2018-06-06: An Unlikely Interrogation

From Dream Chasers
Jump to navigation Jump to search

===========================<* Pearloats Pasture *>============================

Pearloats Pasture is the agricultural heartland of the Rolance Empire. It stretches through the center of the empire, from Lastonbell in the east to Pendrago in the west. The eastern half is a rolling, hilly meadow. Shepherds tend their flocks here, and must keep a careful eye because of the danger of roaming monsters that have only grown worse in recent days. The western stretches of Pearloats are where the countless grain fields and farms of the Empire are. In the last year, nearly constant rainfall has dampened the fields and the capital of Pendrago, and made the roads muddy and dangerous. This state has drawn out more bandits and monsters than before.

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQK2PufIbzI
<Pose Tracker> Alisha Diphda has posed.

After the unlikely alliance fled Lastonbell, with a merchant in tow, it took a couple of hours before they felt safe.

Still, they now have such a place. The merchant sits on the ground, his hands bound -- something Alisha did, when he tried to run -- and under a rocky outcropping. A few large trees hang overhead, and would provide shade were it not in the thick of the night. The outcropping, though, helps to hide them. They have just arrived; a chance to catch their breath, to be sure that Hyland's patrols aren't so far.

The princess stands there, arms crossed. In her cloak, her plain chainmail, and with her hair worn down...

She doesn't look a princess of Hyland. She cannot help, however, but to sound one. She looks up at her companions, studying them for a moment.

"I think it time we find out what he wants," she says. "Our dear friend has made it clear he wishes to leave our company. And, I suspect, we all have questions for each other."

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

    The merchant had, when Ragnell and company had caught up with him, said something about not realizing it would turn out like this--something about a Commander Strelka getting put on a boat. Ragnell's not entirely sure what all that's about, beyond the implication that this merchant had something to do with the nature of the attack on Lastonbell, but she imagines Thessaly and Garan do, since he was their target in their first place.
    
    For right now, she leans on the tree next to their "guest," arms folded over her chest and legs crossed at the ankle. Being invisible to him, she's uniquely qualified to keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn't do anything suspicious. "No kiddin'," she drawls to Alisha. "I'll let y'all do the honors, though."

<Pose Tracker> Thessaly has posed.

"We do."
 
 Thessaly tilts her hand, rotating it by the wrist until it turns up palm-first and upon doing so, a small rock outcropping winds out from the ground. Sorcery has long since been the birthright of the Trevelyans of Rolance; she wields its workings as naturally as breathing. It protrudes from the ground like a flat-topped spike, upon which she settles, brushing off her skirts and looking the bound merchant in the eye. Elegant fingers then dip into her sleeve, to produce a small crystal orb - not unlike the artifact that has service her for many years, it is smaller; like a giant pearl, it gleams like moonfire under the illumination of the stars overhead. Those digits drift over its surface in a caress.
 
 "While I normally err in the side of diplomacy, your most recent escape attempt has tried my patience, Master Castav, and it is only because of my unwillingness to appear as an unfeeling tyrant in front of my lord and Her Highness that I am giving you two options. You can freely answer my questions without coercion, or you can resist, which will leave me no choice but to crack your mind open like a coconut and delve into all of your secrets. I assure you that while the latter would be very unpleasant for me, it will be all the moreso for you."
 
 She rests her palm on top of the orb, tilting her head in an angle and long lashes lowering over those deep-violet eyes.
 
 "What do you know of Strelka's disappearance?"

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    When the likes of that odd white-haired man in the hood is present and saying very little, justifying virtually nothing, and largely keeping to oneself, it's difficult to ever 'feel safe' around him.
     When Alisha takes stock of her unlikely companions, he's not looking anyone in the eye. He's looking at a rock with a glossy, glass-like texture on one side, right in his hand. It has since cooled in the passing hours. He has hardly participated in the goings on between then and now, with scant few exceptions: speaking when he believes their position is not secure.
     He hasn't spoken such for some time, so they might be all right now under the cover of night and the local features.
     He turns his head as Thessaly lays down the options for their captive. He waits for the cover of another person's words to reposition himself silently several further metres away from the gathered.
     ...So he currently has no questions at the moment, then, and wants to just look at some dumb pretty rocky in secret? (Must be a very, very pretty rock indeed.)
     He turns back his head every so often as if to keep tabs.

<Pose Tracker> Garan Dantear has posed.

Given their relative positions, you would think that it would be Garan taking point on the questioning of the merchant. It was, after all, ostensibly Imperial Knights business, and he was the only Imperial Knight present. Thessaly's official position was rather more nebulous, though the woman had described herself in the past as his chamberlain.
 
However, if there's anything the red-haired knight prided himself on when it came to his leadership style, it was to never allow his own ego to get in the way of best results. You should use the best tool for whatever job is in front of you, after all, rather than focusing on a single one because it seemed more glorious or more lordly. And so, he does nothing to interrupt the witch as leads the proverbial charge in dealing with Castav.
 
Besides, there were other things to worry about. Hylandian troops might fall on them, or even confused Rolance ones. Neither his presence nor that of the princess could ensure that either nation's soldiers didn't make a terrible mistake. He keeps the bulk of his attention, then, on looking for signs of anyone approaching... But he keeps his ear open for the interrogation, trusting Thessaly to ask the right questions.

<Pose Tracker> Alisha Diphda has posed.

Castav, the merchant, can't see Ragnell. He doesn't turn to look at her -- despite that the mustachioed man turns to look, in turn, at Alisha, then Thessaly, and at Garan. His eyes widen for a moment.

Alisha, however, glances to Ragnell. She nods, before she looks at Garan -- her eyes wide -- and she mouths a question to him: 'Can she actually do that?' She means Thessaly's promise, of course.

"He..." Castav looks down. "...He was taken. I only--I only operated the ship that took him. We didn't even know what the cargo was, until we were at sea. When Lord Commander Strelka broke free, and--and the mercenaries who chartered our ship had to restrain him."

He swallows, shaking his head.

Alisha hesitates. "...Sergey Strelka?" she asks. "I did--I did think it odd. That he wasn't at Lastonbell..."

<Pose Tracker> Thessaly has posed.

If she can or can't do those things, Thesaly does not confirm nor deny. This doesn't appear to be her first interrogation, either - well before the present happenings, she was Garan Dantear's investigative partner and were this a different age and circumstance, they would be taking turns.
 
 Alisha's remark has the sorceress tilting her head slightly over her shoulder to regard the Princess of Hyland. "Yes," she says, softly. "Apparently this occurred right around the time representatives of the Church, including my lord and myself, vanished to Filgaia."
 
 Turning back to Castav, the motions of her hand on the crystal ball stops. "So he was alive when he was on your ship. Where did you deliver him and from what company did the mercenaries holding him come from?"
 
 She senses Garan's eyes upon her, but she doesn't return his glance. She looks straight at their captive as she continues her questioning.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

    It's interesting to Ragnell that not only is Thessaly taking point on the questioning, but Garan seems perfectly comfortable with having her do so. She'd already observed during the battle with the true Lord of Calamity that their mutual trust is, in fact, genuine, but in a situation like this, one would think that the Imperial Knight would lead questioning on the whereabouts of another Imperial Knight. It implies that either Garan is particularly bad at this kind of thing--or Thessaly is particularly *good* at it.
    
    After the coconut comment, Ragnell's inclined towards the latter... particularly if it's not an empty threat.
    
    First, though, she glances around at the party--Garan and Ethius may be holding against outside threats, but Ragnell's more interested in the people right here. For example, that shiny rock of Ethius' is one he's been holding onto since Lastonbell. She's not sure where he picked it up, but if it was *in* Lastonbell, she's going to want to have someone ask him about that on her behalf.
    
    Then, when Castov speaks, she turns her attention his way. She doesn't know this Strelka person, but he's obviously someone important judging by his title. Exactly *how* important can be discussed later.

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    'Apparently this occurred right around the time representatives of the Church, including my lord and myself, vanished to Filgaia.'
     Ethius, from his new and more distant position, looks back over his shoulder again. Something about the wording of that statement...
     By virtue of being unseen by him and some other quirks of what light is available, Ragnell can see that the stone is made of the same kind as the wall that exploded to that great big burst of green flame. He shifts his fingers just so, and Ragnell can make another assertion.
     That is a piece of that very wall, the half of it facing up having been melted and fused into some glassy, glossy form. There's also some trace amounts of dried blood. Incidentally, Ethius was nursing a head wound the entire time they were escaping. (Looks like that rock is the prime suspect.)
     He does not know of this 'Lord Commander Strelka.' Something about the timing of the professed operation is interesting, but he has nothing to go on that would extend the line of questioning beyond the current subject. If... he would have anything to ask.
     His stake in all this, other than simply being with this group of people, remains vague. (What doesn't with him?!)

<Pose Tracker> Garan Dantear has posed.

When the princess catches his eye and silently questions him with that look, Garan Dantear's only response is a faint smile. Whether it was true or not, the last thing he was going to do right now was dispel any of Thessaly's mystique and undercut her. Alisha might be a putative ally, particularly if both Rolance and Hyland were being manipulated by some unknown third party, but there were still uses to letting her be wary of Thessaly.
 
What he hears, listening with that half an ear to the interrogation, is decidedly not good. A kind of stillness crosses Garan's face as he looks away from the group, keeping his focus outward, on potential threats: A mask of no expression at all to hide the kindling anger.
 
The witch would feel it, of course, connected to the knight as she was. The way his anger conflicts with his sense of responsibility, the urge to give up his watch and attack the merchant. But he doesn't: He keeps to his post, to make sure their curious little group remains safe, at least for the now.

<Pose Tracker> Alisha Diphda has posed.

Alisha's eyes widen, slightly, at Garan's response. She looks appropriately more guarded, then, as she stands there. She looks at Castav, as she listens to him talk, and her eyes narrow. She does, however, step next to Ragnell. She whispers, softly: "A commander in Rolance's army. One who is widely respected, even in Hyland."

Castav swallows. He turns, slightly; his eyes catching the way that Ethius plays with that rock. The merchant's mind does a few tricks on him. He swallows, and then looks up at Thessaly.

"He was," Castav says. "Alive. Lanbrady's Lancers was the company. Brutal fellows, but... professionals. The last war, fifteen years ago, they fought on our side--held that fort for sixteen days." He shakes his head. "They took him to Azado. They said they had to keep him alive."

He looks down. "They said if I told anyone, they'd kill me--and my family. Do the wise thing, my lady. Let this pass. They'll kill you, too. All of you. Even the touched one."

He looks at Ethius, warily.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

    Convenient! Ethius shifts in time for Ragnell to get a better look at that rock he's holding. She's been around Lastonbell enough in recent times to recognize it as the same stone used in the defensive wall--which means that glassy part is a result of whatever struck that wall. Which means it must have been outrageously hot, whatever it was. Ragnell begins to realize that Lastonbell might have gotten off light.
    
    It's a scary thought, all considered.
    
    There's also the traces of that blood on the rock, which matches Ethius' head, or at least how it was while they were escaping town--and there's the way he'd react to Thessaly's earlier threat to crack their "guest"'s mind open like a coconut. Given how intensely private Ethius is, it's no wonder that he's have a negative reaction to that.
    
    While Ragnell mulls over all this, Alisha draws close and whispers about Strelka to her. Ragnell blinks to her, then nods. "Thanks," she whispers back. She looks back at Castav as he explains about the mercenaries, how they'd threatened to kill him and his family, that they were taking Sergey alive to Azado. "Hmmmm..." she murmurs, tapping a finger on her upper arm.
    
    She leaves further questioning to Thessaly, though. She's interested in how well she does there, anyway.

<Pose Tracker> Thessaly has posed.

"I assure you, Master Castav, that would be a harder endeavour than anyone would think."
 
 Thessaly slips the orb back into her sleeve and stands up. While she has felt the surge of anger from Garan, forever bonded to him with the eldritch tether that connects them both, she doesn't look at him until she is finished with their captive. Black silks pool around her like living ink, and she doesn't move so much as glide, moving to where the Imperial Knight stands vigil close to Alisha and Ragnell.
 
 "I believe him when he claims that he had no idea what he was carrying when he was contracted," she says softly, her eyes falling on Garan first before the rest of them. "And that he and his family are in danger. I will leave it to you, my lord, to decide his fate."
 
 There is a glance towards Alisha. "There were a few curious incidents that occurred in our absence, which are the reasons why you came upon us with this rather cryptic errand. I think it would be a good idea, however, for my lord and I to assist you back to your lines as safely as we can."
 
 After a moment, that deep violet stare falls on Ragnell. "And if you would pardon me, my lady seraph, I have some questions for you as well."
 
 With that, from the folds of her gown, she produces a strange, multi-colored stone.

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    The 'touched one,' as described, brings a hand to his forehead as he closes his eyes. One must ask why running his thumb across that smooth surface is so important to him. He is 'one' such person who is asking the same. He kept this stone for a reason...
     Somewhere in the recesses of recent memory, he remembers hearing the hiss of some kind of noise he recognized should not be there. He can't put that into words. Lunar is a... quieter place, he would sum it up if he were to explain this out loud. The distinctive, though easily-missed, sonic report of certain phenomena that come within fractions of a second before sound effects more readily spoken when one gives feedback about an event involving items with such a loud character.
     The color green. The shape the green color took. He couldn't put it together then because he took yet another knock to the head, but now...
     His eyes narrow. He rises from where he fiddles with the rock, turning back to face the rest of them as Thessaly discusses matters of seeing someone back to 'their lines.'
     His gaze sweeps over Castav momentarily. It is an intense one. The kind of eyes that just take, take, take, and not give back in any way, shape, or form.
     They don't rest on him for long, as he brings his gaze back over to the person who is to be assited 'back to their lines.' He does not yet say anything.

<Pose Tracker> Garan Dantear has posed.

They'd threatened the man's family. Of course. It was the surest way to obtain compliance from most people: Even if someone could be bought, and surely a merchant was the sort of person who tended to be for sale, making sure they stayed that way was more complicated. In conflicts between noble families, whether within a realm or between two rival kingdoms, one of the ways peace was often assured was the exchange of hostages, their lives contingent on the behaviour of those at home.
 
It was more than merely plausible, even before Thessaly vouched for what she saw as the man's honesty. So.
 
So.
 
"Many merchants didn't make it out of Lastonbell," the Imperial Knight muses, dark blue eyes shifting towards Castav. "Likely, if he never turned up, anyone would assume he numbered among the casualties there." The implication - the threat? - was obvious. The cold, pragmatic thing to do would be to end the merchant, so there was no chance he might try to protect his family by warning the Lancers that anyone might be coming for them.
 
Metal rasps on metal as white plate, smeared with soot and other signs of the conflict in the city, shifts. As Garan moves, towards the merchant. The question was: Was Garan Dantear, pushed by the danger to Rolance, by the things that had transpired while they were in Filgaia on a fool's errand, a cold, pragmatic man?
 
"Your family, Castav. Where are they?"

<Pose Tracker> Alisha Diphda has posed.

"I'm afraid that I must decline," Alisha says to Thessaly. "I've left Hyland's lines behind, for a time. This war... is something I hoped to prevent. Having failed at that, I have to do everything that I can to stop it. And for that..." She closes her eyes, then shakes her head; her expression is regretful.

"...I need to be here. If finding Sergey Strelka would help us put an end to the war, then I will do all that I can. And..." She looks at Ragnell; she cracks a smile, as she looks back at Thessaly. "...The 'lady Seraph' is with me."

Castav looks up at Garan -- and his eyes widen. The merchant backs up, slowly, with fear in his eyes. He looks up at the knight, and his eyes are wide. "They are--they are in Pendrago, my lord."

Alisha looks at Garan. There is alarm on her face, but she keeps quiet -- at least, for the moment. Then, she looks at Ethius, and back to Thessaly. "Is the quiet one coming with you, too, Lady Thessaly? Is--" She pauses.

"...Wait. He isn't with you, is he?"

She turns and gives Ethius a look. Who, exactly, is he?"

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

    "I agree," Ragnell remarks to/of Thessaly and her impressions of Castav. "His reaction when we caught up to 'im seemed sincere. What he just told us would fit in with that reaction nicely." She doesn't weigh in about his fate; that appears to be up to Garan to decide, anyway.
    
    Thessaly offers then to escort Alisha back to Hyland--and then produces a stone and asks her pardon. The Lightning Seraph's gaze flicks down to the gem; her eyes narrow slightly. Then, poker-faced, she meets Thessaly's eyes. "Yeah?"
    
    Garan's remarks interrupt then, though they aren't for Ragnell. She looks his way anyway, listening and watching, understanding his implications as he draws his sword. When he instead asks for Castov's family, she murmurs another low, "Hmmmm..."
    
    Then she looks back at Alisha and Thessaly. "What she said," she confirms, of being with Alisha. A wink and a half-smile. "For now~." Then she looks over at Ethius, who is currently boring holes into Castav with his eyes. "Oh, that's Ethius. Ethius Hesiod, professional weirdo. Associated with the CaraKin. That rock he's holdin' came from Lastonbell's wall, an' that glassy part is probably a result o' that attack. I'm bettin' he might know somethin' about the nature o' that strike... *if* you can get 'im to talk."
    
    She flashes a white, white smile Thessaly's way. "That's your cue, Tess~."

<Pose Tracker> Thessaly has posed.

Alisha's words draws a more contemplative bent on Thessaly's features, searching the young princess' expression. While no longer what she had been, had her destiny turned out differently, she would be speaking with the Hyland princess on more equal terms. But something about how she holds her face at the moment has her turning her head and leaning towards the blonde, and a little past. Her voice drops in a quiet murmur, too low, really, for anyone else to hear but Alisha herself.
 
 Whatever she has to impart upon her is brief, before she straightens up again. "I will have to defer to my lord, of course. This is a matter for the Knights, and I am afraid I do not hold rank or sway with the organization. As it happens, my lord is the interim commander, now, at Lord Commander Strelka's absence." Hidden lips tilt upwards in a faint smile. "Hence his willingness to delegate duties he would normally take upon himself."
 
 There's a glance when the armored young man moves towards Castav's direction, though she makes no move to hinder Garan from interacting with the man. With Alisha's inquiry towards Ethius, there's a quirk of her brow. "I've come across him before, but I do not know who he is. I thought he was with you, Your Highness."
 
 There's a glance at Ethius and his rock, before she slips what she carries back into her sleeve. That can wait. Once again, the sorceress moves, this time towards the man's vicinity - at least now, she can put a name to the face, and she doesn't forget anything.
 
 "Is the lady seraph right, Master Hesiod?" she wonders. "Do you?"
 
 After a pause, she continues. "I don't know what interests you about this predicament, but if you intend to follow along, I would need to know whether you intend to contribute."

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

    "Oh, he can't see or hear me," Ragnell adds. "So referencin' what I say to him won't do ya much good."

<Pose Tracker> Thessaly has posed.

"Mmhm." The sound she makes is one of muted surprise. "Curious. I came across him in Filgaia, I suppose he falls in the percentage of the populace that cannot see you and your brethren." Thessaly's attention turns back to Ethius. "What I mean to say is whatever insight you may have about the strangeness that felled Lastonbell's wall."
 

<Pose Tracker> Garan Dantear has posed.

Pendrago.
 
That makes it easier.
 
A little easier, anyway. Garan had never felt wholly comfortable in the Imperial capital, even before the constant, neverending rain. Even before the disappearance of the Imperial Knights leadership so abruptly reoriented the political situation there. Now, it made the space between his shoulderblades itch. There was a danger to it than never existed before. But still...
 
"Good," the red-haired knight says, when Castav tells him what he wants to know. "Castav, you and your family are now under the protection of House Dantear. No one will do any harm to them because of what you've told us. Once we've retrieved the Lord Commander, we'll ensure tht he knows you were acting in ignorance and under coercion. We'll make sure you get back to the capital safely."
 
He does not, of course, apologise for Thessaly's methods, nor is he so crude as to point out the consequences of treachery. Once the merchant's family was in hand, well, we come back to the whole matter of hostages, don't we? But the knight won't allow events to make him what he is not. Enough people have died for one day, anyway.

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    The odd man out, who is also the odd man in, appears to take a less aggressive posture as the concerned well-spoken Hyland knight of surprising station - given her chosen vocation - makes clear her intents and goals as regards the war. That he even at all seemed ready to stare through her is worthy of a question as such: what might he have done had she said anything otherwise?
     The expressed confusion about his presence is well-deserved. He's not dressed as a soldier - more like a common hoodlum - and has contributed nothing to the interrogation. His arms cross behind his back as the question just might be on the tip of anyone's tongues. A question that one among them is already able to answer, outside of the reach of his eyes and his ears.
     'Is the lady seraph right, Master Hesiod--'
     There's a severe look in his eyes that-- no it's pointless to attach an adjective to that when he is looking at the completely wrong direction in which to stare down a supposed 'lady seraph.'
     ...Ah, wait, back at Lacour. Yes, it would be reasonable for her to know his name. He gave it as such, out in the open, as part of-- he ceases giving more thought to that, given Thessaly's claims to the merchant. She might be listening in. She muses aloud as she corroborates his own thoughts about her. That coincidence is warning enough.
     "You appear to already be familiar with my name." He comments, flatly, as he stands with his hands behind his back. Like a soldier standing at attention. "I would, in better circumstances, say to pay me little mind. A man who looks like that, speaking with that verbose a vocabulary, restraining so much body language as to sometimes appear more a statue than a living being... that's not a request easy to honor. "Normally, I would rather not involve myself in your affairs. However, I did say I would speak with you at a later time as we disengaged from encroaching Hyland forces." That he did. He sure waited a long time... and had to be prompted to do so.
     "My primary interest lies within lost or out-of-place items and artifacts." He introduces himself in a sparse way that nonetheless doesn't appear to contradict Ragnell. Will he say why? When he moves one arm from behind his back - his right - he is holding that werid stone he's been looking over, over and over.
     "This stone was once part of the defensive wall that came down by the Hyland forces. You will notice that one half has become smooth, like glass." It's very pretty. He turns it around in his hand. They can see the part that remains... unmelted. "As we were escaping from Lastonbell, we were beset upon by Hyland soldiers wielding weapons I have reason to believe were not in their possession prior to your return to Lunar."
     Indeed, they were identified as Filgaian ARMs. That was the moment in which he openly contributed to their escape, and not try to flee from them, or leave them to their fates. That was the moment he intervened - and did so decisively. With a dust cover that ruined visibility or even damaged their weapons. He moved through lines of sight and live fire with expert timing and insight, virtually fearless. To say nothing about how bullets seemed to bounce off of his bare forearm...!
     "They are 'out of place.' That is of interest... as is the matter of what struck the wall." So he must know, then. Will he share? "There are some elements that remain in question, but in the interest of ensuring no misunderstandings, I will state the following as a matter of truth."
     He folds his arm behind his back, straightening up further. Too upright and proper for a common hoodlum. This man is not a common hoodlum. Whatever he is.
     "I am not your enemy."

<Pose Tracker> Alisha Diphda has posed.

"Then, he is from Filgaia--" Alisha says, a small note of shock in her voice. She looks from Thessaly to Ragnell, with eyes wide. She looks back at Thessaly, and shakes her head. "No, I'm afraid not. He was not with me--temporarily, or otherwise. At least... until he was with all of us."

She stays quiet, though. Thessaly whispers to her -- and she nods, quickly. Then, she looks back at Ethius.

Thessaly asked him the question that comes to mind, immediately, upon learning that Ethius comes from Filgaia. The fire that brought down Lastonbell's wall -- to say nothing of the riflemen -- looked like something from Filgaia.

She tilts her head, and she stays quiet while Ethius talks. She didn't expect such verbosity from him, after he was all but silent. Her lips part for a moment -- she hesitates, and then she nods. "We didn't think that you were, Master Hesiod. And... I think you are right. What I want to know is, how did my country come across so damned many of them. If you would help me with that, then I would be in your debt."

Castav looks up at Garan, and the fear is in his eyes until Garan finishes his very last word. Then, he nods, and clasps both of his hands. This is not a merchant who knows of the dangerous ways of the world, and his tentative brush has left him on edge. There are tears in his eyes. "Oh--oh, thank you, my lord! Thank you! I--I will be forever in your debt."

Alisha looks sideways at the display -- then nods, approvingly. A tension she felt in the pit of her stomach dissolves, in an instant.

<Pose Tracker> Thessaly has posed.

You already appear to be familiar with my name.
 
 "Yes, but not until today," Thessaly replies frankly. "There is a presence with us that is very much familiar with you, however, and she is the one who informed me. And if you had replied in your usual manner, we would certainly be parting ways here. The circumstances that my lord and I are presently handling are extremely sensitive and I need to be able to justify your involvement to the powers whom we serve."
 
 Still, the mostly silent man speaks, and she listens with the studious intensity of a consummate academic, her violet stare gravitating between his face and the rock he holds in his hand. There's a cursory inspection of the aftereffects of the phenomenon on stone: "Like when lightning strikes sand," she murmurs softly, though she makes no move to touch it herself.
 
 At the assurance that he is not their enemy has her nodding once through her cloak and veil. "It does well to assure the safety of my lord and Her Highness, but the issue is less about whatever hostile intentions you may have, and more about your trustworthiness. I do not mean to be difficult, but we are Imperial agents, in a fashion, sworn to obey His Majesty, the Emperor. Our secrets are his and if you continue along with us, you will be privy to some of them. Hence why I asked about your willingness to contribute and my explanations as to ensuring that there is justification in allowing your involvement in whatever this matter leads us to."
 
 With Garan finishing with Castav, electing mercy instead of pragmatism, the businesslike look in her eyes softens profoundly. He'd feel it then, the surge of affection - light as cotton - filtering through their connection.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

    Ragnell listens as those all visible to one another deal with one another: Garan giving Castov protection, Thessaly questioning Ethius, Ethius for once being something approaching forthright and declaring himself not their enemy, and Alisha seeking further information about Hyland. Garan seems to have his side of things well in hand, so she focuses on hers.
    
    "What *I* find interestin'," she remarks aloud, "is how dedicated this guy seems to dealin' with artifacts that pop up where they don't belong. On top o' that--an' I'm sure you two didn't know this, since y'all haven't been keepin' an eye on him like I have--he goes a lot easier on Lunarian architecture an' artifacts than he does Filgaian stuff, which is kinda funny for someone who's supposedly a Filgaian native. Makes me wonder if Filgaia's really his homeworld, know what I mean?"
    
    ...And then the Lightning Seraph shrugs broadly. "But that, one, is just a li'l ol' Seraph's hunch, an' two, might be a question best kept at the back of y'all's minds for now. Just in case."

<Pose Tracker> Thessaly has posed.

You already appear to be familiar with my name.
 
 "Yes, but not until today," Thessaly replies frankly. "There is a presence with us that is very much familiar with you, however, and she is the one who informed me. And if you had replied in your usual manner, we would certainly be parting ways here. The circumstances that my lord and I are presently handling are extremely sensitive and I need to be able to justify your involvement to the powers whom we serve."
 
 Still, the mostly silent man speaks, and she listens with the studious intensity of a consummate academic, her violet stare gravitating between his face and the rock he holds in his hand. There's a cursory inspection of the aftereffects of the phenomenon on stone: "Like when lightning strikes sand," she murmurs softly, though she makes no move to touch it herself.
 
 At the assurance that he is not their enemy has her nodding once through her cloak and veil. While she doesn't look back, she does take Ragnell's observations to heart. The Lightning Seraph would sense it, as astute as she is, by the slight shift the sorceress makes, even while the bulk of her attention focuses on Ethius.
 
 "It does well to assure the safety of my lord and Her Highness, but the issue is less about whatever hostile intentions you may have, and more about your trustworthiness. I do not mean to be difficult, but we are Imperial agents, in a fashion, sworn to obey His Majesty, the Emperor. Our secrets are his and if you continue along with us, you will be privy to some of them. Hence why I asked about your willingness to contribute and my explanations as to ensuring that there is justification in allowing your involvement in whatever this matter leads us to."
 
 With Garan finishing with Castav, electing mercy instead of pragmatism, the businesslike look in her eyes softens profoundly. He'd feel it then, the surge of affection - light as cotton - filtering through their connection.

<Pose Tracker> Garan Dantear has posed.

It was, after all, supposed to be the role of the nobility, especially the knighthood, to protect the rest of Rolance. The reciprocal obligations of those who stood atop the stratified social classes of the empire. There were many among the nobility who forgot that, human nature being what it was... It was easy to see their position as somehow their just due. To see their strength as divine blessing from the Goddess herself to impose their will on others.
 
Perhaps Garan Dantear was an anomaly. The truth was, he'd long ago gotten his fill of death. He wouldn't balk from what needed doing... But he wasn't going to shed blood that didn't need shedding. There were a few Knights yet who remembered what knights were supposed to be.
 
"We'll worry about debts another time, Castav," Garan says, with something of his usual, more genial manner. As though they hadn't just escaped from a doomed city. As though they weren't still in danger. "We aren't out of danger yet." He feels a kind of relief, too, that he hadn't taken a worse path with this. He'd like to think that he wouldn't have, but people always manage to surprise themselves in the worst of ways. With that done, he turns his attention towards what Thessaly was up to.

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    "I, too, have the same question, Your Highness." The Declared Not Enemy of the lot of them responds. With half of his face hidden underneath a yellow bandanna, one only has his eyes to go by. They imperceptibly shift at the mention of 'so damned many' of them. His left hand goes to his forehead, hiding his eyes away from view. Garan can see him close them as though he were contemplating on this exact wording.
     He may, as Ragnell theorized earlier about him and that chunk of wall, already have a good working theory on that front.
     Thessaly addresses him much more pressingly about the very sensitivity of him being present. He stands to be in the very company of national secrets - someone who doesn't appear to be beholden to anything or anyone of Lunar, if their Seraph informant is to be believed. He lowers the hand away from his face. Back to that stare of his that's hard to consider all that personable.
     "You will have my cooperation." She probably wants more than a simple 'yes/no.' "I believe you have witnessed my capability before the Hyland soldiers who would have struck you down with their newer weaponry."
     Just as they witnessed his apparent hesitation to involve himself in doing much of anything until they brandished them. That statement alone might not be reassuring, if he's that selective about his support.
     "Your concerns are valid. My word, I suppose, is difficult to take at face value." More like at half-face value. "But you do have my assurance that I do not seek financial nor political enrichment in the pursuit of my interests. For my assistance in finding a resolution to this latter, all I seek in turn is one's own discretion." Just that? And not just get to keep rocks from ruined defensive walls, maybe? The merchant might be right, he could be touched in the head.
     "I will naturally be willing to give such in turn." ...And he hasn't yet asked for the Lady Seraph to stop spying on him, but that might be forthcoming.
     He turns a gaze over to the development between Garan and the merchant, as though he might have thoughts about the merchant's fate that he does not voice. It may be fruitless to disagree with the lord of the one assessing his worth and tact, if that is on his mind at all.

<Pose Tracker> Alisha Diphda has posed.

"Ah... yes. I understand, my lord," Castav says. He stays quiet, though, as Garan turns. All told, he has had enough of a scare for one day.

Alisha looks sideways at Ragnell -- and then her eyes widen. "Then, he might be..." A native of Lunar? She shakes her head. It proves hard to imagine. Alisha leans in, to look at the stone, and then she leans backward. She looks to Thessaly, then to Garan, and she considers for a moment. "I, likewise, have no intention of posing a challenge to your loyalties. We all have our separate reasons for this--but, we also have our a common interest. None of us want to see Hyland, armed with Filgaian weapons, bring Rolance to its knees."

She folds her arms. "I will cooperate." She looks sideways at Ethius, and she hesitates, before she nods. She remembers what Ragnell just said. "It is appreciated, Master Hesiod."

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

    Good good. Ragnell appreciates being surrounded by such good listeners. Alisha hesitates in the middle of speaking with Ethius, and Thessaly has a certain subtle shuffle as she returns to Garan's side. Ragnell half-smiles and nods slightly.
    
    Meanwhile, Ethius sure is chatty when he's been called out. So he wants to know how the Hylandians got a hold of all those weapons too, hm... All the same, she doesn't interrupt this time as he states that he's happy to just help out in exchange for their discretion, which he offers in turn. No, instead, as the matters of Ethius and Castov are settled, she asks an even more important question:
    
    "So what now?"

<Pose Tracker> Thessaly has posed.

Alisha's surprised look and conclusion about Ethius is one Thessaly privately shares, though she remains as placid and unflappable as ever.
 
 She says nothing else for the time being, watching Ethius with eyes heavy with a quiet, gauging, scrutinizing assessment. Whatever she finds in the man, however, seems to satisfy her and Thessaly does nod in return. "Alright, Master Hesiod. We have an accord, then." If she is concerned about the sudden flood of Filgaian weapons into Rolance - and doubtless she is, if there is any veracity to her claims as an Imperial agent - she doesn't show it. With that veil of hers it is difficult to discern her expressions with just her eyes alone, though only one person in their company would be privy to those thoughts anyway, unless she chooses to share them - and as she has noted before to Ragnell, herself, she is rather jealous when it comes to her own mystique.
 
 Still, the assurance from the Princess of Hyland earns her a dip of her head. "Of course, Your Highness." If Garan has any objections, now would be the time to say them - there is a glance towards him in that regard, ever deferential. There have been plans in motion, spoken between them, but now that they are in the company of others, it is all the more imperative to demonstrate where she looks to for orders.
 
 "And speaking of common interests..."
 
 She withdraws the gem again, and it is one that Garan will remember: the prize waiting for them on the seat of the Nameless Lord of the Spire. It gleams strangely, a unique object even to an experience eye like Ethius Hesiod's. It looks different, feels different...
 
 "This is magic," she tells the rest. "Lunarian magic, crystallized into a solid form. Unfiltered by any various, sorcerous mediums. It is a pure fragment of the Source, rendered static, which makes it incredibly unusual in itself. It contains a very specific memory."
 
 Those eyes fall on Ragnell.
 
 "The birth of Rolance. You figure quite prominently within it, my lady Seraph."

<Pose Tracker> Alisha Diphda has posed.

Alisha nods to Thessaly. She is a hard one to read, with that veil. She looks back ahead, and she looks ready to open her mouth -- to address her thoughts on Ragnell's question -- when the gem is pulled away. She looks down at it, her head tilted to the side. Alisha has seen an Earthen Historia before. She recognizes it, even without recognizing that specific one. She wonders what memory it may hold.

And then, Thessaly tells her. Her eyes widen, and she looks back at Ragnell.

"Ragnell?" she asks. "Were you, truly, there? It is..." A moment passes, as she tries to imagine; it is a reminder that Ragnell is far older than she gives her credit for. The temptation is to only see her as a few years older, at best.

"I must say, you have aged gracefully," Alisha says, with a quick nod. It seems the Seraph, Rose, and the rest have been wearing off on her.

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    There's no way to get a sense of where Ethius is from by his words and how he pronounces them. When he does speak, he often keeps to a specific tone and tempo that comes off as neutral nearly to the point of detachment. Culturally speaking, his body language - or lack thereof - doesn't seem to indicate any one specific ethnic group. His individual colorations - darker skin tone and white hair - may have some likenesses here and there on Lunar but even then he doesn't quite fit with those groups where such features lie.
     A mystery for another time, as a gem is introduced after they all appear to come to an agreement of their mutual interests. Magic of Lunar, crystallized into solid form, that holds a memory. A part of him, deep down, had a single word for something of that descriptor. What was it?
     ...More importantly, the veiled woman describes the lady Seraph as having appeared in this memory of the birth of Rolance. If this is something he can see, this means he can see how she appears.
     This information is important. He might finally be able to get a leg up on her apparent peeping of him. (The real question is if he would be able to pick out whether a person he's seeing is a Seraphim or not within said preserved memory, which is most certainly a 'no,' unless one gives further context.)
     He politely awaits the viewing quietly.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

    "S'called an Iris Gem. Also known as an Earthen Historia," Ragnell volunteers as a follow-up to Thessaly's explanation of the object she holds. Beyond that, though, she lets the young woman speak, while also keeping an eye on Ethius and the others--after all, knowing what it is doesn't mean knowing what's recorded upon it. And when Tess looks her in the eye and says so...
    
    "Do I? Well, I *am* pretty old compared t' you humans." A beat, during which Alisha interjects. Ragnell gives her a quick grin and a wink. "Yeah, you wouldn't think I was a day over two hundred~." Then she looks back at Thessaly. "So? What about it, Tess?"
    
    Looks like Thessaly will have to get more specific if she wants any answers.

<Pose Tracker> Thessaly has posed.

There is no viewing, for now, considering that they are out in the open - and possibly, Thessaly does not have the requisite accoutrements to extend the vision to others - it will require preparation, and more secure environs other than the middle of the road. But she does allow Alisha and Ethius to take a look at the Iris Gem, before she tucks it back in her pocket.
 
 But she does give those who are present a bit of background. "The gem came from an abandoned holding in the mountains, where a powerful hellion that used to be the lord of the manor resides," she continues. "When we managed to drive him off, this was left on his throne. It remained static for a while but I managed to unlock it in the midst of my studies. The memory was very specific in the capture of this lord, and that a woman named Shepherd Bradamante was responsible for bringing him to heel, and put him to justice for the crimes he committed against his own people. You were present and you seemed a boon companion of hers."
 
 Once the gem is secured, she continues. "So my questions are thus: Who was this man and why was he instrumental to the story of Rolance's birth? What crimes was he accused of? Who was Shepherd Bradamante and what is your relationship to her? Did the two of you have a pact?"
 
 After a moment, she exhales. "I confess, her face and name are not completely unknown to me. I've come across her name a few times in my investigations, and while almost all of the artwork depicting her has been defaced, I managed to discover an intact bust of her. I've painted her likeness, if you like, you can see for yourself if I've done her justice."

<Pose Tracker> Alisha Diphda has posed.

"Shepherd Bradamante?" Alisha asks, her brow furrowing -- and then her eyes widen. "From the Spire. I ventured in there, too--though, Ragnell, Sorey, and I were turned back. But... I saw some of what was in there."

She looks at Ragnell, curious -- and curious if she will answer. She already gathered that Ragnell must have made a pact. Her knowledge of Armatization showed no small amount of experience; she had practical advice to give her and Rose.

"I would be curious," she admits. "About a likeness of this Bradamante. I know nothing of her, save for what little I saw in the Spire. But..." A Shepherd, she thinks, isn't someone to sneeze at.

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    Alas, there is no viewing that comes - but the idea that Seraphim are recorded and present (presumably) for all to see means that these Iris Gems might be valuable information in so far as identifying them goes.
     He internally concedes there is only one direct purpose for him to know this, and it is not of immediate importance to their present predicament.
     If he's from Lunar, the idea about hearing of Shepherds from old, old times should be an exciting opportunity for him to learn more about the adventures of old heroes - but no excitement registers on what features of him remian visible. He stands about as motionless as ever, not even so much as interjecting any thoughts or what have you of this most curious period of history being shared.

<Pose Tracker> Garan Dantear has posed.

The knight, again, lets Thessaly take the lead on this: It was her tale to share, after all, having done so much of the both arcane and mundane research that led them into the Nameless Spire in the first place. Garan had heard before what the veiled sorceress had been willing to share about what she'd learned, so it wasn't really new information to him, but still. This added context, added details to it which he hadn't had before.
 
But again, now, the bulk of the Imperial Knight's attention went back to guarding the group. It would be pretty awful if the Hyland troops got the drop on them while Thessaly was dropping historical bombshells.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

    Not the best place for a direct viewing, yeah. That said, Thessaly's explanation of the context around this particular Iris Gem explains a lot. When she specifies where and how she found it, Ragnell's red eyes narrow tellingly. When she gets to the part about Shepherd Bradamante and how Ragnell seemed close to her, the Seraph lets out a long sigh.
    
    She doesn't answer the questions, not at first. This gives Thessaly time enough to add that she knows of Bradamante, not just from defaced artwork (which Ragnell knows about) but an intact bust (which she did not), from which she painted a new likeness. *That* makes her stand up straight.
    
    Alisha infers that Thessaly means the Spire. Ragnell gives her a curt nod. "Yeah. The Lord there is a *mite* bitter 'bout all that. Wasn't my first time in at that point... Guess he's been gettin' wise t' me." Then, a lower, muttered, "Bastard." She looks back at Thessaly with a thoughtful frown. Alisha expresses her interest in this likeness. "I am, too," she says. "Show it to me. If you did a good job... I'll answer your questions."
    
    Ethius, meanwhile, seems to have checked out of the conversation, now that they're no longer discussing OOPArts in Hyland. This isn't beyond the Seraph's notice. It could be that he's just being inexpressive as usual, but he truly seems for the most part uninterested... which is interesting in and of itself, for what *that* implies in turn. Garan doesn't seem more than perfunctorily interested either, but that has more practical explanations behind it, ones that don't apply to Ethius.
    
    After all--well. She *did* tell the others that she wasn't sure that he's originally from Filgaia. She didn't mention that she *also* isn't sure he's originally from Lunar, either. There's already two worlds that they know of, on which foreigners have been stranded; why not more?
    
    But *that* thought, she'll hold in reserve. That's a hypothesis you really want more evidence of before you start slinging it around.

<Pose Tracker> Thessaly has posed.

"Shepherd Bradamante, from what the vision implies, was instrumental in the birth of Rolance as we know it now," Thessaly replies to Alisha. "She had some manner of allegiance with its first Emperor. What is curious is the very apparent and strenuous efforts to erase her from the country's history. Curious, is it not, that the champion that appears to be at least somewhat responsible for how Rolance came to be would be so rejected? I have my own suspicions in that regard as to why, but I will admit it is colored by what I know of Imperial politics. Only time will tell if my own conclusions are correct."
 
 Thessaly regards Alisha sidelong. "With my lord's permission, I will take the piece to you so that you may see it. I would offer you a room in the manor as is proper, but I am afraid that would put you in terrible risk in Pendrago. We would have to secure you alternative and clandestine arrangements. Master Hesiod as well. Once that is set, I'll take the painting to you."
 
 She sighs and glances up the road. "With that said, we shouldn't tarry. There's a long road ahead of us, and I can disguise Her Highness if need be."