The Life of Thieves and Assassins [(A Fire Emblem RP) Yuna & Veinexes's 1x1]

Getting closer, it seemed that not all of the Begnion soldiers had been turned to stone. A few of them seemed to be in a heated battle with another group. Scanning the battlefield quickly, she could tell that Volke was not among either group that she could see. A large man in very lavish clothing began running this way. Not because he noticed Elise, but because he seemed to be fleeing the battlefield. He was breathing rather heavily as short legs propelled his body forward, screeching to a halt in front of Elise. He seemed to have forgotten the battlefield behind him as he stared at her.

"Those ... those lines of your cheeks, the sparkle in your eyes. You're definitely not one of those uncouth characters who have invaded my home. Yes, you are something different. A traveler perhaps? How fortunate then for you to have arrived. Do not worry yourself. With all of that noise, one with such beauty must not let it fall in battle." He quickly looks back, noting how his men are doing against the others and then turns back to Elise.

"But .. but we don't have much time. We must hurry. They'll be here soon and once again lock me away from all the beautiful things in the world." He shakes his head back and forth quickly. "No! They will not! They can not! I will not let them!" Pulling a staff out from behind himself, he pointed it in her direction. "Don't worry, my beauty. It will only be a temporary measure to preserve you for later."

A blue light shot forth from the staff towards Elise.
 

Elise, also, halted upon noting Volke wasn't in the fray. Her fists clenched angrily. This was getting far more frustrating and troublesome than it had originally sounded. So this meant that more likely than not, her mentor was hiding ... which made her inwardly sigh. He was indeed a damn good hider; he'd proven that before she was sent out for the retrieving of the papers. As she noted some of the soldiers were able to move, she wondered if they knew she was the same person whom had stolen the documents? Ah well, she wouldn't test that out. Now that she knew it was time, again, to play Hide and Seek, her grip upon her dagger never once loosening.

As the man ran, she moved out of the way, noting he too was leaving the battlefield. What Elise hadn't expected .. was for him to stop in front of her. And then .. go on some odd rant about .. beauty? Who the hell was this guy, aside from some creepy fucker? Well, maybe that was all she would need to know and be hinted about. All Elise knew was the more he spoke, the less he appealed to her. She shifted again back to her male guise, her head shaking no as she gave him a chance to wise up with a simple reply.

"You're not the one I'm seeking here. Now excuse me ... "

Her eyes widened slightly as she jumped away from the blue light. She definitely did not want to find out what that was meant for. A low scoff left as she gave one last warning.

"Leave me be. You're not the one I'm looking for ... "

And with that, she turned on her heels and ran. Lovely ... not only was she playing as the Seeker but simultaneously the Hider from ... from ... whoever the hell this creep was.
 
Seeing his target dodge he let out a faint chuckle that led into an absolute gaffing. "Ohhhhh~ How graceful! Lithe like a dancer and as delicate as a butterfly. Truly, you were put in my path by divine providence. Do not worry, my precious dove! I am a guardian of beauty! I shall not let any harm come to you. Please understand I do this for your own good and protection." Not wanting to harm the artful dodger, he once again fired from his staff.
 

"Don't worry!"

Every time those words left his lips, she wanted to turn and slash him ... not caring where. They were so damn hypocritical! How could he speak them with ease when he was all but stalking her. Hell, what was he even doing exactly? Another thing that, no doubt, she wouldn't desire to find out easily. Her fists clenched as tightly as possible, her knuckles slightly turning white. She'd always hated playing Hide and Seek when Volke was hiding.

Now, though, it was even worse. She was doing both roles and panicking on trying to be able to do her job as the Hider from this guy well enough.

Goddamnit, Volke! Give me a freebie to find you and get this over with! And him out of the way! She inwardly prayed and whined, looking desperately around for some sort of crevice to hide in. By the time he fired though, none was found. So ... Elise resorted to the next best thing. She dropped and ducked, looking as if she were doing a push up before getting back on her feet.

She broke into another run, her legs beginning to ache once again, her heart pounding in her chest.

If nothing else, Volke had definitely forced her to get one hell of a good workout it seemed.
 
Seeing her fall to the ground, the man appeared to grow overjoyed as he jumped forward in an impressively agile way for his girth to pin her down. "I've got you now!" He uttered as he grasped her arms, hoisting her to her feet. His grip was strong for someone who didn't look like he'd trained that much in strength -- or anything for that matter. "Now it is time we take our leave." He chortled before pulling her along with himself.
 

As Elise felt the tackle, a low groan left. Her eyes blinked quickly to get rid of the temporary vision, the impact having been ample enough to have caused it apparently. The panic and fear she'd been feeling within herself only increased as she felt her arms grabbed. A low and dangerous masculine growl left. " ... Do you not understand me? Or are you just not listening? I'm not repeating myself again. Let ... me ... go .... " Along with her pulse racing, her mind was trying to also.

For a bit, she'd considered slipping out of the trenchcoat and letting him keep that held. But those had the documents Volke had made her go fetch; that'd be a foolish idea. Trying to stab or slash him like this ... was not much better. She doubted she'd hit herself; however this man may be able to alter her aim and cause Elise to do just that. Or something equally as reckless. He definitely seemed desperate enough.

So ... so now what? What do I do?!

There had to be something ... anything. Wasn't there? There probably was ... but not much more was coming to her mind.

Only one single other idea was even beginning to come to Elise's head ... but if Volke was hiding, he wouldn't likely appear, even with his cue. But if he saw her own predicament .. it would be worth the chance.

Her voice raised slightly, keeping to it's guise as she murmured in pure annoyance, "Goddamn firemen ... never around when you need them .... "
 
The Duke laughed triumphantly, thinking that her refusal to fight much had been a cue that he had won out. He then heard her strange ramblings. Well, sorta. "Yes indeed! There are never ... wait. What are you talking about?" He began to look around, expecting anything to suddenly leap out and attack him. To his surprise, nothing came. He let go with one hand, using it to wipe sweat from his brow. "Oh .... this stress is not good for me. We must leave here before I begin to wilt." Reaching into his pocket with his free hand, he pulled out a small black book with gold bindings. "This will make you a bit easier to manage." He said, popping it open. Reading a few passages, a light golden energy began to flow from it, slowly moving wisps of white light danced around Elise's body. As one passed through her arm, a twinge of pain was felt, the white orb darkening to a blood red and retreating back into the book. The others seemed to grow more eager after the first returned and leapt for her as well.
 

Elise's heart sank. Seriously ... Volke was really going to remain hidden? Even now? Her heart raced with her mind, fury and anger overwhelming her. However, the Duke did something that while she hadn't expected, Elise would eagerly grasp and take the opportunity. Especially in case it didn't remain around for much longer .. she would use any chances she had, no matter how fair or not it seemed. The second he let go to wipe away the perspiration, she took her opportunity. With as much strength that Elise could muster, she turned, trying to make the Duke hit any of the walls behind them.

Or at least lose his grip upon her.

"Ah!" She hissed, her voice torn between what tone it kept. The pain had been abrupt and unexpected ... and damn it actually, genuinely hurt. She stumbled away, panting and gasping as she held her arm. Infuriated eyes glanced down to the arm she was holding, ensuring it wasn't bleeding or if it was, seeing how badly it was.

But never once did her gaze go back to the Duke. Oh no. Once she took her opportunity, she broke into another run, pants leaving her lips as she tried to ignore the pain searing through her joint.

Oh the fit she'd give Volke when this was finally all over .... he may be able to hide from her but not her wrath.
 
He grabbed at himself when she pulled away. "Still so much fight in this one. But why? Maybe ... maybe it doesn't understand about it's own beauty?" He seemed to be talking to no one in particular. He saw her start running and part of him wanted to just make a break for it and leave with his own skin intact. But he couldn't! He couldn't get it out of his mind! If he lost this chance, he might never have another. The very thought of losing such a piece woke a strange sensation inside him, mustering up a new resolve. He forced himself further than he'd ever gone before in pursuit in that which he longed for.

Catching his second wind, he began to bolt after her, ignoring the battle that was raging around him in preference to the one inside.
 

The sounds of footsteps following made her ... astonished and more annoyed. ... No fucking way! For real?! Oh by the gods someone ... get him away from me! But about as roughly as the wisp had hit her, so did another idea. The map ... she pulled it out with her good hand, looking down at it. Was there one for the interior also? Or even if not, was there a place he'd marked with an X or something to indicate a more exact location?! Frantic eyes gazed around whilst running, hoping to find a better hint of Volke's location. She wasn't sure how much longer she could continue this ... and Elise definitely did not want to end up with this man. He was creeping her out ... making her want nothing more than to be with a much more sane individual.
 
A figure in black jumped out in front of her while she ran. A hand raised and before she could do anything, a large gust of wind blew past her. The Duke was not so lucky. His larger body got caught in the brunt of the wind as his features stretched back against the pressure before hurdling him backwards onto the floor. Without missing a beat, her savior looked down at her, uttering "It's a dangerous time to be running around and looting things, don't you think?"
 

For a few moments, Elise's heart stopped. With how tired she was, there'd be no way to dodge. Thankfully, the aim wasn't for her it seemed but the Duke. A sigh of relief passed her lips as she fought the urge to rest against the wall behind her. She wasn't completely out of danger, unfortunately. The fray could still be heard, she was still very damn sore and tired, only willpower keeping her conscious by this point really. But more than that, she still had to turn everything in to Volke. Her head shook no, a low scoff leaving. Maybe if she knew this savior, she'd feel better about revealing whom she truly was ... along with her real gender.

But alas, that wasn't the case and thus, though part of Elise felt guilty, she stayed with the male persona of herself. The same masculine tone the Duke had heard would echo in the mage's ears. "T-thank you ... truly. And ... I'm not ... here to loot. To ... to meet my mentor. He gave me this damn map and specified to arrive here. However, I didn't exactly expect others to also be within this manse also. He sent me out on a hell of a goose-chase of a mission and I'm trying to turn everything he wanted me to retrieve to him!'

Gods it'd been so tempting to let go and reveal that the mage was actually speaking to a woman, not a man. But just in case he tried to do something against her ... much better safer than sorry. She paused for a few moments before beginning to speak up again. Volke didn't often like her saying she was his student .. but push was coming to shove. Fewer and fewer options were appearing before Elise's eyes and so ... she wasn't seeing an easier way to find him. She knew others knew of his codename ... just not whom.

And right now it was a risk she was more than willing to take. But to ensure only the mage heard it, Elise let her volume lower, barely above a whisper. "Does the name Volke sound familiar to you by chance? That's exactly whom I'm seeking out ... quite literally at that rate."
 
The mage looked down at the Duke before regarding what she had said. "Volke? I remember him from the last war, mainly because he charged us an arm and a leg for his services. I haven't seen him this time around but thinking back on it, he probably avoided petrification as we did." Walking over to the Duke's body, he flipped it over and bound his hands. He then looked up, as if something suddenly clicked for him. "Oh ... I'm sorry. My name is Soren. I'm part of the Greil Mercenaries. I don't know if your teacher has told anything about us. If you come with me, our commander might be able to help you find your mentor since we worked with him from time to time."

The fighting in the main hall had subsided now. Most of the men lie beaten or had run off. After finishing his work, Soren led Elise towards a rather large human. "Commander. Found someone that may be able to help us if we help them." Turning back, the man looked down at her. "Hm, that outfit's kinda familiar. I'm guessing there's a reason for that. I'm Ike, commander of the Greil Mercenaries." He reaches out a hand for you to take. "How may I help you?"

Before either get a chance to answer, from seemingly nowhere, Volke appears, standing behind Ike. "They've been looking for me."

The sudden appearance causes even the Commander to jump a little bit. "How long have you been here anyways? Wait ... never mind. Probably since the start." A sigh escapes his lips.

Volke looks over at Elise. "Did you find them?"
 

Her head bowed slightly upon hearing the introduction. She couldn't blame him personally. Fights were never a good time for introductions anyways. "Xersees." she replied simply. She had been ready to ask whom 'we' referred to but Soren already answered that, it seemed. It must be quite the interesting mercenary group. Then again, she didn't know how tactics of such groups worked to begin with. A small smirk mingled in with a weary smile as her head shook no. "No, I know nothing. I, alas, am not immune from his .... eccentric paying measures. He tries to get me to hand over money if I ask the wrong questions also, only giving out actual answers for things like missions."

Taking note of the Commander, her mouth had opened to explain why exactly the uniform was familiar to him. But then ... he appeared behind Ike and her eyes narrowed. She'd almost considered trying to toss her dagger at Volke -- semi-playfully and otherwise seriously while he spoke with the others. But, she decided against it. Slipping her weapon away, hands went over her concealed and bandaged chest. Oh yes, she was still very infuriated with him ... and it would soon show.

In a calm but clearly annoyed voice, 'Xersees' finally spoke up to Volke's question. "Twenty-thousand and a meal. Do you know the hell I had to go through to get them?! Including the creepy bastard I just finished staying away from not long ago?! That was rather ... unnerving so if you want them that bad, give me. That was so much more trouble than it should have been, especially with that .... odd source of light."
 
He nods, understanding, and then turns to Ike. "Commander --- "

"Oh no! I'm not paying for that! I gave you enough money. You should be able to do it yourself after all."

"You misunderstand. I'm offering our services. You'll need us." He turns back towards Xersees and motions with his hand to be followed. After walking for a bit, he turns back. "Your payment will be here. We just have to wait and he'll find us. As for meals, I believe the man in the green armor is the one you want to talk to for that. Keep an eye on those documents. I have to meet up with my client." He grabs your arm, pulling it forward, and drops a bag of coin into it. "That's not all of it." He begins to inform you more about the people you'll be dealing with here before heading off on his mission.
 

An eyebrow raised as he seemed to try to use Ike to get out of paying her. That had been enough to nearly make her speak up .. but she'd been lucky enough as it is he hadn't tried to interpret the payment as a joke. Not that it'd been one to begin with; but never before now had she resorted to this like he would on her. Then again, none of the other missions had been quite as important as this one obviously had been. So, she kept silent, not wanting to jeopardize the rewards that were going to be given to her soon enough. Before following behind her mentor, she shot Ike a silent 'I'm so sorry' glance before walking behind Volke.

She stayed silent during the entire 'briefing', mentally noting names and any descriptions that came with them. Tons of other questions had entered her mind. If Volke was offering his - their - services to Ike and the mercenaries, it meant that clearly, she wasn't fully done with her work yet. If anything, whatever she had just finished regarding the papers was just the first step leading onto a series of many more to reveal themselves it seemed. The thought made her inwardly groan. Hopefully, none would be as ... troublesome as this one had. Especially with creepy individuals wanting to chase her down .... definitely wanted to avoid that again.

"You mean the thing I've been doing? Keeping them safe and ensuring they stay with me? Gotcha." A playful tone managed to enter her very tired voice as she nodded. Even without being told she was given ... only a mere portion of the payment, she could feel that easily enough. There'd probably need to be at least one more, if not two, of about the same size for it to add up to all of the twenty-thousand she'd asked for.

Hell, if she knew Volke's tactics could have worked against him even, she would have done this sooner. The amount was more than ample to achieve her goal and keep some extra for herself. Then again, she barely needed much material things like her mentor. Maybe clothing at most but aside from that ... she didn't usually want much else. And yet ... she found herself slightly saddened as he vanished again.

Simultaneously, she hadn't just said the word 'meal' for the hell of it either. That was very true; she hadn't been able to get nutrition since waking up. And now that she had the opportunity, she'd take it. Her legs still ached, though not as much, as Elise began seeking out the individual apparently named as Oscar. She'd give Ike a more formal apology and introduction later. Right now, she needed to take care of this though.
 
Time passes as you become more acquainted with the mercenaries who tell you what they know about the strange light and all things that have been going on. Amazingly enough, the troupe appears to be heading right back to Begnion where you just came from. Aside from a feeling of deja vu, nothing else seems to bother you that night. In the morning, the long trek to Begnion begins.
 

The mix of the food, informing and speaking, and ability to finally relaxed helped the night go much smoother for Elise. She noted quite a bit of the men were rather .... attractive aside from Volke. Maybe her hormones were kicking in? She'd never exactly had that talk before ... though something told her she wouldn't have been able to offer any amount of money to even get informed of those things. Her head lightly shook as she tried to get a grip of herself. Elise would figure those things out later, she supposed. Right now, her main focus was upon another thing -- destination to be more precise.

Begnion. Oh, how annoying irony could be with showing up at times ... like now.

When she slept, she removed her trenchcoat, a tunic more or less keeping her chest concealed. She wrapped the trenchcoat carefully up and used that as a pillow. This way, no one would have been able to try to steal the papers without Elise feeling the movements. Just in case though ... she went on and patted the pockets they'd been hidden away in as the sun peeked over the horizon.

Thankfully, they were indeed still there. As she slipped the trenchcoat back over her lithe body, her eyes widened slightly as she winced lowly, grasping at an odd tattoo which had always been on both shoulders. What made them weird were a few factors, though. The one on the right seemed to act up the most but more unusual than that .. was she'd had them for .... as long as she could remember. It was likely Elise had been born with them.

They definitely weren't something Volke made her get though.

Her grip loosened as the pain slowly subsided, standing up to her feet. A sigh left her lips as Elise noticed one thing whilst they headed out ... Volke hadn't returned yet. Her head shook slowly as she kept her veil clasped in a hand, slipping it back over her lips. Begnion, she doubted, would be kind to her presence should she get recognized. Somewhat reluctantly, namely with the feeling of deja vu still coursing through her, she began to follow behind the others, her eyes and ears trying their damnedest to listen or watch out for Volke.

Gods his ability to appear and disappear on his own whim was becoming rather annoying, moreso than usual.
 
Begnion was almost in sight. The tower was at least in view which meant that they weren't too far now. Luckily for them, the roads had been mostly clear thanks to the petrifications. Ahead another group can be seen. Fortunately enough though, they appear to be friendly as Ike calls out to them. Oddly enough, among the other group, you spot Volke which brings up a stir of different emotions inside you. When both groups meet, you're pulled aside for another briefing only this one seems different, involving more than just you and your mentor.

The newcomer introduces himself as Bastion. Apparently, he is Volke's client. Taking the documents from you, he begins to go over them while Volke hands you the rest of your payment. "Good work. The next job won't be nearly as difficult." Bastion agrees, nodding his head.

"Indeed for there is only one course of action left for us. And that is to save the world."

Volke looks at him and you can't tell if he's thinking of mocking the man or dismissing him. Finally, he looks back to you. "Luckily for him, his pockets run deep. You don't have to come along if you don't want to though. Some things are worth a bit more than the pay they're usually given."
 

Elise slowly shook her head. If he'd intended to rendezvous up with them ... why? Ugh, that didn't matter anymore. He was here and she could officially end the mission given to her from yesterday. Her feet had been guiding her towards Volke and his ... comrade even before she got pulled over, the additional moving only making the process go smoother. Even from under her veil, a proud smirk formed across her lips at the praise. She didn't speak aloud upon receiving the last half of her payment, though a mental retort was definitely heard in her mind.

Damn straight I'm getting the last half ...

An eyebrow raised as Volke tried to convince her she wouldn't need to come along. Her arms went over her chest, a mostly calm though slightly irked tone leaving along with her reply. She would have gone to her true self ... but she still wasn't good around strangers yet. And thus, she'd let Bastion seem as if he were speaking to 'Xersees' also. "And what would you intend for me to do if I didn't go? More than that ... " Her head shook no. "I can slip in my own errand of sorts whilst helping you out. I had my own reason for the high demand like you do yours. Yours, it seems, just requires a lot more in terms of amount and time. Besides ... I think that last mission proved I can handle myself well enough, yes?"
 
Bastion begins to laugh. "You've sure got a tough one here. The more, the merrier I say. Even if he was to go off somewhere else, there'd be no guarantee we'd succeed in our endeavors. So it'd be good to have an extra hand if we need one, and I wouldn't feel right sending the young lad off to have him pining somewhere for what may have been and might be."

Volke sighs as he looks over. "Do what you want. Unfortunately, I can only suggest things. It's ultimately up to you to decide."
 

Elise was even more confused and annoyed. What was with the new mindset and attitude all of a sudden? This was definitely not like the same Volke who'd dragged and made her become his apprentice. This .... was something else. She blinked a few times, trying to figure if this was even for real. A light pinch across her thumb said .... somehow, yes. Her head shook no again, even more resolve adding into her voice as she spoke up, " .... Give me the briefing for this one then. I need to know whom or what to look for so I don't wander around like a fool."

Really though ... what was going on? He of all people knew she would get nowhere being forced to stay on the sidelines. So why the nonchalant attitude? It was like his drive and inspiration had ... vanished when he last did. To say it was bothering Elise was quite the understatement. It made her worry if something had happened before she met up with him yesterday. This ... was just too unlike him.
 
Volke nodded. "Alright. I'll tell you everything you need to know." He clears his throat before beginning. "About a thousand years ago, the world was at war. Every nation and continent were up in arms against each other for some reason or another. No one remembers why. There were two beings that existed at this time with enormous power. Ashera, who was the goddess of order, and Yune the goddess of chaos. Ashera saw the world as broken and decided to destroy it while Yune saw it as a place for things to occur and wished to preserve it. One of Ashera's most loyal followers and later lover named Lahran proposed that a deal be made. Showing the part of her power, the goddess Ashera sunk the other continents, leaving only one before revealing herself. She proclaimed that she would do the same with this continent unless the citizens agreed to her demands. The deal was that all who lived on that continent would not war with each other for one thousand years, which is when she was to awaken. If she was woken earlier, she would be allowed to destroy the world and remake it. These terms were agreed to and the goddesses were put to sleep, their powers sealed in the amulet. The amulet would forever be linked to the goddesses and the state of the world. War would cause the amulet to shine with a bright blue flame. When war engulfs the entire continent, the amulet will shatter and awaken Ashera. However, if the Song of Awakening - a special technique known by the Heron tribe - is used to awaken the goddess, she would first have to have consultation with the goddess Yune before passing judgment. Due to the war now, the goddess Ashera has been awoken though not through the destruction of the amulet. We must go and meet with her and convince her to take back her judgment."

He let out a breath, finishing the long exposition and looked up, waiting to see if she had gotten it.
 

The fact Volke cleared his throat before talking already hinted it may be a while. She hadn't seen or heard him do such a gesture upon officially beginning to train with him, when he laid down each and every single rule for her, making damn well certain she would remember them all by heart. She remained deathly silent, still even, never once moving or speaking during the explanation. To Elise, the goddesses sounded very wrong and reversed in roles .. but she kept that all to herself. Her opinions on that much wouldn't matter. Power was always a scary thing, especially in the hands of deities. She'd never known how much up until the story which made a chill inwardly trail down her spine.

That ... sounds wrong, especially with little to no reason to go through with such actions ...

Still, she continued to hold her tongue, knowing this had to lead to a point. And finally, he got to it. She had to let the words echo in her mind a few words to ensure she hadn't heard things ... before inwardly chuckling. Elise wouldn't dare aloud in front of Volke; but really, the idea sounded insane. They were but mortals ... why would this goddess - let alone the one who loved destroying things - heed them at all?

An even better question, though, came to her mind. She nodded to acknowledge she understood well enough -- save for why they still seemed reversed. Her arms stayed over her chest as she let the thought leave. "And how exactly are we going to convince her? I mean .... intentionally or not - regardless of what it wound up being this time - it's already happened. We can't exactly turn back time ... and I'm relatively sure there are some who don't regret their actions in fighting. So ... what do we even say or do exactly? And where do we go to meet her anyways?"
 
Volke sighed and looked toward Bastion. "The short answer of that is that we don't know." Bastion replied. "We're just going to have to hope that we can convince her somehow. I still don't quite know what we're going to do when we get there. We might just be walking to our own deaths as far as we know. But if we don't try, we'll never know. Volke pulls a small object from his pocket and hands it to you. It appears to be a knife. "Your old one was getting dull. Also, something tells me we're going to need a sharp blade when the time comes."
 
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