CLOSED | the perfect stormrider.

[poleaxed]

WHO: Erik Stephens, Gabranth, Diana, Benedict, Edgard, Tiffany, Dick & Jone.
WHAT: The Gang Fights A Dragon.
WHEN: Cloudreach.
WHERE: The Thenuviet estate on the Exalted Planes.
NOTES: if something looks wonky or is misspelled, please know I’m typing this on mobile & have mercy.

GETTING THERE isn’t a short journey, and they’re hardly traveling in comfort. Most of the horses are carrying equipment, armor, weaponry, and anything else those volunteered for this expedition thought to include. And there’s camping equiptment. Anyone who said the travel overland involved staying at inns was lying. Inns are notoriously stuffed with murderers, anyway.

Every night, there’s a campfire and food. Sometimes it’s fresh caught, but if it is, Jone certainly didn’t catch it. Just as likely that it’s rations, salt pork and jerky and whatever dried fruits and nuts Riftwatch can spare.

There’s a STOP AT A BATHHOUSE in the town near the Thenuviet estate, however. It’s stupid, they’re just going to dirty themselves up later, but presentation is important to these people.

Surely all of you brought fancy dress and masks, because IT’S TIME TO SCHMOOZE. There’s a small party of Orlesians dressed to their finest, having a cozy little soirée on the edge of a cliff. Literally on the edge. Don’t indulge too much in the fine wines and cheeses, because there’s a dragon waiting, but for now? It’s never a bad idea to look good in front of rich people of influence. At least, not these days.

Eventually, it’s time to move forward, which means PREPARING FOR BATTLE. Climbing down the cliff is easy stuff, if you’re good with rope or have basic upper body strength. But now is probably the time to set up any traps, get in good positions... because it’s not long before the party on the cliff above begins to cheer.

...Because a few dead swine are unceremoniously kicked off the cliff to fall into the ravine now filled with you and yours.

The cheers from the cliff face only increase as loud thrashing, howling sounds start and become increasingly closer. How long have they been feeding the dragon like this?

But then it’s DRAGON KILLING TIME. You probably know how that goes. Stormriders are huge, dark scaled, and shoot thunder instead of fire. This one is angry you’ve interrupted lunch time.

AFTERWARD, it’s time to heal, take a breath, poke around the dragon bits for fancy heirlooms, and climb back up that cliff.

Comments

[altusimperius]

Bracing himself for another leg of an already difficult conversation, Benedict folds his hands behind his head, letting the weight of his arms pull his elbows forward as he pauses for a long moment. No such admission comes easily, but especially not when trying to win back the respect of someone who's just seen him get justifiably dragged through the mud.

"Well... I used to be the chamberlain," he says, so quietly that only Edgard will be able to hear him.

[muckspout]

Edgard blinks and leans forward. He keeps his voice down, but with an air of confusion as to why he has to do so.

"You were? Before I was here?"

He leans his head to one side in thought.

"Seems a good fit. Why aren't you doing that anymore?"

[altusimperius]

Bene nods. When the inevitable question arises, he sighs deeply through his nose, letting his eyes close for a moment.

"I did something stupid," he murmurs, "...and got in trouble for it." It never gets any easier, explaining this: not only because he regrets making certain decisions, but because he has to re-humiliate himself every time by bringing to an unsuspecting mind the image of who he was and what he did.

The fact that it hasn't ruined any relationships yet is, likely, only a testament to how low he already is in most people's esteem.

[muckspout]

Edgard watches Benedict's face, tinged with regret, and it is something he recognizes. He puffs out his cheeks. He thinks in terms of his own mistakes.

"Like... you stole something and gave it as a gift stupid?" He shrugs and then his shoulders drop with the weight of the next question. "...or people died stupid?"

[altusimperius]

"Like..."

Benedict's eyes are fixed on the ground.

"...like betrayed Riftwatch stupid."

[muckspout]

Edgard takes a breath and lets it out slowly. Edgard understands why he hasn't been told this and certain things--Benedict's surprise at him caring for one--start to make more sense. Still, Edgard isn't sure what to think.

"Why would you do that?"

The tone is conversational, much like the one he used before.

[altusimperius]

"Because my mother wanted me to." He can dance around the truth all he wants, but that's what it comes down to.
"...and I wanted her to be happy with me."

[muckspout]

Edgard is quiet for a long time after that.

"In the dream..." He pauses for a moment after that, the mention feels painful. "You said, in the dream you were sent back to your parents."

He breathes out. He thinks about when Benedict reacts strongly. "So, what did you do? Can't have been that bad, you're still here."

[altusimperius]

A pursed-lipped nod. Benedict has been careful not to talk too much about the dream with Edgard, not wanting him to take too much blame for what none of them were able to control, but the connection has been made and he won't deny it.

"I defected," he murmurs, "to stay with her. So she and the others could study my shard." The others, of course, being Venatori.

[muckspout]

Edgard looks off to the side. It's clear he's thinking ver hard, but he's keeping his face fairly neutral. He closes his eyes for a moment and asks,

"What made you come back?"

[altusimperius]

He winces. This isn't even where the story turns in his favor.

If it ever does.

"I had already ingratiated myself with Riftwatch, more or less," he mumbles to the ground, "so my new task was to return as if nothing had happened, explain it as a misunderstanding, and send information back home." He shakes his head.
"I couldn't do it. I broke immediately. I'd been unhappy here as a prisoner, before, but it wasn't until I came back that I realized the value of... of being here. With these people."

[muckspout]

"A prisoner!" Edgard breathes. But, it's a statement, not a question. There's a lot of information here.

Edgard runs his hand through his hair, frowning.

"Alright," He shrugs. "So, what is the value?"

He looks at Benedict intently. He's very interested in this answer.

[altusimperius]

Benedict hunches forward, unable to meet the intensity of Edgard's gaze.

"...change," he says weakly. "Breaking the cycle. Not becoming my father, or worse, my mother."

[muckspout]

Edgard nods, breathing deeply. He stares off thinking hard about mistakes he's made, the decisions he allowed to happen just because he thought it would be what someone wanted. Something behind his eyes makes a decision.

"Understood." He says to Benedict, not looking at him.

"Didn't know any of this. Underestimated you."

He looks him in the eyes now and gives him a sharp nod.

[altusimperius]

Meeting his eyes, Benedict nods grimly back with no small amount of surprise-- but he's not going to question it, because allies are too difficult to keep these days.