Fire, Ice, and the Kraken (Fate X ASOIAF, Jalter quest)

1. [X] Focus on eliminating the squid men and cannon fodder, leaving the leader for Saber
2. -[X] Make a reasonable effort to protect the lives of Sallo's men (though not Sallo himself)
3. --[X] Follow Saber's advice on backtalk, disobedience, and desertion
4. -[X] Use Fires and Noble Phantasms where tactically beneficial, but don't tire yourself out. Who knows what additional threats we might have to deal with.

Sallo could barely let out a single word "Orders?"

"We charge."

There's a pause, and the air is tense, choking Sallo's men with fear and trepidation. They shake like pigs in the gaze a butcher's eye, as primal instincts override reason. Their intuition, a product of their ancestors, honed for millennia, acknowledges the apex predators standing on the rooftops. Saber's words goes from one ear and out the next, as these supposed veterans contemplate between fight or flight. How quickly their discipline crumbles, how pathetically they shirk at real danger.

The crunching sound of bricks giving way to Saber's boot brings everything into action. Sallo's men grasp at their daggers as the fanatic freaks envelop them in a charge. Saber disappears into the air as she charges in, suddenly appearing in the middle of the enemy's lines. She effortlessly cleaves through rows and rows of men, making a fast advance to the leader, leaving a trail of dead at her wake. The ex-king's face betrays no emotion, nor remorse. Here, she is a machine with one directive: Kill. There are no servants to tip the balance, not even their abominations would make a dent. So she butchers the cultists left and right with impunity. The tainted Excalibur at hand, cutting them down like paper. Her form is impeccable, begrudgingly so, no energy is wasted on unnecessary movements. Each cut, each swing, is purposeful and calculated, she truly is a technical fighter through and through. Though you notice traces of a dark flame emanating from the tainted sword of hers, Saber must be expending some of her mana reserves for this.

You, on the other hand, become a blur as St.Catherine cuts through the surrounding mass of humanity. A man halts your momentum with an iron shield, but a quick kick sends him and the shield flying. To your right you see Sallo's men dispatch the cultists with ease despite their nervousness, Sallo himself cut through the fanatics like a knife on butter; his two daggers frantically hitting the enemy's vitals as men after men fall to the ground like ragdolls.

A squidman lands right in front of Saber and sends out a hook, Saber takes it without being budged. The ex-king punches back with her gauntlet, creating a large gaping hole in the squid's torso, there's a moment of pause before it falls and melts into black ichor. Strange, they didn't do that the last time you killed one of em, You'll need to check the body later.

Another squidman land besides Sallo's men and sweeps its arms around, breaking the bones of the guardsmen. Some survive and stand back up after being pushed away by the monstrosity, while some lay still, body surrounded by cultists mutilating them with whatever tools they've found.

The abomination is too far from you, and you've got a whole group of cultists coming at you, so you throw St.Catherine at the beast and manifest your lance. By the time you deflect an oncoming blow, St.Catherine is already embedded into the beast's hide. It writhes and spasms as fire manifest around the dark blade, melting its innards. Its eye burst into flames as it falls to the ground with a thud. It too melts into black ichor, though it is burnt away by St.Catherine's flame.

Your focus is redirected to the enemies around you and with a sweep of your lance they disperse. Bones broken and limbs severed. You glide through the broken bodies, noticing how diminished their numbers are after your assault. In the corner of your eye you see one of the fanatics impale Sallo's calf with a spear as you begin to notice how small the guards numbers are, dropping from twenty to a meagre four. A knife stabs the head of Sallo's opponents as he is dragged by one of his men, limping and bleeding, he prepares to make his last stand as the cultists get ever closer. The guardsmen are getting tired, making more openings and taking in more wounds than they usually do. The men are at a breaking point, the edge of death.

You launch yourself towards them but are too late. By the time you land near the guardsmen, tens of spears, pitchforks, polearms, and other manner of weapons have already impaled the standing guardsmen. The weapons are retracted and the guardsmen fall where the stood. Sallo lays still, covered by the bodies of his comrades as he clutches his wound to staunch the bleeding.

Their deaths are regrettable and your face cringes at your lateness, but no matter. At least there won't be many friendlies around for the collateral damage you'll be bringing.

You hold your lance high up, and the flag wrapped around it unfurls itself. You feel empowered by it, a rush of energy into your system as you feel the heat in your chest rise up. You stoke the fire within you, and rises and rises, ready and waiting to engulf its prey. But you restrain it, as the fire rages within you, seeking a way out of its cage that is your corporeal body. It thrashes and flails, tempting you into a frenzy as old memories bubble up to the surface. This goes on until you release it to its prey, St.Catherine acting as the funnel of your vengeful flames. Though you make doubly sure that your fire doesn't end up being taller than the buildings itself, so as not to arouse awe and suspicion. The cultist however feel a different kind of awe. A flame that burns hotter than wildfire, one that could burn even a dragon. Is it no wonder that under all of that, the cultists do not merely burn but disintegrate, as you point St.Catherine's firey blade to them, the tip of it spewing hot fire without end.

Sallo curls up underneath the bodies, attempting to avoid the heat from around him. But it is futile, as he suffers under the scorching flames, blanketing his senses with the boiling sensation of heat. He lives through it, though more injured than before.

In due time the flames sputter out, an act that reserves what energy you have left. Around you are the ashes of what used to be a legion of cultists, brought down by your fire alone. Sallo is still curled up but peeks out of the dead bodies, slowly rising to sitting position while overviewing the massacre. The captain who saw many a gory scene lays breathless at the sight around you. He sneaks a glance at you before resolutely looking at the remains of his soldiers, arms crossed as if to fight off some cold. Weird...considering the heat.

The ashes and gore fill you with that nice indescribable feeling you get from seeing others die the same death as you once did. Though, under all that jubilation, there is this hollowness in your heart, a regret, enhanced by feelings of inadequacy. It all comes down to the fact that you weren't able to save Sallo's men. Sure they seemed like the scum of the Earth, but you intended to keep them alive. But the things is... you didn't. That fact alone puts a small stain on your victory, like a fly floating on an otherwise perfect wine. Why is that? You're an Avenger, you shouldn't FEEL this feeling.

You notice the crunch of Saber's boot on the bricked ground, leaving its mark on the solid road. She is drenched head to toe in blood, with a hand on Excalibur and the other pulling the leader himself by the helm. The leader's chest rises and falls, he's still alive.

Saber stops and drops the leader to the ground, his head lands with a thud but lays unmoving.

"Report", a curt voice

A nod, " all dead Arturia. Nothing left of em, might be more."

"Good. We'll face the others should they come."

Your lively conversation is interrupted by a mad muttering from Sallo, "W-w-w-warlocks, the both of you."

Saber stares at him, impassively, "Ah, I've almost forgotten about this vermin." The tyrant walks up to Sallo, and inspects him as one would inspect an insect.

Sallo still mutters all the same, though he becomes more and more accusatory and suspicious, " Wait no...Valyrian Bloodmages maybe? Like in the stories? Would explain all the fire...but no blood. Just what the hell are you! Demons?! Or is all of this a farce of your own doing?!"

Troublesome, he's already jumping into conclusions. How the hell are you gonna explain your unique nature to him without compromising magic's secrecy? Should you even tell him at all? Well, you can always just ---

schkkrrchh!!

-- kill him...

Sallo's head turns to mush from the weight of Saber's gauntlet and the pressure of her grasp. The headless body falls back to the pile of his former guard, while the bits of gore and blood creates a puddle of red.

"What a shame, for such a man to be mauled by his enemies. Let's hope his successor does a better job than he ever did." The former king speaks without sincerity as she gives you the cover story.

Saber shakes off the splatter of red from her gauntlet and her armour, "Come, we've got scum to interrogate." She walks towards the prone leader, and with a glance you notice his fingers bent in unnatural ways.

"Huh? Don't all the cultists become catatonic when captured?" You ask, still a bit miffed at Saber's killing of Sallo. Hmph! It's as if she thought you had no say in the matter!

"All the other fanatics were hypnotised, this one's not, just delusional." Saber reaches into his robe and procures a book, "and its all thanks to this dirty looking tome." She displays to you, a black book with a title etched with blood, and in a language you can't comprehend.

"So he's our mage huh?" You put a hand on your hips, "the one behind all of this."

"Yes and no. Rather, someone else commanded him to set up the revolt. Gave him this book and out came the monsters it seems, as for the hypnosis spell..." as if sensing something Saber looks up to the sky, staring intensely at what it appears to be nothing. She shakes her head and looks back at you"...the man doesn't think the book could do that, so it must've come from somewhere else. "

"Can he still talk now?" you ask

"No, passed out from shock, come help me wake him up."

You do just that, prompting the man up as Saber loots a flask of water from one of the dead. "To think he would pass out from the pain, you're a clumsy torturer you know that?" You ask with a smirk.

Saber uncaps the flask and looks into it, deeming the amount of water sufficient for her purposes, "I usually leave such work to Agravain, it was the only thing he was ever good at, other than organising that is."

"I recall seeing that secretary of yours back in that Camelot singularity." Saber tenses suddenly, the flask starts crack under her grip, "What an utter doormat that man was to you. Though come to think of it...I have to ask... are all your followers such pathetic, brow-nosing, bootlicking vermin. Even your traitorous "son" had-sorry- has starry eyes for you."

"We. Do. Not. Talk. Of. It." She declares like a king would announce a law. There is a tense, pregnant silence before you break it.

"Of what?"

"Camelot. And the servants there" She speaks, no, she warns. Her tone promising pain to any criminal that would break her law...her word. But dragons are not bound by such inane concepts, such dull figments of man's imagination. Lies they tell themselves to keep their petty lives in order, and shackled too.

When presented with a chink in the once impenetrable armour, a dragon cannot help but stab at it. " Why not? Don't tell me you're ashamed of that Lion King too."

"She held a dream more childish than that archer Emiya. To deny all of man's evils, man's individuality, all for the purpose to reach an impossible ideal world. That is the pinnacle of childishness, even for a god. Her rule brings stagnation, not prosperity, and its all because of her ignorance, her weakness. So yes Jeanne, I am ashamed of her, for such a version of me to exist, whose ignorance dwarfs my counterpart, why wouldn't I feel ashamed?." Her flasks breaks, water splatters all over her and the cult leader. A wave of killing intent washes over you "Also...I suggest you refrain from such questions, lest you want to face my Excalibur" . The mentioned tainted blade hums with power while St.Catherine rumbles with vicious excitement, fire, ready to manifest at a moments notice.

Then the cult leader gasps for air, the killing intent and the tenseness of the air wakes him up. He shakes and curls up at the sight of Saber's baleful glare, bracing for pain.

"You're awake," Saber says tonelessly. "Good," she brings up her sword towards his neck, "We're not finished with you yet, rat."


[] Write-in Questions for the leader? ( So far he seems like he has outside help, though he may not be in the right state of mind to answer coherently. If left blank Saber would do her own thing)

[] What Jeanne think of Saber's killing of Sallo?
--[] Indifferent, he was just scum, so what?
--[] Angry, she didn't even ask you if she could kill him.
--[] Disdain, How petty is this king?
--[] Write-in

[] Your next course of action?
--[] Examine the tome
--[] Get back to Midtown, your job is done
--[] Ask Saber something
--[] Write-in...



QM Note: Back at it again!

Interlude - Nightingale

In the grand bedroom of Dorne's crippled prince, the sun shines through the slits and open windows, showering its occupants with reinvigorating light. And one occupant of that stately room stands under the brightest spot, a natural spotlight.

Nightingale weathers the curious stares of two of Dorne's most influential persons and appraises them with clinical precision. To her left, a fit male, approximately a hundred and eighty centimetres tall, and slender for a man his age. His build is one of a warrior, and those kinds of men make for terribly uncooperative patients.

To her right, a woman of hourglass proportions, with clothing that shows it off. She seems fit for a noble of this world, where one can easily slip into a sedentary life thanks to the privileges given, especially one of royalty. The woman must be doing something active in some way, which Nightingale applauds, though she cringes at the sight of her bust. She's going to need a customizable bra if she wants to avoid back pain. Maybe a reduction surgery if the patient is willing?

The Head Nurse dismisses the thought as Oberyn looks back at his brother, " I didn't know you were in the business of dressing courtesans up in formal wear, nor that you kept them here."

Doran's eyes twitch at that, " I assure you, this woman is different from the Nightingale in Braavos. Besides, It would be cruel of me to deprive the Braavosi men of their favourite courtesan, think of how many of them would come to water gardens just duel me and bring her back? So no Oberyn, you're looking at the real deal. The woman who has alleviated my gout."

Oberyn looks back at Nightingale's perpetually blank face and bows slightly, " And for that, you have my sincere thanks. I'm sure we can provide with anything you ask for to show our gratitude. Oh, forgive my manners for I have not introduced myself. Oberyn Martell, this man's brother, and this is Arianne, the jewel of Dorne."

Nightingale replies in her clinical, stale tole, her voice speaks unceasingly in one note, "A pleasure to meet you all, I am sure, but there's is nothing to give, sir. Your brother has promised me enough gold to build a school and acquire the relevant equipment."

"A school that teaches what, pray tell?"

"To train nurses like me and save lives, for this continent requires proper sanitation. The Citadel in Oldtown would've been ideal, but they refused my presence; thus I am here. Healing Dorne's prince for monetary compensation needed to set up the school in Sunspear."

"How blunt." Oberyn remarks, but he feels that the woman herself is omitting something important. It makes sense a woman of her skills would want to teach it to others and leave a legacy, but are her intentions so pure? What has she done under the shadows while her brother was too busy marvelling at his improved health? Oberyn has seen too much of the world to believe in concepts such as pure intentions.

"Say, where does an amazing woman such as you hail from exactly?" The Viper inquires.

"A land far from Westeros and Essos." A land far away, eh? How convenient, yet how peculiar. Why shroud one's place of origin when it is simpler to lie for malicious purposes, it doesn't need to be a good one too. Though it doesn't change the fact that it makes her story all the more suspicious. A woman who happened be from an unknown land far from Westeros, who happened to have the skills to alleviate his brother's chronic gout, one who's cure eluded many a master; That woman just happens to want gold to build a school in this part of the Seven Kingdoms? How preposterous, miracles like just doesn't happen, not in this land, or else Ellia would still be here, and the Mountain killed, by his spear.

"How'd you do it?" Arianne asks

"I wouldn't ask if I were you." Areo Hotah warns, gaining curious looks from both Oberyn and Arianne. "She won't be--"

"Simple" Nightingale interrupts, while Areo Hotah looks on defeated, "the main objective was to reduce inflammation of the patient's foot. Gout comes from the crystallization of uric acid in the joints of the human body, particularly at the hallux. Movement becomes a pain for patients and in fact, worsens it, so he was confined to his bed for two weeks, with the inflicted foot elevated by pillows." Oberyn looks on intrigued, while Arianne's face transforms into disbelief, finding the woman ridiculous, as Doran looks down in exasperation. "The patient was administered Ibuprofen, though one must note it was synthesized by me and not by a professional of the field. Nevertheless, with a seafood centred nutrition and five litres water a day the gout has abated but isn't entirely gone. I will stay for the next five months, to work on preventative measures if the gout gets better, and if not, I will begin work on draining the toe of crystallized Uric Acid in the joint."

Oberyn, for all his education in the Citadel just could not comprehend what in the Seven Hells this woman said, in fact he would think her some sort of liar if not for the fact of his brother's improved health. Arianne, on the other hand, thought she was listening to gibberish, while Doran trembles at the idea of "drainage".

Nightingale looks back at Areo Hotah, "The patient's relatives seem to be confused, do they need another debrief?"

Before the tsunami of jargons came upon the Martells, Doran saves them all by stopping it before it reached shore, "How about dinner Lady Nightingale? Surely it is time for healthy nutrition to make this all go away?"

Nightingale views through the slits and the windows, and looks upon a darkening sky, "I am not aversed to that." she says, "Everyone may go ahead, I'll check with the cooks to ensure the food is of acceptable nutritional value for the patient and his relatives," Nightingale narrows her eyes at Doran Martell as he freezes under that terrible stare he is so used to, "And to remove any red meats in the dish." Without an utterance of goodbye, Nightingale walks herself out, her mind so narrowed at the task at hand, giving the Dornishmen and woman some relief. Though a part of them feels a sense of pity for the men in the kitchen downstairs.

QM Note: Here's a post thats shorter than usual, but I wanted to get it out before I get too busy with other obligations. There will be more glimpses of Nightingale (since she appears to be so popular) until Jeanne's departure from Volantis, in which we can start her sidequest in earnest.

Cya guys next time!

Final Vote
Questions:
[X] "What are your goal here, beyond chaos?"
[X] "Tell us all you can about the one that gave you this book."
[X] "When did you meet them, and where?"
[X] "What did they want in exchange for the book?"

[X] What does Jeanne think of Saber's killing of Sallo?
--[X] Indifferent, he was just scum, so what?

[X] Your next course of action?
--[X] Examine the tome



"You're awake," Saber says tonelessly. "Good," she brings up her sword towards his neck, "We're not finished with you yet, rat."

The man's former bluster and fanatic zeal evaporate, replaced by that of a squirming coward. He tries crawling away from Saber, before her boot crushes his ankle. He spasms in response before steadying his breath.

"You've haven't answered all my queries yet, are you willing to cooperate?" She tortuously grinds her boot onto his robed-covered ankle.

He trembles as he speaks, trying to regain his composure "Damnation to you all, the true monsters! You demons who hide in human skin, wolves among the sheep! Our God will bring down a thousand curses upon yo--AHHHHH" The Ex-king is thin of patience as she adds pressure upon the man's ankle. "YIELD, YIELD" He beseeches, "I'LL TELL YOU ANYTHING! ANYTHING!"

Satisfied, Saber removes her boot and crouches to him, her gauntlet holds him down. His breaths are rapid, a total contrast to Saber's calm ones. "You said someone gave you this tome to do "God's will", who is this someone?"

"Man" The cultist leader speaks rapidly, "A man, short, wore a helm, called himself "Romner" or the like. Gave me the book, said it will bring the Gods unto the world."

Saber nears closer to him, her indifferent stare and her yellow irises intimidate him further. "Tell. Me. Everything. You. Know. Of. Him."

There's a pause as the man slows his rapid breathing," Came to my studies one night, two other men flanked him, said he was responsible for the coming of a new dawn. I was unenlightened at the time you see, so I resisted, but he showed me the light."

"what was it you saw?"

"Mere words wouldn't do it justice…A hundred different dawns, I saw, and a hundred other stars. I saw the past, the present, and the future all at once; I saw the lines of fate intertwining into one; I saw visions of a world made barren by fire and another encased in ice. Then he spoke to me, the God amongst the stars, told me of the lies that held Man back, of the insignificance of Man's conflicts, of their worries. He told me to ascend, one must descend, and that our answers lay in the depths."

Worrisome, you think, that if what he says is true, a god is interfering with mortal affairs. If it's one of Goetia's demons, that would explain the presence of servants in this world. Or it could just be another divine spirit, but considering what its minions look like, it must be an evil one. You think back to that eerie feeling you had back in your room, the sense of your mind being probed. Could that have been the God the man had described, considering that it was able to grant him visions and led him to his path of madness. If that's true, then you'll have to stay alert of this deity from now on. It has shown that it knows you're here and has attempted to manipulate your mind. You're going to have to inform Saber of this later.

The Tyrant's inquiries continue, "Was that all your god told you?" The leader nods and Saber asks again, "I assume this "Romner" gave you your objectives?" He nods again, "What were they?"

"To drown this city so it may ascend. To use the book to command God's followers and bring a new dawn in Volantis by way of sacrifice and slaughter. And that the sacrifice would summon the Apostles that would finish our most holy design. The Apostles would've called to the sea and summon a wave to wash the city all away."

So he calls these Squidmen Apostles? How unsurprising, for religious fanatics to describe the monstrous as holy. The fact that a group of them can call down a tsunami worries you a bit. "How many of these Apostles are there in this city?"

The leader looks down, stricken by a thought, "None…" he says somberly, "you've killed them all."

Saber nod's satisfied, and she notices you come closer to him, now it's your turn to speak, "Why do these "Apostles" melt after death? The ones I killed before did not, they burned instead."

He shakes his head, "I do not know why, but it could be related to their proximity to the book."

"Idiot" Saber chastises, "To use a weapon before knowing it's full capabilities, how negligent, but that is to be expected of trash."

You continue asking, "So in exchange for the book, you were commanded to lead this revolt." He nods, "And when did you meet this man exactly?"

"Some days ago. I started preparing the moment I was given the Holy Text."

Saber nods, "That coincides with what I gathered from my investigations. I noticed four days ago of your cult's abrupt stop of their public preaching, and the fact that fewer Volanteans were roaming the street lately. Good, you're not lying."

"Did he give you specific targets?" You ask him

"Only one, the Red Temple. Romner told me that cult is an affront to our God, and must be drowned" You ask him why, but he shakes his head, unable to answer. For a devoted follower, he seems ignorant of the motivations of his deity, he follows it blindly. It appears that every devoted believer, whether they believe in a tentacled god or one of fire, are blind in some form. Allowing for their delusions to skew their view of reality.

"No matter, it explains why there were summoning circles near the Temple District." You remark, "To turn the tide of the battle with these abominations, no doubt."

This seems to get a rise out of him, "They're Apostles, holy creatures gifted to us by He Who Knows All."

Saber's Excalibur inches closer to his neck, "You're in no position to make demands, scum. Now calm yourself, or I'll kill you."

The man cowers at Saber's threat and breathes calmly.

"What're we gonna do to him?" You ask Saber.

"Bring him to our rooms for further interrogation, just don't let him be seen. The supernatural is involved in this, so it becomes our matter now, which means that the mundanes of this city must not know of the magecraft that took place here." She looks at the tome and to its former wielder, "Besides, we need to examine this tome first before planning on a course of action."

The man freezes and stares at Saber, gone are the nervous mannerism he once had, replaced by a man ready to pounce. Both you and Saber notice it, the change in the man reminds the two of you of a possession occurring, you've seen enough to know. Sensing the newfound killing intent, Saber readies to stab at him, but he lunges first towards the tome, embedding Excalibur into his sternum by his own volition. With a swing, St.Catherine cuts his approaching arm off, but the dismembered limb flies towards the tome and grasps it as if having a mind of its own. You can barely notice a thin line of mauve light connecting the dismembered limb to his newly formed stump.

The man now missing a limb and a sword in his chest perform a quick chant now that the separated arm grips at the book. "cahf ot hh' ah, ah mg ahog" he speaks in his garbled tongue as a purple light envelops the tome. Both you and the Ex-king share a look of comprehension and surprise. Inwardly you wince, you should've burned him sooner!

Saber lifts her Excalibur up, cutting the man from his sternum to his head, splitting apart his helmed face and thorax. The chanting leader falls like a puppet without its strings, yet the light enveloping the book increases in intensity. The King of Knights quickly throws the tome away but is too late. The book, now mere inches away from its thrower, becomes blindingly bright as it readies to explode. You don't know how big the blast will be, but its best not to underestimate.

You know you have the agility to outrun it, but not Saber. The Ex-King has to face the brunt of the blast, which can be manageable considering her A rank strength and Endurance. Hell, her legend has her survive Vortigern's flame for crying out loud, but you don't want to take your chances. This is an explosion powered by a Divine Spirit if your suspicions are correct, and Saber's stats might not matter at all against it.

You can push her out of the way, and face the brunt of the explosion with Ephemeral Dream A. You just have to hope there aren't any unique properties in that blast that could nullify your invincibility. Or you could carry Saber with you and hope she doesn't slow you down so much as to prevent the both of you from escaping the blast, though it might mitigate its damage. You wince, what to do…

Votes
[] Let Saber face the brunt of the attack while you find a safer spot, she can handle it.
[] Push her away, use all your might to push her away as far as you can and face the blast with Ephemeral Dream A.
[] Pick her up and RUN
[] Write in...(Course of action, skills to use?)