RP:A Sword for Neve Regina
Part of the The Lesser of Two Evils Arc
Streets of Vailkrin
The main shopping district continues here, though the broad central street of the City narrows somewhat toward the west. North is the armourer's shop, and to the south is a small stone building with a range of well-made coffins displayed along its outer walls. To the west the road is heavily lined with trees, and leads toward some sort of historic monument.
Ignatius had chosen the wooden awning of a long abandoned merchant's stall, legs dangling freely below him while a single foot swinged this way and that to the merry tune that had filled the air - a jolly little diddy born into the air from the mandolin being played by an undead knight. He did not seem at all worried about attackers even in these times of great unrest, eyes closed and body rocking to and fro as he sang his song. The words followed the same rythym that the music held - high then low then high and hold a long note, then low, high, low. "Cantami una canzone, dolce, bella fanciulla." Came forth the most recent verse, spoken in a melodic stream that seemed so out of place coming from an undead's lips. "Cantarmi una canzone questa sera. Voglio per una melodia morbida da belle labbra socchiuse, forse della primavera, quando ci siamo incontrati."
Satoshi's shopping has, at some point, acquired background music. The kit can't quite place when this has happened, as her attention's been heavily divided between admiring a recent purchase, and keeping an eye out for potential enemies among the pedestrians, but once the realization dawns upon her, she comes to a stop. "Hm~?" Vulpine ears twitching and swiveling to locate the source of the music, Satoshi's eyes eventually follow to find the undead stranger perched and playing, a sight that draws an amused, whisker-curling grin from her. Although she doesn't understand a word that's sung, the melody is enough to hold the bardic mancer's attention and coax her tails into swaying to the rhythm.
Ranok was being careful, contrary to Ignatius' fairly bold display. Traveling the streets of Vailkrin was *hard* now, compared to the relative ease it was once before to him. Traveling via airship in style was more his thing, but since Ehli had unfairly stolen her airship back that *he* had stolen fair and square from her, he was forced to walk. The indignity was nearly insufferable. Instead of walking boldly as he pleased down the steets in plain view, he did it in a half shadowy manner. Not the way he was walking, no. Instead, the man had activated one of his duster's special abilities, worked by the illusionist Kattanos. He was in half sight, a man with his outlines faded and nearly out of view. He wasn't utterly invisible, no. That took a large expenditure of energy, and he dislike spending it for something so simple. Boots that muffled his footsteps contributed to his unobtrusive nature. And those trio of lights over his shoulder trailing after...all said and done, Ranok looked like a very angry and very tall ghost. Thus said, he was pretty much ignored by the mostly dead members of Vailkrin. And that was how he liked it.
Ignatius could not help but to smile as two more leading actors in this play called life entered to the stage called Vailkrin, his pleasure at seeing at least one familar face showing in the form of a grizzled decayed grin. Moving unlike anything that looked as wasted away as he was, Ignatius slipped down from that merchant's stall and tapped down onto the ground upon one foot - the sound of armored boot hitting the ground nearly silent despite the metallic form of that boot. Here was clearly a man who danced with sword as easily as many people breathed. "La bianca regina..." Ignatius laughed happily, holding his hands out to Satoshi as one might when greeting an old friend that one had not seen in a great long time. "to what do I owe this... how you say, pleasure?"
Satoshi's eyes are briefly drawn to the prowling 'ghost' nearby, a pause of scrutiny given for that familiar means of brooding stalk and far-too-lengthy stature. Foreign words in cheerful tones draw her away, however, allowing the kit to peer closely at the swordsman greeting her so eagerly. Satsohi can't say for certain if she's seen his decayed face before, not in the poor lighting Vailkrin's twilit streets offer, but she can be certain she's never heard such a voice before. While the magus often forgets a face or name, she never forgets a voice, not when physical aspect is such an essential part of her being. Still, unknown voice or not, Satoshi's willing to play polite--albeit natural caution lurking beneath a lopsided smile flashes his way--and return the greeting with her own sing-song tones, "The pleasure's all mine, I'm sure, for having the chance to listen to that bit of song-weaving, monsieur. You must be particularly bold," or foolhardy, she silently adds, "to sing merry songs in the middle of a war-torn city~."
Ranok had moved up a little closer to the serenading knight and the kit that the singing had attracted. He'd sworn he recognized the man...and then the realization hit. Though, Draeta was a little quicker on the draw. In a whispering sigh and a toneless inflection, the armor says aloud, <Ah, the swordsmen from the other day. He is of multiple talents, isn't he?> Seen up a little closer, Ranok was easy to recognize. Small tears in the illusion were evident, too. The duster had suffered damage from the monster that had sought to kill the man the day previous, and it still wasn't quite all perfectly repaired. Enough not to warrant a second glance, but scrutiny would see the holes in the assembly. Ranok had even brought along his mist dragonette, who was determined to be female by Brina. Ranok wasn't gonna question the judgement. The misty creature only really added to the whole 'ghost' thing, though that wasn't what Ranok was really aiming for. Ranok would make a crappy ghost anyways.
Ignatius took a moment to walk in a small circle with arms held out at his sides as if to offer himself boldly to any that might be eyeing his as favorable prey. "Vegano, my queen. Vegano and I will uccidere - slay, as you might say it - any stolto who would dare lay an attack where the bianca regina treads." Finally, he stopped walking in that circle as he came to be facing Satoshi once more. Bold indeed it would seem, this undead blatantly offering challenge to any who might call him an enemy - perhaps a characteristic of a knight or perhaps just a mannerism that was all Ignatius' own. It was then that his attention shifted away from the queen of Frostmaw for a moment to look upon this ghost that approached, head tilting as hand fell to the hilt of his weapon. "And so it would seem one bold stolto approaches." But rather than act on his bold promise, Ignatius gave pause and just stared as if regarding this phantom in as much detail as he could manage. "No, not a stolto at all. Estraneo, me amico, what brings you here as well?"
Satoshi blinks. And blinks again. The fellow certainly has a way of talking, a way that might have drawn the kit into easy comfort in times before she'd learned the hard lessons that bred caution into her. It isn't outright distrust with which she looks at him, but rather a degree of wariness and confusion as she struggles to grasp the considerable familiarity he addresses her with between multi-language words. "I'm afraid I'm at a disadvantage here, monsieur. You seem to know who I am, but I can't say the same in return." Pausing, she follows the flow of conversation to the approaching Ranok, and offers the semi-visible man a waggle of ears in greeting. "You know Sir Clink as well?" At least this singing swordsman isn't working for the enemy coven, or isn't doing so openly, if he's greeting Ranok and herself so.
Ranok laconically replies, "Hy'm dead, kan hyu not see? Ghost? Do Hy need chains to rattle? Hy'm not sure vat ghosts do around here." A slight smile. He was amusing himself, at least. Then he suddenly jumps, "Ow! Hey! Klaws!" A moment to look behind him, and one would see that the mist dragonette was climbing him, like a kitten would. Only kittens didn't have claws that were getting to be an inch long. They went through the duster and ghroundium weave on account of how damn sharp they were. He grabs the errant mist dragonette, who looks back at him with bright eyes. With a touch of wounded dignity, he says, "Ghosts kan feel pain too, hyu know." He wasn't very good at this at all. Cradling the now wriggling dragonette, he says to Sato, "Aye, Hy know him. Partially, at least. Hy suppose hyu kan kount a man among you friends ven hyu use him as a veapon, huh? Vat are hyu gunna nickname dis vun? Hy'm really honestly kurious to know."
Ignatius turned his head back towards Satoshi and in a sudden motion, had dropped to a single knee with head bowed in her direction. At some point he had drawn his sword as he had fallen to kneel himself before her and now he was laying that same sword upon the ground in front of him, a gesture of laying his weapon out before her that might be recognized as an old gesture of loyalty. "Me scuse, bianca regina. A man hears much word of mouth in his travels. I am Ignatius Alessandro Dispada, la mia signora." Surely this display seemed so odd and out of place to a queen of barbarians, giants who judge valor by strength rather than by word and nobility. He did so anyways as it was what he knew and he did so with the conviction of a man who stood by what he knew. "As for Estraneo, me and him slew an ombra in the dead woods. He fought well." Ignatius paused as he watched the man do battle with his pet dragon with a bland expression washed over dead features. "If not a little unconventionally, and for that I call him a... how you say, friend."
Satoshi can't be blamed for a reaction borne by instinct, for in the instant the stranger moved and drew his sword, the kit dances backwards while voicing a shrill whistle. The airs around them take on a frosty nature, complete with half-formed razor-sharp snowdust, before the magus realizes she's not being attacked. With an almost sheepish air, Satoshi sings a word to the gathered frosts, willing them back into a vaporous form that's then drawn into the cloak of mist swirling about her. "Ahem," she coughs, by way of apology for jumping to conclusions, as well as stealing a moment to gather scattered thoughts. For she may rule a warrior kingdom of giants, but Satoshi's familiar with various courtly and knightly protocol from studies and interactions alike, and she's well aware what this gesture tends to mean. "I... have to admit, I'm curious just -what- you've heard, if you're laying your sword at my feet like that. That's not something to do lightly, monsieur Nocturne." Indeed, the seriousness of the gesture is enough to prevent Satoshi's attention from straying to Ranok, where retorts for the blacksmith and coddling words for the dragonette were intended.
Ranok sounds bemused, "SCHmitten by you beauty? Heard about you luvly voice? Chust luvs a gurl dat kan punch out dragons?" He didn't blame Sato for her hostile reaction. How many times had he done that...? He'd lost count. More squirming from the Mist Dragon, "Hey, hey. SCHtop dat. Hy take hyu on a valk for you health und dis iz vat Hy get. Kome on now, behef." He sounded cross.
Ignatius did not raise and nor did he take back up his sword, leaving it resting upon the ground in front of him. It had unarmed him to do so but this was something that did not seem to cause Ignatius any alarm of any sort. He trusted in his skills and his ability to take that sword in hand once more if they were attacked at any point. "Reputazione, my queen. You are a lady that knows how to honor her Soldati and I am a man of few more desires than to be honored for my actions. Cavaliere di commissioni - knight errant by your tongue - and that is all that I am, bound to serve whoever would take me into that service." He seemed to be pointedly ignoring Ranok at this point, letting the man deal with his dragon while Ignatius showed Satoshi his respect with his undivided attentions."
Satoshi finally looks away from the spectacle that is the kneeling knight to fix Ranok with a piercing stare. "You two fought together, you said? If you both walked away intact after trouble you were involved in, he must be capable, non?" Anyone that can escape with all their limbs and senses from fighting alongside Ranok is typically worthwhile in Satoshi's book, but it doesn't hurt to ask. Swornswords are well and good when the sword is skilled, not so much when the sword is merely earnest. Earnesty without skill is how one gets himself killed. "Ah... erm... what's 'Soldati'..? I can't tell you if you've heard right or wrong about my honoring soldati, if I don't know what that means~."
Ranok finally gets the dragonette under (more or less) control. Dragons were still feral creatures at heart, and they didn't exactly roll over, even when young. Ranok *did* know she was going to be a handful, but what creature better to stick around with the man? "Vell, yah. In de Dead Forest. He vas chust hevink a schmoke. Apparently. Hy never deed get around to askink vat de hell he vas doink in de Dead Forest uf hall places, to enjoy a pipe." Since the dragonette had calmed down, he lets it go on the ground. It immediately began romping, but unfortunately, there was nothing to hunt and no grass to pounce through. The Mist Dragonette was disappoint. Ranok stands back up, "He knows how to use his svord, dat much Hy kan vouch for. Und he's really light. Hy kan also vouch for dat." He gets a sort of smug smile, at that.
Ignatius eyed Ranok or at least turned his head in the direction of Ranok as the man spoke of Ignatius' prowess and then of his weight, managing to laugh for a moment at that last bit. "Yes, part of being undead is that much of my weight has gone to dust. It is sfortunato but tale e la vita." It was then that he turned his gaze back to Satoshi. "And I apologize for my tongue, never fully adjusted to the languages spoken these days. Soldati means soldier, champions and that sort."
Satoshi can put two and two together with Ranok's words, and a familiarity with one of Kasyr's favorite passtimes. "You threw him, didn't you?" Shaking her head, the kit returns her attention to Ignatius and nods, grinning. "Then yes, that's true about moi. Only a tyrant refuses to reward those loyal to them. So, if this is what you want, and your ability has been vouched for now, I won't refuse the offer. I promise I won't try to throw you~." It's meant mostly as a joke, but there's truth in it as well, for Ranok and her husband may enjoy turning people into projectile weapons, Satoshi doesn't possess the strength to do so. Especially since she can conjure her own potent throwing objects~.
Ranok sniffs, "Ven hyu're as big und schtrong as Hy em, hyu schtart to see veapons in everyddink. Hy see no point in not usink my resources." Then he glances over to check to see where his little dragon got off to...only to discover it was gnawing on someone's leg. The own was on the street, just chilling there, in that stunned way that mindless undead did. The former owner really didn't know how to cope and so just sat there and hoped someone else sorted it all out. He scratches his head, "Uh...do Hy...do Hy schpray her face or zumddink for dis...?"
Ignatius stood now and brought his sword back up with him, returning it to its scabbard with the grinding sound of metal on metal until the pommel finally clinked against the mouth of the sheath. "La mia vita è tua, regina." He said, words spoke like an oath more than anything else and when he was done talking, a tip of that hat was given in Satoshi's direction and then Ranok's direction. "Now that formalities are out of the way... I must confess I'm not to sure one what we should do now."
Satoshi manages a ghost of a smile, the expression more thoughtful than anything. It's not everyday a sword is sworn to you, but she's not complaining. Merely contemplating. That is, until the swordsman's following statement. "Do? I suggest getting acquainted with Steadman's wines, as I intend to. I've business to attend to still this evening, and I prefer to do so indoors." She nods in the general direction of the Hanging Corpse tavern then, thoughts already drifting toward a bottle of blood wine waiting for her.
Ranok glances around. A few undead that were more sharp on the uptake were noticing the one with the missing leg. Attention he didn't really want. "Hy tink it's about time Hy get de hell out uf here. Over schtayed my velcome, at henny rate." He directions to Ignatius, "In kase hyu didn' know: Sato und her husbund, Kas, hain't eksactly too velcome in dis town. Hy don' kare how skilled vith a blade hyu are: be subtle. If de Rebels find hyu, dey'll kill hyu. Again. Und dey're not eksactly push overs. So subtly iz de name uf de game. If hyu kare about you onlife, at henny rate." He yanks the leg from the dragonette and pitches it. Unfortunately, this just became a game of fetch. The thing goes racing off, and Ranok goes after it to grab the creature so he could indeed get the hell out of the city. And that would be how the smith departed. Smooth as butter, he was.