forum The Age of Kings and Calamity (Closed Small Group, 3/3)

Started April 18, 2023 by @lord-of-the-carnival group

tune

Ronnie immediately tensed as she waved a hand, and he felt himself transported across several planes.
No matter.
He split himself, deciding that King Cassius and Ariella would likely be ok, but better to be safe than sorry. Part of him dropped into the far north with them, to help and to protect and to pull them back when they had a plan.
He glanced up as they were accosted by a young girl. He figured letting Ariella or the King handle this was likely best.

And part of him hovered over the palace, untouchable by Calamitas. He stayed there, largely to watch, to see what she hoped to accomplish. She couldn't cast him out, not by any stretch of the imagination, but if she was willing not to fight just yet, he would simply observe. Plane-walking was an easy enough exercise. It should be no trouble to get the other two back here, if that's what they decided they wanted to do. And attacking her now would be pointless, if not satisfying. They would stalemate, and likely tear apart several planes of existence in the process. No, better to lie in wait and watch her.

Cass blinks, one moment, he was standing in the remains of his hame and the next he was here. Where was here anyways? He looks over at Ronnie then Ariella. He lets out a slow breath, shaking his head slightly. Well, there now was this problem, along with the problem of the Calamity. His people. . .

“Well. This is just great.” He mutters, slowly sitting down on the rock. He dropped his head into his hands, shaking it slightly. Just as he was worried for his people, he was worried for his family. His pregnant sister, and his fiery tempered brother. He was worried what would happen to them.

He rubs his face, tense with worry and stress.

(its okay lol, just trying to keep this one alive)

Erin stares at the group cautiously, starting to walk in an investigatory circle around them, but freezes upon seeing the symbol inscribed on the finest dressed of them.

Nay, the Mark.

"King Cassius. . ." she breathes. It wasn't reverent, but rather a bitter breath, an exhalation of long lost hope and frozen dreams. Her village was one of the ones largely ignored by the main monarchy due to its distance from the capital. Her and her family and friends were abandoned, left for theirselves.

"So the other two are the Hero and Mage. . . which means Calamity's back." she groans. She puts the arrow back in its quiver and slides in the bow after. "Alright. I'm convinced I'm not hallucinating now, at least. But this just makes me angrier. How dare you three show your faces up here? Do you realize how horrible things have been without support from the monarchy? No traders come up here, and most of the time the earth is frozen solid. Your wizards could help, your trade could help us, but all you do is sit up in that castle and bide your time. I know right now isn't exactly the best time, but do you have any answers? Any way to justify or right these things?"

She was, justifiably, pissed at the rulership. Not everywhere was as good as Cassius would like to believe. Her right eye was starting to glow a deep green color as the snow, unbeknownst to her, slowly turned to water around her and plants started to grow. But after a while of glaring, she takes a deep breath and calms herself.

"Nevermind." she huffs. The plants whither and die, and the earth freezes once more. "You three are coming to the village. We can't have you dying."

Ariella didn't have time to react as Calamity cast them away. She had barely had time to clutch her book to her chest, much less try to open it and counter the spell. This was not what she had signed up for. In all honesty, she hadn't really signed up for any of it. She had been caught and dragged to the palace. Had it been her choice, she was be at home with her mother helping her run the apothecary in peace and silence.

But no, she had to be born with the Mage mark and now here she was, having been cast somewhere far away. The ground was frozen and she was shivering. Her clothes were not meant for cold weather. Her breath came out in cold puffs as she panted. She wanted to go home. This was not for her. She was not brave or courageous. That was Hero. Her skills were barely useful beyond helping in the apothecary. She was useless.

As she heard the woman her head snapped up and she scrambled back. A bow, she was holding a bow. Ariella did not have a death wish and certainly did not want to find an arrow through her. Subconsciously, she shifted closer to Ronnie. If anyone could protect her it would be him. She pulled the book up to her chest. Oh, she didn't like meeting new people, especially not in a place either.

The woman was certainly angry, that was easy to tell. And Ariella was not the one to deescalate the situation. Her mouth was opening and closing like a bobbing fish. She looked at the other two men but neither of them looked like any help either in this. But it was the earth beginning to Florida that caught her attention and she froze. The early melted and plants began to bloom nefptr promptly dying and freezing again. It hadn't been her. So it could only be one person, the woman in front of her.

Erin glares at the group.

"Well? Do you want to freeze or get mauled by one of the baloths, or do you want to come with me?" she asks bluntly. She was quickly losing interest in them anyways. No point in dwelling very much on what they could have done, now that Calamity's back.

Ronnie glanced at King Cassius, as the man plopped down and began worrying. A normal reaction, with his family, his people, and his home on the line.
The Hero stepped in front of his King, and knelt, so that he wouldn't be looking down at him.
"Give me a moment, my King, and I'll secure your siblings."

Over Huldir, where Ronnie had been hovering, keeping an eye on things, there was a brief flash of light, like lightning in a cloud.
In the next moment, the Hero appeared back in the Palace, and quickly evacuated the Royal family, making sure the Hawkins' family were safe. His incorporeal body guided them out, and whisked them away to safety, for the time being.

It took a bit, but the part of him still with King Cass was able to report that "Your family is safe. Ariella might be able to let you scry through to them, if you require it."

He stood and turned as the girl began spitting venom and lies. Or at least, laying blame where it didn't belong.
Good King Cass had most definitely sent aid out this far. Ronnie had seen to it himself. So the girl's anger was misplaced.
What her local leadership had decided to do with the money was out of their hands. If the magistrates and elders had decided to hoard the relief funds, so that the people received no benefit, that wasn't the fault of the Mage, the Hero, or the King. The people simply needed to put better leadership in place.
"We don't need to answer to you, kid. Watch your tone with your King." This, again.

He glanced at Ariella, who was clearly struggling, then back at King Cassius.
"Sire? I'll leave it your call. I can transport us somewhere warmer, less hostile, if you'd like. We needn't put ourselves at any discomfort. Or at the mercy of whiners and complainers."
Plane-walking had been a useful skill many times before, and it was times like these that Ronnie was willing to put out the energy to do it well. "This upstart is not your only option."

Cass struggled for a moment, trying to regain his bearing and then aoghed. "Ronnie, be nice, just because she's angry doesn't mean we call them names." Cass lightly scolded the Hero, and then turned to Erin.

"Madam, I'm sure you are mistaken. I have sent money and aid this far. I have the checks and papers to prove it. It's what the leaders of your town decided to do with it where the line gets muddled."

He turns back to Ronjie, "I don't care for comfort, you, of all peple, should know that Ronnie. We'll stay here, gather ourselves together. And then plan." He runs his forhead, still slightly tense and worried.

Erin rolls her eyes.

"Actually, I am your only option, Hero. Just because you're from the capital and are effectively immortal doesn't mean a baloth or even a greatwyrm can still give you an issue. You aren't anywhere close to as powerful or as old as the things that lurk around these mountains, that's for sure. And as for your whiners and complainers comment? I only mentioned a couple things. It isn't my fault your opinion just so happens to differ." she says. "Plus, you can't actually escape from this area. Most magics and magical energies are mostly blocked for some reason, at least they have been for the past few months. It's a surprised you guys weren't killed being put here."

"As for you, King, if that's the case, once all of this is over I'd love to see those records. Because the elders never recieved it, and no messengers or magic have been detected. If you've sent money we've seen neither hide nor hair of it." Erin shrugs.

Ronnie flatly ignored the girl. Her babbling didn't require a response from him, especially given that she was wrong about nearly everything.
He was that powerful, he could leave, and take the King and the Mage with him if he wanted to, and there was nothing blocking his power here. Maybe lesser people, but it didn't apply to him, apparently.
However, arguing that was only going to keep her talking to him, and he was more interested in that ending than in proving his might.

Her comment about the records made him smile, just slightly. They absolutely had the records, though he had no doubt she was telling the truth about the elders saying they'd received nothing. Obviously the breakdown in trust and communication was out here, and didn't sit at the King's feet.
He kept his silence, though. The King had made a decision, and Ronnie was loyal.

Cass smiles at the girl, nodding, “Of course. If what you’re saying is true, either they are being honest, and something has intercepted it, or they are, as Ronnie suggested, keeping the funds from you.”

He turns and glares at Ronnie, his anger apparent for the Hero. “Ronnie.” He snaps, clearly frustrated with the Hero. “Stop being arrogant. You know that is not how we portray ourselves, because that is not what we are. Your powers have limits, just like the rest of ours, so act like it.”

Cass looked to Ariella and sighs, walking over to her, “Are you okay, Ariella? Do you need space or time?” He smiles, trying to be comforting, “Is there anything you need?”