Private/Closed Sensō: War of Conquest [Role Play Thread]

[kyuukestu]

Raithean Castle — Wyosyna Aestas Haust L'Hiver
August 6, Year 187; Sensō Calendar

It was just past mid-day, and the summer sun had settled into place at its zenith. The solar start was at the height of its orbit, just as the denizens of Raithean castle were at the heights of their bustle. Small clusters of people and pokemon cluttered the highways; dust clouds were thrown skyward as Mudbray-drawn wagons squeezed past Tauros burdened with plows. It was the beginning of harvest season and even Raithean, with its (partial) lands of perpetual spring, needed to fill their stores to weather the oncoming winter.

Overlooking it all from her second-floor balcony was the Raithean Warlord, Wyosyna. Her hands rested on the cool stone railings, her fingers beating a rhythmic tap tap tap across the smooth surface. Her features were somewhat icy, her crisp brown eyes unfocused, and her mind deep in thought. She found her gaze drawn to the gates of Raithean, and the trickle of merchants that moved in and out.

She knew the last batch of merchants would come soon, no merchant in their right mind chose to do business in the dead of winter. Without even mentioning the thick snowfall and chilling temperatures, most towns would've already stocked up before winter settled in and thus, would not buy much from the merchant anyway. What troubled the Raithean Warlord was not the lack of goods flowing in and out of her domain, but the lack of information from the outside which would disappear along with the merchants until the following spring.

Under any other circumstances, she would not have minded. This situation had played itself out year after year and Raithean was never any worse off. But...these were no ordinary circumstances. She'd heard of turmoil in lands just across the sea, a war of conquest ravaging the distant nations and their citizens, and while conflict was no stranger to her or these lands, the scale and magnitude that had been described...quite frankly, they terrified her. She feared for herself, and most of all for both her land and her people.

Wyosyna knew that to travel across the sea to Sensō and then to the various nations, before landing in Raithean, meant the news the Merchants brought her would've been late by weeks —perhaps even months. Time was a luxury she felt she no longer had.

The possibility that Sensō could also be thrown into strife and warfare was high, and it was high time Raithean Castle prepared itself to weather the oncoming storm.

Tearing her eyes away from the gates, Wyosyna pulled away from the balcony and entered the inner sanctum of her chambers. She was immediately attended to by a maid, to whom she conveyed her orders.

"Have Kreide and Lu Tao report to me with all haste."

The ice in her voice was more than enough to send the servile girl scurrying off to complete her task. Thus, for the first time since the crowning of their new Warlord, Raithean Castle summoned its first War Council...

@Grand Master Koop
@Nukas
@Merciless Medic
@Mechanist Gamma
@Mango137
@PrincessPika~chan
@Red Gallade
@Cmeriwether
@Nicepeach
@Tlord22
@EeviumZ
@AceyPie

Link to discussion: https://pokecharms.com/threads/senso-war-of-conquest-discussion-thread.21599/

Map of the Sensō region:

created by myself through Inkarnate.

 

[Cmeriwether]

In a land, specifically a bunch of Islands, they apparently have wings, so they are flying island, the business is mid-paced, and everything is running smoothly. In the Land of the Flying Fortress's castle, Shiori Nochizuma could be seen sitting on the throne, as a bunch of soldiers ran around, not unlike Duckletts.

"Something's up, find me Hassan, now." Shiori yelled.

Shiori looked over her domain, its citizens, soldiers and everything she controls calmly.

-------&----------------------------------------------------++-------------

Ryu Shirogetsu had been wandering for about a week and a half, when he stumbled upon a city, from what he remembered, it was called Zen'barr. He looked around and spotted a shopkeeper.

"I was wondering if I could buy something to eat?" Ryu asked with his hood up.

He handed the shopkeeper several coins, and received a loaf of bread in return.

"Thank you." Ryu responded.

He then walked through the city with his hand on his weapons.

 

[AceyPie]

Kriede was practicing her bow when the servant girl had walked in on her, her eyes flicked towards the woman as she held her bow down.

"Warlord Wyosyna requests your presence, it is urgent..." she bowed as Kriede took the quiver off of her back and handed it to the girl without a word and started to walk, before stopping and looking back to her partner who was preening herself with her beak, Kriede promptly whistled and Ainnoa perked her head up and quickly flied by her side before continuing to walk together, the servant girl running off behind them to get Kriede's fellow retainer.

"I wonder what spider got into her room this time..." Kriede stretched and yawned as she made her way into the inner sanctum

~~~
"2 days and nothing of interest..." Cariss yawned as she walked the dusty path towards Pyrus, she had been following a merchant route towards said village in hopes of finding a caravan, to her fortune she did, albeit heading the opposite direction of Pyrus, towards Raithean Castle to be exact.

"This works too..." she chuckled to herself as she gave Gelis a long whistle followed by two sharper ones, the Fletchinder immediately took off and flew towards the caravan as Cariss nonchalantly walked towards it.

"Thats as far as you go..." looks like the merchants had hired mercenaries as escorts, they all brandished big steel weaponry and boasted large bulky Pokémon, Cariss looked up and saw Gelis circling her location from above, seeing this she gave a sharp whistle followed by a long one then alternated by a sharp and 2 long ones, she was out of breath but Gelis had gotten the order and dropped oil bottles on the caravans, leaving them drenched in flammable material, Cariss then proceeded to walk closer.

"I dont suppose you were paid to have the goods destroyed...?" she whispered in one of the merc's ears "I'm just here to hitch a ride... Maybe take a thing or two..." she continued as she climbed onto the nearest wagon, and the line of wagons had proceeded like nothing happened.

 

[Red Gallade]

As the mid summer sun shone down over the horizon, the light partially reflected off of a large purple crystal that floated above the calm gentle fields below, on to of the crystal was the proud village known as Zen'barr. Everyone in the village seemed to go about their daily lives, the markets had plenty of people who wished to purchase items, the children laughed as they playfully ran through the streets atop the colossal amethyst and a few local Pokemon roamed around yet minded their businesses. Natus calmly hopped around behind a Xatu while Abras slept on the sides and a few Pokemon seemed to remain in secluded areas to meditate, a test to see if the crystal really does enhance a Psychic Pokemon's capabilities.

On the north of the village was a Marble white castle that proudly stood taller than any of the other houses, only rivaled by the towers that surrounded the edges, connected by stone walls. A Ralts happily ran through the castle only to stop and look within one of the training areas, Ren did his daily routine once again; after meal training in combat and swordsmanship, the Ralts knew after that was after training meditation which he slowly grew bored of despite the potential efficiency it brought in not only his Psychic abilities, but his connection with his dear friend who had just sheathed his estoc and turned to his Pokemon with a smile. "Oh, hi Ralts, you're just in time." Ren said in his main tone of voice: unrivaled positiveness as he went to pick up his beloved Pokemon.

Before Ren could take another step, he heard rapid footsteps close in on him until a guard appeared and walked toward him. "Lord Ren!" He said before he knelt down before him. "We've spotted a strange armed individual within the village." He added. Ren pondered for a brief moment. "Have they tried anything against us?" Ren asked. "No, my lord." The guard replied. "Better safe than sorry anyway, pass a message to my retainer, Fūrin. Have her keep an eye on the traveler for the time being, should this traveler try anything that would harm Zen'barr, I only ask that they are brought in alive." Ren ordered.

"Right away, my lord!" The guard said with a salute after he stood up and hastily left the training room while Ren left for his chambers to get started on his after training meditation.

 

[Grand Master Koop]

Walking along the busy streets of Raithean, a young man and newly appointed warrior ate an apple while he observed the influx of merchants running around. Beside him, was a Whirlipede following along his trainer. The young man, Lu Tao, had his usual getup and his halbert placed on his back. “There sure is a lot of people coming and going, I know it’s harvest season but this year’s looks crowd looks a bit bigger than usual.” His Whirlipede chirped in agreement.

His morning stroll was soon interrupted when one of the maids to the nation’s Warlord showed up. “Sir Lu Tao, Warlord Wyosyna is asking for her retainers to report to her.” Hearing the message, Lu nodded an thanked the maid before starting making his way towards the castle. “A direct summon huh, this must be serious.”

 

[Merciless Medic]

The sun shone intensely upon the dry land that which Pyrus Village sat upon. People relaxed in shades cast by the eaves of their houses, relaxed in the hot springs to take the edge off of the hot sun, kids played in the dirt, and kids and adults alike were busy working on trade deals, learning how to do trade deals, and some even set out on merchant caravans towards other kingdoms.

A young woman, who was contrasted in her appearance with the people there drastically, was wearing her leather armor and had her rapier sheathed at her side. She breathed in the dusty scent of her home. It had been awhile. She felt eyes staring at her. Turning around, she spotted an old, short, and stout man with his Magcargo sleeping peacefully beside a hot spring. The mayor.

Smiling, she waved at him, to which he responded in kind, but his smile became a grimace as he let a Sandslash drill back into the ground after grabbing its note that was sent from one of the caravans. Sandslash and other fast digging Pokemon hide underneath merchant caravans as a safety measure, just in case something were to happen to the merchants. Two hide underneath the caravans. Less important emergencies warrant a Sandslash, while important ones require a Drilbur. This was a surefire way to make sure the people and the goods were safe, especially when fathers take their sons and daughters along with them for the ride most of the time.

The mayor waddled up to the pale lady as she looked about for her Pokemon. Noticing her Salazzle was relaxing near a hot spring, the Salazzle felt the eyes of her companion and peered at her. Her companion simply nodded her head back, earning a groan from the lizard as she slithered off the rock she was lying on lazily and then walking up to her companion's side.

"Aether, I have some troubling news. Are you and Amethyst ready for this?" The mayor asked in a grave tone.

"Yes, but you know I don't work for free," replied Aether, who had crossed her arms at this point. Who did he think she was?

The mayor just sighed. "Of course, I know you don't work for free. But free lodging and food and water for you isn't enough?"

Aether thought for a moment before deciding on a price. "Well, those are extremely convenient, yes, but I just want a bobble or a trinket. It can be a gem or something, I don't care what it is. Now what is it? Did something happen to one of the caravans?"

The mayor nodded and unrolled the tiny scroll and read it out loud. " 'The caravan going to Raithean is in need of assistance. Nobody is hurt, but extra help will be necessary.' Well... That doesn't sound good. At least it isn't horrible. I want you to investigate what this disturbance is before they make their way to Raithean. At this point, it will take them a few days time to reach Raithean. I suggest taking one of our Charizards or an Arcanine to reach them quickly and bring extra goods meant for Raithean just in case they were robbed."

Nodding, Aether was very impartial to the idea of flying. While it is faster than being on foot, she didn't like the idea of heights. She remembered that Arcanine are generally faster, so she just stated her ride nonchalantly before leaving for a tavern. "Saddle an Arcanine. I'll be ready."

"Thank you, Aether. I greatly appreciate it," smiled the mayor before he went back to make preparations for Aether.

After waiting for a short moment, she got a summons from the mayor personally via him peeking through the tavern and them locking eyes before he left. Aether set down her drink and followed the old man, her Salazzle trudging along silently, not wanting to leave the lovely hot town. Standing in front of them was a very large Arcanine with sacks of extra goods and a saddle made of cured leather.

Smiling, Aether hopped on as the Pokemon kneeled and she grabbed her companion's hand before allowing her to climb up and sit behind her.

"God speed, Aether. May you arrive safely," smiled the mayor, to which Aether nodded with a short smile before the Arcanine got a slap on the haunches, earning a surprised yelp from both Aether and Amethyst as the beast lurched forward quite quickly and sped off and away towards Raithean.

After taking a night or two of rest, she could finally see the caravan up ahead. While she was following the usual merchant trail, she noticed some drips of what seemed like oil on the ground. A quick burn test from Amethyst concluded correctly. Interested, she hurried along towards the caravan.

After another hour, she finally caught up to them. Other fellow mercenaries she remembered from the tavern were unharmed for the most bit, the drivers and their children sitting next to their fathers seem unharmed, but some of the children seemed a little anxious. Aether walked about until she found a rather suspicious individual hitching a ride. Even though merchants from Pyrus don't care about the odd hitchhiker here or there, their families and their village do not take kindly to threats.

Still perched atop an Arcanine, Aether addressed the individual. "You there! Merchants keep travelling, please," she looked to the other merchants, who just simply nodded as her beast followed along behind one of the caravans holding the strange individual. She looked to see some of the caravans were drenched in oil. "Now, hitchhikers are okay to have just as long as they don't threaten the livelihood of our people, but threatening with burning our goods, and our people, with oil? What a shame. You do realize that if the merchants don't arrive at their destination, both Raithean and Pyrus will start to question who robbed them both and find your kingdom, yes? And if they do arrive at Raithean for the merchants there to see oils have been mercilessly spilled all over the goods, some of the goods' quality may be ruined and Raithean may look to your kingdom with suspicion, and Pyrus as well if they catch word of it. Which, they definitely would. You could have asked nicely."

She glared at the individual in front of her, while her Salazzle hissed. The Arcanine she was riding on was used more as a quick pack Mudsdale of sorts, but he still growled nonetheless. The mercenaries, some of them recognizing Aether, gripped their weapons tightly and them and their Pokemon looked between the two warily, feeling the tension tightening. A battle may happen.

 

[AceyPie]

Cariss grinned as she heard the girl's steps, she was getting bored and it was about time 'rescue' had showed up, she should know, she sent the letter brought by the sandslash, she intentionally walked outside one of the caravans and waited for Aether to approach her, and my dear arceus was she babbling, she even laughed as the girl kept running her mouth.

"You dont know who I am do you...?" All the talk about being in a kingdom and asking nicely, Aether just showed she hadn't even heard of Cariss, let alone what she was like, while the pyromaniac had heard all about Aether and she was prepared to take advantage of this... "Allow me to introduce myself then..." she briefly hopped off and infront of Aether, allowing the caravan to move behind them and it seems they were hurrying to get away from Cariss "My name is Cariss..." she started to walk closer to Aether, kicking up the path's dust as she did "I have no kingdom..." she continued trying to keep the girl's eyes on her "And most importantly..." she sneered "I think you're forgetting what's at stake here..." Cariss pointed up to the sky towards Gelis who was circling the caravan "Rest assured I'm only hitching a ride... What do you want from me? An apology?" she circled back towards the caravan, looking back towards Aether to see what she would do.

 

[Cmeriwether]

Ryu Shirogetsu figured he was being followed, so he let his hood down, revealing his face. He had his hand on his Wakizashi just in case whoever followed him tried to attack. His main goal today was to find lodging for the night. While he was looking for the lodging, he was writing a letter to the Lord in Zen'barr, a Ren Killian from what he remembered, explaining his presence in the country and the fact he was banished from his original country, and all he was looking for tonight was lodging. After the letter was done, he sent Mareep to find either the Lord or his retainer.

"Baaaa!" The Electric sheep responded as it started looking for the people described by its person.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Aether just raised an eyebrow and hopped off of the Arcanine and patted him, having him follow the caravans as they walked away. Aether had heard of her. She, herself, wasn't so popular, but she knew who Cariss was. Just because she didn't respond appropriately to seeing someone as infamous as the pyromaniac didn't mean that she was going to treat her any different.

"I was just merely stating business words. Have to. Anyway, I know we both know each other. I see it in your eyes. I was merely doing my part of being the 'savior' of my village's caravans just in case your Fletchinder decided to sneeze. Now..." she unsheathed her rapier and rolled her shoulder back a bit before cautiously walking around, keeping her side with the rapier facing Cariss as she put her other hand on her parrying dagger. "I don't mind if you hitch a ride. In fact, if you want, you can run off and hop on the caravan and enjoy your merry way. Of course, I would have to follow the caravan to make sure nothing bad happens to it regardless of you being there or not. But," she stared at the woman with uncaring eyes. "If you decide that fighting me would be a good idea, I suggest you find something else to do that is worth your time. We wouldn't want to see your precious bird having their wings clipped all because of a needless fight that could have been easily avoided."

Amethyst the Salazzle eyed the Fletchinder in the air. She was getting hungry and she licked her lips, hunger very apparent in her eyes. Her back ribbons whipped about suddenly, making two loud and short cracking noises as the red marks on her body slowly began to glow and simmer with fire and a sweet, pink pheromone could be seen emanating from her body, regardless of whether or not the Fletchinder was male or not. It was just a reaction that she had when she was hungry and found the perfect meal.

Aether's stance looked light and relaxed, almost uncaring with the way she held herself. But she was secretly a spring ready to pounce if something happened.

 

[kyuukestu]

Fūrin

A ledge of crystal served as the perfect vantage point via which Fūrin could observe her target without getting too close. While she wasn't sure what the deal with this guy was, the directives from her Lord left no room for doubt. Obey first, Question later. That was how she rolled. The Lord of Zen'barr had never led her astray before, and it seemed this time would be no different.

She took note of the way the Wanderer kept his weapon at hand, primed to draw at a moment's notice. His cautious actions were...suspicious. Was he being chased by someone? A rogue trying to seek asylum within Zen'barr's walls? Or was he one of those maniacs; a mercenary with a harkening for destruction. She'd heard rumors of the infamous pyromaniac...but she hadn't heard of any Samurai.

Whatever the real reason was, Fūrin didn't want to risk the safety of the citizens to find out. She needed to intervene.

Her movements were accompanied by the chiming of bells; her partner, Rouge, making a ching-a-ling-ling as the Chingling bounced around in Fūrin's loose sleeves. Fūrin's approach was anything but silent, the ringing of bells alerting any and every one of her presence long before they could even see her. This also went for the electric wanderer, who she now slowly approached.

She stopped several feet away from the newcomer, raising both her arms to show she meant no harm.

"Hey there mister, how about we relax a bit?"

Her eyes shifted between his face and the wakizashi at his waist, attempting to signal him to be less tense.

 

[Cmeriwether]

"Sorry about the tenseness, Even when I Served Akuma Nochizuma, I was always followed, I was assigned originally to protect Shiori, but her brother Daichi didn't exactly trust me, as a matter of fact, he was the one who banished me. If you are wondering, I am, in fact, The Electric Wanderer, a wandering Samurai," Ryu responded, relaxing as he responded.

He let go of the handle of his Wakizashi, and then continued to explain, "I was about to find lodging when you showed up."

Mareep cried with a very loud "Baaaa!"

"Sorry about that," Ryu explained, "I was wondering if I could find a Ren Killian, to explain myself?"

 

[Mango137]

Hanwon was leaning over a large circular wooden table in the center of the second floor of the royal Pagoda. He stood silently as he intently stared at the sprawled out map of Sensō that had large pieces at each kingdom, representing his fellow Warlords. Each Warlord piece was intricately carven and was surrounded by multiple smaller “pawn” pieces that were meant to represent the approximate strength of their armies.

Finally, he looked up and began to speak. The room was only occupied by him and his two most trusted warriors, while others stood guard outside. “Friends, I am very troubled. I spoke to the oracle and she claims her Xatu foresaw Sensō falling into turmoil.” Hanwon spoke very formally. Though he viewed Astra and Ryuji as family, he often reverted to his respectable Warlord persona when discussing the kingdom. “We have just finished abolishing the hidden gangs, we cannot allow ourselves to fall to war while we are more prosperous than we have ever been. I will send Dunsparce to Kyo of Moryūrei to request an alliance. My father respected her’s and she too, highly values intellectual prowess. As for you two, I have come up with a new format for our army that I would like you to implement. The front lines will be armed with long Pikes and ride Bastiodons. The foot soldiers will follow, wielding donpas. They will be supported by archers riding Swannas and lance-wielding Mudsdale riders. Additionally, ensure that the rockslide and avalanche traps surrounding the village are still in tact. One of you is in charge of training them, the other shall go seek out the mercenary with a Zorua, I have heard talking of his combat capabilities and wish to speak with him. That is all, you are dismissed.”

On that note, doors on the opposite end of the room opened for his retainers to follow out. Hanwon walked to the other side of the room, going up the stairs to his own room. He sat down on his desk that faced a window and began to write a letter. (Sorry about the letter formatting, I’m on vacation so I had to use mobile).
Kyo,
I have recently heard rumblings of an impeding conflict that will devastate Sensō. I would like to organize an alliance between our nations. My father spoke fondly of yours and I believe you and I share similar values. I invite you to Komu in three days time to discuss the terms of an alliance, I will have a warrior waiting at the base of Mount Piku to guide you up.

Hanwon Song​

Hanwon rolled the letter into a scroll and sealed it with the Kumo royal crest. He handed it to his Pokémon, Dunsparce, to deliver to Kyo. Normally he would send a messenger Pidove, but he wanted to make sure Kyo knew he was serious. Dunsparce was synonymous with Hanwon, it is said every member of the Kumo royal family is selected by a rare Pokémon to help lead the nation. While his ancestors were selected by more “grand” Pokémon like Dragonite and Lapras, Hanwon’s Dunsparce made him a bit of an outlier, some believing it meant he was weak while others believed it meant he was the most formidable. Whatever conclusion Kyo reached, Hanwon was confident she would understand that he was serious by sending his own Pokémon.

 

[kyuukestu]

Fūrin
August 6th

Huh..? Wha—... Who..?

The jingle of bells was almost contemplative as Fūrin shifted slightly, a puzzled expression painted across her face as she tried to make sense of the electric wanderer's words. If memory served her right, the Nochizuma were the rulers of the Land of Flying Fortress, a neighboring nation some several tens of miles to the east.

All that speak of banishment and sibling discord smelled of a power-struggle. While Fūrin wasn't incredibly familiar with the happenings of their neighbors, she imagined the matter was surely something Ren would want to know about.

"Okay. I'll lead you to the Warlord, I'm sure he'd like to hear more."

Leading the way, Fūrin wove through the straights of Zen'barr until she came upon the dwelling of the Warlord. She pushed open the doors and called out, her voice echoing down the crystal halls.

"Milord! You have a visitor."

Wyosyna

The Lady Warlord leaned into the softer fabric of her bed, crossing her legs as they hung off the bed-edge. Her retainers walked in, the first was Kriede, looking lazy and listless, and then soon after her was Lu Tao, the remnants of what Wyosyna assumed was 'breakfast' still in hand.

"I'll get straight to the point."

Syna's eyes swept over her retains as she tucked a stray lock of red hair behind her ear.

"Raithean will begin soon begin fortifying itself. The stories the merchants bring leave me a bit...uneasy. If war should break out among the nations, Raithean shall not be caught off-guard. For the next few days we'll be training and reorganizing the Raithean military, and after which...I have a mission for you both."

Pushing herself off her bed, she moved over to the dresser, retrieving a large roll of partridge which she unfurled into a map.

"Our closest neighbors are here," Her fingers landed pointedly on the mountains to the east, "and here," Sliding across the map she gestured to the dense western forest.

"The Kingdoms of Kumo and Feire, I want you to make short visits...see what those guys are up to."

 

[AceyPie]

Aether just raised an eyebrow and hopped off of the Arcanine and patted him, having him follow the caravans as they walked away. Aether had heard of her. She, herself, wasn't so popular, but she knew who Cariss was. Just because she didn't respond appropriately to seeing someone as infamous as the pyromaniac didn't mean that she was going to treat her any different.

"I was just merely stating business words. Have to. Anyway, I know we both know each other. I see it in your eyes. I was merely doing my part of being the 'savior' of my village's caravans just in case your Fletchinder decided to sneeze. Now..." she unsheathed her rapier and rolled her shoulder back a bit before cautiously walking around, keeping her side with the rapier facing Cariss as she put her other hand on her parrying dagger. "I don't mind if you hitch a ride. In fact, if you want, you can run off and hop on the caravan and enjoy your merry way. Of course, I would have to follow the caravan to make sure nothing bad happens to it regardless of you being there or not. But," she stared at the woman with uncaring eyes. "If you decide that fighting me would be a good idea, I suggest you find something else to do that is worth your time. We wouldn't want to see your precious bird having their wings clipped all because of a needless fight that could have been easily avoided."

Amethyst the Salazzle eyed the Fletchinder in the air. She was getting hungry and she licked her lips, hunger very apparent in her eyes. Her back ribbons whipped about suddenly, making two loud and short cracking noises as the red marks on her body slowly began to glow and simmer with fire and a sweet, pink pheromone could be seen emanating from her body, regardless of whether or not the Fletchinder was male or not. It was just a reaction that she had when she was hungry and found the perfect meal.

Aether's stance looked light and relaxed, almost uncaring with the way she held herself. But she was secretly a spring ready to pounce if something happened.

"Knock yourself out..." she started to make her way back to the caravan line and eyed Aether's partner "She looks feisty... I like it..." She grinned at the girl as she unsheated her rapier, by force of habit she immediately pulled out her dagger with her gloveless left hand and dragged her left foot across the ground and assumed a battle stance where it left a very long footprint, she relaxed herself once the girl showed no signs of attacking and sheated her dagger, she then noticed Amethyst's head was up towards the sky "Oh and keep your Salazzle off Gelis." she hastened her way to the back of one of the wagons and sat down "It'd be a lot less tiring to not walk around like that and sit down..." She chuckled, despite having seen the tension in her eyes and how much Aether didn't trust her.

"I wont do anything If you dont, trust me..." She reassured her as she took off her cloak and set it aside, managing a smile, albeit a fake one, however her eyes did sharpen to a deep black, so in some way she did want company.

Wyosyna

The Lady Warlord leaned into the softer fabric of her bed, crossing her legs as they hung off the bed-edge. Her retainers walked in, the first was Kriede, looking lazy and listless, and then soon after her was Lu Tao, the remnants of what Wyosyna assumed was 'breakfast' still in hand.

"I'll get straight to the point."

Syna's eyes swept over her retains as she tucked a stray lock of red hair behind her ear.

"Raithean will begin soon begin fortifying itself. The stories the merchants bring leave me a bit...uneasy. If war should break out among the nations, Raithean shall not be caught off-guard. For the next few days we'll be training and reorganizing the Raithean military, and after which...I have a mission for you both."

Pushing herself off her bed, she moved over to the dresser, retrieving a large roll of partridge which she unfurled into a map.

"Our closest neighbors are here," Her fingers landed pointedly on the mountains to the east, "and here," Sliding across the map she gestured to the dense western forest.

"The Kingdoms of Kumo and Feire, I want you to make short visits...see what those guys are up to."

Kriede was pretty happy as she walked into the room, she also expected some sort of comedic event to happen but as she saw Wyosyna's expression Kriede immdiately straightened her posture and put her arms at ease. She also was shocked when the Warlord has said to train the military back up again, it wasnt the fact that the soldier's were bad, it's the fact that in the years they were at peace, the military was... lax to say the least.

"Lady Syna, with all due respect isn't reasonable to at least confirm if these stories are true at the very least?" She raised her voice as Wyosyna finished speaking "Let's just say the sources are... not the best..." she scratched her left arm whilst looking to the ground. It's true that these merchants have been going back and forth between Raithean and some distant land but they're merchants, with a strong attachment to money, either this is a ruse to take their attention off of something more important or it's real and a storm is brewing and getting closer as they were discussing.

 

[~Rinko~]

In the throne room of the castle in the Oleda kingdom, to the far southeast of the land, the somewhat newly-crowned warlord, Lucienne Tsukatani, was skipping around in front of the throne, her messy auburn hair brushing against her face. Lucienne sighed, “Is there going to be anything worthwhile to bother with?” she collapsed onto the throne, leaning back against the soft, pale yellow fabric that lined her throne.

“Corio?” A noticeably smaller than average red and black bird-like Pokémon chirped curiously, its wings wrapped around its body.

“What is it Maiko?” Lucienne pushed herself forward on her throne, beckoning with her left hand for the Pokémon to come up to her. Realising what the motion that Lucienne was making meant, Maiko flew up onto the girl’s lap, “So what is it little girl?” Lucienne asked again, lightly stroking Maiko’s back.

“Cori!” Maiko chirped, motioning with her wings, one of them swirling around, pointing to the other one, which she was lightly flapping.

“Wha-? I’m really confused right now.” Lucienne nervously chuckled, leaning back a bit, “Oh! I should probably go practice some now! I’ll go look for one of my retainers, stay here okay?” she placed Maiko done on one of the arms of the throne, before running out of the throne room to look through every centimetre of the castle, calling the names of her retainers as she went.

 

[Red Gallade]

Just as Ren made for his chambers and was about to get on his knees to start his meditation when a guard knocked on his door. "Enter." Ren said calmly. "Lord Ren, Fūrin said you have a visitor, it appears to be that armed wanderer we heard about earlier." The guard replied, still in his salute pose as if he wanted to try and address Ren with as much respect as possible, the act alone made Ren hide a giggle. "Thank you, return to your duties, I'll see to them at once." Ren said as he and Ralts immediately left their chambers, they made their way over to the main throne room which could be seen from the entrance of the large front door, once inside, he immediately sat on the throne which was a sight to behold, decorated with a large crystal behind them, Ralts on the other hand casually sat on the arm of the throne as Ren looked down at both his trusted retainer and the wanderer he was so concerned about.

"Greetings." Ren said is a surprisingly polite tone of voice. "What buisness does a wanderer like yourself--armed to the teeth no less--to Zen'barr?" He asked, with an expression that slowly turned from friendly to stern, just as the wanderer was armed, it was clear to see that he had his estoc with him.

 

[Cmeriwether]

"I am here to explain myself, no more, no less," Ryu responded to Ren, "I used to work for Lord Akuma Nochizuma, but when he died three weeks ago, my job as retainer was on edge, for about a week and a half, Daichi Nochizuma was in charge, he banished me on his last act, and Shiori became Warlord, Daichi was banished by a grand banishment, which means kill on sight in the Land of the Flying Fortress, since then, things were peaceful."

Ryu then called Mareep and flickered his eyes gold for a moment before calling them off.

"Sorry about that," Ryu explained, "When I was young I was the bodyguard for Shiori, the reason I was tense when Fūrin was following me was because I was always followed by Daichi, he didn't trust me at all, you don't have to worry about him, he totally disappeared after his banishment, I am a Wanderer right now, and will remain a Wanderer for the time being."

 

[Mechanist Gamma]

Sir Astra
"Ryuji."
The knight was solemn. Now that they had left the chamber of the Warlord, he could speak freely. And he had some concerns to voice that he didn't want the young lord overhearing...
"You know of my quest several decades ago?" Astra asked, stopping his walk to confront Ryuji about his thoughts. "That Salamence... nearly destroyed the village in its entirety. And like back then, the Oracle foresaw an incoming crisis." He clenched his hand. "In all my years of serving the kingdom, not once have the Oracle's visions hidden a falsehood. Always have the Oracle's words been proof of the future."
"We must be prepared for the Kingdom to fall."
With those words, Astra stalked off. "I shall prepare the army. The task of finding the assassin is left to you. I trust you can find him."

Snowe
Light footprints slammed against the dirt and wood of the forest as a single man dashed across it, running straight for a lone caravan in the woods. As he did, he slowed down. Silently, the man moved into a crouch. No one seemed to be around the caravan. Where were the three men he was supposed to be tracking?
As he slowly moved forwards, he failed to notice a stale leaf of the ground. The moment he stepped on it, a crunch was sounded. The mercenary then noticed the webbing on the ground, and attempted to dash ahead... but even so, was still caught in the webbing as it was harshly pulled together.
"Seems we've got a follower after all."
One of the men hopped down from inside the carriage, the Ariados and its trainer that had caught the mercenary now clear behind a tree. As for the third man, he seemed to be approaching from the distance. "I warned you!" the third man said.
"I thought you were going senile with how vague you were." the one with the Ariados chuckled.
"Not THAT old."
"We have a matter to take care of, gentlemen." The one from inside the carriage seemed to be wearing fancier armor than the other two. The leader, most likely. "You. Assassin, spy, mercenary, whatever your job is." He pointed towards the restrained man in the web. "Tell us how long you've been following us and what you know. I'll give you a painless death if so."
The man remained silent, merely smirking.
"...strong and silent type, huh?" With a growl, the leader took his bow from his back and notched an arrow. "Want to keep your leg? Answer the question!"
"Hey, uh, captain?"
"What is it?!"
"...people of this continent aren't supposed to have tails, are they?"
The web was suddenly slashed open by several thrown knives. The Zorua dropped its human guise as it fell, launching off a Shadow Ball right at the leader of the group. He was sent back, while the scout further out turned to find the source of the knives. The Zorua's disguise - her trainer, clearly.
The REAL thief.
"Good day, gentlemen."
Fang Snowe removed his shortsword from the chest of the scout with a smirk, ready for him and his partner to take out the other two.

 

[kyuukestu]

Wyosyna

The Warlord smiled, nodding slightly as Kriede displayed her astuteness. Putting herself back onto the bed, she crossed her legs.

"And that's exactly why I'm sending you two to confirm these rumors. We can't move recklessly, after all."

Syna had no intention of being the spark that lit the powder keg. She, however, understood Kreide's reluctance to jump into action at these dubious rumors, and her hesitation to leave Raithean.

"You don't need to worry about your absence, nothing will happen to Raithean on my watch. Persephone and I can remind you of how strong we are you know~?"

Wyosyna spoke teasingly, a challenging edge to her voice as she laughed.

Fūrin

As they entered the Warlord's throne room Fūrin adopted a more respectful stance as she lowered herself to her knees. Although she remained silent throughout the exchange she was thinking carefully about the wandering warrior's words. From what he'd said the Land of Flying Fortress seemed to be in a state of internal discord.

The sudden death of their Warlord had been followed by a power struggle between his children. Eventually, it appears Shiori Nochizuma had come out on top and had banished her brother rather than kill him. A merciful act, but one which could come back to haunt her. The way Fūrin saw it, there was now a person who lusted after the throne of the Land of Flying Fortress. If Daichi allied with the enemies of the Land of Flying Fortress they could end up with their hands full.

After listening for a while, Fūrin rolled her eyes. How ever their neighbors chose to settle their problems had nothing to do with them unless Lord Ren had something to say about that.

 

[Grand Master Koop]

Walking into Wysonya’s room, Lu had been quietly listening to what his warlord had to say. “So we’re off on an errand huh. Alright I understand.” He responded. “But I do agree with Keride, rumours are jus rumours and they can easily be blown out of proportions at a whim. But then again, it’s better to be safe than sorry.” Lu smirked when he heard Wysonya’s comment about her and Persephone’s strength, there was no denying they were the most capable duo in the Raithean.

He bowed, signifying his dismissal. “I’ll be taking my leave then, the sooner we clear this up the better.”

 

[AceyPie]

Kriede rolled her eyes with an audible groan at Wyosyna's remark "No need..." She was still a tad salty about her defeat, even now she secretly wishes for a rematch but seeing as how the last match went, she'd be better off training for a while.

"Well who are we going to interrogate first...?" Kriede flipped her hair up as she watched Lu speak his mind, she nodded slightly yet a bit annoyed, he just repeated what she had said in a sense, then Lu kindly took his leave.

"Wait do you even know where your going?!" Kriede shouted after him, peeking her head out the doorframe.

 

[Nukas]

Kingdom of Moryūrei — Kyo Hakone
August, Year 187

Kyo was on her recently acquired throne and looked at the Dunsparce who had recently arrived with a letter from the Warlord of Kumo Village. She was hesitant to read the letter, as her father once told her about the young son of the warlord of Kumo who had been chosen by a Dunsparce. Her father held Kumo village in high regard, but he couldn't help but laugh when he heard the news. She was not as blind as her father. She knew that just because something seemed weak, didn't mean it had no potential. She understood it's plight, as most people thought that she herself was not fit to rule the kingdom of Moryūrei. She had to prove them wrong.

"Skull, go find Yun and Mercury. I have a lot to discuss with them." She sent her Cubone to find them as he knew the castle's layout better than anyone of her guards. Kyo was grateful to have Skull as he is the only one that has kept her from going crazy from all the stress ever since her father had passed away just two months ago. She looked at the Dunsparce once more. She realized that if Hanwon had sent him, it was more than just a rumor, he believes that Sensō is truly on the brink of collapse. She pondered what her next move should be as she stared out her window into the light of the wall of flames that surrounded her kingdom and kept out of the never-ending darkness


Oleda Kingdom — Gaius Yamaki
August, Year 187

Gaius was walking through the castle halls, not thinking much about where he was going. His Grotle, Forrest, walked by his side. He and Forrest regularly patrolled the halls, partially to make sure that nothing could harm his lady, but partially because it was just a good way to spend some quality time with Forrest. Gaius then heard the young lady of Kumo calling his name and immediately rushed to her side, club and shield at the ready. "What is it that you require Lady Tsukatani. I am ready to smash anything that you may need."

 

[Merciless Medic]

Aether just shrugged as she sheathed her rapier and snapped her fingers. Amethyst sizzled and hissed in irritation before taking up Aether's side as they both caught up to the caravans and they both continued riding on the Arcanine.

To be honest with herself, she didn't trust Cariss one bit. Of course, Cariss was just passing through and needed to hitch a ride. Of course, she needed to make sure that the goods weren't being soaked. Mumbling to one of the mercs, she told him to get some of the people working that weren't doing anything to clean the boxes and goods from oil. It will take quite a bit, but the Ground-Types can help make the oil not so flammable. She then decided to make small talk with Cariss. It would seem that, with how much trouble she has caused, Cariss would miss having some company and some small talk.

"So, I heard of you. Question is, why did you come here to Senso? I recall you came from another land. Got too famous?" She smirked a bit. She can relate to that.

 

[~Rinko~]

Lucienne Tsukatani sighed, “I thought I already told you to call me by my first name.” she shook her head slightly, smiling all the same, “Oh whatever, I was um... oh I forgot what I was going to say! Wait, yeah, I was thinking about training a bit, I’m still pretty sloppy with my Naginata after all...” she continued, bouncing up and down.

“Ori?” Maiko chirped out from behind.

“Maiko! I thought I told you to stay on the arm of the throne!?” Lucienne sharply turned around and bent down, “Oh who cares? Come on, follow me!” she bounced up with a big smile on her face.

 

[AceyPie]

Cariss smiled as Aether tried to help the caravan by telling the workers in their fear to work on the goods, to avoid the oil soaking into them too much, she watched as the girl murmured to a mercenary and just as quickly as she approached said merc, she had backed away and back to Cariss.

She found Aether comedic, such a rollercoaster of moods and behaviors, her tough persona quickly switched to a cautious yet friendly one, she couldn't help but smirk at her remarks, then came the part from another land, the grin on her face quickly slid off and was replaced a stoic but sharp eerie silence.

"I never told anyone about my home..." Cariss stared at the ground as the wagon passed by "Where did you hear that?" she continued with an assertive tone.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Aether just shrugged as she saw what seemed to be panic race across Cariss's features. She had hit a nerve and didn't expect that, but she continued on. "I know how many of the people look and act in most kingdoms due to being taught at Pyrus Village. It is the duty of many adults there to teach as many children about business and how others act and look like so we can't be fooled. You seemed to be an anomaly with no home, no family, and tied to no one, so I assumed you came from somewhere else. Mind you, I have been here all my life to make that distinction. It's not like I heard it from anywhere, as most people think if they talk about you, you arrive and burn their homes like a demon," she looked over at her a bit with a little smirk. "To be honest though, I know you are just human. Fucked up, yes. Definitely still human, though."

Amethyst just eyed Gellis before settling on the fact she may not have any roasted bird legs or wings and contently laid on the saddle with her back resting upon her partner's back, her tail swinging to and fro as she stared up at the sky and then took a nap.

 

[kyuukestu]

Wysoyna

At first, Syna thought to stop unruly retainer, who'd seen fit to take his leave without being dismissed. Then, she thought better of it. Her eyes landed on Kreide, figuring it would actually be the girl's problem to deal with Lu, rather than her own. They were the ones who'd need to coordinate on their next mission, after all.

"It's about time these two learned to work together..."

It was there, on the spot, that Wyosyna decided.

"Very well, I'll personally oversee a sparring match between you two. It'll be an excellent opportunity to become more familiar with each other and your fighting styles, and familiarity will be instrumental for your joint-mission!"

Or so the Warlord justified it. In truth, she was kinda bored, and Kriede had shot down her earlier provocations into a fight. Needless to say though, the Warlord had her wily ways, and she would see entertainment yet!

 

[AceyPie]

Cariss

Cariss noticed Aether look at her and for a moment, she looked back, before looking back down towards the ground, silent.

Gelis noticed his partner's downcast behavior, he immediately flew down and perched beside her, nudging Cariss' left arm with a light peck, her partner gave off a slight chuckle as she let the Fletchinder push her with his beak.

Kriede

Frantically, Kriede raced after Lu in an attempt to stop him, albeit being stopped herself when she heard Wyosyna. Instead she once again shouted after him "Did you hear that!?" it was rather loud despite being just a couple of feet away from each other, before walking into Syna's room again.

"You sure I gotta work with him?" She whispered to her warlord in an irritated tone, loyal as she is she's still got a huge ego. "I mean he seems kinda the... you know what? nevermind" she laughed awkwardly as her eyes idly wandered about the room, she didn't get to look much the first time she was here.

 

[Tlord22]

Ryuji

Ryuji sighed as soon as he heard that, he was always stuck of the out of town jobs but hey who knows he might find something fun to do out there and so knowing that he had to go search for someone he returned to the meeting room and looked for Hanwon hoping to Arceus that he had some idea where they last where and as soon as he spotted him he shouted "Hey Hanwon my man do you have any idea where to find this person with a Zorua or not?"

Hassan

Hassan was sat gazing at the clouds with Nincada by his side as a servant approached and with that he promptly assumed that he was required by the warlord and so Nincada climbed on his back and he ran with the wind at his back towards the meeting hall. Then, upon entering so his lady Shiori gazing upon her kingdom and so he stealthily approached her back and the whispered in her ear "You called for me my lady what is it that you require of my services?"

Mercury

Mercury was playing fetch with Houndour as saw his ladies Cubone arrive and shouted "Hey does the young madam need something?" And to that the Cubone gave a short nod.

Seeing this he gave a short whistle and told Houndour to stay put before walking through the confusing castle for what felt like hours until he arrived at the meeting room and saw the expression on Kyo's face he realized it must be something important and shouted at the top of his lungs "What has you so troubled my lady surely no one has declared war on us?"

 

[kyuukestu]

Wyosyna

A ghost of a smile had settled onto Wyosyna's lips, 4 parts sweet relief and 6 parts bitter apprehension. Seeing the bickering between her retainers, she had a feeling their 'teamwork' would involve more work than anything else. It was then, rather fortunate that she'd noticed things sooner rather than later. Sending these two into battle...the thought sent chills down her back as shivers shook her shoulder —by no means an easy feat, as she'd long grown numb to the chill of winter.

"Yes, you do have to work with him. You can both meet me at the battlefield in half an hour...pass on the message."

She punctuated her voice with an authority befitting her position. Lu and Kriede would accomplish their task together, she would personally oversee that. Without further ado, she cleared the table, rolling up her map and tucking it into the shelf where it belonged. There was still much to be done. Much more than she'd initially thought...

Dismissing the meeting, Syna set a course for the rear stables. Although her dear deerling could roam freely across any part of Raithean, the seasonal pokemon oft preferred to stay outside, turning the castle stables her personal palace. Wyosyna meandered through the halls, the castle's staff only pausing briefly to recognize her as she passed.

She noticed the flickering light of flames in the kitchen and the diligent dusting of the dinner tables. There was a savory fragrance in the air and the Warlord concluded, it would soon be time for lunch. Her stomach rumbled slightly, reacting to the promise of food. She'd never fussed too much about her meals, leaving the staff to prepare whatever they deemed appropriate. Perhaps some fresh fruit would grace her table from this season's harvest.

The Warlord was one of the few able to afford such a privilege, as most fruit would be dried and preserved, lest their winter supply spoil prematurely. The frost would grow in the coming months, shrinking the sectors of spring and autumn. Though they would not disappear, they wouldn't be enough to sustain Raithean's population indefinitely.

Yun

The click-clack of rocks, shaken about like dice, sounded from the boy's hands. It was idly entertainment, rolling them about and firing them off at the branches of a nearby tree. He hadn't landed so much as a glancing shot and seemed no closer to hitting his target when Skull came waddling in. Yun looked over as Cubone approached, did Kyo want to see him? Or was Skull just here to play with Feng?

While Yun's brow scrounged together in thought, his partner had already decided on an answer. Invisible tendrils coiled around Skull's arms, lifting the Cubone into the air. Phasing into sight, a mirthful expression on her impish face, Feng appeared above the small ground type. The drifloon seemed all too happy as the Cubone flailed in the tangle of her strings.

"Enough playing around, Feng. Let's go see if Kyo needs us."

Yun tossed the stones away, eliciting small raps of stone against bark. As he and Feng made their way towards the Warlord's room, dislodged leaves drifted to the ground. He took no longer than a few minutes to arrive, noticing that Mercury had beaten him there. Since Mercury seemed just as confused as he, Yun assumed Kyo had yet to explain things. With an inquisitive note to his voice, he greeted.

"Milady..?"

 

[Red Gallade]

"I see." Ren simply replied before he stood up from his throne. "I understand some of what you say. Pardon me for prying, but what are your thoughts on the... current Warlord of the Flying Fortress? I ask this so that I can be sure that our kingdoms will maintain peace between one another, I dread to think what would happen if this new Warlord became... ambitious..." Ren said as he did his best to maintain a serious demeanor, but his Ralts seemed to see past it and looked at his human friend with concern.

"I understand if you wish to keep that information to yourself, but as a Warlord, it's my duty to learn what I can in order to maintain the safety of Zen'barr." He said as he slowly walked down the few steps ahead of his throne, slightly closer to Ryu. He understood that the question wasn't likely the best one as he heard that their neighbors may be uneasy after the recent fall of an old Warlord and rise of a new one, he kept quiet about Daichi for the time being as he figured that he would likely bring danger to his kingdom were he to send anyone from Zen'barr to find him.

 

[Cmeriwether]

"I've known Shiori a very long time, I was her bodyguard when I was young and she is most likely going to try and strengthen her position before making any moves due to Daichi." Ryu explained, "She is very friendly to most, unless you cause suspicion. She actually tried to prevent my banishment, but of course that failed. Daichi has been so banished, that if he shows up in the Land of the Flying Fortress, he's a dead man."

Mareep baaed after Ryu's explanation.

"Oh, I just forgot, I need to find lodging for the night and then I will leave in the morning." Ryu responded.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Aether just raised an eyebrow at Cariss before returning her eyes to the road. She noticed the downtrodden behavior and felt kind of bad for her. She thought Cariss was a sociopath, but she seemed to have just been a misunderstood individual with the love for fire. Feeling a little ashamed, she took a long and slow deep breath before apologizing, swallowing her pride for once.

"If I had said anything to cause pain, then I am sorry. I was merely curious to your origins, but I don't need to know about them."

Amethyst looked at her companion in awe. Why was she saying sorry for making someone feel bad? Why did she care now when she didn't care all those times before? Has the lack of mercenary work made her grow soft, or was there something in Cariss that Aether saw in herself? Amethyst just hoped it was the latter, as it would have been pretty stupid for a hardass mercenary with enough pride to drown the mighty Lucifer himself, who is known to be the demon of Pride, to become soft towards someone she has never met before. Hell, she had partaken in the burning of a house, knowing full well a young child was stuck inside and couldn't get out.... Why the change? Amethyst took a moment before leaning back against her partner's back. If she were to go soft, her respect for her own human companion would go down.

 

[AceyPie]

Kriede

Kriede watched Wyosyna leave, waiting to for her to do so as she would probably have been scolded as she groaned loudly, wearing an irritated expression on her face, she scuffled her hair in frustration.

"30 minutes... Guess I'll head there early..." Seeing as she had nothing to do she slowly walked outside the room and proceeded to scuttle through the halls, her feet softly colliding with hardwood floor, making as little sound as possible as she finally made her way outside the palace and into the rear of the palace where she briefly crossed paths with Wyosyna, albeit they barely talked with each other as Kriede hastened herself to the battlefield where she sat on the ground, waiting for the other two to arrive.

There she sat idly on the field, not long before she laid down on the grass due to boredom, the warm colors of her fiery hair contrasting with the cool green of the foliage making Kriede stand out like the sun in the night sky.

Cariss

Her eyes twitched up for a moment, looking at the girl's sincere remorse, guilt blatant on her face.

"Did she just... apologize?" Cariss thought to herself, Aether had made her first impression coming off as strong willed, sudden change is something a lot of people dont have the strength or willpower to do so, Cariss is one of those who can't.

She immediately steered her gaze away from the rapier wielding mercenary and back onto the ground, as the wagon was pulled by the Mudsdale.

Sharp silence enveloped the scene, with nothing but the trodding of the stallion Pokemon and the whistling of the passing wind was to be heard as the entire carriage moved along its route, tension could almost be felt in the air as Cariss refused to speak, although she managed to flash Aether a quick smirk.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Aether felt the silence and she got quite tense. Realizing she practically did a 180 after feeling the confused gaze of her Salazzle and getting a smirk from Cariss, she quickly snapped back into reality and herself. She looked at the children and some of the mercs clear off as much oil as they could from their goods before going back to what they were doing beforehand.

"Well, it's gonna take a good long while before we make it to Raithean. So, got any questions for me, or did I make you speechless from my demeanor?" She gave her a playful smirk before looking around and everything else, making sure she wasn't too relaxed.

 

[Red Gallade]

Ren nodded. "While I myself cannot provide you with any quarters within the castle walls, I can however recommend "The Morning Medicham Inn" within the town; it shouldn't be too hard to find. But should you try anything that would deem you as a threat to Zen'barr, I won't hesitate to throw you behind bars for further questioning. I only hope you're certain that our neighboring kingdom isn't the type to seek combat, Zen'barr will be keeping to itself either way unless provoked." He said in a tone of authority, an unusual tone from the kind and gentle ruler but an acquired taste when it comes to the leadership of an entire kingdom. Ren knew this day would come where he would have to put his responsibility as a Warlord to use and did everything he could to savor his freedom of youth, but he tended to think that his crowning was far too soon and that he wasn't ready to lead his kingdom, that was why after his meals and meditation, he would likely be within the library and read books about great leaders from old times.

 

[Nukas]

Kyo
Kyo saw Mercury arrive but had wanted to wait until both her retainers had arrived to start explaining as she did not feel like having to repeat herself. She also thoroughly went over what she was going to say to them in her head as she waited, so they would not worry about her. As long as she stayed cool and composed, she knew she could be the ruler her father had hoped for her to be. She was looking out the window as she heard footsteps signaling that Yun had finally arrived.
"Ah good, you're both here. I would like to direct your attention to our little visitor in the throne room today. I think you will find this pokemon rather familiar if you have been studying the other kingdoms in the realm as I have instructed you both to do. This is Hanwon Song's Dunsparce of Kumo Village. He was just recently made lord of Kumo much as I have recently been made the lady of Moryūrei. We are similar in this way, so when he sent this letter, I felt inclined to take it seriously. He states in the letter that Sensō could be in grave danger from an impending conflict, and I feel like he would not send his very own pokemon should he not truly believe his words. He would like to form an alliance between our two kingdoms."
Just then, Skull came running back towards Kyo. Kyo laughed as she bent down to pick him up before regaining her composure and speaking once more in what she hooped would come across as the serious tone of before. "I might- no, I AM going to head for Kumo village very shortly, and I would like Mercury to accompany me. We must iron out the details of an alliance such as this one and I need someone there with me on the very off chance this is a way to get me when my guard is down to take over my kingdom. Yun, I am leaving you in charge of Moryūrei in my absence. You are very experienced with our defenses and know our battlefield inside and out. Are there any objections?"
Kyo liked to ask this after a meeting with her retainers because they were her most trusted advisors and had slightly more experience than her because she was so young. She tried to take everything in consideration when creating her plans and their input has been critical in the past, so she didn't like making decisions without them. That said, she had decided she would be going to Kumo no matter what happened in this council.

Gaius
"Forgive me Lady Tsukatani, I will try not to make that mistake again. If it is training you want, then I can gladly be of assistance. Come, Forrest, to the training hall!" Gaius marched following his young lady as Forrest had started to chase down Maiko in a playful manner. The Grotle was not very light on his feet, which made the chasing a bit hectic and rambunctious for most people.
"Oh, getting a start on training early, good job Forrest!" With this, he smacked the shell of his partner hard on the back, a blow that would have easily knocked out a person, but the Grotle just shrugged it off. "Grotle Gro!"

 

[Cmeriwether]

Ryu
"Shiori is currently settling the last of the..." Ryu was attempting to explain when Mareep baaed, "Sorry about that, Mareep is most definitely hungry and I have a strange feeling that there is a possibility that Daichi is looking for me, rather than the title of Warlord of the Land of the Flying Fortress."

Shiori

"Hassan, be ready, anything could happen, but we will wait," Shiori responded, then shuddered, "I really hope Daichi isn't back."

She worriedly watched over the day to day workings of The kingdom and it's inhabited, human or pokemon.

 

[kyuukestu]

Wyosyna

As Syna stepped into the rear court, she was greeted by the chilling wind and the sound of snow crunching underfoot. She stopped briefly to scan the courtyard, looking for its inhabitant amidst the mounds of snow. She looked to the left...but saw nothing. Then she swept her eyes to the right...still nothing.

"Ohh that little imp!"

On any other day, Syna might've been up for Persephone's little game, however, today they had things to accomplish. She had no time to dawdle while searching for her partner. Though...she had to admit, the deerling was getting better and better at blending in with 『Camouflage』. The type and appearance changing move, combined with Persephone's own ability to change coats with the season allowed the Seasonal Pokemon to pull off impressive disguises.

Enough of that though, she hadn't come to check up on Persephone's hiding skills. Pursing her lips and bringing her fingers to her mouth, Wyosyna sent a high-pitch whistle trilling through the air; a summons for her Pokemon. Though...it appeared the deerling was already present. A fact Wyosyna only took notice of after one of the mounds of snow began to twitch its ears, and innocently blink its doe-like eyes, as if to plead innocence.

The act earned Persephone an exasperated eye roll before Wyosyna becked the deerling to follow her as she returned to the castle.

"Come on Persephone, we need to eat breakfast quickly, then we're headed to the training field. Lu and Kreide should already be waiting for us."

Yun

"By your will Milady."

Respectfully offering a bow and his affirmation, Yun made it clear he had no objections. He was a bit concerned about this trip to Kumo Village, but Kyo's logic was sound. Hanwong certainly would've have used his own Pokemon as bait for a trap...would he? The thought floated around his mind, but he dismissed it as his usual skepticism. Either way, from the unflinching tone in Kyo's voice, she'd already made up her mind.

 

[Grand Master Koop]

Footsteps approached the training field where Kreide laid waiting. "You seem to have arrive here early." The voice of a man with a very relaxed tone was heard. Lu stepped onto the training field and drew his Halbert from his back, his partner pokemon Whirlipede rolling in beside him.

Lu put his weapon over his shoulder as he looked around. "So, should we just begin now or should we wait for our lady to get here? I'm fine either way." He shrugged.