The Steel We Carry

Baroness Wake
Village of Eas



    The moon hangs in a sickle above the lake. There's a gentle wind from the west. The village and castle are quiet, the people asleep. But their Baroness stands on the shore, staring out over the waters, in a direction that she suspects is more or less towards the Palace Lands. She needs every bit of composure to simply avoid pacing.

    She isn't certain how long ago she gave up trying to sleep for the night, just on the off chance that someone -anyone- will send her a message. So far, she has been greeted with silence and absent of any real news, she can only speculate.

    "They had to meet the wave by now. They couldn't possibly still be fighting it, could they?" she murmurs to herself. It's a puzzle. She used to like puzzles. But the pieces simply aren't fitting together.

    And so here she is.. standing by the lake, staring into the darkness, as if she might somehow see something in the stars.

Yuuki
Village of Eas


    Yuuki just got back to Eas earlier that day, after the long trip from the tower. Hence she is rather tired from the travel, currently sitting with her back against a tree, lightly dozed off.

    Right up until a light breeze sends a leaf smacking into the side of her face, "Wah!?" Yuuki jolts awake, looking around groggily, "Mmmmnggghhhhh... Is the meeting over yet?" Clearly still half asleep.
Goldenblade
Village of Eas

Goldenblade is up late, training, dressed lightly considering the hour and the weather, but Eas is a place where we can relax and get down to things, whatever those things may be. For her, it's training, and she's been trying to amplify her dodging speed to the furthest point it can go. Up until a short while ago, anyhow, now she's sweaty and got her fingers laced behind her head as she watches Wake not-quite-pacing.

But she's older, substantially older, and she's more used to letting children, or subordinates, act on their own recognizance without checking back on them. You -couldn't- do that, when she was growing up. You couldn't even do that when she was raising kids.

"They haven't respawned at the church, so they were alive a day ago," she points out. "They would certainly have contacted someone if they could, so the only possibility left is they're still engaged. A running combat, it would be, yes? Perhaps the Palace Lands Waves are fiercer than here?"
Baroness Wake
Village of Eas



    "Keep resting, Yuuki, dear," replies Wake softly. "I'll handle any meetings for now." Granted there are probably relatively few of those at night. But something about what Yuuki says sparks a memory.

    "Of course. Leave it to me to forget I'm a world full of magic. This is not the dream that was before."

    Before Wake can explain her thinking, she hears Goldenblade's comment. She nods in agreement, "It could well be that, and it occured to me that, though I've no skill for farsight, I do have a knack for collecting this and that.." And here she draws out a crystal ball. Inside the confines of the orb, a green light flickers. It swirls, billows, and then flashes like lightning.

    Wake looks at the orb closely, then turns her face out over the lake again. "If June were here, she'd warn me about meddling in the affairs of wizards, but should this test prove too much for me, I'm certain my friends can pull me out again.."

Yuuki
Village of Eas


    Too late! Yuuki is already up.

    Yuuki stretches, before jumping to her feet and walking over to see what Wake is trying to do. She tilts her head at the sight of the crystal ball. Oh hey, she just got one of those recently herself! Though she has no idea what it's for.

    To Wake's worrying, Yuuki suggests, "Maybe they're just so engrossed in whatever they're doing they forgot to call? Wouldn't be the first time I've done that while farming mobs."
Liminality
Village of Eas

As Baroness Wake messes with the device, the orb begins to glow. It begins to flicker and spin, as black two-dimensional looking orbs rise from it. Blooming into the air as it dissolves slowly... and fades away.

At first, it seems like it did nothing. Then suddenly, a vision appears. A vision of Seeker's Landing, where a group of people burst into a home in the dark, rush towards a group of hunters, and use cuffs and manacles to lock their hands behind their backs. Not moments later, they retreat in the midst of the night on a longboat. Almost like a hologram, this displays for all to see... and then fades away from view.

When it's all done, Baroness Wake suddenly becomes aware that her lips have been moving this entire time, and her voice is incredibly hoarse, even though nobody's been hearing her speak or scream or anything like that. To make it worse, she has a splitting Migraine all of the sudden that is making all lights just feel 'bright' and as a servant nearby accidentally drops a metalic plate - as they were trying to bring some food for her out here - the sound of it brings this infuriating pain and tension of anger onto her.
Goldenblade
Village of Eas

Goldenblade looks over to Wake and nods, watching as she turns to face the west. "I'll help you," she says warily. "But I'm not sure I /can/ help. I'm not clear on what's going on, or what I can do to help. But if /you/ need my help, you've got it."

To Yuuki, she says, "That many people don't -all- forget. They /can't/ chim, for some reason. The only reasons I know that can stop a chim is being dead or being in combat." If anyone knows otherwise, she's all ears.
Baroness Wake
Village of Eas



    For a moment, the Baroness reels. She isn't moving, but a sense of spinning in three dimensions washes over her, and she staggers, as if struck by a blow. For a moment, she looks side to side, but her vision is confused. The brilliance of the moon, a pleasant glow just a moment ago, is now as painful as staring at the sun.

    "Stop... making.. noise!" she grates through clenched teeth. Her words aren't loud, but they are enough to send a shiver through the poor servant. The girl was only bringing food from a worried Tae, but is now curtseying and heading hastily away, leaving behind plate and food.

    A moment later and Wake settles, rather abruptly, on her knees. "Why is my voice so loud? My god.. my head is going to tear itself in half!" she whispers, struggling to control this unnatural temper boiling inside her. Everything sounds like thunder in her ears. But that isn't what is important.

    "Did you see it? Did you see.. whoever that was, taking our people?" she asks.

Yuuki
Village of Eas


    Yuuki blinks in confusion as Wake suddenly goes all mental. But then a projection appears, showing them a strange scene. Yuuki squints as she looks at it, not entirely sure what it is that she's seeing.

    Once it has finally passed, Yuuki scratches her head, "Not exactly clear, is it?" She looks at Wake with concern, "You okay? That looks like it wasn't pleasant at all." Certainly not for the poor servant girl, either.

    But at the question, Yuuki shakes her head, "Just looked like generic people to me. Like it was background characters in a low budget anime."
Goldenblade
Village of Eas

Goldenblade will try to catch Wake as she falls, rushing to clear the distance, and lead her over to a chair, to set her down if she can. With Wake complaining about noise, she will remain silent, shaking her head as to whether she saw anything. Well, she saw it, but it wasn't super clear. She will ease Wake down in any event, to the floor or a chair, and wave people off to clear some space as she fishes in her gear for the oxygen bottle she keeps for emergencies.
Baroness Wake
Village of Eas



    "The Landing has been attacked. Were others left behind, they would raise an alarm... they would have sent out a message, the leaders would have heard it, they would have shared it. I have.. I must share it. With.. everyone."

    Wake is focused. To an unnerving degree, of course, but it helps her see through the fog. Not literally. She's got her eyes shut, and though she sees flashing of light like lighting flashing behind walls of clouds, it's better than the hatchet-blow radiance of the moon.

    She settles into a seat. There are a few chairs out here on the lake, and it's better than kneeling on the stony shores.

    "We have to tell everyone. Now.." She draws in a harsh breath and lets it out in a hiss of pain. She's trying to use the chimlink. And use it fast.

Yuuki
Village of Eas


    Yuuki watches as Wake struggles against whatever it is she had to endure to get that vision. Though she scratches her head as Wake tries to get the word out, "I'm not sure what we can do to help. It's the same problem as the Wave. It's too far away! Too long to get there."

    Yuuki crosses her arms, "Even if we can get together a boat for the journey, we'd need people and supplies. Everyone's spread out doing their thing..." Yuuki rolls her head left and right, "Mmmmmmm... Not sure what we should do. Especially without more information!"
Goldenblade
Village of Eas

Goldenblade peers at Wake as she mentions that the Landing was attacked. It looked like that to her, and she nods agreement. She will try to get Wake to breathe in some oxygen to settle her out and get her re-oriented, hopefully. She nods as Wake goes out on the chimlink, frowning as she considers what this all means. Pearl Harbor happened when she was four, and it was a big deal at the time, of course, though she was too young to properly appreciate it.

She says to Yuuki, "If whoever attacked the Landing, we certaibly can't get there in time to help. We do need more information, it's true, but we need to plan this out carefully."
Baroness Wake
Village of Eas



    Wake struggles against her own emotions. "I'm.. so... angry!" she shouts. Of course, being out of control just gives her something else to be angry at. Which is so unproductive. Yet she is who she is, and through the fog, she is still working. Message after message, everyone she can think of, every person on her friend list, everyone she can find that she met. One after another after another.

    "I need to go. I can't sit here." Wake's struck by a particularly massive wave of vertigo when she tries, and sits down rather harder than one would normally do.

    "Perhaps I need help. But where first?" she mutters. Her tone is full of aggravation, but by sounding angry evenly, she's managed to normalize it a bit. Which works well, until she forgets herself, opens her eyes just a crack, and nearly breaks the arms of the chair she grips them so hard.

Goldenblade
Village of Eas

Goldenblade will try to keep Wake in the chair, but she seems to be keeping herself there as it is. "Shhhhhh," she says, but very softly. "You can't do anything /just this minute/," she murmurs, "Rest a moment. There's nothing what can be done in the next minute that can't wait ten minutes just as easily and you need to recenter."

She nods about Wake needing help, but where, indeed? "Are any of NWA left in Eastal, or did they all go over? Scale can probably help," she suggests. "Though is that help that we're ready to accept?"
Yuuki
Village of Eas


    Yuuki watches Wake almost break the chair, "Okay... Definitely not alright!" Yuuki briefly wonders how to snap Wake out of it. Slapping her could work... Nah, too cliche. Bucket of water? Where's she going to find a bucket of water at this time of night!?

    Then Yuuki gets an idea...

    "Soooooo... You know how you left that note for me to go out and buy ten pokers for the fireplaces in the Sleeping Knights quarters? I misread it and accidentally bought a thousand." There, surely the absurdity of it will get Wake to laugh.

    And if not, it's not like she can't get any madder! Right? Right!?
Baroness Wake
Village of Eas



    "Prophylaxis is a dear friend. I trust him. We are Olympus, not New World! We do not cast aside our friendships with the Scale Emblem so easily," whispers Wake. She is struggling for control, and it's obvious her attention is diverted.

    "Thank the goddess, Prophylaxis is awake. I have warned him. Scale will know. They won't be fooled. But.. they have seen so much of what we have and who we are. Shibuya, Eas.." She narrows her eyes, but says nothing.

    "I need to reach the New World. I need to know what we have awoken in the west."

    She suddenly directs a sharp glance at Yuuki and laughs, though it twists her head in pain a moment later. "You.. you would, wouldn't you? Yuuki, dear.. you can buy ten thousand pokers if this turns out alright and I will simply bless you for it."

Goldenblade
Village of Eas

Goldenblade is given pause by Yuuki's assertion, and acually jawdrops, "You did ... what?" Sidetracked, herself, she turns back to helping get Wake settled down and eased out. She ohs about Proph being awake. "He is? He was /over there/, last I saw. He was seeking some relic or other at some abandoned shrine. Does he report anything going on?" She nods about not casting anyone away. She just avoids the politics where she can. But she smirks as Wake finds amusement at Yuuki's news.
Yuuki
Village of Eas


    Yuuki laughs a little awkwardly for a moment herself at the looks she gets from both Wake and Goldenblade. But at least it appears to partially have worked.

    Yuuki then nods in agreement with Wake's sentiments towards Prophylaxis and the Scale Emblem. Plus Yuuki herself has some good friends amongst the Alliance and she doesn't abandon her friends. No matter what anyone says.

    Though to Goldenblade, Yuuki explains, "Prophy was at the 10th Floor boss fight, naturally. I last saw him in the tower not longer afterwards. So yeah, he's in Yamato. Not that the Scalies can really do anything about it either... They've probably got the least presence in the Palace Lands."
Baroness Wake
Village of Eas



    "I.. need to stop feeling so angry. The stupid pain, though." Wake clenches her right fist, cracking her knuckles loudly in the process. "I'm obviously.. under a damn effect of some kind. I need to think clearly. And.. Prophylaxis and I aren't thinking about Seeker's Landing. Running into that would be madness. Especially in light of.."

    Wake growls as she opens her eyes again. With pure stupid, stubborn will, she forces them wide. Pain be damned, apparently. "In /light/ of the fact that they just happened to visit our strongholds immediately prior to this, it looks.. very bad. It is obviously not evidence, but it's unwise to wait for coincidences to reveal themselves in deadly fashion."

    Wake very deliberately-and slowly-gets up. The key, she finds, to dealing with vertigo, is no longer paying attention to balance. It's not easy, and she nearly falls, but she's made it to her feet!

Goldenblade
Village of Eas

Goldenblade ahhhhs as Yuuki explains about Proph being in Yamato after the Tenth Floor boss fight. "Ah, that makes sense," she agrees. "I guess I don't know many people from Scale very well," she admits. She nods about returning to Seeker's Landing now being a bad plan. She will help Wake to stand, when she rises slowly. When she's not thinking about balance, Goldenblade can help keep her upright though she's got to preduct where Wake's trying to go now. "Well, they're clearly up to no good, whatever they're doing," she agrees. "They acted pretty weird when they were here..."
Yuuki
Village of Eas


    Yuuki blinks in confusion for a moment... Then remembers hearing something about a Palace Lands fleet. She looks at Goldenblade and then Wake, "Waaaaaait... You don't think?" She scratches her head, "Why would they do that? It's not like we've done anything to them. Plus we don't even know how has actually attacked Seeker's Landing. Could be people from the other world."
Baroness Wake
Village of Eas



    "You are right, Yuuki, we do not know. The problem is, confirmation.. will take too long. And if it is the worst of my fears, it will be received at sword point."

    Wake directs a smile towards the smudge of blurry light that she is certain is Goldenblade. "Thanks. I'm not sure this place is entirely stable."

    She directs her glance towards where she thinks Yuuki is. She is.. kinda close. Give or take a meter. "I... am not thinking clearly. I am.. compromised."

    She frowns at admitting it. "Tae is Baroness until I recover. Please help me explain to her what we have seen. Help her until I recover. But.."

    Wake looks downward, and her eyes shut tightly for a moment. As they do, her posture is restored. "We cannot win this fight with our usual tactics."

Goldenblade
Village of Eas

Goldenblade hrms to Yuuki and wonders, "I've been in a Wave, and I've been in Tower pushes, and what we saw in the vision did /not/ look like a Wave or a Tower push. But the Palace Lands Landers don't normally go nearly that far east. Not normally." She returns Wake's smile, though whether Wake can see or not is unknown, and she promises, "We will explain to Tae. If this hits the fan, it will be ugly, but if they're going to force our hand, we will do what we must do."
Yuuki
Village of Eas


    Yuuki nods along slowly as she thinks more about it. They still don't have firm information. But they can't just dismiss it either. Cause if it turns out to be true...

    "This could be big. Really big. Super big! The likes of which ETO has never seen before!" She rubs her chin, "I should probably poke the other Olympus guild leaders, see what they think. I don't think there's been anything even close to this since the actual Apocalypse itself."

    Yuuki then nods and helps get Wake back home, "I'm sure you'll be feeling better and plotting things in no time!"
Baroness Wake
Village of Eas



    Wake nods, her eyes staying shut as she is led back to the castle by her friends. "Oh, and.. also. Please help me find whoever that poor child is I yelled at. And.. let's take the food back, as well. I won't let her work go to waste. She is blameless. She is exactly the kind of person I must..."

    A very long pause follows. "I must protect."

    As the castle draws near, Wake breaks out of her silence once more. The words are slow. Painful to her, and her voice cracks as she whispers, "Tell my beloved Tae.. that we must prepare to abandon Eas."