RPG The Almagest Legacy

[Malkav]

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Jack felt his eyes growing heavy while he sat between Audrey's legs. He'd been up all night and this was the first time he had a chance to rest in the past few days. Who knew he'd find such good service in a cell of all places. He decided that there wasn't much to loose by going to sleep, and he doubted she'd mind. Flicking the dying cigar away, Jack finally let his brain shut down...

[B]"Ah, wake him up!!" [/B]yelled a voice. Jack shook awake and then suddenly heard the sounds of gunfire.

[B]"Audrey," [/B]began Jack, fighting back a yawn, [B]"What's happening?"

"I don't know Jack."[/B] she said. She had her arms around his shoulders, tightening her grip as the man opened their cell and pointed a gun straight at them.

[B]"Alright then, get a move on!" [/B]yelled their captor once again. Jack and Audrey followed his orders, Audrey helping Jack up and continuing to grip him as the walked.

[B]"Where are you taking us?" [/B]asked Jack, whose eyes at this point were moving frantically, trying to figure a way out. He looked forward to see select prisoners being pulled from their cells.

[B]"We're moving you. The RPG, led by Gaul Rosier no less, are at our bloody doorstep and we're not done with you yet."

"What about the young lady? I'm sure she's done nothing to warrant her stay in your hands. You should give her to the RPG." [/B]said Jack, out of genuine concern for her safety.

Audrey stopped and looked at Jack. He did not know what happened. [B]"No, I'd rather not go with the RPG."

"But you worked for them," [/B]Jack said in a whisper so their captor wouldn't get the idea that he may have a valuable hostage, [B]"you can get out of here and back with your lot."[/B]

[B]"Jack you don't understand," [/B]said Audrey, her voice just as hushed as his, [B]"[I]he [/I]killed Vincent."

[/B]Their captor was getting impatient. He pointed the gun at them once again. Jack continued to look straight into Audrey's eyes. Just like him, either way it went, there wouldn't be a happy ending. Unless...

[B]"WHAT'S THE BLOODY HOLD UP?!" [/B]yelled their captor.

Jack put his finger to his nose, pretending as a sneeze was coming up. He reared back, and right as he blew, he sent a jab forward that caught his captor off guard. The man dropped his gun and he and Jack dived for it. Jack, being disadvantaged knew that if he didn't get to it first, he'd be out of luck. The two men scrambled, pulling each other back and throwing in sucker punches whenever they could. Jack reared up on one knee and took another dive for the gun, but fell short as their captor got his hands on it.

He turned on his side and looked at Jack, a twisted smile on his face as his finger wrapped around the trigger. For the first time in his life, Jack wasn't sure if he'd make it out alive. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Audrey ran up. She kicked the man clean in his arm, throwing off his shot just enough to miss Jack's head and also making him drop the gun once more. Jack made one final lunge, grabbing the gun in a half barrel roll and fired, shooting an arrow clean into the man's eye killing him. Jack eased his grip and slumped down, relieved he was still alive. Audrey ran to his side, leaning down close to him. [B]"Are you alright?"[/B] she asked.

Jack coughed a tad bit, turning away from his dead captor. He nodded to Audrey and tossed her the gun.[/COLOR][/FONT]
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"It's a dual bolt arrow rifle, meant to be silent yet effective. I've seen them before. The left side shoots explosive bolts, where else the right shoots regular rounds. It won't be of any use to me because its meant to be held with two hands. Help me up dear."

[/B]Audrey put the gun down and helped him up. Jack stumbled a bit, not able to keep his balance with his weight as lopsided as it was. The two of them ran down the corridors of Camp Doberman, desperately trying to avoid capture every step of the way. Every corner they turned, it seemed, only led to more corridors. Even then the explosions and gunfire continued to get louder. Jack insisted that he knew where he was going, but Audrey couldn't remember any of the places they went when she was being brought to her cell.[B] "Jack, are you sure we're heading toward the exit?"[/B]

[B]"I'm not looking for an exit, dear. I'm looking for a gun."[/B] he said, they suddenly came to a large door with the words ARMORY inscribed across the top of it. Jack kicked it in, but lost his balance as he looked to right himself and fell in with it. Audrey once again helped him to his feet, nearly laughing at his clumsiness. The armory was a large, shelved room. Each shelf holding a different weapon and its ammo. Jack immediately began looking up and down for supplies.

Most of the armory was emptied out. A smart move by the Underdogs to ensure the RPG didn't get their hands on everything. Jack moved forward, grabbing an arrow belt for Audrey and tossing it to her. No sooner than he did so, an Underdog jumped from behind one of the shelves, gun pointed straight at Jack. Not knowing what else to do, Jack put his hands up and waited for the inevitable. A gasping sound perked his ears, and as he took his hands down, he saw an arrow lodged into the man's neck. He slumped to the ground dead. Jack turned to find Audrey right behind him, her gun held steady. She started shaking violently. That was twice she'd saved him. Not sparing a moment, Jack immediately found the gun he was looking for. [/COLOR][/FONT][LEFT][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]
It was a four-cylinder semi-automatic revolver. The biggest single handed weapon Jack could think of. He grabbed it and its holster, calling Audrey over to help him put it on. She walked over, strapping him up. Everything that Jack needed done, she did: putting ammo into the proper pockets, sticking a knife into his belt, and loading grenades into the proper holsters. She leaned in close, tightning the staps behind Jack's back. She was so close that he could faintly smell the perfume on her, it smelled great. Keeping his bearing Jack loaded all 32 chambers of the revolver and spun it shut. He waited for Audrey to finish suiting herself up. If he'd seen her on any other day, he wouldn'tve been able to imagine it. Jack stretched slightly, feeling the straps dig into his flesh, and thought that perhaps he should have put on a shirt first. He found a bomber jacket in the corner and immediately pulled out his knife. Taking the left sleeve in his mouth and using the knife to cut it clean of the Jacket. One armed he flung the jacket on and looked at Audrey. [B]"Are you ready to go, lass?" [/B]he aksed Audrey. She nodded.

[B]"Are we just going to walk out of here guns ablaze?" [/B]she asked.

[B]"No, we'll die. I have a better idea."[/B]

Jack looked off into another corner, and Audrey looked in the same direction. She wasn't sure what he had in mind with that thing he was staring at...

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Gaul Rosier watched as the RPG fought a hard battle against the Underdogs. He didn't expect for them to put up such a fight, especially since the attack was a surprise one. All of his officers had on riot gear, and were alot more prepared than the Underdogs. RPG cannons were also there, firing onto the crowds, friend and foe alike, adding to the chaos that was in the streets. Rosier raised his hand, giving the order to send in more officers. The Underdogs, despite their hard fighting, were grossly outnumbered.

Out of the smoke and embers that once was the entrance to Camp Doberman. A strange noise could be heard. The few Underdogs posted near it couldn't help but notice the noise as it sounded like a swarm of bees, getting closer. An Underdog higher up called a cease fire and told his men to aim for the entrance, knowing something was not right. Those who were in front of the entrance aimed for it, full aware that they were giving the RPG time to regroup. The noise grew louder, and louder. It happened fast. Out of the entrance burst a motorbike with two passengers on it. Each rider holding onto one handle, with the female firing frantically behind her with a revolver. A flock of doves flew into vision ahead of the bike, distorting the Underdogs who tried to fire at them, making them miss every shot fired.

The bike landed hard onto the pavement, not once loosing momentum, and sped forward. No sooner than it emerged, two more bicycles emerged from the opening. One's rider came out firing while the other's came out dead. His bike crashed into the sidewalk, exploding as the steam engine punctured released its pressure. Audrey continued firing on their other assailant, who also continued firing forward. Audrey had the advantage however, as she wasn't also trying to drive. The two bikes sped toward no man's land, directly between the RPG and Underdogs.

Jack maneuvered the Bike through the rubble and debris that had built up over the course of the RPG retaliation. The smoke teared his eyes, but he still pushed forward, dodging bullets and people as he tried to get the hell out of there. Audrey's frantic shooting may have got her her first kill, but it was costing her and Jack precious time. She'd gone through gun training before, all members of the RPG did, but never did she think she'd have to shoot while helping a one armed man ride a motorcycle. Suddenly her gun ran out of bullets. Cursing herself, she turned and reached over Jack, reaching around and pulling out another round of revolver bullets. [B]"I only have so many of those lass, make them count!"

[/B]Audrey yelled something in her native tongue that Jack couldn't understand, but he had a feeling it wasn't anything he'd want to know. Audrey took aim again after reloading Jack's revolver and began shooting again, this time clipping their assaliant in the shoulder and causing him to loose balance and topple off his bike. Audrey felt a wave of relief flow through her as he fell, but it only lasted for so long. She wasn't quite sure what all happened next. She turned to see a rocket heading straight for them. Jack jerked the bike in such a way that it fell on its side and went skidding across the road. She could only pray at that moment that the steam engine didn't rupture and kill them both. The rocket just missed them, hitting the ground behind them. Everything happened so fast after that.

The explosion sent them flying through the air, ears ringing. Audrey could feel Jack's arm grabbing her midair and she extended her arms to embrace him, but before she could, she felt burning shrapnel slicing into her eye. She let out a scream, but couldn't hear it over the ringing. She looked forward towards Jack, who was looking back dumbstruck. The two of them hit the ground hard, tumbling for a moment before landing in a heap with the bike on top of Jack's leg. They reached out for one another, Audrey crying and Jack mouthing something off to her. Their finger tips touched before time came rushing back once more.

Gaul Rosier put down his cannon. He recognized Jack Deacon immediately from the wanted posters and knew that where ever he went, trouble followed. [B]"Give me rifle." [/B]he said. His subordinate immediately tossed him a gun and he started walking toward the two, intent on finishing Jack off himself.

Meanwhile, Jack, too shaken up to move the bike, grabbed Audrey's hand. She took his hand in both of hers and pulled herself closer to him. [B]"Look," [/B]Jack said above the ringing, which was finally subsiding, [B]"Rosier's coming, you're going to have to kill him."

[B]"But Jack, you're stuck, we need to get that thing off of you."

[B]"Look, I'm still alive, but I won't be and neither will you if Rosier gets to us. Get your gun and finish what he started."[/B][/B][/B]

Audrey pulled herself closer to him and looked into his hazel eyes, [B]"I'm glad I met you."

[/B]As if knowing what was coming next, Jack puckered his lips slightly and closed his eyes. He waited all of three seconds before opening his eyes and realizing Audrey was already on her feet, arrow gun in hand. [I]Well Jack, [/I]he thought,[I] you can't be right all the time.[/I]

Audrey circled Gaul Rosier slightly, walking in step with him. [I]Alright, [/I]she thought to herself, [I]this is it.[/I] Rosier wasted no time in firing. Audrey jumped out of the way, firing an arrow at him. It missed him by a long shot. Audrey scrambled behind a car that was on the side of the road. With her eye missing, she knew that he already had the advantage over her as her vision was off now. Rosier fired at the car, creating a spark near Audrey's head and causing her to move. She scrambled out of the other side of the car where Rosier was waiting. He fired, missing her again. She took aim at him, bringing the gun up to her eye and fired again. The arrow shot straight into Rosier's leg. She fired again, this one lodging into his shoulder. Rosier dropped his gun and fell to the ground. Audrey took aim one last time, this time aiming straight between his eyes and fired again, striking him dead.

She stood and walked over to him, falling on her knees besides him. [B]"Retribution..."[/B] she muttered. No sooner than she said that, Rosier's hand shot up and grabbed her neck, choking her. His eyes were menacing as he performed this final act of anger. Audrey's hands scrambled to find her weapon again, it instead fell on Rosier's rifle. She shot him. She shot him again and again until she ran out of bullets, and even then she kept pulling the trigger. She pulled it until Jack walked up and took her gun from her, throwing it away and throwing his arm around her. She started crying, holding her hand up to her face where her eye used to be. Jack held her close.

[B]"It's not over, love. We have to go." [/B]he said, picking her up and walking her back to the bike. She took one last look over her shoulder at the body of Gaul Rosier before they drove off.

The Cygnus' crew prepared the ship to leave. They'd waited all this time for Jack's return, and with the RPG running rampant in the area, non of them felt they could wait any longer. There was a sudden rapping at the ship's hatch and like any good crew, they all got their weapons and posted up at its entrance. Kil'ani pressed the hatch release. A collective sigh went up as they saw their captain, albeit beat up.

[B]"What are you all standing around like a bunch of idiots for? The lady needs medical attention." [/B]he said, walking Audrey into his ship. The crew scrambled to follow his orders.

[B]"Sir," [/B]Kil'ani said, [B]"We received word that the military were gathering. The Sentinel's out there."[/B]

Jack thought for a moment, remembering that they'd captured Meredyne and held her prisoner on the ship. [B]"Well then, it looks as if the real fight has yet to come." [/B]he said, walking Audrey through the ship towards the cabin. He wished those words weren't true. He really wished.[/COLOR][/FONT][/LEFT]
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[Rachmaninoff]

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[I]Well so much for that plan,[/I] Alexander thought as he sat down next to Henry in the darkness. He had hoped to be able to convince the others that Henry had only been trying to keep Gual from leaving, but the group coming up the stairs to the main level hadn’t even given him a chance to talk. Not even to give the code word given to him by his superior officer earlier that morning so he could identify himself as an Underdog. The first few forerunners had attacked him immediately, forcing him to defend himself or be cut down. Which in turn prompted others coming after him. He had done the only thing he could at that point, he had retreated.

As he had feared, by the time they managed to fight their way to get back to the front, the chaos was too great for them to be able to slip out the front without getting killed. And the holding cells? Though it was a good spot to try and determine what to do next, what he had told Henry was not true. They would not be able to wait things out. In time, once those members of the guard who were loyal to the Dynast had been dealt with. They would either burn the building to the ground or search it for any survivors who were hiding. No, staying there was merely a tactic to let the others move elsewhere, to become more scattered in the building and to hopefully give them another chance to slip by.

The sounds of men hurrying along outside the corridor caught their attention, causing both of them to freeze and then relax a bit when no one tried the door. Something that did not surprise Alexander. He had chosen the room for a reason. Gual Rosier had a policy of keeping the cells in utter darkness, even though the area was equipped with the bright lights available via magi technology. It was in Alexander’s opinion, an unnecessary and overly harsh tactic. Denying people the ability to determine the time of day, dragging them out into the harsh and bright light of one of the interrogation rooms for questioning. In short, the RPG had a reputation of being on the cruel side and this practice was one of the reasons.

He was debating on attempting to slip out again when the sound of something moving came from back within the darkness. Alexander didn’t waste a moment, instantly reaching up for where the switch for the lighting was. Activating it and flooding the room with the harsh bright lights, something that had both him and Henry closing their eyes briefly in order to adjust.

“[B]Wait here.[/B]” Alexander said softly as he got up, his sword ready as he moved down the path between the empty cells closest to the door. The whole thing was almost medieval considering the level of magi technology used in the construction of the building. The cells were nothing more than strong iron bars with nothing to give anyone any form of privacy should they be unfortunate to be locked up in one.

The front room was empty, but when he came to the door leading in to the next room, he was not surprised to find Captain Alan Oref back in the farthest cell, sitting up on the small bed inside. As Alexander approached he noticed how the Captain’s eyes strayed to his blood stained sword and then back to meet his own gaze.

“[B]What is going on?[/B]” He glared at Alexander, the uncertainty in his posture easy to see. He got up uneasily to his feet, taking a guarded stance.

“[B]The Underdogs are taking over sir.[/B]” He told him, elaborating further as to what was going on, an idea beginning to from in the back of his mind. He finished and ignored Captain Oref’s questions in favor of looking for a means to unlock his cell. After his behavior at Rosengard the other night, it was no wonder he was being disciplined. But if he could get him out… Even if he was a fool, he was still trained to fight. And the fact that he was still locked up meant he was not a member of the Underdogs.

“[B]What are you waiting for? Get me out of here! We have to put an end to this at once![/B]” The Captain was becoming impatient after hearing Alexander‘s tale. “[B]The keys should be back in the main room, next to the lockers where they put the prisoner’s personal effects.[/B]”

“[B]There are too many of them sir, we need to get out of here instead.[/B]”

Captain Oref gave him a flat stare and then finally nodded, “[B]Then I suggest you hurry.[/B]” He didn't look to thrilled, but the sounds of fighting that could be heard even in the holding cells lent credibility to what he had been told and he reluctantly accepted it.

Alexander nodded and turned to run back to the other room, glancing over briefly at Henry who wore a puzzled look when he went for the first locker next on the far wall, opening it to reveal not only equipment for securing a prisoner, but different types of keys hanging on one side. He shoved several things aside, careful to make as little noise as possible.

“[B]What are you doing?[/B]” Henry moved over until he was standing next to Alexander, looking into the locker to see what he was up to.

Alexander closed the door once he had the right key and gave Henry a wry grin. “[B]I’m going to let Captain Alan Oref out. We’re going to need all the help we can get and ass or not, he is trained to fight.[/B]” He grasped Henry’s shoulder with his left hand, keeping his voice low.

“[B]Just follow my lead and follow any commands from the Captain alright? Even if he is a jackass, he'll keep you from harm.[/B]” He waited for Henry to nod and then let go. “[B]Check the other lockers to see if there is anything we can use. If you can’t find anything, I want you to give the Captain the sword you found, okay?[/B]”

"[B]How do you know you can trust him?[/B]"

"[B]If he really was a member of the Underdogs, they would have released him.[/B]"

Henry didn’t look to happy about it but he nodded reluctantly and then turned to start checking the lockers once Alexander had left to fetch the Captain. A moment later, the two returned as he finished looking only to find nothing else. Without a word he handed over his sword to the Captain and readied the police baton he still had. He winced when the Captain shoved the benches and chairs aside without regard to the noise and opened the door, instantly heading for where the back exit to the building should be.

The group moved swiftly, heading to the steps that had been blocked before, rushing down to the next level and barely making it down the corridor and out of sight before the next rush of men from the tunnels below the city came up. “[B]Hurry up lads! This way! We need to secure the exit least more rats escape![/B]” Alexander recognized the sound of his superior officer Grants coming down the hallway from behind them.

They were close to being to the exit leading to the alleyway behind the building, only a few more hallways and rooms to get through. Alexander only hoped that the way wasn’t blocked by Underdogs at this point. He glanced briefly at the others who were following him, the Captain bringing up the rear; when the sounds of fighting in front of them caused him to come to a halt.[I] Damn! [/I]

“[B]Now what?[/B]” Henry was tense, looking ready to bolt and the Captain was looking back at the way they had come, the sound of footsteps drawing closer.

“[B]We press forward boy,[/B]” The Captain said firmly. “[B]We don’t have a choice.[/B]” He looked over at Alexander as they picked up the pace again. “[B]Our best bet is to force our way out if possible and get clear.[/B]”

Alexander didn’t bother to answer, readying his sword once more as he moved to open the door and charged into the room with a wild yell, startling guard and Underdog members alike, cutting down two of them before they could even realize he was there. The others were slow to respond and in no time, with the help of a few guard members, the rest were taken care of. Both Alexander and the Captain giving them no time to retreat as Henry took advantage of the chaos of the fight to deliver resounding whacks to the few Underdogs who attempted to retreat through the door they had just come through. A moment later and it was over.

“[B]What do we do now sir?[/B]“ The few remaining guard members were looking at the Captain for answers; the fear in their eyes evident. The room itself was a shambles as bodies were everywhere and the floor was slick with spilt blood.

“[B]We retreat for now,[/B]” He ordered them, moving swiftly for the door leading to the last room before the exit to the building.

Without question the others followed him, both Alexander and Henry only pausing long enough to lock the door behind them and drag a heavy table up against it. Both of them looked at each other for a moment, probably thinking the same thing. Wondering if they’d live to see those they cared for again. It was a thought that Alexander tried to shove out of mind. He could only hope that Alecia had kept to her promise that morning to not leave the medical center no matter what. He couldn’t let himself think about the possibility of her trying to come and see what the fuss was about.

The moment was broken by the sound of a group of men smashing in the door from the outside. “[B]Oh hell!”[/B] Alexander exclaimed in exasperation upon realizing it was a group of Underdogs.[I] We were so close![/I] He frowned as Captain Alan Oref and the others rushed to greet them with a sickening clash of steel on steel. He did the same, moving to counter the first man that made a swing for him, wondering just how many there were outside. If they didn’t get out and soon, once the others broke the door down, they would be caught between the two forces. [I]Alecia…[/I]

With a grim glance at Henry after nearly cutting the one man in half, Alexander’s gaze was caught by one of the men who’s movements was that of another creature altogether. He was slim and sleek and his darting eyes and moves that were all feint and rush; practically screamed assassin as if he had it tattooed on his forehead. A few moments later as the man parried a swing from a guard member’s sword, he darted forward just enough to hit his opponent with his left hand. Seconds later the guard collapsed. Mostly likely hit with a lethal poisoned barb.

He turned to find a new target and his eyes locked with Alexander’s. For the longest moment the two simply stared at one another, semi oblivious to the fighting going on around them. Alexander reached into his tunic and pulled forth the short dagger he had in answer to that look. As if realizing that Alexander was the only real threat to him in that room, the man readied his sword and closed with him.

“[B]Keep clear Henry,[/B]” Alexander warned as he circled cautiously, thinking back to the lessons he had gotten from his father. If he stood his ground, he’d be leaving himself open to poisoned darts or hidden stings that the man probably had hidden all over his body. And yet if he retreated too much, the man would wear him down, making him tired. Either way, he would lose.

He had to take the offensive and he had to do it in a way that would be unstoppable, and he had to do it quickly. Alexander continued to circle, allowing the man to force him to dodge and retreat while he waited for the right moment to strike. He snarled inwardly as his opponent kept rushing and feinting, hunting for a moment to strike and then… the man moved forward just a tad too hard, just a tiny bit to far and Alexander seized the opening to rush him.

He came at him in a two-handed dance, one he had learned from his father; something that had surprised him at the time as he hadn’t thought the old man could even move that quickly. It certainly wasn’t something he learned from guard training. But his father had served in the military, and he had loved nothing more than passing on what he had learned to his sons.

It took Alexander’s opponent completely off balance as he back-pedaled furiously to get out of the way of the blur of steel, great and lesser, that were his sword and dagger. And when he finally stopped running, it was to find himself cornered.

Alexander saw him make the slightest movement with his left hand as he came in with his sword in an over and under cut. He paid his sword hand no heed, barely paying attention to it as it was the other hand that he was watching. Under the cover of his attack the man made a strike for his upper arm with his gloved left hand. Alexander barely avoided it in time, something that later made him sweat when he thought about it.

He executed a spin and cut that took the man’s hand off at the wrist at the end of the move. While the would be assassin stared stupidly in shock at the spurting stump, he carried his blade back along the arc to take his head off as well. Pulling back and stepping clear of the fountain of blood and the body as it fell with a sickening thud to the floor.

He turned to see the others staring at him in shock, even the Captain. Alexander focused on Henry who was looking pale as if he was going to throw up. Quickly he sheathed the dagger and took two steps over, gently grasping Henry’s shoulder and turning him towards the back door of the building. Away from the gruesome sight of the fallen man he had just slain. With the Captain and the remaining guards, there were only five of them. If there were too many outside… Alexander shook his head. There was only one way to find out.

“[B]Let’s go.”[/B]

[Shy]

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[size=1][indent]Morphia and Bavria sat in the gardens of the Mirror Palace, enjoying a small glass of wine as she met a revolving door of dignitaries and Dynast loyalists. The conversation was polite, if not a little awkward. Given the state of affairs in New Czenoble, everyone was thinking the same things, but afraid to mention them.

"[b]You should go speak to Prince Juvenous, sister,[/b]" Bavaria said as she sipped her champagne, "[b]I hear he is very available.[/b]"

"[b]Juvenous? [i]Please![/i][/b]" Morphia huffed, "[b]I hear this enough from father. I don't need you planning a royal wedding as well.[/b]"

Bavaria's eyes drifted towards Primas, "[b]Father wishes the best for you is all. He has been putting the same pressure on me, even though I'm only recently widowed.[/b]"

"[b]The difference is that Primas is quite fond if you. Juvenous seems to think that he can find true love at the bottom of a glass of wine.[/b]"

Lady Bavaria let out a heavy sigh.

"[b]Is something the matter, Bavaria?[/b]"

"[b]No, no... I just feel it's too soon to even consider a marriage with the King. And also, it is an enormous responsibility.[/b]"

"[b]But I think you'd make a good queen.[/b]"

"[b]Perhaps so,[/b] Bavaria said, "[b]But the Crystalline Throne brings with it many things. Rarely is happiness one of them.[/b]"

"[b]Is it that you don't care for him?[/b]"

"[b]I care for my nation,[/b]" Bavaria replied softly, "[b]And for the good of my nation, I will do whatever my King asks of me.[/b]"

Suddenly a scream came from the palace, and a young female servant ran out, her hands covered in blood. Several onlookers gasped in horror as King Primas immediately rushed to her side.

“[b]Margaret, what is it?[/b]”

“[b]Your majesty. It’s it…[/b]” she began to speak, but soon found her voice overwhelmed with tears.

He placed his large hands on the girl‘s shoulders, “[b]Please, you must tell me...[/b]

“[b]It’s Augustine, King Primas. The Dynast Princess has been murdered.[/b]”

“[b]Augustine? My sister…[/b]”

Primas collapsed onto his knees as the guests gathered around him, shocked. The crowd began to panic, voicing concerns about their safety. Agron Deacon remained silently confident, and immediately took command of the crowd.

“[b]Silence everyone![/b]” he said boldly, “[b]Call for the Guard at once. We’ll need to close off the crime scene at once, your highness, so that we may find out who did this.[/b]”

“[b]But Master Deacon, you don’t understand,[/b]” the young servant said as she motioned towards the palace, “[b]I know who committed the crime…[/b]”

Agron turned towards the palace, and saw Prince August standing in shadows of the doorway, his hands trembling.


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In the kitchen Victoria Ann excitedly explained her rescue operation to Gadget and Eva.

“[b]…so if we get The Giant to help us we can save Auntie Catherine![/b]”

“[b]You’ve got quite the imagination,[/b]” Eva said with a polite nod, “[b]But how are you going to find them?[/b]”

“[b]Oh that’s easy![/b]” Victoria Ann said as she pulled out a map from his backpack, “[b]I got these from school, so now me and Lucy won’t get lost.[/b]”

Gadget’s eyes lit up as he saw the maps stuffed into Victoria’s bag. He placed his hands on the maps, pulling them away suddenly Fauntleroy entered the room, his hands full of papers.

“[b]Hello everyone![/b]” Fonty said cheerfully, “[b]I see that you found Gadget, after all.[/b]”

“[b]Yes, it appears that finding an invisible man isn’t so difficult if you know where to look,[/b]” Eva replied, “[b]Where are you going with those papers?[/b]”

“[b]Here, let me show everyone….[/b]”

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[size=4][font=garamond][b]Landmark 10[/b][/size][/font][/center]

Victoria Ann looked at the paper curiously, “[b]What is it supposed to be?[/b]”

Fonty laughed, “[b]It’s a stock certificate, Victoria Ann. There are only a handful of us who have a say in Magitech, even though there are thousands of people who work for it.[/b]”

“[b]That doesn’t seem fair.[/b]”

“[b]It isn’t, which is partially why this revolution started in the first place. If we give our shares to the workers of Magitech then they too would have a say in the future of the company.[/b]”

"[b]Didn't you sell the company to Merdyne?[/b]" Gadget asked.

"[b]Let's just say I had a change of heart because of you, Gadget. I want to make sure that Magitech never has the power to abuse its' workers, or anyone, ever again.[/b]"

“[b]That‘s a very clever solution,[/b]” Eva said as she examined the certificates closely “[b]But however did you get my signature on this? I don‘t recall signing these…[/b]”

Fonty wrapped his arm around his sister, “[b]Please Eva, that’s not important now. What we need to focus on is getting these papers ratified by the Business Justice.[/b]”

Eva raised an eyebrow, “[b]Uh-huh. I don't see you forging Bavaria or Daedalus' signature to get their shares...[/b]”

"[b]Come on, sister, I may be forging documents, but I'm not stupid enough to cross either of those two. Or Catherine.[/b]"

“[b]The Justice's office? Is that across town?[/b]” Gadget asked.

“[b]Yes it is. Why? Did you need a ride?[/b]”

“[b]Actually, yes,[/b]” Eva said, “[b]We need to find Macey, and I suspect that she’ll be stopping by Gustave’s after …[/b]”

“[b]Gustave’s! Oh boy, let’s go![/b]”

Fonty sghed, "[b]I'm never going to win with you, am I?[/b]"

Victoria Ann shook her head, "[b]Never. Ever.[/b]"[/size][/indent]

[Raiha]

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[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]Having a slight aversion to what she deemed 'wild animals', Mell was indoors, gossiping like a fiend while her mistress was down in the stables. Gustave was on the wire with members of his company, most likely putting out some small fire, leaving Macey to her own devices, like she enjoyed. And instead of sitting in one of Gustave's several pleasant, light, and airy rooms, she was down in the stables curry combs laid out, the stablehands grateful for the break she was giving them.

Lazarus was out of his stall, tethered in a spacious front area, content to put his nose in sweet smelling clover while Macey gently groomed his muscular flanks with a variety of specially made combs. Carefully working out specks of dust with smaller brushes, Lazarus's feathers soon began to take on a brilliant yellow sheen, glittering in the light. He burbled lightly with pleasure, nuzzling Macey's left leg while she began to apply a light brush of oil to the lot.[/i]

"Oh you little flirt. Shameless as your master."

[i]The Chimaera twittered again and contented himself with decimating another pile of clover, hungry after his long run, but happy after his rub down. Soon enough Macey was finished and led him back to his stable, which he did with a very meek stance, totally mellowed out. Lucy, sensing her turn was about to begin, put her head over her stall door and chirruped to Macey expectantly. With a laugh, she unhooked the halter from the door and led her to the grooming area. Picking up her first combs, Lucy obligingly lowered her head, and stamped her feet with happiness.[/i]

"Nice to see you looking forward to all of this attention. Doesn't Gustave love you enough?"

[i]Of course he did, but they probably hadn't been getting nearly as much love with all the preparations and insanity that had been going on. Macey leaned across Lucy's back, picking through her feathers meticulously, the glitter of silver and gold strands shot through her pelt.[/i]

"It's not that I don't really like Gustave, but I'm just not sure if jumping into another relationship is a good idea. I mean he'll give me my space for certain, do you think it's a good idea?"

[i]Lucy cocked her head at Macey's voice for a least a moment, then shook her shoulders and fluffed her feathers out for a moment. As if to say: "Of course you should silly girl." Macey chuckled and began to clip her talons and file them down when suddenly all the Chimaeras and horses put their noses outside of their stalls and whinnied or chirruped.[/i]

"Now what's all this?"

"It's some of your family visiting Miss. Looks like your brother and niece"

"Best go greet them then. I'll bet Gustave is still busy with his business calls.

[i]She laid down her combs, still mindful of the fact that she had a heavy apron over her coronation dress and stepped down the ramp and saw that Victoria Ann had already leapt down from the carriage and was running directly for Macey, her arms outstretched, her high pitched voice carrying well across the flat grounds.[/i]

"Maceeeeeeeey! Is Lucy there?! Can I see her?! Please?!"

"Of course dear, she's right out here."

[i]Victoria Ann let Macey pick her up and swing her around before taking her hand and leading the over excited girl to the stables. Lucy picked up her feet lightly, then burbled as Victoria ran over to give her a big hug around her neck[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Aaryanna]

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Victoria Ann was starting to get annoyed with everyone. How many times was she going to have to explain things before the stupid adults would get going? She didn?t have all day! She had put up with Fonty being a pain and all of the additional delays as well, but now? She wasn?t going to wait any longer. After making sure to give Lucy a proper greeting she had gone back to the house and fetched her backpack and cloak. Finding a spot to pull out the maps and see where the closest entrance to the tunnels was located.

As she was reading it, the sounds of rain beginning to fall outside could be heard, causing her to frown a bit. If Fonty hadn?t been so difficult they would have been half way to where the giant was by now. It took her a little while to figure out where the closest entrance was. If she understood the map correctly it was a little ways from the house, back in the tree line a bit. Determined she stuffed the maps back in the backpack, hefting it on her shoulders as she then wrapped the cloak around her shoulders, securing it tightly to protect things from the rain. If the maps got soaked, they wouldn?t do her any good.

The adults were in the main sitting room discussing stuffy business stuff while Macey was still outside tending to the Chimeras, if she went now, no one would be able to stop her. Decided she ran for the front door and opened it quietly, not wishing to attract attention. Fortunately the rain was very light, so fastening the hood of her cloak up was enough to keep it off of her. With one last look to make sure no one was watching, she then took off as fast as she could towards the trees to the south of the home.

Fortunately the ground, though wet, was not enough to be slippery and she made good time getting to the trees. Once she was there and out of sight she slowed down, getting into her backpack and pulling out the map, as the branches of the fur trees sheltered the ground from the light rain. It was completely dry among the trunks of the tall trees. A tiny part of her felt guilty for leaving them behind but she shoved it aside. After all, in all that time, not one message had come from Auntie Catherine and if she had been at the coronation like the stuffy Head Master had thought, why hadn?t she come back with Macey? And asking Macey had only confirmed her belief that Auntie Catherine wasn't there since she told her she hadn't seen Catherine there.

It was simple in Victoria Ann?s mind. Someone had to have snatched her like they had Grandfather Leonhart. After all, Catherine was [I]much smarter[/I] than he was. If the adults weren?t going to do anything to save her, she would. Victoria Ann pulled out her pocket watch to look at the time, frowning when she realized it was already just past two. She tucked it back in her pocket and looked at the map to make sure she was going in the right direction. If she understood the little notation correctly, the entrance would be in some sort of lumber mill. Though she hadn?t known one was there.

A good half hour later, she was beginning to wonder if she was lost when she finally came to an old beaten up building in disarray. Puzzled she moved out of the cover of the trees to explore, wondering where the mill was. It wasn?t until she saw the sign that she realized it had to be really old like the maps. It probably hadn?t been used in over fifty years. Victoria Ann just smiled as she made her way into the ruined building. Being an older place like that only worked to her advantage. No adults to get past.

It took her a little while to finally find the path into the tunnels. Once she was inside, she pulled out the map and her little magi technology lantern and hurried down the tunnel. Her eagerness to find Catherine and the Giant propelling her on as she practically ran through the tunnels, only pausing to check the map when they branched in more than one direction. [/FONT][/COLOR]

[James]

[center][img] http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/8797/audreyavatarxe5.jpg[/img] [img] http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/jackavatar.jpg[/img] [/center] Audrey woke suddenly. Her heart was racing. She didn’t know how long she’d been asleep. All she knew was that, for once, she did not dream. As she looked around, it took a moment for her mind to adjust. She was lying on an expansive, luxurious bed in a sizeable bedroom. The room was somewhat utilitarian in nature, but featured well-crafted furniture and some paintings of strange, far-away places. The far end of the room was made up almost entirely of glass windows, with a heavy wooden desk beneath them. The desk was rather messy and was covered with papers and maps and various tools. Audrey stood up and made her way across the room, towards the window. The sunlight seemed to pierce her skin and its warmth felt wonderful; she had not seen real sunlight in several days. All she could see through the windows were fluffy white clouds, with the slight hint of greenery beyond them. And then she remembered that she was in the Cygnus, Jack’s airship. No doubt they were now far above the world, drifting peacefully. Her thoughts were interrupted by the creaking of a wooden door. Audrey spun around, startled; she had become too used to that sound having an entirely different meaning in prison. There were no guards at the doorway, only Jack. He looked quite different to Audrey’s last memory; he had showered, his hair was clean and he was shaven. He wore an expensive-looking outfit that was certainly fitting; he looked like a true ship captain, albeit with a mischievous glint in his eye. Jack looked Audrey up and down and hummed to himself. ‘Nice,’ he muttered. Audrey glanced down over herself and noticed that she was wearing a satin nightgown. She suddenly felt embarrassed and she made sure it was fastened tightly. ‘Don’t mind me,’ said Jack as he closed the door behind him and walked into the room. He made his way over to the desk under the windows and began rifling through his maps. ‘Where exactly am I?’ asked Audrey finally. ‘I know I’m on the Cygnus, but which room is this?’ Jack grinned. ‘My quarters, of course,’ he said proudly. ‘Several hours ago you took a bath and changed into more comfortable attire. After all, you were looking pretty beat up.’ Audrey didn’t remember, but she trusted Jack. She then touched her face and realized that a large bandage covered her left eye. ‘Oh,’ she sighed, ‘I almost forgot about this…’ Jack turned around and stood in front of Audrey. ‘I have something for you,’ he said gently. ‘Here.’ He produced a small leather patch from his pocket. ‘I had one of the crew members put this together for you. Do you like it?’ Audrey still felt as though she were in shock about losing her eye. Oddly enough, she felt no pain now. In truth, she knew she was lucky to be alive. ‘I love it,’ replied Audrey. ‘Can you put it on for me?’ Jack put the strap of the patch between his teeth. He then used his one free hand to carefully remove her bandages. ‘You might have to help me fasten it,’ he chuckled. Audrey reached up and pulled the two straps together. Her hand brushed against Jack’s. ‘Thank you,’ she said quietly. ‘You have been very kind.’ Jack shook his head. ‘Don’t worry, there’s nothing to be thankful for; you [i]did[/i] save my life, after all.’ For a moment, the pair stood facing each other. ‘I’m going to need clothes,’ said Audrey finally. ‘And we need to find an arm for you.’ Jack nodded. ‘Yeah, Clarke – the ship’s Medic - treated my arm just a moment ago. I know a great place to buy automail parts – you can get ‘em cheap on the black market in Muldova.’ Audrey visibly winced. ‘Muldova? I don’t ever want to go back there.’ ‘Oh,’ Jack suddenly realized his mistake. ‘Don’t worry, Audrey, if you like you can stay on the ship. We’ll dock and I’ll go and look for an arm myself. If it’s too difficult for you to be there again, I understand.’ Audrey sat on the edge of the bed. ‘I’ll see,’ she said quietly. ‘I have something I want to buy too. Maybe I’ll be okay as long as we’re together. You can be my back up.’ Jack laughed heartily and sat next to Audrey. ‘That’s fine by me, Lass. Once you’re dressed, why not join me on the bridge for a drink? I’m sure you could use it.’ Audrey nodded. ‘I’d like that.’ Jack smiled again and began to stand up. He had to resist the urge to kiss Audrey before leaving the room, but somehow it didn’t feel right. She still seemed confused by her situation – and now, she was so far from home and from her old life, Jack half expected her to leave the crew at some stage. [i]Maybe she’ll walk up and realize she isn’t a sky pirate like the rest of us,[/i] thought Jack as he opened the door. [i]I just hope it takes her a while…[/i]

[Malkav]

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[COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][FONT="Palatino Linotype"]The landing in Muldova went smoothly. The crew of the Cygnus filed out, breaking into smaller two and three man parties to go handle whatever business they had to attend before heading back into the air. Kil'ani, as Jack instructed, stayed on board to make sure the crew had enough to eat upon their return to the ship. Audrey walked with Jack through the familiar scene of Muldova. Every turn seemed to bring back a memory she didn't want to remember, they'd even passed the place where Vincent...

After walking for nearly half an hour, the two found themselves in a small shop. Audrey watched on as Jack walked up to the shop owner and did a peculiar handshake. He was somewhat chubby, with a handlebar mustashe and a very shiny bald head. The owner and Jack held a light conversation, ending in laughter and they were escorted to the back of the shop. "Where are we?" asked Audrey. Even though she trusted Jack's judgement, all of the back alley stuff was new to her.

[B]"Oh,"[/B] Jack said, [B]"This is Flynn Finney. Best damned weaponsmith in Czenovia. He's also pretty skilled with scalpel."[/B]

[B]"He's going to operate on your arm?"[/B] asked Audrey, ignoring Flynn's insulted stare.

Jack put his hand on her shoulder and winked, [B]"I've seen him work, go sit up front for a while."[/B]

Audrey began to protest, but decided that he may've known what was best. As she walked out of the room the door slammed shut behind her. She almost turned to open it back up, but once again decided not to. Minutes turned into hours as Audrey sat in the shop, head buried in her hands, while she waited for Jack to come back out. As she was about to nod off back to sleep, she was awakened by a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Flynn standing above her with a glass of ale. [B]"Sorry lass, he's recovering from the sedatives I gave him. He'll be as fine as he was the day you met him."[/B] he said, handing her the ale.

[B]"Oh God,"[/B] Audrey said, standing up. She'd just met him today and he was missing the arm, [B]"Can I see him, please?"[/B]

Flynn laughed a hearty laugh and shoved the ale into her hands, [B]"Drink up lass, you don't trust ol' Flynn?"[/B]

No sooner than he finished his sentence, a gun opened fire. Audrey's face flushed red as she ran toward the back. Flynn put a hand out to stop her but she broke free. If anything had happened, she honestly didn't know what she was going to do. Bursting into the room where she'd seen Jack last, she was surprised to see him on his feet, shirtless again, but this time very different. He had a gattling gun attached to his left shoulder. He held it toward the opposite wall and opened fire again. Flynn crept inot the room behind Audrey and smiled. [B]"Watcher Jack, you'll wake the whole neighborhood with that thing."[/B]

Jack frowned slightly, [B]"It's trigger is sluggish. You could have done better than this Flynn."[/B]

[B]"Bloody hell, Deacon. You show up in my shop and give me an hour to work, what do you expect for that bloody short amount of time?"
[/B]
[B]"I expect a better arm."[/B] Jack shot back. The guns in the arm suddenly began shifting, and from the barrel a hand emerged. Jack stretched its fingers and balled them into a fist. In truth it wasn't that bad for an hour job, but Jack didn't want to pay full price for it.
[B]
"Alright, I'll give you a discount on this one, but next time give me some bloody time, and I'll give you quality."[/B]

[B]"Agreed. You have anything you can give the lass? A rifle perhaps? I'll give you what I would have originally paid for both."[/B]

Flynn looked at Audrey, [B]"I don't know, Jack. She doesn't look like she can handle a gun."[/B]

[B]"I've seen her in action, Flynn. Trust me."[/B]

Audrey blushed slightly as Flynn took another look at her. [B]"I can spare something."[/B]

They walked out of Flynn's, Audrey strapped with her new weapon and Jack constantly moving his new arm around. Flynn had given Audrey a beautiful revolver, ivory handled and elaborately designed. She had fallen in love with it. Jack on the other hand was still trying to get used to his new arm. The work was really well for what he got. The only painful part was when he had the last of his shoulder cut off to make room for the mount, an experience he would rather not remember. The two made their way back toward the Cygnus.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Aaryanna_Mom]

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Catherine was startled awake by the sound of the makeshift cell door opening to admit Leonhart as well as other alchemists to their respective cells. Earlier, she had been visited briefly by Donner who had been satisfied with her translation of what was written on the cannon, but instead of moving her to join the others he had left her there, allowing her to attempt to get some rest. She had not expected to actually fall asleep, but as she struggled to a sitting position as Leonhart sat down next her; it was to realize that she felt even more tired than before.

She was wondering what was going on when a handful of Underdogs, doling out what looked like soup and bread along with filling a small bucket in each cell with water, caught her attention. Considering how tired she was, it was unlikely that she had slept the day away. Somehow she got the impression that she would have been woken up long before that could happen.[I] It must be around lunch time[/I] she thought as she took the food that was given to her, setting it on the floor once they had left, securing the door behind them.

?[B]You should eat something Catherine.[/B]?

She knew he was right, but even though she was hungry, she was also feeling sickened by what she had done. For giving in so easily and translating what was written on the cannon. Catherine looked to Leonhart, seeing the same look in his eyes, understanding a little better what she had seen when they first met since his kidnapping. It didn?t seem to matter that she knew intellectually that anyone could be broken or coerced into do things against their will. Emotionally, the pain of feeling that she was weak and lacked resolve told her that she had failed. Even if the fault did not lie with her, but with the Starks and the members of the Underdogs.

Catherine pushed the feeling away as best as she could, ignoring her food in favor of asking Leonhart what had been on her mind ever since she realized what was going on, or rather since she had first seen the cannon. The idea that something like that could have simply stayed undiscovered was in her mind, impossible. At one time the entire whole of the mountain had been completely explored and mapped. So the idea that the Underdogs would just suddenly find one was ludicrous at best. She had an idea already and all she needed was for Leonhart to confirm it.

?[B]How long have you known about the cannon?[/B]? She held his gaze, catching the bare flicker that told her he had known about it all along.

?[B]Since before the Mine War. Daedalus and I found it during one of our excursions.[/B]?

Her brow furrowed. ?[B]So how did the Underdogs manage to get to it? Something like that is far to dangerous to simply leave in place and hope no one finds it.[/B]?

?[B]You?re right. It was originally moved and placed under military guard to keep anyone from getting to it. For it to be here, the Air-General responsible for seeing to the guard for it has to have told the Starks.[/B]?

?[B]What about those guarding it? Couldn?t it have been one of them?[/B]?

Leonhart shook his head. ?[B]Those guarding it?s location were never told what they were guarding or allowed to actually see it. Plus, even if the Starks had managed to find it?s location on their own, we?re talking about an elite guard here. They would not have been easy to defeat. I doubt the Underdogs would have been capable of such a feat.[/B]?

?[B]Surely they could have been outnumbered.[/B]? Catherine pointed out, but Leonhart shook his head.

?[B]Daedalus made sure the set up was well fortified. Everything was designed to allow the elite guard watching it to easily block the path of anyone attempting to seize it?s location. To give them the time to destroy it before it could fall into enemy hands.[/B]? He shook his head. ?[B]The only way to get to the inside would have been through the Air-General in charge of it.[/B]?

?[B]How were they suppose to destroy it if they never saw?.[/B]? Catherine trailed off. ?[B]You rigged a trigger for setting off the charges for destroying it from the outside.[/B]?

Leonhart smiled faintly. ?[B]Still as sharp as ever sister.[/B]? The smile faded. ?[B]For it to be here means that the Air-General who was charged with it?s safety is a traitor.[/B]?

Catherine?s gaze moved back to the food still sitting to the side of her, but she still had no interest in eating. Her mind was too busy racing with all the questions she had in regards to the cannon and what the Starks had in mind for it. If they managed to get it working? And what about Leonhart, did he already know how to operate it?

?[B]You don?t know how to operate it do you.[/B]? It was the only thing that made sense to her and she wondered if the Starks realized that they had seized the wrong Almagest. Daedalus was the one who knew far more about weapons, she did as well, though not from hands on experience like Daedalus had.

?[B]No, I don?t. They have us doing repairs and fixing up what we do know, but as you?ve seen the means for operating it is unlike anything we have today. It clearly operates on a much different system, anything I tried now would be guesswork at this point.[/B]? He gave her the first amused slight grin she had seen since she arrived.

"[B]The Starks value their hide far too much for random button smashing as it were.[/B]"

Catherine gave off a tiny laugh and then sighed. She already had a few ideas, it was hard not to with all that she had studied and read over the years. The problem was that it was all theory and rested on so many unknown factors, stuff that was so out there that other than to laugh over it a bit, it was not considered a serious source of study. Much like her few books on the Xear Culture, no one really paid much attention to it. In the end, it was really nothing more than a pleasant way to spend one?s time in discussion.

She finally picked up the food, grimacing over how it had turned cold as well as wondering if she could manage to make herself actually eat any of it. She imagined that now that the language had been translated, once the brief break they were allowed for lunch was over, she would be expected to study it like the others in an attempt to figure out how it worked. Something that she did not want to do.

[James]

[center][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/fauntleroy-chronicle.jpg[/img] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/gustave-avatar.gif[/img] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/marieevangeline-chronicle.jpg[/img] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/gadgetgerrault2avatar.jpg[/img] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/maceyellen-chronicle.jpg[/img] [/center] Gustave's steamcar pulled in at the front of the Summer House. As he looked through the window he saw that there were several people in the sitting room. [i]There's a party happening and I'm not even at home![/i] he thought with a slight grin. Of course, given the current situation in Czenovia, it was unlikely that [i]anyone[/i] was in the mood for a party. Gustave removed a large brass key from his pocket and unlocked the front door (which a servant had apparently locked once the guests had arrived earlier). He closed the door behind him and made his way into the sitting room. Everyone looked up at him as he entered. They were sitting around an ornate wooden coffee table, apparently discussing business matters. Fonty stood up and shook Gustave's hand warmly. 'Gustave, glad to see you're back,' he said cheerfully. 'We had some business to attend to and we thought we'd let Victoria spend some time with Lucy.' Gustave fell back into an armchair. 'Well, I'm exhausted!' he exclaimed. 'I have been running around for the last few hours making preparations for my departure. The staff have begun loading up my airship.' The Almagests looked at each other. 'You're leaving already?' asked Eva. 'Not quite yet,' replied Gustave, 'but I think it's wise to have everything prepared. Just in case.' The others nodded in agreement. 'In any case,' he continued, 'I'm sorry that I didn't say hello to you all; I had to run a small errand. Actually, I picked something up in town for Victoria Ann. I thought it might be a nice keepsake for her when I leave.' 'Oh, what did you get?' asked Macey, leaning forward slightly in her chair. Gustave reached into his jacket pocket and produced a small package. It looked like something small wrapped in many layers of fine paper. Gustave carefully unraveled the paper and there, sitting on his palm, were two small gold watches. 'Those are beautiful,' said Eva with a grin. 'They look very old.' Gustave nodded. 'Yes, but these are not ordinary watches. Eva, why don't you take one in your hand...then you'll see why they are special.' Eva reached out and took the nearest watch. She rolled it over in her fingers. It had a smooth golden backing and its face was white with a small golden dial in the middle. The dial had numbers all around it and a single hand protruded from the center. The outer track on the face contained compass directions. 'Hm, this doesn't look much like a normal watch,' said Eva. 'It looks more like a compass.' Gustave grinned. 'It is a compass of some kind, I suppose,' he said. 'Press that button on the top and see what happens.' Eva looked at the top of the compass and saw a small round button. She clicked it in firmly. All of a sudden, the single hand in the middle of the compass spun around wildly. Finally, it seemed to settle at what should have been 11 o'clock. 'Oh. The time is wrong!' exclaimed Eva. Gadget, Fonty and Macey were now crowded around Eva, trying to get a good look at the watch. 'Ah,' said Gustave, 'but where is the hand pointing? Think about it like a compass, as you mentioned before.' Everyone's eyes followed the hand. It led directly to where Gustave was sitting. Gustave smiled. 'It's pointing to its sister compass.' The others gasped in unison. 'Wow,' exclaimed Gadget, 'that's quite a trick!' 'Oh yes,' Gustave nodded, 'these two compasses are a pair. One will always show the location of the other, no matter how far away you are. Can you see that little dial in the middle? That has two indicators on it, which show distance by miles and NGLs.' 'What are NGLs?' asked Fonty as he stared at the remarkable compass in Eva's palm. 'New Globe Leagues,' replied Gustave. 'It's an uncommon measurement that explorers of the New Globe use. It measures far greater distances than miles. This compass, therefore, would probably have been used for large-scale mapping or something similar many years ago.' 'This really is a remarkable device,' said Eva enthusiastically. 'Why did you buy this for Victoria?' 'Well, she mentioned something about wanting to explore dangerous tunnels under the city. I thought she could take one compass and I could take the other. This way I'd always know her whereabouts and she would always know mine.' 'Clever,' said Macey with a wink. 'We should give one to her then. Has anyone seen her?' The others glanced at each other. 'I assume she's out with Lucy,' said Fonty. 'Let's go and find her.' The entire group made their way down the hall and out to the nearby stables. There were several staff tending to the Chimaera, but Victoria Ann as nowhere to be seen. Lucy stood at the far end of the stable by herself. Fonty immediately ran into the stables by himself. After a brief moment he returned, looking slightly panicked. 'She isn't in there!' he cried. 'I can't see her anywhere. I can't imagine why she'd leave if Lucy is here!' Macey gasped. 'Wait,' she said, 'what were you saying a moment ago about Victoria?' She looked at Gustave. 'Oh, er...about the tunnels?' 'Yes! What about them?' Gustave scratched his head. 'She had told me she wanted to find the giant underneath the city. I tried to distract her from it, because I was worried she might try something. But surely she wouldn't just run off to a place like that on her own...' 'You still don't know Victoria like we do,' said Fonty. 'If she gets something like that into her head, anything is possible!' 'Right!' cried Gustave. 'In that case, we can't waste any more time. We need to find her.' 'I don't want to put a spanner in the works,' said Eva gently, 'but how are we ever going to find her? Even if she made it into those tunnels, the legends talk of them being many miles long. And she never had the chance to take one of these compasses...' 'Don't worry,' replied Gustave as he patted her arm, 'there's one surefire way to find her. But first I need to know, does anyone have one of her belongings? Something she's had with her recently?' Again they all looked at each other. They wore expressions of despair. Fonty reached into each of his pockets and produced nothing. 'I just don't know! There's got to be something...' 'Wait,' said Macey finally. 'Here, this might help.' She produced a thin red ribbon and handed it to Gustave. 'Sometimes I do her hair for her... this one is hers.' 'Aha! This is just what we need,' said Gustave excitedly. He walked over to Lucy and dangled the ribbon in front of her beak. Straight away her eyes widened and she began pulling against the rope that bound her to a thick wooden post in the stable. Eva clapped her hands together. 'That's it! She knows it's Victoria!' 'Right,' said Gustave, 'we need to work out who is going. This may be dangerous, so we need to be prepared. I will have Lucy saddled up and we'll bring Lazarus as well. That way we should be able to fit a couple of people on each Chimaera. They can carry supplies as well - perhaps we should bring a few things just in case.'

[Sandy]

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[FONT="Georgia"]Gadget was both excited and nervous to see Macey again. They hadn't known each other for long, and they had been separated for days, yet somehow it seemed that Macey had always been a part of his life. When he saw her at the stables, she gave him a look that Gadget couldn't quite decipher.

After Gustave Archard arrived and they found out that Victoria had went off on her own, Gadget managed to steal a moment with Macey.

[B]"Macey..."[/B] he started, cursing his nerves for the blush that rose on his cheek. He wanted to be decisive and confident, but it just wasn't possible in the precense of Macey Ellen Almagest.

[B]"Hush, my treasure"[/B], Macey said with a smile. [B]"I don't know what happened between us after you went with Vincent, but I just want you to know that I hold nothing against you."[/B]

[B]"Oh, me neither! You helped me so much! Without you, I'd be..."[/B] Gadget swallowed the end of the sentence. He realized that he hadn't been grateful enough towards Macey. [B]"I've been an idiot, Macey. I was blinded by Vincent and his charisma, and I didn't think it through..."[/B]

[B]"I was once blinded by him, too. But unlike me and him, you two were meant to be. It was a great misfortune that things ended up like this. What are your plans from now on? Did you talk with Eva about the treatments?"[/B]

[B]"Yes, but I think they have to wait for now. The Starks... I found out they're my real parents. I know it's foolish, but I have to talk to them again. I have to do [I]something[/I] to stop this madness! Going down to those tunnels again freaks me out because of that. How can I face them when they've repeatedly turned me away?"[/B]

Macey sighed. [B]"I'm afraid of the tunnels as well. But in times like these, we have to stand strong, treasure. For the things that we cherish."[/B]

Macey wrapped her arms around him, and embraced her protégé - her own creation.[/FONT]

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[FONT="Georgia"]Donner Stark entered the tent where the Underdogs had taken their wounded. Some of the captured Potionists were treating them under observation.

[B]"What's the situation here?"[/B] Donner demanded.

[B]"What do you think?"[/B], a man called Dr. Victor Rawlings said. Donner knew he didn't have any sympathy towards the Underdogs, but it's not like he had a choice. "We cannot treat these people with these unsanitary equipment! Several have already died of infections!"

[B]"Well, that's the best you can get in New Czenoble, doctor. Welcome to our life"[/B], Donner remarked and walked out. He had been accustomed to seeing people die for their cause, but never before had the battle been this extensive.

But they still had one ace up their sleeves, although whether they could use it or not depended on two Almagests, as much as he hated to admit it. They had been lucky enough to persuade Litheway on their side and acquire the cannon, now Donner hoped that their lucky strike would continue.

As he returned to their newly-acquired headquarters in Clockword Boulevard, he saw that his wife Blair was already there waiting for him.

[B]"How did it go with the princess?"[/B] Donner inquired.

[B]"Well, we don't have to worry about that pampered witch anymore"[/B], Blair answered, washing the dirt of the tunnels from her hands.

[B]"Blair! You didn't..."[/B]

[B]"It wasn't me, darling. I think it was the twin brother she was rumored to have. In any case, I think we need to inform our benefactor about this latest turn of events."[/B]

[B]"Our victory doesn't depend on their support anymore. We have reached the point where all paths lead to our destruction. We just have to make sure that we take High Czenoble with us."[/B]

[B]"Will there be anything left for Gadget?"[/B] Blair asked suddenly.

[B]"What do you mean?"[/B] Donner said, irritated. [B]"I thought the discussion was done with! That boy, Gadget, he doesn't belong to our life! We made that decision almost twenty years ago, Blair! He's better off in Brigit Town, anyway. He'll live a free life, and that's about everything we can give to him."[/B]

Blair fell silent. Donner grew agitated. Was the woman he had always been able to trust wavering at this crucial moment?[/FONT]

[Aaryanna]

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Victoria Ann had been in the tunnels for what seemed like hours and hours but she knew from her pocket watch that such was not the case. It was more that the place was so unbelievably huge and though she was coming up on the first open space according to the map, it was most likely not big enough for a giant. She only wished that her magi technology lantern was stronger. It did put out a good bright light, but only for so far before everything else was shrouded in darkness.

She shivered just a tiny bit and then pushed the feeling of being lost aside. After all it wasn't like she would have to backtrack to get out. There were lots of openings from the tunnels that lead into both High Czenoble and New Czenoble. Once she found the giant and Auntie Catherine, she could just look for the closest exit on the map and go out that way. Once there, Auntie Catherine would be able to make arrangements to get them back home. Though if she really had been snatched like she was thinking... she'd have to figure out how to rescue her with the giant's help.

The sound of her footsteps changed as she walked into the first cavern area, the light from her lantern spreading out as the closeness of the tunnel she had just been in was left behind. Victoria paused and then upon realizing what she was seeing, ran forward with an excited cry.

"[B]I can't believe that there are buildings here![/B]" It didn't take her long to look around since the buildings in question were but remnants and nothing more. When it became apparent that there was no giant, she pulled out the map to see where the next large space was.

"[B]Hmmm,[/B]" She said to herself. "[B]Since the giant wasn't here, I should find one that's even bigger.[/B]" The next one being a ways on the map, making her frown a bit as she realized it was unlikely she'd finish before the day was over.

"[B]Stupid Uncle Fonty, he should have listened to me, if we had come down here when I first told him, we would have found the giant already.[/B]" She grumbled as she started heading towards the tunnel she needed to take.

"[B]And even if Harrison would have just gotten us lost... At least he could have been useful by carrying the backpack![/B]" She entered the next tunnel after pausing briefly to get a drink of water from her supplies. It was starting to make her shoulders a tiny bit tired since she wasn't use to carrying her backpack for such a long period of time.

Determined to at least find the giant before the day was over she picked up her pace, still muttering to herself. "[B]Well at least someone is going to help Auntie Catherine... I just wish Gustave or Lucy were here. I bet Lucy could find her all by herself.[/B]"

The shadows caused by the light from her lantern danced on the walls of the tunnel as she continued towards the next open space according to the map she had gotten from the Head Master's office. A thought occurred to her as she glanced down at it again.

"[B]I wonder if that fool will realize I borrowed them?[/B]" Not that she cared if he did. If he hadn't been such a jerk, she would have asked first. She continued on her way, still talking to herself, as if to reassure herself that everything would be okay. [/FONT][/COLOR]

[Rachmaninoff]

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When the group emerged into the alleyway behind the Royal Police Guard headquarters, luck was on their side as the ensuing chaos created by the Chimera?s out front was making it hard for anyone to mount an organized attack. It was far from safe as the few remaining guard who were loyal to the Dynast were slowly being overrun. Still, they at least had a chance to get away, With a knowing glance at the Captain, Alexander and the others immediately made their way in the direction of the medical center.

As the group passed by the alleyway leading up toward the front, the two guard members who were with them engaged a group of underdogs who immediately rushed the group upon seeing them. Alexander?s attention was briefly caught by the Captain pulling out a different sword, something he recognized as his own father had a similar one. It was something issued to a military officer who retired with honor. [I]When did he get that?[/I] He didn?t have time to truly think about it as he dealt with one of their attackers, striving to keep any from getting close to Henry who was doing his best to strike when he could, having finally picked up a sword.

They were making good progress when a startled gasp escaped Henry?s lips, ?[B]Altheo![/B]? Before Alexander could even wonder what he meant, Henry darted between those who were fighting and took off at a dead run.

?[B]Henry! Come back![/B]? he called out, moving to go after him and then whirling at the flash of movement from his right, from the direction they had just come from. Their swords drawn, there were four of them rushing their position? Alexander cursed colorfully.

With four underdogs rapidly approaching him and the Captain, there was nothing Alexander could do to stop Henry who had taken off towards the front of the Royal Police Guard building. He didn?t know what he had seen that had upset him so much but if he turned his back and attempted to follow him, he would be cut down from behind. With a snarl of frustration he took his sword in both hands and charged the closest one, taking the underdog member by surprise.

The would be revolutionary stopped dead in his tracks, staring; and then belatedly raised his own weapon, his hesitation sealing his fate. Alexander didn?t give him a chance to recover as he struck with lightening speed, aiming for his unprotected side. The man pulled back screaming in pain as he staggered backwards, his arm sheared off at the shoulder. A quick shove to make sure the man went down and then Alexander was engaging the next threat.

The second one was a little quicker to defend himself but not enough to stop Alexander?s forceful strike against the small wooden shield raised to deflect the blow. With a resounding crack it broke in two causing the man to stumble back a little. Within two exchanges Alexander knocked the blade out of his hand; sending it clattering against the wall of the closest building. And then, before the man could flee, he ran him through. Quickly pulling the blade free and twisting to meet the downward stroke from the third opponent, barely catching it in time.

Before he could do more than blink, the man suddenly collapsed, run through from behind by Captain Oref who had dealt with the fourth man. With a sigh of relief Alexander lowered his sword and looked around. The others were gone leaving him and the Captain by themselves for a small quiet moment. It was utter chaos in the alleyway behind the building, just as the noise coming from in front indicated things weren?t much better. The echo of steel on steel along with the occasional shot could be heard. Mixed in with the screams of the dying and pain, it was like being caught in a living hell.

For the moment the two of them watched the fighting, both of them taking advantage of being free of it to catch their breath, looking for the best way to get clear of the mess. The group that had been behind them when they fled the rpg building had finally broken through the door. Confused by the current mess they were splitting up, each man running to take down anyone they could find loyal to the Dynast. Their lack of organization at this point was working in Alexander?s and Oref?s favor. Alexander could only hope it was working for Henry as well as it was far too late for him and Captain Oref to attempt to follow.

As if reading his thoughts Alan spoke up. ?[B]You?re not likely to find the boy, even if you try.[/B]? Something that Alexander just nodded reluctantly to. [B]?I may have an obligation to this mess, but at this point, your obligation is to your wife.[/B]?

?[B]I can?t just leave?[/B]?

?[B]You can?t stop it either, like you said earlier, there are too many of them.[/B]? The Captain grabbed Alexander by the shoulder, forcefully getting him to turn and start to head down the alleyway leading away from fighting and incidentally towards the Eshe Rehema.

A loud shot prompted Alexander to turn around quickly, just in time to catch the Captain as he stumbled forward, his face twisted in pain. Alexander looked around wildly, spotting none other than his superior officer Jonathan Grants as he lowered the small pistol he had with him. He eased the Captain down into a sitting position against the building across the way from the rpg headquarters; fear running through him, making him sick. A sword was no match for a pistol and most members of the rpg were never issued one.

With a grim expression he stood his ground, his sword ready, even though he knew it was hopeless. [I]I?m sorry Alecia?[/I] He braced himself for the shot, but either Grants was out of ammo or he wanted the satisfaction of taking Alexander down personally. With a disappointed look on his face Grants tossed the pistol aside and drew his own sword, holding it negligibly, as if he wasn?t expecting much. He came to a halt when he was about ten feet from Alexander.

?[B]And here I thought that you of all people would understand our cause.[/B]? He sneered at him, his look one of disgust. ?[B]You?re a traitor Alexander, you sold your soul and married into wealth, becoming no better than the rest of them.[/B]?

?[B]I think not.[/B]? Alexander answered firmly, refusing to be baited.

?[B]You think not?[/B]? Grants moved in, testing Alexander with a handful of strikes that were swiftly parried. ?[B]I?m sure your soon to be widow will not agree. You have no idea how much it pains me to do this, I had such high hopes for you.[/B]?

Alexander refused to answer the implication that Alecia would be on her own; that he was going to die, remembering once again his lessons with his father. He thought of his words, the memory sharp and clear; as if they were spoken yesterday. [I]One day son, you may find yourself face to face with an opponent who will test you, using that which you care most against you. No matter what, you can?t respond, you have to keep your focus least your emotions impair your judgment.[/I] But Grants wasn?t making that easy as he continued to taunt Alexander.

?[B]Nothing to say? No final words that you?d like for me to convey to Alecia?[/B]? Grants smirked when Alexander reddened slightly; picking up the pace, looking for holes in his guard. ?[B]Don?t worry, I?ll make sure she?s properly [I]consoled[/I].[/B]? He dragged the last word out, noting with dark amusement how Alexander struggled to not respond to the veiled threat.

If anything it only confirmed in Alexander's mind that he had made the right decision by not helping them, anyone who would threaten one?s family, especially the innocent or children was scum. He said nothing in return.

Instead Alexander answered by taking the tiniest of openings to rush Grants who parried his blade mere inches from his throat, forcing Alexander?s blade away as he answered his attack with a cut that took part of his sleeve, grazing Alexander?s shoulder. With a twist to get out of range, he swung in a full horizontal cut, forcing Grants back, but not before he was marked on the left cheek; the cut bleeding freely as both of them pulled back and circled each other warily.

Grants just reached up brushing the blood off of his face a bit. ?[B]You seem to have a little bit of skill, but that?s not enough boy.[/B]? His expression hardened. ?[B]Play time is over.[/B]?

This time he rushed Alexander, barely giving him time to counter his strikes as he followed up each one by another so quickly that Alexander was forced to give up ground in order to block in time. Within a few minutes Grants had him pinned against the building his sword straining, mere inches from cutting into Alexander?s neck. A flicker in Grants eyes was the only warning he got that something was desperately wrong.

With a frantic shove, he twisted sideways, out of the path of the dagger thrust towards his midsection; grimacing in pain when it ripped through the side of his uniform as it grazed his left side painfully before slamming into the brick wall with a shower of sparks. He back pedaled quickly as he pulled his own dagger, tossing it as hard as he could; the blade slicing the top of Grant?s left hand, his dagger falling to the ground with a loud clatter.

?[B]You?ll regret that boy.[/B]? Grants snarled, his face twisting with rage as his composure shattered. He came after Alexander, his emotions getting the better of him. His swings powerful but lacking control, making it easy for Alexander to dodge them.

This time Alexander did nothing more than avoid his attacks, only blocking when he had no choice, letting Grants wear himself out a bit, until with a cold glare at Alexander upon realizing what he was doing, he got it under control. [I]If I don?t end this and soon?[/I] he stumbled over Captain Oref?s outstretched legs falling hard on his rear; his sword slipping from his grasp, coming to a halt several feet away from his hand.

[I]Hell![/I] Desperate, he rolled over in an attempt to get to his weapon as Grants own blade slammed into the pavement; barely missing him. He caught up his sword, rolling to his feet, slicing the air between them in one fluid move, leaving a thin red line across Grants?s chest as he pulled back out of range. Alexander barely had time to notice that the fighting had migrated elsewhere, leaving the two of them alone in the alleyway, as he did his best to hide the fact that he was developing a painful stitch in his side; tired and worn form the extensive fighting. And even the last cut to Grants was not enough to provoke him further as he ignored the blood that flowed down his uniform in favor of pressing the attack.

?[B]What?s the matter boy?[/B]? He smirked when Alexander stumbled a little, ?[B]Getting tired already? We?ve only just begun![/B]?

As he parried a vicious swing towards his right side, stepped back, blocked the follow up to his left, staggering a bit from the sheer force of the blow, Alexander began to wonder if he would be able to stop him. It wasn?t an issue of skill but rather one of being tired; his hair was damp from sweat. His torn, dirty and bloody uniform only served to remind him that unlike Grants who other than the cuts he had gotten from Alexander, was still fresh. It was becoming increasingly harder, putting him on the defensive.

A tiny cough caught his attention a bit, surprising him a little since it seemed that Captain Alan Oref was still alive. He didn?t dare risk a glance at the Captain though, other than to make sure he didn?t trip over him again. [I]I have to finish this, so I can get him to the Eshe Rehema.[/I] Alexander was too tired to keep his face expressionless, making his concern all to easy for Grants to read.

?[B]Don?t waste your time on that scum,[/B]? his eyes narrowed in contempt for the injured Captain.

?[B]The only trash I see is standing before me.[/B]? Alexander shot at him as he dodged yet another downward stroke. ?[B]Shooting someone in the back is the act of a coward.[/B]?

In a supremely sinister gesture Grants held back, pulling out a small single shot pistol, pointing it directly at the helpless Captain. ?[B]I?m [I]so[/I] sorry.[/B]? He said spitefully, ?[B]I?ll shoot him in the front this time.[/B]?

Before Alexander could move a single step, a cry on his lips for him to stop, Grants pulled the trigger, hitting the Captain in the right shoulder, eliciting a cry of pain from Alan. Rage filled Alexander, making his vision darken as he fought to get it under control and failed.

?[B]Y? You?[/B]? he sputtered, momentarily beyond words, shocked by the sheer cruelty of what he had just witnessed. With an angry cry he charged him, sword held high as he brought it down with all of his might. Sparks flying as his blade slide towards him, the force nearly knocking it out of Grants hands. He was lost in righteous anger as he slashed again and again, forcing his former superior officer to retreat hastily.

As if realizing he had gone too far, Grants was required to take the defensive against Alexander's furious attacks, barely managing to halt the blows being rained on him. His world narrowed to one of blocking each blow that came his way, leaving him no room to focus on anything else. Until with a surprised look he stumbled slightly, realizing too late that he had moved back in range of where the Captain was sitting and incidentally his feet.

With a start he realized that the Captain had used what little strength he had in an attempt to trap his ankle between his feet. He easily pulled free, but it was too late. With a powerful thrust Alexander ran him through, his sword making a horrible rasping sound as it hit bone and dragged. Alexander grasped his tunic with his left hand, staring directly into his eyes which were wide with shock and disbelief.

?[B]You?re a traitor Grants,[/B]? He tossed his own words back at him, ?[B]you sold your soul, becoming a heartless monster willing to kill those you claim to protect. You?ve become no better than the rest of them.[/B]?

Grants just stared at him; stunned with his mouth slightly open. With a loud clatter he dropped his sword, reaching up to grab Alexander?s hands, his face twisting into a horrible mask of pain. Grants tried to speak but nothing came out. His face turned deathly white as Alexander, with an angry jerk, pulled his sword free, letting Grants fall to the ground.

Breathing heavily, he fought to stay on his feet, his vision threatening to give out on him altogether. Exhausted he stumbled over to where the Captain was, only checking again to make sure that the fighting had moved elsewhere, for the moment they were the only ones alive in that area. Alexander dropped his blade and sank to his knees next to the Captain, intending to help him up so he could get him to the medical center. But he was so tired and a look at Oref expression?

?[B]Take this.[/B]? The Captain struggled to give Alexander his own blade and dagger. ?[B]You?re going to need it.[/B]?

?[B]I can?t do that sir.[/B]? He tried to shove them back, blades such as those were passed down from father to son. Much like his own father would do when the time was right, giving one of them the few remnants from when he had served in the military. For Alan to have them meant that his father had to be dead. And since the Captain was unmarried?

Alan coughed violently, grimacing with the effort to speak. ?[B]Don?t let those scum get them - Please.[/B]?

Alexander finally nodded, taking both from him. ?[B]I won?t, but I?m only keeping them for you until you get better sir.[/B]?

Alan smiled faintly, whispering a thank you before his eyes glazed over, his body shuddering once before going still. Alexander just sat back further on his legs, weary in both body and mind. How many more were going to die needlessly? Tiredly he put the dagger away in his tunic and fastened the sword on, staying in place as he continued to catch his breath. Ignoring the sound of what had to be flames behind him, coming from the building. Smoke began to cover the area, making him cough a little and still he stayed put.

The sound of flames coming from the Royal Police Guard headquarters was becoming even louder and before long Alexander could feel the heat from where he was sitting. With a tiny sigh he reached up, closing the Captains eyes before he managed to get to his feet and stumble down the alleyway in the direction of the Eshe Rehema. He had to find Alecia, he only hoped she was still there. Just as he hoped Henry had somehow managed to survive.

[Gavin]

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[indent][size=1]With hands held behind his back, one of which contained Alexander's desperate plea for aid, Daedalus continued to stare forward silently toward Czenovia's horizon. The Sentinel's bridge was a hive of activity, comm. chatter was still flooding in from troops in High Czenoble as they joined the remnants of the RPG in in the assault against the Underdog?s base...but it had all come too late to prevent any real damage, too many good men and women had already lost their lives because one old man had been too slow to get a simple message.

...Dwalish is down there, he thought absently. His son had volunteered to go leave the Sentinel to lead his soldiers personally. For a brief moment Daedalus had been tempted to refuse him, based solely on his selfish desire to protect him, but it would have been completely unfair of him to do so, instead he now stood, ramrod straight, praying that whatever deities actually existed would grant him the selfish wish that his child would return to him unharmed.

?[b]General sir, news from High Czenovia.[/b]?

The cry came from a frantic looking ensign. He couldn?t recall the young woman?s name off the top of his head, but it wouldn?t matter, military protocol allowed him the formality of referring to her by rank alone.

?[b]What is it ensign ?[/b]? His voice sounded considerably more tired than he?d realised... how long had it been since he?d last slept ? More than a day at this stage likely.

?[b]Colonel Almagest reports that one of the squads has discovered the body of Gaul Rosier sir, apparently he?d been shot several times at a close range, a real mess.[/b]?

For the longest of time, Daedalus was completely unsure how to react to the news. He?d known Gaul Rosier since they were both boys, served with the man his entire life... As much as he?d come to loathe his ideals and practices in recent weeks, he?d never hated the man himself...Rosier... no, Gaul...Gaul had been his friend for as long as he could remember...

You could have saved him too old man, if you?d just arrived back a bit sooner, that?s one more person close to you that you let down. The thought came down on Daedalus? shoulders like a weight that threatened to break him. Sighing slowly, he cast his glance back to the horizon. Perhaps it was better this way, for Gaul to go out as a hero trying to defend his men, at least, that?s how it would be portrayed. If he?d lived through the conflict, it was likely he?d have been made the scapegoat for the current troubles and given the option to commit suicide quietly as a courtesy...yes, it was better this way.

?[b]Thank you Ensign.[/b]? He moved to turn before the girl spoke again, her tone significantly more reserved than before.

?[b]General sir, there?s more. One of the surviving RPG troops identified Jack Deacon as having been there with the unidentified woman who murdered Commander Rosier.[/b]?

Deacon...Shutting his eyes, Daedalus fought back the fury that threatened to shatter his rigid exterior. His knuckles were already fight and shaking slightly . If it was to be the last thing he ever did, Daedalus would find that boy and make him face justice.

?[b]Ensign, tell Colonel Almagest to have the witness moved immediately to the RPG?s temporary HQ, as well as anyone else who can provide details of the incident. When we bring Deacon in, I want to make sure we have enough to charge him.[/b]?

?[b]I understand sir.[/b]? Her response was less lacklustre this time, apparently he?d boosted her confidence.

Nodding energetically, she turned to her station and began to relay his orders. Slowly turning on his heel, Daedalus made for the door leaving the bridge passing Major Gast, whom Daedalus had chosen to fill in for Dwalish after the mission to Rosengard. The man continued to watch over the bridge with a masterful precision, it was entirely possible his son Felix was among the dead, but the Major had yet to consult the comm. officer, duty first. Admirable.

?[b]You?re leaving the bridge sir ?[/b]? He hadn?t even turned, his attention still fixed.

?[b]Yes Major. I think Meredyne Artemis will want to be informed.[/b]?

She?d arrived before Daedalus had returned from the coronation, apparently the RPG had arrested her, but their jurisdiction had forced them to have her transferred to the military for interrogation. She?d also taken some punishment from the officers who?d made the arrest, and hadn?t taken at all kindly to the prospect of military questioning. Right now she in the brig, likely still venomous, and only to get worse when Daedalus finally spoke to her face to face.

The walk down had been significantly quicker than he?d expected, perhaps because his mind was so occupied. The brig chief had given him a tense salute before unlocking the door, as expected she stood there, a look of cold fury on her face, still bruised from her previous mistreatment.

?[b]I must say Daedalus, you?ve got some imaginative ways of preventing a business deal from going through.[/b]?

She?d practically spat the comment. Bridging the distance between them, he took her glare full on with indifference.

?[b]I just thought you should know Meredyne, Jack?s arrest warrant will now also include the murder of Gaul Rosier.[/b]?

Her expression wavered for the briefest moment, before her eyes narrowed again and her lips contorted into a sneer.

?[b]He?s finally done something right then.[/b]?

?[b]I?m glad you approve. Meredyne. I only hope you can be equally glib when his eyes roll back up into his head after the drop from the hangman?s platform.[/b]?

He hadn?t meant to let his anger get the better of him, the rebuke had slipped out considerably more callous than intended. Daedalus didn?t even flinch when he felt her small hand smack across his face, her eyes brimming with tears before she took a step back again, head bowed.

?[b]I apologise Meredyne, I shouldn?t have said that.[/b]?

?[b]You were friends with Rosier weren?t you ?[/b]?

?[b]Yeah... [/b]?

?[b]Then, I apologise too, I shouldn?t have said what I did.[/b]?

?[b]Thank you.[/b]?

The air between them was less charged now, but far sadder than it had been only a few moments before.

?[b]He?ll get a fair trial, won?t he Daedalus ? I know Jack?s done some stupid, terrible things... but promise me Daedalus, promise me he?ll get a fair trial. Please ?[/b]?

He hadn?t expected the out-pouring of emotion from her, but then he didn?t really know Meredyne Artemis personally, and these circumstances were hardly normal.

?[b]I never intended to give him anything less.[/b]?

Rapping on the metallic door, Daedalus waited for the chief to open the cell again.

?[b]Chief... I want Ms. Artemis transferred to secure quarters somewhere on the ship. I?m confident she?s not involved with Jack Deacon, but we need to keep her safe from those who might think otherwise. Make sure she gets anything she needs, starting with a bath and a hot meal.[/b]?

?[b]Of course sir.[/b]?

Daedalus watched as the man exited back through the sealed doorway, leaving the pair alone again.

?[b]...Thank you Daedalus...I?m grateful, but why are you doing this ?[/b]?

?[b]My daughter...Helen... was killed a few days ago by the Underdogs.[/b]? His expression didn?t change with the admission. ?[b]So I know was it?s like to lose family and I?d rather you not be here in a brig cell if it happens to you.[/b]?

Leaving the cell, Daedalus intended to check back up on Harrison before he returned to the bridge, yes, losing family was probably the worst thing that could happen to anyone.[/size][/indent]

[Muse]

[size=1][right][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/henryavatar.jpg[/img][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/alexanderedward-chronicle.jpg[/img][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/damegrimalkinavatar.jpg[/img][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/alecialeanna-chronicle.jpg[/img][/right]
As Henry ran there was only one prevailing thought going through his mind: [i][b]"This is NOT the right thing to do."[/i][/b]

But in times like these, when adrenaline-fused blood rushed past your ears with such a fury as to block everything sane and reasonable, the mind seemed to be ignored. Henry knew only one thing. Altheo, [i]his[/i] chimaera, had been brought to this blood-stained battle field and was being used as a tool of war.

He had only barely caught the glimpse of the night black chimaera out of the corner of his eye, out in the front of the headquarters. Something must have happened in order to cause the Chimaera to skid out into view of the alley. Injured, blown back, or trying to escape.

Ignoring the fighting around him, and ignoring Alexander's shouts, Henry took off at a dead sprint towards the front of the building, something like a second wind propelling his aching legs and keeping his stolen sword up high.

He was not prepared for the sight he found as he burst out into the open. Bodies of men and chimaera alike were strewn around the sweaty, bloody ground like decorations. Unlucky guard members who had managed to stay alive thus far were still fighting, hiding behind giant debris as both winged and ground-dwelling chimaera charged. Some had managed to locate pistols, which were doing a world more lot of damage, but they could only last for so long...

Henry, unnoticed, was immediately drawn to the front doors of the headquarters. Hugo Black, seated upon his small, nimble and powerful featherdragon, watched the pathetic attempts at defense with an expression that could only be classified as pure glee. A sickening crack - a yellow lizard chimaera had ducked behind a barricade and all but snapped a young guardsman in half with it's tail - threw Hugo into fits of maniacal laughter. All the other jockeys, though... none of them showed any remorse. If Henry could see their eyes behind their thick helmets there would have been no emotion. That alone terrified him.

Henry's fear escalated as he took a step forward. A few of the jockeys located along the front door, along with Hugo and the rider upon Altheo, noticed him suddenly.

Hugo held up a hand to halt anyone who might have tried to rush forward and attack Henry, though in truth no one was planning on it - they all knew Henry well, and figured he was just showing up late.

[b]"Henry, my dear boy."[/b] Hugo's voice boomed over the courtyard, his dark eyes shining from behind his helmet. [b]"How good of you to join us."[/b]

Henry took a deep breath. There would be no turning back now. [b]"Get that man off my beast, Black. You had no right to bring him here."[/b]

Hugo's mouth twisted into a sick smirk. [b]"Now, now, Henry. I merely thought,"[/b] with an invisible urging of his thighs, Hugo's chimaera slowly began to move forward towards Henry, [b]"that I would bring your chimaera along, in case you decided to make the [i]smart[/i] decision and join us."[/b]

Henry's heart rate shot up, in a combination of mounting terror and anger. He held up the sword defensively, despite knowing it's potential uselessness against Hugo's chimaera, hell, any chimaera. [b]"You thought wrong, Black. Tell the man to get off."[/b] Henry's eyes darted to Altheo, who, at the sight of his true master, had begun to shuffle anxiously.

Hugo ignored the younger man, inching forward ever closer, his chimaera's powerful long legs rippling with trained muscles, it's clever yellow eyes locked on Henry. [b]"Tell me, Henry. Have you changed your mind? Have you decided to live, and join us? Because in that case, I would be all too happy to-"[/b]

Henry brought his fingers to his lips, emitting a loud, shrieking whistle that startled even Hugo. Altheo reared with a mighty roar, raising onto his powerful hind legs with such a speed it astonished the man riding him, causing him to lose his hold and crash to the ground with a yell. Altheo darted towards Henry; big, terrifying paws slamming against the ground, sliding to a halt in front of his owner, half turned, fangs bared to Hugo and his chimaera.

Several other jockeys, at that moment, made to move forward and attack the rebellious Henry and Altheo, but were once again halted by the Dynast's once favored rider.

[b]"Too bad, Henry."[/b] Hugo's voice was distinctly hard, one hand running along the length of his chimaera's neck. [b]"I really had such high hopes for you."[/b]

Henry, gritting his teeth, took this time to jump smoothly onto Altheo's sleek black back, legs falling into perfectly place behind his beast's shoulders. It felt so right, so perfect. His free hand took the rein, his other kept his sword close to his body.

[b]"You are a fool, then, Hugo. A plain old washed-out fool."[/b]

Now he just had to decide when to make a run for it. There would be no way, despite Altheo's formidable speed and strength, for him to fight off each and every attacker.

Before he could decide, Hugo gave a tremendous shout, and the featherdragon burst forward, humongous wings unfurling to add speed as he barrelled towards Altheo and Henry.

Henry, however, was prepared. [i]This[/i], for now, he could handle. With a quick tug of Altheo's rein the canine chimaera jumped nimbly to the left, spreading his hind legs wide to spin around instantaneously.

With a loud cry the featherdragon, at Hugo's urging, charged forward again. Henry leaned down low against Altheo's back, both on the defensive. He knew he couldn't dodge forever. Just as the two were about to collide, Henry pulled sharply on the reins, and Altheo leaped.

In a sort of slow-motion, or so it felt to Henry, Altheo soared past the featherdragon's right flank. Henry stared down at Hugo, who locked eyes with him in cold-hearted fury as he yanked his reins to the side. Altheo's teeth sank down into the featherdragon's right wing just as the other beast spun around with unnatural speed. Altheo did not let up his hold on the wing - as the huge featherdragon spun, the black chimaera and Henry spun with it. As it came to a halt, inertia carried Altheo with an invisible force, tearing the wing clean off as Henry and Altheo were thrown into a nearby building.

The featherdragon's pained cry could be heard throughout all of Czenovia. Altheo spun wildly in mid air, hitting the side of the building on all fours and jumping, staggering heavily onto the ground. Henry gasped, as he had been holding his breath the entire time. The bloodied wing fell to the ground as Altheo reared his head challengingly.

[b]"Grimalkin, you'll pay for this!"[/b] Hugo screamed, desperately trying to steady his chimaera. [b]"Don't go near him!"[/b] He screeched, as the other jockeys once again tried to intervene and help. [b]"He is mine!"[/b]

[b]"Not so calm and collected now, eh, Black?"[/b] Henry grinned, despite the complete terror and panic he felt in his chest. But he needed Hugo to make a mistake, and riling him up seemed the best idea. An attack like that last one would not work again - luck could only get you so far in this business.

Hugo finally managed to get some sort of control over his beast. It surged forward, it's one wing pressed against its side. It took Henry one second too long to realize that Altheo's back right paw had been severely twisted in its encounter with the wall. He yanked the reins, and Altheo was slow to respond. Too slow.

Altheo roared in pain as the dragon's long teeth sank into his right side. It took Henry a moment to realize that the razor sharp teeth had also gone straight through his leg. Hugo had clearly noticed, and let out a triumphant shout and laugh.

There was a sudden, blinding pain, worse than any Henry had ever felt before, but he didn't cry out. Altheo turned his head and bit the dragon on the neck with all his force. The chimaera pulled away, retracting it's fangs, nearly making Henry pass out from the second wave of pain.

Altheo, at Henry's weak urging, leapt away from the wall, keeping his injured leg up, so as not to be cornered against it. If Henry was feeling at all coherent, he might have noticed that the other jockeys had begun to move away, down alleys and roads. He did notice, however, that it had started to rain. It felt so very good on his warm, sweaty face and gaping, bloody leg.

Hugo moved his beast slowly towards Henry, who was now panting from exhaustion and blood loss. [b]"Come on, Henry. You cannot defeat me. Give up now, and I'll let you off easy."[/b]

Henry lifted his head with some difficulty. [b]"Oh, [i]easy?[/i] You'll let me off easy... what, I'll only have to [i]watch[/i] you murder my family?"[/b]

Hugo was getting closer. [b]"Think of your mother, Henry. Think of Morphia."[/b] Hugo grinned suddenly, taking off his helmet with a flourish and throwing it to the ground. [b]"If you give up, I'll let you choose which one of them gets to live."[/b]

Henry felt a surge of anger rip through his body, like hot lightning. He forgot his leg, forgot his exhaustion. Altheo felt it too - the sleek black canine/feline chimaera stood up straighter, licking the blood off his fangs. [b]"You'll regret saying that, Black!"[/b]

[b]"Prove it."[/b]

Before either could make the final move, however, a sound like the earth opening up caught Henry's attention. With a giant explosion, the RPG Headquarters burst into black burning flame. Henry gaped as the windows shattered all the way up the building, debris began flying like giant projectiles every which way.

There was a sudden burst of hysterical laughter, and before Henry could turn a great force had barreled into Altheo - Hugo had taken advantage of Henry's distraction to send his chimaera flying into Henry's own.

Henry was knocked like a rag doll onto the ground, the wind knocked out of him completely as his injured leg hit the curb. Altheo had disappeared.

Hugo was coming straight for Henry, lying defenseless on the ground. He could hear the featherdragon's feet hitting the ground as he bounded at him.

He waited. The sword was still in his hands. He locked both hands firmly onto the hilt. He waited. He drove the sword up, mustering all the strength he had left, and then some, just as the small featherdragon showed its teeth, inches from Henry's face.

The sword went up through the chimaera's jaw, through the top of it's mouth, and just into it's skull. Henry gave the sword a strong wrench, and the featherdragon went still, unable to open its mouth and make a sound. It collapsed upon Henry with an anticlimactic thud.

Hugo, invisible to Henry, screamed in frustration and pulled out his own sword, getting ready to jump down and finish the younger jockey off.

Altheo darted in from the left, a silent black assassin. Henry could see him just barely in his fogging vision from beneath the dead chimaera. Altheo jumped at Hugo, fangs and claws bared, and knocked him off his mount.

Henry closed his eyes and ears to the sight and sounds of Hugo Black's death. He felt the hot flames of the RPG Headquarters and smelled the stench of death all around him. Felt the unbearable pain in his leg and unbearable tension in his mind and body. He didn't know what he could do now, with a dead chimaera on top of him, with men and beast's blood on his hands.

He didn't notice the weight of the featherdragon roll off him, but he did feel Altheo's wet nose against his neck. He managed to crack open an eye. [b]"Nice work."[/b] Altheo nudged him again.

[b][i]"Sooner you get back, sooner you get to Morphia."[/b][/i] Came a soft voice in the back of his head.

[b]"Good idea..."[/b] He moaned out loud. That was reason enough, he figured. With a lot of help from Altheo, Henry managed to get up, leaning heavily on both his chimaera and his good leg.

The odd couple staggered awkwardly down the street, Henry pointedly ignoring Hugo Black's undoubtedly mangled corpse, away from the flames, not noticing as the building began to collapse in earnest. People were also starting to gather, finally, as the jockeys had all cleared out in time. No one noticed the limping young man and his beast, however. Henry liked it better that way.

Henry all but hopped into Eshe Rehema, leaving Altheo outside. The place was really filling up now with wounded guards. Three familiar faces; Alecia, his mother, and Alexander, looked up at him with varying degrees of shock and relief on their faces.

Henry, mind fuzzy, looked at Alexander, and saluted him sarcastically. [b]"Mind you never let me do that again, mate."[/b] He sighed, before collapsing to the ground, contentedly slipping into unconsciousness.[/size]

[James]

[center][img] http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/8797/audreyavatarxe5.jpg[/img] [img] http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/jackavatar.jpg[/img] [/center] Audrey sat down at the oak desk in Jack's room. She reached down to her thigh, where the new leather holster was strapped. As she flicked the clasp open and withdrew the silver and ivory revolver, she held it on one hand and ran her fingers over it. It was, without doubt, one of the most beautiful things she'd ever seen; how was it that a weapon designed for killing could be crafted so lovingly and with such attention to detail? The door behind her clicked open and she heard footsteps. It was Jack. She already knew how his footsteps sounded. He came up behind her and spoke quietly. 'Are you okay, Lass?' She smiled. 'I'm fine. I needed somewhere to sit so that I could write a letter.' 'A letter?' asked Jack. 'Yeah,' she nodded and produced a notepad from one of the desk drawers. 'It's for my parents. They haven't heard from me in a few weeks and they must be worrying. If they try to call my office, well...' She paused and looked up at him. 'I don't know what they will hear. I don't even know if my office is still standing.' Jack put his hand on her shoulder. 'I'm sure your parents will be happy to hear from you.' 'Yeah...' Audrey looked at the window. The sky was beginning to darken ever so slightly. It was early evening. 'I don't think the worst is behind us,' said Audrey quietly. Jack adjusted his automail arm, which made a whirring click. 'Definitely. I can guarantee that.' Audrey's eyes widened. She stood up and faced Jack. Her expression was unequivocal. 'Jack...you're not planning anything, are you? Haven't we been through enough?' Jack looked away. 'There's more. There's a score to settle.' Audrey could not understand it; what was left to do? Why couldn't they just sail away to a distant land and be happy? Audrey had had enough of Czenovia. The thought of being in the country any longer than was absolutely necessary made her feel physically ill. 'Always a score,' said Audrey coldly. 'You've lost an arm, for god's sake. You're lucky to be alive and you want to tempt fate further?' Jack looked Audrey in the eye. A tear ran down her cheek. 'My life will have been worth nothing if I don't do what's necessary. My crew expects it of me and more importantly, I expect it of [i]myself[/i].' He wiped her tear away. 'You don't have to come with me, though. You aren't part of this...you aren't part of my history here.' Audrey shook her head and looked out the window again. 'I'm not ready to leave yet,' she said defiantly. 'If you're going to stay here, I'm going to stay with you. Just promise me you will know when to stop.' Jack leaned forward and kissed Audrey on the cheek. It was such a light kiss - surprisingly delicate for a man of his stature. 'I promise.' And with that, Jack swept out of the room, leaving Audrey by herself. She sat down on the wooden chair and looked at the blank page in front of her. How could she put the last week into words? Her parents must have known at least something of what was happening in Czenovia through the Anovan newspapers, but how was she to explain having been arrested? Having witnessed her superior gunned down before her eyes? And, perhaps most surprising of all, her current status as a defacto sky pirate? The last thought actually brought about a slight grin. [i]How ironic; spending most of my career as a diplomat, only to become a law-breaking, gun-toting sky pirate[/i], she thought.

[SunfallE]

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Alecia had been doing her best all morning long to try and get Alexander?s odd behavior out of mind, but in spite of being busy with work, her thoughts kept drifting back to what he had said that morning. About her promising to stay until he came for her. It made the morning in some ways almost unbearable, wondering what was going on, wondering when he would come for her. Even when she finally reached her morning break, she couldn?t settle down, wanting more than anything to go find Alexander instead.

The rest of the morning wasn?t much better and upon realizing that Alexander hadn?t said when he would come for her, she began to worry that he wouldn?t show up for lunch like he always did. When the time finally came, shortly before noon, she decided that being asked to stay at the Eshe Rehema didn?t mean she had to stay inside. She could watch for him out on the front steps since the Royal Police Guard building would be clearly visible further down the street.

When she went outside, Alecia was surprised by several things, the arrival of Dame Anna as she was getting out of a carriage and the progression of a number of jockey?s on Chimeras heading down the street towards the Royal Police Guard Headquarters. To the best of her knowledge there was no reason why any of them should be there. And to make matters worse, they were disregarding any and all traffic, even that of people on foot; forcing others to scramble out of the way in a hurry least they be trampled.

?[B]Alecia![/B]? She turned when Dame Anna grasped her sleeve urgently. ?[B]Have you seen Henry?[/B]?

She shook her head, ?[B]No, is something wrong?[/B]?

A piercing cry shattered the silence, causing both of them to turn, just in time to see the Chimera jockey?s who had gathered in front of the rpg headquarters start attacking the guard who had been trying to restore order. Both of them froze, too startled by what they were seeing happen further down the street to even think about moving. Without even thinking Alecia took one step towards the chaos and came up short when Dame Anna grabbed her sleeve tightly.

?[B]You mustn?t![/B]? She cried. ?[B]It?s the Underdogs![/B]?

Alecia pulled free, stunned at Dame Anna?s words. ?[B]How do you know that?[/B]?

?[B]Henry took the carriage meant to take us to the coronation and left to warn someone instead. He told me to come here, that High Czenoble was under attack.[/B]?

Alecia just stood there, looking at her stupidly; the sounds of the chaos escalating getting louder as the fighting began to spread, the people beginning to panic and flee the area. And then, suddenly it made sense, Alexander?s odd behavior over the past few days. The uneasiness she had sensed when certain topics has been brought up. The letter he had marked as urgent and sent to be opened by either Dwalish or Daedalus. [I] Did Alexander find out? Had he tried to warn them too?[/I]

?[B]Alecia![/B]?

With a start she came back to herself as Dame Anna forcefully pulled her back into the Eshe Rehema, something that after a tiny bit of struggle she allowed. There was nothing she could do to stop what was going on, as much as it pained her to admit it, she was useless and would only get in the way. If not for the thought that someone had to make sure the other?s in the center didn?t panic when the news spread, she would have lost it right there. Instead with a quick word to Dame Anna to stay put, she was off at a dead run, startling staff and patients alike since Alecia did not run, [I]ever[/I].

At first the looks she got as she started explaining what was going on and ordering everyone to get ready as if they were about to encounter a disaster, were ones of utter bewilderment and shock. And then as the news began to spread, to Alecia?s relief, people began to behave as they were trained to, moving to get things ready, to make sure those who were already there being treated did not panic as well. It never occurred to her that she did not have the authority to do what she was doing, she just did it. The seriousness of her expression and actions prompting other staff member to do as told.

It seemed she wasn?t a moment too soon as guard and underdog members alike started showing up, barely able to even walk into the facility as many of them were sporting horrible injuries that could have only been gotten from the Chimeras. For a brief moment it looked like things were going to get ugly until Alecia and a few other?s stepped in, separating the wounded to keep the opposing groups apart. Finding those doctors and potionists who?s sense of duty would not interfere with their judgment when it came to treating the injured.

Time seemed to almost freeze as she went from patient to patient, treating those she could, easing the pain of those beyond their help, all the while doing her best to push thoughts of Alexander out of her mind. On the surface she was succeeding, but inside? With each minute that went by without a word, it was like something inside her died. And when the news circulated that the Royal Police Guard Headquarters was on fire? She couldn?t stop the tears that ran down her face as she worked.

Alecia was tiredly helping yet another wave of injured into the center via the front doors, Dame Anna silently helping her as she had done since the mess started when a hand on her shoulder prompted her to turn around. Her heart caught in her throat when she realized she was looking at Alexander, his uniform torn, dirty and covered with blood. Before she could do more than choke out a startled gasp he pulled her into a fierce embrace, hugging her tightly, something she did in return.

?[B]Oh gods?[/B]? She choked as she cried with relief, ?[B]I was so worried.[/B]?

?[B]I?m sorry for worrying you love,[/B]? he whispered, tears running down his face as well as he simply held her, his own exhaustion catching up to him in force.

The sound of the doors opening on their own caused the two to look up, just as an injured Henry entered the center, clearly favoring one leg as he looked at the two and at Dame Anna in a bit of a daze. Before any of them could do more than stare at him in surprise, he gave Alexander a mock salute and with a brief word, collapsed on the spot. Alecia didn?t get a chance to even move to help Henry as Dame Anna took over, getting some of the staff at the center to help her with him. Once they were gone, she turned her attention to Alexander. Taking in how tired he looked as well as the condition of his uniform and the wound in his side and shoulder.

With his right arm still across her shoulders, she turned and started taking him towards one of the treatment rooms. ?[B]Let?s get that taken care of.[/B]?

Careful to avoid hitting his injuries, Alecia moved to support him, something that at first he resisted and then finally gave in to, leaning on her a bit as he was clearly exhausted, staying on his feet by what she imagined was sheer willpower alone. She just sighed contentedly, her heart at ease just by him being there.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[James]

[center][img] http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/8797/audreyavatarxe5.jpg[/img] [img] http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/jackavatar.jpg[/img] [/center] Audrey sat down at the desk again. The window was directly in front of her. She wondered how Jack could stand there and browse maps for hours without being distracted by the view beyond the glass. The Cygnus was now high above Muldova. In the distance, Mount Grail’s peak intermittently broke through low clouds. Through gaps in the clouds, Audrey could clearly see High Czenoble sprawled along the lower cliffs of the mountain. From so high up, the entire city looked like one giant, moulded piece of gold. Towers and spires glinted playfully in the dwindling sunlight. Audrey put her hand to her cheek, where Jack had kissed her. She smiled to herself, as she watched the clouds drift by lazily. In truth, Audrey knew that she had been incredibly lucky to meet Jack. Although it had been her who had saved his life upon their escape, it was also true that she would never have escaped the camp on her own. She had Jack to thank for her freedom. In the back of her mind, Audrey wondered whether or not her affection for Jack was simply for this reason; after all, he was not typically the type of man she would find herself attracted to. He did not possess any of the qualities of his aristocratic family, at least on the surface. However, despite his bravado and outer roughness, there was no question in Audrey’s mind that Jack was still a well-bred man. A casual observer might consider him “just another sky pirate”. But this did not ring true. He had designed his own airship and started his own business. He had defied his father’s (and much of his family’s) wishes by choosing his current path in life; and not, thought Audrey, because he was simply a rebel without a cause, but because he had made an informed decision and pursued his true passion. He had chosen to carve out his own direction, despite what was expected of him. That courage, combined with the sheer discipline to realize his ambition, was largely what made him appealing. It only helped his case that he seemed genuinely interested in Audrey’s mind, as well as her body. Audrey thought about the men she had met during her time as a diplomat. Her mother had occasion to put a man with solid credentials in her path, with the hope that she might marry. And these men looked good – especially on paper. They were handsome, wealthy, educated and were often highly influential. And yet, they were all in some measure slaves to the trappings of aristocracy. Many of them were obsessed with the frequent parties and social engagements. Some were [i]so[/i] diplomatic and well-spoken that they seemed to lack any thoughts that were definitively of their own making. This often frustrated Audrey and ultimately, it was a factor that was regularly responsible for prematurely ending relationships. It was hard to believe that she was now sitting in the bedroom of a sky pirate captain. It was even more difficult to entertain the possibility that she might be falling in love with him. Audrey shook her head, as if to clear her mind. The dull drone of the Cygnus’s engines made her feel comfortable – so much so that she wanted to sleep. She raised her quill and dipped it in the nearby well. The ink was a stunning velvety ebony; she actually wondered for a moment where it had come from. As she wrote with it, she could almost feel its richness. [i]Dear Mother and Father, I am truly sorry that you have not heard from me in some time. You are no doubt aware of the ongoing conflict in this country, but please do not worry about me. I am safe and it is my sincere hope that this struggle will not last for much longer. I have seen some horrible things in recent days, which I do not want to detail for you here. Suffice to say that I have a new found appreciation for the freedom I grew up with at home. I hope that you are both well and that the business is going strong. I will be coming home as soon as I can to see you; I might bring a friend or two as well (don’t get too excited, mother; I have no major announcements to make)…[/i] Audrey chuckled quietly to herself. She tried to imagine her mother’s reaction to Jack, if she were to bring him into the house. [i]His automail arm might raise some eyebrows,[/i] she thought to herself. As she continued to write the letter, she tried to avoid giving her parents any details about her plans to join Jack on his upcoming mission. She did not want to worry them. At the same time, she wondered whether the letter was giving them false hope. After all, she did not know if she would ever see them again. Still, she thought, Jack was determined that his life have more meaning – he apparently did not want to be remembered as just a sky pirate, but as a man who would fight for his principles. Perhaps there was a message in this for her, too.

[Aaryanna_Mom]

[CENTER][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/catherinesaraavatar.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/leonhartavatar.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/donner-avatar.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]
Under any other circumstances, weapon or not, Catherine would have found studying the intricate controls for the cannon fascinating. The actual means to aim and fire were fairly simple, but the means to gain access to it?s power source was anything but simple. Not only was it tied to understanding the language of the Xear but to patterns of logic, in the sense of a type of technology meant to process and execute commands, to take in data and determine if that data matched what was stored in it?s memory. A program meant to determine what could and couldn?t happen. It was tied into the theory behind why some devices simply worked even though they didn?t completely understand why they worked.

It was believed that these programs as they were called were somehow embedded in in the devices in question, and that the means to create some of them worked only by virtue of copying a process that was not fully understood. It worked, but they didn?t understand why it worked. They didn?t know how to create the programs that guided their function. Which was what made some things so difficult to come across as most attempts to duplicate the effect met with failure. Something she could see by the failed attempts to bypass the controls and simply tap into the power source. It too had something that would only respond to the proper input, making it useless even if it were to be removed and placed in something else.

A pistol would fire no matter who pulled the trigger. This device, if she understood what she was seeing correctly, would only fire if someone armed it. Someone that the program was designed to recognize as being allowed to turn it on so to speak. But that made no sense either as the translation indicated that only an Almagest could use it. What good was a weapon that would be useless if the only one capable of turning it on was dead or elsewhere? How did the Starks expect them to make something work when the original creator was long gone? And yet even as that thought crossed her mind she knew it couldn?t be that simple. It would make no sense to build something that would be rendered useless so easily.

Catherine was cautiously running her right forefinger along the semi raised crystals that formed what had to be the means to controlling the device or rather activating it. Not much bigger than a few inches each, they had an odd feel to them. Instead of being smooth, the top was porous and running one?s finger on it felt much like sandpaper. Shaped like a hexagon, they were firmly in place as a simple push indicated that they did not move inwards like a switch needing to be pressed. [I]What kind of control is this?[/I] A thought that was interrupted by the next one she touched lighting up from within. With a startled gasp she pulled back, her heart pounding in alarm as the light faded upon her moving away.

?[b]That?s about all it does,[/b]? A voice told Catherine, she turned to see one of the other alchemists standing just behind her. ?[b]It only does it for your brother though.[/b]? He moved forward, touching the same one she just had, nothing happened. ?[b]See?[/b]?

Confused, Catherine moved back, reaching out to touch it again, sure enough it lit back up. Her brow furrowed as she realized that along the slanted edges of the raised crystal were etchings that showed up. Etchings in the language of the Xear, like on the side of the cannon. Keeping her finger in place she leaned forward until she was able to read what was written. The other alchemist forgotten as all sorts of new ideas ran through her mind upon realizing what she was seeing. It was almost frightening as she worked on the key for unlocking the device, to realize the intelligence that had to have gone behind such a set up. Why would anyone that smart build something like the cannon? It was one thing to have the knowledge and yet another to actually use it.

Did they have no choice? Was that the purpose behind attempting to limit it to only an Almagest? Building a power weapon that was perhaps required for survival and yet limiting it at the same time. It was an interesting concept and yet ultimately flawed. One could be certain of say their children or grandchildren?s nature or actions, but what of future generations? It wasn?t possible to know how they would behave, but one could limit what the other was even capable of doing. Making the key only accessible to those who were either highly intelligent, or possessed the patience required to study and learn. And the further she got, going from one key to the next, the more it was clear that the weapon was likely a last resort, it simply couldn?t be used in haste, at least not until it was armed.

It seemed to have a recognition program or rather means to tell if the one unlocking they key was an Almagest, at least by blood. Yet another area of magi technology that was purely theory as biological aspects were still in their infancy as far as studying went. The concept of a genetic key was by most, considered impossible. For something to recognize by touch alone that the one was an Almagest, spoke of understanding the technology at the highest level. And it was more than that, things like temperature and timing in addition to knowing which crystal was next was important. One couldn?t simply figure out the sequence and make someone activate each one in order.

As distasteful as the thought was, it also meant someone couldn?t simply take a part of what would genetically trigger the keys. And yet that disgusted her as well, a key that put such a heavy burden on more than the creator, what had her ancestor been thinking by creating such a terrible lock? This sort of thing was part of why she refused to actually create things or do real research as others would put it. Catherine might study what was published and discuss it with others, but she wasn?t going to actually create something that could only be meant to take another?s life.

That kind of knowledge was not something that she shared, she had never felt the desire to put into words or publish what she thought on different aspects of magi technology. At least nothing that could lead to something like the cannon being built. Catherine could respect that others like Daedalus did, but never for herself. It was something she had no interest in.

There was one thing that puzzled her though, and that was figuring out the sequence for turning the weapon off. Unlike arming it so to speak, she imagined that disarming it was probably far more simple. Such a safe guard would make sense in her mind, but at the moment she couldn?t seem to see anything that indicated the path for switching it off. Just as she couldn?t see the path for making it self destruct either. Something she was positive had to exist, and though she knew the consequences of such an action, she couldn?t help but want to trigger it. If she could do that, it was possible to take out not only the cannon but the Starks as well, it was a price she was willing to pay, just as she was sure Leonhart was as well.

She was so engrossed in attempting to find that as she continued figuring out what key came next that Catherine was unaware that she was being watched, nor did she see the look of satisfaction flash across their face when with a loud hum the weapon turned itself on. [I]What??!?! But! That?s not?! [B] No!![/B] [/I]She thought in panic. [I]I need to set it to self destruct! Not turn on! [/I] She could only watch helplessly as the panel with the crystal buttons moved down into the machine to be replaced by a new set that came to the surface. Understanding dawned on her face as she realized that in order to access the ability to turn it off and to self destruct; the weapon had to actually be on, the power necessary to cause it to destroy itself only available in that state.

[I]Oh gods! What have I done?[/I] She thought in despair as she frantically looked for the first key to either initiate the self destruct sequence or at the very least turn it off. Catherine gave out a startled shriek when hands grabbed her arms from behind, pulling her away from the cannon.

?[b]I think you?ve done enough Lady Almagest.[/b]? The amused voice of Donner Stark filled her with dread.

?[b]Let me go![/b]? She struggled furiously, to which he just laughed before handing her over to other Underdogs with a curt order to put her back in her cell.

Furious with herself she fought them wildly to no avail, collapsing on the floor of the makeshift cell upon being tossed inside, dissolving into heartbreaking sobs that threatened to take over. She barely noticed when the door opened again, the group shoving Leonhart in as well.

Miserable, she didn?t even look up, even when he moved to hold her while she cried. ?[b]It?s my fault.[/b]? She finally got out between sobs, ?[b]I thought I could figure out how to make it destroy itself.[/b]? She continued to cry, her heart breaking.

?[b]It will be alright Catherine,[/b]? Leonhart finally whispered, but Catherine was beyond hearing him, too caught up in despair over what she had just done.

[Shy]

[center][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/fauntleroy-chronicle.jpg[/img] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/gustave-avatar.gif[/img] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/marieevangeline-chronicle.jpg[/img] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/gadgetgerrault2avatar.jpg[/img] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/maceyellen-chronicle.jpg[/img][/center][size=1][indent]This was the first time Fonty had been underground in years. Beatriste loved to explore the grounds of Rosengard as a child, and to her the tunnels must have seemed like an enormous playground. On more than one occasion she had drug Fonty along for her adventures; it seemed ironic to him that years later he was underground again, this time searching for his wayward niece.

The group was huddled closely together as they searched the dark, damp tunnels, led by Lucy and Gustave’s small kerosene lantern. They had been traveling for well over an hour already, with little sign of Victoria Ann. In fact, it seemed as if Lucy had lost her scent entirely.

“[b]Lucy isn’t responding to the scent anymore.[/b]” Gustave said worriedly, “[b]I wonder if we’ve made a wrong turn somewhere.[/b]”

Fonty sighed, “[b]Victoria Ann’s scent must be getting lost in here as well. Does anyone else smell sulfur?[/b]”

“[b]Sulfur is one of the key components of alchemy,[/b]” Eva replied, “[b]After the Gem Hunters raided Mount Grail centuries ago, it’s practically the only thing left.[/b]”

"[b]Sulfur and troublesome little girls, yes.[/b]"

"[b]And Underdogs.[/b]"

Fonty grimaced, "[b]Oh. Yes. Thanks for the reminder.[/b]"

“[b]Do you think she’s alright?[/b]” Gadget asked nervously, “[b]She must be terrified down here all by herself…[/b]”

“[b]Victoria Ann is the bravest woman I’ve ever met,[/b]” Fonty replied, “[b]If anything we’re probably more frightened to be down here than she is...[/b]”

“[b]And more lost,[/b]” Macey Ellen added, “[b]Remember that she’s the one with the maps.[/b]”

Gustave nodded as the group reached a small opening in the pathway. Various piece of machinery lay abandoned on the ground, in a puddle. Gadget’s eyes widened as he stared at it.

“[b]It looks like we‘re not the only ones here,[/b]” he said.

“[b]How can you be so certain?[/b] Gustave asked.

“[b]Look at this equipment. There’s not a trace of rust on the metal, and these tunnels are dripping wet.[/b]”

Macey hopped off of Lucy and grabbed Gustave‘s lantern. There were several large gears on the ground, and other strange mechanical pieces. Macey instantly recognized some of the components as she looked over them, “[b]Gadget’s right. The Underdogs were here recently, and it looks like they are building something.[/b]”

“[b]Do you think it‘s another bomb?[/b]” Fonty asked.

“[b]I can’t know for certain, but it seems unlikely. Eva, what do you think?[/b]“

She dismounted Lazarus and inspected the pieces carefully, “[b]These are discarded parts of some kind of artillery.[/b]”

“[b]Like a cannon, sister?[/b]”

“[b]Perhaps, but I’ve never seen pieces like this. Whatever it is, it isn’t good.[/b]”

Gadget listened carefully as the others spoke. He had wondered exactly why his parents were so quick to dismiss him, but everything was starting to make sense. The Starks had no intentions of coming out of this revolution alive. They were going to kill themselves, and destroy High Czenoble in the process.[/size][/indent]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"][SIZE="1"][CENTER][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/daedalusavatar.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/harrison-chronicle.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]
Harrison had only been too glad to get back to the Sentinel and incidentally out of the dress uniform that Dwalish had given him. Though he took the time to hang it up with care in his tiny quarters as he got the feeling that being unpresentable due to wrinkles from carelessness on his part would be instantly noticed. And in his short time on board, he was quickly learning that unlike Chaos, attempting to slip through the cracks was not a smart move, if one wished to be more than just a simple recruit that is.

He already was more on account of the commission from his father, something that upon learning more about it made him feel self conscious. Commissioned officers usually received training in leadership and management skills, in addition to regular training. Hence the reading and verbal drilling from Dwalish. But what really made him feel out of place was that most who received one had far more experience and education than he did. In short, other than to be related to his father, he had done nothing to earn it.

His father had given him a starting point, one he really wasn?t ready for. However, it would be up to him to actually do anything with it and for some reason, the more he thought about it, the more determined he became to do it. Even if it meant the equivalent of doing lots of homework. Something that he had always managed to get out of, after all, so long as he got decent grades to ensure he could continue the swordsmanship classes, he didn?t care. But now? He wasn?t entirely sure why, but it felt like he had a chance to really do something for a change.

He had never cared much for his father in the past, but the past week had shown him a side that he hadn?t realized existed. A side that he was eager to understand, or so it seemed. Things still felt so utterly confusing on some level. He only knew that at the moment, where he was felt right somehow, something he couldn?t recall feeling outside of his swordsmanship classes. Harrison shoved the thoughts out of mind as he hurried on yet another errand though the giant war ship.

Since they had returned from the coronation, the bridge of the Sentinel had become busy as the military moved to help restore order to the chaos that had broken out in High Czenoble on account of the attack on the Royal Police Guard Headquarters and that of one of the Underdogs bases. Daedalus had been oddly quiet, that is until Harrison ran into him by virtue of coming around a corner and dodging to avoid running into him. With Dwalish gone to the surface to lead the soldiers personally, he was to go and grab some dinner and then head back to the bridge for even more work.

?[B]Harrison,[/B]? He halted when spoken to turning around to face his father.

?[B]Yes sir?[/B]? Even if there was no one around, it seemed wrong to call him by name.

?[B]You?re heading to get dinner correct?[/B]?

Harrison nodded.

?[B]No calling me sir then,[/B]? Daedalus said firmly, sounding tired to Harrison. ?[B]Keep me company for a bit if you don?t mind.[/B]?

?[B]Of course not si? Dad.[/B]? He stumbled, a bit confused by the odd hint of sadness in his father?s expression. Was he worried about Dwalish? He wondered about that as he fell in, following along as he headed towards the bridge. He was uncertain as to what to say when Daedalus spoke up.

?[B]How is training coming along Harrison?[/B]? It was small talk, strained at that, making Harrison feel the urge to break it.

?[B]Is it always like this Dad? Worrying about others?[/B]? He rushed out. Even though Dwalish was a lot better than he was, it still made him feel tense that he was gone, a feeling he had never experienced before, worrying over someone else. The only time he could recall feeling anything similar was when he had been with Victoria Ann during the riots and even then, he had been in a position to do something. Instead of being forced to wait. He had felt the same when there had been a bomb at Rosengard as well. Worried.

?[B]Always.[/B]?

Harrison looked down surprised to hear him say it, at least for a moment, if he had ever thought to think about it, he would have realized. Or would he? Confused he merely said nothing, not knowing what to say really.

?[B]You?d better go and get that dinner Harrison,[/B]? Daedalus caught his shoulder with his hand right as they got to the door to the bridge, bringing him to a halt. ?[B]Can?t have you being distracted by hunger.[/B]?

Harrison looked up to see a glint of amusement in his father?s eyes. ?[B]You do the same, dad.[/B]? He smirked a little, ?[B]At your age?[/B]?

?[B]Off with you.[/B]? Daedalus gave him a friendly shove, cutting him off.

Harrison just grinned and snickered before mock saluting his father and taking off down the corridor towards the mess hall. Completely missing how his father watched him until he was out of sight before turning to finally enter the bridge.[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR="goldenrod"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"][center][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/victoriaann-chronicle.jpg[/IMG] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/fauntleroy-chronicle.jpg[/img] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/gustave-avatar.gif[/img]
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Victoria was getting tired, even after taking the time to stop and have something to eat and rest, the toll of so much walking was staring to show. Three large caverns according to the map and yet she still hadn't found the giant or Auntie Catherine. She was sure they were there, at least her aunt that is. After the last large cavern she had come across Catherine's hat in one of the tunnels with rails running through it. The funny notations on the map finally making sense as she had not realized that they referred to train tracks until she came across the first set.

But why would anyone bother with train tracks? It made no sense and it was unfortunate that other than the tracks she hadn't seen any cars that she could use. Though part of her was wary of the idea, if someone was using magi technology or a steam engine, it would be too easy for someone to hear her coming. Being eleven didn't mean she wasn't smart enough to know that the Underdogs would not be happy with her showing up. Which was why she wanted to find the giant, she didn't see how she could help Catherine without the giant.

"[B]I wish Lucy and Gustave were here,[/B]" She said for what felt like the hundredth time. If she couldn't find the giant, those two were the ones most likely to help her. [I]Maybe I should have waited to talk to him? [/I]

With a shake of her head and a frown she dismissed the thought. Even if he was an adventurer, it was unlikely he would have brought her into the tunnels, maps or not. She might be able to convince him now that she had Auntie Catherine's hat, but it was such a long walk back and she was too stubborn to give up after having gotten so far. Auntie Catherine wouldn't give up and neither would she!

Victoria Ann paused to shift her backpack, to ease how it was digging into her shoulders when she about jumped through the ceiling of the current tunnel she was in, the magi technology lantern dropping to the floor as she shied sideways in fright. A powerful vibration filled the tunnel she was in, causing the ground to tremble as if an earthquake was about to start. Victoria was pressed back into the wall, her heart pounding in fear as she waited for the ground to shake even more.

But after a long moment, it settled down into a more gentle hum, constant but unchanging. [I]What kind of earthquake is this?[/I] She took several deep breathes as she gathered her waning courage and moved to pick up the lamp that was unharmed. She took another deep breath, let it out in a sigh and continued on her way. She hadn't gotten far when the sounds of someone approaching from behind caught her attention.

[I]Underdogs! [/I] With a start of fear she took off, running as quickly as she could, hunting for a spot to hide. Finally spotting a niche barely big enough for her to squeeze in, putting her out of sight. Her hands shaking, she quickly turned off her lamp, just in time as moments later flickers of light began to reach her location. As the voices approached, it took her a moment to realize just what she was hearing.

"[B]How could that child have gotten so far?[/B]" Fonty's voice sounded concerned.

"[B]I imagine she used the maps, making it easier to move quickly.[/B]"

"[B]Maps or not, how would she even know where to go Eva?[/B]" Macey pointed out.

"[B]Maybe she was looking for large open spaces? Where the giant she was interested in would fit?[/B]" It was that boy Gadget, the one she didn't really know. "[B]It's what I would do.[/B]"

"[B]I'm more concerned about what's causing the odd vibrations,[/B]" Gustave's voice! "[B]Something like that can't possibly be good, it worries me as to what is causing it. Staying down here is dangerous.[/B]"

And then there was a sound that made her happy all over, a cooing noise that could only be Lucy as it sounded like she was straining against her master. "[B]Whoa Lucy! What is it girl?[/B]"

Victoria couldn't take it any longer, bursting out of her hiding place once the group was closer, heading for them at a dead run, barely registering their surprised looks. "[B]Lucy! Gustave![/B]" She cried, brandishing Catherine's hat. "[B]The Underdogs have Auntie Catherine! I found her hat here in the tunnels![/B]"

Gustave was off of Lucy and down to catch her up in his arms before the others could do more than stare. "[B]Whoa Victoria, slow down.[/B]" He said as she clung to him tightly.

Victoria burst into tears, before looking up into his face, trusting in him to fix everything. "[B]I can't! I have to save her!"[/B][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Raiha]

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[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/marieevangeline-chronicle.jpg[/img] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/gadgetgerrault2avatar.jpg[/img] [/RIGHT]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]Macey handed one of her many handkerchiefs to Gustave, who promptly used it to dab away Victoria's numerous tears. Eva sighed and leaned against the now still stone wall, and rubbed her temples while Fonty checked the maps Victoria had set down. He turned them in one direction, then another, then turned the whole lot upside down.[/i]

"Goodness this is complicated. How did you even get this far Victoria?"

[i]Consoled by both Gustave's presence and the handkerchief, she sniffed primly a few times at her uncle. [/i]

"[i]I[/i] paid attention in cartography classes."

"She's got a point there Fonty. When you were there, your duties consisted entirely of dancing attention on the nearest pretty face."

[i]Macey snorted into her sleeve with a knowing look while Eva chuckled just a little and checked her pack to make sure nothing had shifted in the recent quakes. Gustave carefully folded the now drenched kerchief and put it into one of his several pockets. Then he turned and gave a look to the maps that had already defeated Fonty. Then he drew a line out from their present location to the nearest open location, which Victoria had made it terribly close to. Location determined, Gustave remounted Lucy, with Fonty giving Victoria a leg up, the backpack now slung across the others.[/i]

"Do you think we're really a match for the Underdogs? They took Father and Auntie Catharine. And I'm sure Father would've put up a good fight before they got him."

[i]Eva questioned, her hand resting carefully on her sister's hip, both astride Lazarus sitting sidesaddle. Macey turned to give her a perturbed look, her hands gripping Lazarus's reins perhaps too tightly for her to use the relaxed tone she forced onto herself.[/i]

"I agree. It's not that I don't want to see Auntie Catharine safe, but I doubt we'd be very useful. Aside from target practice."

"Well I suppose that's something."

[i]Gadget looked worried, perhaps more worried than everyone else, and he grasped one of the straps on Lazarus's saddle, none of the group members moving just yet. He seemed reluctant to go forward himself, not that anyone could possibly blame him. Not everyone had Victoria's sense of adventure and fearlessness. Gadget hung his head just a little and seemed to be very interested in counting the rocks around his toes.[/i]

"My father sent me away last time. Maybe he'll do more this time besides just ordering me to go away."

"I don't think he'd harm his own flesh and blood. Or am I being naive?"

"Who can say? But we'll stay together for whatever comes next."

[i]Macey shot a sharp look at Fonty and put a gentle hand on Gadget's shoulder, leaning over slightly from her vantage point. He gave her a bleak smile, and stood up straight again, looking into the dark mouth of the tunnel without flinching away. Even so, for all of her bold words, Macey couldn't help feeling worried as well. Ever since they'd entered, she'd been feeling a horrible fluttering in her stomach. The last time she'd been in a tunnel, she had been running for her life with Gadget right behind her, not nearly as well adjusted as he was now, but still afraid. And here they were again in the same place they'd been chased from by the unseen.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Shy]

[center][img] http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/maceyellen-chronicle.jpg[/img] [img] http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/victoriaann-chronicle.jpg[/img] [img] http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/fauntleroy-chronicle.jpg[/img]
[img] http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/gustave-avatar.gif[/img] [img] http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/marieevangeline-chronicle.jpg[/img] [img] http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/gadgetgerrault2avatar.jpg[/img][/center]
[size=1][indent]Fauntleroy let out a heavy sigh as the group continued wandering through the tunnels. While he appreciated his sisters’ courage, there was no denying the enormous danger their mission presented. On one end of the tunnel would undoubtedly be certain death at the hands of The Underdogs, while on the other, Beatriste.

Needless to say, Fonty longed for the quiet comfort of a glass of wine.

“[b]I’m sorry for everything my family has done to you, Gadget[/b]” Fonty said softly, “[b]My father had done so many terrible things to you, and you are only a boy…[/b]”

“[b]I could say the same about my parents, Fonty,[/b]” Gadget replied, “[b]I feel no guilt for what my parents have done to you, nor should you for what Leonhart has done to me. The only thing we can do is try not to repeat those mistakes.[/b]”

“[b]I agree that something must be done, but we have no choice but to go back,[/b]” Fonty said as he stared at the train tracks, “[b]We’ll call for the Guard as soon as we exit the tunnels, and they can handle things from there.[/b]”

“[b]What about Auntie Catherine and Grandpa?[/b]” Victoria Ann pouted, “[b]You can’t just ignore them, like you did with that picture![/b]”

Even now he had no idea what the strange photographs he had taken meant, yet it seemed obvious now that they were a warning of some kind. He knew that he had been foolish not to act on his discovery, but it would be even more foolish now to endanger his family with an act of heroism.

"[b]I'm sorry, Victoria. But we have to be realistic...[/b]"

"[b]No.[/b]" Gadget stamped his foot on the ground boldly. He wasn’t going anywhere.

“[b]There’s no time,[/b]” Gadget said sternly, “[b]We have to do something now.[/b]”

“[b]You can’t be serious. Not only are we unarmed, but The Underdogs certainly outnumber us. It’s not as if we can simply sneak in and rescue them both.[/b]”

Victoria Ann’s eyes lit up, “[b]Why can’t we? I’ll be extra quiet![/b]”

“[b]Don’t be ridiculous, Victoria Ann,[/b]” Eva replied, “[b]Just because you can get past Fonty doesn’t mean you’re suddenly an Anovan spy.[/b]”

Gadget shook his head, “[b]No, she can’t. But I can.[/b]”

There was a moment of silence as the group came to fully understand what the boy was saying. If Gadget could truly control his newfound abilities, then he might be the only one capable of saving Leonhart and Catherine. Macey’s eyes began to well up.

“[b]It’s too dangerous,[/b]” she pleaded, “[b]What will your parents do if they find you?[/b]”

“[b]They won’t. You have to trust me.[/b]”

Gustave nodded, “[b]Please be careful. We’ll be waiting for all of you at the entrance to the tunnels.[/b]”

“[b]Thank you Gustave,[/b] Gadget replied, “[b]Make sure everyone makes it out safely, will you?[/b]”

"[b]You have my word.[/b]"

Macey reached into Lucy’s saddlebag and withdrew one of the small compasses. She held onto Gadget’s wrist softly as she handed him the device.

“[b]Please, before you go. Hold onto this,[/b]” she said firmly, “[b]In case you lose your way...[/b]”

The boy smiled as he embraced her tightly, “[b]Thank you Macey.[/b]”

Gadget bid a final farewell to his friends, and quickly disappeared into the darkness of the tunnels.[/size][/indent]

[James]

[center][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/maceyellen-chronicle.jpg[/img] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/fauntleroy-chronicle.jpg[/img] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/victoriaann-chronicle.jpg[/img] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/gustave-avatar.gif[/img] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/marieevangeline-chronicle.jpg[/img] [/center] The two Chimaera began making their way back through the tunnels. Luckily the group did not need a map anymore; both Lucy and Lazarus were capable of retracing their steps easily. At first, the journey was quiet. Gustave was riding Lucy, with Victoria sitting just in front of him. He let her hold the reigns again. Macey Ellen sat on another saddle behind Gustave (Chimaera were regularly dual-saddled when carrying multiple riders). Behind them, Lazarus was diligently carrying Fonty at the front and Eva at the back. Both Chimaera were still loaded with heavy leather bags. The tunnels were an odd mixture of elements. Despite the darkness underground, it was clear - from what they could see - that it had taken great engineering skill to build a network of tunnels as extensive as they were. The group made their way back to one of the larger open areas that punctuated the lengthy tunnels. These areas were like giant rooms with great domed ceilings. The walls surrounding them were littered with half-crumbled columns and there seemed to be small structures all around them. 'What do you think these were for?' asked Victoria, her voice echoing in the darkness. Gustave shook his head. 'I have no idea,' he said quietly. 'Clearly, though, a lot of people used these tunnels at one point.' Victoria craned her neck so that she could see Gustave; she was almost entirely twisted around where she sat. 'You're telling me you don't know what these big rooms are for? And I thought you were an explorer!' She seemed genuinely shocked that Gustave didn't know the answer to her question. He chuckled to himself. 'I'm afraid I do not know very much about this place. So few people do, including Czenovian scholars. I suppose very few people come down here...' Victoria Ann nodded to herself. 'Too creepy...' As the path in front of them widened, Lazarus caught up to Lucy and walked beside her. As they walked, they nuzzled one another momentarily. 'What're they doing that for?' asked Victoria. Gustave put his hand on her shoulder. 'They are reassuring one another. They're as worried as we are.' Victoria did not reply, but she seemed to understand as she watched the two Chimaera. Their affection seemed to calm her for a moment. As they walked through the great room, Gustave wondered about Gadget. Could a single young man do anything to save Catherine and Leonhart? On the surface it seemed ridiculous. Yet there was something about Gadget; despite his age, he had seen many things and lived a tough life. Perhaps he did know what he was doing. Gustave didn't know Gadget, but he did know that Gadget had once been Vincent's lover. Above all - and despite their disagreements - Gustave respected his cousin's views. He was like an older brother and he always seemed reasonable and mature. For him to fall in love with Gadget [i]must[/i] have meant that Gadget had qualities that were not readily apparent to strangers. Gustave noticed that Macey continually looked down at the small golden compass in her hand. She now seemed obviously worried about Gadget. And Fonty - his eyes were fixed ahead of them and he did not speak. Gustave wondered what must have been going through his mind at the moment. Two of his dearest relatives were being held only a short distance away, yet he could not save them. He had to rely on a boy who he did not know. Gustave could not possibly imagine his anguish. After what seemed like an eternity of traveling in near silence (other than the patter of Chimaera feet on the cold stone ground), something caught their attention. 'What was that?' asked Fonty. His immediate reaction was to look at the ceiling. 'I hope this doesn't cave in on us...' Macey shook her head. 'It's not that,' she replied. 'There's something else.' Everyone went quiet and strained their ears. A few moments later, they all heard it; a deep, audible hum. And then, seconds later, something that sounded like a dull bang or crack. 'That reminds me of something,' said Gustave thoughtfully. 'But surely we wouldn't be able to hear it from down here.' Everyone turned to him. 'What are you talking about?' asked Eva, as her eyes widened. 'Those sound like airship engines,' said Gustave calmly. 'But for us to be able to hear them all the way down here... well....' 'What?' 'It means there must be many of them flying together at the same time. A fleet or something.' They all looked at each other. 'By the sounds of it,' said Gustave, who was now concentrating intently on the distant droning, 'they are moving [i]towards[/i] High Czenoble.' 'Where could they be from?' asked Victoria, who had also been listening intently. 'Well,' replied Gustave, 'there's only one other major Aerodrome anywhere near here. And that's the one in New Czenoble. Now that the Guard have no ships there...well, they can't be Guard ships, anyway.' Fonty looked at the others. 'If they aren't Guard ships, they can only be owned by one group: the Underdogs.' Macey and Eva gasped simultaneously. 'So this is it? They're on their way to our home now?' Her chin quivered slightly as she spoke. 'Yes, I think so,' said Gustave quietly. 'That means we are going to have to be very careful. When we exit the tunnels we'll have to stay hidden nearby. Luckily the tunnel entrance is near my summer house, rather than High Czenoble. We should be safe for a little while.' 'Okay,' said Fonty, 'we need to get a move on then.' And with that, he flicked the reigns against Lazarus, causing him to up his pace. Lucy matched his canter. In the distance, they could see a bloom of light that was fading rapidly. Evening was approaching.

[SunfallE]

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It took Alecia a moment to remember where she was as the room she woke up in was in semi-darkness. She was lying next to Alexander who was sprawled out asleep on his back, both of them covered by a blanket. It took another moment as she raised her head off of his right shoulder and looked around to realize that they were still at the Eshe Rehema Medical Center. And still yet another long moment for her to remember what had happened.

As she carefully slipped out from under the blanket so as not to wake Alexander it all came back. He had finally shown up and she had taken him to get his injuries treated, getting him settled down in one of the rooms to rest as he was far to exhausted for them to even attempt to head back home. Especially with all the chaos still going on from the attack on the Royal Police Guard Headquarters. She remembered hearing that the military had moved into the area to help restore order and she wondered if they had finished as the time indicated that she had been asleep for several hours.

When Alexander had first been brought to the room to recover, more from exhaustion than from injuries since they had turned out to be rather minor, he had been reluctant to let her out of his sight. So she had laid down next to him, feeling the same way, not wanting to be apart. She had not expected to fall asleep herself, though since turning on the light showed that someone had fetched both her and Alexander clean uniforms from her office, it was clear she had not been needed. If she had, they would have gently woken her instead of covering her with a blanket and leaving the two of them to rest.

Again, careful to avoid waking Alexander, though she couldn’t help but smile at his face as he slept, she took her own uniform and went into the tiny side wash room to clean up and get into the clean uniform that had been left for her. Feeling a whole lot better once she was done and in better spirits; she came out to find that Alexander had woken up and was sitting on the bed waiting for her to be done.

“[B]Come here beautiful.[/B]” Smiling broadly, he extended his right hand for one of hers, taking it and pulling her over for a long kiss, before letting go.

Alecia moved to hug him tightly but Alexander stopped her, “[B]Let me get cleaned up so I don’t get your uniform dirty.[/B]”

“[B]Hurry up then,[/B]” She teased him and then moved to change the bedding while he took himself off to get cleaned up as well. It was likely they would be staying the night and she didn’t want to sleep on sheets stained with blood if there was no need.

[I]I wonder if the military is done restoring order?[/I] She certainly hoped so. [I]I should check and make sure the Underdogs who are being treated are being dealt with fairly.[/I] It would be up to the law to decide their fate, but for now, so long as the wounded were being cared for, if she had any say in the matter, it would be equally done.

She turned at the sound of Alexander coming out of the side wash room, his hair still slightly damp from getting cleaned up. He was still sporting bruises and looked terribly tired, but he looked much better all fixed up and in a clean uniform as well. Before he had gotten more than a few steps into the room, she carefully wrapped her arms around him, looking up as he moved to share yet another kiss.

“[B]Should we see what’s going on?[/B]” She finally asked when he pulled back a bit, still holding her close.

“[B]We should,[/B]” He finally said, letting go reluctantly. “[B]I imagine by now the military should have everything under control.[/B]”

The two of them were moving towards the door to their room when an odd hum could be heard. It seemed to be coming from outside. Puzzled as to what it could be, the two moved over to open up the curtains to the window to take a look.
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