(it's fine, think most people are offline in the group anyways. and I want to attempt to go to bed at a reasonable hour anyways aaaa)

Lowell Brichalles
"You'd think after all this time with this curse I'd get used to having one.." He chuckled and returned quickly to a serious tone. "You understand we needed the money. My safety at this point has been secondary and in this line of work, it will continue to be. My moment of weakness has cost us gravely and I am deeply sorry for having drawn you so far into this. You could have gone far from these lands at this point and made something of yourself. It is your decision making that worries me, Erwen."
He dropped his hood to scratch an itch behind one of his doggy ears and thought about it for a moment.
"And yes, I do think your head counts as an appendage. Not that that knowledge does us any good now. The royals have seen yours personally, there's nowhere we can go, even by day, that we won't be sniffed out."

(unfortunately I have two nobles :( but they're both Bildernian. So is Erwen. XP)

(I still have Armias to throw in wherever. Not going to put him back in the palace, but I don't think he'd leave the city overnight after that. Need some excuse to rope him and Ziva into an adventure)

(I have epic plans to have Nicote go-
THATS IT XD XD XD )


Nicote soon slipped away. His personal guards had been instructed to cover for him. He wanted to see the action, and even though he wasn't a teen anymore, he still had a lot of adventure in him.

Being a Dark element meant a lot of thing. It meant that he could slip through the shadows with relative ease, helped by his speicla powers. Which meant he got to watch the action.

Much more fun then sitting around. He'd just teleport back or something later. Disappearing and reappearing out of nowhere was normal for him.

Armias Folcard
Not that there was much going on at this point.
City guards had been posted to scour through the capital and at this rate, they were jarring his travel plans outwards. He brushed his hand over the nose of his large, silver pegasus, feeding her a few carrots saved from dinner as he stood outside the palace.

Ziva Elain
Ziva leaned against a tree beside him and sighed.
"So what now, Prince? You know we can't fly back at night on her, she'd get too spooked. Why don't we just stay in the palace for the night?"

Armias Folcard
The prince looked appalled at the mere suggestion. "With that beast still on the loose? I'd much rather risk losing Fena here to a common street thug staying in a tavern than put foot in that palace again right now."

"The safest place after an attempted killign is always the scene of the crime. It's surprisingly rare for assasins to strike twice in the same place, unlike lightning." Nanita said from up in the tree. The almost-adult girl had slipped out with all the commotion and was currently waiting for her brother to return from wandering around....again.


Nicote was, meanwhile, walking the street, hiding through shadows.

Armias Folcard
He jumped, startled, as the woman above Ziva spoke. When had she even..?!

Ziva Elain
Ziva didn't even flinch, having already seen the woman climb up as he was fetching the pegasus from the palace stables earlier.
"As I said, your Highness. You forget I was a mercenary myself once. We know these things."

Armias Folcard
"Is that street knowledge of yours the reason my kingdom even found you washed upon a shore within an inch of your life?" He seemed flustered at this point. The pegasus beside him took a step back, folding in her wings and snorting as she picked up on her master's frustration. He set his hand over her nose, trying to calm her and himself.

Ziva Elain
She gave a short laugh before returning to her normally deadpan expression.
"No. Don't be ridiculous, your Highness. I would have never failed a job or gone anywhere to get me tied up like that. You know my skill for yourself. Trust me on this much." She motioned the horse over, petting it over the mane as it took refuge next to her.

"The culprits are probably in the town. THe dumb ones never stay put. Neither do the smart ones. The smart ones get out of the country and bid their time, the dumb ones get caught." Nanita said. "And that's from firsthand experience."

Ziva Elain
Ziva noticed the prince's irritation at Nanita's deduction and decided to playfully rib him a little more.
"By the way, your Highness, you got some real big nerves calling the icy Empress of Arkaos by her first name. You two an item finally?"

Armias Folcard
"What?! N-no, no." He flushed red but it was clear he had a defeated tone to his voice.
"I would rather keep things between us as friends. For the good of both our nations. I am not foolish enough to think that I am received well in Arkaos and I certainly won't overstep with her. Besides.. My father has personally stated that he wishes I marry an elven woman above all, as is our tradition."

Ziva Elain
"So I'm still on the market for ya then." She said with another bit of a laugh. "Good thing, huh?"

Armias Folcard
He seemed taken aback by this and merely stared at his knight for any sort of follow-up. When she didn't give him anything more than a smile, he muttered quietly. "I hadn't realized you had seen me in such a light."

Ziva Elain
"Well, you're the only royal I've met that lets me call them out on being a fool. It at least counts for something. Just like you to be so oblivious to something right under your nose." She flicked one of his head hairs, causing him to swat her hand away.

Armias Folcard
He sighed, dropping his hand and head as he idly kicked at a few rocks.
"If only you were a noble, Ziva. I don't think my father or people would take well to me marrying a commoner. I would much rather have your skills in the field than you stay chained to some palace throne to rot away anyways."

Ziva Elain
"You and me both, your Highness. You're way more comfortable with that sort of lifestyle than I would ever be. I'd miss my axe. Seems nice sometimes to have the opportunity to put my feet up, but I know my place. But here's an idea and hear me out, Prince."
She stepped off the tree, folding her arms and kneeling down slightly to meet the prince at stern, eye level.
"Why don't you do yourself a favor and try to earn some standing with those in Arkaos? This assassin problem seems like something they could use your hand and my axe in. You've always been good at finding trouble with that holy magic of yours anyways."

Armias Folcard
He thought it over quietly for a few moments before resigning to his fate with an audible sigh.
"Well, you're bending my arm as it already stands, Ziva. You do have a point that I need to clean up my reputation here. My behavior enough tonight was.. embarrassing to say the least. It only stands that I take some measures to remain seen as a competent leader lest my own country find itself taken for granted when I ascend the throne."

Ziva Elain
"Nooow you're thinking with your head." She gave him a slight poke in the center of it, catching another swat from him. "Just try to not let your phobia get in the way of this again, alright?"