"H-huh!?" Marius froze as he heard a familiar voice call out to him, followed by him getting flustered as he saw Artemisia approaching. The young man gulped, "Y-yeah, everything's fine... just a little out of place from the meeting." He gave a nervous chuckle, before she mentioned a crush. "W-what? No, she, no, uhm, we're just discussing plans for how to procure supplies when we get to the island." Marius stammered, with a slight blush on his cheeks. But when Artemisia mentioned about sleeping together, his entire face soon turned red, "Eh? I-I mean, my sleeping place is, small. The bronze division doesn't really, uhm, I, uh." And soon, he mumbled on and on, as he's completely caught off guard.
"Sure, kid..." She says with a disbelieving smirk, before chuckling as he goes red, thinking that his reaction is just due to being questioned about Yanase. "Don't worry about it, kid - I've slept in worse places." Artemisia raises a hand and snaps her fingers, and suddenly her clothes begin to disappear, leaving the busty woman utterly exposed, as she strides to the nearby river to take a dip, and wash away the sweat and grime of the day's toils. "Brrr..." She shudders, nipples growing hard as they poke up above the surface. "Besides, you can use these as pillows!" She gives her breasts a squeeze and chuckles loudly. Artemisia doesn't intend to tease the young man - she just has no sense of shame about her body, and due to having known Marius since childhood, doesn't conceive that he could look at her lustfully. She rises from the water, wiping her body dry. "No, you dumbass, I don't mean sleeping in the same bedroll. I'll put my bedroll next to yours." She casts her magic to get her dress back on, before crossing the camp and gathering the bedroll, putting it beside Marius' own.
Marius was frozen on the spot, as Artemisia's clothes suddenly disappeared. The young man, who was so focused on his studies to become a merchant, was caught off guard as his childhood crush was suddenly bathing in front of him. Even, unknowingly, teasing him with her massive breasts. Marius gulped, feeling his cock harden within his pants. Thankfully, he managed to find a thick, sturdy pair of trousers, preventing the outline of his erection hidden. Though, a careful observation would still reveal how his pants have gotten tighter. By the time Marius recovered, Artemisia was already laying her bedroll next to his. "E-eh, uh, no, that is... uhhh." And as he continued to stutter, the young man decides to simply hide under his sheets, facing away from her as he tries to force himself to sleep.
@Auraicide "Hehe..." Still thinking that Marius is embarrassed about Yanase, Artemisa chuckles. "Don't worry about it, kid. There's nothing wrong with having a crush at your age." She yawns, "Anyway... Night" Removing her dress again, she tucks herself into her bedroll, close to the young man, and in moments, she's passed out, chest rising and falling in a steady beat, tenting the bedroll.
"Y-yeah. I-I guess." Marius lets out a nervous chuckle, his entire face red, as he heard the sound of Artemisia undressing again. He shuts his eyes even tighter as he tries to force himself to sleep... hopefully he doesn't roll around in his sleep.
Yolanda took a step backwards, visibly blinking in disorientation, as she... shifted back to where she had started. Something that felt as REAL as that could not possibly have been some hallucination, right? But if so, what would beings like that want with her, of all people. And their parting words could have been taken as promise or threat, and she was not sure which. Possibly both given the ominous feeling they left her with. It takes her several seconds to respond to Akechi's words as those thoughts rattle in her head and while most of her face returns to her more controlled self, her eyes are clearly still somewhat troubled. "I..." she pauses, not sure who, if anyone, she could really share something like this with, "... think so. There is a lot to think about considering the.... upcoming campaign. So I apologize if I am a little... distracted."
(I’m assuming Tjf and Assdass are opting to idle for the rest of the day which is fine. Not going to try dragging things out for too long.) “Maybe you should stick close to me then. I’ve never been killed in battle before Why aren’t we fighting side by side anyway? If we worked together, our enemies could bleed to death for hours before they die!” He wasn’t exactly the easiest person to follow the thought process of, but she could get the idea that in his own way he meant well….maybe. Though, on some level, she could feel that she was getting a better idea of how exactly he worked, though still buried under odd optimistic stoicness. Bond Established-Moirae Sisters-1 New skill-Thread Spin- Bonus to reading the relationships of others “You were probably taught all those polite noble manners, right? So, I ask if you want to train together…you’ll say, yes.” From what she could gather it was more like an actual question, than trying to deliberately be aggressive. “No, really. I’d make a good training partner. Let me make my case. I don’t get hungover or pass out, so I’m pretty much way easier to get a good time with, plus I can enjoy cute girls without getting distracted by them. And getting used to dealing with foreign weapon styles has to be helpful. All that, and if none of those sound good, I know other things. I picked up a lot of moves from all those dance lessons.”
Toran smirked as looked down at his “defeated” opponent. “Hmm, I don't know... on one hand, this was just sparring, but on the other hand, I won and you lost, and in addition you were rather careless during our brief bout... I think you deserve some minor punishment for your loss, and as the winner I should be the one to punish you...” He spoke slowly and took a quick look around to make sure they were still alone. “Tell me, how should I punish you, in your opinion?” He already had an idea, but I wanted to hear Alyssa's answer first – it would be useful information for later... (Sorry for the way, yesterday was one of those days when I just could not put my ideas into words.)
Raising an eyebrow, feeling a bit calmer now that the immediacy of the strange encounter had passed, Yolanda replied to the young man's statement in a flat tone, "Perhaps they think it better that the ability to make the enemy bleed is spread out across the battlefield than concentrated in one spot." Blinking in surprise at the unexpected offer (and perhaps the implication with "cute girls" as well), she turns her head away slightly, making a show of brushing back a lock of her hair. "Perhaps. Do a good enough job carrying my things tomorrow and I might be amenable to sampling your sword play. Though, on that count, it seems I need to acquire a cute little rabbit before dawn. If you will excuse me." She turned and walked away, her mind returning to the incident with those three... women? They said they would see her again, so she would need to try to figure out what they wanted before then. But first... that rabbit. So engrossed in her thoughts, she did not realize she was walking a little looser than normal, her hips swaying from side to side in a slightly more pronounced manner. Thus Akechi was unintentionally given a chance to prove that he could enjoy things without being distracted, as he was treated to the sight of Yolanda's tight bottom shaking back and forth.
"Are you wondering if I'd ask you for a spanking, perhaps?" Her lack of concern over the situation didn't fade. Exaggeratedly, she wiggled. Flexing her hips. He didn't need to hear it from her to know what she was trying to do. She didn't truly view this situation as an actual loss. The more she could push him was just another form of winning one of her games. However, eventually she stopped moving, calming her expression as she leaned her head backwards to stare up. "But....you know, darling...it's taking a huge risk not tying me up. What if you had to steal me away somewhere quiet? Do you think- With no warning, she stopped talking. Toran could only see her make the motion to reach for the belt at her hip, with her being too far out of arm's reach to stop in time before she pulled a metal like sphere and slammed it to the ground. The flash of white broke out from the night's darkness, as his ears rang. Perhaps it was in part due to the alcohol he had consumed earlier, but he couldn't force his body to snap out of the disorient ion quickly enough. It had only been a couple of seconds before he was able to see his environment again, but to no-one's surprise she was already gone. There was no movement in the shadows in front of him. Which could only mean....but his instincts only sharpened in time as it happened. The feeling of the air behind him in a kind of cool breeze as she closed in. And... A pair of hands wrapped under and over his waist and chest from behind. Still in his armor, he couldn't really feel much of the contact of her body pressing up against his, but he still felt the warmth. Bringing her face right next to him from behind she stayed mostly put. "That's a point for me then, don't you think?" ♋I didn't stab you. But I could've. "Did I really not play fair?" Aylssa's tone had changed in the slightest. "And here I thought you'd know better than to assume just because your opponent is on the ground, doesn't mean the fight is done. But I acknowledge you did manage to pull out a win before then. If only you didn't let up. Like a savage beast chasing it's prey." Her grip began to release and she took a step back. "Perhaps, another night. Or at least invest in some rope, my love. Yet, it's late, as it is. Besides....it's better to tease you here and make you much angrier for our next little game. I'll at the very least offer to take my punishment anyway for when we get a better time." He could hear the footsteps of her walking away. Always the tease. Even though she had left...he was feeling something. As if her presence had never truly left. There wasn't even a term for this....aura like substance he just felt. He didn't see anything. Nothing in his environment changed. But it was like he was still feeling the heat of her fire even though she never cast it. ♋That woman. Fire is truly her element. Warm to those it wants to be. Passionate without restraint. And intense. Careful, it won't burn you alive. He could visualize it. The kind of thing Alyssa would be if her fire was even a little bit hotter. Just a complete force for destruction with little regard for anything other than itself. Maybe not even then. Bond Link Established-Surtr-Level One Destroyer- Strength boost against materials
Annoying woman, talk about moving the goalposts... whatever, I had enough for tonight. I need to rest. Toran shook his head and headed to his tent. Not taking any chances he made sure he had packed everything and was ready to move out at any time, then went to sleep. (Nothing else I want to do at this time.)
"Good luck with that! I'll be up for a few more hours." Akechi seemed more than content to go back to what he was doing by searching through the valuables of the now unconscious mercenaries. ♒They'll probably live. They've been through worse than that. He wouldn't let them die anyway. He values Zentha's authority, if nothing else. The voice seemed relatively sure. Focusing on her own task would be a bit difficult. Getting the basic supplies for hunting wasn't difficult. They had plenty of that around camp. Though setting traps this late and hoping something would come along and snare this late in the day was unlikely. If she wanted to push it, she could set them for the day and check the traps in the early morning while people were still packing up, though there was always the possibility of a wild animal finding her prey in the meantime. With how late the day was getting if she needed to stay alert for longer without rest, it would probably make for a incredibly tiring and draining trip.
(I don't feel like there's much need to wait since there isn't really much left to do here. I don't think that's a problem.) @Daylan Yolanda's day had started off...unusual. She had gotten lucky enough to apparently to snare a rabbit overnight and without the risk of any wild animals taking it as a free opportunity. Young and healthy. Akechi seemed quite thrilled with it....and as far as she could tell, he was taking surprisingly good care with it. As tiresome as it was, it was sort of alleviated by the fact she didn't have to carry nearly as much as things. She could get the sense he sort of felt she was taking advantage of their agreement, but he hadn't complained. The trip for everyone, was long and painful. Even those who hadn't drank excessively still seemed just about ready to keel over. The one saving grace was that Yanase's contact network had saved a lot of the more painful hassle of getting a few more transport wagons on such short notice. More importantly, she had apparently managed getting a few ships. They weren't anything special. Just basic cargo ships but good enough for the purposes of getting all their equipment across the sea. While the change of pace was welcome for most of the company...at least halfway through the first night, having so many people crammed into such a tight area had started to take it's toll. By about the end of the week, Athyln's meditator skills were likely why the company got across without any deaths. That mostly changed when they had landed on the main hub island of the isles. Even before the ships had docked, the mercs could see it on the horizon. A bustling city full of so many expensive houses, it was almost impossible to tell where the noble district separated from the slums. @asddas193 ♏ Packed even worse than the ship. Not enough land to support the growth of their cities. Can't say back home, we ever had that problem. This is the place to get loaded. @moonblack ♋ All these walls, but not one built to defend the city. No apparent catapult or ballistae, that I can see. @Tjf ♎ I don't know about you, but I'm not meant to be locked up in a boat and be on good behavior. On the plus side, nobility is the same anywhere in the world. All self important, all of them as decadent as they can afford if they think they can get away with it. Let's meet this prince and become friends with him. If it doesn't work out, not like the boys won't still be here. As the ships made their proper landing into the docks, the could get a closer viewer of what was waiting at the end of the docks for them to land. The shapes were only silverish glimpses from a distance, but came more pronounced as they advanced halfway to the docks and then choose to halt, not getting too close, just yet. Most of the crowd was entirely in plate armor, all outfitted with quality weapons. Their armors weren't all matching, but most of them was bright in a very annoying way with the sun over the horizon, reflecting off of them, leaving it almost blinding at this angle standing directly in front of them. Getting an exact headcount was difficult, but there only about thirty of them. Much smaller than the numbers of the Silver Foxes. But the most important detail, was that the ones that were not wearing full helmets or heavy armor were visible enough to spot. Not a single one of these knights was a male. Even the most thugish of the nobodies among the Silver Foxes, seemed to be getting wary, knowing what they were. Even the most simple minded of mercenaries, knew about the Sisterhood of St. Jaenessa. They weren't really doing anything other than watching the Silver Foxes disembark for now. The knights remained mostly stationary, though one that had it's face exposed stood at the center, seeming to be the one directing them for now. @moonblack ♋ The sun's glare to hurt trying to stare at them. The docks ensure we can't properly circle them and overwhelm their formation. Spears deliberately to skew anyone trying to go around them through the water and any attempts at charges. They know what they're doing.....so why is the city so poorly fortified? "Hold. I, Knightess Rosalind Weis am the protector of these lands." The red haired girl's tone was...odd. It sounded like she was trying to make herself sound older and more menacing than she was. She was clearly standing on her tippy toes to try and make herself look taller. But...all the other knights surrounding her looked more than deathly serious and fully capable of being a serious fight. "Those who wish to join our fight, must adhere to our rules. This land is under our laws, and I am the sword, that pounds all evil. Like a hammer. Of justice." From that proclamation, Athyln had stepped forward, not looking concerned in the slightest. "I am Captain Athyln, one of the division leaders of this band." Placing his hand over his chest, he let out an overly long sigh. "I can see the risk of refusing to comply. I have no choice but to accept." "Oh...really? GOOD! I mean...thank you, for your cooperation." The sarcasm seemed to go completely over her head. "Your detachment will relegate it's camp to the outskirts of the city's plains. The leaders and their retainers must meet with our king. Those part of your delegation, please step forward where you will be escorted to the castle."
Well, at least the city has walls... Though I don't see any catapults or ballistae, so I hope they at least have a lot of archers to put up there... Toran made a mental note of the city's rather poor defenses. And if enemies manage to get past the walls there's not much to stop them reaching any part of the city. Well, the ladies certainly seem to know how to defend themselves, but do they also know how to defend a city? Either they don't, or they arrived only recently and have not had a chance to do anything about the defenses. I guess we'll find out which one it is... Hmm... she seems young and inexperienced. It's almost as if this is her first time leading a large force. Some sort of test for her, perhaps? At least she's easy on the eyes, since it seems we will have to work with her... Toran assessed the young redhead. I guess the king wants to meet the captains. I wonder if those of us who were present at the meeting will have to go along as well, or if we will be left in charge of the boys while the captains are gone? If it is the former, I am glad I have not had anything to drink recently so I am sober. Toran remained quiet and kept watching, waiting to see what would happen.
As they made land, Marius lets out a relieved sigh. Haah, finally, solid land... thankfully I wasn't as seasick as I'd thought I'd be. He thought to himself, as she looks at the city. "Woah." He muttered under his breath, captivated by the sight of a seemingly wealthy houses. But as the country's protectors, the Sisterhood. He froze as he stared at them, thinking how they were ready for a fight. Thankfully none of the members were drunk, which lessened the risk of anyone doing anything stupid. For now, Marius keeps his mouth shut, looking toward Yanase to check if she wanted him to come along to the meeting.
Hmm, you know, that's not a bad idea. Being a prince's 'friend' sounds like it could be profitable, or at least a good time. Artemisia experiences the strange feeling of agreeing with the voice in her head. Hmph, look at little miss prissy, trying to make herself seem tough. Probably some noble's whelp. The sorceress assesses the redhead unfavorably, though without real malice. "Captain." Artemisia approaches Athylyn. "Want me to come along? Should you desire it, I can act the part of a noble sorceress to placate the fine people at the palace." She uses a mix of sorcery and mimicry to change her normally rough accent to something more delicate and noble sounding.
It... was kind of nice to have someone else carrying most of the weight of her stuff, it was true. Maybe it caused her to be a little excessive in what she dumped off on Akechi but even if he felt a little overburdened, his lack of complaint meant she did not feel the need to lighten his load (though she did not increase it anymore at that point). Besides, he had been paid the rabbit he had been owed (and a pretty cute one at that, if she had to say so herself) and she had the suspicion that knowing he had a soft spot for such creatures might be useful in the future. Yolanda fought down an amused smirk at Rosalind's posturing. As a child she had seen such awkward bravado from older members of her family. Thus she knew well the behavior of someone either new to having any sort of expectations thrust upon them or trying to make themselves seem more important and intimidating in the grand scheme of things than they ever had a chance of actually being. Leaning in to whisper to Anlyth, she asked, "Do you require my assistance in this matter? Or shall I help the men set-up camp?"
"Toran, Artemisa, Yolanda, with me. Aylssa find a easy route to the city set up camp along. Akechi, find people we can trade supplies with." Athyln's voice went to his more serious and focused tone as he gave his orders. The red haired assassin's response was a mock pouting, but she said nothing. Whatever Akechi was thinking, he seemed perfectly happy to be able to dump off those things onto the Bronze division to handle for now. While nobody was going to go against his direct order, a few mumbles could be heard. "Of all...why....?" "He wants to make a good impression, so...let's leave Akechi in charge of that? And...taking Artemisa along. Yeah, she's got big tits, but.... "Alyssa gets to decide what we should do.....amazing." @Tjf ♎ No way. All good moves on the cap's part. I get it. Akechi's insane, but he's pretty much impossible to catch in a bad mood and they aren't going to be seeing him on the battlefield. Still creeps me out, but, if anything he's the least likely of them for anything to happen that could set him off. Alyssa's crazy too, so just dump enough busy work that she can't go off and do her own thing. And big tits are a powerful negotiating tool. They'll see. @asddas193 "Um..." Yanase who had been staying mostly at the back of the crowd. In parts due to force of habit and not being an actual fighter had started to step forward. "Marius. You'll be good to have a long." "Ah, really? Okay. Is that everyone?" The red haired knight seemed to be fidgeting somewhat impatiently, though the other sisters beside her remained completely focus and at the ready. "I'll make my introductions later. I have a lot of weak spots I need to contemplate countering." Zentha was opting to stay with the group that was establishing camp. With the groups settled for now, the party had made it's way to the castle in the heart of the city. The castle itself was somewhat fancy, though considerably smaller and less impressive than what most would imagine a ruler having. The Sisterhood didn't really make much for conversation, and Rosalind while being by far the most willing to socialize was trying harder to come off impressive than anything. As the group made their advance to coming into the castle courtyard, they could hear a loud series of battle cries screamed in unison. Over the horizon the glimpses of rows of soldiers patterned up with a long line of training dummies, being poked and stabbed as the soldiers trained. Their swings were hard and aggressive, but even the most untrained combatant could notice that their stances were barely more than just rushing at the target and the swings they took were of varying success, but most swinging so wildly they only managed to deliver a glancing blow against their target. It wasn't helped, by the noticeable bare minimum of armor on most of them and flimsy looking weaponry primarily made from wood with a blade attached than proper iron or steel weapons. It looked more like the kind of forces you'd find in a peasant's revolt than a prince's army. The sole exception was one in somewhat decent looking equipment, though quite a bit smaller, and clearly far younger than the rest. But the soldiers seemed to try and salute as he walked by and advanced to meet the arrivals at the castle. The Sister knights were the first to start to kneel and bow, Rosalind taking a few seconds and letting out a "oh, right!" as she did the same. "Prince Issac. The reinforcements have arrived. This is the delegation. The main force is currently setting up." Rosalind made a face as if she was struggling to think of more words to say next as the prince stared. "I see....please, lend us your support." His voice came off a lot younger than someone of his position and command should be, but unlike Rosalind, he didn't really seem to be trying to hide it. Regardless, it was enough for Athyln to kneel. "Prince Issac Vorgrimler. Even across the ocean, I've heard the story....how your older brother ran and left you to pick up the pieces, I mean. Defending the homeland, even if it's impossible. However, this plays out, I want you to win." From his tone, he was actually sincere. "It...I don't blame him. There's no time to hate him for that. Not now. I understand, but I can't just let my country and people be sieged. Though...I should tell you now. I'm not even sure if we can really win. You should know the risks. You can get on your ships and leave and I won't raise a hand. But if you want to commit to this, it's going to be bloody." @moonblack @asddas193 @Daylan @Tjf ♋♏♒♎ .....he seems kind of weak, doesn't he?
Oh, believe me - I know the effect a pair of suitably large tits can have. It's why I've been using sorcery to send every piece of fat I can live without to my chest. Artemisia thinks happily to the voice she's starting to accept is not just a drunken figure of her imagination. She follows her captain and the knights to the palace, supressing a smile as she spots the prince. Weak... And cute. The former priestess gives the young man a hungry up and down look. "Your majesty." Artemisia kneels next to the captain, since it seems like it's the standard procedure in this situation. Plus, it gives him a good view of my chest. She thinks to the god living rent-free in her mind. "I can't speak for the rest of my compatriots - we're a free company - but I'm willing to aid you however I can, danger or not." She might be trying to gain his favour, but it isn't a lie - danger isn't a problem for Artemisia. It's not the way she prefers to get her kicks, but with the sorceress' 'live fast, die young' attitude, the thought of a premature end isn't all that concerning for her.
Marius nods as Yanase called for him to join, so he steps forward next to her. And as they made their way to the castle, the young merchant was awestruck at how wealthy the whole place was. Wow, this whole place is just... wow. He gasped inside his mind, as he looks around. Making sure to spot any shops he could find, and check, from a distance, what sort of wares they were selling. Crap, if they're this rich, they might not need anything we currently have. He thought to himself, hoping they could strike a favorable deal... somehow. And as they made it to the castle, Marius' eyes widen as he realized that it was the prince that came to meet them. As he was unused to dealing with nobility, he immediately looked toward Yanase, copying how she bowed before the young man. Even if he's weak, seems like having a good background is enough to move a country. He thought to himself, for now, he remains silent. Deciding to support Yanase instead.
