diatu | [Adventure] (Open!)

[Adventure] (Open!)

Who: Eleven, Hendrik, and OPEN
When: April 26th
Where: Magicademy > Docks
What: Adventure! The Empress's Package

Most people, by now, know to make themselves scarce when Headmaster Birony emerges from her office to walk the grounds. Unfortunately for you, you practically walked into her coming around a corner.

"Oh, hello!" she says, immediately shoving a box into your hands. "Take this to the docks and have them take it to the Empress of Noa. Thanks!"

And just like that, she's gone.

The package is light, fortunately, though the weight of carrying it will be heavy indeed -- a family of Ghostwalkers, Noa's infamous thieves and assassins that clearly have nothing to do with ninja at all, has already infiltrated the Magicademy looking for that very package. They'll stop at nothing to claim it!

---------

"Oh.."

Eleven stared at the package, then glanced back up and around with a question on his lips, but it was too late. He hummed a short, inquisitive note, then shelved his plans for the weekend. The Headmaster had given him a task, and he knew the Empress personally. Surely he could deliver it for her.

Matter settled, Eleven tucked the package under his arm and turned toward the Promenade with idle thoughts and casual steps. He walked for all of a few minutes before a creeping awareness rose in his shoulders and fluttered anxiously in his stomach. Casual glances about revealed flickering shadows that seemed to follow him at a steadily decreasing distance.

Not again, he lamented, steps speeding up until he was forced to break into a run. Why am I always being chased?

But running a zig-zagging pattern through the school grounds revealed that his pursuers weren't fellow students this time. Their silent pursuit and shadowed movements spoke of formal training that sent his pulse skyrocketing.

Yggdrasil above, Hendrik was going to make him train until he dropped after this was over and he'd be lucky to have enough energy for his homework ever again, but it didn't look like he had a choice.

Eleven veered off toward the courtyard, praying the knight would be there.

"Hendrik!" he called, stopping only for a moment to catch his breath. He wheezed through the rest. "Pursuers- don't fight. Package. Docks!"

And without further warning than that, Eleven zipped away toward the main gate, heart in his throat and trusting his protector to follow.

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Hendrik had been out in the courtyard practicing with his sword. By all rights, he should be practicing with his wand, but he was a swordsman all of his life and he wasn't about to give it up.

The sword whipped through the air with sharp precision, almost seeming as if it could slice the invisible element itself. It never hurt to not be ready just in case the worst should happen and one of his enemies from home decided to show up. And it occured to him that maybe he should have some very sturdy wooden dummies to be installed here.

The knight raised his sword again and then spotted a very familiar head of brown hair running. By the heavens, what was going on? Why was the Luminary running? Was it more bullies? Did the boy need yet more training?

And then the other said his name, then barely caught something about pursuers and not to fight and to go to the docks was about all he heard. With a scowl, a yell, and sword in hand, all he could do was follow the Luminary.

Some things would never change.

He barely had time to feel apologetic and Eleven swore to himself that he wouldn't complain about Isabel waking him up to go running ever again once this was over.

But first.

Breaking away from the school itself was simple enough, but navigating Anastara proved challenging on normal days, and the docks were an entire three rings down the city. Eleven raced through the streets, trying to be mindful not to lose Hendrik while actively attempting to lose their pursuers. Oh, but the city was so full of narrow streets and oddly-shaped buildings that paranoia was swift to sink in. They could come from any direction. He found himself yearning for an open plaza if only to find out how many there were.

Who even were they?

Chest heaving until breathing became nearly painful, Eleven threw caution to the wind in a sudden, sharp turn and crashed into a nearby shop. He turned wild eyes around the interior and patrons themselves, then swiftly tucked himself under a flight of stairs. He cradled the package to his chest and fought to regain his breath.

"Stay.. inside," he urged them. "Not safe. Wait.. til I leave.."

It was a good thing that Hendrik actually had experience tracking down the Luminary though that wasn't for honorable purposes. This felt no different though it entirely was. He too could sense that the boy was being hunted which did nothing but make him angrier. He didn't mind being hunted, but he did mind when he didn't know who or why was behind it.

Finally, Eleven dashed into a shop where the patrons and staff were admittedly shocked and dismayed. But this gave the knight time to stand guard near the door.

His two-handed sword was in his hands, and with it, Hendrik feared nothing and no one. Though his wand hung suspended from his belt just in case he needed it, the thing was never the first thing he would ever reach for in either offense or defense.

Questions would have to come later, the shop and especially the Luminary needed his aid right now.

Praying all the while, Eleven remained crammed under those stairs until he could breathe again and his legs promised to hold him. When he opened his eyes, several pairs of suspicious others stared back. He offered them a weak smile as he emerged from the little nook.

"Sorry," he said. "But they'll follow me away from here."

The patrons and staff of the shop had no idea what he was talking about, but it didn't matter if they were safe in the end. He breathed a sigh and stepped out of the shop with a hand on his sword.

And well enough he did, for all he was grateful to see Hendrik, their pursuers had seen him and were dropping down into view. Daggers flashed in slots of sunlight. Their precise movements reminded him of Erik and the types of people found in downtown Heliodor.

"Hand it over, boy, and no one gets hurt."

Eleven grit his teeth and pulled his sword from its scabbard. "You're thieves," he returned, certain. "This is meant for the Empress."

"Thieves?" Another chorused. "I think I'm insulted. But what can you expect out of a Sundered and his dog?"

Blood pulsed in his ears. "We're breaking through," he told his protector. "Then making for the second ring."

"This dog will send you into the next world." Hendrik snarled at the nearest thief. But at least a little of what the Luminary was doing at this point came clear. At least, as clear as it could be with what little information that he had at the present moment.

"Breaking through? You mean to run from this rabble?" At this point Hendrik is wanting to make a stand, but in the end he knows he has to obey the Luminary.

Snarling in frustration, the knight turned to look at Eleven. "Go and I shall cover you. And after that, I shall trample these underlings."

Distantly, he was aware that he was commanding the knight sworn to his service, but he'd worry about it later. Right now, all he knew was that the man had a difficult time running from any fight- probably because he was used to winning them.

"We don't know how many there are," he reasoned, feeling eyes on the back of his neck. There was surely at least one on the roof above, but until they moved out from the overhang.. "And I don't want to kill anyone. They'll follow me and won't let you delay them. We can trounce them when we make it to the docks."

A thief sneered. "Brave words, but we're assassins, boy. We'll gut you in an alley along the way and not lose a wink of sleep over it."

And all right, that casual promise of death definitely shook his confidence a bit, but he refused to back down.

"Shield!" He called, raising the point of his sword skyward for a moment. Magic rippled through the air in a brief shimmer, wrapping around him in a near-invisible layer of protection.

He leapt forward, sword swinging wide into a pair of thieves that predictably jumped out of harm's way. Knives flew in his direction and bounced off his shield as he charged through the new opening.

Edited 2019-04-24 21:40 (UTC)

Hearing the assassin's words made Hendrik snarl more, but he held his words back. Words meant nothing to these scum and the knight would refuse to not kill anyone who threatened or harmed the Luminary.

The knight blinked as the shield was raised and he wished that he still had his healing and buffs. So attempting whatever magic was as close to that as possible was something that Hendrik would definitely have to look into.

Raising his great sword, Hendrik went right after the thieves that threw the knives. They were going down first.

Eleven grit his teeth and didn't let himself look back until he was well away down the alley.

"Hendrik!" he called back to his guardian, able to distantly make out the man's flashing sword and crumbling opponents. "The docks!"

But he paid for the moment. Shadows that mirrored his path on the rooftops threw a dagger that grazed his shoulder. He hissed, heart dropping as proof of his vulnerability prevailed. Apparently the warding spell didn't last long.

Eleven tore around a corner and spotting an overhang overlooking the second ring, dropped to the ground below. He took off again at a sprint, words on his lips and hammering in his chest a prayer for Hendrik's well-being.

Hendrik heard the Luminary calling his name, but for what purpose? Enemies were dropping like flies around him and he was ready to continue his assault. These men were after his charge for some package or other and the knight was always ready to defend his charge.

But then he noticed the other running and Hendrik had to pull his sword out of some slimey..something or other before snarling. He was relishing this chance to put his blade to use and then he had to go chase after the Luminary again.

Vaguely he recalled the word docks and he took off at a furious pace. What he wouldn't give to have Obsidian here with him at this moment.

Belatedly, Eleven realized that he didn't know his way around the Second Ring much at all. There was the Town Square... but that was it, really. The rest of it- between ducking assailants and zigzagging through narrow, unfamiliar streets, he was soon lost. Docks, he'd told Hendrik. Third Ring. If only he could get there..!

Fortunately he ran into Tenn and with his help, managed to escape the Second Ring. With feet firmly in the Third Ring, Eleven kept one eye out for pursuers and another for Hendrik, all while taking the most direct route to the docks themselves.

The knight was busy fighting and managed to smile during combat. This was what he'd missed being here. So he felled as many enemies as he could and didn't feel bad at all since it was his sworn duty to be the Luminary's sword and shield through thick and thin.

He'd seen Eleven take off, but well Hendrik had his duties to attend to and he couldn't be pursuing the other at the moment. Enemy after enemy fell to his greatsword and every single one down meant one less that would be pursuing his oath sworn charge.

After looking down on the ground, he had mere seconds to be happy because then he sheathed his great sword and went after the Luminary.

Apparently, his pursuers had the same thought. Eleven emerged at the docks with no oath-sworn protector in sight. He raised his sword and called for another warding spell, then shoulder stinging, ducked, ran, and swung out in turn to defend himself.

He was still largely outnumbered, and fighting one-handed certainly didn't help matters.

As he ran, the knight knew that he was being pursued. But it didn't matter to him because he could fight all of them later. The only person he cared about at the moment was the Luminary, he had to reach him.

Finally the other was in sight and seemingly outnumbered. Hendrik picked up his pace and jumped into the fray with his broadsword to break the ring of men that had surrounded the Luminary. He would take every last one of them down before he'd let Eleven suffer.

Edited 2019-05-26 21:11 (UTC)

The commotion had not failed to attract attention. Particularly the attention of an omnic programmed to identify the sounds of combat and prioritize them for attention.

"Shine your eyes!"

Both allies and enemies got only this warning before Orisa plowed into the fray, bowling over people with reckless disregard for safety to reach the center of the circle.

"Hendrik! Orisa."

The latter was a shock, but Eleven couldn't be more grateful. He tucked the package more closely to himself and turned his back to his new allies in order to brandish his sword at the ones that had come up behind him.

"We need to take them down so this package can be safely delivered to the Empress!"

Edited (Icon) 2019-06-19 17:44 (UTC)

The knight had to move back as a familiar form came crashing into the battle. Hendrik grinned to see Orisa, having fought beside her before with Cliff. She was certainly a most welcome addition.

"Be on your guard!" Hendrik warned to the Luminary, fighting his way to get through to his charge. His plan was to go back to back as they'd done back home facing the hordes of monsters who had threatened the Last Bastion.

Edited 2019-06-21 23:24 (UTC)

"My programming requires I use nonlethal force! Do not force me to override that!" Orisa fired off a stream of warning shots into the fray, then whirled her body around to straight-up clock a dude in the face and drop him. Pushing herself to the side of the humans, she put her back to them to guard their flank and support their push to the docks. "I shall keep you safe!"

The touch of Hendrik's back and metal of Orisa's arm provided all the strength he needed. His spine straightened, and confidence surged into a grin.

"Thank you, Orisa. ..Hendrik, don't kill them if you can avoid it."

Understanding that he was the target here, Eleven summoned another warding spell and much as he'd like to jump into the fray himself, instead took to shadowing either of his allies to avoid being separated and singled out.

It was almost comical to hear Orisa say something about not using lethal force, and then turn around and drop someone by punching them right in the face.

After the person dropped, the knight looked up at her and grinned. He was definitely glad that she was on their side.

Turning back to the Luminary, he just shook his head at the words spoken and ducked to avoid a bunch of crossbolts. Well, there was only one way to fight them and he charged so that they didn't have the room needed to do that again.

The warding spell came in after he'd taken down about five of the crossbolt wielders and was glad it had been him that was their target and not Eleven.

That wasn't lethal at all! Heck, she can use nonlethal force with a fusion driver. She's well-programmed.

Missile weapons pinged harmlessly off her armor as she shielded the two with raw bulk and presence, firing her fusion driver to force their assailants behind cover. "I'm not moving!" she declared, more as a matter of principle than actual refusal.

Anastara is a city of ever-changing circumstance and fantasy, and Tenn has come to expect the unexpected: chimeras on the docks, questionable items in market stalls, unwarranted spells fired by rogue wizards, to name a few. Even by those standards, the sight of his normally easygoing colleague hurdling through the streets is enough to make him freeze in alarm.

But one does not live as a celebrity in a big city and end up a fool. Under the guise of following a peddler, Tenn breaks off his route to cross the street. He gazes up the way Eleven came. There doesn’t appear to be any further commotion. A stalker? Sundered antagonism? Another cart rolling by lends a hiding spot before Tenn ducks in to check on his schoolmate huddled in a shadowed doorway.

"You’re in a rush." Tenn’s tone is brisk even as he keeps to a whisper. This is not one of Eleven's casual runs or training exercises. He’s never seen him this frightened before, and the worry echoes on Tenn’s features. "Is someone following you?"

A friendly face. His shoulders relax by degrees, but he keeps the package clutched tightly to himself. Not for the first time, he wonders what it even is.

"I don't know who they are," he confessed, though really, that only made them all the more threatening. "But they have training and they're definitely hunting me. I think they're after this. ..I'm supposed to have it delivered to Noa."

That only raises more questions, though Tenn doesn't doubt Eleven is telling the truth as he understands given the circumstance. "How did you end up with– never mind. Where are you taking it?"

With business-like efficiency, Tenn reaches into his sleeve to retrieve, not his wand, but a slender set of bracelets with little bells. He spares a glance over his shoulder - the street is busy with pedestrian traffic, so they have time. Whether these mysterious people are chasing the box or the boy, they only need one solution for both, right? "I can create a decoy to buy time, but you must hold still."

"The docks," he answered with a nervous glance around, then answered his classmate's partial question as well. "The Headmaster entrusted it to me."

Eleven eyed the bracelets, briefly worried their tinkling might attract attention.

"Okay," he agreed, stilling. "..A decoy of me?"

"Yes." Tenn slides the bracelets to rest on the heel of his left hand. The jingling is soft, lost under the street noise. Starting a steady beat to a song held in mind, he focuses his full attention on Eleven.

This is just like memorizing choreography. It has to be perfect. The colors, shapes, the way things move... an audience won't believe an illusion without any substance in reality. He takes in Eleven’s wind-blown hair, the way his clothing rests and the shadows in the folds, and his tight expression, all with the professional scrutiny of an artist.

There is a ripple in the air beside Eleven... manifesting into another Eleven. It blurs and sharpens, wavers and steadies... it's taking more concentration than he thought, but it’s an acceptable replica. He'll have to be especially careful when navigating the street.

"I'll go ahead." Breaking eye-contact for just a moment, Tenn glances up the road. "There's a wagon train coming this way. Hide behind it and follow it as long as you can."

The tightness in his jaw softened to surprise as he took in the doppelganger beside him. He'd believe it, if he weren't himself, but that meant Hendrik would too. ..He'd have to find his protector and alert him somehow.

Eleven followed Tenn's gaze, taking in the plan with an apprehensive flip in his stomach.

"Will you be okay?" he asked before he could stop himself.

But he would have to be, because there wasn't time for assurances if Tenn was going ahead while he took to follow the wagon train. He cast a final glance at his classmate before they parted, then moved with all the deft swiftness he could muster.

Edited 2019-04-28 22:46 (UTC)

"I have some experience dealing with stalkers." Tenn says with a wink. (Hopefully, Eleven won't ask questions after this is over.) Before he can process his own rising anxiety, he moves into action.

As the wagon train approaches, Tenn sends his projection ahead of him; illusionary Eleven hurries down the street in the same manner Tenn observed shortly before. But never more than several yards from Tenn who steps out to resume his stroll to the Third Ring. After years of wearing costumes with all manner of accoutrements, walking in just the right way lends steady chiming from his bracelets to keep up the mirage.

If all goes well, he can maintain the spell long enough to throw off pursuers. If not... he has a few more tricks up his sleeves. Tenn takes a deep breath, focuses ahead, and leaves his classmate to make his escape.

It's amazing magic. Eleven marvels at the realism of his illusionary self, and moreso that the shadows flitting around follow it. He doesn't know how long it will last, but if he can make it to the Third Ring without being pursued, he has a greater chance of reaching the docks before they realize it's a false lead.

Eleven throws a grateful smile to Tenn's back and makes a note to return the favor somehow later.

In the meantime.. Eleven casts a fruitless gaze about for his protector. He's lost Hendrik in his desperate flight through the Second Ring. He hopes the man doesn't fall for Tenn's little trick as well. But Hendrik knew his destination and he doesn't have time to search for him for long.

He waits until he's somewhat sure that his false self is away before breaking off from the wagon train and pelting his way toward the Third Ring from another direction.

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