Succession: Rebellion

C.C.

"Katie! I would never lie to you!" C.C. said with pretend shock. "I'm only doing things that I believe to be your best interests. At least now you'll know why not to mate with an Orc, right? And because of me, you now have several little tips you can use to your advantage during your date with Nell!"

Mab nodded. She just wanted to fall asleep. Her whole body was screaming at her.

"You were wrong. I could carry you after all," she said, starting to close her eyes.
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"Yes it is," Sunny said, turning away. She wondered if things would become any more awkward, but maybe it was just that it was night and they were alone in the tent. Tomorrow things would be normal.
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Chris moved down the Temple's steps slowly. She rarely left the Temple, but because Mab was gone she had no one to help her with errands. The Temple needed more supplies and she had to go and get them herself. With was going to be difficult.

Chris tried to recall how far she would have to go to reach the market. She was hoping the voices of salers and others would help, but she didn't want to walk into the wrong thing.

Annak was descending from the mountains on the back of Amarok. He had been denied access to the rebel stronghold. He was told that to enter he must find the other heirs and bring them to the mountains. But there was one heir in particular he was to bring. Nebi. Nebi seemed to be the most important at the moment. At least to the rebels. Without the letter designating himself as heir, he didn't have enough evidence to prove that he was the chosen successor to the throne. So he needed to prove himself, by finding the heirs. The idea was that if he was truly an heir, than the other heirs should have a faintly similar scent to his, and Amarok should be able to find them. It was pretty flawed logic, but it was his only option. So Amarok and Annak left the mountains in search of the heirs.

"So where should we start?" Asked Annak.

"I'm not sure. It's not like we have any leads. Although..." Amarok began.

"Although what?" Asked Annak.

"There was a girl traveling with Senka. A mage. It seemed as though I had a chance of pulling her away from her group. If I could talk to her maybe that would give us some clues." Amarok suggested. Annak nodded, accepting this idea.

"That's a start, but how would he find her?" Annak asked.

"Annak, that's like asking me how to find my own paw. She's a mage. I could probably sense her from here if I concentrated." he said, and then saw something on the road ahead. A human, riding a horse. He suddenly had a bad feeling, and bared his teeth. Annak could see it too. They didn't know who it was, but with their luck it was Senka, coming to finish them off. Annak grabbed the knife on his belt. The same one that had been lodged in his shoulder. Senka could have tracked him, she had the ring. But whoever it was, chances are they saw them. There was no point in hiding, Annak and Amarok would need to meet with whoever it was, and would need to deal with the consequences,

A tremor ran through Silverhein's body and the mare jerked to a halt before sidestepping nervously. Reacting instantly, Ana reached into her pouch and drew out one of her two throwing knives. The hair on the back of her neck was prickling now, just as much a warning as the horse's fright that she was no longer alone.

With her free hand, she patted the horse's neck as Silverhein snorted and gave a shake of her head. She wanted to run, but Ana's commands kept her in place. The mercenary grasped the horse's mane and wheeled the frightened animal around, to see a kid riding atop a wolf--Annak.

Why was the kid headed away from the rebels? Had he not been able to find them? Or had...? No, that didn't matter right now.

She urged the horse forward.

What mattered was capturing the heir.

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Valen and the two men slowed to a halt inside the underground room. He stepped back, as did the other two, though his hands remained held out towards the shadowy ball. He glanced towards the entrance to the room, knowing that Faris would not be long.

"You should just kill them."

The priest slowly turned his right hand upside down and curled his fingers slightly. The shadowy ball responded, shrinking slightly before expanding back out to normal as he turned his hand back over.

You know I can't.

He looked back towards the entrance.

Not yet.

Carlisle

Carlisle was standing as Mab finished speaking. And the Doctor couldn't help but smile softly to himself as he watched her eyes close. She was right, and he had underestimated her earlier. "I'll get the shelter ready." He whispered before walking off into the Forest.

There was a lot of work he would have to do, especially considering how tired Mab was. She deserved some rest.
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Katie

"You are such a...." Katie began to say stopping as instead she just chuckled a bit to herself. She was used to these sort of conversations with C.C. . The Mage teased her all the time during these past two years. It was one of the constants of their friendship with each other. And now that Katie remembered that she was annoyed with herself a bit, having forgotten about that during this trip, she had forgotten how fun it could be and because of that she had just been sort of peeved with all these jokes. And that was stupid.

"Fine C.C. . I'll make sure to use all of your advice with Nell when it's time." Katie replied, a smirk still on her face as she looked out towards Naron. She was tired, and a bit sad as well, considering the date. But Katie was enjoying herself on this trip. And that's what mattered, the Girl thought.
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Faris

Faris walked into the room confidently, not even acknowledging Valen as he walked past the possessed Man. The Dark-Elf stared at the shadow ball that held his prize.

But his plans were not complete yet, of that Faris was quite certain. He still had to convince them that joining Faris was the smart thing, the right thing, to do.

"There are six people in the ball, correct?" Faris asked rhetorically as he walked around it slowly. He looked at the glob of shadows almost as if he could see what was within, what the Heir was thinking right now.

"Yes, Sir." One of the Soldiers replied, causing Faris to stop in place as he looked at the Orc.

"Wonderful. Then we're going to split them up into three pairs. Valen, you can remove the shield now. And be prepared for an assault, who knows how they're going to react." Faris ordered calmly.

C.C.

"Good. But again, remember what I said earlier: if Nell knocks you up, I will murder him!" C.C. said in an extremely cheerful tone before breaking out into a laugh. "I eagerly look forward to your date, Katie! It should prove to be very interesting..."

Rein

The shadow ball slowly disappeared and conscious thought began to return to Rein. She tried to move, but her limbs still refused to obey her commands. Her eyes worked a little, though, so Rein tried to look around the area she was in. She couldn't tell much about it, though she could see some people not too far away.

What the hell was going on here?! Where were they, and why couldn't she move?

The shield disappeared at Faris's words and Valen's hands disappeared in his sleeves as he locked his fingers together. He smiled politely at those within the carriage, appearing very much like a harmless man with his relaxed stance and the slight smile. Some warmth had even appeared in his red eyes.

The best way to catch flies was with honey.

And he didn't want to waste any more energy on this whole affair.

"You know, it's not polite to capture someone you're trying to sway to your cause," an old man noted as he entered the room, a serene expression on his face as he gripped his walking stick. Apparently, walking into a secret hide-out in the middle of nowhere didn't phase him. In fact, he only had a faint note of disapproval in his eyes.

He smiled at Valen and inclined his head at the priest. He had found a few of the people he had been waiting for. As he regarded the Dark-Elf solemnly, one of the guards tried to grab him, but he found his hands passed right through the old man.

"You will have to work the Heir you captured if you want to succeed. Not as a pawn, I'm afraid, or your efforts will be for naught. Yes. Naught! Hmm... naught is an interesting word. Naught! Naught! Naught!" the old man continued, apparently slipping into a moment of senility.

Epiphany got to the bottom of the stairs and opened a wooden oak door. It led to the main entrance where everyone is stripped of their weapons before they are put in the dungeons. Epiphany looked around the room and noticed where the weapons were, but unfortunately, there were also a few guards too. She headed for the weapons.

"Try holding them off!" She shouted as she fought a guard.

Faris/Kegan/Brighe

Kegan continued to stare at Rein. Now that he could finally think again, the Half-Elf was going insane! He couldn't move, couldn't speak, and he had no idea where he had been transported to. And yet he could hear others talk about him. Just a few yards away. It was confusing, infuriating, and altogether uncomfortable as the back of his neck itched.

Three yards away, Faris stood with a bemused expression on his face as he looked at the old man. This being was very powerful, or very very stupid. Probably both, Faris was guessing. And he was annoyed with having to deal with this unforeseen problem, with having to change his plans on the fly. And so the Dark-Elf licked his lips, eyeing the Female Elf who was looking at him from the back of the Carriage, glaring as she slowly regained control over her body.

"I wouldn't think of manipulating them." Faris lied as he looked back at the Elderly man. "I just assumed that these travelers would like some rooms to rest in as I explain to them what has happened to them."

Kegan flexed his fingers and looked away as suddenly he was able to move. The Heir wasn't sure if he should start attacking everyone around him or simply sit still and wait. But in the end, he did neither. "What the hell is going on here?" Kegan asked as he jumped off of the front of the Carriage. Not sure who was in charge out of this group.
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Katie

Katie shook her head, the same bemused grin on her face as she looked off into the distance. "Oh I'm sure. just remember to change your appearance well enough before you stalk us, it wouldn't be as much fun if you were easy to recognize." katie stated jokingly as she looked back at C.C.
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Grace

Kilo and Fang grunted in reply as they Epiphany in holding back the Guards. Grace maneuvered her way through the fight as she made her way towards the other side of the room, where the wall of weaponry awaited her.

She wasn't sure what belonged to who though, so instead of waiting and asking, Grace just began to grab stuff and slide them across the room. First was an ax, then a staff, a sword, a sai blade, chain, and at the end she even threw a book, aiming it at one of the Guards head.

C.C.

"True. It should prove to be a fun game, I think! You can go over to Nell now if you want, too, Katie. I imagine you two have a lot to talk about for this date." C.C. said with a mischievous smile.

Syrien

"Yes, I quite agree." Syrien stated as he walked into view from behind the carriage. "What exactly is going on here? If I do not get an answer soon, then I will assume we've been abducted, and will act accordingly. And I'm sure you wouldn't want that."

"Ah, that's what you were doing?" Alquonde asked him, continuing to feign senility. He nodded solemnly, "That's very kind of you. You're one of those rebellion types, right?"

Valen half-turned to face the God, fighting hard to keep his polite smile in place. He should have known that Alquonde would appear as soon as the prize was brought back.

His ignored the God and turned his red gaze to Kegan. "It seems that you ran into trouble with demons, sir. I was able to free you from the curse they cast on your group, but I had to bring you here to do it. It was no easy matter. We're here to protect you, to help you."

Epiphany grabbed the sai that slid across the ground and stabbed a guard. Then she headed for the door. Epiphany wiggled the doorknob, but it seemed to be locked. Who knew guards lock the door though they are inside. Just as she was about to stab it, Epiphany got attacked by a guard. She got cut near the waist but she managed to fight off the guard. Once she was free, she stab the doorknob and opened the door.

"Come on," Epiphany called, "Let's go."

Faris/Kegan/Brighe

"I am the leader of the faction of this province, along with the three other provinces surrounding Hogof." Faris replied to the powerful and supposedly foolish old man. A large wrench was thrown into his plans, and Faris resisted the urge to have the Man killed here and now. That certainly wouldn't impress anyone.

Brighe put her hand onto Syrien's shoulder, prepared to do the same as the Other Elf. But as she saw the strange group that surrounded the Carriage, she realized that no one here was going to win if they threatened one another. It was like home almost. With false words and smiles waiting all around her.

Kegan eyed the strange looking being carefully and suspiciously, not sure what he was supposed to think at this point. But before he could voice his suspicious, Brighe was already speaking right beside him.

"How chivalrous of you. Most men would have simply ran away under fear of being attacked themselves." She replied calmly, her arms crossed. The Elf trusted none of these men, but voicing it certainly wouldn't help. No, it would be better for Brighe to wait, observe, and listen before doing anything such as that. Even if Brighe's instincts were telling her to kill the Man before her and run.

"And then you trapped us in this cave right after saving us?" Kegan asked rhetorically, making it obvious that he didn't believe anything that was going on. Why was Brighe buying this load of crap, Kegan wondered, not realizing what was actually going on.

Faris gritted his teeth in frustration as he heard Valen's attempts to woo the Heir and his Comrades. That wouldn't do, if Ekaitz trusted Valen over Faris, then the demonic man would certainly use that to his advantage. So the Dark-Elf quickly spun around and looked at the group, not really minding that this was a rude gesture to the old man.

"He escorted you to this safe Haven under my orders, Heir Kegan Ekaitz." Faris stated, bowing lightly as he greeted Kegan. "We're a powerful faction of the Rebellion who has been fighting the Empire for decades. So you can trust me when I inform you that you are safe here." Faris informed the group.

"Heh." Kegan replied, unamused.

Brighe rolled her eyes at her Nephew's bluntness before glancing back at Syrien. It would seem that these men assumed Kegan was the leader of their group. Whether that was a mistake that could hurt or help Brighe and Syrien remained to be seen, of course.
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Katie

"Oh yes C.C., we have a lot to plan." Katie replied while rolling her eyes, but nevertheless, the Girl slowed down her horse as she let the Wagons and Soldiers go past her.
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Grace

Grace winced as she saw Epiphany get cut, but she was relieved when the young Amazonian managed to defeat the Guard and get the door opened.
And as she ran across the room, the small spirit Grace had summoned earlier floated up to her. There was a soft and pleasant glow to it, and the Spirit was obviously pleased with itself. So Grace stopped in place, bowing to the Spirit with her hands clasped together. It was important to say a small prayer so that the Spirit could know that iw was both released and appreciated, so Grace made sure to do so.

"Grace come on!" Fang shouted from the doorway a few seconds after Grace was finished. So of course, the Amazonian followed.
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Carlisle

It was cold when Carlisle finally finished setting up camp for Mab and himself. But the wind had calmed and it had stopped snowing, at least. A small fire crackled warmly just a few feet from Carlisle and Mab, lying between the two as the Doctor kept watch.

Staying out in the forest was an entirely different ordeal then the caves. Because now Carlisle had to literally build a roof over their heads(at least he thought so) and he also had to keep watch in case wolves or other wild animals came out in the night. (Un)fortunately for Carlisle, there were no wolves, or bears, or moose in the Forest, and he could have slept without worry. Too bad.

Syrien

"I see...then perhaps we should trust them, Lord Ekaitz? After all, they did help us. Not to mention we could use their large numbers to help in our quest to overthrow Tsuba." Syrien said, turning to Kegan. If Faris thought Kegan was the leader of their group, than so be it. They could use that misinformation to their advantage if need be. And his words had a double meaning to them. Faris, no doubt, had many men under his control, and would be willing to use them all against them if a fight broke out. And while Syrien himself was a good fighter, as was Brighe, Kegan, and Sten, they could not take on an entire army by themselves.

For now, it would be best to accept Faris' help. While Syrien doubted it, he could be telling the truth. But if he was lying, then it would be best to play along and study Faris' faction and try to escape later, when they had a better chance. In the meantime, at least, they could learn more about the rebels and try to discover weaknesses in Faris and his men.

Rein, meanwhile, ducked back inside the carriage to check on Atiya while Kegan and the others dealt with Faris. She wouldn't be real useful if a fight broke out, and someone needed to make sure Atiya was okay.

"Wonderful. We're to trust a group of armed strangers," Sten commented dryly, eying up the Rebels with a combatant's eye. They didn't impress him, but their sheer numbers could be a problem. He continued, "And I still haven't found my sword."

"Your sword isn't your soul. Your soul is within," the old man told Sten wisely before cracking open a grin, "Like a good sandwich!"

Sten frowned. He was wondering if he should be disturbed that a senile old man knew something about his people or not.

Valen knew exactly what Faris was trying to do, by entering into the conversation. He also knew that if he and Faris continued this power struggle in front of the Heir and his companions, it could very well destroy their attempts at building trust.

“I am a priest,” he said to answer the Elf. “I could not simply pass you by when you were in peril.”

He stepped towards them, his gaze flickering over the group. “You’re all so tense. If we were really going to kill you, I would have just left you to the demons. Here is a safe place, just as Faris told you.”

(Name: Mirela
Age: 19
Gender: Female
Race: Humage (Gypsy)
Appearance: https://s225.photobucket.com/albums/dd40/PainfulxLies/Neon%20Knight/?action=view&current=Utau.jpg
Magic?: Yes, illusionary
Royal Bloodline?: No
Personality: Mirela is a proud girl and will get very upset when people speak lowly of Gypsys. She speaks her mind and can be forceful, but Mirela isn't all attitude. She can also be considerate of others at times. She is secretive and a good liar going along with her ability to create illusions. She doesn't like being helped at all.
History: Mirela was born into a Gypsy family which are a sub-race of Humages who only use illusionarr magic. But Gypsys also have a reputation of being cons and so Mirela didn't have an easy childhood. What made it not all that bad was her friend Hazuki. She was close to her until Hazuki was sold into slavery. A few years later Mirela set out to search for her friend, even though her parents told her that it would be better if she did not. So Mirela left home without a word.

She eventually found Hazuki again and joined the rebellion without a second thought. It is speculated that Mirela has a crush on Hazuki but she won't confirm or deny it. Mirela is Hazuki's bodyguard.
Other: She is also uses nunchucks to fight)

(Cool character. Accepted. )

"It would be a wasted effort." Gaita said "Why rebuild a city when no-ones left to return. But I appreciate the offer." Nix stood up. This entire exchange had been worth bringing up old wounds. Nebi was an heir, without a shadow of a doubt. that made him insanely valuable, not only to the empire but to the rebellion as well. If Nix worked his cards right, he could end up richer than any high and mighty noble is all the southern kingdom. "Shall we go then? We've got allot of ground to cover" He said cheerily. It was to early in the game to decide if he'd help or hunt his companion. And there was the matter of Gaita's co-operation, if any was to be had. 'Watch the game Nix. After all, you don't want to be on the losing side. Do you?' he thought to himself.

Brighe/Kegan/Faris

Kegan eyed the Priest and Dark-Elf carefully. They oth had an unpleasant air to them, but Kegan wasn't sure whether or not they were trustworthy yet. "Hmm, well whatever your reasons, thank you. We appreciate your help a lot." Kegan answered for Brighe.

Faris bit his lip as he eyed Valen for a few seconds. The Priest was providing a very difficult and wholly unnecessary issue. If he butted his way into the conversation once again, it would be proof to Heir Kegan how unstable Faris' leadership over the faction was. But if Valen continued to woo the group, that could make things even more difficult as well. He would just have to try talking to Heir Ekaitz's comrades later. If he could make them comfortable with himself, then they could make Kegan comfortable with Faris as well. It would be the best option, he decided.

Brighe's attention went back to the old man who had been speaking with Sten. He was crazy, wise, and uninvolved with this group of Rebels. At least, that's what Brighe assumed by what little she had seen of him, plus, the attitudes of the Guards set around the cave helped her make up her mind a bit.

Syrien

"Now that that is settled," Syrien spoke up, glancing briefly at the odd and somewhat fascinating old man, "Are there any rooms you can provide for us? Lord Ekaitz and the rest of us are all tired from our journey, and it is late into the night as well. If we are to have any talks, I believe sufficient rest should be provided for us all before we do so."

For a moment, the Priest hesitated in answering. His red eyes flickered to Faris and then back to the group. He did not want to push this little game far enough for Faris to accuse him of treason. While he was confident he could kill the rebel leader, he knew it would destroy his credibility with those around him.

"We have rooms ready," he said to answer Syrien's question. "If you will follow me..." He turned and took a few steps forward before pausing and glancing back at them, to see if they were following. "Also, do any of you have injuries that need to be attended too?"

"I can take care of that," Alquonde interrupted brightly, digging through his robes and pulling out a few healing herbs, including athelas, a plant most considered to be a weed, though it actually had long-forgotten healing properties.

"Say, where will I be staying?" he asked, as though the thought just occurred to him.

*

Nebi grinned at Nix before shrugging as he stood up and stretched. He spoke, "Sounds good to me. Can't stay out in the open like this."