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Sophie's head rose so that her eyes could lock with the King's. He had a good point, that much was certain. She'd be useless in a war if she didn't know how to defend herself. IF being the key word. She'd traveled to many kingdoms in her life; some that weren't as accommodating to strangers as Om was. She'd faced too many dangers a simple alchemist probably should have; all for a sprig of a certain rare herb, water from a sacred glen, a feather of a bird that spat poison and breathed fire. And then there were other alchemists or sorcerers to deal with. Or at least, the mercenaries they hired to collect the items for them.

That wasn't to say she liked fighting. But if it came down to her or someone else well.. What else would she pick? It wasn't to say she tortured her victims or took any joy in it. The deaths were often very quick; a quick nick with a poisoned dagger, a shove near an edge with a very, very long drop. There was one time, however, when the only thing she had on her was a potion to melt flesh. That was an awful experience for her to witness and even more awful for the person she threw it at. So while she didn't have an extraordinary amount of strength, she had an extraordinary amount of whit and enough skill to keep her alive.

"You make a good point, this I will agree with and it might have made me retract my candidacy if it was something that was going to be an issue for me." She stood now, beginning to un-tie the rather large and bulky cloak that hung around her. She seemed to never be without it and she never took it off in public. But desperate times called for desperate measures. The cloak hid something important. A detail of her that she'd kept a secret for quite some time. It added mystery and well.. no one had ever asked her about it. With the cloak on, she had rather odd proportions. Weight distributed unevenly and a body shape that wasn't exactly pleasant to look at.

But with the cloak now off, spread out on the ground to reveal multiple secret pockets and bags sewn into it, the wood elf revealed just how she'd survive on the battle field with 'limited' resources. Every possible part of her body was covered in bags and belts that held potion bottles. It was enough that she could supply a small army during a war without having to restock but not enough that she couldn't move. Of course, she'd trained herself to move whilst over encumbered but if she went over her limits it was quite an odd sight to see. She gave a twirl.

"Everything has a specific place. Each memorised. I only keep the necessities. Health potions, remedies, enchanting and defense potions." She plucked a vial without hesitation or a glance as to what its contents were and pulled out the cork before putting it to her lips and taking a sip. She made a face and covered her mouth to disguise the little burp. "Bit of an after taste but this is a minor health potion. Three of those, then three major. Minor potions are good for a couple scratches from a sword or a few good punches. Have about ten uses per bottle. Major are for your more.. gruesome wounds. Twenty uses per bottle since those are the wounds that occur more often. I carry 15 of each of these types on me. That means I can heal four hundred and fifty wounds. A stronger dose of minor will heal some major wounds."

Sophie returned the vial to its slot on the belt that spanned across her chest."As for surviving in battle well I have defense potions that'll keep me mostly in tact. If things get truly hairy, I have a few tricks up my sleeve that I would rather not share with the whole town. Should they get in to the wrong hands it could be quite.. troublesome for me and for you." Bending down, she picked up her cloak and fastened it around herself, the appearance of the awkward body returning, though the illusion was kind of shattered. She grabbed Esuna and tapped her on the ground. "Failing that, Esuna's quite heavy and I've gotten quite good at swinging her around and hitting things. A good thwap to the head will leave most unconscious."

Sophie took a couple steps back. "If you have any further questions, I'm more than happy to answer them. Should you need any further demonstrations, I'm quite happy to clear my schedule and show you at a time that suits you."

The Harvest Festival was, absolutely, without a doubt in this fair green kingdom, the best time of year for Alexander. What was not to love about it? Various merchants and peddlers, shopkeeps and stallholders, tradesmen and mercenaries, all gathered in one area, all selling their assorted wares or skills. Gems, weapons, enchanted objects, potions, jewelry.

And of course, coin.

All was ripe for the picking, or would it be better to say procuring? Plundering perhaps?

Hell, lets just get it over with and call it what it is. Stealing.

Yes, for the Dhampir known as Alexander the Quick, Alexander the Silver Tongued, or often times, Alexander the Menace to Society, the festival was most indeed a very lucrative holiday. So much chaos, so much disorder within the crowds, so many consumers arrived with pouches full of coin to spend. Many would not even notice the weight of a purse had been lifted until they went to pay for an item, or returned home for the evening. His own hidden stores within the cloak he wore and various other concealed pockets had been full within the first hour, leaving him with little left to do except get himself with as much mischief as he could possibly manage.

When a thief became bored of their profession, when there was just no challenge left, that was a dangerous time indeed.

The pranks that he began to pull on each merchant became more and more elaborate as the day dredged on. It all would start with a rumor, just idle gossip, that over a short amount of time would snowball into something bigger as his various schemes were hatched, a domino effect ensuing that soon had paranoia etched into the faces of every stallholder he'd come in contact with and more. All that was needed to set off certain catastrophe was a spark, that small, final push. The straw to break the marketplaces back, so to speak.

He was just preparing for this moment when the mood began to change. An eerie silence had befallen the crowds, and finding a stall post to climb for a better viewpoint it soon became obvious why.

The King, marching his way, or rather, strolling by the look of it, through the crowds. The dhampir dismounted and began to wind his own way through the crowds silently, a tall, thin, ghost of a man with a shock of dark hair and intense red eyes that peeked out from beneath, a sure sign that he had found himself a meal, willing or otherwise. His lips were already curled up into a smile as he performed feats of extreme contortion and acrobatics to make his way to where the King would stop to address the ever amassing crowd of worshipers, all suddenly jostled together like a tin of sardines.

An empty stage save for only the King and his guard. Alexander gave a few of the ones most near a wink when they looked his way, before kissing the air in front of him and waggling his fingers.

And then the speech began, and he stopped his quite possibly aggravating antics to listen attentively, the ever present smile never leaving his face, not even at the mention of war, at the thought of kingdoms colliding until only one was left standing. The dhampir had spent most of his life, or was it unlife now? wandering the lands. He had visited and been run out of many kingdoms before settling down in this one. Yes, this kingdom that would not only accept a petty thief as one of their own, but practically encourage that sort of behavior to continue until he was not just that anymore.

No, now he was nothing short of a criminal mastermind.

He loved this land, this floating island in the sky that if not for tethers might be able to drift away free, as free as he had felt since arriving. Free to do as he chose, free to be who he was. If anything was going to threaten the survival of such a fantastic place, then he would be doing more then just having a say in it.

He would fight for it.

Still smiling, he waited, as some fair few stepped forward to offer their services towards the Horned King. He waited while his king addressed them, even waited yet longer as some answered in turn.

Then he stepped forward, coughing lightly into an upraised hand, staring up through dark hair at the King, the smile that curved his lips spreading wider as he strode towards Sophie. The pale man, perhaps only a rumor, perhaps not. The king had met him once before, during one of his more complex schemes. The castle was apparently a tough nut to crack, and the King an even harder man to get near when it suited him. Alexander had learned this the hard way and it was an experience that he was likely never to forget.

"My King." He intoned, with a nod, before turning towards the Alchemist who had so readily shed her robes just for her liege.

What Alexander wouldn't give to have that kind of power. Not over her, of course, but....

...you get the idea.

"Sophie, you look absolutely ravishing, as always." The smile he directed at her did nothing to warm the look in his eyes, and when he turned away from her, he made a face and a quiet retching noise in the back of his throat.

"Belladonna, always a pleasure." He approached the fairy next, eyebrows raising as he swept out with a hand, reaching behind himself only to produce a beautiful bouquet of flowers which he pressed against her chest so that she would be forced to grab a hold of them or let them drop to the ground when he pulled away.

If she took the time to lower her gaze to her basket, she would have found it quite a bit emptier then it had been moments before.

"My King." He said again, this time offering the man a more formal bow, his body bending at the waste as one clenched hand rested over his heart. "We have met before, but if you do not recall I will remind you again that my name, is Alexander. I have come forward to offer to you my services. I think you will find that my skills could be quite useful to you." His smile widened into a grin.

"Use me as a spy, an infiltrator into the other kingdoms. I have been to many of them before, I know of ways to get in and out in a hurry if need be. Use me to fight." At these words, two daggers suddenly sprang to hand, one in each. "I can outmaneuver any who dare come against me and well, if all else fails...there's always magic." His red eyes glittered, his arms spread wide, and his daggers were just as suddenly gone again.

"Sire, make me your champion."

And then Alexander was moving, quite quickly, and in one fluid movement had used two hands to flip himself up onto the stage, and then sprang to his feet.

"And if mere words can not persuade you, then allow me to make my point with actions." He threw his arm around the kings shoulders as though they were the best of friends, then urged him to turn with him, gesturing towards the guards.

"Set them upon me now, and we shall see just how easy it is to catch me when I do not wish to be caught."

Kemnebi was always glad when the festivals came around. All the drinking and making merry made for a great side business. She played her pan flute as her summoned monkey did tricks and the inebriated masses dropped money for her. Some lovely individuals even got her a couple pints of ale and a nice leg of lamb for dinner.

Bowing, she excused herself for a break, taking her money bag and her meal off to the side of the festivities, laughing and chatting with a few that were also separated from the main crowd. Soon a hush slowly fell on the crowd as more and more people realized the king's arrival.

A war was coming. Nebi shook her head about the necessity but was, at heart, a loyal citizen. She was willing to support her king and protect the land she held dear. Still, her first challenge was to get to the king, and the crowd was thick.

Summoning a stray dog from a nearby ally, she had the animal growl ferociously. The crowd parted quickly, none wanting to be bitten by anything as big as the dog was. Tossing the rest of her dinner to the animal in thanks, Kemnebi headed towards the king.

Bowing her head in deepest respect, she looked up at her king. "My liege, I offer my services in support of your cause. I can summon any type of animal within the vicinity and send them to attack, spy, and even send and recieve messages for you and Om." To demonstrate, she waved a hand behind her, two more huge, vicious looking dogs materialized out of the crowd to rest at her feet. Raising her hand, she called for an owl and the bird landed on her arm, blinking sagely. "I'm not too bad with a bow either." She said with a wry grin.

Sending the animals away once again, she bowed once more. "Kemnebi the beast master at your command."

Sin gave a faint smile pleased by the King's applause and inclining her head in a modest bow.

"I am Sin, and my companion is Framboise the most intelligent Chiroptera you will ever have the pleasure of meeting. Framboise is a Fruit Bat and aids me quite frequently in a manner of ways she has the eyes and heart of an eagle, but is far better suited to the dark. Between the two of us we should manage to serve of some use I'm certain."

She moved her cape and stepped back with a flourish to allow room for others to speak. Her eyes watched from beneath her hood carefully examining others who had stepped forward. Sophie caught her interest and she listened intently, there was someone who would be good to have at your back certainly.

Her ears caught Julian's little speech and she smiled, a gentleman after her own heart willing to serve King and Kingdom. She certainly hoped he was chosen as a champion, loyalty was important to any campaign.

The sweet scent of flowers tickled at her nose and she glanced ahead at Belladonna with curiosity. Half of her wondered how such a frail lovely looking Faerie would fare in battle, but her pledge made Sin change her mind. No, no matter how sweet that Faerie looked Sin had no doubt that she was the perfect embodiment of a rose with many thorns. Still, she decided that if the King sent Belladonna out she would stick close to her and make sure no one tried to pluck the pretty flower.

As others spoke Sin realized that there were many clever and strong imagineers willing to join the King and go out on his behest to protect Om. She hoped that she wouldn't have to stay behind, how many did the King plan to send on this Campaign?

If Eva noticed the fact that a group of Moogles were taking pictures of her butt, she didn't bother trying to stop them. Instead, she directed her full attention on the King, who received a wide grin from the Viera girl. "Castia, you say? Thanks for the little tidbit, majesty--I'm always looking for more thing to tease her about! I'm glad that it was just your rump that was took the brunt of the arrows though...and that there was not a stronger poison on the arrowheads." Her eyes twinkled in mischievous amusement. At the question, she smiled, lifting a finger and tapping her lips as she thought.

"Hardest shot, you ask? Mmm, distance and aim generally aren't problems for me--we Viera are quite sharp-eyed, you know--but our night-vision is generally not any better than most." She made a face, moving to fold her arms over her chest, "There was this one job that I had, where I had to go after two targets. They were bandits who had stolen a small vial of medicine from a family. The poor family had spent a great deal of time and money saving up for that tiny vial, and yet these two just...swooped down out of nowhere and took it from them. Terrible, right?"

She paused to wait expectantly for some sign of agreement, and then continued on, "I trailed the bandits, but it seemed that they were aware that someone would be following them, ducking into a pitch black cave before I could stop them. Now just imagine--an archer like myself lured into a cave where there is absolutely no source of light! Just winding tunnels that the two bandits seemed to be well-acquainted with. Unlike me, they didn't need light to find their way around, but here's the thing about us Viera: we have remarkable hearing. They took care to tread carefully and softly, but with ears like these, I was able to locate them, take aim, and shoot them down in complete darkness."

There was another pause, and then Eva grinned, emitting a bright laugh. "But anyways, m'lord, I guess now isn't really the time for stories. Ultimately, what I'm saying is that my bow is yours--I'm more than willing to become one of the many soldiers willing to fight for this kingdom and for you."

Even despite all the other brave people who had stepped forward, despite their professions of bravery and loyalty, the king still took a moment to speak just to her. Once more the faerie felt herself blush, but she only held her smile for him and considered his words. After a moment her mouth opened to reply, only to find Alexander not only hogging all the attention of the king, but also her own. He gave her that same smarmy smile he always did when it meant he was trying to show off for others and even went so far as to offer her a bouquet of her own flowers. The faerie rolled her eyes and accepted the arrangement, a horrid thing all mismatched and not even tied with anything but a firm grip from the dhampir, before she returned them to her basket. After the flowers were safely placed back in their wicker home, there was even an attempt to swat at the back of his head. Naturally he was too fast for her when entertaining, but she was content to watch him in his effervescent and flourishing attempt at grandeur. He too offered his services to the king, only half a surprise as even if he might feign nonchalance toward the ruler of their home, Belladonna knew he appreciated the kindness the king had once shown the thief.
Still, others came forward, more offered themselves and she felt herself shrinking backwards. But she had given her word and he had asked something of her in return. So with a huff and a flutter of wings she stepped forward once more.
"My flower stand can survive a small hiatus... I am well aware of the other beautiful vendors of the floral variety your kingdom boasts and I think they will find my absence in their favor." She replied with a coy smile, all the better to combat that odd tilt of his eyebrow she could not place.

"As for my conviction... Does not a florist suffer in the winter? Do they not use their ingenuity and skill, their own unique ingenuity and skill, to survive the time when flowers do not naturally grow?" Now was not the time to wilt and instead she took a breath and stepped forward once more, far closer to the king than was necessary for a simple reply. "And still each spring here I stand, all bright and smiling to share my colors with the people." Here she reached forward and plucked the white flower back out of his hand, though she was quick to break off the bottom stem and hastily fasten the bloom to the pocket of his vest. "Any call to arms, I shall heed. Any fight, I shall do my very best. Any help I can offer, it is yours." Once again she smiled up at him, her head angled up as he stood taller than she. But she did not flinch, nor step away, nor at all show she was anything other than vastly stubborn in her wish to be of use to him and this kingdom they shared as a place to call home.

She loved the sound of music, the warmth it carried through her veins, the buzz it gathered in her mind. So she followed it; followed him, more specifically. The Bard and his Song.

Mimsy followed like a doe-eyed, black-winged shadow, the glass bottles she carried clinking together in dull little chimes with each step. Until they stopped walking, at which time she bounced up and down and clapped excitedly, still somehow charmed by the singsong words that were coming from his mouth. Song went completely ignored, as per usual.

"Simply beautiful! Another drink, sir?" she asked, leaning down to extend a bottle no bigger than her palm. It looked a little ominous, but she put great effort into her mixtures, so surely...surely it was fine.

As she waited for him to take it, she realized where she stood, catching the King's image from the corner of her vision. Ashamed, she bowed her head, still blatantly wiggling the little bottle in The Bard's direction.

"Apologies, my King. It's just...oh, the music. When it reaches my ears it is nigh impossible to concentrate. I'm enamored with its beauty. You understand!" Her cheeks were tinted a few shades darker as she paused. She hoped he understood. Perhaps she shouldn't have just assumed that. "I would gladly do all that I could to bring you to greatness. Though I must say, my King, I find that our kingdom is already very great."

Jesting was not her strongest point. It was a good thing that he wasn't seeking comedic genius.

[Entering]

Moriko could still hear the screams and shouts of her collapsing kingdom long after she jumped through the portal. She still felt as if the ground was shaking beneath her and as if debris was still flying through the air. It must have been some sort of miracle that both she and Sigrún had managed to escape unscathed. Perhaps it was simply just because they were already so close to the portal. No matter the reason, Momo was most certainly grateful. She didn't know what she would have done if she had lost one of her closest and only friends.

After what must have only been minutes but felt more like hours, Moriko felt a lurching motion as she popped out of the portal. She could feel herself falling and falling until finally she landed with a lurch into strange arms. Arms? That couldn't be right. She shook her head, trying to clear away the dizziness and the disorientation that she felt from her fall and the portal. Her head and vision slightly cleared, Moriko looked down into an unfamiliar face.