Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2014 16:09:03 GMT -6
"What do you mean he lied? The guy even had your hair color. He cried and pleaded on his knees. We weren't going to do it but eventually he made a huge sum offer and we HAD to take it." Ephraim could not afford himself to become tricked by this girl. Too many times a vixen would turn the games on him. Still she looked devastated. He turned his back to her not wanting to see it.
"Using your uncle as your threats? Well, I suppose I ought to be honest then. I am a pirate. Been one since I was nine. I may not be able to fight a soldier and win but I can certainly manage my way out of any situations. I have done it many, many times before." Ephraim looked over to Nora. "... Look, I hate this job. I do not like what we are doing here so that is why... Nah! What am I saying?"
Was he about to offer her a chance to go? After he said he was a pirate and kidnapped her? Curse that pretty tear stained face of hers. Or was this his moral code kicking in? He was certainly taking blows to its gut with this job. He sighed. This was frustrating, what kind of pirate can't even kidnap one harmless girl? "Tell me. If he was not your father and your real one is dead, why would he pick you out of all the women in the world? Why would he want you brought by ship to Etruria? It doesn't make sense. So either he is your father, or we are a part of something big. I personally think you're lying, no offense, but convince me and I'll let you go. Maybe even offer my real aid if you'll let me." No matter the result Bonnie would KILL him if she heard about this.
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Post by Luke Pendragon on Oct 6, 2014 12:10:07 GMT -6
When Luke finally arrived at the docks he was pleased, and quite relived, to see that the sailors were still docked. They were preparing for their departure, loading boxes and other things onto the boat. Before he would speak to him Luke took some time to look around. He was looking for the girl that he had came here to stop just in case she was trying to board a ship. The boy let out a sigh of relief when it appeared that she wasn't here but that could mean that she had already boarded a different ship and is long gone by now.
Luke approached the sailors and described his situation to them hoping that they could help him with looking out for the girl. Luckily none of the sailors had seen a girl like Luke had described come by. They also agreed to keep an eye out just in case she happened to be heading this way. Now all Luke had to do was wait and see what was going to happen. He wondered how Mr. Zobek and Mr. Monroe were doing in their search. It was probably more exciting to be searching about in a forest but Luke would help in any way he could.
Now that Luke had a moment to himself he realized something was a bit off. Where in the world was their youngest companion? He was with them all the way to the town right?! How could Luke have lost track of the boy?! Oh man, he hoped that Solomon was with Mr. Zobek. There was no way Luke could live with himself if something happened to the child due to his own negligence. Luke wanted to go search for the boy but he didn't want to move from his spot. If he did and the girl showed up then he would miss her and she'd get away. Luke would have to trust that Mr. Zobek would find him soon.
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Edward Zobek
Sage
Posts: 46
Profession: Viscount of Ligure
Affiliation: Knights Radiant
Affinity: Light
Profile: Edward Zobek
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Post by Edward Zobek on Oct 14, 2014 11:27:03 GMT -6
Edward silently nodded to Monroe, voicing no complaints as a demonstration of his readiness to follow the younger man down the forest path. In truth, the old knight was getting increasingly anxious for every second they did not find the princess, but he did not let himself show it. Shows of anxiety did not befit a knight nor a noble of his status, and they rarely inspired confidence in a bad situation. Monroe had taken care of this girl for years, and Edward had already decided that there was no reason to begin doubting the younger knight now. But before the two could set of, Edward heard a faint shriek, like that of a young girl's upon the air. His body froze as he motioned for Monroe to still himself as well, so as not to make any noise that might hinder Edward in hearing another scream of similar kind.
"Do you hear that?" the grand master asked, albeit rhetorically as he quickly shushed his companion immediately after asking the question. He tried to locate where the shout had come from, his ears perking up as he tried to listen for a continued or second scream, but the only sound which occupied his ears was the faint buzz of the waking cicadas from within the forest. Had it just been a trick of his mind? The old knight sworn he'd heard something. Blast it all! At times like this age truly was a terrible curse. Edward always considered himself sharp and capable, but getting older was getting older, and with each passing year the old man couldn't be sure if his mind was going, his hearing was going, or both!
Just then, though, there was another yell, which elicited a small smile from the old knight. He took no pleasure in the sound of a girl's terror, but it was good knowing that his ears still worked. "A shout. It sounds like a girl's," said Edward, his head slowly drifting in the direction of the sound. It looked as if it was coming from a small building-like shape far out in the distance. The grand master's spirits lifted as he realized they may have just located the princess, then dropped as he realized that if she was screaming, the reason would not be a good one. "I believe it came from that direction. We should delay our trip into the woods and see what the fuss is, yes?" Again with his bad habit of giving Monroe little time to respond, the old knight straightened up and began heading in the direction of the shout. He walked casually, but with an obviously hurried pace.
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Nora
Archer
Posts: 48
Profession: Pain in Edward's A$$
Affiliation: The Etrurian Throne
Affinity: Light
Profile: Link
OoC Alias: Charlie
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Post by Nora on Oct 17, 2014 11:56:00 GMT -6
Monroe froze, just as Mr. Zobek had, his stomach feeling sick as he tried to determine if that was just the shriek of an animal in the forest or something worse. While he wanted to find Nora as quickly as possible, Monroe would rather it not be screaming and hurt. She had just run off, hadn’t she? She’d been gone far longer than this with nothing bad happening – outside of her running off, of course – so could she really be in trouble? His mind wandered back to that day in the woods, when he found her in trouble, so scared he would lose her. No, that couldn’t be it, she had to be fine-
Just then, another scream sounded off in the distance. “Nora,” Monroe exhaled softly, distress clear in his voice. Monroe didn’t look to Mr. Zobek, his gaze instead directed the same way his was, towards a small building on the horizon. He couldn’t be certain until they reached it, but it was rare when something out of the norm happened around Wilderose. When it did, Monroe and Nora were usually at the center of it, so he was almost certain the scream had to be coming from her. After all those years of keeping her safe, all those years of taking care of her, someone had nabbed her...
The navy-haired soldier wanted to take of running towards the scream, but he remained respectful of the old knight’s pace, hurrying next to him while trying not to walk in front of him. But Monroe’s anxiousness to have Nora safe and back in his arms again overcame him, imagining all of the horrible things that could have happened to Nora while she was out of his sight.
“I’m running ahead,” Monroe stated matter-of-factly in his first show of impoliteness towards the grandmaster, taking off at a sprint towards what he knew to be the outskirts of the small town of Goldenwater. What was once a fairly large fisherman’s town was largely deserted after overfishing. Only a handful of families who had dedicated themselves to the area remained, but they lived closer to the coast, leaving quite a few abandoned homes and shops in the outskirts of the community.
Monroe felt as if hours passed as he was running (though it was only a few minutes), but he soon found himself at the edge of the town. Panting and out of breath, the man should have considered that his calls might spook whoever had Nora. But the harried man neglected reason as he found himself yelling for the princess.
“Nora?! Nora, where are you?!”
----
Nora sighed angrily, still holding her knees and facing away from Ephraim as she listened to him try to explain why he had to do what he did. “My mom has the same hair color as you, but that doesn’t mean you’re my brother,” the girl mumbled sullenly, though not directly interrupting Ephraim as he continued.
What was he trying to get at, saying that he hated the job? Nora turned herself around on the bed to stare Ephraim straight in the eyes, though her knees were still pulled to her chest as she did. What kind of criminal sits there and admits he doesn’t like what he’s doing to the person he just kidnapped? Was he confused, or was he just stupid? It’s not like someone was forcing him to kidnap me, Nora thought, eyes narrowed as the man took pause, as if he was thinking over what he had just said.
The magenta-haired girl saw this as a chance to interject her own opinion, of course. “If you hated this so much,” she spat, “then why don’t you just let me go? Why even do all this in the first place?” She sniffled, her nose runny from all the crying, but she tried to not let off as being weak. Nora was still scared, sure, but acting like it wouldn’t get the man in front of her to change his mind about what he was doing.
In fact, it seemed like he might have been doing that all on his own. Nora was still angry, but as he questioned her about why someone would want her kidnapped, she simply started becoming more upset than mad. Of course Ephraim didn’t know who she was, and as much as Nora wanted to be let go, she couldn’t tell him. Only a handful of people in all of Elibe knew who Nora really was at this point, because if word got out to anyone involved with Etruria, Nora would be dead.
A gravid pause filled the room as Nora tried to find some way to justify telling the man who she was so she could escape and get back to Monroe. But no matter what ways she spun it to herself, she knew she couldn’t do it. Ephraim would have to keep thinking she was a liar, which worked for Nora, she supposed.
Finally, Nora spoke. “I can’t tell you why,” she said sadly, laying her head down on her knees. She trusted Monroe enough that she knew he’d find her. He wouldn’t give up until they were back in Wilderose together, safe and sound.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2014 20:03:29 GMT -6
It looked as though the girl still had some fight and fieriness to her still despite all the tears. Had she been just another woman he would have enjoyed her company without a doubt. "Touche. Still, pink is not a color I commonly see. At least from personal experience anyway."
Why did he do it? That was easy to answer, "Because the crew is like my family. That is why I am doing this. I would let the world burn for them to be safe. An opportunity to afford a manowar is not easy to come by. Everyone insisted I take this job. I still did not want to. Everything about this is suspicious and you are making it even more so."
"You are telling me you can not tell me why people would be after you when they are paying impossible sums of money for you. I admit I am an optimist but my captain is a bit incompetent with the prospect of so much gold. I am not an idiot something big is going on now and I need to know what. If I turn you over am I doing something terrible? Something worth possibly pissing off the wrong man and having my crew be hunted? Tell me, are you worth 300 men and women?" Ephraim approached closer and stood a mere foot away from her. If she looked closer she could see the boy actually looked quite fearful and beads of sweat were on his head. It was clear to see he had been thinking about this long and hard well before the two ever met.
"I know you don't know me and I don't really know you but I sure as hell have no reason not to take you to this man right now. I am talking about potentially betraying my crew over you. Someone I know nothing about. I know conspiracy well enough to tell you're important for something. Tell me." If she continued to refuse he would have to take a drastic measure. He would not harm her but she doesn't know that. Hmm, perhaps she figured that out by now. Seeing as he had been relatively gentle the entire time.
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Nora
Archer
Posts: 48
Profession: Pain in Edward's A$$
Affiliation: The Etrurian Throne
Affinity: Light
Profile: Link
OoC Alias: Charlie
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Post by Nora on Oct 27, 2014 11:47:42 GMT -6
Nora had done exactly what she was told to do if she every ended up in a situation like this, but she didn’t expect the barrage of questions that followed from Ephraim. Clearly the young man had some doubts about the nature of his work, but if he’d had reservations about them, Nora thought sullenly, he should have voiced them before he’d already snatched their target.
The 18-year-old couldn’t tell him the answers to any of his questions because, well, she didn’t know herself. At this point she was seven years removed from her former life as a royal, to the point that she could barely remember what her parents had looked like. She barely remembered any of her lessons on dictation, manners, and the like, those bits of knowledge not of use in Wilderose. No one waited on her hand and foot, and no one but Monroe and a few others from Etruria even seemed to care about who she was.
So how could she honestly be worth what Ephraim was saying? In all of the stories the townspeople told, being a royal or a noble was a blessing, but to Nora, it was nothing but a curse that had torn her family to pieces.
Frustrated and feeling helpless, Nora tried to scooch away from the young man when he came closer, but after only a few inches her back was met with the wall. He was sweating, clearly upset by the thoughts which were wildly flying through his head and being voiced as they came. He was harried, and Nora could barely contain herself when the man asked, nearly commanded her to tell him what he wanted to know.
“I told you, I can’t say!” She yelled, voice cracking as she did. She pushed her back in to the wall hard, hoping the force of it would calm her down as she kept yelling. “Clearly someone thinks I’m worth,” she threw her hands out and waved them frantically, “All this, because they offered a damn ship for you to take me away from home!”
She huffed, pushing some hair out of her face and snatching the small ribbon out of her hair that had been holding her ponytail back; it had nearly fallen out, and Nora didn’t want to lose it. “But even if I could tell you, you wouldn’t believe me. So you can make your own decision about what you want to believe, because there’s nothing –“
“Nora?! Nora, where are you?!”
Nora’s eyes widened instantly as she heard the familiar male voice in the distance, her head snapping to look to the window. He found her, of course he had! Monroe always did, oh how grateful she was to hear him! The moment they were reunited, Nora would swear to never leave without asking again, never fight with Monroe again. She’d be as obedient as he wanted, if it meant she didn’t have to be kidnapped anymore!
Considering there were a fair few houses on the outskirts of this town, however, Nora knew Monroe wouldn’t be able to find her in time without help. So as soon as she looked up to the window, Nora leaped up and flung herself to the window, not caring what Ephraim would do to quiet her. Her fingers grasping at the sill as she tried to lean out best she could, she screamed.
“Monroe! MONROE!”
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Edward Zobek
Sage
Posts: 46
Profession: Viscount of Ligure
Affiliation: Knights Radiant
Affinity: Light
Profile: Edward Zobek
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Post by Edward Zobek on Oct 30, 2014 21:21:34 GMT -6
Edward puffed a little as he tried to keep up with Monroe's sprinting pace, but even being in good shape for his age didn't make the viscount as athletic or fit as a man 20 years his junior. Monroe was also more emotionally invested than Edward was. Make no mistake, Edward wanted to find the princess as well, but for Monroe this was clearly personal. The bond between these two, at least from what Edward could see on this end, seemed stronger than that of just any knight and his lady.
But the old knight did catch up with his younger counterpart within a few seconds of the latter calling for princess Eleanora, and was there to see the pink haired head of a young girl poke up from the window of a nearby abandoned shack. The princess? It must be. Her hair was the same distinctive magenta as the sweet little girl Edward had met at the royal castle all those years ago. Her face just barely visible, she called out for Monroe, which immediately spurred Edward into action. In a movement unusually spry for a man his age, the old knight bolted towards the rundown house, approaching the window.
"Are you hurt!?" he shouted up towards the window, before looking for another way into the building. The knight did not know what kind of trouble she was in, but for the princess there could be no excess of haste. His eyes snapped right, then left, before settling upon a flimsy looking wooden door. Without hesitation, Edward pushed open the door, but all he was met with was a dirty, dusty, weathered front room. There was a table on the other side of the space, and a few wooden cabinets that looked to be falling apart. Ack, the house looked deceptively small from the outside, so he'd figured it a one room building. So the mage knight took a few steps into the shack before making a swift right and gripping the handle of the nearest door. He swung it open, preparing for the worst, and now revealed a younger, messy looking man with a tangled rope at his feet.
He was definitely not princess Eleanora, and that was all that mattered.
It took Edward less than a second to extend and aim a finger at the stranger. He muttered something under his breath, resulting in a loud crack and a bolt of light that shot from the mage knight's extended pointer right into the ruffian's chest.
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Post by Luke Pendragon on Nov 2, 2014 10:57:22 GMT -6
It was certainly uneventful waiting around for something to happen which was a good thing now that Luke thought about it. If something was going on then that would mean that the girl was looking out for might be able to slip past him or was heading over here. Still Luke couldn't help but wonder what was going on and if he was missing anything. Last thing he wanted was for something to happen that could have been avoided if he was there. What could he do really that Mr. Zobek and Monroe couldn't handle? They both were surely fine fighters in their own rights, Zobek for sure.
Luke let out a sigh as he looked around, seeing nothing but crates and working sailors. It was then in the corner of his eye that he noticed a group of men that he hadn't seen before. A rather shady looking group that looked to be busy in conversation. Being a bit nosy, and rather suspicious, Luke moved closer to them and did his best not to be seen by them. To do that the boy hid behind a set of crates that stacked higher than he stood. This would be a good distance for him to hear whatever they were saying.
"So how much longer are we going to wait until we make our move?" One man said angrily to another. "Not until we hear back from the guy we sent to follow after that punk from the other crew," Another said, which made it obvious that this one was the leader. What were they talking about? Waiting for someone to come back? Make their move? "We've been waiting forever! Let's just go grab this girl and get out of here!" This made Luke not only confused but worried as to who they were talking about.
They went on for a bit talking about how much they were going to get paid for this, or the fact that they didn't know how much they were getting paid. The one thing that made Luke realize that these men were going to have to be stopped is when they described what the person looked like. It was the girl that Mr. Monroe was looking for! Why were they after her? This was bad, Mr. Zobek and Monroe had no idea that there were people after her. There were too many for Luke to take on all on his own but if he followed them they could lead him to the girl.
Luke waited until another had arrived, obviously the one they were waiting for. "Alright I managed to track that kid and found out that he's held up in some shack in the forest," What Luke had worried about came true but this was also a blessing. He would follow behind them to the forest and make his move there once he saw the shack. Luke waited until he heard them walking off before he started to follow behind them, making sure to duck and get out of their view of sight whenever they stopped or someone looked around.
It was clear that Mr. Zobek and Monroe were headed in the right way and Luke hoped that they had found the girl first but just in case Luke couldn't let this group get to her first. If he had to he'd fight them all but it surely wouldn't be easy. Solomon would also have to wait but Luke hoped too that the boy had run into Mr. Zobek. There was more than this than Luke knew and he wanted to get to the bottom of it but there were matters at hand that he would have to attend to of course.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2014 19:53:32 GMT -6
Ephraim's fists twitched with rage. What was going on here? His head was distracted by unpleasant thoughts and this girl simply would not cooperate. He had worked himself into a frenzy of worry and panic. He needed to calm down and simply relax. "If you won't say then I think it is time we con-" he cut himself short as soon as he heard this Monroe shouting and announcing his presence. Things just became very complicated.
Assessing the situation he looked to the window they entered from and decided it was too small for any real threat of a man to enter from but the door was entirely different. He reached for his lightrune, he needed time, but no, he gave it to that girl! What was he thinking! Dang it! Doing something stupid over a girl AGAIN!!! But this time there was no easy ship for a quick getaway.
Panic stricken his job was not important now. In this space if his opponent was as skilled as Nora claimed his agility won't serve him well. He began to reach for his mine, maybe just maybe he can use that as his ticket to leave quietly and keep from getting killed. No one wants to be in close proximity to a blast. If they were so foolish then he'd go out in a glorious blaze taking the enemy with him. Not bad for a pirate far inland.
His hand fumbled with it a moment before the door opened, wait why didn't he take Nora prisoner? His mind said it would have been smart but his pride would not allow it. To put her in direct danger. How stupid. In the doorway was an elderly man. He looked very much like 'First Mate,' not much at a glance but in reality a terror and powerful figure. But more importantly he, he was a knight!
Before he could react a bolt of energy shot into his chest. It was no killing blow but the force knocked the wind from his lungs jerked his body and knocked him back to the ground slamming his head against some broken piece of wood. A broken beam? Old furniture? He did not know.
He gasped for breath his ears ringing and vision blurred. Touching his head he found it was warm and sticky, blood? His gaze strayed from the man to Nora and back to the man. He gazed upon the man who could very well kill him here with no effort and found himself terrified for the first time since he became a pirate.
He squeezed his eyes close, making a complete mockery of what he had made himself into over the years. All the daring escapes and tricked nobles, blown up ports and damaged lighthouses, he could do it all yet now... he could do nothing. It was unlikely he could even appeal to the man's better nature. He was old and so set in his ways.
His mind raced for a moment. Some say that before you die the powers that be will grant you the knowledge to every question you have ever asked be it in life or moments before death. A crazy idea, a conclusion to all the madness he got himself involved in came to his mind. It was crazy and a stupid thought but... what if? Etrurian conspiracy, impossible money, a girl that is wanted despite appearances for the appropriate amount of years! It may not be as crazy as it sounds.
His eyes alone fell upon Nora as he lay unable to get himself to move. What power that man hit him with. He looked upon the sapphire necklace, its shine and gleam was beautiful. The deep blue matched the oceans he called home. Yet his eyes laid not upon a standard treasure anymore. As he looked upon her face he knew where the real gem was. The princess of Etruria.
His voice took a second as he gained his breath again but he spoke. "Y-you're royalty aren't you? ...I... would have... protected you." What a stupid last statement. It was almost tragic comedy. Or was it a farce? He stood no chance in this situation. His words must have sounded empty. Did he even deserve to say such a thing? Did a man like him get to suddenly say an apology or sudden whim and everything was forgiven? No, that was not how the real world worked.
He would not cry! He won't! His throat was dry and his focus on the old man. Would he end him? Would he think him too pitiful? Would he be rescued by this Nora? Heh, no. He realized he was smirking now.
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Nora
Archer
Posts: 48
Profession: Pain in Edward's A$$
Affiliation: The Etrurian Throne
Affinity: Light
Profile: Link
OoC Alias: Charlie
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Post by Nora on Nov 5, 2014 22:57:12 GMT -6
Nora couldn’t hear Edward’s voice over her own yelling and frantic mind, but as soon as the door slammed open to the small room Nora and Ephraim were in, Nora gasped, whipping around and nearly exclaiming at the sight of... not Monroe? The man who stood in the doorway was graying and old, but most importantly, Nora didn’t recognize him. She scrambled backwards into the corner, still on top of the bed she had been on.
A scream erupted from her lungs as a bolt of light shot into Ephraim’s chest, sliding down until her knees met her forehead, sobs wracking her chest again. She was next, wasn’t she? This old man was going to shoot her down, just like he had Ephraim, and she’d be dead in an instant! She buried her head in her knees even further, her hands covering her head and face scrunched as she braced for the worst. But instead, all she heard after the crack of light was another pair of feet running into the room and lose to her.
“Nora, you’re ok!” The familiar voice instantly turned the magenta-haired teen’s face up to see none other than her navy-haired protector running towards her.
“Monroe!” Nora choked out between a sob as Monroe wrapped her in a tight embrace, one of his hands holding her head close to his chest. Instantly Nora threw her arms around him, burying her head in his chest as she heard him assure her that everything was okay now. But in Nora’s mind, everything wasn’t okay yet.
The young woman looked up at Monroe for a moment before looking back at the cloaked older man. “Who is he?” Nora whispered to Monroe, hoping to St. Elimine that he actually knew. But before Monroe could answer her, Nora heard Ephraim’s cracking voice sound from the ground, her eyes snapping to him as he tried to speak.
”Y-you’re royalty, aren’t you?” Nora’s eyes widened, and she was unsure of what to say, if anything, to the young man who lay gasping on the ground. How did he know? She didn’t think she said anything that told him who she was. She looked up to Monroe, who was also looking down at the pirate on the ground, similarly shocked at what he had heard. Would he be mad at her for all of this, especially since the man on the ground had somehow figured out who she was?
As Nora looked back down at Ephraim, she actually found that she felt bad for him. After seeing how nervous he’d become while trying to reason through why she was worth a whole ship to someone, Nora realized he might just be a bit misguided. Of course, he had kidnapped her, but he had been trying to help people he cared about. He hadn’t understood what was at stake when he agreed, and now that he did, well, it sounded like he regretted it.
Her eyes finally came to rest on the graying man. “He’s going to be okay, right?” Nora asked of the young man on the ground. He looked like he was still breathing to Nora, but she didn’t know enough about magic to know how deadly the attack was that the wrinkled man had thrown.
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Post by Luke Pendragon on Nov 11, 2014 13:21:20 GMT -6
Luke followed behind the group of pirates and quietly and as swiftly as he could. He was never trained to be a stealthy assassin or a nimble thief so he was surprised he could keep this up for as long as he could. As he tracked them he did his best to listen to their conversations as to get a better idea of what they were planning. They spoke of nothing more than trivial matters that Luke didn't care much about to hear. Though they did mention however that the rest of their crew was waiting for them which that didn't sound good.
From what Luke could tell it was only one or two left so the number wasn't as alarming as he had worried it might be. Still it would be bothersome, and a bit troubling as now Luke had to think of a way to get rid of them and the others waiting for them. He took a moment to study those who he was following, to understand just what he was up against. There was 4 of them and as typical for pirates they carried swords an axes, though one did have a bow which Luke thought was rather unexpected.
They looked like experienced fighters but no experts that was for sure. Perhaps he could take on one of them on his own but the whole group? Probably be the end of him if he tried to. No point in trying to commit suicide by attacking all of them at once. But if he didn't stop them from reaching the cabin anyone there could get overwhelmed. Luke gritted his teeth as he tried to think of a smart way of dealing with these pirates. While he was deep in thought he almost didn't realize that the pirates had stopped. The boy quickly moved behind a tree, paranoid that they might have spotted him.
From what he saw they weren't much farther from the cabin and the pirates were discussing a course of action. They were leaving their bowmen behind to take care of anyone who leaves the cabin and manages to escape the group that was going to raid it. This would be Luke's chance, if he waited for the main group to go towards the cabin he could take care of the archer and then heard toward the cabin. They still had a bit of a way to go so Luke was sure he'd have enough time to take care of the archer as he had the element of surprise.
Luke waited and listened to the sounds of footsteps, waiting for the sound to become harder to hear to indicate that they had left. Great, all he had to do was take out the archer that sounded simple enough. As he planned on how he was going to take out the archer the boy tensed up as he heard footsteps. He figured it was just the archer trying to find a good place to set up and as long as he didn't move he wouldn't be spotted, at least that was what Luke thought.
What he didn't expect was for the man to make his way behind the tree that Luke was currently hiding behind. Why in the world was he going over here? Why did it have to be there?! The two exchanged confused looks before Luke took notice to the fact that the man had yet to take out his bow and was completely unprepared for a fight. Luke took this an opportunity to lunge himself at the man, tackling him to the ground. A hand to hand brawl wasn't something that Luke's teacher would approve of, he'd probably scold him for this.
Regardless this was a fight for his life and Luke had to do everything to survive and it wouldn't be Luke's first time being in a fist fight. As the two hit the ground and tumbled about Luke made sure to be the one on top and wasted no time throwing punches at the man. Luke would have kept it up but the archer managed to push Luke off of him causing Luke to stumble back, barely getting back up on his feet before the archer.
Luke quickly drew his sword as the pirate stumbled back to grab his bow which had fallen during the scuffle. Before the man could do anything else Luke had charged and swung his blade. The pirate tried using his bow to block the attack but the sword met his body before he could do that. The man dropped to the ground and Luke fell to his butt, taking a moment to recover. There was no telling whether or not the man was actually dead but he at least wasn't moving anymore. Luke cut his resting short as he had to move fast before the pirates reached the cabin, by now they were probably over there already. The boy got up from the ground and started running towards the cabin not caring about being stealthy anymore.
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Edward Zobek
Sage
Posts: 46
Profession: Viscount of Ligure
Affiliation: Knights Radiant
Affinity: Light
Profile: Edward Zobek
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Post by Edward Zobek on Nov 18, 2014 0:58:25 GMT -6
Edward remained still and at the ready, the deadly implement that was his finger remained fixed on the kidnapper's crumpled, wheezing body. The viscount hadn't taken the time to do more than identify the man as "not Nora" before attacking him, but now he took a moment to look his victim over. The man was young, scrawny, and strangely enough, well-dressed. In fact, if Edward had seen this boy on the street he would have taken him for a young sailor or novice craftsman sooner than he would have a criminal, but in all his years, the knight had learned that it was only the bad criminals that were easily seen for what they truly were. It was true that people always thought that they were good at divining the true intentions of others, but they would be surprised to know just how well a fine, unassuming change of clothes could hide criminal thoughts.
But this young man had made a large mistake in trying to kidnap princess Eleonora, and for that he had earned the knight's contempt. And the contemptuous gaze which Edward directed at the man hardened further as the young kidnapper ventured a guess, a correct guess, of Nora's true heritage. Royalty? Yes, but how would such a freebooter like this know? Perhaps it had been a good guess? It had been a question, not a statement, implying that he hadn't known she was the princess before he had tried abducting her, but the fact that he had come to the conclusion at all meant that he had been given some reason to believe that it was indeed true. On top of that, men don't go kidnapping people they don't know unless they have been directed to do so. That meant someone had hired him to perform this misdeed, and that was bad. Very bad. If this boy had just been a local villager who had overheard a conversation he had not meant to hear, and gotten dreams of riches and glory for kidnapping the Princess of Etruria, then this could be easily solved.
"He'll be fine," said Edward, retracting his outstretched arm as he tugged on the cuff of his leather glove. He turned to look at Eleonora. "Unless the boy has a particularly weak constitution, a little blood and a bad headache is the most that should come of this. Physically, that is." Then, casually, the old man walked over to the fallen, would-be kidnapper and leaned over him. He placed a hand on the man's shoulder, and stared him square in the eyes, or at least as squarely as he could given the latter's disoriented state.
"Who bought your services?" he asked, his voice stern and commanding. He thrust a finger in Nora's direction. "Why are you interested in the girl? I'd advise you tell me or you'll have more than just your sore gut to worry about."
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2014 23:51:48 GMT -6
To say he was disoriented and dizzy was a grand understatement but he could comprehend everything around him. He slid his body up until he was supported by his elbows but he dared not rise further. Especially not with the elderly knight kneeling right before him. "To explain everything will take time but to answer shortly my captain was hired by a man in Etruria. I was given the task of carrying out the job. I was not at the meeting so to give you a name is something I can not offer. All I know is he too had pink hair and claimed to be her father and an exceptionally wealthy merchant.
Ephraim chuckled dryly. "Captain is so stupid she took him at his offer when he said he'd give her the money for a man-o-war. An Etrurian enlisting privateers? She can be so stupid sometimes." If he was to die here he may as well come clean of everything. Or maybe he could use his connections and knowledge to strike a deal.
"MY interests in her aren't all that there really. I hate the idea of kidnapping, and that of hurting a woman even more; but to me Captain is family and I would do anything for her." She saved him and gave him a real chance at life. He would not waste it or go against her. But now it lead him to a place with no way out.
"Things were very off though. They weren't right, since the beginning. Judging from your reactions I was right too." He smiled before finding himself tearing up. "I'm such an idiot." He shook his head fervently and squeezed his eyes shut. "This is what I get for going against my own code I guess." Ephraim looked at Nora and back to the knight now with a bit of defiance. He gritted his teeth now.
"Do me two favors at least. Kill me quickly and keep her safe. I know it means less than nothing from me but I can even tell her true worth. The world needs her." That was when he had an idea. "Or... you could hire us! Your own crew to act on your will. I could be your shadow. The one that takes care of the unsavory business."
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Edward Zobek
Sage
Posts: 46
Profession: Viscount of Ligure
Affiliation: Knights Radiant
Affinity: Light
Profile: Edward Zobek
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Post by Edward Zobek on Nov 24, 2014 17:23:53 GMT -6
Edward had expected the boy to talk, given the magical strike down he had just unleashed upon him, but he hadn’t expected it to be so easy getting information out of the would-be kidnapper. Indeed, the old viscount couldn’t help but raised a very confused eyebrow as the blonde haired youth, in sequence:
Decried his captain. Claimed moral high-ground over his own actions. Pledged loyalty to his captain. Rebuked himself. Requested his own death. Requested his victim’s safety. Offered the service of himself and his crew.
The old knight had burst into the room expecting...something other than this, to be sure. Here he was kneeling over a teary eyed young man who claimed to barely even understand why he was doing what he was doing, that being a royal kidnapping, and to be honest, the old knight wasn’t quite sure what to make of the situation. The youth’s story and delivery lacked any sort of sense, leading Edward to believe that he was just trying to lie, but not realizing he was absolutely terrible at it. At the same time, one didn’t perform uneducated, uninformed abductions because they were intelligent, so stupidity made for an equally suitable explanation in this case
“Dont be daft,” the viscount said as he rose to his feet, brushing aside the offer, still trying to figure out where to go from here. Edward could tell that the boy was trying to sound like a martyr, heroic as he faced his own death, but he just ended up sounding like, well, a boy, a stupid one at that, and one who was caught up in something he clearly didn’t understand. It also didn’t help that he asked Edward to hire him not a second after asking to be killed quickly. The old knight ran a hand over his face as he let out an exasperated sigh. If the boy was lying to him, something he definitely considered, then all he had learned was that someone, somewhere, knew Eleonora was alive and wanted her brought to them. Edward could only venture that, whoever it was, they had little in the way of power or resources if they were using such budget methods. The assumption also held fast even if the young man was telling the truth.
“Privateers, you said,” Edward stated, placing his hand on the dusty old mantel of the hut’s fireplace. He stared at the ground as the cogs in his head turned. “That means you’re a pirate. How big is your crew?” He looked over his shoulder, shooting the blonde youth a glance. “And what does your captain know about the girl?”
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Post by Deleted on Dec 2, 2014 23:26:43 GMT -6
Ephraim thought about the question for a moment. "I don't feel that is information I should inform you of. If I tell you the size of the crew you could easily prepare to sink them if you choose to." Sure he talked, but he couldn't trust the old man' s word yet let alone understand his intentions. "But I can promise you this, she has no idea of the truth. ... Hmm, maybe not going back at all would be the better course of action."
The boy was sitting against the wall with his head lulling in pain as he tentatively felt to his bleeding. He wished he had brought an elixir. "If you want to know size for security reasons them it's safe enough. Ships ignore us when we sail most of the time. Obviously the ones that didn't ignore us... Well, were still alive." Ephraim clutched his mine and held it close within his bag. If things went south he had insurance, hopefully.
Hissing at the sting he raised a question for all present in the room. "Anyone have a vulnerary or any healing salves? It would be pretty fantastic right now." With that he remained silent and starred at the floor. He looked blank and distant but he was annalyzing his surroundings. The floors were cracked and rising with roots peeking out of the floor boards. Nature was taking this building back. But he didn't care about the architectural history, he wanted a secret. A secret hatch leading elsewhere. He searched the room over but failed to find one at the moment. To all appearances the window and door were the only ways out.
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