Despite the claim of the demon in the dream world, Aislynn wasn't certain that Nocturne had followed her to the physical realm. That doubt disappeared as soon as the dream mage opened the house door to leave. Perhaps she was still groggy, or perhaps she was distracted by the fact that Sona's life - and the mission by association - was at risk. Whatever the cause, she never saw Clyde coming.
And yet, Aislynn found she was able to catch him mid fall with an iron grip masked with smoky black claws.
"Oh. You're back, Clyde…" glancing to the side, Aislynn found Cyrus walking in, clearing his throat, "…and you're up. Did I win the vote?"
"Why else would I be up and about?" Aislynn asked rhetorically as she released Clyde, "Get your sword, we need to go."
"So much for early dinner," As Cyrus did as requested, Clyde asked follow-up questions, "Where was Sona found? Falconclaw?"
"No. There's a reason a demon's barged in to share my body," Aislynn frowned, glancing at the smoke Nocturne emanated from her hands, "She's here at the Grove. A smuggler has her; plans to ship her to the seekers. That wouldn't be time sensitive, except Xander's seekers arrived at Falconclaw this morning."
"So we may only have the night…" Clyde assumed, then frowned, "The demon's…"
Before Aislynn could answer, a cold discomfort akin to a breeze drying water from a shower sprouted from her back.
Only Nocturne's head peaked out of her shoulder, "My magic will guide you to your target. I will not assist any further."
"Good," Cyrus barged out of the house, sword in scabbard and face set like stone, "We don't need to cause more commotion. Now, I don't suppose you know how we didn't learn about this sooner?"
Aislynn shrugged, "I just had the idea to use Xander's memories of Sona back when they were kids in the court as a basis for Nocturne to find her now. We didn't know she'd be at the grove…"
"I should've... Son of a..." Clyde growled, then, upon meeting Cyrus' glare, explained, "Smuggler's port. With the right bribe, port master won't record your cargo. Bit higher, he won't even bother checking… sorry for missing that."
"It's fine," Cyrus waved Clyde off and started his march, "Either way, we have to get moving. Aislynn?"
The dream mage nodded and took the lead, "Right. Follow me."
... where do I go?
Nocturne's voice didn't quite boom in Aislynn's head,but it was still far louder than the dream mage expected.
I'll be putting an illusion of the path in your vision, the demon informed.
Aislynn took the first steps on the path before noting an inconsistency... Why're you taking me off the main path?
The Maven is in a ship at the west docks, Nocturne whispered, In position to loop to Falconclaw in the morning. Now go; you cannot afford to hesitate.
Aislynn could only growl in frustration before continuing. Rather than through the worn dirt path from the ruined house to town center, Aislynnled themages through a yet uncut sector of forest. The wake of dusk and arrival of night's blue cloak would've made traversal a difficult task, except Nocturne had factored that in; the demon's path glowed, illuminating the dirt or stone or branches where Aislynn was to place her feet. The crackle of fire from Cyrus covered the rest of the mages, and in short order Aislynn's vision of dense woods was replaced by the scene of a single ship docked.
Aislynn silently trotted to cover behind loading crane, all the while keeping an eye on the docked ship.
Is that...?
Rather than reply, Nocturne only made the illusory path disappear, and the ship temporarily flicker with a green glow.
Xander's definitely rubbed off on you...
The crack of fire and the glow of orange behind Aislynn faded as Cyrus caught up, "That our target?"
"Yep," Aislynn's eyes narrowed as she read the letters on the ship's cover, "The Uriel's Roller... well, I suppose it fits."
If the fancy paintjob on the sails - portraying a pair of dices - wasn't a big enough clue, the build of the ship filled in the details. It was larger than most average river boats, being large enough to hold a small stable's worth of horses if the boat's single deck was wholly sacrificed. Alas, it wasn't, instead being stocked with a variety of crates and barrels. The captain of the Uriel's Roller was clearly an avid trader, legitimate or not.
Well, for now, anyway. This next trade's not going to go smoothly...
"The coast looks clear," Aislynn frowned, "Except for that one light. I'd guess the captain left one of his men to guard the prisoner before going to get dinner."
Cyrus stepped ahead and took the lead, hand already wrapped around his sword's grip, "Then let's finish up quickly, whilst the opposition's minor."
Aislynn didn't audibly reply. She simply took a breath then nodded, quick to focus up on the task at hand. The mages sprinted on the docks without a care for subtlety. Clyde matched Aislynn and Cyrus' pace for a bridge section before jumping for the river and landing on impossibly solid, unfrozen water.
"Go from the top down," Clyde said, before channeling his magic and sprinting on the current to the side of the Uriel's Roller.
The terrestrial mages complied, bounding over the rim of the boat and making for the main cabin. She slowed her pace as she stepped over creaking wood, eyes glancing from side to side and down through the edges of each wooden plank. Nothing below her was visible, but at her sides, the dream mage confirmed her suspicion: the Uriel's Roller dealt in luxury goods. Each barrel, upon closer inspection, was labeled by its alcoholic contents; there was quite a variety to the collection. The crates were listed too, with cured meats, leather, wool, and other goods seemingly stowed away.
Well there you go, the captain's on the rich side. And yet he's still greedy, if he's looking for Sona's bounty. Or maybe he is an anti-mage racist shithead?
Either way...
The sound of a violent splash cut off Aislynn's thoughts, prompting her and Cyrus to check the rim of the boat. After finding bubbles surfacing from one of the side windows - a window trickling a steady stream of water - Cyrus sent a hand signal, directing Aislynn to the main cabin. Aislynn nodded, acquiesed, then made for the stairs when she found nothing through the window.
Save for a small office and conjoined bedroom containing a chest of gold. Aislynn imagined some of it came from Sona's purse... if not more unlucky fools.
Aislynn pivoted from there to the side stairs to the lower deck. From what she could see, crates filled the lower deck up until a central section, where Clyde stood, scanning the crew quarters. He met Aislynn's gaze with a disappointment; no trace of Sona. That left the room behind Aislynn; the one below the captain's quarters and without outside windows.
Aislynn made to knock before Nocturne interrupted her, She's a mute, and likely bound by cuffs or chains. What're you hoping to accomplish?
If there's someone behind there that's not Sona, maybe they'd come out?
Nocturne snorted, They'd already have heard you sprinting from the docks. You're too loud to be a predator.
Aislynn rolled her eyes, Sure, stealth master. Say, is Sona through there? Or someone else?
Yes to the first query, no to the second.
That was all Aislynn needed to hear. Without any hesitation, she slammed the door wide opened and entered. Shocked sky-blue eyesmet the dream mage's gaze.
"Holy shit..." the gasp left Aislynn's lips instinctively.
Redundantly gagged by a rope and bound by a set of thicker ones, Sona was tied to a support pillar in the corner of the room. The dress the Maven wore, whilst not torn, was worn and dirty; perhaps a notable factor to the discomfort apparent on Sona's face. It was hardly the main issue, however; the Maven was leaned uncomfortably against the room's back wall, face first and unable to move.
And, of course, there was the petricite cuffs she wore. Given how pink the skin at the cuff's edges was, Aislynn knew that these ones weren't like Sylas's. They worked exactly as intended.
"Alright..." Aislynn exhaled quickly before getting to work. Relaxing the gag then trying to undo the not on the thicker ropes, "Don't be afraid, we're here to help... Clyde, do you have anything to snap these cuffs off?"
"I'll find something," Clyde assured, "Maybe a sword?"
"Sword'll do. Get Cyrus to help," Aislynn turned to face Sona, "Sorry for the speed. We're working on short notice..."
Despite her predicament, Sona gave a weak smile. Though she didn't say anything, the gratitude in her eyes spoke volumes. That it outshone even her surprise and suspicion brought a satisfied warmth to Aislynn's heart.
If only for a moment; Aislynn turned her attention inwards to Nocturne, Could you, I don't know, use a telepathic ability on her?
... I've never attempted such an act, Nocturne admitted, But now is not the time. I cannot be seen around you, or felt. If she is a natural mage...
Right... never mind, then. Keep an eye out, I guess, Aislynn internally sighed.
I believe your friend Cyrus won't enjoy my company. I will stay, Nocturne replied, somehow replacing Xander's smug tone with his rasp, I suspect you wouldn't know sign language, after all.
I... well, no, I don't, Despite struggling with Sona's bindings, Aislynn couldn't help but wryly grin, As it turns out, you actually can be useful for something.
Well, if you won't get your hands dirty, I'll gladly take my share.
Aislynn could only nod in irritation. Despite the dream mage's best efforts, Sona ultimately remained bound. Whilst the knot that kept Sona tied to the support pillar had ever so slightly loosened, the main bindings hadn't budged one bit. Then again, Aislynn realised she probably didn't need to bother with the bindings; as long as they could get Sona out of the boat, they were fine, right?
That still requires this pillar binding to be free, though...
Aislynn cursed and turned her attention off the bindings, "Damn it all... Clyde, where's-"
"Shh!"
No questions were asked. Aislynn immediately complied, instinctively ducking slightly as she gazed to the deck. Both Clyde and Cyrus sat at the sides of the staircases, each of them holding in their hands an orb of their magic element. Glancing to the corridor, Aislynn found shadows shrouding the lines of light between the upper floor's planks. The dream mage sighed, stress already settling in.
Aislynn couldn't keep in the curse, "Ah shit..."
"We know you're there!" a gravelly voice called, "Come out and I won't gut you like a fish!"
Of course, the mages didn't acquiesce. The voice, presumably that of the captain, whispered an order, and the creaking of wood under heavy steps echoed through the deck.
Shit... shit! Damn it all! Aislynn growled, So much for an easy escape.
In her mind's eye, Aislynn saw Nocturne nod, Get back inside. You'd be more useful freeing Sona than helping your friends.
Cyrus came to the same conclusion, unsheathing his sword with his right hand as he pointed with his left to Sona. Aislynn obliged and made for the makeshift brig just as the shadows left the main cabin and made for the stairs. As the chime of steel on steel rang and a wet slap from Cyrus water echoed through the boat, Aislynn got to work.
They just had to come back... As if I needed a time limit on top of this all, Aislynn tried to steady her breath, but the eye she kept on battle right outside didn't help, Say, Nocturne, could you manifest just a small part of your blades?
Just the smallest section of my arm blades is as long as your forearm, Nocturne noted, That would be too obvious.
We're standing behind Sona! Aislynn pointed out with exasperation; as well as Cyrus and Clyde were doing, Aislynn wasn't confident in the odds of a two-on-five going perfectly, Nobody will see it if we angle it right. Surely we can afford just that small blad-
A crack not unlike thunder yet more akin to embers echoed, followed in milliseconds by a grunt of pain.
What? A random captain has... No way, Despite not being anywhere near the source or target, Aislynn's heart skipped a beat, There's no way...
The captain's voice rang out with a laugh, "I've served in Bilgewater, boy! Don't fuck with m-"
A sudden glow of orange clued Aislynn in on who the target of the captain's wrath was. Her eyes - and Sona's, the dream mage vaguely noticed - watched in tense expectation as a burnt smell filled the room. The smell grew stronger as heat rose, and another clap of fire rang. This time, rapid footsteps followed in, quickening in pace as the perpetrator of the growing blaze charged. Cyrus was a blur as he passed through the gates and the fighting resumed, but still Aislynn saw the promise of brimstone in his eyes and a blade of fire in his hands.
The dream mage felt metal in her hands.
Be quick, Nocturne urged, Unbind her fully. Then open up the box to the right. Death is not in the air, but if her powers are restored the Maven can ensure it never comes close.
Aislynn dumbly nodded before cutting loose the pillar knot. Despite Nocturne's blade's sharpness, the cut was rough, and Aislynn found her hands shaking; she took a brief moment to steady herself before continuing to Sona's personal bindings. As soon as the rope gave way, Nocturne's blade disappeared, and Sona's weight took its place.
"Alright, you're free now," Aislynn reassured, straightening up to support herself and Sona optimally, "Can you walk on your own?"
With one of her arms supported over Aislynn's shoulder, Sona could sign only with one hand.
Nocturne translated, She says... she won't need to if you get her to the ethwahl. Hmm... so she could levitate?
Aislynn blinked, Excuse me?
Just do it, fool!
As embers began to rise in the room ahead, Aislynn brushed off her confusion and strode to the box in the room. The dream mage briefly noted its design; it was certainly of the refined quality she'd expected from a nobleman's cargo, but the style was all off; soft, cloud-like curves replaced the usual balance of precise curves and harsh lines that adorned most Demacian wing designs. Yet, even stranger to Aislynn was the instrument she found within the crate. The etwahl was adorned with the same odd decor, but more enchanting were its strings. Though they were at first unremarkable, that changed when Sona reached for it. At the Maven's touch, the slowly brightening glow came to a sudden crescendo.
Then Sona played a chord, and a pulse of green radiated from her instrument.
As the notes echoed, Aislynn felt light. Not just because Sona's weight came off her, but also due to... something. The load of her trials in the past days seemed to slip away, not to mention the headache that had subtly plagued her since waking early from the vision.
This is her magic, Aislynn realised, Is this why Xander wants her to join us?
Among other things, Nocturne admitted, But that's not all. Watch.
Aislynn did so, and the calm she felt disappeared swiftly. Though the fighting had temporarily stopped with Sona's chord, Cyrus still remained locked underneath his blade as it prevented two others from cutting him down. In a normal situation, Aislynn imagined it would be an even fight. But, with the bleeding wound at the pyromancer's shoulder, to say it wasn't a fair would be an understatement.
Sona played another chord.
Another pulse burst from the etwahl, this time a vitalising violet. As it reached Cyrus, the pyromancer slowly began to rise. Rather anticlimactically, Cyrus only gave a grunt of effort as he forced his foes off him then dispatched them with a slash. But, not to let Aislynn's heartbeat calm down, another fire-crack sounded. Her eyes widened, giving her the perfect sight to see Cyrus... deflect a bullet.
She gaped, dumbfounded as she processed what she saw, No way...
That... hmm, Even Nocturne seemed surprised, ...Xander's underestimated her.
Twin yells of rage snapped Aislynn out of her trance. With swiftness unlike anything she'd seen, Cyrus dodged the two spears that stabbed at him, ducking and weaving past the twin smugglers' strikes. Clearly, they were skilled opponents in their own right, and together they worked with the efficiency of a well-oiled machine. Alas, they had their backs turned to Aislynn and her newly freed ally. The Maven floated forward, confident in her safety.
Sona played another chord.
This time, the pulse contained itself in her etwahl. A brilliant blue reached the edges of her etwahl, then two bolts of magic arced from them. They hit their targets with serene grace, striking at their joints mid-spear-thrust. Paralysed by what Aislynn assumed was pain, the two smugglers were left wide open for another sweeping strike from Cyrus.
"No... stop right there!"
The voice of the captain caught Aislynn's attention. Looking over Cyrus' shoulder, again her breath hitched. The captain had Clyde in his arms, the hydromancer trapped in a single-armed headlock. What made Aislynn's heart skip a beat was the pistol in the smuggler's hands; its barrel was stuck against Clyde's temple.
"You filthy mages," the captain snarled, "One more step, and your friend gets it!"
How... he has a gun, Aislynn began.
They're not too uncommon to the east, Nocturne elaborated, Xander's prototype involves mixing magic with it... hmm. We'll need to play this perfectly to save your friend's life.
Or not. Unaware or perhaps apathetic to the fear in Aislynn's heart, Sona advanced. As Nocturne hinted, the Maven floated gracefully over the planks with her etwahl, which hummed with an etherial calm. That loophole, combined with the fear at the sight, Aislynn assumed, kept the smuggler's trigger finger hesitant.
"S-stay back," the captain warned, "I'll do it!"
Sona played another chord.
The captain's eyes widened, but he remained still in air. His body flickered with a golden cover; one sourced from the latest pulse from the ethwahl. The captain grunted and yelled with effort, but he remained bound by strings of gold. He couldn't stop what came next; a torrent of water from underneath the boat's planks.
With their foes beaten, the mages recovered. Clyde caught his breath and gave a nod of gratitude to Sona. With a low grunt of pain, Cyrus followed suit, taking Sona's side and giving a short salute.
"Thanks for that healing magic," Cyrus cradled his gunshot wound and hissed, "Let's get out. We can finish this when we're safe."
"Right, give me a sec," Clyde heaved for a moment then focused up, his blue eyes glowing as the waves under the boat started to rock, "Cyrus, cut me a hole?"
The fire mage ignited his blade and got to cutting. As the embers from the first ignition rose and smoke filled the room, Aislynn glanced to Sona, shaking her head. She'd seemed helpless just moments ago, and all it took to restore her to this natural power was reuniting her with her instrument. The Maven of the Strings wasn't some delicate flower that Xander wanted preserved out of nostalgia; she was a powerful mage who indeed could change the tide of the revolution.
Whichever side she decided on.
Nocturne's musings filled Aislynn's mind, Hmm... the two divided are powerless, but together...
Aislynn interrupted with her own thoughts, If Sona goes back to her family... They could even beat Sylas. I mean, couldn't they?
The Crownguards could beat Sylas, Nocturne pointed out, Could... But they haven't. And until we win, they'll never get the chance. And the Buvelles won't either.
With a splash, Cyrus' cut of wood fell into the water. The pyromancer and Clyde discussed something then hopped onto it. After some ushering, Sona followed. Aislynn watched with a frown. The dream mage followed shortly, a sigh leaving her lips and grim hope on her mind.
I hope you're right, Aislynn thought, I really hope so.
Despite what his combat record said, Erret disliked making the first strike.
Early on in his life, the saboteur had figured that not taking the first strike often put you in advantage. At least, it did if you could predict what that strike was, or could react quick enough, which Erret could. Whether it was an elbow to the temple, a sharp edge through the heart, or even just catching a charge and transitioning into a guillotine choke, most of the quick fights Erret had participated in and seen ended with a counter.
He'd abused that early on in his fighting career; such inspiring competition as the biggest local runt gave him many opportunities to do so. But, it didn't last, and soon Erret found himself forcing the issue rather than solving it in short order. Thankfully, again, Erret's speed meant that first strike led into a second, third, and however many more were needed for the win. But every now and then, Erret found himself in a position that made him wish he hadn't taken that first strike.
Even as low stakes as the next fight before him was, Erret hoped he wouldn't be in that place again.
"So, you thinking of killing me?"
Sylas frowned, but his stare didn't waver as he mused, "It would send a message…"
"That you're suicidal?" Erret snorted as he pulled at his oars, "I'll take that as a no. What were you thinking, then?"
"... actually, you were partly mistaken… I was thinking about how to kill you if you tried anything," Sylas chuckled, then elaborated in musing tone, "If you used those oars, I could probably block the blow with my cuffs, never mind my own set. I'd then break yours, then smash your face in, then throw you overboard. But I suppose I'd then have less hands on this boat, and regardless of what happens here I do need to get to the Grove."
"You'd have made it," Erret chuckled with a killer's smugness, "Issue is, you'd eventually meet Yin in real life. Gods help you then... or perhaps, thank me for not being an idiot."
Sylas chuckled one last time before quieting down. Soon, only the gentle tide and the flush of the party's rowing interrupted the silence. Glancing around, Erret found some wary eyes watching him, some hostile gazes looking him over, and a couple of amused smirks. Nothing had changed.
Well, not much anyway. I suppose that they're smiling's a win. Xander must be rubbing off on me.
Erret rowed a few more paces before noting, "You were staring far too long for that to be it. Anything else in that scheming head of yours?"
Sylas met Erret's gaze again, humming in thought before shrugging, "I could go on. Maybe you have a knife, or a broadsword, or a short sword. Or you'll try rush me with just your fists. Only thing I don't know how to counter is if you have something like what your master has."
"Master? He's only my superior officer. And that's only because he's more likeable," Erret smirked, "But that likability goes both ways. He'd never pull rank on me."
"From what I hear, pulling rank in Noxus is more like asking for an assassination attempt."
"... For some, yes. Not Xander, though..." Erret then returned to the starting topic with a shake of his head, "Also, calling Xander my master? If you're looking for a reason to hate him, there are better ones. But if that's where you want to go, well... Xander loves that hypocritical shit; I'll leave the reminders to him."
Sylas turned away with a frown.
Two for two. And, these questions aren't ending with me overboard. Might as well continue…
The silence didn't last long this time; Erret answered, "I don't have a gun on me. Ranged weapons just don't agree with me."
Sylas scoffed, "How bold of you to admit that."
"It isn't. You kill me, your hours are numbered," Erret rolled his eyes, then projected his voice, "Or yours will be. Maybe you'd be good enough to save your leader."
"You don't know us," one of the other mages muttered; Happ, Erret vaguely recalled, "We could beat him."
Larissa, who shared her boat with Happ, didn't share that opinion, "Together, maybe..."
"Maybe him on his own. But my boss and my girlfriend?" Erret paused at the last word, smiling at the thought of it yet amused at how… odd, it felt on his tongue, "I doubt that. But, if you are that good, then this mission is as good as done."
Sylas' frown faded, but it didn't turn to a smile. The Unshackled gave a cursory look to Erret, prompting Erret to mirror him. This time, though, Sylas initiated.
"You trust them both quite a lot," he stated.
Erret scoffed, "I admitted I'm in a relationship with one of them. That goes without saying."
Sylas nodded, "Well, how about the other one? I can't trust a Noxian; I imagine you couldn't trust a Demacian."
Ah. So that's the angle.
Erret shrugged, "I'll admit, it did start like that. Not because he was a Demacian though. I just don't trust easy."
The saboteur smirked, but injected a warning in his eyes; his last sentence was in the present tense, after all.
Happ again spoke up, "Are there any Noxians that trust easy anyways?"
"Rich ones or dead ones," Erret answered, "... I'd say and Xander, but he only appears to trust easy."
"But he trusted you?"
"No. He just figured I couldn't beat him, and thought we could be a good team..." the saboteur chuckled, "He figured wrong; I can beat him, easy. As long as no magic's involved."
Larissa chuckled, "Same with us?"
"Ask me that when we're finished here," Erret answered, "I doubt it's the same, but go ahead: prove me wrong."
The other mages reacted similarly to their expressions; the smilers laughed, the frowners bristled, and the wary remained silent. Larissa gave a wry grin from her boat, signalling to Erret that she'd take the challenge. The saboteur replied in kind before turning his gaze back to Sylas. He expected the Unshackled not to take the cavorting well.
He didn't expect daring eyes and a smirk.
Oh boy. What have you got for me, you schemer?
With his answer, Sylas put a point on the board for their would-be battle.
"Is it the same with me?" The Unshackled asked, "Concerning the trust part?"
.. Shit, he got me...Erret contained his frown, Wait, does he...?
"It would be if we were going strictly off of our mission from Noxus," the saboteur admitted, "But, if his constant pleading and diplomacy isn't clue enough, take my word for it: he isn't a regular Noxian. And, he isn't just doing this for Noxus."
Sylas raised an eyebrow.
"It's exactly as he says it is," Erret shrugged, "He wants your kingdom to improve. So on, so forth, I imagine he's better at explaining it. Just so happens that the things that would make Demacia better are Noxus' trademark."
"... Excluding the warmongering."
Erret rolled his eyes, "Yep. But again, Xander'll enjoy that hypocrite shit."
"I'm not..." Sylas growled, "Forget it."
The Unshackled let loose a powerful pull with his oars, sending their boat drifting quickly. Rather than match Sylas' anger-driven rowing, Erret only lifted his oars, letting their boat glide. The saboteur glanced behind him and sighed, taking in the break with a smirk.
Three-to-one. Guess I'm getting better at this verbal sparring thing.
"I suppose that was a poor comment to make," Erret admitted, "This rebellion of yours is completely justified, after all."
"Not like the rebellions you put down, right?" Sylas snidely shot back.
"Yep. At least, for most of them," the saboteur chuckled, "Damn near every 'rebellion' was just some aristocrat being uppity with the latest tax increase. Never mind that we let them keep their family castle and rule over the area."
"But not all of them?"
Erret cringed as he gave Sylas another point, "Not all of them. Xander mention Rell's Rebellion to you already?"
"I vaguely recall the name, but no," Sylas frowned, "That said, hearing about a rebellion you put down from your perspective? Perhaps I should ask the Grand Marshall what she thinks of my men."
The saboteur snorted, "I'd agree with your point if the reports Xander read from weren't explicit. Rell was brought up in a special academy with other powerful mage kids with the sole purpose of being a weapon. Issue was that when bested one of her classmates, they were stripped of their magic to strengthen her. She busted out of the academy after then and started her rebellion."
Erret was aware of groans of disgust and gasps of fear from the other boats, however muffled. Sylas remained relatively stoic; he only grimaced, bearing hate in his eyes.
"And you were sent to bring her down anyway," Sylas accused, "So you didn't have qualms with that? No moral quandaries? Did Xander?"
Well... I'd say it's 3-2, but Xander gets off scot free here. 3-1 and a half, then.
"If it means anything to you, I had no idea about all that," Erret shrugged with a sigh, "We were just sent to deal with a rebellion lead by a powerful mage; everyone in the warband except Xander expected to be in and out within a week. Had I known, well, I'm here now. I hope that speaks for itself."
"Hmm. And your boss?" Sylas refocused his target, "He knew. Did he not care? All that hypocrisy talk loses its edge if he was for all that."
"He's the only reason we avoided a total masaccre," Erret chuckled as embarrassing memories in hindsight rose in his mind, "I didn't trust him for it then; Rell had a policy of helping the weak and poor in the cities and counties she raided; I assumed Xander's Demacian-ness was getting to him. Hell, he even went and parlayed with her, even after our then-commander ordered her not to."
"And he's still around?" Sylas' voice held an oddly amused tone, "After that treason? Wouldn't you lot have had his head on a pike for that?"
"Well, he never actually committed treason," the Noxian shrugged, "It just so happened that every time we ran into Rell on the field, he'd be the one to face her, whilst we dealt with the other rebels; every time that happened, Rell would take the upper hand and flee, miraculously leaving Xander alive."
"So they spoke during their fights?" Larissa noted, "That... does sounds like your boss, from what I've heard."
"Picked that up already, eh?" Erret chuckled, "He does like to speak. I think if he got his way, Rell's Rebellion would've ended with diplomacy rather than how it did."
A sour suspicion filled Sylas' stare, "And how did it end?"
"We put it down and moved on," Erret shrugged, "It was difficult, what with Rell being tough as nails, and having a lot of support. But, a ferromancer trained to only be a soldier could only help so much. Xander's Demacian-ness pulled its weight there; instead of charging in, we fed the locals and gave free renovations for their infrastructure. Took a while, but they eventually did our jobs for us."
"For a temporary aide that left when you were done?"
"You didn't let me finish," Erret rolled his eyes tiredly, "It all worked out. The resources we distributed were overdue relief funds kept by the local governor; once we figured out his corruption was fucking us over, we opened up his seat. His replacement, last I checked, is actually doing good for his people."
"And Rell?" Larissa frowned as she raised the question, "You admitted she was right to rebel. But you still put her down, didn't you?
Erret chuckled, "No, actually. She's still alive. Xander called for a delay for her execution, which worked like a charm. Her ex-instructors, who were the root of Noxus' corruption, wanted to finish the job. We caught them red handed, and in the end Rell ended up getting what she wanted."
"So she's alive... why isn't she here, then?" The raven-haired mage asked, "If Xander and her are allies, and she led a rebellion, I'd have to assume she'd be a better pick for this mission..."
"You'd have to ask Xander about that," Erret shrugged, "As for my guess? Beyond the fact that she's less subtle than you are, Sylas, she's also the only nice Noxian other than Xander. With him abroad, someone has to hold the line for all the weak shitters who otherwise would be dying in a ditch somewhere."
Sylas snorted, "Is that so?"
"Only person with a bigger hero complex that her that comes to mind is Xander... and perhaps you," Erret shrugged, closing his eyes with a grin, unable to hold back the comment, "Not that it's a bad thing..."
When Erret opened his eyes again, Sylas held a smug grin. The saboteur's own smile faded ever so slightly as doubt filled his heart. A disappointed sigh left his nose before Sylas spoke.
"You know, you almost had me..." the Unshackled smirked.
"So that's what Xander's been bitching about when he thinks he's alone..." Erret could only grimace and dunk his oars back into the river, "Believe what you will. It's the truth, regardless of what you think of it. But I suppose it doesn't matter. This isn't that rebellion, this is yours..."
"And you'll support it only so far as it serves you, eh?" Sylas leaned closer, a judging look in his eyes, "You don't care about this rebellion. Your bosses don't either."
"Half true," Erret rolled his eyes and continued to row, "Despite the shit you're giving him, Xander still gives a damn. If this is every conversation you've had, I'm honestly astounded that's still the case. But hey, maybe you were right in saying he's my master. I've got my orders, and I'll see them through. So pray they don't change."
Sylas blinked, then shook his head, grin turning to a grimace as he pulled at his oars again, matching Erret's pace.
The orange glow and pillar of smoke on the horizon grew ever closer.
Between Sona's enhancement magic and Clyde's hydromancy, it didn't take long for them to make it back to the safe house. As they'd entered through the front door one at a time, Aislynn had no doubt in her mind that were it a mission under Sylas, he'd have congratulated them on a perfect mission. Their enemies were gone, perhaps dead if Cyrus' swordplay was anything to go by. Sona was secured and safe, and the would-be price for the ordeal was a non-issue thanks to her.
Yet, as she peered through a window in the living room, the wake of their mission only brought Aislynn doubt.
Even from his lying position on the couch, Cyrus matched Aislynn's gaze and apologised, "Sorry for getting out of control there."
"You did what you had to," Clyde assured, passing along the meals he'd bought earlier, "And it's not like they didn't deserved it. Also, if it makes you feel any better, you turning their ship into a furnace probably kept this fresh."
Cyrus weakly chuckled, but still ended up sighing, "I suppose it does... but still, that fire just put a target on our backs."
"The Mageseekers would've shown up eventually," Aislynn noted, taking her seat by her allies, "We've just pushed up the clock. What matters is that Sona's safe, and not headed to them now."
The two other mage warriors nodded and quietly partook in their dinner. Perhaps due to their doing all the heavy lifting, they didn't notice until they were half-way finished that their ally hadn't partaken.
"If you're not going to eat that, I'll take it," Cyrus offered, a tired but teasing smirk on his face.
"No, this doesn't have your name on it," Aislynn chuckled, "But say, do you have a knife? Or just a blade smaller than your sword?"
"I've been practising precision since you left," Clyde mentioned, "Probably could cut anything with fast water. Why'd you ask?"
"We do have a new ally present," Aislynn reminded, "I figured we should be gracious hosts."
The two mage warriors stopped their eating and sported frowns.
"Well, now I feel like a dick," Clyde muttered, "Probably should've saved some portions?
"I suppose I should apologise again," Cyrus grimaced further, "Can't exactly get into town when we're wanted for arson. Do we have anything set up for laying low?"
"Nope," Clyde replied, "So, if we're not going to take chances with stealing from town or hunting in the forest, we'll need to leave soon."
"Assuming Sona agrees to it," Aislynn cautioned, "We may have saved her, but we are still rebels."
"Rebels directly connected to Sylas, no less..." Cyrus sighed, "Without the Mageseekers here, we don't have the example Xander wanted to raise."
"They're still nearby," Clyde raised, "Maybe the threat will be enough?"
"Not enough if the counterpoint is fighting her family," Aislynn frowned deeper for a moment before the gears in her head began turning, "Though maybe... maybe. Clyde, the meal?"
A cut of pressurised water and a short moment for repackaging later, and Aislynn found herself at the door of the house bedroom. The mages hadn't been using it throughout their stay due to the simple efficiency of taking their watch breaks at the living room. But, however worn by nature it was, the bedroom was still a comfier place to sleep in; it went without saying that they let their new noble guest have it all.
Instinctively, Aislynn knocked at the door. No reply came.
Nocturne laughed in her head, Have you forgotten her mute condition? She doesn't have a way to confirm that she'd decent.
Well... that doesn't mean I should just barge in, Aislynn grimaced, half annoyed at Nocturne, half self-cringing, There's such a thing as manners, though I suppose I shouldn't have expected some from a demo-
A note played through the walls, and Nocturne scowled.
Aislynn snorted, What was that about not having away to-
You'll still need someone to translate her signing, Nocturne warned, Go on and have your chat.
The dream mage took the prompt and entered. Wide eyes of curious cerulean watched her enter. Now without the stresses of a battle and a burning boat, Aislynn took her time to look over the Maven of the Strings. She'd been graceful ever since she'd been freed from her bindings, but as she sat now, Sona's natural poise was clear. As advertised, the Maven was a beauty, but not of the usual Demacian kind; Sona's blue hair, rounder face, and wider eyes distinguished her as an Ionian. Or rather, as Aislynn understood it, she was more in line with Asian beauty standards over Demacia's more Western customs.
She didn't know about the blue hair, though. But, this was a fantasy world...
Sona didn't sport a smile, unfortunately. Aislynn hoped it was more out of being homesick rather than distrustful, but the dream mage did recognise the absurd situation Sona was in. Whilst she was at least not headed for the nearest Mageseeker compound, Sona remained in the care of strangers. That said, the Maven wasn't frowning either; Sona at least preferred them to her previous captors.
The Maven hesitated before raising her hands to sign.
Ahem, Nocturne cleared his would-be voice before speaking in a clearly altered voice; instead of demonic rasps, Nocturne translated Sona's signs with a mimicry of a young woman's speech, "Thank you for saving me."
Aislynn nearly blinked at the absurd change, You going to do that this whole time?
Nocturne's reply was short, Yes.
Shaking her head at the demon in her head's antics, Aislynn took a seat next to Sona and replied to the Maven with a smile, "It was nothing. We couldn't just leave you to die. It was the right thing to do, so why not do it?"
Sona nodded with gratitude before continuing. Nocturne again translated.
"You put yourself in a lot of danger for me," Sona pointed out, "It wasn't just nothing."
"I suppose... well, my friends did all the heavy lifting. Not to mention you..." Aislynn blinked as she recalled, "Oh, right. This is for you..."
As soon as she saw the half meal, Sona began to signal a refusal. Aislynn cut her off with a shrug and a smile.
"You got captured by a bunch of smugglers who didn't give a shit about your well-being. We do, so we're going to feed you as best as we can,"Aislynn chuckled as she unfurled her half, "... which isn't much, admittedly; we weren't expecting company, but I'll be damned if you go starving when all I've been doing the past few days is sleep on my ass..."
Sona giggled silently, then finally obliged Aislynn's offer. The two mages ate quietly for a short, peaceful moment. Amidst a mouthful, however, the mage signed a question.
"You're mages, right?"
Aislynn couldn't help but chuckle, "You saw my friends. If they're not mages, then you're... not a mage either?"
"I suppose so," the quote wasn't actually signed by Sona; it seemed Nocturne was being creative with interpreting Sona's mood. To be fair to the demon, Sona's shrug indicated that the read was on the nose.
The Maven frowned lightly before signing the question Aislynn feared, "Who are you people? Are you... Sylas' followers?"
"That's... its complicated," Aislynn grimaced at the difficult question before her, sighing before replying, "I was freed by him during the capital incident, and I have no love for the Mageseekers. As long as they're in power, I can't go back to being a normal Demacian. I am a mage, after all."
Sona signed a short sequence, prompting a single-word translation, "But?"
"I don't want to fight. I don't want to kill anyone, never mind every noble in the kingdom," Aislynn shrugged, "I'm not alone either. Quite a few mages share my views; the only reason we're rebels is because we have no other choice. We... we just do what we have to survive."
Sona began to sign a rebuttal, but stopped with what looked to be a sigh, "I see... but now that you've found me, what will you do? Will you force me to join the revolution?"
"Do you want to join?" Aislynn shook her head, "If not, then I won't force you... hell, Sylas doesn't even do that, actually."
Sona blinked, clearly surprised.
"Yeah, he doesn't force you to join," Aislynn sighed, "He only pressures you to join, and you do because you have nowhere else to go... but I suppose you do have somewhere to go to."
Sona signed, "I do. You won't force me to join?"
Aislynn bit her tongue, trying to fight the answer she knew to be right; she couldn't for long, "...No, I won't force you."
A silent stillness filled the room shortly after, broken only by the two mages finishing their dinner. The Maven ate slowly, more refined than Aislynn's peasant-life-borne manners. That only gave the dream mage more time to mentally kick herself.
Damn it all, why did I say that?
Nocturne gave a reply that wasn't encouraging nor judging; only irritatingly apathetic, If you did say you were forcing her to join, she'd have used her magic to kill you. At least, I believe she has the arcane prowess to do so.
Aislynn sighed, You're not wrong, but...
Before the dream mage could delve deeper into her own failures, a something poked at her arm.
Sona repeated a previous sign, "But?"
With that prompt, all of Aislynn's self-judgement faded away, and she replied with relative excitement, "Well... As I said I'm not the only one who thought that way. We..."
The dull thuds of knocks made that excitement disappear just as quickly. Aislynn flinched, then sent an apologetic look to Sona. Sona nodded and gave a small smile; her permission. With that, the dream mage made for the door.
The knock, as Aislynn suspected from the volume, wasn't on the bedroom door. Instead, Aislynn found her allies in argument with a vaguely familiar face. The smuggler who gave Clyde his correspondence from the capital - Lewis, Aislynn remembered - was worried to put it lightly. The dream mage did empathise, but she was more concerned with whether Lewis' worry was for a friend or for himself.
"... it's not the magic business that everyone's worried about," Lewis sighed, seemingly correcting a claim from Clyde, "You set a boat on fire. We've only barely put out the blaze; it's still smoking. This might break open the whole secrecy policy."
"I'm surprised that hasn't happened already," Cyrus muttered under his breath derisively.
Clyde was more understanding, "I understand... but we couldn't just let those smugglers take another mage."
"You couldn't wait for them to depart?" Lewis countered, "I mean, you're a water mage-"
"The Mageseekers are at Falconclaw; we can't afford unnecessary risks!" Clyde's torrent of rage faded as quickly as it began, "I'm sorry, but..."
"...I get it," Lewis decided, "You had to protect your people... did you at least succeed?"
Aislynn took that moment to make her entrance. She walked tentatively, not quite walking on eggshells but not the comfort felt around family.
"We did," the dream mage answered, "Though if you don't mind, I'd rather not go into details."
Lewis nodded, "I know the rules."
"Right..." Aislynn brushed away the question of what the rules were, instead proposing another, "Is there a problem? Anything to warn us of?"
"... It's not as bad as it could be," Lewis shrugged in non-committal fashion, "The crew of the Roller are naturally going mad, and the town's on edge, but they won't be starting a witch hunt."
"Really?"
"That idiot captain mentioned a 'fucking mage' he'd have delivered to the Seekers," Lewis lightly chuckled, "We're smugglers, not bounty hunters."
"So there is honour among thieves," Cyrus wryly commented.
Lewis ignored the jab "Whatever the case, I would still recommend leaving soon. Between the locals and the fire, it will get worse."
"Right... we can do that," Clyde glanced to Aislynn with a questioning gaze, "We can, right?"
"We have to," Aislynn replied, "Even if she's not keen on joining Sylas... Maybe us, but not him."
Lewis raised an eyebrow, "There's a difference?"
"Only recently," Aislynn shrugged, "Either way, we have her. Maybe a bit earlier than planned, but either way now we keep her safe. And the best way to do that is at the hideout."
Clyde frowned, "Maybe that's too far. If the Mageseekers track us there, we risk a lot. And we can't parlay with the Buvelles if that's the case; they'll flush us out after the fact."
"But we can't stay here," Cyrus sighed, then glanced to Lewis, "Unless...?"
Lewis grimaced, but shrugged. Aislynn got the hint that they could stay for a short while, but something tugged at the back of her head. A black tendril pulling at her shoulder...
What is it?
Someone's here... two someone's? Nocturne growled in irritation ...no, just one. I can't...
Aislynn's breath hitched, You can't tell... is it petricite?
Nocturne's reply had barely echoed in her head before the dream mage called an order, "Cyrus, come with me."
Cyrus blinked in surprise but followed, picking up his sword and charging an orange glow to his eyes. As Aislynn turned back, the accompaniment of footsteps told her not only the fire mage had followed. Content with her allies, the dream mage put an ear against the bedroom door. Vague muttering stopped before she could hear it, followed by the sound of a crossbow drawing.
Nocturne's demonic screech was her only warning, Get off!
She backed away at the last possible moment. Aislynn barely registered the pain from her short fall to the floor; her focus was entirely on the crossbow bolt that had nearly impaled her brain. The dream mage's breathing quickened as her eyes fell on it.
Nocturne was quick to calm her, Not silver... Get up before the ranger gets hasty.
Cyrus took over for her, charging through the door with an order on her lips, "Stop righ-"
Another crossbow shot interrupted the fire mage, forcing him to duck and charge. Cyrus stepped into his assailant's personal space, feinted a slash, then stabbed at his assailant's crossbow hand. At the last possible moment, the ranger leaned away from the strike. Just as quick, the ranger stepped onto Cyrus forward leg and used it as a boost to vault off the fire mage's face.
Cyrus was knocked to the floor by the kick, dazed but miraculously still conscious. It was enough for the ranger, who aimed her crossbow and fired a volley. A torrent of water interrupted; Clyde entered the fray and sent precise water jets the ranger's way.
"Clyde stop!"
Aislynn's warning fell on deaf ears, even as the shots nearly struck Sona. Clyde focused on his foe, recalling his water jets to him and charging a powerful torrent. As Clyde channeled his power, the ranger rearmed her crossbow and quickly took aim.
The result of that skirmish was banished to mystery as a chord echoed through the room.
Clyde's ball of water lost form and flowed uselessly to the floor. Cyrus, who was in the process of getting up, remained locked in place as if in a paused video. The ranger too was frozen, trapped in a golden aura that shimmered through the room.
Aislynn's gaze went to its source: the Maven of the Strings and her foreign instrument.
"Sona..." Aislynn raised her arms in surrender, glancing from the frozen scene to the Maven with a hopeful glint, "Let's... this is a misunderstanding. Let's just calm down and..."
Sona signed; Nocturne didn't bother adopt his woman's voice, She's asking whether we'll not hurt Quinn.
The dream mage brushed past her lack of knowing a Quinn and answered, "We won't. We just thought a Mageseeker'd showed up... We don't want to fight."
Sona hesitated for a brief, painstaking moment, but ultimately released her spell. Cyrus fell with his only support - the spell - failing. Clyde wasn't much better, quickly dropping to his knees in exhaustion. The ranger - Quinn, Aislynn assumed - got the best of it; she too was tired, but she could at least control her descent to a single knee. Moreover, she recovered quickest, if only by a slight bit; she aimed her crossbow at Aislynn.
"You really won't fight?" Quinn asked.
"As long as you won't." Aislynn grimaced, taking a step back and not dropping her arms from their surrender pose.
Quinn sighed as she stood down, relieved and satisfied, "Alright then... alright. At least for now, I won't do anything."
Her relief wasn't the only one palpable in the air; Cyrus stood up and leaned on his blade, "Please stay that way. I'm not in the mood to fight the Wings of Demacia."
Both Aislynn and Quinn paused at the remark and raised an eyebrow, but only the latter spoke up.
"You were part of the army, weren't you?" she assumed, "I mean from the sword, and..."
"You're not as flashy as the Crownguards, but I know your worth," Cyrus shrugged, "You saved me and my men once; scouted out an ambush and flushed them out."
Quinn took the compliment and chuckled, "Heh, and they say there's no such thing as a good mage. Maybe I'm getting all the reasonable ones?"
Aislynn took that as an invitation to help the ranger up, "Not all of us want to burn the kingdom down."
Unfortunately, as he and Cyrus helped themselves back up, Clyde couldn't help but comment, "It just so happens that they want to burn us all at the stake. And I don't think it's unreasonable to want to fight back."
Quinn was quick to grimace, but thankfully not to counter. Aislynn took her opportunity to change the topic.
"You're here to help Sona?" the dream mage asked.
Quinn nodded, "Me and her sister. They're at Falconclaw right now; we're here to bring her back home."
"The Mageseekers are at Falconclaw too," Cyrus raised, "I'm not sure about you, Ranger, but bringing Sona there's asking for failure."
"So's giving her to a terrorist," the ranger countered, "I'm not going to let her become complicit in some massacre. Especially one including her friends."
Aislynn saw that Clyde had a brutal rebuke on the tip of his tongue, so she stepped in the way.
"We won't," Aislynn swore, "If someone like her supported us in any way shape or form, it would be appreciated. But, we're not going to force her to do anything. What matters is that she's not in Mageseeker hands."
Quinn narrowed her gaze, "Won't you now?"
However tense the short reprieve was, it was short-lived; Sona tapped her friend's shoulder and signed a sequence that, from Quinn's relaxing, Nocturne didn't need to translate.
The Ranger begrudgingly nodded, "Right... If Sona trusts you, then I will. In so far as this mission goes... And that'll be back home. Since I haven't found it yet, I'll assume your hideout's pretty safe. But, it won't be forever. If your goal really is Sona's safety, the Buvelle Estate will be the best bet."
Clyde grimaced despite the easy rebuke on his tongue. From the quick glances Quinn gave to the gathered mages, Aislynn wondered if she'd figured it out as well; that not even the Buvelle Estate might be safe from the Mageseekers. It was an easy point to argue, but Aislynn didn't begin that conversation.
The voice in her head reminded her that it wasn't her point to make.
"Then I suppose it's decided," Aislynn sighed, "But we can't just book the next trip to Falconclaw. The Mageseekers will be on us as soon as we dock."
"Never mind getting all the way to Buvelle territory," Clyde added, "Patrols would catch us on the way, and I'm not sure even a knight of your stature would get out without questioning."
"We don't need to dock at the town itself," Quinn replied, "Any beach nearby will do; Sona's sister can pick her up from there. Valor will guide her."
Clyde blinked, "Who's Valor?"
"Her eagle," Cyrus answered, "Was wondering why he wasn't here."
"Perhaps it's for the best he wasn't," a hint of smugness glinted in Quinn's eyes for a moment, "In any case, if we're all joining this escort..."
Clyde's gaze fell on the one silent person in the room.
Lewis sighed, "Well, if this town's going public I might as well be the first to profit off of it...
Author's Note: [Edit 20/03/22] - Textual and grammatical errors corrected.