- LADNAVIA -
"She's Caecius's prisoner, girl," the man, Cordis, said to Vandal's wench, Nuallis, "and a useful tool."
At that moment, Ladnavia would have desired nothing more than to backhand that lunatic and his leering smile. We will see who is the tool, farmer, thought Ladnavia as she ran her tongue across her upper lip, livid.
She wasn't a fool, though. The man was a demon: quick, powerful, clever, though he appeared to be unstable and violent only to intimidate if Navi could be the judge, that is.
She had come with him willingly after he had cleared up the dregs that attacked her and her craven husband, who left her to escape on her own. They judged she would be on their side, which works to her advantage as she was well trusted to keep her weapons on her.
She looked contemptuously at Nuallis as she healed her captor's wounds. Vandal would find this amusing, she thought drily with a cruel smile crawling on her lips, healing his cuts.
When the healer was done, the masked man, this one called Caecius, dragged her back to her room as if she was a decrepit confused hag who lost her way in the marketplace. He muttering something to her that made her cringe.
Cordis turned his leg to see his healing gash and yawned. His eyes snapped to Ladnavia.
"Why sit so far?" inquired the blonde man, "come," he patted the soft square of the sofa next to him, "here is far more comfortable than that bar stool."
This whole gaudy place lacks no comfort, though Navi as she looked all around the penthouse. A fabulous luxurious place it was, quite similar to her old safe room (as a little note on a desk had called it that) on the other side of town, that is if the shift didn't move it.
But this place was much larger: it occupied two floors, a crystal-clear spiral stairway, rimmed with gold going up to more bedchambers; the carpet was bone and soft and the walls were decorated with paintings of plants and shapes. She sat at the bar, pouring herself cups of wine, and sharpening her throwing knives on a whetstone she found in a kitchen drawer.
"If you're looking for entertainment," she said without looking up from her blades, "why don't you wake up and bother that sickly fairy of yours?"
Above, on the second floor, the one called Senshi, lay in her own bloody vomit of flower petals, wrapped in a picnic blanket. Earlier, She had gone up to her and lifted her head with the tip of her boot to get a look at her face. Her sad face twitched and her lips parted as if whispering something to whoever was listening in her nightmare. She then shrugged and lifted the bottle of wine from the picnic basket.
"Now, now," said Cordis as he walked over to her on his healing leg, unobstructed by the pain "I only had but a few inquiries. Why jump to that? Perhaps ... "
She sighed, placed one of her newly sharpened knives back in her belt. She took her wide-brimmed, blood-red hat off. The many colors of the simurgh's feather appeared to dance in the dome lights above the bar. She wondered if she would ever be in such a dire situation where she had to use its power. She downed her glass of wine.
"Clearly, I can hear you well enough over there," said Navi as she poured herself another glass and cut her self a piece of bread; the fridge and pantry were stocked with food, just like her old safe house.
"Perhaps," Cordis said, ignoring her. He raised his fingers to brush a white-gold lock and caress her face, "is there a fire of loneliness in your heart."
Navi flicked her wrist and the throwing knife, hidden in the sleeve of her coat, slipped out into her palm. She swiped at his fingers, but the blonde devil was quick and he drew his hand back before she could slit them. He only smiled at her hostility.
"Keep your fingers off me," snarled Navi, with mild annoyance.
"Relax, dear," said Cordis with mock surrender, "I would never take such liberties."
Navi cocked an enigmatic, half-smile.
"Perhaps I was just a little uncouth," she said in her "sweet" voice and patted the stool next to her.
Cordis took the stool next to her and beamed at her, playing along within this etiquette of vipers. "Now, may I ask," Cordis said to her, stroking circles on the sleek, black marble counter with a finger, "what is your relationship with the hot-headed gunner?"
- VANDAL -
"Hey," a voice came through his clouded, drowsy mind, "hey, Vandal. Are you alright?"
"What?" he said, his eye bleary, "Who is that?"
"It's me," this woman before him said, "Magpie."
"Ah, yes," he said as he rubbed his head, "Oh. Apologies for abandoning you at the dead-house." Van remembered the horde outside, "Hang on, how'd you get in here? Are they all gone down there?"
"Yes," said Magpie, "aside from the corpses."
"I see," Vandal exhaled as he stood up, "well, I suppose we should get going."
"You know where to go?" asked the woman, "Where to find the others, that is."
"If I had to guess, they may be at the top," concluded Van.
Though most of the building, looked derelict, the top looked pristine. It was like a golden crown sitting on the head of a sickly king.
Vandal looked into his bag and frowned at the realization that he was low on supplies. Three bullets and one shots-worth of powder, he thought with defeat.
He turned to Magpie.
"Ah ... Magpie, yes?" he asked.
Magpie made a noise of acknowledgment and looked at him with turquoise eyes.
Vandal said, "I need you to help me look for a few things."
He peeked his head out of the stairwell. This building appeared to be some sort of massive collection of living quarters meant for the wealthy. Many little homes, thought Van with optimism, filled with many little things.
"What is it that you need, Vandal?" asked Magpie.
"plants, leaves and stems, and the soil," requested the gunner, "meat, dead rats, and such. Animals. They can be living, but make sure you don't get too attached to them."
There were a few nights out in the field where battle mages had to save half of the game from a hunt to make Banfrow. He did not see much luck in finding more bullets, however; there was no time to go back to the fisherman's store. Magpie and Vandal split up to find the ingredients.
After about an hour, they regrouped near the stairwell where they met. Magpie found many more materials than he did. They moved into one of the abandoned rooms.
"I'm going to need you to cover me, Magpie," said Vandal as he sat down on a torn, dusty couch with the ingredients set before him, "I may faint with the strain."
Magpie looked at him strangely.
"'I'll be alert," she assured.
"Here I go," said Van.
He started. He filled his hands with dry ficus leaves, soil, and a spoiled piece of beef that had gone green.
When he was done, he felt like a staggering drunk. His head pounded and blood dripped from his nose. Gods, thought Van as he covered his nose with his wrist, feels like someone split my damn head open. He rubbed his forehead as if to check for an actual fissure in his skull.
"Hey ... Van," uttered Magpie as she turned to look at him, a hand on her hilt. "Here," she said, rushing to him and offering a lukewarm water bottle, "I found a few of these, take a sip."
"My thanks, Mag ..." he said.
The water felt good going down. He slumped over on the couch, letting go of the half-full bottle. Magpie, sitting next to him, caught it.
Knowing he cooked up nine shots worth, he let exhaustion's fall upon him once again.
- LADNAVIA -
Ladnavia crossed a leg over the other and took a sip of red wine.
"Do you believe in fate, Cordis?" the woman in red asked the blonde.
"Maybe." Cordis answered laconically.
"Well, I do, and that very well is responsible for me and Vandal, the gunner's, existence. We were born at the same minute of the same day. A day predicted by all the stargazers, or soothsayers, mind you. The Blackwoods are a lucky family, to be sure. How else would Vandal's father becoming one of the Four Kings of Aventyne, though he was only a lowly forester who just happened to save His High Holiness from a pack of wolves."444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevGk8gqK01
"Fascinating."
"We were destined to grow up together, and any deviation would have tragic consequences. Vandal struggles with this simple truth. When Vandal was a baby, his uncle snuck him out, being one of the few fearing a miserable life awaited him as written by the stars, a belief contrary to everyone else. He gave him to his father, back in the little straw-and-shit huts of which their family spawned. My father, King Oda Snowvale, found out and razed the village, disguising it as a bandit attack. Vandal's father and uncle were heartbroken when they found out the death of their father."
"Tragic. How tragic," said Cordis sarcastically as he buttered a slice of bread, "continue."444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYXMspbzeJc
"The second time he ran from the castle was during a hunting trip I set up for ourselves as children. As a little girl, I loved watching my father hunt. But some mishap with a dog sent my prince in tears and in flight."444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwesDKfTPU
"The man is quite emotional," said Cordis as he took a bite, "sounds about right."444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxi2NVQ9VYD
"Several months later, we found him in a village near a river. We took him back and used this girl he fancied, this Leonette, as leverage. He marries me, fulfills the prophecy, and Leonette keeps her life. This I promised him."444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVxVNokORR
"What became of her?" asked Cordis.444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUPR3WyI4X
"Well, I promised him. My father, however, saw her as a distraction. Furthermore, the village lord was also suspected of treason. My knights and I took care of the trouble."444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPlcwZyQXJS
"Do princess's do such vile deeds?" questioned Cordis.444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjJZLnW3S5
"Oh," Navi giggled at the blonde's question, "We have many knights that serve us without question. I volunteered." She started to laugh loudly. "You should have seen the girl's face! Do you know what Vandal's lover's last words were?"
"Entertain me, red lady," encouraged Cordis.
Ladnavia made her face look frightened like a little child. "Y-you won't even let me say g-goodbye to Van?" she said in mocking Leonette's voice. She cackled.
She wiped wine from her lips with a napkin and finished her story.
"The last time was the morning after our wedding," said Navi, "Snuck out through a window or something. Or his stupid uncle helped him. Should have had him flogged that evening."444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZ22JDCgyw
"And here we are, years later" Ladnavia swept her hand across the air as if to present the penthouse. "Fate has brought me here to drag my reluctant husband back."
"I see," mused Cordis, "and if, if, Caecius or I decide that interferes with our plans, then what will you do, my dear lady?"
Ladnavia smiled at him and finished her wine and wiped her mouth. She sheathed the rest of her knives and placed her hat on her head.
"Don't ruin such a lovely evening, my friend," she said sweetly getting up and facing the spiral stairway.
They took one last look at each other, one of false friendliness neither was fooled by.
May the better beast win, thought Ladnavia as she went upstairs to look for a bedroom.
VANDAL'S INVENTORY:444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43g3sFuHVM
Bullets: 3/12 444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq4tKo65BN3
Banfrow: 100%444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU9vWW72oIM
*10% used per shot444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCWJtQeNHRM
What I picture Ladnavia to look something like:444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75bbRgt4uF
444Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbryMje6xW
Source: https://omniversal-battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/Red_Mage_of_Light
ns 15.158.61.12da2
