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The Wandering Warrior Part 1


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Evangeline starts, surprise evident on her face. "Lady Crofte... I have said things of your nature, as a dog of the state. Lately, I must admit, they have been in jest."

 

She almost looks hurt, "Surely you must mean those words in jest as well... despite being in poor taste." She meets Crofte's glare, "We are all of one people, Lady Crofte. What diminishes the one diminishes us all."

 

She touches the rough unfinished braid the child had started, "Even your liege can recognize that, despite her inaction." She sets her feet, "If your words are true, then begone from this place. Your presence will bring nothing but poison."

 

"Go back in that gate and lick the boots of your taskmasters. The people of this camp do not need another sneering bitch to mock their plight."

 

Evangeline almost shakes as she spits out the last few words, looking up at Crofte with squared feet.

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She looked down at the Elezen with a sense of smug satisfaction at finally having turned the woman's words against her. Her glare turned to a smirk.

 

"I do not speak in jests. If you mistake my sense of duty for a lack of sympathy, that is your own laps in judgement. As a foreigner, this here..." She gestured to the camp behind them "... is your domain. You wish to improve their lot? Then you are welcome to it with mine blessing."

 

She turned the bird back towards the gate all the while pointing to it once more and looking back to Evangeline.

 

"As a servant to her Grace, that is my domain. It is by our sacrifice that it remains standing even today. And by that selfsame sacrifice is your domain permitted to exist along side of it. We shall both go to lick the respective boots of our masters, though the ones I lick have given more to stand here than those you do."

 

With that she spurred the mount onward is if to return through the gate.

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"Miss, who?" 

 

So that was her name, Crofte.

 

 

"No, not specifically." speaking to Franz. "I believe I met her once in Natalie's company, but that is the extent of our acquaintance." 

 

He listens to both their conversation, trying to understand the extent of the conflict between the two. This class conflict is something that confuses him; yes there are different levels within his society, but only for the Nuhn's...even then it wasn't as he remembered. He turns to Franz. 

 

"Could you expla- EY!"

 

Norrington has taken it upon himself to reveal his position, walking boldly over to where Eva stands, more than curious about the new arrival. The tension having stirred his own protective nature as he moves to Eva. The hiss from G'leo does startle the drake, but he stands plain in view before the gate.

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Evangeline stands, quivering in anger as Crofte heads back to the city gate. She looks around, before finally spotting a wooden bucket, used by the denizens of the camp to void their bowels.

 

She grabs it by the handle, swinging it around several times before launching the sloshing mess at Crofte's back.

 

She turns, and walks away, face dark. She attempts to grab Norrington's scales and direct him back towards the camp as she leaves.

 

"Tyrannical... cold hearted.... cunt." She mutters angrily.

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Both Norrington and G'leo stare dumbfounded. Norrington, who is currently being attempted to hustle along, isn't. He barely budges as Eva pulls on his scales. Who knew that drake's could be so suprised themselves.

G'leo doesn't know what "cunt" means, but he can imagine it's not good.

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The bucket clattered to the ground a moment later, now free of its contents. It rolled a few feet down the slope from the gate before a small stone turned it sideways from its course. Coatleque had stopped, her hands raised shoulder length to either side with her back arched. Her head was scrunched down as if to duck something, her eyes closed and mouth hung open in utter disbelief. One of the Blades at the gate snickered at first till the look of fear by the second quieted him.

 

The bird below her was seemingly unphased by any of this still and it merely cocked its head from side to side, changing its view as needed. She finally let out an incredulous gasp with a few blinks of her eyes.

 

"You... bitch..."

 

She could have turned back. Perhaps she should have. Everything in her being cried out for it. On the other hand she was afraid to move as something started to seep between the scales on her back. She kept her eyes straight ahead and she saw the look of the one Blade trying as best he could not to laugh. It may have been his presence alone that stayed her hand.

 

Remembering who she was and that all eyes were now on her whether she wanted them or not, she took up the reins again. "Twleve forfend this woman from my hand... this is not over.", she sneered before spurring the bird on once more back into the city.

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Evangeline stands, quivering in anger as Crofte heads back to the city gate. She looks around, before finally spotting a wooden bucket, used by the denizens of the camp to void their bowels.

 

She grabs it by the handle, swinging it around several times before launching the sloshing mess at Crofte's back.

 

She turns, and walks away, face dark. She attempts to grab Norrington's scales and direct him back towards the camp as she leaves.

 

"Tyrannical... cold hearted.... cunt." She mutters angrily.

The bucket clattered to the ground a moment later, now free of its contents.  It rolled a few feet down the slope from the gate before a small stone turned it sideways from its course.  Coatleque had stopped, her hands raised shoulder length to either side with her back arched.  Her head was scrunched down as if to duck something, her eyes closed and mouth hung open in utter disbelief.  One of the Blades at the gate snickered at first till the look of fear by the second quieted him.

 

The bird below her was seemingly unphased by any of this still and it merely cocked its head from side to side, changing its view as needed.  She finally let out an incredulous gasp with a few blinks of her eyes.

 

"You... bitch..."

 

She could have turned back.  Perhaps she should have.  Everything in her being cried out for it.  On the other hand she was afraid to move as something started to seep between the scales on her back.  She kept her eyes straight ahead and she saw the look of the one Blade trying as best he could not to laugh.  It may have been his presence alone that stayed her hand.

 

Remembering who she was and that all eyes were now on her whether she wanted them or not, she took up the reins again.  "Twleve forfend this woman from my hand... this is not over.", she sneered before spurring the bird on once more back into the city.

 

Koporo could not believe what he had just seen. Originally, he was out and about trying to get the jump on the local Cactuars, hoping for a chance to end the day with a warm bowl of Cactus Soup, but those plans had just been reprioritized by the sight of a bucket, containing Thal-knows-what, launched at none other than his mentor and dear friend, Coatleque Crofte. 

 

He stared for a few moments at her, barely keeping her composure midst the mocking laughter of Brass Blades, unsightly and thoroughly humiliated. If one were to peer into his little mind, they would've seen the gears inside grind to a sudden and violent halt, spraying sparks that set the grease ablaze. His gaze then turned to Evangeline, or who he assumed was Evangeline; it was difficult to make out shapes with his sight having gone blood-red with fury. This...This was not about to go unpunished. Whether it was written law that forbade it or common decency, this act against Crofte could not, would not be tolerated. 

 

He dug his heels into the dirt and spurred himself forward, straight pass Evangeline as she turned around, mumbling obscenities to herself, and into the camp. He darted from tent to tent, earning the curious gaze of multiple onlookers following him with their eyes as he sped about, a man on a mission. Finally, he found what he needed in the nearby water: a live Orobon, waddling about on its fins, stalks aroused by what it deemed to be a tiny man charging towards it with all piss and vinegar. The poor thing had no idea what was about to happen.

 

Koporo grabbed the fish by the tail, tore it from the waters it called home, and spun it round and round in the air as Evangeline entered his crosshairs in the distance. Finally, with one powerful swing of the arm, he launched the Orobon in her direction, the fish's mouth agape with shock.

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*CHOMP*

 

*Crunch*

 

*Chew, chew, chew* 

 

Norrington, having caught the flying fish in his mouth with dexterous ease, swings the Orobon in his mouth and smashes it's head on the ground for good measure. The calvary drake bites down hard on the innocent creature, severs it's life line, and shoots a dangerous glare towards the one who threw it at Eva; the same look that G'leo is now giving the newcomer. He would've been unseen if he had not decided to cause such a commotion as he ran through the camp, but because G'leo and Norrington the calvary drake have been on quite high alert since the arrival of the, now departed, Sultansworn, he became an easy target for the hunters' eyes.

 

"YOU THERE! Be Gone! If you are looking to stir up trouble you will find yourself outmatched! Leave us to our own business and you can run along and deal with your own. Test the patience of the people and myself and you will be the one swallowed by the Sundrake!"

 

The "onlookers" clearly don't support Koporo's actions; many of them being refugees that Eva has assisted prior to her little fiasco. They brandish makeshift weapons and glare threateningly at the troublemaker. "Outmatched" is a bit of an understatment right now; even Myst, the small refugee girl who has somehow made it outside of her mother's tent without her noticing, is sticking her tongue out at "Meanie-Chocobo-dung-face" who wanted to hurt her friend, Eva. 

 

G'leo gives a one last, challenging glare to the Orobon-flinger, before turning to Franz, who has seemingly begun to space out beside him. 

 

"Franz? Are you alright?" He shakes the man's shoulder, trying to snap him out of his trance.

 

Norrington has taken it upon himself to walk with Eva now. She has acquired a new guardian for the time being, and Norrington has acquired a new, tasty dinner.

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Franz mostly just stood, half-watching what was going on around him. Vague murmurs of insults, a bucket, a person that had lived in 'that house', and a fish. He honestly was apathetic to the situation Evangeline had found herself in. Lady Crofte had seemingly done nothing to deserve the treatment, but he hadn't really paid attention.

 

Here and there, there'd be a flash of something in his head. A fire. Gunshots. Screams. The sound of metal cutting into different materials. In some of the flashes, he saw her. Lydia. He was sure she had called him by name as well, but he could never hear it clearly.

 

"Are you alright?"

 

He felt someone shaking him a little. While the flashes had previously been few and far between, they were happening much quicker now, sometimes more than one at a time. He didn't entirely know if the voice had been from one of them, or if it was from someone at the camp. In a reply to it, "n-no. Too much." A few more words. "Too much on my mind." He needed to get away. Find somewhere to lie down and close his eyes. Maybe that would make them stop. Or at least not all happen at once.

 

Attempting to focus on just the desert right now, he began walking towards the gate. 

 

"Inn."

 

"Room."

 

He had to work for the Eorzean words to come out. His steps were slow and even-paced. With any luck, there would be none in the way of his path. Franz blankly continued onwards, squinting a little for each new flash.

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Norrington scoffs a plume of smoke in the direction of Koporo, but even his mood is shifting with his tasty treat in his mouth. He can sense that Eva is tense, so he decides a nice pat for himself would make her feel better; he attempts to encourage her by nudging his head against her hand as she walks, snorting a few times to try and catch her attention. He might even offer her some of his food. If she scratches his belly of course.

 

Meanwhile:

 

G'leo watches as Norrington escorts Eva further into the camps, sighing with relief. Norrington already knows what needs to be done, the drake has conveyed so to him by the connection they both share; however, G'leo's attentions now are focused on Franz. He walks alongside the man, keeping a wary eye around them as they both head back into the city. The least he can do is make sure the man makes it back to the city safely; even if G'leo is on edge, and Franz in a less than talking mood. 

 

As they move towards the gate the brass blade guard looks at the pair; stiffening as G'leo pauses in front of him. 

 

"Get lost savage, we don't need your kind causing anymore trouble."

 

G'leo blinks once at the man, and carries on with Franz through the gate. G'leo's now set on a new mission...finding the Sultansworn, and hopefully...clearing this mess up.

 

He will follow Franz as far as to the inn, afterwards he begins searching the city.

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Kopo didn't know what was worse in this situation. The fact that his plan had failed, that there was a Drake now puffing smoke in his damned face, or that the onlookers had amassed and begun surrounding him. Outmatched, he quietly muttered a "Twelve dern it..." to himself as he backed away from the increasingly angry group. 

 

"Alright, alright, I'm leavin'!" he yelled as he slowly circled around the camp, making his way back to the entrance of the city. Once finally far away from the group of angry refugees, he adopted a more defeated posture, sulking his way back behind the city walls, midst the laughter of those very same Brass Blades that had mocked his superior, moments before. He tried his best to ignore it, but it still found a way to stab its way into his heart.

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Evangeline walks back, saying horribly unintelligble things, until finally she pauses, feeling a rough object scraping against the outside of her leg. "Kfffttthsssssss" The drake says hopefully, looking up at her with its black orbs. She looks down, seeing a bit of fin still potruding from his mouth.

 

She laughs, in spite of it all, patting him on the head, enjoying the rough warmth of his scales. She waves to the murming crowd, who slowy scatter and return to their tents now that the prospect of a riot has passed.

 

Evangeline watches G'leo head into the city, and sighs, continuing to pet and sratch the drake, unsure if he can even feel it beneath his scales. "I guess I have to watch you for the night, hmmm?"

 

Scratching under his chin, "Well at least you won't need to be fed." She laughs again, before her mood sobers and she looks back at the city. "So she's like all the rest, isn't she Norrington? Despite what others had said."

 

She shakes her head as she leads the Drake away from the walls, "And I thought we might be friends..."

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Norrington seems more than happy for the attention Eva gives him, even if he can't visually express it; mostly because he doesn't know how to smile properly without giving people a heart attack. 

 

He swallows what remains of his dinner and then proceeds to rub his head against her hand. Truth be known, he can't really feel it where the scales are thicker and tougher, but he does have a nice, soft, warm underbelly that is lightly covered in smaller scales. That's where he likes to be scratched the most.

 

Myst walks up to Eva, pulling on her shirt. "Lady, where is mister lion going?"

 

Norrington looks back to G'leo, huffing. If carefully observed, one might notice a look of determination cross its face, but the drake lets it fade as quickly as it might be seen. 

 

Eva's scratching his chin now; he likes this even more.

 

"Also, also, also..." Myst continues without pause. "You are super cool! And GROOOOOOSS. You threw poop!"

 

Norrington follows her quietly into the camp. It's going to be a long while before he will see his master again.

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