Patience was a virtue in her.
At least, in that moment, she discovered. As they strode down the panelled corridor, the light from the evenly spaced windows making the glistening knotwork stand as a testimony to nature, she kept her head high. And her mouth shut. Beside her Veridian paced, a gleam in his eye and a smirk on his vulpine lips, thinking the same thoughts as her. Thoughts of, "Shut it, Shinsou, I was the one who asked you first," and, "Stop being all philosophical and just get to the point. We are here to fight, you should know that you idiot."
Over time she had learnt he did this. His intelligence was a strong element in his personality - that was clear, and it had in part assisted them in the past. Philomel considered the most recent time she and her comrades had seen him; deep in the underbelly of the cavernous world, where inky, tentacled monsters had threatened their existence. There Shinsou had shown bravity and keen strategy, calling out suggestions of position, stance and attack plan. Right up until his apparent demise he had proved himself to been a keen-spirited warrior, with sharp senses and a mind that loved to plan. Indeed, he was clever but now ...
Now he was sounding positively arrogant.
"I live by a philosophy; that from the smallest actions, the manipulation of the most subtle critical points, the universe and its workings can be moved."
Sucking in her breath she bit back the desire to retort and continued on her way. She knew what power was - for the sake of Drys she had been fighting for her right to her own body and life since she had been born. Subtle critical points ... sure.
Her eager eyes scanned the skyline of Whitevale from the windows they passed, taking in the sights of the place she had never been, only heard of. As the Brotherhood's Stronghold it was an ideal world to get to know well. They were, after all one of the Gilded Lily's closest allies. At least aquaintances in terms of the Guild logistics.
A question hung in the air, asking if they were prepared to do what was necessary.
With a grunt, Philomel pushed past the humans, her eyes flickering over to the female. Tall and beautiful Lillith Kasumi seemed the spirit of grace. And by the way she elgeantly moved, she seemed someone that Philomel certainly would get on with. Barely had the woman spoke - just a brief hello in that silky, darling voice of hers, before Shinsou had started his rant. The faun guessed, or perhaps rather hoped, that Lillith had some persuasion towards the assassin-whore-fighter-piratical hybrid that Philomel had been over her life - at least been in part at points. With a wry smile to her, and a slight roll of the eyes to Shinsou's words to communicate what she felt, Philomel moved straight past the Telgradian and in through the doors. Behind her Veridian scrabbled, claws clinking on the floorboards, and somewhere from beneath her hair the faun felt the form of Mao the rabbit peek out.
She came to the sight of a large rectangular table, strewn with maps, papers, candles and goblets. Looping up one hand behind her neck she brought down Mao, setting him right on top of the papers. Immediately the rabbit began to sniff around the place, nose twitching, paws gently moving but not straying far from his faun. Over to them Veridian traipsed, leaping up himself onto the paper and nosing them. His eyes settled on a giant map of Althanas and he chuckled a keep growl from his throat before finding the wine for Philomel.
Here, he told her, patting at it with a paw.
Twisting her head back around to the seemingly stunned and still Shinsou, Philomel let out a beaming smile as she reached for the wine - and stopped Veridian from knocking it all over the table and its strategic documents.
"Now that that is over, Shinsou, shall we actually get to the task in hand? Rather than being hypothetical and all philosophical? I think my dear new friend ... Lillith, was it? I think she and I know exactly where we are going and do not need any persuasion in the slightest. On a personal degree I have seen what Lye Ulroke is capable of, what he has done." She paused, reaching for a goblet to pour the wine into. "Besides, it was I who wrote to you, asking for your help. You did not ask me here, I came because it was my intention to anyway. Otherwise we would have met at the walls of the Seventh Sanctum and then ... well."
She swigged back a mouthful of the red liquid, eyes dancing. "Ah yes, and Delath can carry three of us, I think, though not far. The way into the Sanctum is not ... easy. It is full of monsters of many dark types, and the mountain pass is treacherous. It is possible to die on the route, and the area is filled with his agents. We must go just us three and swift. End Ulroke where his heart of power lies. In the throne room, before the chair made of bones. But to do that we have to be quiet and strong-willed."
Nodding once to herself, she surmised to herself that what she had said was good. Pulling the rabbit back towards her she drank, and waited for the others to consider her suggestions.
Submit Thread for Judgment
Reply With Quote