His single good eye rolled in his head, but Emil made no comment on the plans that were tossed back and forth across the table. Had he an approximation of Zeus’s weight, he could tell those assembled just how much of the vial they needed to use to make sure it was a lethal dose. However, he highly doubted that anyone would have such pivotal information. So, he sat and listened, his attention bouncing from face to face, person to person, as he took in their words and continued to mentally berate each and every one of them.

A simple plan was the best plan and in times of war, why be convoluted?

It seemed as if the planning and scheming for the day had ended so Emil gladly stood from his spot at the table, gave a nod, and quickly swept out of the room. He wanted to explore the fortress, really, as he hadn’t been inside a castle yet during his tenure in TerraSphere, but having a bandit flanking his every move or questioning why he was in a certain location would probably be more vexing than anything. Thus, his enjoyment would be rendered null.

It was while alone that he was found…or so he thought.

Surprise flickered within the depth of his golden eye, his lips curving into a pleasant smile as his attention zeroed in on Vivian. He took in her face first, devouring her hooded gaze and the temptation that was her full lower lip, before feasting upon the delight which was her cleavage. He could have stepped back, taken in the rest of her form, but Emil was a gentleman first and foremost, even if the closeness of this woman spiked his temperature more than his manipulation of fire magic did.

I daresay you look better without the fluffy ears, he murmured with a chuckle.

He was caught off guard at her forwardness and found himself literally cornered with the length of her voluptuous from pressed tantalizingly against him. It made it difficult to concentrate on the words she whispered into his ear, but he caught the gist of it all. He returned her smile as she pulled away from him, the lust within her gaze matched by the intensity in his.

It would be my absolute pleasure. Tell me something, my lovely bunny girl; have you ever had those fantasizes fulfilled under the stars? I’ll provide enough heat for us both.

Tracker​

 

Endilix could feel the disgust emanating from the bandit king as he spoke. It was the same type of arrogance Endilix was used to dealing with thanks to his brother. It wasn't that Endilix could blame him, but arrogance wouldn't have helped them here. Though, as Endilix understood the Aristocracy, they shouldn't have needed the Bandit King's help. It was enough that he had supplied the poison at all, and not told them to figure it out on their own.

Endilix sighed, as he pressed against the side wall and watched as everyone moved around, formulated their plans, got intimate, and otherwise just seemed to all be incredibly disorganized. "What we need is a leader," Endilix mused to himself, as nobody seemed willing to take up that mantle, though many asked questions as if they wanted to be. So Endilix finally decided to approach someone about it. Someone who at least seemed to have an air of leadership among them, and had formulated the only major public plan so far, despite having little to no info on the situation.

Endilix approached and kept his voice low, "@Aalam Abungu right? I'm Endilix Takagi. I'm pretty new to a lot of this, and it seems that we have no real direction here. One, I want you to know you can count on me. As far as the poison goes, I have some cooking skills, and an endless desire to run headlong into danger." Once said, Endilix looked around at the others, before whispering to Aalam in an even quieter voice, "Truth is, this rag tag bunch of misfits needs a leader. You seem to have a good head on your shoulders, so maybe you should take the reigns before this gets out of hand. Namely, with people like those mages over there making secret plans that the rest of us aren't privvy to, yeah?"

Endilix gave Aalam a makeshift salute after pulling away from his whisper, "My hammer and shield are yours, and so are any other skills you might need me for. Let's get this job done right." Endilix hoped that a show of order might even make the bandit king feel a bit more at ease.

 

If only she hadn't chosen to keep her gaze focused on the King of Bandit's face, maybe she would have failed to recognize the faint signals of anger which crossed his features as he beheld the mercenaries who had come to his aid. The mix of players seemed to be anything but a faction with a straight organization scheme, as they were supposed to be and in such a scenario, Portia wasn't surprised to find herself feeling a shred of sympathy for the man's reaction.

As far as she was concerned, this was another conflict left unresolved by those who proclaimed to be rightful owners of the land. Old wounds left to fester until they became something else entirely, much to their own disgrace. Had it been another situation, she might have turned her back on the whole affair with the sole excuse that this was not her fight and she had half a mind to do so as everyone formed their little groups to debate strategy. However, the fleeting thought of discovering what little secrets were hidden underneath the surface did more than enough to catch her curious self.

No, her mind spoke the words she could not pronounce. A direct approach is bound to be one most expected and scouts will be patrolling the area in case something like this occurs.

She remained silent as plans were announced and words of false encouragement fell upon the uncaring ears of people too busy with plans of their own. Many of them she frowned upon, while she had to nod her head in approval to those offering a more discreet approach to end this conflict. There was one that had caught her attention, a plan devised by the man who had come up with methods and questions of his own with what little information he was given. An admirable quality. Glancing in his direction brought a few details to her attention, such as an easily recognizable ginger head, and another person standing further behind the rest of the group.

Portia didn't bother to hide the smirk on her face as realization dawned on her that there was a familiar face amidst the crowd, one whom she would have ignored had he not said anything to voice his opinion on the matter.

''Am I to suppose you are always the life of the party, Iván?'' A soft piece of excitement was laced through Portia's words as her legs moved her closer to the person she was calling out to. @Iván Carl was an acquaintance she had been (un)fortunate enough to meet during her first week inside Terrasphere, on a trip to Druuk Island which had resulted in many stories best left untold. Carefully, her steps came to a halt as she settled next to him. It was a rare occasion to find him there, and being the curious person she was, she saw no better chance to ask.

Alas, there was a time and a place for mocking others and this was not it, as she soon realized. To provoke an unnecessary argument while there was a job left to fulfill was the last thing she planned on doing. ''I did not know you had chosen a faction, and of course, I had no idea it would happen to be mine. Should I be worried about being followed?''

Tracker​

 

Lucia only sighed heavily, everyone seemed to have their own thoughts, the cute ice witch who seemed dead set on using force at every turn. It was adorable, but would likely be a futile effort, Lucia could only shake her head with disapproval at the girl's every idea. "Using any means of force at any time is asking to die. A man like Zeus, would he not be able to sense your murderous intent even in his sleep? No, this is assuming you would even be able to sneak into his room from the start... Zeus seems like the type who would be able to hear a mosquito two rooms over and stab it with through the middle with a tennis ball." She couldn't help discrediting the poor girl. There was a measure of sympathy in her gaze, the girl seemed like the type who wanted to be a dark master of evil arts, pretending to have some measure of derangement and psychosis while at the same time pretending to have bursts of insights and cleverness. Her sympathy came from understanding, Lucia had had a phase like that too as a young girl.

Turning her attention from @Megan Tritor to @Aalam Abungu , a bitter smile came to her face, it was a bit more subtle, but had similar flaws. Once she couldn't help pointing out again. "Zeus is a legendary figure, and you would propose offering him poisoned wine. If it were that simple, wouldn't Zeus had died ages ago? He's a mercenary who lived long enough to become a household name and none of his enemies have been able to take advantage of such a clear glaring flaw, but we would somehow succeed?" Lucia couldn't help asking with a heavy sigh. The actor, or the pretty face would run a high risk of being discovered, no matter how perfect there were imperfections in every disguise. That... And she feared the pretty face would inevitably become her or Vivian, she had no death wish and despite enjoying the Goddess's company was not in a hurry to visit Synra again.

Instead, she gestured to @Madison Freebird with a simple and vague shrug as she continued punching holes in their theories and plans. "The one who got it closest to the mark is likely this one. Targeting Zeus in any sense of the word, is tantamount to suicide, but that doesn't mean we can't take out or replace the people around him and fill their shoes. Poisoning the meals though wouldn't be the right way to do it though, so perhaps half credit." Lucia offered rubbing the bridge of her nose in consideration. "A traveling band would make food in bulk, something that can be portioned and divided for ease and fluidity, pouring the poison into that wouldn't only lead to unnecessary and damning collateral damage, particularly to our own forces, it would also dilute the poison by the time it's served to Zeus. Considering he needs between ten and twenty drops we run the risk of it not being potent enough." She tried to explain her opinion. Whether or not they took her word for it, believed her BS or shrugged it off, she was largely indifferent.

As if she'd checked out a while ago, she wasn't particularly invested any more. As far as she was concerned, there were other things to worry about. Lucia couldn't help glancing from the king, to the nearest confidant who might be able to answer her more Faction based questions? @Raid Master "Perhaps one of you might be able to explain to me though; Why us? I can understand some of us have compatriots among the invading forces, so we might be very useful in completing this task, but you have a fortress full of rogues and bandits, do they not seem more up to the task then disconnected foreign allies. The Aristocracy approached us to come, but as I'm sure you're aware we're likely not their best team. Are they testing you? Us perhaps? Or are we all considered acceptable losses?" Lucia wanted to know exactly what was being expected of them. Knowing the job and knowing how to succeed was easy enough, but why they were chosen, why the bandit king's pleas were received by them was something that wasn't quite as easy."

 

From the rear of the group, basically invisible or at least as noticeable as a shadow in a dimly lit room, Iván contemplated the bandit king’s words deeply. Considering that the illusionist has never fought or even seen the lions’ king in battle, it might be wise to heed the concern. Another look at the king before them and Iván could tell something wasn’t right with him. Calm and calculating were two words Iván could admire in royalty, in a leader, as calm helps make the right decisions, enhances, bolsters, calculating. Calm and calculating didn’t seem like two words Erasmus represented at the moment. Iván hoped it was just anxiety regarding the coming storm and not an underlying sickness. Player or not, a sickness could prove to be their own undoing. At the very least, it could throw a wrench in the Aristocracy’s efforts to successfully cater to the request.

Megan’s questions put a smile on Iván’s face. The one who answered them, however, did not. “So, it seems that the poison might not be as efficient as I had thought. Bigger dose, longer time to take effect…”

Iván was dragged away from his thoughts when he heard a familiar voice spouting really important questions and even sound suggestions. @Madison Freebird raised some concerns that also concerned Iván. He had previously been concentrating on the idea of using a snow storm or ice storm as a cover to engage and distract the lions, using the poison-tipped arrow or whatever form that poison ended up taking to take out Zeus, but sacrificing the bandit king’s men could also work. It would also serve as a pretty good distraction, cover, done right. The scouting part, with poisoned food or drink instead of a poison-tipped arrow, would be less risky, too. Iván nodded in support of her ideas, and a short moment later, Megan added another idea of her own, which Iván also supported with a nod.

“I second the motion,” Iván finally spoke out loud to the group.

By motion, he meant everything that had been said but most importantly @Endilix Takagi ’s gesture to crown @Aalam Abungu leader of their group. It has been way overdue. It should have been the first thing they all did. Besides, with a defined leader, someone can take the blame should they fail their main objective. At the very least, someone to blame could inspire the rest of them to act like a group. It’s a good shield against self-esteem issues and any and all lingering doubts about their abilities or efficiency or place within the group. They could focus on themselves, their own purposes, and leave the rest of the intangible stuff with the so-called leader. It was genius.

Iván was caught surprised when @Portia Ahrens addressed him. They had not seen each other since Druuk Island, an adventure that the illusionist thought was definitely something to remember. He did see someone that resembled her quite a while ago but Iván wasn’t one to initiate conversation with familiar faces. Or any faces for that matter. Still, he appreciated that someone in this group knew his name at the very least.

“Portia?” he turned to her, taking a step closer, much closer, way closer than anyone in her shoes would have liked. “Interesting… I couldn’t let this opportunity slip me by. The Aristocracy was the only place for me. The other factions are…too loud.

Iván stared at Portia for a really long and awkward while before speaking again, “It’s been a long time. You look well.”

 

Endilix was a bit relieved that he wasn’t the only one that thought a bit of leadership was in order, as other continued to try to give their ideas and pointers. The main issue he was having though, was that there was a lot of people shooting down other people. Nobody could agree.

Perhaps Endilix should have rethought his leadership decision as @Lucia Mierz began to break down the missed qualities of each plan, but she offered no true plan of her own. Just dismissals of others. Not quite what was needed in terms of leadership. Though she did ask some questions in her own right.

But then something struck him, amidst the questions she asked. “Erasmus, sir,” Endilix started turning to the man, “what is your actual strategy? It’s clear that you have given us a poison, but with the raging blizzard outside, we weren’t meant to use it before the advance forces arrived. There’s no way a full frontal attack would work, especially while Zeus is surrounded by allies. Even a mole is probably too late. This game you’ve played, it has to have a payoff. So tell me, do you have some scheme for isolating the grand legend that you haven’t told us about?”

Though Endilix wasn’t as skilled as his brother in regards to strategy and tactics, there were a few clues that left Endilix confused. It did help that Eru still made Endilix play chess with him from time to time. Though he always lost, he knew why. Endilix was never any good at thinking steps ahead of Eru. But Erasmus was playing a game with his kingdom on the line.

“You already have Zeus in check, just by him coming here. You have a plan. You don’t need us to make one. You just need someone to make it a checkmate, and maybe someone to pawn the deed off on. So tell us King, how many steps ahead have you thought?”

@Raid Master

 

Aalam did not like this, there were playing a game without a knight on board and were down two points. If this king had been planning to assassinate Zeus, then this was a plan that should have been put into action much earlier, before the beast was upon their doorstep. If this request had gone out before this entire event they might have been able to kill the man with little to no collateral damage; however, life never tends to work out the way that he wanted it to. That had been proved time and time again in this game. As he looked around at the talent gathered in his room, they were a collection of players, but each of them was here for their reasons. Either that be to move up in the Aristocracy. However a few seemed to break those models, Megan seemed only to care for the amount of chaos that her actions would cause. She was on board for the stealthier approach in response.

It was surprising to see that Duchess Lucia was present it seemed that what they were planning, would not be something that he would have expected. Hmm, it appeared that he was right about keeping a bit of fear for that on in his mind. She did bring along Vivian, and that was something he was thankful for, the woman, after all, was walking temptation. If there were anyone who would be able to get Zeus attention and keep it would be the two of them. She did have a point; however, the man wouldn’t be easy to poison. There would likely be poison testers before he partook of a meal and any poison placed would fail. The hard thing was getting Vivian to work on a plan that he wanted as far as he knew she cared about two things, Lucia, and her ambition. And her ambition was not small it was hunger that he doubts she would ever satisfy, Lucia cared about her enough that there was no leash. What was there game here? He would have to watch them through the job; it would make it easier to see the dagger when it was thrust at his back.

“Yes but why would he suspect if the cup was offered to him from someone who was close to the King, such as a duke or duchess perhaps, who would he be on guard from one of them? It was the king of the country they work for after all how assigned the task and those same people that funded the expedition. Or better yet poison both if there is no other option. You will your target with only about two other deaths. If the alchemist is correct, a small sip will down the duke, and the rest will kill Zeus. That waiter or waitress simply disappears after he delivered the wine, called back to the kitchen for an emergency but never making it there. If it is possible, then our hydromancy could speed up the process under the guise of helping.”

Making his way back to his corner as the thought about the possibilities, this job was going to be a handful. Addressing his next question to the Bandit king @Raid Master “I will need a copy of this base plans there will be the second option if they make it to the gate. My back up will need a backup, just incase.”

 

Lucia gave a firm shake of her head at the comment of Aalam as he questioned 'suspicion', what she was considering wasn't necessarily suspicion, but instead something a little more savage and ethereal. "You're approaching this in a rather 'typical' way without considering the tools we're provided. Certainly, he wouldn't have a reason to be suspicious, particularly if we were the ones committing the deed, but there are a myriad of spells for things ranging from detecting cursed table ware to seeing through magical disguises. He might not even need to be suspicious to discover us, who's to say he doesn't have such sharp instincts that he won't sense murderous intent from one of us and refuse to drink all together?" Lucia proposed. Most likely it was just fanning flames of concern and conflict, but it had to be mentioned, in a magical world there was no end to the myriad ways one might use to detect such sinister plots. And for someone as high profile as Zeus, such methods might already be as natural as breathing.

"Should my concerns have even a fraction of a percent of some validity, he wouldn't need suspicion. Just as you wouldn't need to be suspicious of a person thrusting a dagger at you-- you may just react to fight them off before considering the 'why' and 'how'." Lucia spoke knowing that for things such as disguise and subterfuge, there would naturally be counter elements otherwise everyone would just be assassins skulking around. She worried that the bar wasn't being set high enough, that people weren't as afraid of the man as they should be. This was a game, in a magical world where a person could have their throat slit and survive because their skin was so dense thanks to their wellness. A person had the potential to be an unstoppable tank, and Zeus naturally seemed like said tank. Formulating a plan and 'hoping' that the treads wouldn't allow it to just plow right through was not a good idea in her own mind.

Glancing between the bandit king and her current comrades, she couldn't help wearing a bitter smile. She certainly wanted to like this job, she wanted to like it, but it was getting more difficult as time passed. "A smarter idea would be to remove ourselves from the equation as much as possible. Let the death be delivered by someone oblivious and ignorant to the fact that it was orchestrated. That way, not only can we navigate around some possible means of detection, we can also reduce our exposure by a fair margin. Exactly how we deliver that death though, well, I worry I'm saying too much. From the start I still want to know why we were chosen and why this feels so rushed." She admitted with a dry laugh. After all, something didn't feel right, the assumed bandit king had to be known as such for a reason, and Zeus was naturally commissioned for this job by the kingdom for a reason as well. She couldn't help wondering why nobody was curious about the reasons, the objectives. Who was profiting from these titans clashing?

 

Vivian had found herself back among the group, her hands lay gently upon the shoulder of her Mistress, a woman she found to be having conversation with these dogs and puppets. Her hands flipped the dark raven locks of hair over her shoulder and applied pressure to the deep knots formed into her shoulders and began to massage them away. It was clear, her Mistress was having a rather difficult time opening the eyes of these misinformed marionettes. On beck and call like dogs, these slaves came to this place without rhyme or reason just for a taste of Aristocratic life. But that was not being offered, they were being offered work for a mercenary group. Well, Vivian was not gonna have any of that. If mercenary work was what was intended, she would be paid up front first. Not after and not during this silly event.

Rolling her fingers over the Necromancer's flesh, she would help alleviate the discomfort she was feeding her body. She could feel the knots in the tips of her fingers as she rolled the flesh and kneaded it gently. As she did so, she spoke lovingly into the woman's ear.

"These puppets have no idea what they are doing, Mistress. On beck and call like dogs to their masters they come here without proper information. They simply act and do because they are told to do so. I for one am not a puppet, I will not kneel on bended knee to a King Nothing. These puppets masquerading themselves as agents of a faction are nothing more than backwater misfits looking for chaos and mayhem. Truly insignificant. I for one am here to support you, not here for the desires of the Aristocrats. I believe they all have no idea what the art of subterfuge or tact is. These people are not classy individuals, they are a bunch of nobodies from ejaculated rejects. Their strings have yet to be cut, so they will continue to play as the Piper plays his fiddle."

Resting her chin on @Lucia Mierz 's shoulder, she exhaled briefly and pouted lightly with her lips, "Let us leave this flea infested farm. There is no fun to be had here. We are not given an ounce of information and that so called poison in that vial could just be water for all we know. This smells like a trap of the worst kind and everyone is playing into the hands of the Aristocrats. I for one, will not be subjected to such things. And you are too good for this misshapen mess." Vivian said her peace to Lucia, it was obvious no one here knew exactly what the hell they were doing for why and what reasons. Much as she said, they were nothing more but dogs and puppets acting on the whims of some idiotic faction who can't do their own dirty work. If this was a Mercenary Job, it should have been told that upfront and if Vivian was to that kind of work, loot would be given up front. Payment first, job second.

This, this was all some stupid joke. A bunch of misfits and a King Nothing of a false name. It made Vivian click her tongue at all the nasty, ill bred puppets. But it was not their fault, all these wooden puppets had yet to have their strings cut from their hands. So they would kneel, kiss the stone of their Lords and be subjected to this mockery. A pathetic display of true Aristocratism.

 

A communications thread has now been created for this event, you can find it: Here

 

After a long discussion, Endilix was more than a little surprised that his plan had not only been accepted, but actually sounded halfway decent. Perhaps his chess games with Eru had actually begun to pay off after all. So, with the basis covered, Endilix turned to the alchemist, his face a mask, as he said, "Looks like your Aristocracy team is about to kick the crap out of some prisoners and throw them to the Lions. We're going to need some rags, and some spare daggers that can be easily hidden away in said rags, if you're able to procure them."

With that said, Endilix steeled himself for what was about to come. He had agreed to put his pain sensors on realistic and his own team was about to bloody him for effect. He turned to those who would be joining him, Ivan and Portia, and despite it all couldn't help but smile. Somehow, Endilix had ended up a leader in his own right. And that excited him like nothing else. It was like being back on a sports team again, only this time the sport was murder. In a game such as this, with no real life consequences that he knew of, he could accept that, as long as he got that high again.

"Alright team, so make sure you have the story straight, and if you're unsure, it's probably best to let me do the talking. I think we can pull this off if we stick to the plan and lie like our lives depend on it. Which, let's be fair, it might." He nodded to each one in turn, and waited for the alchemist to fetch them any supplies they would be able to procure.

"In the meantime, we should get some rest. No sense in bloodying ourselves until we get some rags on us. Makes it more realistic if the rags are bloody too, right?" So Endilix felt like a kid trying to sleep before Christmas. "Imagine," he muttered to himself as he looked around at the group, "if the first thing I can do in this game is kill an unstoppable legend..."

 

It was just a game, Iván knew that, understood that, kept that to heart, but he couldn't help but be inspired at Endilix's words. It was strange but at the same time something of a respite. It has been so long since Eli was a part of anything, anything big and meaningful, having chosen to isolate himself from everyone and everything in the real world after his breakup. He's shared a group or two with random strangers in this game, including @Portia Ahrens, who was starting to become a fixture in Iván's adventures, but most of them were simply out of convenience. This was his first mission with the Aristocracy, and it felt like a big deal, like it truly mattered, like it could change the very landscape of the game. Iván appreciated the respite, a welcomed one at that. He nodded at every word that came out of the Endilix's mouth before turning to Portia with a smile on his face, obscured only by his clothing, "Maybe we should play at lovers?"

"You don't need to worry about me, Endilix," Iván held his head high. "Lying isn't my weakness, and if my life depended on it, you'll be sure I won't get caught."

He seemed more confident at that than anyone in their right mind would be, should be, considering that he was on a team and all of them seemed very capable of lying to their full potential. It might not also inspire confidence, when one of your own takes pride in their ability to lie. But this was a key component in the success of their mission, and Iván knew that he excelled at lying, at making stories up, at turning boring details into so much more. He's always had the capacity, the potential, to dream up believable enough stories, spice his conversations with them, whenever he finds himself pulled into one. He was excited to play at what he perceived was his forte. Sort of.

"In any case, it's definitely best for the leader, you, to do most of the talking," he continued, eyes on Endilix. "We can just support you if necessary. Life as a prisoner, especially of bandits at war, could be traumatizing."

Although Iván had no real experience at being a prisoner of war, he's consumed enough media to know that it was indeed traumatizing, especially where torture was concerned. Considering they were going to dress up as survivors in rags, bloodied and bruised, it would be safe to assume that their appearance would give them enough leeway to pretend to be traumatized. But that would be putting too much faith in the lions' ability to empathize and trust and care. Then again, they've probably been to more battles, more wars, that Iván knew, encountered more prisoners of war, saved hostages, and if this game's AI was truly that advanced, then maybe some of those lions would immediately assume trauma in those they've saved. Either way, Iván was going to bandage himself up, all over, let himself get beaten up by Endilix and Portia and whoever wants to beat him up, maybe even get sliced and stabbed, before going realistic with his pain sensors. That last part worried him a bit but it was definitely needed.

The excitement in Endilix's face, voice, was pretty obvious. Iván, despite how he pretended to be indifferent, actually shared the excitement. Killing an unstoppable legend? Now that's something he could appreciate. Sure, it's just a game, but it's an achievement nonetheless.

 

Megan furiously gripped the brim of her hat as the arguments flew around her. These fools didn't understand what they were up against and refused to listen to reason. They were content disarming themselves and relying on the feelings of pity and confusion to dull the senses of veteran fighters. To put it simply, it wouldn't work. Megan sniffed loudly before speaking up once more, "Since your plan is doomed to fail I think it would be best to come up with a second one for when it does." As she spoke, she glared at @Endilix Takagi as if his presence had begun to infuriate her. "He's probably working against us as well... how many plots are present here?" Megan paused glaring at each member one by one, "All of them are just snakes, waiting for a full meal." The fury in Megan's stomach continued to build, filling her with a white-hot rage.

"Tcht," she said, whipping her staff forward accidentally sending a cup flying off the table. Mentally she was preparing to freeze the entire room, however, before she gathered any mana her wrist began to throb ceasing her actions as a wave of ice water started flowing through her veins. Slowly she lowered her staff as the coldness gripped her soul, crushing her rage, and replacing it with mere enjoyment. Instead, she cocked her head to the side, shooting the group a coy smile.

Then simply work with Aalam and Lucia. I do hope you’ll keep your words in mind should us “weak fools” manage to succeed where your “great ice magic” cannot.

Megan tilted her head back barking a small laugh, "If you would succeed, all that you would prove was that Zeus wasn't half as strong as he was said to be and that this entire mission was an utter waste of our time." Megan's fingers lightly danced through the air, as she murmured to herself, "Freinds of wind, and water work with one another, for I have a task for you today. Dance at my finger, and at my wishes move now and do not delay. Minor Water Control."

A magical user would know she was casting a spell, a relatively minor one requiring little mana, but a spell all the same. A flick of her finger would cause the liquid from the cup she had knocked over earlier to rise, forming into a small bubble that floated in the air. "Hehe, that said your idea had given me another, in that you should be proud. My idea is much more simple, once Zeus is captured he will happen upon three or four of those already imprisoned. They, however, will be sickly, on deaths bed with no visible wounds that can be seen. I will arrive with two bubbles much like this one. One of life, the other of death. I will offer Zeus a choice, take the poison, and I will save his friends, or watch as they die." Megan flicked her finger once more, returning the liquid to the overturned cup. "Of course the role of the poisoned prisoner would need to be played by the likes of you." Megan's eyes turned to Endilix and smiled showing a bit more teeth than she should.

OOC: Megan votes for (other plan) Poisoned Prisoner Dilemma

 

Emil listened as his comrades muttered between themselves, coming up with and discarding plans left and right. It was frustrating, not having the ability to agree on a single strike that would ultimately take out their target, but when everyone wants to talk, no one is actually heard. There was a single plan that stood out above others, one in which Emil could nod his head and agree with. He still believed that facing Zeus on the battlefield was the best bet. Let him be distracted by the Bandit King, let them fight, and let an arrow sink into him and kill him dead.

However, the group believed that half of them posing as prisoners and the other half melting into the opposing force was the way to go. It wasn’t a bad idea, necessarily, but if anyone got their cover blown, the entire plan was for naught. Endilix seemingly thought up a proper response for that problem as well. Smart lad, Emil thought, a tiny smirk hiding at the corners of his mouth.

Of course, not everyone was content with the plan. His single golden eye cut away from Endilix and instead leveled on Megan, playing with her water bubbles and espousing a rouse that would, somehow, work better than what they had already come up with. The magus didn’t agree and, furthermore, he couldn’t help but wonder what the hell was going on with the tiny ice mage. Their combined efforts in freeing prisoners all those months ago might not have given him deep insight into her personality, but it was a full 180 from what he was seeing now.

You are putting too much weight behind actions we cannot control, the male muttered, shaking his head. We have no way to assure anyone that Zeus will fall for you plan and will want to cooperate. If he has a mind to do so, he could tackle you to the ground instead and rip your head off. And then we are left with nothing. He sighed, an over dramatization of how he should feel if little Megan perished.

Endilix shall lead those whom will be remaining as prisoners, Emil turned his attention to the redhead boy. If you’re up for the task, of course.

Voting for Prisoners​