ass and apply them myself'.
"... A test run?" She parroted back with a disgusted tone, tilting her head for a moment before thinking about it. "No... No, I think you're right. If so then there is an effect they are aiming to achieve, perhaps a means to control what a person does or desires to do. Seeing people as monsters... ... It's a cover... Whoever was behind this knows the chances of retrieving the circlets could be low and therefore uses the frightful imagery and projecting the images of monstrosities onto others as a means to obscure these facts. I would exposit then that this ultimate plan is meant to use these devices as a means of control... To project onto the wearer something the mastermind wants to be seen or heard by them... If such a device were set onto a noble or a ruler of one of the kingdoms... The creator or mastermind of this plot could control their thoughts... And through them their actions..."
I felt a chill go right up my spine from that... Beyond 'This is a Test' I hadn't guessed what the plan for these things are but if she was right... Dear good, fucking lord this could be bad. Very, very bad. "The good news is anything they do for this, they'll need to have the enchantment pressed to the head for it to work. If someone with a new crown or tiara is acting oddly we can just yank it off them. On the other hand, if there's a way to get them under the skull..."
"Is that possible?" She asked with a bit of worry.
"It's not a subject I've researched, but based on what I know; no it's not." I replied with. "Based on what I know the skull acts as a bit of a buffer for the enchantment's power; if I recall correctly implanting an enchanted spell stone next to the brain tends to have... Umm... detrimental effects on the person's mental abilities at best. By the time you've healed all the surgical wounds they could just go brain dead or become a drooling mess... Not pretty and very unfortunate but not a threat, either. Of course there's a caveat with that..."
"What if that limitation is overcome by these same people?" She supplied as we fell into silence for a moment as she cupped her own chin. After a moment she spoke once more. "In my letter to King Xerander I'll explain our discoveries and thoughts on this and ask him to forwards any reports he can. If this circlet did originate in Balanar it's a potential threat to both kingdoms. Additionally it suggests the perpetrator has the ability to reach into the borders of other nations, beyond our own. I wonder..."
"Hmm?"
"... For now you need to focus on your boosters and their installation. Now, more then ever, we need to share information quickly and efficiently." She replied as she looked up at me. "If another instance of these circlets arises we must learn all we can and uncover this conspiracy. I'll see you once you've come to Ken, my friend."
[-]
Skyguard City, Capital of Ken
Chamber of the Shields
"Until then." Celestine said as she ended the conversation, setting her voxlux down as she sighed, leaning back in her seat. She was alone in the Chamber of the Seven Shield Princesses for a moment with her thoughts. "So... Who is responsible for this...?"
It was easy enough to think these circlets were a part and parcel of the Black Storm gathering on the horizon, but she also knew not every threat would be the actions of the people behind the Storm. No, she had an idea of who was behind this. She had no proof, of course, but an idea as she lifted an old book kept in the Chamber for reference she was looking at earlier from the table into her view. On it was an emblem, similar to the maker's mark found on the first circlet, as well the second one. A circle, split into four parts with long spikes between each of the breaks and three spikes on each part of the remaining circle. Between the spikes on the end of each circle segment and four longer spikes was another spike pointing inwards. In the center was a black circle and in it was the image of an eye. "The Scorned Circle..."
The sight of the emblem was rare. Even those who knew of the group, whispering about them in hushed tones, would likely not know of the emblem at all, or that the group even had an emblem. For all of his knowledge of the Enchanting arts and no matter how much he had heard of or knew of the Scorned Circle even James had likely not seen the emblem. If he had he would have been smart enough to put two and two together and would have realized how similar the marker's mark was to the Scorned Circle's emblem. Even she needed a brief spark to remind her.
The Scorned Circle were an order of Enchanters that stretched back ages; perhaps with a history starting even before the First Age of Magic. Their aim was unclear to anyone but what she did know was they had three defining traits; they preferred to be neutral in any conflict or war on the continent (Even the Eostia/Garan Conflict), they wanted to push the limits of magic in general and enchanting in specific and three the rare, rare times they were discovered they would move their operations to anywhere else. On rare occasions a member of the circle would come into the light they would select and teach a handful of students and then vanish as quickly as they came. If you were lucky they might even use it as a reference to get hired. As hidden, shadowy societies go they were rather harmless. Mostly.
The combined magical knowledge of the Scorned Circle was not to be underestimated and she imagined they were the reason for the fall of House Endura; a family of Barons in Balanar who, supposedly, burned a library of a wizard's notes, tomes and scrolls on various discoveries and theories he had on account of offending their patriarch over some detail that she didn't know of. The end result of this?
He died of a sudden, surprise heart attack, his two, spoiled sons were found dead in an alley with their skeletons missing (And no visible wounds or means of pulling them out; no one knew how it was done as nothing else was missing) and his wife would end up suffering an orgasm anytime someone spoke to her in anything louder then a whisper. No one knew who had done it but the suspect list started with the Scorned Circle and ended with the Scorned Circle.
She doubted the entire Scorned Circle was a part of this plot; she'd met a handful of the order over her life and they were decent, if eccentric, people. But what she did know was each was to make an emblem of their own, based off of the Scorned Circle's emblem. Had one of their members gone rogue? Or was one of them being forced to act against their will? And if it was the second case, who was the true mastermind behind it?
It was going to be a historic year...
She just hoped Eostia survived it.
[-]
"And that's how it all ended." I told Kara; I had returned to the Adventurer's Guild the following morning. For the time being I allowed Cress to manage the manor as I took time to deal with a few things; namely gold I've been earning. Between Ice Cream Makers, the ice cream shop and voxlux sales I'd earned over another sixteen platinum while I was gone; not too bad for someone not at home. Speaking of, I checked in on the Creamy Dream... And they had to get another Ice Cream Maker to keep up with demand. Things were going so well I had a bit of an idea to get maker sales moving once more; my old friend Edmund the Elddale Merchant. I was willing to bet he could really help out on that end of things.
"Jeeze... What a jerk..." Kara let off as she shook her head. We were in her office at that moment, in the back of the guild on the second story. It wasn't overly large, but cozy; a modest sized desk, books full of shelves and a table with a pitcher of water and bowl of fruit on it, along with some beef jerky in a short basket. She sat on the desk as she sighed. "He sounds like a real winner. Well, maybe he can make up a story of how he bravely lost his arm to an orc... Tearing it off his body to beat him with it." I snickered a bit.
"No, no, he fed it the wolves to save himself and his fried chicken!" I shot back as she snickered. "Regardless, about that favor?" I asked as she smirked and made a show of adjusting her glasses.
"Indeed. Every guild from here to Classa has been made very aware of Cyrus Mandeville and what he's all about." She said, smiling as she crossed her arms under her modest bust. "He'll find no help from them, and they'll be sure to let everyone in their cities and towns know who they're dealing with. Most local businesses will be... reluctant to deal with him."
"Ha. Good to hear." I let off, chuckling. The only issue was I was sure I'd have to deal with him a second time. Still, that's a problem for the future.
"That being said..." She said, smiling as she pushed off her desk. "I do need to cash in that favor you owe me for this."
"Oh?" I let off as she slipped her hands under her skirt, pushing her panties down before bending over the desk.
"You can spare an hour or three right?" I almost sighed.
What was it about Eostia that made every woman horny as hell?
...
I mean, I didn't mind that much, but still...
[ - Author's Note - ]
Well then, that's done.
Cyrus got off... much worse then his father. You can say Riri really... disarmed him. Ba-dum-tisk!
...
I'll show myself out...
Joking aside we see another circlet crop up and Celestine has some idea of the origins of it, although only on a surface level. On top of that, more James and Celestine interaction.
I just love Celestine. Such a soft, gentle character... Too gentle in canon, but enough about that.
Next chapter we're off to Geofu, to meet Claudia, Klaus and... Grave...
Needless to say, James will have a new problem he can't deal with right now on his plate!
Yay..?
Additionally I am writing another Questlines chapter; giving us a day in the life of Tiffany's time in Mungale Manor as the others are away so look forwards to that down the pipeline. It's been the leader on a poll I've had on that side story, although the Noxdecus/Highreign Part Two has caught up recently...
The Best Foeh Banners poll is still up at /polls/7MZ0zvBoBno strawpoll (dot com) /polls/7MZ0zvBoBno, so please go and vote if you haven't already! I love seeing people's responses to them.
And as always, please leave a comment, critique or suggestion in the comments. You do help with this, after all.
Until next time, everyone.
~~Eostian Scribe