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Post by Leandros Aurthurian on Jul 10, 2023 19:30:18 GMT -5
A delivery run. Admittedly even Leandros thought this was beneath him for everything that the Winged Expeditionary Force needed. There was hunting to do, scouting, but all right make the very large man carry heavy boxes. It likely didn't help he had a well trained horse they could hitch a wagon to. Still, his face was not the serene and gentle face he usually held as he hitched up the wagon. This was a pure-blooded, pedigreed, and trained Charonian Warmblood. Byrr was no Moonveil Draft Horse. Of course Byrr could handle the weight, but he was a warhorse not a beast of burden. These people don't know horses in the slightest, if he weren't the man he was he would've refused the job. "Easy there love, people might notice." Apogee chuckles as she pats his face, pulling him down for a kiss. A breath escapes Leandros like the air leaving a balloon before he collects himself. It's necessary supplies, focus on what the camp needs. With the new mindset, the work seems to pass a little bit easier. And soon enough Byrr is fully hitched up to the wagon, now all that's left to be done is fill it with said supplies. Quest Name: One box too many Participants: Exactly two (you and one other, the other does not need to be interested in the guild) Location: Indicated by Hunt Dossier Post Requirements: 5 post per person, 200 words per post Reward: Quest Completion Description: Organization is the core of any hunt. It allows for speed and flexibility on the field of combat and helps prevent any surprises that may rear their ugly head. Your task is to assist the Logistics Corps with organizing the necessary supplies for the hunt. You will assist will bringing resources into an established area, such as food, gear and clothing. You will also be required to reinforce built artillery, making sure it is well defended and guarded as they will be vital in assisting with a hunt. You will also need to be able to take down and rebuild these devices in matters of seconds, relocating it around the battlefield if needed. Help with building barricades, setting traps and outfitting the other teams.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Jul 11, 2023 13:39:03 GMT -5
Leandros wasn't the only capable adventurer getting their chain yanked by the Expeditionary Force.
Across the docks there is a similar situation occurring but with a different party of folks. Zarius stands at the dock with his arms crossed and tapping his foot impatiently. He's surrounded by crates yet has not lifted a finger to move any of it. He's instead staring out at the horizon as if watching for something to appear out of the low lying mists.
Damn that brat. She's late.
Zarius had sent word to Shael to meet him in the Arid Mesa as the situation races towards the final goal of taking down the troll leader. He hadn't brought her at the beginning because he wanted to scout the situation before bringing in a potential liability. Gods know she would have complained about all the grunt work or gotten into fights with other members here.
Part of joining the W.E.F. had been for her benefit as there was little chance for her to go back to being a Dvory racer with the Red Riders out for payback. The W.E.F. however had plenty of mounted combatants and even an elite force of drake riders themselves. It would be good for her to have a network of people with similar skills she could learn from. Course it would be hard to learn from anyone if she never shows up.
He glances down the length of the dock and spots Leandros and Apogee.
Aaaaaaah, great. He's here. Of course he's here.
A part of him considers just pretending like he didn't notice them, but that thought quickly goes out the window as he notices movement through the mist.
Appearing over the ocean waves flies a large silver-colored storm drake ridden by a small framed dark elf. While seeing a flying mount isn't unusual given the large number of W.E.F. members in the Arid Mesa currently, this one was not one recognized by the other people working on the dock. While Indra and Shael's arrival does not send anyone running for cover or reaching for their weapons, there is a bit of attention thrown their way as the large drake and rider approach the end of the dock.
No way the knight or his wife ignores that. Zarius sighs before he's buffeted and nearly knocked off the dock by the gust of wind kicked up by the drake coming to a stop and hovering in mid air. He steadies himself against a crate then shoots Shael an annoyed look.
"Can you please land??"
Shael scoffs. "Hi to you too."
"Now!"
She rolls her eyes and directs Indra to land in a clear spot on the docks before she slides off the back of the drake, her boots click against the wooden planks as she lands.
Zarius fixes the collar of his shirt as he approaches her. "You are late."
Shael puts her hands on her hips and raises an eyebrow in response. "Sky's overcast. How do you know I'm late?"
The fellblood gives her an unimpressed look. "You are late," he repeats.
"Whatever," she shrugs before looking around. "Hey, don't we know them?"
"Yes, come on, we need to get to work." He turns away and heads back to the crates.
"I'm going to go say hi," Shael says, walking the opposite direction and over to Leandros.
Gods.
Dammit.
He's far too tired for all this.
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Post by Leandros Aurthurian on Jul 11, 2023 19:35:47 GMT -5
Perhaps surprising to Zarius, the first one to actually arrive is Theobo, the halfling squire. He strode confidently through the streets with his inventory papers. Despite being from different families and races, it was funny how much he looked like a shrunken Leandros at times.
"Mister Zarius? I didn't expect to see you here." The brief introduction is quickly cut short as Shael begins to land. The halfling is pushed back a bit, but is lucky to catch footing on a cobblestone and prevent himself from being thrown backwards.
By the time Theobo unclenches his eyes from shutting them tight to protect himself everyone else is gone. He hurries his gait to catch up and get past Shael, unlike her he was much to eager to not be late. They arrive at almost exactly the same time, but the squire huffs and catches his breath having had to sprint ahead.
"Shael? I am remembering that name correctly, yes? I should have guessed it was you from the ride." Apogee smiles as she waves her over, sitting in the front of the wagon as Leandros loads it. "Are you and your...I guess if he's not lord, would boss be the right word for him? Is he off grumbling like my husband?"
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Jul 15, 2023 10:57:30 GMT -5
"I could say the same for you and your group," Zarius responds to the young squire before Theobo rushes after Shael.
The sassy dark elf looks over her shoulder at Theobo as he runs up behind her. "Hey, Jitters."
She then turns her attention back to Apogee and nods. "Yup, that's right."
It was nice that the lady remembered her name even though they barely talked last time they met. It made her feel a little jealous. Why couldn't these people be the ones she was stuck with?
She scoffs and laughs. "Definitely not a lord or boss, kidnapper would be more accurate. He's back over there," she gestures back along the docks.
Zarius approaches but keeps a bit of distance. "You are going to give people the wrong idea by calling me that."
"I'm not wrong, you totally kidnapped me when we first met." She folds her arms indignantly.
The fellblood glances at Leandros, he had no doubts the man would take such accusations very seriously given his hero complex. "You are leaving out a lot of context."
Shael shrugs, she could hardly care about how her words may reflect badly on him. As far as she was concerned, he deserved the scrutiny. "Kidnapper's a kidnapper, I don't think the context will do you any good."
Zarius looks at Apogee and Theobo. "Please do not pay her any mind."
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Post by Leandros Aurthurian on Jul 15, 2023 11:11:01 GMT -5
"Well if you didn't keep such a dark and mysterious air about you, it wouldn't seem so likely." Apogee smiles from atop the wagon.
Leandros does look from around the wagon, but doesn't speak up. As knightly as he is, he can tell the difference between an actual accusation and ribbing from a friend...or however the two would define their working relationship. Gilder gave him enough sass at times as well, so he understood the strain for Zarius.
"What is the context then? It's going to take the boys a bit to finish loading the wagon, so come on." She scoots over and pats a seat for Shael to join her. "Share~"
Leandros lets out a little bit of a sigh and light smile as he shakes his head. He shoves another crate onto the wagon before coming around to approach Zarius.
"So they've pulled you into this as well?....I know you'll enjoy me saying something not so knightly, but does it not seem odd to have people like us doing this job?" The knight looks around to the docks, it was mostly some of the fighters and mages the WEF had taken in that were loading things. "I am happy to help the Expedition, but simple deliveries on safe roads seems....strange."
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Jul 15, 2023 14:48:57 GMT -5
"It is genetic, Lady Apogee."
He wasn't too interested in changing how he comes across. Regardless of his efforts there would always be people who thought the worst of him, and some of them were justified in that line of thinking.
Shael doesn't hesitate to hop on up next to Apogee. Any opportunity to gossip especially at the expense of the fellblood was all too tempting.
"This creep and his pale boyfriend ruined a race I was in and instead of taking responsibility they mind controlled me and my drake and used us to run away. Then they fucking tied me to a chair and threatened me into going with them back to their crappy city full of even more criminals."
Zarius just rolls his eyes and tries to ignore Shael talking shit about him. She wasn't wrong but did she really have share that information in that way? Ungrateful brat.
He looks at Leandros and nods affirmatively. "Yes, they have had me running all over the Arid Mesa helping get ready for this weird troll thing."
The whole situation has been very annoying to him. He'd much rather be spending his time working on other things then being relegated to moving cargo.
"It is strange, but I think it comes down to the Crown trying to push this depiction of all the guilds working together and being unified under them. The Force is full of prideful people, I do not think they really want the rest of us here and letting others join is just to counter any accusations of elitism."
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Post by Leandros Aurthurian on Jul 15, 2023 15:05:26 GMT -5
"Darkveil isn't so bad, but I imagine under those circumstances it would be...less than enjoyable. Why not leave then? Shouldn't be too hard with a dragon at your beck and call." Apogee gives the elf a curious look. She certainly had her own reservations about Zarius, especially now given the story, but given her former job she's more than aware of how malleable stories can be. Shael had her version, Zarius would have his own, and the truth usually rested somewhere in the middle. Still, she would try to gently pry for more information to make sure Shael was not actually in danger.
Leandros crosses his arms over his chest in this moment of respite. He motions with his head for Theobo to join Gilder at the docks and do final checks of the inventory.
"I understand they are recently reformed and the monster in question certainly requires a lot of effort, but you may have a point. I would not put it past the Crown to be using this as a convienient way to push focus from them. Give us adventurers a big monster to fight while they consolidate their story."
He lets out a breath and his arms fall to his sides. "I don't know if you are some sort of spy or information broker, but...do have anything on the Crown? I want to know how far the rot goes, but I doubt I can get as close to things as I would like. I lack the talents you do....and I do mean talents, that's not me being passive aggressive."
The knight gives a little smirk and laugh, "Knightly as I am, I understand that sometimes the solutions to some problems requires more than brute strength and that's all I have."
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Jul 18, 2023 12:42:32 GMT -5
"Have you been there? It's covered in ash and all busted up and there's creeps everywhere."
She'd be lying if she said she didn't miss the wide open skies of King's Valley. The Ash Lands felt confining by comparison. Adjusting to living there had been hard on both her and Indra. Neither of them were used to living in a dense city with narrow streets and so many more people constantly around.
"Wish I could just leave and go back to my old way of life, but, thanks to that guy, I can't." She huffs and props her elbows on her knees while resting her chin in her hands. She pouts a bit. "Can't even show my face in King's Valley anymore what with the Red Riders having it out for me."
Zarius looks surprised at the knight's words. Was this man really skeptical of the Crown? Or was this a farce to get him to admit to something that would land him in a jail cell for life, or an spot on an execution platform.
"I do not mean you any offense, Sir Aurthurian, but you are a knight sworn to serve the Crown," he points out bluntly. "I will not confirm your suspicions of me or what I know for both our sakes. You could easily turn around and arrest me if I say anything incriminating, or someone could use any business between us as blackmail against you."
Despite saying that, he does consider how he could leverage Leandros' skepticism of the Crown should it turn out to be earnest. The revelation that the gods have long been dead did throw the Crown's claims to divine rule into question, so that was generations worth of possible power abuse. Well, given the Elven and Rune wars it might be more accurate to say that the abuse of power has already been proven time and time again.
But then he thinks about more recent occurrences. He thinks about Kamille and the situation with her father, or the history the Crown was trying to cover up by hunting down Delaela. He thinks about the Crown's response to recent events with the Fighter's Guild, or their inaction in supporting the search for Athena.
To have Leandros as a trusted ally would be of great advantage. But it was risky. He still doesn't know the man too well or what his true intentions are.
"I will help in ways that will not compromise either of us. I hope you understand. I will say that just knowing something is wrong does not solve problems. Without any follow through, what was previously just ignorance easily becomes negligence. In my opinion, one is more understandable than the other."
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Post by Leandros Aurthurian on Jul 18, 2023 13:49:15 GMT -5
"It has its charms, though I suppose that's easy to say as a tourist and not a resident. The small quirks are probably daily greivances." She folds her hands in her lap as she listens to Shael. Apogee pays special attention to the woman's mannerisms and mood. It certainly was a complicated and sticky web she was in it seemed. "Think in the long term then, bide your time under his thumb until you can earn back that freedom for yourself. Just don't forget your own goals just because you have a boss."
Leandros smiles a bit, expecting to be met with immediate skepticism from the fellblood. The man was less a coiled snake waiting to strike and more a cautious wolf unwilling to give up its territory or let anyone in easily. He could respect fiercely guarding what is important to you. In some broad, broad, incredibly broad strokes they had similarities.
"Well seeing as we are in the Arid Mesa, I don't think I could arrest you for crimes against the Crown....besides if we are to start arresting people for merely speaking ill of the Crown, the dungeons of Sol City would overflow in a night."
It's a small gesture of assurance that Leandros has no ulterior motives, though once more he expects the fellblood to remain guarded. He knew any sort of work between them would have to be done in roundabout ways. A method of communication the knight was wholly unpracticed in if it wasn't plainly obvious to Zarius.
"Knowing the issue does nothing if no one takes action to correct it....I will just say this and not press any further, my fear is that the common people will be caught in the middle of what is happening. Whatever might be done to resolidify power and reestablish their dominance should not fall on the heads of people who had little to do with it, I wish to protect people from that. I swore my oath not to the Crown but to the people."
He pauses a moment.
"Well, one last thought," Leandros breaks with a soft laugh, "If you do decide to offer help, I would run any communications through Apogee first. She's far more practiced in clandestine messages....Or Gilder. Getting him to say anything when he doesn't want to is its own form of impossible."
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Jul 25, 2023 16:13:37 GMT -5
"Oh, no. I don't have to earn anything back from him. He's the one trying to buy my forgiveness and my silence cause I could easily sell him out for all the shady shit he's involved in."
That's enough to catch the fellblood's attention again and he shoots her a look.
"Shael."
The dark elf glances over with an annoyed look on her face. How dare he interject in their conversation. Though given his sharp disapproving expression, she can guess why he decided to pipe up. She scoffs and rolls her eyes.
"What? I haven't said anything specific."
Zarius keeps his tone measured and makes sure that he does not raise his voice out of frustration with her while in front of Apogee and Leandros. "I really do not appreciate even the vague accusations, especially since we are not in a private space."
"Pffft," Shael snorts a laugh. It was funny how he always tried to come off as this polite gentleman type given all the criminal stuff he was wrapped up in. She gives a dismissive wave. "You're fine."
"I will not ask again," he warns.
"Good, then I don't have to put any effort into ignoring you twice." With that, she turns her attention back to Apogee and continues the conversation. "He's an uptight jerk."
Gods. This girl was going to drive him mad.
Zarius glances back at Leandros. "The Arid Mesa is still ultimately under the monarchy's thumb. As much as people may think that the other elves have equal standing with the ruling family, they do not."
Leandros' explanation is a good one and gives the fellblood a better idea of his morality and what ethical beliefs he holds when it comes to his role and position as a knight. The knight's optimism reminds him in no small measure of Gerhart's, though Leandros' perspective comes from a completely different direction. Perhaps this was a sign that there were others that could be leveraged closer to the Crown. After all, manipulating those who 'just want to do good' was fairly textbook for people like himself.
"That is an admirable desire, though innocent casualties are an inevitability when it comes to political discourse."
He takes a moment to think over what the knight has said.
"Very well, I can provide you with some information, but understand that I will take care to curate it as necessary. There is information I have that is not safe to share with anyone, let alone you, for various reasons."
Of course he would only give Leandros the information he wanted to give him, but he wanted to be transparent about how things would work as a small gesture of good faith between them.
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Post by Leandros Aurthurian on Jul 25, 2023 19:14:13 GMT -5
"Well if that's the case, bilk him for all he's worth. He's a business owner, so the money should keep rolling in." Apogee grins widely and laughs as the two bicker back and forth. It was an interesting relationship the two had. She could appreciate the difficult situation Shael was in, but she was also aware that Zarius likely had his own reasons for doing this. He wasn't the type to just take custody of some.
"Only because people think it is an inevitability." He lets out a breath as Zarius collects his thoughts. "I will not press you for information or ask you to look into anything without good precedent....besides it is hard to ask follow up questions via letters."
The knight puts his hands on his hips as he looks back at the last of his wagon being loaded up. This was probably a good time to start leaving this conversation anyways. He may not be a secretive man, but he's aware enough to know that there are eyes everywhere and interactions like this are risky even if everyone is on the same side. Leandros gives a nod to his others as they look to him for direction.
"I suppose we should be on our separate ways though, hopefully we will meet again in less..." He pauses to look at the loading docks. "Strenous times."
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Jul 25, 2023 19:32:04 GMT -5
"Exactly. I like how you think," Shael responds with a conniving grin.
As their conversation comes to a close, Shael bids farewell to Apogee and gives Theobo a teasing punch to the shoulder when she passes by him. She then hops back up onto her drake which was waiting patiently nearby.
Zarius nods. "If for some reason you do find yourself in Darkveil, do not hesitate to reach out." He offers the knight a handshake which he could take or leave.
Once their farewells were concluded, Zarius and Shael head down the dock to deal with their own pile of crates that needed to be relocated. Using Indra to move the cargo makes the task go by fairly quickly, and Zarius makes sure that a supervisor from WEF confirms that their task was complete.
After getting the all clear, the pair head off to who knows where to do who knows what. Perhaps WEF was finally done giving them menial tasks, or perhaps the actual threat was close enough to need their assistance.
These were strenuous times indeed.
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