Fable - Ask Grains of Death and Sand

[Vittoria Larrainth]

"Agreed." Came Vittoria's final say.

Heller looked between them all and laughed. "Well, if you really wanted to, just come along and see what she wants. Maybe if you use your pleases and thank yous, Medja would be lenient." His snark had nothing against King's, but there had been a shift in his expression.

Vittoria clicked her tongue, but began to move and exit the building.

They were in another street now, looking for a better way of moving unseen. Vittoria noted the rooftops were flat from here on out, and suggested they climb up and travel that course. It would be easier to go unnoticed, but the stone roofing also held the heat of the sun's glare. When heights were too tall for Marcia, Vittoria wordlessly offered to give the Initiate a boost. Even Heller offered a hand a few times, but the jump between buildings proved difficult in some areas.

All the while, the quartet were unaware someone was following their path, unseen, but as accurate as they were lethal.

Their orders were to bring in the Anirians. All four of them.

 

[Marcia]

The plan to traverse the rest of the town by rooftop was agreeable, even if it meant that the sun had become their enemy instead. Ultimately, Marcia would survive being the incredible lobster-faced Initiate for a few days if it meant the mission's success.

The priority above all.

It was seen in action rather than words. They would never bring up that they worked together well as a trio despite the hatred Marcia felt for them, a feeling that was likely mutual, if not in a more demeaning manner from Larrainth and D'Amour's end. To sabotage one another was to sabotage the task at hand, which was unthinkable to anybody who desired to be the best.

Outside of the parameters of a mission? Well, that was different.

So she would use Vittoria's aid to help scale walls, for no reason other than it was faster and cost less stamina than scrabbling up them herself.

Marcia stopped for a few moments, allowing a small respite to drink from a waterskin. Their exposure to the blazing sun presented a new kind of risk that wasn't so obvious as to bear knives at their backs. She crouched down, a sheen of sweat present on her luminescent brow that the girl wiped at with the back of her hand.

"Fuck. I'd kill for a bit of cloud cover right now," she murmured to herself more than anybody.

 

[Fabien 'King' D'Amour]

Gods, was this fool of a Dreadlord grating. He was a healer, wasn't he? That meant he couldn't have been a higher level than Fourth, yet he had a mouth like an Archon.

"By all means, Heller, keep talking like that. You're positively rushing headlong towards court marshal territory, and I would happily wrest the position of commanding officer from you," King taunted the man before walking out.

From then on it was duty first as the quartet moved mostly in silence. What King wouldn't have given to trade his powers for Evangeline's at this point. Amplification was still useful, but half of the applications it had made far too much noise. Eva would have had the whole group halfway back to Vel Anir by now with her Acceleration.

King leapt onto the next roof, pausing only because he'd heard Marcia come to a halt.
"You know most of the Kaliti wear head coverings for practical purposes, right?"

He couldn't help but get a jab in at her.

"Come on, we don't have the luxury of pausing."

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

Vittoria frowned.

Heller looked at her, frowning also. "What?"

She looked to Marcia, then to King. "Something feels off..." Then she turned her frame slightly so that her peripherals changed scope. "Are we being followed? It has been awfully quiet, and there is no sound of a reinforcement of guards running through the streets. Surely we caused enough alarm for them to call for assistance?"

Heller stared at her, his thoughts now seeing what she was getting to.

"Well, fuck me." He grimaced. "You're right. They should be scouring this city for us... like they had in Ragash."

Vittoria gave a quick look to their surroundings before walking towards the edge of the building. "We must keep moving then. That is enough rest."

But before she could start to move, figures appeared on the roofs of neighbouring buildings, even the one right before them. They appeared as if from thin air, and Vittoria scowled. She could end them all with the help of King, but they spoke to Heller.

"Time to turn yourselves in, or our mistress will not return what it is you most value."

Heller's jaw locked. It was unknown what that may be, but it was clear there was a pull for him to obey.

 

[Marcia]

Marcia shot an intense look of disdain back at D'Amour, her mouth opening to say something unkind and likely expletive-laden before she was cut off by Larrainth and Heller's conversation, which seemed far more prudent than her loathing.

How none of them had noticed the complete lack of urgency from the local guards could be called into question later; Vittoria (unfortunately) had a good fucking point.

And then it was too late.

Her hand instinctively moved to her belt as their hidden pursuers made themselves known, fingers trailing on the hilt of her dagger in preparation for violence to erupt. However, her hand was stayed by the apparent negotiation happening between them and Heller, who seemed conflicted by whatever leverage they had. Fan-fucking-tastic.

The girl looked to Vittoria, her eyes expectant as if demanding to know what the Academy's favourite sadist was fucking waiting for. It would figure that the only time she'd want to see the sudden separation of flesh was the one time it wasn't immediately happening.

 

[Fabien 'King' D'Amour]

Realization seemed to dawn on every member of the party, too late.
"Aye, let's g--" King agreed with Vittoria right in time for the Kaliti reinforcements to arrive. "Shhhit."
His rapier and sword-breaker were out in a flash, but the group was surrounded on all sides. The assassins--"Hands," as Evangeline had so thoughtfully informed King--spoke to Heller, and Vittoria seemed to hesitate. Marcia took exception, if her expression was anything to go off of. If Vittoria wasn't leaping into action, that meant she likely thought there was something to be gained from diplomacy, however fake it was. King agreed...information could prove useful.

"Heller...Get explaining. Now." King said, his tone low and even. "Or perhaps these kind 'Hands' will do it for you."

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

Power laced through her at the ready, but Vittoria waited a moment as the intruders spoke to Heller first. None had made a move to harm the Anirians either, and it was on those calculations that Vittoria did not destroy the very foundations the Kaliti were perched upon.
Heller took a step forward, hailing himself as the speaker of the group after shaking his head at King.
"Like I was trying to explain earlier, I have business here. Let me deal with it, and I will return to Vel An—"

"We have our own orders, Heller." Vittoria cut him off to remind him that there were three willful and determined Initiates that would do their best to return and complete their mission satisfactorily.

"Right... well, if you want me to see your mistress, then I am afraid these gnats must come along. As soon as my business has concluded, I want her word that I am free to travel back to Vel Anir and answer my summons."

Vittoria took another breath in, her magic already spreading to the space beneath the boots of every Hand in sight. If they refused, then she would eliminate their obstruction.

After a moment, one of the Hands nodded, and the speaker called out. "She will see you all." Then motioned for the Anirians to follow.

"Stand down, Larrainth. Best keep your manners where we are headed next."