Mirabelle afforded the Sergeant a small smile as he answered her question. She considered informing him of her little deception soon, likely when all was said and done with the crime scene. Doing that may well improve their relations with him, although she suspected that her ruses had not worked and he was well aware of the truth. Nevertheless, it would be good to come clean as a show of trust. "Very good Sergeant. We will work together well I should think." She said honestly, before they proceeded inside. Dylan was wary of Constabulary officers, and perhaps for good reason in some cases. Something about this man however, struck her as someone dependable. Upon their return to the office she would propose that he let his dislike go in this case. They were soon admitted into the room where the chaos had taken place. She pulled a grim face as she surveyed the bloodshed. The injuries spoke of an excellent marksman. Not a single missed shot. There was a vague scent of gunpowder in the air. The room was sparsely furnished, though the choice of decor was formal with some embellishment, and were it not for the dead bodies and scattered papers it would have maintained its atmosphere as a calm place to conduct discussion. Notably, two of the dead were people she knew. Minister, and Lady, Karen Hawk she had spoken to at a party not long ago, and she knew of her colleague Minister Winston Wallis. She felt a little sad to look upon her body here. She quite enjoyed Karen's company and was considering meeting up with her again soon. That would not be possible now it seemed. Mira looked away, there was other work to do and she had to piece together why this shooting took place. She watched Sergeant Crowne pace around the room. She raised an eyebrow when he pulled out his revolver, but his intentions became clear. However, there was something that had caught her eye. A small corner of the carpet had been lifted, and it seemed a little unusual. Such a thing was not neat, or orderly. The chairs were spread out across the room, but that made sense. Naturally there would be a ruckus and some seats moved and knocked over in the scramble. The carpet being lifted in that area seemed unusual. With Dylan's talk of escape tunnels, she wondered if the architect and the designers of the room would put a tunnel in such an almost predictable place. The Sergeant interrupted her investigations, passing over a note. She had been listening as he talked, going through his theory of events, and to her eyes it seemed to check out. A murder-suicide would have left them no trail, that much was for certain. One thing struck her as incomplete about the theory though. "Interesting, interesting..." She held the note and tapped the head of her cane with her clockwork hand as she read. She nodded to his whispered statement. Could survival instincts overpower mind control, or was there a certain fact that they were missing? Could something possibly have disturbed the magic's function somehow? If so, what? "But how did the Grand Minister factor into this? Why would she have opened fire with such unerring aim, but fail to kill the most important person? The purpose of this attack therefore must be questioned. Your reasoning indicates that her marksmanship would have allowed her to hit whoever she so chose... As a side note Sergeant Crowne, might I direct your investigative talents to that upraised carpet there? I wonder how that lifted area fits into your narrative." She gestured to the area in question. She could only hope that he might have the same thought that she had - That perhaps one of these hidden escape tunnels that Dylan was interested in could be located there as a place to hide it. It may not be, and it was hardly the most practical place, but it could be. Something about the situation seemed off, as if they were missing the true purpose of this mission. Now that she had passed on the responsibility for looking at that area of carpet to someone else, she could focus on things closer to her sphere of knowledge. Mira wondered - Was she there for the Grand Minister at all? Immediately, her mind fell to political motives. The Minister of Foreign Affairs turned around and opened fire on those attending this conference, felling the guards quickly enough that they could barely react and missed the highest ranking politician in the room. Why? Did the Grand Minister flee too quickly? She set her mind to it and began to consider the possibilities. Mirabelle ran through recent events in politics. Her conversation with Minister Hawk and other aristocrats with knowledge of Ministry affairs had revealed to her a new policy that had yet to emerge. Lilian Harbrook planned to place regulations specifically on the influx of Hirokiri immigrants, reducing the amount that could enter the country. Despite the two countries nominally being at a cease fire, Mira had no doubt that there was some tension boiling beneath the surface. Sadly, she could not quite confirm that theory, but Hirokiri/Tyrranean relations had always been tense. If Lord Gallahowe had a Hirokiri practitioner of mind control magic as his conversation with Harbrook herself seemed to imply, then it would only make sense that she was controlled by a catspaw of his. By either eliminating her outright, or discrediting her if she lived, that bill would surely fail as the Grand Minister opposed it. Its major proponent lost her credibility or died, and its major opponent yet lived. There was nothing yet to connect the Grand Minister to Gallahowe's hypothetical intent here - Not yet. If he employed Hirokiri immigrants then it did play awfully well into his hands that it just so happened that the one who opposed that bill was killed. He could have his Hirokiri workforce. Perhaps there was a further agenda - Considering that the cease-fire would not last forever, could Gallahowe be considering something even bolder? A power-grab with Hirokiri backing perhaps? Their beliefs of unity would engender them to banding together as Hirokiri. Could he be influenced by their cause? It seemed big - Far bigger than reasonable. For now, he just got potentially cheap labour to work in his factories and the skilled ones could help him in his workshop. Mira withdrew her fountain pen from her pocket and a small notepad and wrote a written note to the Sergeant which she handed to him, and a copy to show Dylan later. I have a theory as to what might be the motive for this murder. Minister Harbrook was proposing a bill to limit the amount of Hirokiri immigrants that were entering the country, while the Grand Minister opposed it. If Gallahowe does indeed have a preference for Hirokiri immigrants to work for him, then there may have been action by him to deliberately stop the bill. By having the Minister of Foreign Affairs murder two guards and three Ministers then she would be discredited and the motion all but forgotten. Better if she had killed herself, dying on top of ruining her reputation. Its main political opponent survives, hence the Grand Minister being unharmed when she could easily have been killed.
The act was not unsalvageable, but at this point it was beginning to be troublesome. This Sergeant Crowne was annoyingly perceptive. A competent Constabulary officer was a rare thing. And at the very least, he seemed willing to co-operate with Dylan. By extension, that meant her, and so long as he let her keep up her act to get inside then this would all work out. Having a contact in the Constabulary would be useful, and this partnership could extend beyond the present case. While Dylan spoke to Zephyr, the Sergeant returned his attention to her. She scanned the notes. Interesting to be sure. She nodded, and then he came up with something he obviously did not mean. However, what he could not have realised was that it was quite possible for her. "Theoretically, yes I could." Mira answered. "I have some Clockwork. It seems possible that I would be able to seek a meeting to consult with him on upgrading what I have to something of a higher specification." She read over the notes again. Implicating Mortimer Gallahowe... He was an influential man. If there truly was a case against him, then it would surely be difficult to prove anything, or find evidence. Which, she supposed, made her the ideal person to get them to somewhere that she could get that evidence. If this Officer were willing to work with them. Before speaking, she made sure that nobody else was around to hear what she said to him. It would not do for a Royal Guardsman to hear this part. "Sergeant Crowne, I take it that you are not as reluctant to work with outside agencies as others in your organisation and the Royal Guard, considering you have not yet reported that I sneaked in help of my own?" She inquired quietly, maintaining her appearance although turning down the arrogance a little. If Dylan gave the go ahead then she would introduce herself again as she was, but until then she would continue to convince him of the veracity of her story.
Lloyd immediately turned to snap at Arian after his first comment, who as before with the Guardian revelation from earlier was missing the point entirely. This wasn't about them being seen as heroes, they had only just survived. And there was nothing heroic about how they had just been systematically destroyed, whatever they tried. Something that his fellow leader Blaine vocalised. Another voice, one that he didn't recognise piped up, but he didn't pay it any mind. Before he could process much else, that Makani guy from earlier started on him. The Huntsman-in-training whipped around to face him, meeting the glare in his eyes fire for fire. There was a deathly silence after Makani's outburst. His fists clenched. Brisa was in a life or death battle. And they weren't? But before Lloyd could say anything, he continued with his rant. The frustration was boiling over now. This guy didn't see it, did he? He was too focused on the Guardian to realise that they had almost died anyway. Why were they the distraction? Really? There were third year students at Beacon, people at least more qualified than them, right? A girl he didn't recognise called off Makani, and he relented. He could feel that the air in the room was against them, so Lloyd turned away and sat down. He listened as the girl - perhaps it was Fiametta? He had heard the name spoken earlier somewhere. - talked to them about what had actually happened. Far more reasonably than Makani had. He pulled angrily at the end of the red cloth tied around his right thigh a couple of times, then simmered in silence until Arian piped up. "We're alive at least." Lloyd agreed gloomily. And they had ensured that others would survive too. He hated to admit that people who irritated him this much were right, but Makani and Arian were. This time. But if that guy talked about his breath being wasted one more time then he'd break his nose. He thought about talking through things with Blaine later. He seemed to get it. His team wasn't exactly filled with supportive individuals, and he couldn't afford to show any weakness. He had to lead them after all, and he didn't need their faith in him to be shaken. He thought about what to say from here, and managed to come up with a pretty bad joke. "So, was she hot enough for you Arian?" He ran with it, glancing over at his teammate. It might alleviate the tension and with how strung up he felt right now, he could do with everything being a bit less tense. At that moment, it occurred to him that perhaps that was the point. Is that why you do it?
"Yeah. Drier too." He added. They were all quite wet from the rain that he presumed that the sorcerer that with the raiders had called down. The Aen Sídhe girl strolled past them with a strut. He paid her words no real mind - Witchers got much worse from people on a regular basis - But he did take a passing moment to admire the behind that she showed no apparently problem displaying. He heard Teli asking whether she should come along as well. She was pretty enough, and this Witcher always appreciated the company of a good-looking woman. "If you want to hear a couple of Witchers swapping stories and all that, by all means come along." He did want to catch up with Vec too, so he'd just pitch it as it was. Speaking of Teli's company, there was one other person who was conspicuous by his absence who he was more than certain would love to hear some of Vec's old war stories. "Hey Teli, did you catch where Lysander got to?"
Mira watched the Sergeant and Dylan's exchange curiously. Dylan's firm statement that there was magic at play was most curious - After all, she had seen no direct evidence of that. However, her new boss did step to the side with a pained expression a few moments ago... Perhaps he had some reaction to the magic? But how come it had not affected her as well? It could not be that then... So perhaps he could sense magic somehow? That had to be it. Such an ability would leave him more vulnerable to the effects of any residual magic. When the note was passed over, she peeked at it curiously and skim read the note with practiced ease. That obviated the need for a discussion with the prisoner - They had a transcript. "Do not presume to ignore me, Sergeant." Mira interjected, somewhat annoyed that the Sergeant's attention had been on Dylan. She was the one addressing him. Also, she had to secure her position in this deception. "The detective is here by my request. I insist that you keep me appraised of any discourse. We are all interested in solving this crime. With the information you have so generously provided, a further discussion with the prisoner is likely not necessary at this juncture. Therefore, to the crime scene it is." The noblewoman turned on a heel and moved over to the Royal Guardsman. "May we please now be escorted to the crime scene? Our business with the prisoner is concluded." She stated. And it was true. They had seemingly found out about the presence of magic. If she could find a moment aside from this troublesome Sergeant, or at least the Guards, then she would request more details. Dylan did not strike her as a terribly good liar - She believed his claim.
Lloyd watched with satisfaction as the clone of the Guardian of Fire melted away against their repeated, determined assault. They could win this! Lloyd darted in for his next attack, confident. His blade glimmered as he moved in to strike, the way he had been taught to. And then the words hit. They were... Mere toys to her? The trainee Huntsman's anger flared, like hell they were just toys! He closed in, sword raised and the world became hazy. Lloyd only remembered the heat, the pain, the buzz of his Scroll as his Aura dropped to nothing and the crack of his back against the pavement. He lay there halfway between consciousness and unconsciousness for some time... Time felt meaningless as his vision faded from nothing to a blurry vision of the sky, distant flames licking at the clouds above. The touch of a course hand broke the stillness, and he felt himself being lifted up. His feet found themselves and he looked around. None of them were in a state to fight and Professor Branwen was getting everyone back up. His dazed mind saw the Guardian of Wind standing bravely between them and the fire witch that had done this to them. "The stories..." Lloyd uttered dumbly, as two titans of mythology prepared to duke it out on the Academy grounds. But this was no place for them. Not students. He was a fool... A fool to think that mere students fresh out of Signal or wilderness trained at best could stand against the Guardians and their magic - True magic - Not the poor imitation that were Dust and Semblances. "The helipads, come on!" His own voice rang like a bell in his head, and Lloyd ran as quickly as his body would allow. He glanced behind to make sure his team were following. Minutes later, they were all in one of the rotary planes favoured by the academy, and his head started to clear. The thrum of the rotors beat outside as they took off, fleeing from the academy to somewhere. Somewhere that wasn't Beacon, that was for sure. They'd all got back, but not a one of the other seven looked any better than he. They'd all faced hell at the hands of the Fire Guardian's flames, and only just walked out of it. Clenching a fist, Lloyd stood up and glared at his old teacher. "What the hell was that?" Lloyd demanded, teeth bared. Looking at the greying teacher and his stubble was like facing his father again. Familiar territory. "That was the Guardian of Fire, wasn't it? And you sent us against her? We've all got some combat training, but what made you think we could handle her? Where were you, or Ozpin, or the other staff? Where was the Guardian of Air? Where was our backup?" The demands for answers flew easily from his mouth. This time, not asking why he couldn't fight but why they were sent to fight an enemy that they couldn't have defeated. Why they were sent on a suicide mission, and doomed to fail, when the most that he'd wager people had handled were a few stray Grimm or a thug in an alleyway.
The officer extended a hand and she accepted, her cane passing from her right hand to her left swiftly. Mirabelle shook his hand firmly. Sergeant Jebediah Crowne. She did not react to his firming of his grip on her hand. To do so would indicate some wrongdoing on her part. Dylan's presence was complicating matters. Once again, the misfortune of the situation was not lost on her. However, this was not unsalvageable. Mira was quick with excuses - She always was, and she already knew how to explain away Dylan's presence. "Sergeant Crowne, if you wished to assist us in our investigation by adding your own knowledge of the case so far, you need only have asked." Mira spoke smoothly, not missing a beat. She released her grip on Jebediah's hand and turned to the Royal Guardsman. "I expect it will not be a problem if we were to bring Sergeant Crowne with us? His information may be useful in performing our investigation." The noblewoman placed the tip of her cane on the ground and ran her clockwork arm up to the head, the sound of metal against metal muffled by the soft gloves she wore. She fixed her gaze at the guard, then glanced at the open wagon expectantly then back to him.
Mirabelle followed the guard as they were taken to the wagon where the prisoner was being kept. She felt rather pleased with herself - The plan she had concocted was going off without a hitch. She allowed herself a private smile to celebrate. Throughout her life, she had been able to repeat this trick with numerous servants and some guards at various estates, but to deploy it in action like this and succeed was immensely satisfying. They stood before the wagon and the guard opened it, at which point things stopped going as accurately to the plan as they had been. Dylan rushed to the side of the carriage with a pained expression, but more alarmingly the policeman who was at the office earlier stumbled out. While to her knowledge, she was not seen, Mira was well aware that Dylan most certainly had been. She was not impressed. This was inconvenient, however a cover story sprung to mind should it be needed. The plan would continue as necessary. "Lady Mirabelle Autumnfield. I assume the purpose of our visit should be obvious." Mira answered flatly. She tapped the head of her cane impatiently and fixed the officer with a glare.
Mirabelle gave the guardsman a reassuring smile when he explained their presence away to himself. She considered his offer of having a look at the prisoner, disguising her consideration by flipping her watch out of her pocket and checking it, then taking a look around towards the wagon. She could see Kara speaking with an officer, and Zephyr was nowhere near. That left it to her and Dylan to get the job done. Besides, this was perfect for her. She would be able to demonstrate her abilities by getting all the information that they needed with minimal hassle. "Yes, I believe we have the time. Please lead the way." Her expression made it clear that she did not expect to be kept waiting. Aspire's walk took him swiftly through Eredan, his eyes fixed on the towering structure of Saviour's Spire that rose above the tallest of buildings around it. The Golem weaved through the bustling streets, passing by a large building. A sign declared it to be the Steiner Institute of Medicine. Supposedly, it was the first true hospital in the country, but that was of little interest to the machine. More interesting was the large statue outside, depicting the great doctor himself in his black robes, tall black hat with its wide rim and his signature beak-like mask. Aspire admired the craftsmanship that went into it for a while, and mused on the sort of man that this Doctor Steiner must have been. He concluded that he would not likely have been terribly interesting to Aspire. The Spire was close, and after walking a block he entered into another plaza. An examination of the signs indicated that this was Saviour's Square, dominated by a grander yet statue. Six figures were portrayed, five in the brightest gold against one in the darkest onyx, yet the one seemed to loom larger than them all. The young man in the waistcoat who stood slightly ahead of them all could only be Cedric Gallows, the Archmage of Thassalus. A titanic man in plate armour wielding a huge sword with a dragon's head carved into the crossguard was clearly Gaius Lestrade. Doctor Steiner made a second appearance. Kevin Valentine stood with his long cloak billowing out with gun at hand. Finally, a small woman in rough clothes with a satchel at her side hung near the edge. Ayla Vanderstone, he recognised her to be. She was the one remembered the least, which made him wonder - Who must she have been? Tales were told of her bizarre adventures yet so little was said about them. Of all of them, she perhaps was the one who the Golem was most interested in. What must she have seen in her time? What perspective must she, the poorest and least famous of them all, have had? The Golem would never know. Before this array of heroes was the infamous Zaikerik the Betrayer. Of all, he commanded the most presence. An individual of great malice, it was said. Once again, the Golem found that he would have had questions for the man. Someone who was so long apart from the mortal realm must have developed an interesting perspective on it. The philosophical machine could scarcely help but wonder what observations he must have made about humans from his place in the Spirit Realm. Eventually, Aspire left his musings and the Square, set on Saviour's Spire once more. He had quite satisfied his photoreceptors with these people of the past. As interesting as they must have been, it was a past without him or his kind. The only place Aspire needed look was the future, and in it find his purpose and perhaps a place for other Clockwork Golems.
It looked like Veceslav agreed with him on this point. He looked gravely at his teacher and looked at the docks, then back at the others. There were scarce few of them there. The crazy leader, and the Aen Sídhe. There was another Witcher on board too by the looks of things. "What we Witchers do - Stay neutral, and do what we're paid to do." Derrick took a last glance at the people on the ship. "if you go, you'll die." With that, the Witcher stepped off the boat and on to the docks, and back to the realm of the sane. He'd offer to pray for their souls, but Derrick wasn't a religious man. Even if there were Gods, they were probably just as unfriendly as most of the monsters that inhabited this world. That was the way it always seemed to go. This was just another one of those days. He waited there for the Crow. They had some catching up to do. It had been a while since he had been at the Kaer.
Lloyd's dodging had allowed him to avoid being incinerated by geysers of flame. The ground just behind him burst into an inferno and the blast sent him flying, his coat flapping his around him. The Huntsman-in-training twisted himself in mid air, landing nearly on both feet. He gritted his teeth. His Aura had taken a hit. A quick check of his Scroll revealed that he was forty percent down, just on the edge of the green. He rushed around the clone and who was clearly another Guardian, rolling to dodge a flame burst. The clone could project fire of its own, and they couldn't keep up with it. His blood boiled and he wanted to leap in, but his teammates were getting hit hard as well. They had to fight more carefully. Agni wasn't slowing down in the slightest and they'd all hit her. As he looked for his opening, he noticed something. The clone. She was creating the flame too. That's what had caught him off guard. While he was watching Agni, the clone had hit him with an unexpected pillar of searing fire. "Hit that clone with everything you've got!" Lloyd shouted. Arian and Vice were already committed, but maybe BLAU could help he and Aalis. Lloyd sheathed Brand, and seized Fire with both hands, sprinting towards the clone. He rolled beneath a wave of flame from an outstretched hand and cut savagely into its chest. His Semblance was useless here, but perhaps somebody else could do something?
Mirabelle surveyed the situation. Kara had gone off towards the site of the interrogation, that was all well and good, but Mira had her sights set on a much more valuable prize - The scene of the crime. It would make Kara's more job more difficult if they got involved anyway. She turned to Dylan. Zephyr's musing on magic gave her a thought, and she knew exactly how to follow up on it. "Dylan, I need you to come with me. I will get us inside." With Zephyr working with Kara on the eavesdropping on the interrogation plan, it fell naturally to herself and Dylan to get a look at the crime scene. "We will be posing as agents from The Tower. Let me lead." Mira turned on a heel and with her typical dignity and poise strode up to the Royal Guard barring the way for her and Dylan, her cane tapping along the cobbles as she went. "Good afternoon officer. Lady Mirabelle Autumnfield, from the Tower. Myself and my partner have arrived to investigate suspected traces of magical activity at the scene." Mirabelle explained, meeting the Guardsman's eyes. She tapped the head of her cane impatiently. With Mirela's workshop behind him, that left little else to do for now. He would have to wait longer to be able to locate Lynda at her office to enquire after the day's events. Therefore, he could proceed with one of his plans. He would visit the Saviour's Spire, the tallest building in the city. The Golem stomped through the streets on legs of steel, forcing people to move aside to allow the hulking figure through. He moved around a woman with a small human in a parambulator, being well aware that babies were fragile and that the portable carrier for the creature was not particularly manoeuvrable, but beyond that he made little room for anyone else on his walk.
The conversation died off as they got to the bottom of the elevator. When the elevator pinged and the doors opened, a rush of warm air hit him, at which point he realised that it was cooling him down slightly. Lloyd put a hand on his brow, wiping off a single bead of sweat. It was quite warm with him in his jacket which was hardly thin on top of his shirt, but taking it off wasn't an option. If his Aura failed then he would need all the protection he could get. They soon got out of the Academy building and on to the grounds. Makani pointed to the sky and Lloyd looked up to see something blazing towards them. And then, as he spoke her name, the ground before them erupted in flame, washing him in a scorching breeze. A torrent of fire burst up, seeming almost to lick the sky itself from where he was standing. Instinctively, his hands found themselves on the hilts of Fire and Brand over his shoulders and in a flash, both were drawn. He could only watch, gritting his teeth and holding off the heat with his Aura. What he was hearing though... He couldn't understand it. She was one of the Guardians, she had to be, the way she was talking to Brisa. And the fire... That was more than anyone could do with Dust, maybe with the right Semblance... But she practically radiated it. There was one person at least who wasn't cowed. Professor Branwen was as quick as ever with his witticisms. That gave him a little reassurance. If he was sure that this battle was winnable, then they'd fight it out. Lady Agni and a clone forged of fire stalked towards them. "Arian, Vice, cover us from that clone!" Lloyd barked as he darted in to strike the real Agni. Aalis was already in, and she needed support. If the other two could keep that clone off their backs then that would help while the other team got their **** together. Lloyd closed the gap between himself and the Guardian of Fire quickly, filling in the gap Aalis had left after backing out. He pirouetted, bringing both blades around to slash Agni's chest before dancing back, maintaining some distance from Aalis and the others. "Spread out! Don't let a fireblast hit more than one of you!"
Elaine rushed across a snowy mountaintop. Her feet crunched on snow as the wind whipped through her hair, splaying it out behind her in her rush. A rocky crag was up ahead, breaking her path. She did not stop her run though, and as she drew closer she tensed her legs. Boldly she leaped over the gap, landing gracefully on the other side. Above her, the faint shadow of wings was cast upon the clouds above. He was catching up already! She ploughed on ahead, seeing a perilous slope below her, broken only by the occasional rocky outcropping. Throwing caution to the wind, the wild girl pulled herself into a slide. Snow parted as she hurtled down, a tiny avalanche of her own carrying her. She had done this run a dozen times - She knew that there was a sheer drop soon, perhaps twenty metres down from here. But she also knew that there was a patch of deep snow not too far. If she could slow herself down fast enough, then she could pull herself on to a rocky outcropping and make the jump from there. With practised ease, she leaned herself into the mountainside and her descent slowed. Fur-covered arms reached out for the rock she was looking for and she swept herself on to it. She glanced up and saw clouds starting to part and an amused rumble coming from above. Faster. No more time Elaine. She quickly measured the jump and leaped - Only to realise too late that she had misjudged the distance. Had she only taken more time, then she'd have noticed another jumping point just a little further down. That extra distance would have carried her. She screamed as she plummeted towards the bare rock below her, feeling sick to her stomach and begging to any Gods out there for some miracle. "Elaine, awaken." A bass rumble pierced the dream and it fell away, the mountainside around her disappearing, fading into the sky framed around the shape of a dragon before her. Startled, the girl sat up, panting. The ground trembled a little as the huge beast before her shifted position. Its neck craned so that the massive head of the creature could look down at her. "You do not rest well. Drem. There is time for excitement in the day. You need not disturb your rest with such trifles." Elaine's ears were well used to the booming tones of the dragon, but it was not welcome after having just woken up. "Dreh hi lost wah kos ful shar?" She muttered in fluent Dovahzul, stretching her limbs and clambering out of her bedroll. "Niidro feyl." And too early for his yelling. Nevertheless, when the teacher called, she obeyed. "Krosis." Ziilaasmir rumbled, quieter this time. She had known the dragon long enough that despite the inhuman form, she could tell some emotions. He was probably quite pleased with her use of Dovahzul, at a guess. Elaine got herself changed and fed herself with some berries that she had scavenged yesterday for the morning. When all that was done, and she was prepared, she took a seat on top of a nearby hill. Her legs were crossed and folded over themselves, her hands resting atop her knees with the palms faced upward with her thumbs and middle fingers touching. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, feeling the land around her. Through her connection with the dragon, she began to attune herself to the ebb and flow of life. The blades of grass around her as they swayed gently in the light breeze, a thousand insects crawling in the ground, rabbits bouncing along out of their burrows to seek food for this new day and much more besides. And within all that, she felt it. The calling. "Pruzah. You have learned well." Internally, Elaine beamed. The dragon's praise was hard won, and it had taken her a long time to get to this point. "You feel its call, do you not?" "Bahlaan." She uttered the name that she could feel etched into its summons. The mere presence it had radiated the word, demanded that they know its name. Bahlaan. Worthy. "Why does it wish to be found?" "This is unknown, even to I. Which is why we must find it." Her partner confessed. She sensed a lecture, and so did not speak. "Ro do lund. Ro do laas. These precepts are essential. Such a thing will disrupt, Vodrem, this balance. We will take Bahlaan, care for it. Guard it. Such a thing cannot be allowed to be misused. Both human and dragon are capable of Paar ahrk Nax." She nods in understanding. It must have great power for it to have called to them, and its call couldn't help but be noticed by others like her. Other dragons, and their partners. Ziilaasmir's words filled her with a sense of responsibility. She still felt the world around her as nature went on its way. Whatever power Bahlaan held could not be allowed to be held by ambitious kings or lords, or anyone. She and Ziilaasmir were the ones who watched, who studied the way of the world. She opened her eyes and met her teacher's gaze. "Where do we start?"
"Fair enough. Stay safe, Teli." Derrick spoke as the sorcerees who had formed an integral part of the plan left. He could hardly blame her. He ceased loading the weapon before him. Without her, this was going to get a lot harder. He ignored the petty comments of the Elf. She was clearly possessed with the classical Aen Sídhe pride that humans often wrote of them possessing. There's truth in most stories. This did leave them with rather few options. Thinking about this, he was now firmly convinced that this voyage was doomed. "Veceslav, we're a sorceress down. We've got one less crew member and no answer to our other sorcerer. Aaron is a friend but this is just suicidal. If we take this ship in, we're going to die. For nothing." The Witcher crossed the ship to head back towards the docks. Even though he was talking to the Crow, he was not planning on sailing on this ship anymore. These brave fools were doomed. He could try to save his teacher, and maybe these other 'heroes' would see some sense, but it was their prerogative to die here. Only one Witcher needed die - or worse- today.
Mirabelle nodded as Kara piped up, adding useful speculation to the moment. Yes, it seemed likely that there was a body involved. Suicide was never out of the question in such instances, but murder was always presumed. Dylan was correct though - The easiest way to find out was to ask. And he had. She followed him, listening as the Constable explained the situation. Lilian Harbrook, she knew the woman. She had seen her once or twice at various functions, and the noblewoman was astounded. The foreign minister had never seemed to her to be one for violence. However, it seemed unlikely to her that the constable's words were untrue. They either said nothing, or said the truth - If not the whole truth. "Do you know what she said as she surrendered?" Mira asked, curious. She wanted to know how someone explained the sudden murder of two members of the Royal Guard and three Ministers. The woman had a curious mind. Her attitude to perfection was... Interesting. The clockwork golem fell silent and appeared as contemplative as his expressionless frame wold allow. "Hmm." He intoned, mimicking the sound that Vincent made whenever Aspire posed him a difficult question. In truth, he was so engrossed by the thought that he almost missed the name Mortimer Gallahowe, but the 'Sir' tipped him off fast enough for him to pay some attention. That was a name he had heard before, mentioned by Vincent as another experienced mechanic. Although, it seemed unlikely that Aspire would be able to be serviced by such a man. This Mirela seemed more than sufficient. "Thank you for your time Mirela. I shall return when I require servicing." The clockwork golem strode out of the shop, his circuits awash with new things to consider. He began picking apart her conception of perfection, unaware that his departure may have been considered rather brusque. He would visit this Saviour's Spire now and go as high up as possible. Then, with the city below him, the golem would engage in some quiet contemplation.
If Teli wanted to keep her sister out of the suicide mission, he saw no reason not to. It wasn't any of his business what she did after all. He looked at Veceslav as his old teacher agreed with the sentiment. What was it to be? The older Witcher headed towards the boat, and so it was decided. Derrick quickly followed after clearing his throat. "We're going to need to cause as much confusion as possible. They're not going to be expecting us but we have to move fast. Teli, if you can project your fire from several angles it might be able to throw the raiders off. We can't allow them to know where we are. If they're able to surround us, we're finished." Derrick explained as he got aboard. He looked into the fog. This wasn't going to be easy. He started to load up another of the ballistae. Was there a type of undead monster that was created when people died doing something stupid? Because they were going to have a full ship of those by the time this was done.
Mir allowed her voice to fade into the back of the conversation as Kara kicked off again. She was being noticeably evasive about the issue. Zephyr... She was not quite sure what to make of him. His answer seemed genuine enough, but something made her think that the entire truth was being left out somewhat. Perhaps she simply had no faith that the assertion was made with confidence in his case. Returning to the issue of Kara, Mira was willing to believe that she would kill someone. There was no question about that in her mind. There was something else behind those eyes and that playful attitude. Perhaps she would have to find out. The carriage pulled up with a jolt, the sound of the horse's hooves clattering lost to the hustle and bustle of Eredan as a motorcar sputtered its way past, grey fumes belching out of a distressed exhaust pipe. The noblewoman allowed Dylan to pass her, then followed. She used her cane to help her lower herself down, retaining a measure of elegance. She scanned the situation and quickly determined that Dragoncrest Plaza was a mess. There could be no question about it, something severe had happened. The Royal Guard were rarely deployed in these numbers outside of parades. While there were packs of onlookers, it was clear to her eyes that they had tried to clear the area of civilians. Her instinct suggested that there was a serious incident in the Ministry - Their activity seemed to be more focused around there, suggesting that it wasn't the Palace. "Well, what have we here?" Mirabelle asks nobody in particular as she surveys the scene. "A break-in perhaps? Whatever brought them out seems to have occurred inside. There are none of the usual signs of an incident outside in the plaza itself." If the act of smiling were possible, Aspire reflects, then the arrival of the small mechanical bird on his finger would have caused such. His circuits were awash with a warm sensation that he had determined must be the human emotion 'Happiness'. He looked away from the mechanical marvel to inspect Mirela's work thus far, and the Golem was satisfied. Her attention to detail and care were more than adequate. Her services would be used again. "Likewise, it would be informative to see the human world through your eyes. However, I fear that such an experience would taint me. Given that I was created in your image, to inhabit a human mind would put me at great risk of easily absorbing your social constructs while losing my own beliefs and identity. It is not a risk that I am prepared to take." The Golem looked back at Flicka. The machinery inside must be so delicate and intricate. Truly, this woman underestimated her skill. Unlike many humans that he had encountered, including Vincent's colleagues, she was not one for boasting it seemed. She was a true engineer, or scientist. Her passion for the art of giving life to and taking care of constructs was true - Not twisted in the name of profit or self-aggrandisement. "I believe that you and Vincent would do well to meet. You and he share a true passion for yours arts. Additionally, he taught me the lesson: You would do well not to assume that you know all. I take this to mean that he is open to learning. Your Flicka is likely not within his skills - Flight is a difficult thing to replicate on such a small scale. It is impressive indeed. He would believe the same." Aspire stood once she finished and flexed his limbs and checked himself over. All components felt in order. This is good. He is functioning at maximum capacity. "I will return when I have more business." Aspire replied, taking note of the opening and closing times that were listed. "Although before I leave, I wish to know who this hero you mentioned is."
Aalis, surprisingly was the first to speak up. He actually had some more hope for her bearing in mind what she was saying. She's got the spirit of a Huntress in her, and was thinking about how downright weird everything had been. "I don't know where the test went either, but they obviously know something we don't." He cocks his head towards the adults. "All we can do is what they tell us and hope that something starts making sense soon." That is all he can offer her about her concerns. Aalis also seemed to be concerned about her Semblance. That was fine... Sort of. The fact that she was worried about it was concerning, but at least she mentioned it to them. That said to him that she was going to be a good teammate. And she wasn't shy about everything. He wished he could say the same for Vice who by contrast, was the opposite. While not shy, he didn't talk much, which in that of itself was not a bad thing. However, combined with a dangerously selfish attitude that he displayed and the implication of tension between he and Arian, there was going to be trouble. Big time. He didn't seem like much of a team player. Then there was the whole settling a score thing. That made Lloyd downright nervous. This guy was trouble. Nevertheless, Lloyd doesn't speak. There is one last person to hear from. Lloyd unconsciously tensed up as Arian began to talk, but was taken by surprise by the Faunus' words. Half of it was about the White Fang and how he really wasn't involved. That was great and all, but most of it was beside the point. At least he did elaborate on his motives. It was a shame that what he wanted to prove was pointless to Lloyd. "You don't have to prove anything to me, Arian. Just be a decent person." He said seriously. He didn't expect the Faunus to level with him the way he did. Instead of snapping at the immature comment, he smiled in spite of himself. "Yes, but please try not to ogle my childhood stories. It takes away from the wonder of finding out they were true." He made a light joke as well, trying to show them that he wasn't completely humourless. It probably wasn't very funny, but he tried. He looked over at his assembled team and prepared to say something profound about teamwork, but then realised he forgot to tell them something. "Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention where I'm from. I'm from a town on the north-eastern side of the mountains that Vale is backed up against. It's a pretty rural community and I grew up with all the old legends. The two brothers, the silver-eyed warriors, the maidens and of course, the guardians." He listed off a selection of stories they all must know. Two of three wasn't bad, and maybe Vice would turn around now that he'd seen Arian being decent. Lloyd had to admit, his opinion had changed fast. There was more to his Faunus companion than he had initially believed. It seemed that the real point of contention was going to be Vice. Something worried him about the settling a score thing, it was too angry and vengeful for anyone normal. So who the hell was the guy and what was his life before he came here? Professor Ozpin wouldn't allow someone dangerous into the school, would he? He'd have to keep an eye out.
The Weiss character short is absolutely fantastic. It's somewhat of a return to form with their fight scene construction. Weiss' movements were goddamn beautiful and it was absolutely smooth. It's a joy to watch and I've gone back to rewatch it several times on account of the quality. As always, Jeff Williams is on point with the music. Not to mention the overall animation and visual quality. I've got high hopes for Volume 5. Hopefully the animation staff have got a handle on Maya a bit better and some better fight direction so that the entire volume can be at this standard, at least.
