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[SeriousConcentrate]

"I'm not going to hide. I need to find something that can counter Ansel's abilities, and I need to find it soon. You may not care that he slew your mother for his own glory, but I loved my family, and I am going to do whatever it takes to see him dead at my feet."

Her hands were shaking with barely concealed anger.

"As far as I can see, my only options are to infiltrate Exsten somehow and kill his son, to show him the pain that I'm feeling and lure him out to fight me when his mind isn't clear, or I go somewhere he's not expecting and search for a different option. We know so little of the Forsaken Lands. There could be something there that I can use. But we are damn sure not going to find anything in a nation of cowards and greedy merchants. Think about it, Wilfort. If they hadn't folded - if they had fought, Ansel would have had to divide his forces, and your mother might yet live."

[Swordstar]

Brann winced, and quietly spoke up,

"There is only so much you can do when the majority of your military force is made up of mercenaries. It's quite possible they considered fighting but Ansel bought out many of the groups. Or perhaps the groups were simply not interested in fighting someone who would use the Divine Weapons against other men. Can you truly blame them? Can you truly blame them for trying to survive?"

[CrimsonEon]

Brann's bumping in did little to disturb Ceil's work. With a larger spark of her staff and an audible crack, she cautiously set her foot back on the ground.
: "No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pushed myself so hard in the last few days..." She pulled herself up with Brann's help and immediately limped over to Ursa, still carrying Freya.
: "I'm here. Please hold her still, she's got a fair share of trauma and I think there may be some major ruptures to her arteries through those arrow wounds. I think I can stabilize her..."

[Swordstar]

Walking along with Ceil to help support her if she needed it, Brann shook his head.

"I'm sorry that you've had to push yourself so hard. It's a shame we have no one else who can help you with the load that's been placed on your shoulders. If there's anything I can do, let me know please."

[Blade Master Model 42]

Wilfort reached up and slapped Diana across the face. "Never speak of my mother again. How dare you. H-how dare you-" Wilfort sniffled, fighting back tears. "You think you're the only one who gives a damn about A-Ansel? What he did to you? My mother loved your father like a brother, you know. And she died trying to honor his memory."

"There's nothing in the Forsaken Lands except whatever vestige of magic remains from when Osngaria banished the dragons. Worus has mercenaries. Worus has nobles who will be sympathetic to our cause. If you want to waste your life in the desert, I don't give a damn. But I'm not coming with you." Wilfort whistled loudly, and he turned to face the mountain.

[Powder Miner]

Clenching his teeth both at the emotions flowing in the tight space and at Freya's condition, Jago sprinted over to her.
:"Shit, shit, shit, I know something about first aid at least, I can help!"

[Solymr]

Well, it's not like we have much of a choice. I'd rather go to Osngaria since Ansel has all the divine weapons now and magic is pretty much our last hope, but there's no way though the sea and going though land would be suicide...

[Swordstar]

Brann placed a hand on the archer's shoulder and tried to comfort him.

"It will be ok. Just give Ceil some space to work her healing magic. There's only so much that you or I could do for her right now. Perhaps once the worst has been handled, you could take her on your horse or something. Keep an eye on her and take care of her until she wakes, that sort of thing."

[CrimsonEon]

Ceil took a moment to look away from her work on Freya towards Brann.
: "I-.. Thank you, but for now please just look after your own wounds, you barely look fit to be standing. I'll be some time before I can help..." Her eyes locked past Brann and towards Enoch, being carried by Otiros. She interrupts the healing for just a split second to tear her pack open and pull out a spindle of linen.
: "Bowman- Er, Sir Otiros! Take these and stop the bleeding on Enoch!" She quickly lobs the linens in their general direction before turning back to Freya, "I know your concern, Sir Jago, but please let me work. Any sort of physical interference to this process could create obstructions that prevent any further healing..."

[SeriousConcentrate]

"There is only so much you can do when the majority of your military force is made up of mercenaries. It's quite possible they considered fighting but Ansel bought out many of the groups. Or perhaps the groups were simply not interested in fighting someone who would use the Divine Weapons against other men. Can you truly blame them? Can you truly blame them for trying to survive?"

Diana turned to Brann.

"Yes. I can blame them for their cowardice, and I will. I was a coward once, and Biggs and Wedge paid the price for my actions. In their memory - in my father's memory, my brothers, all who died fighting for their country and their people, I will never be a coward again. But I'm not going to be stupid, either."

She looked back at the castle.

"If there was even a chance I could get close to Ansel, I would go back in there right now."

"But there isn't. So now I seek only the means to get stronger."

It was at this point Wilfort slapped her.

"Oh, really? Did she? Is that why she all but told me that, had she survived, I was to be nothing more than a puppet dancing to her tune for the rest of my life? Is that 'family' to you?"

Diana made no move to slap him back, although it looked like she wanted to.

"Go, if you must. All of you. I'm fully aware that the path I'm taking is likely that of a madwoman, so I can't ask you to follow me any longer. Tyrn, Freya, Otiros, you are released from your duty. There is no longer a country of Durhiel to be loyal to, anyway. It's all Exsten now, frrom shore to shore. So if there isn't one good, solid reason for me to head to Worus, something beyond a slim chance we might be able to hide there, I'm heading out."

[Blade Master Model 42]

"She was going to put you back on Durhiel's throne! My mother has no interest in controlling the world, Ulfijan is already a pain to keep to heel! Hell, I did most of it." A large pegasus landed nearby, then trotted up to Wilfort, nuzzling his arm.

"I've already told you why Worus is the place to go. But if you think you can form armies and weapons and food from sand, you can do whatever the fuck you want." Wilfort hauled himself in the saddle, and looked around at the others. "...Surely none of you mean to follow her into the Forsaken Lands? I can get us to Worus. We can make a plan. I need vassals." The young prince looked expectantly at the battered fighters.

[Powder Miner]

Jago nodded, nodded again, and sat down near them, deciding to deal with the nobles fudging after he saw Freya healed.
:"Yeah, yeah. OK, yeah. Freya, please pull through..."

[Solymr]

Diana, I can assure you there's no way we could survive in the Forsaken Lands in our current condition, no matter if I actually want to or not. We need more preparation for that, I know because I tried.

_{Even if they didn't let me...}

[SeriousConcentrate]

"She was going to put herself on the throne of Durhiel, with me as a figurehead. Likely she would have had us married when you came of age, same as Ansel planned for me with his son. Quite frankly I'm tired of foreign rulers planning my marriage for me."

She made a 'whatever' gesture with her hand.

"And I don't plan to raise armies and create weapons from nothing. I'm just looking for a way to kill Ansel. I don't care what I have to do to see that happen."

Lucas spoke up, and she turned to him.

"Perhaps. You were wanting to head there, correct? What did you hope to find?"

[scapheap]

Freya weakly stirs from Ceil's treatment
:"..."
she spits up blood
:"I feel like shit..."