2017-05-25: What's At Stake
- Log: What's At Stake
- Cast: Gwen Whitlock, Seraph Ragnell, Siegfried (as King Justin), Cecilia Adlehyde
- Where: Adlehyde - Castle
- Date: 5/25/2017
- Summary: Fleeing Adlehyde Castle with a dying King Justin, Seraph Ragnell and Gwen Whitlock manage to stabilize his condition. Ragnell finds and leads Cecilia to her father, allowing daughter and father to reunite. There, difficult matters are discussed, with no easy answers in sight.
============================<* Adlehyde - Castle *>============================= Lying at the centre of its titular city and Kingdom, Adlehyde Castle is the seat of King Justin II. The Castle was built atop a ruined city shortly after the Day of Collapse, and is one of the oldest structures in Filgaia, outmatched only by the Sword Cathedral and Arctica Castle. While the Castle is a medieval-style keep, its builders were clearly influenced by more modern construction techniques. The outer walls and ramparts are heavily reinforced stonework, and the keep is a dome of gold-wreathed steel, heavily armoured as if to resist attacks from above. Adlehyde soldiers are present throughout the Castle, but visitors are generally welcomed...though watched carefully. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydSsWl0Lm4c
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
Gwen shouldn't be here. Gwen shouldn't be here.
The mantra is going full force in her head after the adrenaline rush of the the invasion of Adehyde Castle. Couriers don't do this. People who want to keep their ARM a secret don't do this.
It wasn't that long ago that Gwen had lost her ARM, suffering the consequences of trusting the very person who warned her to keep her secret close, for reasons other than potential misunderstandings. Gwen's ARM was a strength, as well as a weakness, and when it was cut, unlike a person losing their prosthetic, Gwen felt herself struggling to breathe, as well as the pain of a limb lost. The ARM was quick to put itself together and repair the most vital connections for Gwen's health, but it took Emma's expertise to bring the Mockingbird back to full strength.
And if that wasn't enough, the reason they were all afforded this escape was due to the efforts of the the bumbling man who occasionally bummed rides in Gwen's cart, and loved donuts. Could he really be...?
"My cart's over here." To Justin, it may be as if Gwen was talking to open air if he had no sight of his own. But she's talking to someone as she carries the king to a small sheltered area away from the fighting, where her cart and Gulliver stood at the ready. "Ragnell, get those blankets and lay them down. May not be the best bed ever, but it'll be better than me haulin' him." Gwen's voice shakes. She can't handle a responsibility like this. This isn't something she's supposed to be doing.
If it weren't for this ARM, and Emma fixing it, Gwen wouldn't have been able to-
Whenever the colorful blankets are laid out, the courier gently lays King Justin down, then taking out a large medical kit in one compartment of the nearby Gulliver's saddle. "Hey, uh, sorry to order ya around like this. Should we try to see if we can find his Majesty's daughter? Or a healer, maybe? Someone. Dunno know if I can..." She trails off, looking at the king's wounds. "I'll get him stabilized, at least, before we move. There's a camp nearby the other entrance. I don't think they're followin' us anymore." She grabs a wad of medical bandages. "Maybe I should cover my arm before he wakes back up. Don't want him feelin' like he's in danger, but..." Her shoulders begin to droop. "I dunno what to do, Ragnell... WHat if he dies because I did the wrong thing?"
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.
Ragnell goes where she likes and does what she pleases, so she's not having a similar crisis as compared to Gwen. Her crisis is more along the lines of 'wow those Quarter Knights fuckin' wrecked us, also what the hell is this Teardrop thing?', although calling it a crisis is a gross exaggeration. Gwen had suggested that they show Siegfried and Harken what they're made of before Harken punished her for trying and Siegfried zapped Ragnell with a painbow; otherwise she'd have been super-down for returning violence with violence. But returning violence for violence is only useful if you can reasonably expect to survive the next counterblow.
She was worried at first. Having had time to think on it, she's somewhat less worried now for a variety of reasons, one of them being 'Ragnell is a forward-thinking type of person most of the time.' Her main concern right now is King Justin and his survival--or at least, his survival for long enough to tell them about this Teardrop thing. Ragnell isn't a fan of humans at the best of times, and she doesn't give two shits about sovereigns. While she can appreciate his willingness to die to protect his daughter and this Teardrop thing from the Metal Demons, it's still annoying after she went to the trouble of healing him.
Ragnell eyes Gwen at her requests/demands, but she understands the situation; she does as she's told, folding them together lengthwise to serve as a makeshift sort of bed. She steps back to let the courier lay the king out and watches as Gwen takes out that medical kit.
"Don't appreciate the orderin' around, but I *do* appreciate the apology," she says. "I know some healin' artes, but I'm not on the level of that blue-haired girl." She means Rena. Girl could heal. "We should definitely find the Princess. If the King dies on your watch, you'll get blamed for it, you know. Even if you were tryin' to help."
She glances around then at the area, then looks back at Gwen. She can't stick around too long--she's got to get back to the Vile Fiends before they leave the city, or else she'll *never* find them again in this mess--but this is a thing worth doing. "Then you'll get thrown in jail or, more likely given the war situation, executed on the spot," she says bluntly. "But that'll happen if you sit on your thumbs too, so you may as well do somethin'. I don't know about human medicine much, myself, but..." She steps forward, one hand raised, and Seraphic light begins to rise up around her. There's a smell of ozone in the air. "I'll at least give you a boost to start with."
<Pose Tracker> Siegfried has posed.
Justin is in little shape to talk. He groans, but he doesn't protest when he gets laid down. It isn't hard for someone experienced -- say, a Seraph with years more than most humans have lived -- to see that the wound is fatal. Impaled as he was, healing magic will do well to give him a few days. Of course, given everything that happened, a few days may be crucial. That he groans at all speaks volumes.
He sputters, lips shaking, as Ragnell lays him back. His chest is wrapped up, so he doesn't bleed out... but he opens his eyes and looks up at them, weakly. "Did... what happened to Cecilia? Where did she go to?"
He is too focused, perhaps, on his daughter to offer thanks. He looks up weakly at the two of them.
Yes, two, now.
"You... both made it," the king says. "The others?"
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
Gwen smiles weakly at Ragnell, but it still manages to reach her eyes. "Yeah, I get ya. I mean, bein' a Seraph n' all. So, you got my thanks. And, well, if you need a favor..." She raises a hand. "Consider it done. As long as it ain't somethin' illegal." Oddly enough, Ragnell's words, even as cutting as they are, cause Gwen to chuckle, even as she wipes a tear from her eye. "Well, then I'll know I've hit rock bottom, so that's somethin' I'll got goin' for me. But yeah. Just gotta... keep movin'."
Her hands aren't idle as she says this, aside from the quick motion to Ragnell and the occasional rubbing of one eye. "Anythin' you can spare'll help. There's some rations in the cart, too. Help yerself. They ain't fine dinin', but take advantage of them while you can."
He's awake. Gwen stops briefly as he speaks, noting the mention of 'two'. He can see Seraphs? "They all got away, including your daughter," she says, softly. "A good friend of mine... held them off for us." He'd liked to hear her call him that still, wouldn't he? Mr. Balderdash.
"He'll be fine too. He's hardy."
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.
A few days is enough. Ragnell, as a Seraph of several hundred years, has long since grown used to the mayfly lives of humans; now that she knows she's simply buying him days instead of years, she can resign herself to it. What's important is what he knows, and that he has enough strength to share it before he's gone. The jolt that manifests in her lightning healing will no doubt help with that, too. Once the arte is complete, she pulls back her hands and tilts the brim of her hat down, frowning down at the king.
"A favor's the least you could do," she says to Gwen, but she's got a half-smile on as she says it. When Gwen chuckles, so does she. "Sure enough." She folds her arms then. She doesn't respond to the offer of rations, but she does file it away. Seraphim do need to eat, but their physiology isn't the same as humans's in a lot of ways. If nothing else, it might be good to have the energy boost.
Then the King coughs and stirs. Ragnell raises an eyebrow at Justin's use of 'both,' but doesn't remark. She's not sure if he could see her during the battle or not--it was kiiiind of a big chaotic thing--but a) being near death tends to make humans more spiritual b) his daughter, she knows, can see Seraphim just fine. Whether he could always see Seraphim or not doesn't really matter much in the long term.
"We managed a retreat," Ragnell replies, nodding along with Gwen's somewhat more detailed explanation. "It looks like those Metal Demons weren't too interested in us anymore once you went down," she adds, because that's important information to know. "They probably think you're dead already, and so much the better for the sake of your castle." She pauses a beat. Ask about the Teardrop now, or...? Hmm. Maybe they ought to get Cecilia first. He'd probably be more willing to dish to his heir. "I'll take a look-see around for the Princess," she thus adds, turning a half-step away. "Gwen, I'm leavin' His Majesty in your hands 'til I get back."
<Pose Tracker> Siegfried has posed.
"Good," Justin manages to say. He closes his eyes. If Cecilia escaped, then... It's enough. He doesn't move once he lays there -- letting Gwen work, even if he knows it won't stop the inevitable.
Though, he does look up -- and around -- at the mention that Ragnell will look for his daughter. "Very well," he says. "She isn't like to have gone far. And the guards... they'll come, too. They're likely to have seen me fall."
He lets out a shuddering breath. "To think that it would all end like this..."
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
"Alright, alright. Two favors. Three, even," Gwen manages to quip at Ragnell's statement, with a quick wink. "But seriously. Um. Thank you." As she sees the Seraph not opt to eat, Gwen realizes something.
Oh yeah. Wait, what *do* Seraphs eat?
Such questions are best saved for a less dire time.
Gwen nods to Ragnell. "Okay. I think I can handle it from here. Lemme know if you need anythin'. If there's... anything I got you need, anyway." The courier looks down at the severe wound on the king's body, and with the innocence only someone new to battle could have, she just assumes that their efforts will be enough.
For now.
Gwen looks to King Justin, her expression softening. "You were pretty amazin' there, your Majesty." She looks up at the small alcove they find themselves in, and sighs. "They wanted to deal a blow to everyone's morale. You placing your daughter's life first... that decision alone might be the spark to reignite Adlehyde's pride after all this is over. And maybe, you'll survive all this."
There are questions on her mind. Things she wants to ask. But now, as bird song floats overhead and wind floats by, carrying the faintest hint of tension from downwind, it feels better to approach it carefully. "Your Majesty," Gwen begins. "You mentioned something about golems, and some man named Irving, before you passed out. What were you tryin' to say, back then? If you'd rather be silent, that's alright with me."
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.
Maybe the guards would come, but they aren't likely to come at Ragnell's beckoning unless they have particularly strong magical/spiritual senses like the royal family, which the Lightning Seraph somehow doubts. All the same, she nods; perhaps they'll come when they see their Princess on the way. She gives a nod to Gwen too, then turns and strides out of the alcove.
She isn't gone long. Justin wasn't kidding when he said that the Princess wouldn't have gone far; she practically only needs to go down the hall to find her, and it only takes a brief few words ("This way to the King") to get her to follow. Presumably, anyway. Some more words may need to be spared on the way back.
When she arrives with Cecilia, though, she's in time to hear the tail end of what Gwen asks. Ragnell flicks a glance her way, then steps to one side to let Cecilia in. She doesn't say anything; she doesn't want to interrupt on the verge of getting answers.
<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.
Cecilia Lynn Adlehyde has had the world's worst ten minutes. She is still, in her way, recovering her wits; slowing her breathing and recovering from the near-panic that ended that fight. Her father's wounded and she's not entirely sure where he got off to. Tethelle's sword is broken, Claude and Lucia got hit by those tremendous assaults...
She's tried to minimize her thoughts by treating to the terrible wound that slashed open her dress and belly both, but tying off a bandage is only so soothing. Until a presence arrives, and--
If Ragnell bothered with more words than Cecilia didn't hear them; she rushes in ahead of the Seraph, half-stumbling over aching feet. "Father!" she calls out, rushing to the... ...cart.
...she'll take it. "I'm here. It's--" ... "I'm here," she says again, quieter. "I'm alright."
<Pose Tracker> Siegfried has posed.
"Nnh... yes, Irving Vold Valeria. An ally of mine, in Aquvy. He--there isn't any way to get word to him, and nothing he could do besides," Justin manages. He shakes his head, before he looks at Gwen. "The golems are--it's too late. I've no doubt of that. They... they were at the fair. The Demons must have focused some of their attack there. We could never get them working..."
He closes his eyes and breathes, raggedly, before he hears Ragnell return -- and with Cecilia in tow. He looks up at her, and he doesn't manage much more than the faintest of smiles.
"Cecilia," he says. "You... you still have it, then?"
The appearance of the princess has drawn someone else: a quartet of armored guards, though many are bandaged and bloodied, hurry after. They stay a respectful distance back, though. Their heads are all bowed -- and they look stricken, to say the least.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
It's definitely a humble setting, hardly something for a king. Just a natural alcove, set into the side of a rocky hill, where trees and bushes obscure any casual sightings of anyone who tried to view within. There's the distant dripping of water from a nearby spring, and, of course, Gulliver, obliviously nibbling on some spare patches of grass. The cart itself is hardly presentable either, now damaged from its flight out of Adlehyde City. The woven blankets are hardy, marked with the pattern motifs common of the Badlands, but also worn from multiple usings and washings.
Gwen moves away from KIng Justin as Cecilia and the soldiers arrive, allowing the daughter some amount of privacy. "If you need me to leave y'all alone, let me know," Gwen says softly. "Can't really give you much, but privacy is one of them. Ragnell-" Her eyes catch on the soldiers, who may not appreciate her talking about their 'invisible friend'. "She healed him a bit. I got his wounds bandaged."
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.
Ahh, filial love. When Cecilia hears those five words and then bolt past Ragnell, the Seraph only shrugs and hurries after her, not wasting her breath with any other comments. Her attention goes to the King and his response. Hmm... So basically, nothing of use or value. She nods slightly, tucking her hands into her pockets. Yeah, that tracks. It's common for humans to think back on their regrets when they're on death's door. An ally they can't reach, and weapons they could never make work... Certainly there's plenty of regrets stuffed in there.
But then he mentions 'it' to Cecilia, and Ragnell focuses on the Princess. She notes the arrival of the guards as well, but there's a certain cadence to that 'it' that makes her think it's something important--perhaps even the so-called Teardrop? She glances at Gwen when the courier says her name, and gives a grave nod to the Princess, but otherwise keeps her silence. For now.
Notably, she makes absolutely no offer to or promise of privacy.
<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.
Come to think of it how the hell did cecilia get this far from the castle??
Hint: It involved Siegfried and the physics of parabolas.
Regardless, Cecilia is fully focused on her father for the moment.
Maybe someone as nosy as Ragnell spots the brief flash of something that is decidedly not desperately pained filial love when Justin cuts directly to asking if "it" is safe. "Yes, Father," she says, and produces 'it' from within her dress, holding the jewel up so the fiery light catches it.
The Teardrop is a roughly tear-shaped blue pyroxene jewel, small enough to fit comfortably in the palm; one end has been fitted with the mount for a necklace string. The necklace itself, of course, is of the finest materials available to royalty, but they are not really what matters here. It shines with an inner light; and if you look closely, that light faintly pulses, much like one's own heartbeat.
Except it thump-thump-thump-thumps faster than any resting heart would, right now. Like that strange heartbeat were pumping with fear.
Cecilia holds it there for a moment, then quickly tucks it back away. "I have it, but...Father, what..."
Her voice trembles. "What could they possibly want with it? It's a family keepsake!" She knows it's more, but...how much more?
<Pose Tracker> Siegfried has posed.
Justin shakes his head to Gwen and Ragnell both. He isn't going to tell them to leave. It seems wrong -- and unwise. After all, if the Demons were to happen upon this scene, he would be dead quickly.
"Good... the Teardrop is--there are great secrets within it," he says. "I wouldn't let them have it--nor would I let them have you."
His eyes rest on it, for a moment, before he looks down. "It was entrusted to our family to keep Adlehyde safe. To make our kingdom prosper. That it would come to this..."
He shakes his head.
"Get into the castle," he says. "We're pulling every guard we can back to the castle. We'll have to hold there, before--" Before the Quarter Knights return. He frowns. "Miss Whitlock, and miss--I must beg your pardon, for I do not know your name. You should escape this place. I am dubious that they will ever stop."
He frowns. "People must know. That these monsters are real--and that they are on the move."
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
Ragnell's glance is noted, Gwen responding with a slight grimace of an apology.
The Teardrop. Gwen didn't pay it much heed, thinking it to be a valuable heirloom, but when she thought on it, it couldn't be just that. The Metal Demons wouldn't want a jewel, royal heirloom or no.
And when Cecilia reveals it, the courier is struck mute by the sight for a few moments, before she manages to begin to recollect herself. "... never seen somethin' that blue..." Gwen states in open wonder. But, to go back to the castle? "The Metal Demons may try to follow wherever that jewel goes," she offers, quietly.
To escape. "I'm not sure if I can honor that command just yet, your Majesty." Gwen doesn't offer Ragnell's name this time, allowing for that to be Ragnell's decision. "But I'll probably need to, soon." She wants to ask if they were sure to go back to the castle.
But maybe it wasn't a matter of surviving, for King Justin. The realization makes the redhead quietly let out a breath. Looking to Cecilia, Gwen nods. "If you need anything, I'll do what I can."
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.
It's a brilliantly beautiful shade of blue, all right. Watching as closely as she is, Ragnell notes the way it burns with an inner fire that pulses like a racing heartbeat, sure as she notes that flash of another emotion on Cecilia's face. The significance of the jewel's pulsing, she doesn't know, but it sure as hell can't be just an heirloom if the Metal Demons wanted it. To think it'd been so closeby... If Siegfried and Harken knew, they'd blow something up in rage, no doubt.
"Unlikely," she says to Gwen, but also loud enough for the royal family to hear. "The Metal Demons thought the King had it, or at least knew where it was; they left when they thought he died, so they can't know the Princess had it instead. Otherwise, they'd'a gone for her for sure." She considers not bothering to give her name; then she decides there's no harm in being polite this once, and tips the edge of her hat respectfully. Or what passes for respectfully when it comes to her and humans. "It's Ragnell, Your Majesty. I'll be on my way soon enough--the lady who protected you before is in a real bad way."
She pauses. The King didn't try to send her or Gwen away, save to tell them to flee the area and warn the countryside that the Metal Demons are here. She already gave her own warning, so she'll leave spreading it to Gwen--but since the Teardrop is the current topic... "What exactly *is* it?" she says, nodding to Cecilia's pendant. "What do the Metal Demons want it for?" A subtly distinct question from why do they want it, though Justin may not be in a position to appreciate fine nuance.
<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.
Justin's response does not, it seems, entirely please Cecilia; her hand flies to the Teardrop, slowly curling around the jewel. "Prosperity....safety..." She bites her lip; she knows there's more, much more, it's written all over her face.
But in the end, what she says is, "Adlehyde will have no prosperity if this continues," she says. "This stone is a precious memory of my mother, and holds such strange secrets, but..."
She looks up, eyes firming. "So many of our people are hiding in the castle! They'll be killed! Father, surely the lives of our people are worth more than this stone! I should go give it to the Demons now!"
<Pose Tracker> Siegfried has posed.
"I understand, Miss Whitlock. Then... be safe, until you leave." Justin sighs, before he looks at Ragnell. He considers her question -- how to answer, because he knows little. Of course, most people know nothing. "It is an artifact that passed down through our line. I can't say, for certain. The legends say that it is important--that it is the source of Adlehyde's prosperity and a tie to the Guardians and Filgaia itself."
But then, Cecilia has her outburst. His eyes widen.
"Cecilia--no!" he says. "You must not! That--" He looks at his guards, catching one of their eyes. The man nods -- and they all approach, standing behind Cecilia. "We have to hold. To surrender the Teardrop... it would be surrendering the very future of Adlehyde."
He shakes his head, once, firmly.
"We cannot--we must not take that chance."
The guard clears his throat, then looks right through Ragnell, at Gwen. "Ma'am," he says. "Thank you, for what you've done. We're fetching a litter. We'll get the king and the princess somewhere safe."
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
Lucia. Gwen's face wrinkles in a grimace, remembering the way the blue-haired young woman slumped against the stone, Hiro right by her. "Tell them that we're okay, at least," Gwen says to Ragnell. "If they need me for anythin', if they can get ahold of me, I'll be there." But as it stands, she'll likely need to look for any signs of other friends, including Vash. That's probably where she'll be the most help.
Ragnell was right; it wasn't a time to be sitting on her thumbs.
At Cecilia's words, Gwen winces sympathetically. "Well, I guess so, but if those demons were willin' to throw their strongest and attack you two..." Gwen trails off, suddenly remembering just who she's talking to. "... Sorry. You all know what's best here. Just keep safe, no matter what. Even if that jewel's being hunted down just because of what it symbolizes to people here, I don't trust them to hold back just because they got it. Not after what I've seen."
The guard speaks. Gwen turns to look at him as if noticing him for the first time. "-er, uh. Yes. It's... no problem! Er, I mean- thank you, or. Uh. Yes, I'd do it again if I needed to! We all would." Her eyes fall to Cecilia, just then.
What will the princess decide to do?
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.
Ragnell's eyebrows rise when Cecilia posits that she should barter the Teardrop for the lives of their people. That sounds like a phenomenally bad idea to her, perhaps even world-endingly bad based on how a certain someone talked about it, even without knowing what the Teardrop actually does. And if Justin doesn't really know either--which, if he's telling the truth, and she doubts he'd have any reason to lie at this point, it sounds like there's nothing more for Ragnell to hear. "I see. Thank ya kindly, Your Majesty," she murmurs anyway. Then there's one other person to ask: Lucia. The so-called Destroyer, as it were.
Too bad she's in a coma right now.
Still, Justin bursts out about her bad decision. Ragnell nods once. If she doesn't listen to *him*, her own father, then she sure as hell won't listen to any advice she, a total stranger, has against giving the Metal Demons the one thing they want. Best to leave these matters to the humans.
Ragnell glances up when the guard speaks, noting the way he looks through her at Gwen. "Sounds like that's our cue to scoot," she comments to Gwen. "I gotta get going anyway... I'll let them what you said." She looks back at Cecilia, sizing her up. Then she nods to her father and then to her, hat tilted. "We'll be in touch, Princess Cecilia."
That sounds slightly less ominous than 'I'll be in touch.' Rest assured, once Ragnell learns more about what the Teardrop is and does, she'll come searching for Cecilia, with or without Gwen. Depending on what exactly she learns, it might be best that she not clue Gwen in too.
After all, Gwen might try to stop her.
<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.
Justin's answer is - it's not forceful, the way she half expected. It lacks the striking rod of command she knows her father is capable of. But it is her father's wish just the same.
And that means it is the wish of the guards who obey him. They form up behind her and suddenly she feels naked and exposed.
She is the princess, and they care for the princess. But right now, they are escorting Cecilia. Her stomach twists. A person they don't care much about, huh...
Her breath resumes slowly. She didn't notice she stopped. "I see," she breathes, reading the same thing between the lines as the guards who are now around them. "...if that's your decision," she breathes, and slowly folds her hands. The very image of the loyal daughter. You'd almost miss the ugly burning in her chest. "We should return to the castle," she says. "Our people will be fearful of our return."