Fable - Ask Those Rising

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Elise Virak

En Route to Vel Ciruk
Aisling

There were few people in this world that Elise liked. Fewer who she would call friend, and even fewer who would call her friend.

Yet Aisling Weiroon, the woman who now sat before her was one of those people, or at least had once been. The two of them had grown up together. They had attended the same Gala's, the same parties, the same events all throughout their lives. Their families had not despised or actively plotted against one another, and as such out of necessity they had grown close.

She could still remember the countless hours they had spent gossiping, chatting, ribbing some of the other girls. They had even talked about boys in their time. Which of the Noble sons they would not mind marrying, and which they would stab in the back at first opportunity. The two of them had always been of different mind on certain topics, but that had never really mattered much.

Companionship, friendship, was rare among nobility such as them, and they had both known it at the time.

Elise did not know quite how long it had been since she'd seen Aisling, but it seemed like a lifetime. Now they found themselves within a line of stage coaches, all three of the fanciful wagons carrying members of the Noble Houses as they made their way to the Celebration of the Survival of Vel Ciruk.

It had been deemed important that the nobles of the Great Houses travel together to the festival, a mark of their 'unity' or something as such. Elise didn't particularly care of course, and in truth she had been delighted to see Aisling travel with her. The other two, a son of Urahil and a Daughter of...hell she couldn't even remember, did not really matter much. "Aisling, it has been so long."

Elise said with an oddly chirpy tone.

"I heard you joined the corsairs?" Surprisingly, there was no disgust in her tone.
 
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Nearly a year. That’s how long it had been since her last shoreleave. It had been so long that she had forgotten, at least briefly, Anirian noble customs. The servants at Weiroon’s manor felt the brunt of this mental lapse as they had to assemble a last minute dress after convincing Aisling that a formal naval uniform would be inappropriate.

Despite the hectic afternoon her mood was elevated tenfold after stepping into the stagecoach headed for Vel Ciruk. Though it had been far too long it was impossible for the noblewoman of Weiroon to forget her childhood friend from House Virak. Elise had been two years her senior and the two girls had found a special sort of kinship in their youth.

Both were trained in Anirian society and etiquette. Both were under the same pressures and scrutiny from not just the rest of high society but also from the frequent public appearances. And, perhaps most importantly, they both belonged to Great Houses outside of the ruling council. This allowed a modicum of trust and real, actual, friendship to blossom. Neither girl had to worry that the other’s estate may try to slit a family member’s throat.

Elise’s greeting caused the memories to flood back, the rules and proper gestures of noble life to raise towards the forefront of Aisling’s mind. ”Far too long my friend,” she replied with similar gusto, ”and yes, I am a Corsair. I take a shoreleave every few months although this most recent stint was rather long.”

Securing the shipping lanes of Vel Anir was admirable work so far as Aisling was concerned. She defended innocents and ensured the free passage of goods. If commerce was impeded it meant less riches for the noble houses and merchant guilds of Vel Anir. It meant less pay for the workers. It meant less food. It meant that, if her detachment of Corsairs failed people would starve.

”But it’s a dull topic,” the lady of Weiroon added, ”besides, I’ve heard that you’ve had some experience commanding armies.” Aisling flashed a smile at her old friend and gave a knowing nod. She’d have loved to reminisce about their childhood but realized that would be a step too far with the Urahil boy and the what’s-her-face sharing the same cabin.
 
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Elise let out a chuckle. "Commanding might be a bit much."

Modesty had never really been a trait Elise clung too, but for some reason she felt the need for it now. Perhaps it was because Aisling was one of the few people she'd never had to be...well, whatever she was with others with.

There was no need to overwhelm her friend with confidence.

"I stood back and let the military men take care of most of the work." True enough, save for perhaps during the cleansing of Stratholm. There had not been much military focus there, though rumors of what exactly had happened in the city were still murky at best.

"And don't be so modest Aisling." She said with a soft wave of her hand. "Your Corsairs saved me from pirates a few months ago. You should be proud to stand among them."

There had been Dreadlords too of course, and she'd killed her own captors but once again the truth of that was murky at best.

The other two in the carriage seemed to look oddly at Elise for a moment, either not used to any warmth from her or shocked that she would admit her folly with the pirates. Of course, neither of them knew that it was on purpose. She knew Aisling would never judge her, and they would whisper to a dozen other nobles about their conversation.

All part of an image that she was trying to build. "I'm sure it must be fascinating. Far more so than these little events."

For some reason the girl whose name she didn't know seemed taken aback by those words.
 
Listening to Elise give credit to the guardsmen and dreadlords who had served under her caused the woman of Weiroon to adjust the seam of her dress and relax her shoulders. Everyone who grew up in the noble circles of Vel Anir were used to being on edge, pretending to care about someone else’s boastful story, that it felt truly refreshing to be around someone you could just be honest with. And there were few people more honest than Elise, at least, that was true of their experiences growing up.

Aisling’s face went warm and rosey at the compliments being offered by her confidante. However, her mouth went wide at the mention of the pirates who had captured Elise some time ago.

”Elise! I had nearly forgotten about that dreadful ordeal! I wanted to come visit you in person once I had learned you were safe but our duties called us deeper into Cerak At’Thul.” The look of concern on Aisling’s face was completely genuine. She had wanted to take the corvette she was captaining towards the flagship, where Elise had reportedly been whisked off to. However, the Vice Admiral had given her a direct order and she was duty bound to fulfill it. ”I am so happy to see that you were unharmed.”

At the mention of these ‘little events’ the green eyed woman chuckled to offset the other passenger’s shock. ”It’s fascinating enough, lots of boring days at sea, but the amount of piracy is shocking. And seems to be growing.” Aisling nearly cursed at herself for sharing that last tidbit. It was inappropriate conversation for this venue and she thought it was doubtful that Vel Anir was making the rise in pirates public information.

Had Aisling been more up-to-date on the gossip of high society or the depth of Elise’s political maneuvers she likely would’ve realized just how dumb sharing naval information with the Virak lady was. Instead she dismissed it and tried to change the subject.

”Though, truthfully, I’m a bit excited for tonight. It’ll be a nice change of pace. So long as some noble from Luana doesn’t use it as opportunity to chastise me for my uncles actions,” she answered in a sly tone, ”and as long as the overweight boy from Sirl doesn’t get too drunk tonight and try to dance with us again.”
 
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Festivals and galas were all well and good, but the traveling time between Vel Anir proper and Vel Ciruk was so dreadfully droll. Val had opted for his own horse rather than spending the whole way cooped up in a fancy wagon, enjoying the fresh, countryside air. It beat getting lectured by one of his retainers the whole way there, again. Yet, even still, he was finding the itch to stir up a bit of mischief rather undeniable. So it was that Val began to scan the caravan for something, anything, that might catch his interest.

Peering about, one particular carriage caught his attention. Through the windows he could see at least two sets of long, blonde hair, one in a pony tail, the other in an updo he could only describe as 'pretentious.' What luck! He clicked at his mount to urge it forward and quickly caught up with the carriage, then, with one swift movement, dismounted from the steed and landed on the carriage's running board. He laughed and leaned in through an open window.

"Well, well, good morrow, ladies! Fancy meeting...wait..." Val started in before his brain registered a very important set of details: he knew both of these women. "By the gods, Elise? Aisling?? Ha!"

House Pirian's heir laughed heartily and rested his elbows on the sill of the carriage's window. He offered an amiable smile to the passengers within, genuinely happy to see those he recognized.
"Seems fortune is on my side this day. I do hope I'm not interrupting anything important!" Val announced eagerly from his perch.
 
"Don't be silly. You had a job to do that was far more important than me. I was safe in the hands of your fellows." Plus with her own magics there had never really been a threat in the first place.

That entire ordeal had served her in many ways, not the least of which was something Aisling herself would benefit from. Even now as they spoke Vel Luin was working on the creation of the first Iron Ship to sail the sea.

She wondered if her friend even knew about that.

Her lips pursed at the news of piracy, pressing together for a brief moment as she shook her head. "Pirates are truly awful creatures. Perhaps I should speak with father about seeing you gain more support in such endeavors."

Elise shook her head, opening her mouth to reply to Aisling in regards to the party tonight before someone suddenly burst through the door of the carriage. In an instant her hackles raised, a single black fleck floated over her eyes as she prepared to strike, but then suddenly the voice caught in her ear.

"Val!" Another face she had not seen in what felt like ages.

She let out a genuinely delighted chuckle, the two other passengers looking at her with shock as she giggled. "How delightful. Seems fate smiles on the three of us tonight."

It was not often that she could genuinely smile, but now with another friend here she found herself practically beaming. "Come, sit."

Elise said as she practically pushed the Urahil boy to the edge of the bench.
 
Elise was obviously not only one of Aisling’s dearest friends but likely one of the most generous people in all of Vel Anir. How else could one explain her offer to speak to her father, the Lord of House Virak, about the rampant piracy?

”Yes, pirates threaten not just our way of life but also the steady supply of food towards the,” her statement was interrupted suddenly by a door sliding open. Her left hand darted toward her hip, for a blade that wasn’t there, until she realized who had paid them a visit.

”Val?” she questioned almost in unison with Elise. This little voyage was proving to be a proper reunion. And the baroness of Virak’s gleeful demeanor was practically contagious.

As the bench opposite of Aisling cleared room for the pride of Pirian she found herself incapable of keeping a smile upon her face. ”How have you been Val? It feels like it’s been ages!”
 
Val returned Elise's smile warmly, opening the door of the carriage to let himself in.

"Don't mind if I do." He replied, brimming with confidence. The discomfort on the face of the Urahil boy was apparent, and he was certain that it wasn't just because he was being stuffed into the corner like an old piece of furniture. Even as a child, Val could remember that Elise had a bit of a temper, and if his retainers were to be believed she had only gotten more...let's say, volatile, as she'd grown older. Seeing genuine joy on her face was likely uncommon, and Val was feeling quite smug about the whole thing.

He examined his two old friends a moment and fought the urge to ogle or flirt with them. In spite of the fact that they had all practically grown up together, he couldn't help but appreciate that both had developed into beautiful women and, were they anyone else but good friends and heirs to their respective Houses, he likely would've continued putting the moves on them. Instead, he offered a warm smile.
"It's so good to see the both of you again."

”How have you been Val? It feels like it’s been ages!”

"It certainly has! I've been well. Bored out of my brain in recent days, but I suppose I can't complain." He beamed, reclining onto the bench and folding a leg across his lap. He stretched his arms across the back of the seat and made himself comfortable immediately, ever the lackadaisical sort. "But enough about me. I do believe I interrupted something of a riveting conversation."
 
"Oh indeed." Elise said with more excitement than she had felt in quite some time.

It was odd.

The rumors that now surrounded Elise Virak made her sound almost inhuman. In Vel Stratholm she had ordered an atrocity. Months prior she had been captured by pirates, and before that she had been widow to two husbands.

Yet here she was, acting like a teenager again within the presence of her two friends. It was no wonder that the other nobles in the carriage were both confused and highly suspicious. Likely thinking that this was all some sort of ploy. "We were speaking of pirates."

She smiled.

"A serious issue." Elise mused. "And a profession that would suite you I think. You always rather were a rapscallion."

Another small chuckle. "I hear Alliria employs Privateers."
 
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Val was bored? It didn't surprise her that the Pirian noble had chosen to be a lay about. Though she had always hoped that he'd find a sudden surge of inspiration to do something worthwhile he always had a special talent of avoiding punishment or finding a way out of chores when they had all been growing up. Even in their youth though it wasn't something Aisling could fault him for and she certainly didn't fault him for it now. Strange how friendship could warp your perspective that way.

A giggle escaped her lips at Elise's suggestion that Val take up the mantle of piracy. Teasing the boy, who was a man now, had always been something that the two girls always enjoyed. "I could certainly see Val wasting away in the sun, chugging rum, and chasing women," she added with continued laughter.

Aisling's head was flung back swiftly as Elise mentioned privateering from Alliria, "oh please, Elise! You need to have a modicum of skill to be contracted as a Privateer." This time she sent a wink at her old friend Val.

The squirms of the other two passengers only seemed to grow as the younger gentleman from Urahil kept his eyes trained on the picturesque sights of the Anirian countryside whilst the other lady whom Aisling had never met stared uncomfortably at Elise.

Come to think of it, the woman who was sat beside her hadn't taken her gaze off Elise Virak for the entirety of the voyage. That was odd. Had Elise been on a far more meteoric rise in the past few months than Aisling had known? That would certainly make sense. Elise had always been a go-getter whether if it came to which style dress would work best for the gala that evening or how to convince some dignitary that she, Aisling, and Val should be given an entirely undeserved opportunity. That sort of resilience was surely paying dividends as they had all grown up.
 
Some things never changed, Elise and Aisling's good-natured jeering being among them. Val closed his eyes and stretched his arm out in a dramatic pose as he began to profess his next words, playing along with both the women's ideas of him entering such a profession.

"I do admit, the life of a freebooter has always struck my fancy in my many days of daydreaming. Drinking cheap ale, sailing the high seas, taking whatever suits my fancy! Alas, the smell of saltwater gives me migraines, so I fear the pirate's life is not, in fact, for me." Val regaled his current company as though reciting lines from a play. He always had a flair for the theatrical.

oh please, Elise! You need to have a modicum of skill to be contracted as a Privateer."

Val gave Aisling a faux offended scoff and placed his palm on his chest, brow furrowed.
"Why Aisling, you wound me! I wouldn't have that you'd mistake my admitted sloth for a lack of talent."

Not that he would ever actually consider playing at pirates. He already lived in the lap of luxury and if he really had a hankering for adventure he had a small army of mage knights he could join on any one of their insane, generally suicidal missions.

Elise and Aisling, for their own parts, were apparently quite ambitious and successful. Both of them always seemed to have such drive when they were kids. Val wasn't envious, however, not hardly. He was happy that they were able to do what made them feel fulfilled in life, just as he did. He was just happy to see them again.
 
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"Well we wouldn't want you getting migraines." She chuckled, though for her part she had always enjoyed the sea. There was something enjoyable about the ocean, sitting on a ship and simply enjoying the vast nothingness.

She was sure that Aisling could relate.

The smile on her face seemed almost plastered there. Elise wasn't entirely sure if she could have frowned if she tried in that moment. There was something genuinely delightful about being reunited with her friends. She had not felt joy like this in.

Decades. "I have Missed the both of yo-"

Elise did not get to finish her sentence.

Three explosions suddenly erupted in near unison, shattering the serene quiet of the forest around them with the sound of thunder. Fire and shock splintered wood and thrashed the carriages in the caravan, throwing them to the side and utterly destroying one of them.

The one containing the three friends was tossed from it's wheels, thrown and tossed like a bag of rice coming off a ship.
 
The carriage had felt like a time capsule of sorts. As if nothing had changed these last several years while the three of them carried on and settled into the comfortable social norms they had developed over years of adolescence together. Elise's smile was gleefully contagious and Val's theatrics provided plenty of laughter.

Combined with the breathtaking forest, the slow song of birds chirping, and Aisling thought it unlikely that any place in all of Arethil could've provided her with more happiness than right here. Right in this very moment.

Until, of course, the explosions started. All of it happened so suddenly that Aisling had no time to react. In the blink of an eye she went from laughter and merriment to confusion and slamming into the wooden ceiling of the carriage. As the vehicle and its passengers were flipped into a somersault on the side of the road their joyous reunion was filled with screams and thuds.

The bottom of her dress had been ripped exposing her ankles, splinters ruptured into the skin of her palm as she braced for impact, and her forehead collided violently with door of the stagecoach. Her impact was heavy enough to cause stars to sparkle in the corner of her vision as she flung from the carriage onto the soft grass near the roadside.

"Uhh... what..." was her initial reaction as her eyes squinted open to the harsh sun overhead. They must've been under attack. She cursed herself for not wearing her formal naval attire, at least then she'd be armed with a thin rapier. Her training was beginning to kick in, flashbacks of naval engagements running through her mind.

Aisling spun her groggy head around to focus on the flipped cart she had been in seconds earlier. The Weiroon blonde rose to her feet and stumbled over, calling out, "Val! Elise! Are you hurt?"
 
Funny how fate had a way of immediately ripping away a good thing. One moment Val was enjoying the quaint reunion the trio had been having, the next...ringing ears, blurred vision...he was dazed and reeling, struggling to comprehend what had just happened.

Val was still within the cart, or the overturned remains of it, anyways. He brought his hand to his head to assess any injuries he might've received, then realized he felt a wet warmth in his hair. Pulling away, he saw the blood on his fingers.
"Speaking...of migraines..." He groaned to no one in particular. Rolling over, he tried to pull himself to his senses. There was at least one other person in the cart with him, though in his current state he couldn't figure out who it was. He had smacked his head against...something, that much was clear from the blood running down and over his ear.

Regardless of who it was that still joined him in the cab of the carriage, they both needed to get out.
"Come on then...no sense sticking around here, eh?" The Pirian heir said with a grunt as he pulled the slackened form of the other person over his shoulder and lifted them out of what was once the carriage's window.

"Val! Elise! Are you hurt?"

He waved weakly with a free hand.
"Yes, but it's manageable...hmm...anybody else taste copper?"
 
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Elise's head was swimming as she regained consciousness, finding herself draped over Val's shoulder. "What the-"

Her voice was dim, low.

She had taken the brunt of the explosion, having sat on the side of the carriage where the bomb had actually gone off. Her lips thinned, eyes opening as she slowly began to look around. The first two carriages were utterly eviscerated, nothing but scrap wood and flames. The third, which Val had just carried her out of, was a broken wreck.

"Fuck." Elise finished as she found herself still being carried along by Val. She opened her mouth to give an answer to Aisling, but out of the corner of her eye spotted a glint among the trees. "Watch out!"

Her voice was shrill, black specks floating across her eyes as her fingers suddenly scrunched into a fist. An odd cry of pain echoed from the trees as a man's hands were crushed into bloody pulps around the haft of his bow.

An arrow landed besides Val just a second later, though it was only the first.

A dozen men hunched within the brush, a few stepping forward wielding swords and axes. They had the look of wilders about them, though Aisling's trained eye might spot the remnants of uniforms.
 
Aisling's shoulders slumped slightly, relieved at the sight of Val's mostly unharmed body. Elise seemed to be alright as well despite being hauled over the shoulder of the noble from House Pirian. "Still making jokes, are we?" the corsair chided in response to Val's metallic taste buds.

The lull of her heartbeat wouldn't last as the other blonde noblewoman issued a warning. Her heart accelerated as a strange yelp of pain came from the treeline. Friendly fire perhaps?

An arrow punctured the soil just by her comrades. Without hesitation she channeled her thoughts towards the three of them, willing a massive swing of fortune in their direction. The first volley of arrows came whistling through the air straight towards them. As chance would have it the missiles failed to strike true. Sure, a few of them pierced the silk of her dress or may have cut through Elise's or Val's clothing but her magic had turned the odds in their favor. For now, at least.

"We need to get into cover," she cried out. Not sure how long her magic would work against these overwhelming odds.

Before any further arrows flew a grouping of men barreled out of the woods. They held tightly to an assortment of weaponry. Their faces covered in dirt. Clothes a ragged mess.

But, there was something about their adornment that seemed rather familiar. Militaristic. "These must be deserters or," she looked at her two companions and bit down on her lower lip, "some group of political idealists."

She had heard murmurs of dissatisfaction among some in the Anirian Guard, but enough for a defective faction to be assaulting Great House nobles?
 
Ah! It was Elise that he'd pulled from the wreckage. Val was overjoyed to see that she was not only alive, but conscious. Her warning, however, almost came too late.

Well...this was certainly turning into a fine mess. Val nearly yelped as the arrows sunk into the ground around him. Whether they were warning shots or their assailants just had poor aim, he didn't know, but he was thankful nonetheless. Or maybe Aisling was a lucky charm...she always seemed to be particularly fortunate as a kid, maybe it was rubbing off?

Regardless, Aisling's assessment of the situation brought little comfort to him. He didn't much care who these ruffians were, only that they were apparently trying to kill him and his friends. He silently cursed himself for leaving almost anything resembling a weapon on his horse, which was almost certainly either dead or had run off by now.

"Great...so what the hell do we do about these gents, then?" He murmured to his companions. The men who moved towards them were almost certainly aware of their presence. Any attempt to run now would likely be met with a chase, one that would almost certainly end in being caught, killed, or worse.

Val mentally tabbed through the catalogue of magics he'd seen and saved in recent days. Most were useful, particularly his father's electric spells, but would it be enough? If it came down to it...he'd make a distraction for the others to get away...
 
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There was a pained part of her that knew she could utterly eviscerate all of these men in a heartbeat. She could make their blood impale them from the inside out. She could turn them to dust. She could wipe them from the face of the earth with a snap of her fingers.

It was oh so tempting.

A part of her wanted to do it for the effrontery. A part of her wanted to do it because these bastards had dared to nearly kill her. Yet she found, oddly, that a greater whole of her wanted to end them because they had ended her reunion with her friends.

It was a shocking revelation.

"We need to run." The words did not come from her lips easily, in fact they were practically forced, but they were the right ones.

Displaying her magics here would not do. She could sneak it, but a full display of her power would only breed more questions and that was not something she could stand. Especially not from two people she did not want to lie to.

"They outnumber us." She hissed quietly. "And we don't know where those explo-"

Elise didn't have time to finish, fire erupting in the trees above as whatever had struck before reached out again.
 
Aisling could see the visible struggle on Elise and Val’s faces. Whether to stand and fight or flee. Their honor demanded that they stand up and fight against these ruffians. Logic, reasoning, and strategy demanded that they tuck tail and run. Even when she was shoulder-to-shoulder with the mightiest corsairs in Vel Anir there were occasions where the correct strategic decision was to flee and live to fight another day.

That seemed to make the most sense here. Aisling had no idea just how experienced her friends were in battle. She knew that Elise had led minor skirmishes or overseen expeditions. She knew that Val likely had some sort of combat training, as all noblemen did. But as neither had served in the Anirian Guard or Navy she felt it was her obligation to keep the two of them safe.

Yes, that was precisely it. No matter what happened next it was her duty to ensure no harm came to the two of them. She had to keep them safe.

Surprisingly though, it was Elise who suggested the obviously superior tactic. Retreat.

Aisling locked her pale emerald eyes with her childhood friend and gave her a curt nod. Before Elise could finish her stratagem the chaos of another explosion took hold of the scene. The lady of House Weiroon let loose a gasp at the new development and she leaned back at the expanding heat from the blast. Their primary path of retreat was now blocked by fire and fallen limbs.

”Stay behind me,” she commanded the duo as she scooped up a piece of broken carriage wood to use as a makeshift weapon while putting herself between her two compatriots and the advancing assailants.

What was the ideal way to get those two to safety? It was possible that the scalawags before them were hoping to hold the nobles for ransom but that conflicted with the arrows they had just launched. Thus, surrender wasn’t an option. Aisling swallowed and kept her focus on the brutes before them. ”You two should flee down the road. Let me hold them off for as long as possible and I’ll be right behind you!”

These two were civilians, albeit civilians of noble blood, and she was a corsair. It was her responsibility to see them to safety.
 
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The second set of explosions rocked the earth and air around them, sending dust and ash flying through the air.
"Bollocks!" Val couldn't help but cry out over the booming blast and ringing in his ears.

Retreat did seem like the best option, Val just wasn't sure of how viable a plan it would be. How long before they bumped into another group of men-at-arms? Where would they even go? They were miles from any major Anirian civilization. Aisling might've had the chops to keep them alive in the wilderness, but somehow he felt that he and Elise weren't cut out for it.

”You two should flee down the road. Let me hold them off for as long as possible and I’ll be right behind you!”

A noble gesture, but a foolish one. The Pirian noble reached down and pulled a knife from his boot. He wasn't much a fan of having to stab anyone, but he'd long since realized keeping something on one's person for self defense was a keen idea.
"No, don't think so, love. Just linked back up with the two of you and I don't plan on parting ways so soon." He replied, brandishing the knife with a flourish. "Besides, we'll all have better odds if we stick together."

As if to punctuate the claim, Val invoked his father's magic and let a few blots of electricity arc between the fingers of his free hand. A bit of the old Pirian leadership genes began to work their wonders in his brain. Or he was just a bit delusional from the minor concussion he was suffering from.
"Let's move as a group. If any of them catch up or if we run into more, we fight and keep moving."
 
"Val is right." She would be roasted like a stuck pig if she ever allowed Aisling to stay behind on her own.

Elise didn't even care if her friend was the only one with proper training among the three of them. She would rather use her magic to eviscerate these damned bandits than leave her old friend behind.

She blinked slightly as that realization struck her.

The thought was not one she had ever really considered before. The secret of her magic was one that House Virak had held for many generations. The idea she would give it up for Aisling was...terrifying in a way, that she would do the same for Val equally.

Fingers tightened. "We go to together."

Her eyes darted between her two friends.

"They can't chase us forever." As she spoke Elise reached down and pulled off the heels on her feet, quickly tearing the dress she wore so that she would actually be able to move.

She might have been a member of the nobility, but House Virak trained it's daughters to kill just as well as any son. No weapon was hidden on her person, but if it came to that such trickery would not be necessary.

"We break to the forest." Her eyes fixed on Aisling. "Together."

There was no arguing. Not now.
 
In the future she’d likely look back at this moment as being foolish. Too much bravado, too little faith in her friends. Of course they’d never just leave her to fend off these adversaries.

”Right then. We stay together,” she repeated.

Armed with a chunk of splintered wood, Val’s dagger, and Elise’s wit their chances in a direct confrontation didn’t seem great. Running was still the best option.

She mimicked her friend’s movement to rid herself of the narrow heels she’d been wearing and steadied her breathing. ”Towards the forest, we stay close. I’m not letting either of you fall behind.” Aisling tried to suppress the fear of either of them getting captured by these brutes. Or worse, injured. She wasn’t doing the greatest job though because her voice wavered as she said, ”once we get into the tree line we should have some cover from all of the,”

Aisling wasn’t able to finish her sentence as a second volley of arrows was audibly being discharged. Her bare feet collided with the ground as she simply cried out, ”run!” Her pace was deliberate yet she ensured the others were near.

She tried to focus the group’s luck but using her ability on multiple people was tiring and all that her magic did was guarantee good or bad luck. Being hit by one of a dozen arrows was, admittedly, pretty good luck.

Hopefully they’d have more than just “pretty good” luck.
 
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"We break to the forest."
”run!”
By the gods, this was less an ambush and more an all-out warzone. Neither woman had to tell Val what to do twice. With Aisling leading the way and Elise in tandem, Val bolted for the tree line together, as they'd planned. During the mad dash, Val once again sorted through the spells at his disposal, trying to plan ahead for whatever might come their way.

A volley of arrows happened to be the thing that came their way. While many seemed to miraculously just...miss...Val could see in his mind's eye that not all of them were going to. There was little time to think of a more appropriate response.
"Keep close!" He shouted, tapping into a memory and recalling how one of his House's Dreadlords had been aiding in the fields a few days before.

The sound of ripping fabric could be heard as several large mushroom caps sprouted from Val's arms and back, forming a spongy barrier to soak up arrows. He fell to the back of the group and splayed his arms wide to serve as a human shield for his companions. The fungus wasn't exactly aerodynamic, and neither the sensation of them sprouting nor of arrows lodging themselves in the newly sprouted shrooms was particularly comfortable, but at least they weren't piercing any of their organs or flesh.

He wasn't particularly happy about destroying perfectly good clothes in the process, though.
 
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Elise rushed forward. Her torn dress was immediately muddied, her bare feet soaked in earth as she rushed forward and broke through the wood. Aisling was ahead of her, Val besides her. Eyes darted back and forth, searching for a path through the trees.

Their steps were fast, but not fast enough. The first of the second volley crashed into one of the trees to the left, her eyes darting there even as she stepped forward and tried to brace herself for something coming.

She reached out for the Well, and then heard Val speak. Her head whirled to the side, mouth opening in protest as she spotted her friend falling behind and...confusion pulled across her features as she saw mushrooms sprout from his back.

Elise had to force herself not to stop and gape.

Of course House Virak had long suspected that they were not the only Great House with hidden magics. Concealing such talents made sense, but...she never would have thought mushroom magic would come from Val.

Lips thinned for a moment, and she felt an odd...hurt at the idea that her friend would have concealed such a thing from her.

A silly thought given she had done the same, but it was still there. "FUCK! Ridge!"

Elise found her thoughts suddenly interrupted as the forest gave way to a steep incline, her feet slipping out from underneath her as she suddenly fell down the hill, tumbling over herself and towards a river below.
 
Aisling didn't have time to focus on the soil being caked between her toes or the arrows sailing past and puncturing the earth all around them. She had to keep her focus up or else...

The sound of ripping clothes and the squish of arrows colliding with mushrooms sent her insides into a free fall. One of them had been hit. That sound could only have been arrowheads sinking their way into flesh. She gripped at the flailing cloth of her dress and swiveled her head towards Elise. The baroness of Virak was unharmed, she was muddied, but unharmed. Her old friend's eyes were locked behind her though and as Aisling tried to turn to see if Val was alright she heard the warning too late.

"Shiii-," she called out as her right foot met only air, she sailed downwards as the rest of her cry followed, "-iiiit!"

She landed under the crunch of branches into a heap. Her hip had taken the brunt of the fall as she omitted a high pitched, "ow!" Her splintered right palm, still bleeding slightly, rubbed at her side. It would hurt and she'd likely be limping for a few days but nothing that would impede their pace going forwards. She was far more concerned about whether or not Val had been harmed.

"Val!? Are you hurt?" she questioned with a ragged desperation to her voice.

At least the incline would protect them from further arrows. They'd have a brief second to lick their wounds and catch their breath before the melee wielding attackers caught up. Or at least, that was what she assumed.