View source for 2017-08-17: Meeting with the Shepherd

*'''Log: 2017-08-17 Meeting with the  Shepherd'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Character :: Seraph Lailah]], [[Character :: Sorey]], [[Character :: Alisha Diphda]], [[Character :: Rose]], [[Character :: Seraph Edna]]
*'''Where:''' Lacour - Market District
*'''Date:''' 8/17/2017
*'''Summary''': ''A serious discussion among Sorey and friends about current and future plans as well as squirehood.''

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 =========================<* Lacour - Market District *>=========================
 
 The Lacour Market District does not rival that of the major commercial powers of Filgaia in terms of volume or value of trade, but it the class of the world in traditional weapons and protective gear. More than a hundred individual shops line the streets of the district, each bearing its own name, specialties, and branding. Almost any kind of weapon or armour can be found in Lacour, and odds are good that anything innovative will be found here first...or make its way here in short order.
 
 The merchants of the Market District are proud and competitive, and walking down the streets is an exercise in patience, as they bombard passersby with litanies in praise of their work and curses for the rust-ridden works of their neighbours. At no time is this competition more fierce than during the Lacour Tournament of Arms; this annual exhibition to name the World's Greatest Fighter includes considerable prestige for the merchants sponsoring their entries, and talented fighters will find their services heavily sought-after.
 
 BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bqMqHag86c

 <Pose Tracker> Sorey has posed.

So, the arms tournament had been fun. The appearance of a couple of people who had been drunk on evil power and a DARK DEMIGOD of some sort were... less fun. Sorey had been helping to evacuate people during that mess, and checking to see if there were any signs of malevoelence left by Grahf and his cronies had taken up another week or so.

The fact that there wasn't anything of the sort was... a little concerning for the Shepherd. For many reasons, the least of which being that he wasn't sure that they could fighting something that strong if the flame of purification wasn't even going to affect it all that much.

But the group is holed up in a fairly nice inn, having taken over a corner of the tap room with all sorts of maps and other papers spread all over the tables and wall. The main point of interest is the Otherworldly Hollow, but sightings of the Lord of Calamity and her group were also marked (including one right in this very city), as well as other ruins and places of interest. They were going to have to get moving soon, but Sorey is still studying the maps and planning their route.

He didn't want to get lost, or lose Lucia and her group. For everything that had happened, he wanted to keep his eye on them. But his own eyes are starting to cross as he looks at all these maps, and his head slumps down on the table with a groan.

"You can't even BUY a good map around here! I doubt any two are the same, let alone any mention of ruins out of the immediate area! We might as well just go look ourselves! There's not a lot of reliable landmarks that people around here can identify." He sighs, and rests his cheek on the table. "It's not too surprising, given how little some people keep track of things, but it is a little frustrating."

 <Pose Tracker> Alisha Diphda has posed.

Alisha saw the final fight... but she helped with the evacuation, rather than take the fight to Grahf. The blonde-haired princess is sitting at the table, wearing more casual clothes: just her black shirt, shorts, and boots. She sits there, looking over the table, and studying it thoughtfully for a moment. Her leaf green eyes are wide, before she looks up at Sorey, then shakes her head.

"Good maps are rare, I'm afraid, Sorey," she says. "Hyland struggled to find good maps of even its territories -- to say nothing of those in Rolance, much less beyond. I am not surprised this is the same, here..."

For that matter, she supposes, it is a relief. Filgaia isn't that much more advanced than Lunar, in that sense. The princess's eyebrows furrow for a moment, before she looks up at the others. "We shall also have to speak with Talise. We know where the Hollow is, though, do we not...?"

She hadn't ventured in herself.

 <Pose Tracker> Rose has posed.

	"Hey, chin up, Shepherd!" Rose says, as she walks in from another room carrying several mugs of what one might be concerned is alcohol but turns out to largely be highly concentrated berry juice. What berry, you ask? All of them.

	It's surplus from the Alisha-themed smoothies of the Globe.

	"I mean, alright, things aren't looking so great right now, but it could be much worse! For one, this inn could be on fire, and it definitely isn't! Point one for life being great!"

	The mugs go onto the table.

	Her eyes come to rest on the dot representing the Hollow, and she frowns. "Ugh, creepy Malevolence cave, huh? You think the giant angry bone tornado ghost is still in there? Just asking. For a friend." She is her own friend, so it counts.

	"And yeah, good maps are rare. Usually when someone makes a good map they're making it for themselves and won't want to part with it. Maybe you should pick up cartography! It sounds like something you'd love, mapping ruins out and all."

 <Pose Tracker> Seraph Lailah has posed.

For her part, Lailah was glad the tournament was over. Of course, things hadn't really gone as smooth as they could have but at least it was over. The remains of the coliseum were still under repairs and there were a lot of questions about just what had happened but at least they managed to rescue a number of people.

As far as sightings of Lucia, Lailah was familiar with a recent sighting at least. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to surmise as much information as she had wanted to and in the end didn't feel like the event yielded much beyond just the physical effects of the battle.

As she groups with Sorey and the others at the inn, Lailah stands near Sorey, glancing over his shoulder every now and then while they plan their next move. When she notices his frustration, Lailah offers a hand to his shoulder after Rose offers her encouragement, "Sorey, it will be fine. The maps may not be completely accurate but I know you. You will find a way." Always an optimistic one, the seraph then looks back to the maps and hrms to herself.

An eye is raised towards Rose, "Probably Rose. Just to torment you." Lailah grins and laughs a little to herself. "I agree about mapping ruins though Rose! Seems like Sorey would be great at that!" Lailah picks up a mug from the table and takes a sip.

 <Pose Tracker> Seraph Edna has posed.

	 While all of this happens, Edna has been... surprisingly scarce as of recent. She's been spending most of her time dwelling quietly within Sorey, or simply being off on her own. Even the insults and trademark snark have been at an all time low due to this. Just what in the world has she been up to, really? Who knows, but she became this way after an outing into the city just like any other time. She has yet to talk about it.

	 Actually, she's dwelling inside the Shepherd right now. Again, far quieter than usual. Not a single word is uttered. Almost as if she isn't here. And this is prime teasing material too. Strange. Not even the allure of food and drink coaxes her out.

 <Pose Tracker> Sorey has posed.

"Even if not, I'm sure that Rose can lead us back there," Sorey comments to Alisha. Their intrepid merchant (of death) (in all varieties) friend had been in a few times, and they needed to make sure that the place was cleared before they ventured away from the area. A nest of malevolence left behind wasn't going to help anyone. "But I think I've got a good idea of where we can find it."

Rose was, as usual, full of pep and energy, and Sorey smiles as she lays out mugs on the table for the group. "It's what I'm planning to do - if you're going out exploring, you should always update your maps," Sorey replies to her with a smile. "And while I don't know if that particular phenomena will be there, we need to try and purify the Hollow in any event. Even if the malevolence there has become dispersed, in good conscience we can't just leave it to menace the people. Right, Lailah?"

He grins at the Fire Seraph, and looks back at the table for a long moment. Mikleo was out scoping out supplies, so they could find some good deals without having to poke around too much themselves. And Edna... Sorey wasn't sure what was up with Edna. She had been rather quiet of late, and that was a concern. He didn't know what Dezel was up to, since he was usually shacked up in Del Casa de Rose.

"But if you have any suggestions on how we should approach the place, I'd be glad to hear them. I've had... offers to help from a few people, but to a certain extent I'm suspecting that we should probably tackle this on our own." The Shepherd leans back in his chair, and considers. "Even people who are resistant to malevolence might have problems eventually with the sort of concentrations Rose was telling me about."

 <Pose Tracker> Alisha Diphda has posed.

"Oh, Rose!" Alisha says, looking up at her, with a smile. She doesn't comment on the creepy ghost -- she has ''no'' earthly idea -- but she does brighten at the very sight of the berry juice. "Thank you. This looks delicious."

She looks at Lailah (which is still a little new) and smiles. She feels that little ounce of worry, though, at the absence here: Edna. She would ordinarily be here. She would ordinarily be teasing. Alisha hesitates, for a moment, before she smiles and nods after Lailah.

She looks back at Sorey, though, and she nods her head once to him. "We cannot, no," she says. "That... mm--I certainly understand. I do want to be sure that we're ready--and that we don't endanger others with this."

 <Pose Tracker> Rose has posed.

	"Well, I couldn't see much of it back then. I'd assumed that weird... purple-ish miasma in the cave was just your standard creepy cave ambience effect, you know?" Rose says, about Sorey's last comment. "I mean now it's a lot more obvious to me that was probably Malevolence, and if even I could see it it must have been pretty thick at the time. I haven't been there since so I don't know if it's still there. I hope it's calmed down, that place was hostile. Hard to breathe, a kind of... heavy feeling in the air. And that huge bone tornado in the depths." She shudders. "There were so many remains, like... dozens. Maybe a hundred. So, if I remember your explanation right, that could have been one Hellion made out of the Malevolence of all the people who died nearby?"

	She's not sure if that's how it works but she recalls Sorey explaining dead people still radiate Malevolence.

	She shudders again though.

	It's not hard to tell the idea of going back creeps her out, but she's showing no signs of backing out at least. Her hatted companion probably wouldn't let her live down giving in to fear.

	She turns to Lailah, curious. "Say, how's this whole purification thing work anyway? Does Sorey just wave his sword around and boom it's done?" ... another question crosses her mind. "Where're the other two anyway? I thought Edna and Mikleo'd be here too."

 <Pose Tracker> Seraph Edna has posed.

	 Edna's absence is felt for a while longer, until...

	 ...A little golden wisp flutters of of Sorey from his back, tipping off only Lailah. But a figure doesn't manifest in the usual way. No, that wisp flutters into the floor and vanishes. Then, from behind Rose, the wood of the floorboards suddenly splinters and cracks audibly. Crack! Shudder! Creak! Someone rises up from the groaning wood, until the full figure of Edna manifests. She steps out, and then the twisted, ruined floor seems to rewind itself, going back to a fixed state in a matter of seconds.

	 Edna's face is as blank as it usually is, but she totally did that on purpose. But hey, she said she was going to do it sometime! Umbrella is opened and set against a shoulder and the blonde steps out to put everyone into her sight. "Sorey. Princess. Rose." Lailah gets a glance after that. "Lailah." Greetings complete, she goes on.

	 "... I have something I want to talk about. It's important."

 <Pose Tracker> Rose has posed.

	There is only a sound somewhere between screaming and yelping, as Rose practically leaps off the floor and jumps backwards, away from the table. She ends up square on her ass, whining, before looking up and pointing accusingly at Edna.

	"DON'T DO THAT!" she screeches, evidently still shaky.

	Ghosts, man. It's always ghosts.

 <Pose Tracker> Seraph Lailah has posed.

Lailah nods to Sorey, "It's a good idea to make sure that there is nothing left before we do anything else." She couldn't be sure of what they would find in the cave but with this team and Sorey leading them, she felt certain that they would be okay.

Looking at Alisa, Lailah nods. "I agree with you Alisha, even a little bit of malevolence could become something greater if left unchecked. Are you sure you want to proceed?" Lailah didn't doubt Alisha but if she was uncertain herself that could be an issue.

Edna's lack of presence is noted. However, for now the silver-haired woman doesn't speak up about it. For her part, she hadn't noticed anything different at the battle with Lucia the other day but had something happened afterwards?

Lailah listens to Rose's explanation of what she felt in the cave, nodding towards her when she mentions the malevolence. "It sounds like there was a lot of it in the cave." For now that is the only remark given about it.

As for Rose's question, "It's a bit more complex than that Rose. I mean, yes, that's the general idea but he cannot do it alone. Working together we can draw it out and cleanse the person...or animal as the case may be." That's the best explanation that she seems to be able to give for now.

The wisp comes and Lailah notices it just as Rose asks about Edna. She covers her face with some paper to hide her expression as Rose jumps. Then Lailah laughs and Enda gets a smile from her. "Hello Edna. Nice of you to join us."

 <Pose Tracker> Sorey has posed.

Edna's arrival is certainly... showy. But it is what she had talked about last time that everyone had gathered together. That way at least she isn't just appearing behind Rose and scaring her half to death.

Sorey isn't sure that this is much better, but it was at least what she had promised.

But he does listen as the other share their experiences and feelings on the matter - Lailah is honestly better equipped to explain purification than he is, when push comes to shove. Sorey is still learning a lot of ins and outs about cleansing malevolence and all that good stuff. But he does hear what Lailah is saying. That this would be easier as a group than if he were doing this alone.

"Well, I know I'm not going to be doing this alone - I think that Alisha and Rose would probably have at me if I wanted to leave them out on dealing with this," he replies with a grin, and shakes his head. "And I appreciate the help that you've all been willing to give me so far. Together, I think this won't be a big deal."

And then... Edna cuts in and makes her announcement, that she has something she needs to talk about.

That gets Sorey's complete attention. "Of course, Edna," he replies, and gestures for her to proceed. Sorey knows the Earth Seraph, and given her recent distance from the rest of the group, he figures this is probably extremely important to her.

 <Pose Tracker> Alisha Diphda has posed.

Alisha shakes her head, once, to Lailah. "I am sure," she says. "I have accompanied the Shepherd this far. I couldn't turn back now. Even if what I can do is limited..." She trails off, then looks down. She knows a way that she can do more. She heard about it. She doesn't know that she can do it, though. There are things to consider.

Her eyes dip down a moment. "You are correct, Sorey. I do not think this is something that you should handle by yourself."

Her eyes turn to the bit of light that rises up. And then, the Edna that rises up. She gasps softly.

"Ah--please be careful!" Alisha cries to both Rose and Edna. She bites her lip -- not ''quite'' laughing, but perhaps the princess is much too polite to laugh at Rose. She still bites her lip, though, and glances sideways at Lailah. Then, back to Edna.

The smile fades.

"Edna...?" she asks. "Of course. We will all help, however we can." Her eyes turn towards Sorey, then she nods. She glances, briefly, at Rose. "Right?"

 <Pose Tracker> Seraph Edna has posed.

	 Edna glances at Rose. She smiles faintly. "Don't do what?"

	 And then she looks back to Sorey and proceeds. "... The other day, I ran into Ragnell." She starts simply. "She actually came to find me specifically because she wanted to tell me something." Her grip on her umbrella tightens a tad. "..... ......" She presses her lips into a thin line, and falls silent for a bit. Then, after a moment or two, she continues, eyes hardening.

	 "...Ragnell told me that a group of Metal Demons found my brother at the Sorcery Globe, along with a bunch of other monsters from Lunar. " There's a pause to let that sink in. "...He gave them a thrashing, and then they put up a seal to keep him inside after that, but it's going to break eventually." Icy blue eyes close. "......" And then they open again.

	 "I'm going. I didn't think that he would wind up down here. It doesn't make sense, but I have to go and see for myself." Edna shakes her head after that. "I don't think I'll be able to help with the hollow in that case."

 <Pose Tracker> Seraph Lailah has posed.

"That's right Sorey." Lailah smiles and agrees with Alisha. "It is better that you do not carry this burden alone. Even as the Shepherd, you need friends and people backing you up." It sure makes it easier for her as well. Even if Sorey was used to the seraphim, having human companions will be nicer for him in the long run. Of course it would be even better if they were squires but that is something that would have to be discussed.

As for Edna's announcement Lailah agrees with the others. "Please feel free to tell us Edna." She wondered what was so pressing but was glad they were all gathered today.

There is silence as Edna goes on and her eyes perk up a little at Ragnell's name. Of course, not many knew of their connection but it didn't really matter right now. But then the mention of Eizen causes Lailah to gasp a little. "They...what..." There is nothing but concern in her eyes now, not only for Edna but also for what this could mean.

"Edna, I don't understand..." It's more of a statement than a question. She knew how they got here, but as for Edna's brother and potentially other creatuers from Lunar being here, this is very concerning news. Lailah knows his status and how hard it would be to keep him under any kind of control. She waits for the others to comment before saying more for now.

 <Pose Tracker> Sorey has posed.

Wow. Sorey gives Edna a startled look, especially given that she reveals that her brother has arrived here on Filgaia. "That's... wow. I knew that people were being brought here from Lunar, but to think that your brother might be called here..." That was almost unbelievable. But if Edna believed it, Sorey could respect that.

His eyes &#42;do&#42; narrow when she mentions that &#42;Ragnell&#42; was the one to tell her, however. That... was interesting. What was Ragnell doing passing information from the Metal Demons? It didn't make a lot of sense, especially given that several of the Metal Demons were talking to Sorey about malevolence related problems.

He keeps that to himself, however. "I understand, Edna. If I had lost track of Mikleo and someone told me that they had seen him, then I would want to make sure he was okay as well." He does give her a concerned look. "But at the Sorcery Globe? I've heard it's extremely difficult to approach. I know you can move through places a lot more easily than most, especially being an Earth Seraph, but are you sure you can get close to it by yourself without getting into trouble? I can't speak for everyone else, but... I promised to help your brother. You getting hurt before we can save him... it wouldn't be good."

He looks around for confirmation. No one wants Edna to get hurt by herself, although if she insists... well, there's not a lot Sorey can do. He respects her wishes in that regard.

 <Pose Tracker> Rose has posed.

	"Damn right you're not doing this alone!" Rose barks from her seat on the floor towards Sorey, before grinning. "Even if Alisha and I can't do this purification magic fire thing, we can still support you! You've done enough on your own, we won't let you just try to shoulder everything!" We, we, much we there. Rose has either discussed this with Alisha beforehand - in which case, watch out, Sorey, the cabal of perky ladies is plotting against you - or she's confident in Alisha's resolve.

	It's probably both.

	Then silence falls, with good reason.

	"Wait, your brother's here?!" Edna did specify she had family when Rose inquired about how Seraphim families worked. Edna did not, however, explain a crucial detail.

	"This is great! I'd love to meet your brother! What is he like, anyway? I bet tall and handsome, because Earth Seraphs have to be really strong, right?"

	Someone stop her.

	"Yeah, don't worry! We'll save him! Metal Demons ain't got nothing on us! ... what's a Sorcery Globe, again? I only know the food variant." So much food, too.

 <Pose Tracker> Alisha Diphda has posed.

Alisha glances at Rose, then nods. They had discussed it before -- and their resolve hadn't faltered. She hesitates, though, at the mention of Edna's brother. She hadn't traveled to Rayfalke Spiritcrest. She only has what she heard.

"Ah... Rose..."

But someone else will have to say that. She looks down, instead, and her expression is heavy. "...The Sorcery Globe is a meteor that fell," she says. "I read a little about it, when we were in Linga. It... it is said to be on Elru. No ships have reached Elru in months."

She swallows. "From all I have heard, it is nigh unapproachable."

Alisha Diphda (Alisha) pages Seraph Lailah and Rose: I think Alisha knows it exists but not the...details really, yet!

Rose (Stab) pages Seraph Lailah and Alisha Diphda: Sorey mentioned you might know a way for us to help him better.

 <Pose Tracker> Seraph Lailah has posed.

"Edna, I agree with Sorey that this is not something that you should take on alone. I know he's your brother but..." Lailah doesn't really want to go on because she knows at least some of what this is like for Edna. "It is your choice but just know that I will be there if you want me to be." She gives a faint smile to the earth seraph.

Rose's comment about the purification thing gets her attention. For the moment, she doesn't want to distract from Edna's problem with her brother but a glare is given towards Rose when she starts talking about Edna's brother. That's all the response she's getting from the Fire Seraph for the moment though.

"If the sorcery globe is that dangerous... that's just another reason Edna that you shouldn't approach it alone." Lailah wasn't going to force her to make a decision but she wanted her to know that she was more than willing to go along. She would be pretty upset if something happened to Edna because she went by herself.

 <Pose Tracker> Sorey has posed.

Everyone is looking at each other. Who is going to tell Rose that Edna's brother is extremely tall, and... scaley? Also breathes fire, etc.

Everyone else seems to have failed their nerve rolls! Sorey... better cut in before Edna gets upset at Rose for being flippant. Who knows what sort of practical joke she might execute in retaliation.

"Ah... unfortunately, Edna's brother isn't a Seraph anymore, Rose," Sorey comments to the red haired merchant. "When Seraphs are overcome by malevolence, they don't turn into Hellions."

The Shepherd's eyes darken for a moment, and looks down at clenched hands. "They turn into Fell Dragons, instead. Incredibly powerful, terrifying creatures of malevolence."

He glances at Lailah, and Alisha... and Edna. And nods. He knows this is rough.

 <Pose Tracker> Seraph Edna has posed.

	 "......" Edna stares at Rose. Just. Stares. But there's a hint of sadness in her gaze. That's gone in a moment or two. "He's an idiot. A moron who can't help but follow his passions, even when they get him into trouble." One hand rests upon the other, stroking the black glove she wears. There's a little smile on the earth seraph's face as she mutters on. "...But he's okay, I guess."

	 That said, Edna looks to Sorey. "..." She's silent as she considers his words. "This isn't something that's going to help everyone. It's just my own selfish personal matters." Her grip on her umbrella loosens and she slowly twirls the implement while looking to Lailah after. "... I don't want to go there to try and save him. That's not... possible yet." Or probably ever. Maybe. "I just want to go and make sure that it's actually him."

	 Edna looks Alisha's way next. She frowns slightly at the news of her destination being nearly unapproachable. "But 'nigh' means that people have made it there and come back to tell the tale, right?"

	 She was going to avoid talking about her brother being... well, a dragon. But Sorey decided to explain it anyway. It doesn't anger her. But it does make her grimace a bit.

 <Pose Tracker> Alisha Diphda has posed.

"It... I don't... know that they have. I think the only people who saw it fled from it. From what I heard, it fell and Elru was... lost." Alisha swallows. She looks down, feeling almost sick saying so. She has no idea if someone made it back. She never thought they would need to go there. "I would--if it is possible, I will help, Edna."

But, can they afford to leave? She doesn't know. She looks to Sorey, then she hesitates again. This is a decision that they can't make alone. She knows that much.

Maybe, she thinks, Ragnell would know more.

 <Pose Tracker> Rose has posed.

	"Oh." Oh indeed. Rose stops herself, looking down a bit. Sorey had mentioned dragons before. Rose doesn't frown or enter full sadness mode but at least Edna could tell she was sorry for her sudden outburst.

	"Well, whatever the reason for going, I'm still in. Besides, is it really a good idea to let the Metal Demons have a dragon? Even if that wasn't your brother, I'd be worried they might... well, I don't know what they could do with Malevolence, but given their willingness to burn cities, let's not wait and find out, right?"

	Rose finally gets back up, dusting herself. "So, selfish request or not, there's a pretty good reason to go! ... and I'm sure everyone here wants to help you save him. I'm going to take a shot in the dark here, but I'm guessing purifying a dragon is a lot harder than your garden-variety Hellion?" From the tone of the conversation it seems kind of obvious.

 <Pose Tracker> Seraph Lailah has posed.

Lailah smiles just a little as Sorey explains about Eizen to the others. "It's really unfortunate but once they get to that point..." She pauses. "...it's not possible to purify them. At least as far as we know." Lailah doesn't want to give any kind of false hope. She has seen the destruction that dragons bring, even lesser forms of dragons are nearly impossible to purify for most.

"Even if you don't have that in mind Edna you should still take precautions." Lailah sets her mug down and moves towards the earth seraph. "We can always make time you know." There is a smile given before she glances at Alisha. "If it's important to Edna and she wants our help I don't see why we can't find time. As she says, we should find out if it's really him, then we can know what we're dealing with." A pause. "Actually my concern is not only that but if there are other creatures coming here, we need to know!"

To Rose, Lailah shakes her head. "I have never seen a dragon purified. They are very hard to contend with, even for a Shepherd."

 <Pose Tracker> Sorey has posed.

Sorey considers their situation. "Just because its of personal interest to you doesn't mean that there isn't reason for the rest of us to check out the Sorcery Globe as well. It's the best chance that we have to be able to figure out why we might have been brought here - the first appearances from Lunar coincided with sightings of the Sorcery Globe coming down, and with your brother being brought here as well... it could be related." In fact, it seemed extremely likely to Sorey.

But there were other problems. First... "On the other hand, while the Seraphs might be able to get to Elru, the rest of us might have more of a problem. I've not heard of a lot of ships headed that way, and..." He pauses. "...you realize that no one else realizes the Metal Demons might be out in that area before now? This could be..." Going out that way could possibly get a lot of people killed in another war, if they were not careful.

But as Lailah gives the confirmation that dragons can be a problem, Sorey just smiles at her. "It doesn't mean that we can give up on trying, especially since he's important to Edna. And I promised I would find a way to help him."

 <Pose Tracker> Seraph Edna has posed.

	 Edna glances up at Lailah, then over to Rose, and Alisha, and finally back to Sorey. She's silent a she considers everyone's viewpoints, and finally, in the end...

	 "...Idiots. The lot of you." A wry smirk follows "And I guess me as well." But even sso, there are still a lot of problemss associated wit trying to get a ship to go over there. Especially for the humans. Edna could just go alone and probably make it over with minimal trouble if she's careful, but... If they intend to go as a group, then there's a problem.

	 She thinks about it, and tries to find a solution that benefits both human and seraph, but eventually realizes that none exists right at this moment. ".... ...." With a heavy heart, she speaks. "I could go by myself, but.. it's dangerous still. I don't mind, but... I guess it's needless risk." The blonde closes up her umbrella at that. "It might be better to contend with what's in front of us first, before running off to chase after the next thing."

	 Steeling her gaze, Edna shakes her head. "We should deal with the hollow first. Then figure out if we can all get to Elru. That's... the logical thing to do."

 <Pose Tracker> Alisha Diphda has posed.

Alisha hesitates, for a moment, and then she looks down. Sorey is right -- but, she thinks, Edna is right too. She hesitates a moment more, before she looks to the side and shakes her head. "Edna..."

How would she feel, if it was her father? How far would she go? She frowns, her eyes drifting down to her hand; her fingers curl into a fist, before she looks back up at the Earth Seraph. Then, she nods, once.

"I understand," she says. "As soon as we ''can'' get to Elru, though, we will all be with you. And if there is anything we can do for him, then..." She smiles. "...Then, we will do that. I know you would help us, too."

 <Pose Tracker> Rose has posed.

	Rose crosses her arms, thinking. "Well, travel to Elru is highly restricted, even for merchants like me. I could get all the paperwork in order and still get denied passage. The sea's pretty harsh too. ... but what if I told you I know someone who has a ship?"

	Rose grins. "ENTER! Layna Manydays, captain of the Ruby Empress! I hear she goes by Captain Aifread sometimes." The fittingness of this name for the situation is beyond words. "Okay, so, her ship is KIND OF landlocked these days, when she showed up from Lunar it kind of. Came with her. In-land. She's been working to get it unstuck. Now, hear me out here, guys."

	Rose looks at Edna and Sorey, specifically. "You've got incredible earth powers, and Sorey's the Shepherd! If you worked together, do you think you could help get her ship free? It'll probably still need repairs and a lot of care afterwards, and you two might not be enough, but if it works, we'll have access to a pirate's ship that can go anywhere we need it to. Probably not for free, but that's what I bet all my money on Alisha for!" The tournament was very lucrative.

	"Better than not having any leads, right?"

 <Pose Tracker> Seraph Lailah has posed.

Lailah smiles at Sorey knowing that he was going to stick to his convictions no matter what the circumstances. She respected him for that kind of drive. It's what made him a great Shepherd. Although sometimes she has to remind him to slow down and that the world wasn't going to pass him by if he did.

Lailah doesn't seem to have a solution to how they would get there either and Edna brings up valid points in regards to travel. "I see...I know you're anxious but maybe we can figure out a plan with a little more time." Of course, who knows how much time they had. This 'solution' also doesn't mean that Edna couldn't just decide to go on her own. Still though, it would be nice to have her there while they explore the hollow.

Then, of course Rose offers another way of doing things and Lailah laughs at her enthusiasm. "Well... that's one way of handling it I suppose. Still though that could take time don't you think?" Lailah looks at Sorey and Edna. "And we still have the hollow..." She wasn't trying to crush Rose's enthusiasm but there was a lot going on right now.

 <Pose Tracker> Rose has posed.

	"Well, yeah. We'll handle the Hollow first, but this gives us sometime to work on if we want a ride to Elru that isn't going to be mired in either political paperwork or military supervision. Besides, having a friend with a ship is always a good deal!" Rose answers Lailah, insisting.

 <Pose Tracker> Sorey has posed.

Rose does have some... interesting ideas. "...it IS quite a bit of work moving something that large, even for us," Sorey muses quietly. "I'm not ruling it out, but I think that we'd probably want to try and find a way to leverage more... well, leverage when it comes to moving something that big." He shudders mentally at the idea of trying to pick up and move something that large.

"But you know that we're all in this together, Edna. We'll do our best to help you out, even if it's just to steal a look at yoru brother and make sure he is okay." He smiles, and... well, leaves it at that, for now. He knows that deep down, being emotional is probably a bit embarrassing to Edna. Given how gruff an exterior she tries to project.

But as the conversation drifts back to the Hollow, Sorey sinks into thought again for a moment. "The Hollow alone is going to be troublesome. But just having Rose and Alisha keeping the Hellions back will help, even if they can't purify them. But purifying this large an area... it's going to be tough...."

 <Pose Tracker> Alisha Diphda has posed.

"You bet all of your money on me?" Alisha asks, staring at Rose with wide eyes for a moment.

Then she remembers to focus on the matter at hand. She nods at the merchant. "That--that could work," she says. "I do think it might be worth exploring. Even if it takes time to fix it up. Or help."

The princess knight frowns a moment later, though. Sorey raises a point: none of them have the power of purification, and that must be a large area that has been corrupted by Malevolence. She looks down after a moment's thought, her brow furrowing. She had promised to help. Sorey hinted at ways, before.

The princess swallows.

"''Is'' there more we could do?" she asks.

 <Pose Tracker> Seraph Edna has posed.

	 Edna stares at Rose.

	 Again.

	 Rose is always doing and aying stare-worthy stuff, isn't she? How does Dezel stay sane? It's a mystery.

	 "I can help move it, but I'm not moving an entire ship by myself. Or even with just Sorey. We'll need more." True, she could probably manipulate rock to form a slope to slide the ship away, but that'd take a lot of energy and focus for just one person to maintain. Nah, Edna's not quite that crazy. Still- "She's calling herself Aifread, huh?" An amused little work forms at that. "... I'm sure my brother would love to hear that one." Or maybe not. But hey, it's been like, a thousand years. It's probably blown over. Maybe.

	 Probably.

	 Sigh. Edna shakes her head and nods her head in thanks to everyone for their input. "...Thanks. But we'll focus on this hollow for now." And of course, a burning question that's been hanging in the back of her mind for a while finally comes to the surface. "...You know, Sorey, Lailah..."

	 Coolly, her gaze settles on the two. "...Why don't you make them Squires?" Seriously. After all this time, it's gone unsaid. Of course, there was the consideration of whether or not Alisha or Rose were ready, but... It bears mentioning at this point. Time to point out the elephant in the room.

 <Pose Tracker> Seraph Lailah has posed.

When Sorey talkes about purification again, Lailah nods at him. Giving him a knowing look, she then nods at Edna and looks towards Rose and Alisha, "Rose, you mentioned purification before and that you wouldn't be able to be much help without it." She pauses, seemingly gathering her thoughts on how to explain it to them. "Well... in the past there have been pacts made. Not just between seraphim and the Shepherd but also... between human companions and the Shepherd."

Lailah waits for a moment to let it sink in. "Just as I am Prime Lord, humans also have the ability to become Squires. What this means is that you share the same powers as he does, including the powers of purification." She hesistates a moment. "However, this is not a decision that should be taken lightly but I want you two to know that it is an option."

In the end, having more who would purify would be extremely beneficial to the group but there are also downsides. Ones that she isn't sure she wants them to ignore. "The biggest thing is that at first it can be draining on Sorey. It's not dangerous if he rests though and over time as he gets even stronger it gets easier." Lailah stops to sip from the mug again before continuing. "As I said though it's up to you guys. If it's something you want then we can go from there..."

 <Pose Tracker> Rose has posed.

	"I haven't gotten to see the state her ship is in. Why don't we set a day aside to go do that? Then you and Edna can figure out if it's something you can help with or not. I'll look around for passage permits while that's going on, but I can't promise results. Even if it takes us a while to be ready to go, it's good to get started now so we have a headstart!" Rose tells Sorey, before looking towards Alisha and laughing. "Maybe not... ALL of it, but enough that it was worth it. Let's say if you two need anything for the next long while it's on me."

	Rose being generous must mean there's a hidden cost attached. Or maybe she's just mooching off the Shepherd's reputation. And the princess'.

	"Well, Hollow first, ship business later! Still, keep it in mind," she nods to Edna. And with their minds back onto that, she admits she can't much understand what Sorey has to go through to purify 'such a large area' as he puts it. Nor does she have a clue how to help.

	Enter Edna and Lailah. Rose blinks, staring, listening to the conversation. "So we'd be like... mini-Shepherds? I don't know, that sounds like a lot of responsibility... and... don't you think I have a bit too much blood on my hands to be anything close to a Shepherd?" Self-doubt, or honesty? Well, everyone here knows what her night occupation is, so it's fine to say it out loud.

 <Pose Tracker> Sorey has posed.

Squires, eh? That's... a new one on Sorey, actually. He's not heard of the whole explanation before. Or really much beyond 'the Shepherd can have Squires'. Still, it's... an interesting idea. He considers it for a moment, mulling it over.

"At the same time Rose, you're always fighting for what you think is right. And I know Alisha is always willing and able to help people. I would be glad to have both of you working at my side to help me as Squires."

He didn't really understand all of it, but... in a way they would be supporting Sorey, but he would need to be working to support them as well. Providing his power, and giving them the ability to deal with Hellions in return.

"I know both of you have been frustrated in dealing with Hellions in the past, either by not being able to harm them or having no option but to kill them. With this... well." Sorey looks down for a moment, and shrugs. "What do you two think?"

 <Pose Tracker> Alisha Diphda has posed.

"Th-that's..." Alisha starts to redden. She didn't expect Rose to bet most of her money on her. "I will... um... keep that in mind, Rose."

She looks at Lailah, though. There is a glance in Edna's direction, too, before she looks back to the Prime Lord -- and the explanation. She has a name for what was only hinted at before. A Squire, she thinks. Her eyes widen slowly, with the dawning realization, and she looks sideways to Rose.

Then, she looks back at Lailah. What does she think? She has a promise to help Hyland; to put it first. But, knowing what she does, she can't ignore Malevolence. Malevolence poses a great danger.

"What... does it entail, Lailah?" Alisha asks. "And--what do you think, Rose?"

 <Pose Tracker> Seraph Edna has posed.

	 Edna steps off to the side and has herself a seat, now that the subject's been broached. Now it's on the four of them to figure out. She offers no comment and no advice. After all, this whole Squire business isn't just a 'yeah let's do it!' sort of thing. Better that they work it out with all the cards on the table for themselves. "....." She does smirk at the term 'mini-shepherds' though.

	 No, she's not imagining a bunch of tiny Soreys scuttling about, waving tiny swords on fire or anything, no.

	 Shhhh.

 <Pose Tracker> Seraph Lailah has posed.

"I guess that's a way of putting it Rose. It's not exactly the same but you're right about it being a lot of responsibility." There wasn't any reason that Lailah could see to downplay it. "You may not be able to see why Rose, but if I didn't trust that you could handle it, I wouldn't have brought it up." Lailah gives the merchant a smile.

"Alisha, I know that your country means a lot to you so just like with Rose, I don't expect this to necessarily be a quick decision but also you both possess the resonance I would expect from a squire and you both have already been so much help to us." Lailah seems to place a lot of faith in them both.

"As for what it entails, well it's actually simple, Sorey just picks what we call a True Name for you both and you make the pact. This also gives you the ability to armatize as I have done in the past when we have been up against powerful hellions." Lailah takes a second to let both of the women consider it more.

 <Pose Tracker> Rose has posed.

	"If you're really sure you want someone like me as your Squire, if it's something that'll let me help you AND let me handle Hellions more safely than putting them down, I mean..." It'd be kind of hard, and odd, to say no. As Sorey had insisted most Hellions were innocent and driven mad by Malevolence, they weren't evil to the core. And while Rose was fine with killing, there was a difference between killing someone who deserved it, and someone who was caught by an outside force and turned into a monster.

	Eventually she just regains her smile and pumps an arm up. "Alright! Let's do this then! The princess and I won't let you down, Sorey, Lailah! ... and what's armatize mean? I've only ever seen Sorey shoot blue fire around, at least, as far as things that stand out go."

	She also asides: "And don't you pick some weird True Name for me, Sorey!"

 <Pose Tracker> Sorey has posed.

Interesting. Sorey had Seraphs tell him their true names, but actually giving true names to Rose and Alisha? That... was not something he'd expected. It was something that he would have to put some thought into as well. But for the most part, Sorey had said his piece. Both Alisha and Rose were excellent companions, and he felt they could probably take up the burden. He'd do everything that he could to support them.

"...really though, if this is something that you don't want to do... I'm not going to insist. This has been my burden. I know that you both have things that you need to do, and being bound to my quest might not always agree with your own destination."

He grins, and adds, "I'd think of something appropriate for you, Rose."

 <Pose Tracker> Alisha Diphda has posed.

Alisha looks sideways at Rose, while she considers that response. For her, it was a lot to consider -- and for Rose, it was more cut and dry. She pauses, before she smiles at her. It was the difference between the two, but that impulsiveness helps point her in the right direction. When Rose speaks for them both, she doesn't complain.

"I agree with Rose," she says. "I have to think of Hyland, and what it needs, but... what Hyland needs is a world with peace, and with Malevolence, there cannot be that. I would like to help. And if this would let me help..."

Alisha shakes her head.

"...Then I will gladly do so," she says. "Even if it is a burden that I must carry."

 <Pose Tracker> Seraph Lailah has posed.

"Armatization is basically when you combine forces with seraphim. In essence it combines your power to give you stronger abilities based on the seraphim you armatize with. Like for example for me it would give you fire abilities that are different than your normal ones." Lailah hopes this is making sense to them. It seems more complicated than it is.

To Sorey and Alisha in particular, Lailah adds, "Remember you may feel like it's your burden but it's not something you should or have to carry alone." The fire seraph gets a far off look in her eyes for just a moment like she is remembering something. When she realizes it though, Lailah shakes her head slightly.

"Anyway, remember that this is not a permanent thing. If your paths diverge too much then that is okay as well." Plenty of squires in the past have found this to be the case, either because they couldn't handle it or because their own duty leads them somewhere else. "In the meantime though, so long as you agree, I am sure we'd be happy to have you both on board."

 <Pose Tracker> Seraph Edna has posed.

	 At this point, Edna stands herself up.

	 "Well. Looks like you people've got this figured out." She burhes herself off and shrugs a shoulder after. "Then I don't need to be here anymore. I'm taking a nap." The earth seraph yawns, a hand over her mouth, before she vanishes into a flurry of golden particles and flows back into Sorey.

	 And that would be all from her for now.

 <Pose Tracker> Rose has posed.

	"Uniting powers... so that's how Sorey does it...? And we'll be able to do it?" Rose has no idea what all that entails, and it's not like she's especially power-hungry, so this is an unexpected bonus. Luckily Lailah didn't mention exactly what it is or she may be freaking out at the prospect.

	"Oi, catch," Dezel's voice suddenly rings out, as a gust blows into the room from a slightly open window. Rose is as jumpy as before, but before she can start screeching at the suddenly-appearing Seraph, whose form wanders in with the wind, he tosses towards Sorey a large knife - or maybe it's a small sword - old and ceremonial in looks. To Sorey and Lailah, at least, it's plain as day what the weapon is, a construct like Mikleo's bow, Lailah's blade, and Edna's gauntlets.

	"If you're dragging her into this, make me a Sub-Lord. You're stuck with me, anyway, and you could use my powers." No fanfare. No asking nicely. The shark-toothed Seraph is just going to impose himself like that. It might not surprise Sorey, now that Armatus has been brought up. He'd asked him about it, before.

 <Pose Tracker> Sorey has posed.

The sudden appearance of Dezel, and his supplying a medium to use for his Sub Lord contract, is quite a surprise. Sorey was expecting that he was overhearing the conversation from inside Rose... but apparently he had been listening from outside the room? It was hard to tell with him sometimes.

But he takes the weapon and nods, looking at Dezel, and then to Lailah. "We're glad to have you along, in either case Dezel." He looks at Alisha and Rose, and adds, "I know both of you have strong feelings about this, and I'm not going to ask you to decide tonight one way or another. If nothing else, once we get to the Hollow you can make your decisions. I feel bad about asking this of you before we've had a chance to get back to Lunar..."

Another sigh. So many things that they needed to do, and so much information they needed. Sorey spreads the maps on the table and considers them for a long moment, before he glances back at his companions. "And once we deal with the Hollow... where we are going to go from there. There's still the Lord of Calamity to deal with... and finding a way back home. Not to mention the Trial Knight, eventually."

They all needed to get stronger. But he wanted to make sure this was the right way... and to think about all of this himself, at least for a little while.

 <Pose Tracker> Alisha Diphda has posed.

'Dragging her into this.' Alisha frowns at the phrasing -- looking sideways at Dezel, her eyes widening for a moment. They fall down onto the knife, and then consider it, before she looks back at Rose. It doesn't feel like that. She looks back to Sorey, and then she looks down.

"I understand," she says. "I shall think upon it, then. I know... it needs to be considered fully. Whatever I decide, I won't abandon your quest, Sorey."

 <Pose Tracker> Seraph Lailah has posed.

Sudden Dezel is a little bit of a surprise to Lailah but she nods when he mentions making him a sub-Lord. "Well, it looks like we're shaping up to have a pretty good team huh Sorey?" She smiles, thinking that with all of them on board they would be strong enough for just about anything.

Even if the decision isn't made right now, at least they all know the option is open for them and the pacts can always be made at a different time. "Just let me know when you have decided and I will help."

 <Pose Tracker> Rose has posed.

	"I'm not being DRAGGED into anything," Rose confirms for Alisha, getting on her tiptoes so she can glare Dezel in the eyes. Well. The hair. Where the eyes presumably are.

	Dezel raises both arms into an exaggerated shrug, taking a step back to lean against the wall and cross his arms. He knows better than to engage Rose in a debate of technicalities already.

	With a huff, the merchant spins back around to facing Sorey and Lailah, smiling. "Same as Alisha! I'll... I'm pretty sure I'm decided, but I'll think it over just to be safe. Either way I'm not going anywhere on you, Squire or not I already said I'd help you however I can!"

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Chapter 1]]
[[Category:Chapter 1, Act 1]]