Fire Emblem On Forums: Mortal Transgressions (IC)

[Powder Miner]

Lizaveta was sitting in Shin's tent.

 

Lizaveta had been sitting in Shin's tent for the better part of the night, in fact... at first, she had been kneeling over Shin, sitting on her calves, but as time wound on she had to sit down normally -- that hurt, and he didn't seem to be waking up. Gods, he didn't seem to be waking up. Hours, now, and he didn't seem to be waking up. What if he didn't? When he did, would he be the same? Hours... she guessed that hours didn't necessarily mean a real coma, but it was still terrifying and she couldn't help but worry as she sat by him. What was going to happen? And what the hell could compel him to do something so awful, so-- so-- utterly, terribly, self-destructive, no, beyond that, self-maiming?

 

"Shin... what were you thinking? What could you have been thinking...? Why? Why would you do that?"

 

She let out a sigh and then shook her head mournfully, letting one of her hands go to Shin's face, almost idly brushing his hair out of his eyes and sweeping across his browline and cheek in the process -- she had been here for hours, so she'd thought all of these same thoughts, had all of these same worries, said all of these same words again and again by now. She had nothing to do but worry, and even as these worries magnified every time she thought about them, they were her only respite from boredom. After all, it wasn't like some sort of insensate haze of grief was going to settle over her and make the hours fly by, as terrified as she was that he might have killed himself.

 

Insensate haze... insensate haze... that thought...

 

"Oh, Shin..."

"That's how it is for you, too, isn't it? I thought it was just... the mentality driven into you thanks to your class, the hate they want you to feel for yourself..."

"And maybe it is, in part..."

"But it's more than that, isn't it? The... the haze, that settles over everything, thick and choking-- and it weighs on you too, and everything is hard, everything is so hard, and you don't even have solid footing, because that fog is also a hole under you and it opens up and swallows you hole and it goes forever and ever and ever, and your whole world is just grey, and... and you start to think, what's the point, if it's all grey, what do you do, what are you even, you're just a little gray smudge in a sea of it, where everyone else is this-- this vibrant and beautiful whole human being it seems impossible that you could ever be..."

 

Lizaveta out a breath, long and shaky... shakier than she'd expected, even, she could feel the tremble in it.

"So that bastard comes along, threatens Mim and..."

"And you think... maybe if a little gray smudge like you can put your life into something, if you can maybe help one of those vibrant, beautiful people, then it doesn't matter if you go away forever, right? That it would be... easier, even, to not be lost in that hole and stumbling through that haze anymore. That maybe that's all you can really hope to be good for... that's what you've been thinking isn't it?"

"Shin... oh, Shin!"

 

Tears gathered in her eyes now, threatening to fall... it wasn't just the horrible realization that now threatened to overwhelm what emotional composure she had managed to muster up, but the memories, oppressive memories, whose incredible weight leant against the back of her eyes. How had she not seen it? How could she not have? She knew how, she supposed. She'd been so obsessed with Baldur, that she hadn't seen her own past right in front of her eyes.

[Pyon Pyon Kyuu!~]

Lysander thought for a bit about how to answer. "We're going to do what thieves do best." He answered. "I'll take the next question Mink. Like I told you there are personal things I need to know from him. Famine, other than my exploits what do you know of House Daxter?"

[RedMageCole]

Arthur visibly winced at Mim calling him a prince. The part about her risking her life for him especially making him wince. There were thoughts brewing in his mind, but he knew that this wasn't the place to say them, and so he kept his mouth closed. He listened. He wasn't sure how much he was listening, but when Mim had started to break down, he was definitely listening. Without a moment's hesitation after she had fallen to the ground, Arthur knelt down and held her close to him.

 

"...He's going to pay for what he's done. I have no sympathy for him... but right now, we'll focus on making sure you feel better. Emotionally. I... I can't stand to see you hurt. Physically or emotionally."

 

He didn't have many words; comforting two people in the span of a few hours was not something Arthur did on a daily basis... or ever. But his words were still genuine, and his hug was equally so.

 

---

 

Simeon simply nodded to Baldur, crossing his arms and thinking about the situation. As if he attempted to get a picture of what had gone on in his head.

 

"...Hm... Again, I have no idea how the fight went besides what I've heard outta whispers... but I would ask ye to not put yerself down on the basis of one fight. Especially against a demon of a man such as that Death... but ye've protected plenty'a people in the past fights, haven't ye? Ye've tended to their wounds when they needed it and faced up against powerful adversaries with only a scratch... the brain wants ye to think ye're a failure based on one of a hundred experiences, but I can tell ye that it's tryin' too hard to zoom in on one small mistake on the giant canvas that is yer experiences. We all have our blunders... the only thing ye can do is pick yerself back up and try again. And when that Death inevitably comes crawlin' back as a man like he does... ye give 'im what's for."

 

---

 

Famine stifled a little laugh, tossing the second bottle to Lysander.

 

“No, no, I totally get what you're doing here! It's totally smart, right!? But don't worry, I'll run you ragged in a second. As for my answer..." Famine levitated himself off of the ground, laying down and looking at the night sky as if he were ready to spill his deepest, darkest secrets. “Now, what do I know about House Daxter that you don't... what do I know... ah! I know! I'm the one who made their specially-made poisons for them!"

 

Famine turns his head, a very un-Famine-ly smirk reaching across his face.

 

“Surprised? I'm a bit of a poisoning expert, actually. You think Death makes all of those little concoctions and then I just happen to have antidotes to every single one of my poisons? Naaah. He needs me. That's why he's put up with me for so long. A pinch of this, and a pinch of that, and wa-la, you got a slow poisoning that feigns itself as a deadly illness! It's genius, right? Then I give House Daxter the antidotes to sell, and it's easy money! And why am I telling you all this despite our previously vague answers?" A little pause, his smirk starting to fade. “Because nobody will believe you. Or, at least, nobody who isn't too scared of House Daxter to spread the truth. You can count on me for that one." Famine puts his hands behind his head, looking at both Lenore and Lysander, back to his goofy grin as if he didn't just confess to a heinous crime. “So, I ask one last question... What is it you're thieving? Sounds pretty impoooortant."

[Pyon Pyon Kyuu!~]

Lysander was taken aback. His surprise was clear regardless of his mask. He expected anything from Famine, except this. So he just baited him along just to taunt him? He wanted to seem like he was a fan, just to throw it all in his face? That after all this time, Famine was the man behind everything Lysander tried to destroy. "W-why?" His voice trembled. For a second he wasn't the Marvel Thief or even Lysander. He was Lys, a scared young boy. He took a long deep breath and asked again this time with his Marvel Thief voice. "Why? Do you feel no shame? Does money matter that much to you that you are willing to kill everyone as long as you get your coin? Do you ever think of the people you hurt? Of the countless people who have died because of you? Of the people who are left behind, suffering? Curse your game, and curse you. I am done with this silly charade." 

[Aurorix]

Baldur went from gloom to rage as Simeon spoke. Visually getting more and more frustrated as the blacksmith continued,  "One small mistake huh?" He scoffed,  "You act as tho I should just let all this go? Like none of this ever happened!?" He slammed his fist on the tent ground before pointing towards the curtains,  "If Ferdinand hadn't been there to clean up my mess, Mim would have been DEAD! D. E. A. D. DEEEEEEAD! How can I just walk that off!? You think this was the only time I let someone die because of my incompetence!? Everyone should be hating me! Shunning me! How can they not? When I'm needed the most I always, ALWAYS fail and someone ends up hurt or dead." The butler was forcing himself to hold back any tears trying to shove their way out. For now he seems to be keeping them at bay.

[ElfCollaborator]

Lenore, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as fazed as Lysander. At least, on the surface.

Famine had just described a con to her.  He was nothing more than a con artist, but he was playing with people's lives. Of course, Lenore would never have done such a thing, even if she knew how to brew anything except cheap fakes of brews that she could pass off for the real thing (and actually tasted pretty good without killing you by turning you blind), but it was a con nonetheless.  She prided herself on having a code, a line she would never cross; she would never ruin the lives of those undeserving of them being ruined, those who couldn't recover. Where Lenore only conned the corrupt and the rich, he took advantage of the poor and the desperate.

The thief in Lenore said that the chase was only fun against those who were rich enough to matter and corrupt enough to think they were untouchable; the poor had neither the riches worth stealing, nor the challenge to steal from them. Her conscience told her that the corrupt deserved their riches being stolen, to have evil paid unto evil.  They stepped upon the poor and the destitute, so it was only fitting that a woman from the poorest parts of Perus robbed them of their riches for all they were worth. But never would she have stolen from someone who couldn't afford to be stolen from.

She'd been wrong in her analysis of Famine earlier. So utterly wrong.

She continues to play the part of the consummate professional. Famine was not someone she could flip; someone like this was morally bankrupt. No, he was another target to scope out, another mark to play, and Lenore was intent on playing him.

"Not all criminals have your honor, Marvel. Thieves like you, they're the minority."
She didn't want to say that, neither did she want to believe it, but she'd seen enough to know that honor and trust was such a rare trait among crooks that Lenore was able to sell herself as a great teammate because she refused to snitch on her fellows nor sell them out or screw them out of their share. It was good to build trust in the underworld, because trust was a commodity, not a given.

"Your guess is as good as ours. Honest answer."

It was true, she didn't know what they were going after, except that it was important. She had a good guess, but Famine didn't need to know that.

[RedMageCole]

Famine's face gains a little smile, as if he knew his question wasn't going to be answered and he was fully expecting this response. It's difficult to read what lies beyond that smile, other than the fact that the smile does not reach his eyes.

 

In a completely out of tone moment, his levitation flips him back upside down.

 

“Shame? My dear Marvel Thief, what will shame do for me? Will that mean that the lives I've taken will suddenly forgive what I've done? Would you forgive me?" His smile is unwavering. Suddenly, the nature of Famine's goofiness clicks in; with it on, he's impossible to read. And yet, there had to be a reason for why. "And another good thinking question; I love those! What will money do for me? Money is the House Daxter way of thinking, the House Daxter way of motivation."

 

A little laugh escaped Famine at Lenore's response. “My guess is as good as yours! That's such a silly answer! Of course you'd know what you were stealing, why would you go along with stealing something without knowing what it was? Either you're just overly obedient, oooor you're forgetful. The problem with that? You don't seem like the type who would be either of those things! So I wonder what it may be..." Famine feigns thinking, but he doesn't seem to be thinking in all actuality. “Aaaaanyways, it's no fun playing a game with only two players, right? Sooooo, I think I'll bid you both goodbye for now!"

 

Twirling the final antidote bottle in between his fingers, Famine gave a little wave with his free hand, raised his fingers and then snapped them, vanishing into the same puff of black smoke that gave him distance between himself and Baldur...

 

...and then there was nothing but the night sky.

 

Lysander obtained Famine's Antidote x3 (x2)!

 

---

 

While Famine was having a good time, Simeon was not. His normally gruff face was even more gruff than before as he listened to Baldur. There wasn't any fear in his emotions towards Baldur's sudden shouting; the only thing that seemed to remain was disappointment. Not anger: just disappointment. He scratched the back of his neck as he considered his next words.

 

"...Well, it sure was a damn good thing Ferdy was there for us, wasn't it? Ye don't focus on the past, ye focus on what ye're gonna do now. If ye're busy thinkin' about how Mim coulda died the next time ye need to save her, then ye, she can end up dyin'. Ye want my advice? Ye need to take a deep breath, take a step back, realize what and who ye were up against. Find it in yerself to ask; what do ye need to improve on now. Not what ye need to improve on then. Blubberin' about it ain't gonna help ye improve. And realize that ye ain't gonna get anywhere worryin' about what others think. The amount'a times ye let somebody die isn't gonna go down no matter how much ye dwell on it... but that's just me words. I'm sorry, but as much as I wish I could, I can't fix yer problems, Baldur. I fix weapons. There's plenty'a me own things I've left broken and unable te fix, and plenty'a people hate me for it as well."

 

Simeon slowly turned around. "I hope ye can learn to make peace with yer mistakes. Ye're still young... 't'd be a damn shame if ye had to waste yer youth worryin' rather than improvin'."

 

He left the tent. His stern face of disappointment quickly managed to turn to pity and regret as he began to move to a campfire and tinker with a few knives.

[Pyon Pyon Kyuu!~]

Lysander watched Famine disappear. After he was gone, Lysander tapped the tome on his belt activating it's power. He drew from the wind magic from it, gathering it in his hands and with a loud battlecry, threw a wind slash at the place Famine had been standing just a few moments ago leaving a deep cut in one of the trees.  He stood with his back turned to Leonore, breathing heavily. He broke the silence after a minute. 

 

"In South of Perus, a disease is running wild. It has affected poor and rich alike, including my loved ones. A noble house offers a cure, but at exorbitant prices. Prices so high they drive great houses to poverty. And of course, the poor could never afford it so they simply die. My whole career as a thief has been to steal this cure, and give it to those who need it most. And you're telling me, this disease isn't natural. That it was actually a manmade poison?" He turned to face Lenore. "That man isn't a thief without honor. He is a monster. He is evil. He is the reason I fight. So I say this, in front of you and all of the Gods if they are listening. I swear to bring him to justice, in the name of all the people he has hurt. I'll become a man strong enough to take down his evil, and maybe bring peace to the people he has killed." He brought up a gloved hand and spread it across his face breathing deeply to catch his breath. After a few moments he was much calmer. "I apologise for having lost my cool. We should report this to Phoenix. And maybe later, have Snowbird see if these potions are safe."

[ElfCollaborator]

After a bit, Lenore speaks.

"....the way I see it, there's not much difference between an animal, a monster, and a guy without honor, without rules. Those fetters, they're what keep us civilized, what keep us human. Even as a crook, there's people you don't go after. The weak. Kids. Pregnant women. The good priests.  There's lines you don't cross. Otherwise, you're nothing better than an animal fighting to survive. When society itself tells you you're not worth a damn thing to it, you do what you got to to survive, but you gotta keep your humanity somehow, keep yourself different from the animals. He crossed the few lines we got out here. So you're right."

Lenore knew that truth all too well. Glamourous and glitzy though conning her way through high society may seem, it wasn't like she started up there.

"Truth is, Famine isn't exactly special, and what he did isn't either. He's a dime-a-dozen grifter with a gift. Anyone could run that scam with that skill, and if you got the right bastard to do it and paid them the right money, they would. I've seen plenty of thieves who'd slit their own mothers' throats if you paid them right. You steal and con for a good cause. I envy you, I do, and I wish I knew more people like you back then."

"Remember that promise you just made to fix that mess, Marvel. People like Famine, they get theirs, because people like you are the ones who make sure of it. "

Lenore sets off to walk to the camp, before pausing.

"Let's get this intel to Phoenix first. Snowbird will have to wait; she barely survived her first dance with that stuff."

[Shauntaro]

Sinking... sinking... in to the abyss. His consciousness suspended in nothingness. Time, memories, felt like it was all lost to the waves that have come to drown out his soul. Some fragments managed to seep through the clouded wall around his heart, he desperately tries to reach and take hold of them.. only to watch everything get pulled away from him yet again. What felt like a lonely, quiet dream twisted into a nightmare, drenched in dread. He wanted it to stop, but could only take shelter deeper behind his closed eyes.

"..What is this.."

"..lost again.."

"..it doesn't matter..."

The boy, cold and rotting.
Today again, he continued wishing to be taken away.



As he thought he'd be staying in the void forever, it all started fading into white, almost blinding.
Shin soon opened his eyes, albeit just a little. 

His skin pale, and body weak. All that he could immediately remember was the feeling of someone brushing his face. His eye moved to see Lizaveta, sitting next to him. Unable to hide his shame, he quietly looks away, his eyes half open.

"................."

[Powder Miner]

Lizaveta didn't miss the man's eyes opening -- even as they only remained half-open, his body yet terribly still as he still appeared to be too utterly bone-weary to even move his head. He glanced at her... and then looked away. She stayed crouched over him, looking down at him for a long, long moment, before she finally spoke up again.

"Did you hear me, Shin...?"

[Shauntaro]

Shin tried to move his mouth to answer.. but no words could come out. His expression growing bitter, still facing away from Liza.


"..."

[Powder Miner]

With Shin not saying a word and turning away from her so she couldn't see his expression, she was left rather awkwardly waiting for a response for a while, before she haltingly ventured forwards a few words of her own, uncertain.

"Because if you did... um... I'm saying I understand. Um... for a long time, I-- I, uh--"

 

She fell silent.

[Shauntaro]

Hearing the girl fall silent, Shin gently places his hand over hers. Before mustering as much strength as he could to speak.


"I-it's.. okay." His expression growing more pained as he went on, but it doesn't appear to be from physical wounds.


"I'm.. so.. sorry.."

He didn't know what happened while he was out, but it wasn't hard to guess what happened, or what good did ANY of what he did have. He could not find any words to say, torment and regret started to creep into every corner of his mind.

[Powder Miner]

If Shin couldn't find it in him to do anything other than apologize... well, she knew she was right, then. There was no need to belabor that question further.

"Shin, please, it's okay, don't worry abou..."

 

Lizaveta trailed off, and then remained silent for a long moment. She let out a long sigh, and her face slowly set as her thoughts came together.

"Actually... Shin... there's one thing that isn't okay. It's okay to feel like you do, because I understand that it -- it seems like it will never leave you. But... what you did wasn't okay. That wasn't okay, it wasn't okay at all. To... just... DO that to yourself. Shin... that's the one thing I won't accept. It... it just... it just spreads that grey cloud elsewhere, is all it does. It's not your fault that you're-- that you're drowning in the grey, but I won't accept you getting yourself killed, Shin. That was..." Lizaveta shook her head.

"Maybe... maybe it doesn't have to happen quite right now, Shin, but I want you to promise that you'll never do that again. Everything else is okay. I don't hate you. I don't think anyone does except for that piece of shit who hates everyone he isn't sucking up to. I really don't hate you at all. But that thing wasn't okay."

[Shauntaro]

Shin didn't know how to respond to that. What he did, was, incredibly. Idiotic. Even he knew that.. But...

But... why?
Why did he even do something like that..?
Was it the desperation?
A subconscious desire to bring a stop to everything coming to light?
Or perhaps was it the hatred and anger he chose to throw at himself?

His mind clearly wasn't no where in any condition to know the answer to that, but at least now he knows that whatever he tried was definitely NOT it, and he has to face whatever repercussions it will bring. 


"...I.." he pulls together as he sits up.


"I.. understand."


He says, before pausing for a bit, letting his body regain more of it's bearings. He then turns to Lizaveta.


"I."


"Will never do that, ever again."  His face painted over with agonizing seriousness.

[Powder Miner]

Lizaveta's eyebrows raised rapidly after Shin made that promise, pulling himself together in a surprisingly rapid amount of time. She hadn't expected that to happen quite so fast, though she of course couldn't say that it was any sort of bad thing that she had.

 

So, she nodded resolutely, centered a little herself by the gravity and initiative of Shin's response. She gently put her hands on the sides of his head, staring at him intently, as if to bore the somber triumph she was feeling into him purely by the power of her gaze. Her being was filled with an intensity in this moment, something pure that electrified her and turned her into an undeniable presence that could not be ignored. Maybe this was the spark behind her Charisma on the battlefield, but instead of a mere energy of triumph, as it was now it was like a blinding corona, that couldn't be seen, but could be felt, pure intent and confident belief welling up to give each one of her words a sincerity and purpose that may --or may not-- have eclipsed how suddenly she had moved to pouring this tidal wave of intensity onto Shin.

"Good! Remember that promise, Shin. Really remember it. Let it stick in your head so that it's always there when you're tired and sad. Let it drive you. It... might take you a while to find something to really live for, something to make yourself run with, not just walk. That's not something I can just... drill into you. But remember that you promised to not let yourself die -- that can be your final line to lean back on, when things seem direst. For now, walk, or even crawl, instead of just lying down and waiting."

[Shauntaro]

The sudden spike of energy Liza expressed took Shin by surprise a little bit, but he was still too tormented for it to really affect him. He regardless, he was glad that at least Liza was feeling better.


"Ah, yeah.... I got it." He pauses for a bit, not sure what else to say about his situation. He then turns this around onto Liza.


"So, uh.."


"What about you?"

[Powder Miner]

Lizaveta clearly hadn't expected Shin to ask her the same question, and she paused for a moment as her grandiose speech sort of came to a screeching halt. Still, though, it didn't take all that long for Lizaveta to pick up just enough steam to give him an answer.

"I did, Shin. I did find something to live for. I told you the truth... I really was the same way for a long time, and... I... admittedly don't like to dwell on it. But I found my think, and now I really am going forwards, I'm running forward, and now I'm here in Virtuous and I'm going to topple the evil people of the world, Shin. So... the grey sea is gone for me, now."

[Shauntaro]

"Ah.. I see.."

Clearly unsure on what else to say on the matter, Shin didn't think to pursue the matter further.. He merely just turns to look elsewhere.


"I'm.. not looking forward to going back outside.." He mumbles quietly to himself as he starts to think about what the others could possibly have to say to him after the stunt he pulled.

[Aurorix]

Baldur kept silent and grit his teeth as Simeon left the tent. Once he was alone again, quietly he mumbles to himself,  "Make peace? How could I make peace? I don't deserve the luxury of peace." Suddenly a wave of emotions crashes into the butler. Emotions he thought he long had suppressed by now. Boiling rage, copious guilt, immense regret, and stabbing sorrow were all felt one by one. He couldn't stop himself from sobbing and letting a river of tears run down his cheeks,  "I'm sorry... I'm... I'm so sorry... I couldn't save you... I couldn't save anyone... How could I fulfill my promise to you like this!?" He buried his face into his knees and continued sobbing softly, only loud enough for folks right by his tent to hear.

[RedMageCole]

As promised, an hour passes and the sky is pitch dark, the campfires and a lantern affixed to the head of the wagon being the only things illuminating the deep, black night. Kane lets out a heavy sigh as he calls everyone to attention with a whistle.

 

"I would like to announce before we move out that Knight is rejoining us for the time being," Kane keeps his tone professional; whether he's hiding his excitement or there is none to speak of is impossible to tell. "—on a condition that I had planned for us since night fell. Along with our goal of obtaining the Relics of Purgus, we will be taking out Death and his Icons of Sin. This will be an inevitable task for us that we will not have to go out of our way to do, considering Death will more than likely be back for us. I have a suspicion, if not an outright confirmation, that the Icons of Sin originate in Perus. I have received intel..." Kane briefly glances at Lenore and Lysander; no disappointment found in his face, but concern. "...that Famine operated in Perus, and is significantly more dangerous than we first believed; he is apparently responsible for a series of poisonings for a money extortion scheme from House Daxter of Perus, and more than likely supplies Death with his poisons. Normally, I would not confirm this, but it's thanks to Ficus that Death actually said something that we can use to our advantage..." Kane looks to Shin; again, no disappointment, but a significantly larger amount of concern. "Death let slip mention of Perus' own Lion. A small, yet foolish mistake of his, as that most likely confirms Pestilence's involvement and accounts for three fourths of the Icons of Sin being Perusian, including their leader. When we encounter Perus in any way, shape or form, be on your guard. I also want to make this perfectly clear:" Kane looks to everyone, though it's not too hard to guess who he's addressing. "No matter the personal stake, do not, I repeat, do not attempt to engage the Icons of Sin on your own or even branch off of the group when taking them on ourselves. We were lucky to get away from Death once, he's not going to let us off so easily next time. If we work as a team, we have better odds than they do. And I promise you all that I will never let an underhanded trick like his attempt at taking Orchid and Snowbird hostage go past me ever again. I intend for us to see this through to the end— we will not lose to scum like them."

 

With that, Kane opened the wagon for everyone to pile in. Arthur went in, looking just about ready to burn down the entire castle. Simeon went at the driver's seat; one might notice that his usual gruff expression is gloomy, not unseen in the current situation but strange for Simeon. Even Sid looked slightly concerned as he went in after Simeon.

 

As Ferdiad, Lenore, and Lysander all piled in, Kane whispered thanks to them and a promise to take down the Icons of Sin. As Mim and Baldur piled in, Kane quietly assured them a bit further that they absolutely will take down the Icons of Sin, Death especially. As Shin piled in, Kane gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder, letting him know that all was going to be okay.

[RedMageCole]

Chapter 4

Palace of Temptations

 

 

The moon hangs overhead as Virtuous rolls out of the pan and into the fire. Ferdiad has rejoined Virtuous, but whether his stay will be short-lived or not hinges on the defeat of the new nemeses the group has picked up: Death and his Icons of Sin.

With spirits hanging low and their determined yet somewhat anxious leader attempting to make one last attempt to put everyone in higher spirits before the greatest heist of their lives begins, the party heads to the castle where a greater evil lurks within...

 

In Castle Ulux, two guards stand stationed in front of the door to the throne room, long past everyone having gone to bed. They are the only two guards that remain inside and do not patrol the area, simply standing guard.

"I... I can't keep doing this job."

"Why? It's the easiest and probably only job we'll get in this shitty kingdom."

"But... I mean, just think of who we're employed to! Have you ever looked him in the eye!?"

"I try not to."

"His eyes... He doesn't have pupils. He doesn't have any fucking pupils. Tell me, Ben, who the fuck do you know doesn't have-"

"Shut up! Maybe if you didn't mouth off to him yesterday, you wouldn't have had to look him in the eye! Nobody notices that kind of shit because they aren't stupid enough to take a closer look like you are!"

"I'm not doing this. I can't do this. I'm going in there."

"What!? You idiot, we were told not to-"

The sounds of a door creaking open. The sounds of loud, fearful shrieking.

 

"Wh- Your Majesty!?"

"...You were told, under any circumstances, to not enter my throne room."

"I-I just- I, uh, I just wanted to, uh... say that I... uh... quit.

"You disobeyed a direct order just to say that you quit."

"...Yeah."

"Hmph. Get out of my castle, and do not let me catch you skulking around here again."

"...Cool."

The sounds of a door creaking closed. The sounds of faint giggling.

 

"Well, he had a reason for us to not go in there, but I actually quit! I don't have to worry about execution, he just let me go!"

"..."

"Hey, man, my wife may kill me, but I'll be fiiine! I'll figure it out! See you tomorrow!"

Footsteps.

"...your wife won't get the chance."

The faint sound of coughing, hacking, gagging...

 

 

 

"...I haven't been a good leader." The silence emphasized by the creaking wheels underneath the team was broken by Kane, who had been with a pensive expression with his arms crossed the whole ride. "No good leader allows the lives of their teammates to be put at risk. No good leader only finds a gamble as his only method of getting said teammates out of danger. And then my many flaws from before: allowing the Icons of Sin to slip through our fingers just being one of them. I've been... too easygoing. I've let you all take care of yourselves, but I should at least have a hand in helping you all out."

 

Arthur let out a small 'hmph', seemingly indifferent either way. If Kane noticed this, he ignored it.

 

"When we get out of this mess and take Ulux's Relic, we're going to go home and celebrate. Queen Stella can wait; I know we're still overall somewhat on the fence with supporting her entirely. We're going to go home, you're all going to get some rest, and tomorrow we focus on getting everyone back into high spirits. Ficus, we're going to tidy your room up. Orchid, you're going to help me with dinner preparations. Knight, you'll take some time to get reacquainted with everyone. And all of you... you're all going to rest, relax, take the day off and not worry about anything, not even the Icons of Sin. These are all not orders; these are requests. Not from your leader, but from someone who cares about all of you." Kane looks out from past Simeon's seat, riding the horses off of the road. "We'll be there soon."

[Blasbo]

Reiko is silent for the most part...although, that's mostly because she doesn't have much to say. She doesn't know how comfortable she is with a break, with the knowledge that King Ruslan is sitting comfortable in his castle with his stolen property, the sword he obtained over her father's corpse--but she's not dense. She knows that even if she would rather press on, preferably straight to the King's doorstep, that's not a commonly shared opinion among the group. They need rest. And...things will go smoother with them around to help her.

 

"....Ulux. I haven't heard much of it--mine was a more rustic upbringing. I know its defining trait, though, is its poverty." She pauses for a few more seconds. "A wise man once told me poverty itself isn't a sin--or, I guess, that the poor themselves have done no wrong in being such. If there's any evil in poverty, it lies in the men who keep whatever wealth there is all to themselves, and in so doing cause the poverty of everyone else."

 

Maybe it's a bit philosophical for small talk, but it'll do.

[Aurorix]

Baldur kept his head down, eyes to the ground by his feet, and remained silent. Today was already an emotional roller coaster, but to then be given the information about Famine. He had the man in his arms. He could've ended him right there and at least avenge her. Baldur did not respond to Kane's request, nor glance up to acknowledge him. He did not deserve respite, not until his task is complete. Would anyone even trust his food anymore after all his failures? 

 

His eyes did however swap from the ground, to Shin, back to the ground, then to Mim. Mim she... her face... that was his fault. The apothecary's once pristine appearance was now forever blemished due to his foolishness.  "Worthless..." He muttered under his breath. No, there was no way the man could ever grant himself a break.