Crowds - Campfire
General Summary
Myra smiles weakly trying to be affable but as the crowd closes in around her she flashes back to the last time they were heavily penned in, the bodies have vines sneaking up around their legs, leaves coat their arms. Myra's eyes dart back and forth as she flashes between the two scenes in her head, cognizant enough to realize it's not happening again but unable to control her breathing. She breath starts coming in short gasps, her palms sweaty. The smile fades to a look of anxiety, as she weakly asks, "Please move back. I just need a little space. Please. I'm sorry I just need to get through. P-please let me through."
She attempts to take another step and nearly tumbles as she bumps into someone, "Oh I'm so sorry pardon me," she says turning but not finding who ever it was she bumped. There's a flash from a scroll and as she blinks she sees the plant bodies on the ground. Another flash from a scroll and she sees the bodies frozen in ice. She looks up having been completely turned around, her breathing is labored as she feels a constriction in her chest. "Sorry. I need to get back. Sorry. Sorry. I'm sorry." Frozen in place she apologizes to the crowd though I'm not sure if she knows if it's the crowd in Kolis-Tane or the bodies of Nightwell she's apologizing to.
The crowd continues to push in and move in around her like an amalgamated being of shapeless form and mass. Arms stretch out towards you holding pens for you to sign or just to touch a bit of you hair or skin. The sound of the city fades as the only thing you can hear is the sound of the people glomming around you
The light of the mid day sun begins to fade not by the clouds by shadow of the people pushing further and into Myra's space
As the crowd of people presses in the air becoming hot and wet with the peoples breath around you, the only clear sound you can understand is that of your family name its oppressive sound just weighs down on you more and more. Hastily looking around you see the onslaught of the public with little space of light until through the crowd a familiar dark grey arm covered in rings PUNCHES through, extending open in front of you.
As the crowd pushes Myra collapses upon herself, every inch she reduced seems to only to give the crowd more space to move closer. Her arms wrap around herself as though she can hold herself together by sheer force of will. As the hand punches through the mob, she see's it extend back reaching out through the crowd. She grabs it like a lifeline for a drowning person and pulls herself toward what she hopes is Ayen, still repeating, "Sorry. I'm sorry."
With a great pull Myra is jaunted through the wall of gawkers they part with the unexpected force as Myra's shoulder pops at the initiation of this movement. The full sunlight is momentarily blinding as the rest of the world comes into focus.
Myra is pulled into the body of the slim but robust, familiar form of Ayen. A few blinks and a deep breath later the vision of Ayen solidifies and a handful of Stagwood guards are now visible as they move in front easily repelling and dispersing the crowd.
"FUCK OFF, get them out of here anyone still standing here within the next 5 secs will not be able to move without cart"
It takes a second for Myra to realize she's out and stop apologizing, cradled against Ayen. After a second her eyes seem to clear as gulps in some air coming back to her senses taking in the surroundings, shaking slightly. She tries to pull Ayen towards the other Stagwood guards hoping to remove herself as a point of conflict. "I'm okay. Ayen, I'm fine. I promise, they didn't do anything. Please Ayen, I'll go inside."
In the distance Raijun is getting close to breaking the sound barrier on a public street as onlookers whisper they saw him jump from 12 stories up.
Myra clocks the direction Raijun's going for information for Adama and Hagren but focuses back on Ayen's intense look at the crowd. Her face is still gaunt and she looks spooked, but her wits seem to be more about her as she quietly pleads with Ayen, "I'm sorry. I messed up. I'm okay. Laylah isn't for me. They did nothing wrong. Please Ayen, take me back inside."
Barely above a whisper, "I was just unprepared Ayen. I had an... experience with a crowd and it came back to me suddenly, that's all. Please don't let anyone get hurt on my account. I've done more than enough damage for today," she comments glancing up. "Were you able to send for Laylah?"
"Come," Ayen almost lifts Myra but knowing the importance for her and the image to keep her on her feet as they move back inside as they are flanked with a few Stagwood guards. Going back inside the lobby of the building she just flew out of Ayen places Myra seating on a bench.
He turns to the other guards also talking into his lapel, "No one gets in and keep them away from the windows." Ayen away orders the rest of the guards for a brief moment before stepping back and standing in front of Myra.
Myra allows herself to be placed with no fuss, sitting quietly where Ayen placed her, shaking slightly. She keeps glancing at the elevator, perhaps hoping someone will emerge.
Ayen returns, firmly grabbing Myra's chin and shifting it from side to side, "Your form was good but remember to bend your knees more when you land it would give you a quicker start when you hit the ground. Lylah is on her way, lucky for you she is close by.... but you don't seem like the one who needs her"
Myra just nods to Ayen's recommendation too out of it to argue, "I'm not." She straightens her clothes from where they were pulled, mending small tears from the crowd taking stock, her hands shaking ever so slightly, "Could you have the 13th floor secured? No one up there should leave before we return."
Whispering into his lapel, "Just and Evans elevator 13th floor no one leaves." Two of the Stagwood guard turn and rush up to the Elevator. Pacing in front of his charge, "Now explain what happened up there and explain why you had to leave from the 13th floor."
Myra won't meet Ayen's eyes as she walks him through the details of the break in, inserting theories as she has them. She omits both threats against her focusing initially on the case. "Things weren't adding up though. I mean sure Mr. Val'natesin could have done it and been completely incompetent in his cover up but from the questioning Adama and Raijun did I think he has more to lose than gain. Honestly they all did it seemed.
I went to talk to Em'mt, in our discussions there was something that struck me as off. His story along with Mr. Fortis's were too clean. I believed that there was the possibility that Mr. Fortis and Em'mt had had their memories tampered with. Mind magic isn't something I have a lot of study in so I asked," she gulps, "I asked Sarya to help."
She wrings her hands, "I was stupid and careless. I have ways of investigating what the effect might have been. I could have known... Sarya. Sarya came in at my behest and attempted some deep magic to reverse the effect on Em'mt's mind, with his permission. As she did so there was a flash." Her hands ball so tightly her nails begin to bite into her palm, "I believe there was some kind of magical precaution. Something left them... empty? I tried a normal reversal spell hoping to undo it but it didn't take. Minor damage to Sarya didn't help either. Neither of them seemed capable of speech."
Myra releases her hands with a shaky exhale, hints of blood ring her palms from where her nails pressed too tightly. She tries to cover it up by straightening her blouse once again, then fiddling with one of her bracelets, still refusing to meet Ayen's eyes, "I. I panicked. I called for the other members of the Wardens hoping someone might have insight on Sarya's condition. But in my haste I neglected to remain in control of the scene. After confronting Mr. Fortis on information he had neglected to provide and insinuating Artificer Tydric's involvement, Ms. Tydric used the distraction as an opportunity to render herself invisible and try to escape. Unsure if she was involved in whatever couterspell occurred on Sarya and Em'mt I asked several of my group members to help chase her while I left two to hold the scene and guard Sarya and Em'mt in their incapacitated state. As Ms. Tydric had taken the elevator before we could apprehend her we needed to get down quickly, leading to the escapade you witnessed outside. I have reason to believe Raijun was running down the corporeal Ms. Tydric. Hopefully he will be successful at apprehending her and returning her to the building."
"I swear I intended to return." Meeting Ayen's gaze for the first time, "I would not leave them in that state without reason." She pauses, "Did you see her? Tydric. She would have had to come past you on the way out."
"I did see her leave the elevator but we have been seeing a lot of the artificers and wizards coming and going from here, she didnt take off until she was outside."
Myra scans the lobby for Ortho, "The man I sent down with my message. Their chief of security. Where is he?"
Ortho can be seen with the Stagwood guards locking down the lobby, "I was speaking with him when the commotion began outside"
"Did he miss the girl or let her leave?"
Ayen's face softens for a brief moment, "I may have been chewing him out a the time"
Myra nods, "He's gotten a lot of that today. Does my explanation satisfy your inquiry?"
"For now. We are going to need to get your companions back here so can return back to the Estate."
Myra sits up confused, "Is Laylah not coming here? They'll return once Tydric is in hand." Myra thinks to herself about the state Tyric might be in an mental broadcasts to Adama and Hagren, "I need her alive. I will send my best guess to where Raijun ended up given his direction." A mental map of the city pings the Crossroads, a train station in the direction Raijun was running, in Adama and Hagren's minds.
"I would have thought you wanted to return home after dealing with the mob," Ayen says softly. "Plus given the public response to your home coming I think it would be safer to return home."
Myra's mind flashes to the two threats she's received this morning, the crowds response, the flashing of scrolls, and she shrinks a little, "The public response?"
Ayen gestures to the outside "The people celebrate the return of the Golden Doe, I really don't get it."
Myra clearly thought he was about to say something much more negative and exhales a breath she wasn't aware she was holding, "Honestly, neither do I." She pauses, "Are we sure my mother didn't put them up to it?"
Myra looks out the window then back down at her hands, she methodically smooths the skin of her cuts altering her form to return it to normal, "It wasn't that I was afraid of the people. I just didn't want anyone to get hurt on my behalf. I can't just hide at home though. Besides if Laylah isn't able to help Sarya and Em'mt I'll have to find someone who can. I won't just leave her like that." She pauses, "Ayen you know that all that locking me up in my gilded tower would do is prompt me to test your new guards."
"The only guards that will be there are the ones to drag you all back inside after the security system works its literal magic."
"Well good there will be less people to get in trouble when the magic fails." Myra sighs, "There's more Ayen. And I would like your help. Honestly, I need your help. But if your every reaction is going to be to stick me in a box..." She looks at her hands again, defeatedly, "I can't Ayen I won't last..."
Ayen Looks down and smiles "All you ever have to do is ask." He takes your hands, "The more I know the less ..... restrictive I have to be. The more I can plan."
Myra wont meet his eye, "Have you heard of anyone who goes by the name the Vulture?"
Ayen wrinkles his brow in thought "Nothing off the top of my head, but let me check with my sources." He opens his book and begins to write
"I reached out to a friend who happened to be in town hoping to see him..." she pauses clearly unsure.
She pulls her hands out of Ayen's and reaches into her bag pulling out the mended, but still bloody, note and hesitantly holds it out to Ayen, "This was returned to me this morning... Adama attempted to make contact through arcane means after its receipt, but all he received back was something about 'the vulture' before we believe our friend succumbed to unconsciousness."
Ayen takes the note in his hand and examines it not batting an eye. "This is certainly a bloody note, who is this from?"
"His name is Yamil Alshara. He was traveling with us for a bit before... before I made a mistake. The note on the other side was mine. I sent it last night. He is or was under the employ of the Thompson corporation."
"Ah the former Commander of the Golden Scarabs, your brother had mentioned him in one of his letters"
Myra nods, "Yes, we met him while visiting Ky in Nightwell." She begins wringing her hands again, "Ayen I need to find out if he's okay. If he was hurt because of his affiliation with me..."
"In time, in time my first priority is getting you safe and the rest of your companions in a place where ..... they are not constantly drawing further attention. Once we have all of you taken care of I will reach out to my network and see what we can do.... for better or worse the blood will help in tracking him down"
"Would Soot be okay? Raijun is supposed to meet with Vila and Sky. This presupposes also that Laylah is able to do something for Sarya and Em'mt. I won't leave them in their current state again."
Myra stands, "Actually, if you don't mind I'd prefer to continue our wait upstairs with them. I've been gone too long already. I'm not exactly sure how innate Sarya's self transmutative powers are and if she reverts to being a wolf I'd rather be there to prevent further harm coming to her or your guards." She waits clearly trying to cooperate with Ayen, instead of beelining for the elevator without his permission.
"Sure," Ayen says kindly, "the guards will keep the lobby in lock down we can return upstairs to your friend."
Myra walks purposely for the elevator, "You'll have them send up Laylah once she's here right?"
"That is their instructions and these men haven't let me down yet"
Myra nods. A moment passes in silence, as they walk to the elevator, "You know why I didn't talk about you right?"
"It doesn't matter, you have now lets get everything settled and we can talk later" Ayen walks back over to the guards at the front of the lobby, giving them some instructions be fore meeting Myra at the elevator
Myra waits for Ayen to return, silently fidgeting with her bracelets and rings not meeting the eyes of anyone in the lobby. As she waits she attempts to open the metal connection to Sarya, 'Sarya? I don't know if this will work. I'm not even sure I'm in range, much less what the effects on you might cause... I'm sorry. I didn't think that... I didn't think. And now you're hurt because of it. And then I left... right, cause that's what I'm good at breaking things and leaving. I'll make it right. I promise. I'll fix it... I'll fix it.'
There’s no verbal response, just a feeling of warmth, like laying in a meadow. Myra realizes that if only feelings can pass through the bond then what she is projecting could be distressing to Sarya. She gently cuts off the bond locking it down so that her distress doesn't bleed through. Myra shivers slightly as she closes it down as Sarya's warmth leaves her.
Ayen takes Myra's hand, holds his gaze looking forward and gives it a squeeze as the elevator begins its ascent up back to the 13th floor
"Sorry just lost in thought I guess." Looking slightly hurt, "Did you tell them not to tell me how hurt you were after the attack? I checked you know. After I learned what happened."
"No that decision was made by a much more powerful voice than mine," Letting go of Myra's hand and giving her a half scared, but silly, smile.
Myra releases something between a sigh and a growl, "She wants me home enough to put a bounty on me that has every organization in the islands looking for me, but she doesn't think highly enough of me to realize if she told me you were hurt I would have found a way to be home in less than a day?" Myra paces in the elevator.
"I checked! I checked as soon as I knew. But James swore he didn't know and Sky and father both insisted everyone was okay. I wouldn't have left for Slekul otherwise. I wouldn't..." Myra pauses her pacing to look back at Ayen
"That's because they all knew that everything was going to be okay, your parents are always playing their own game. Didn't you realize the timing, the bounty was posted around the same time I began to recover"
"I mean gods I hope they wouldn't send you back out unhealed!" She scratches the back of her head embarrassed "Honestly I have no idea when the bounty was set I was on a boat in the middle of the ocean for almost a month."
"I am very thankful while not by blood to be apart of the Stagwood family, and for such measures to be set upon my injury was a very kind gesture. Your parents wanted you home and while you might not see it they are aware of how much ... Pausing for a second and smiling to himself independence is a strong trait for their children"
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