Peace Summit

[Marquae Noel]

“Oh?” Noel asked to nobody in particular as the captain made their announcement about the status of the airship’s fuel and impromptu descent. Na’lumire signed off from their conversation and Noel took the chance to remove a wooden herb pipe from their coat. The turbulence didn’t bothers them, nor did the swell of dark clouds that they slipped under a few moments later. Noel stood up slowly, removed any trace of crumbs from their coat, and moved over to the window to watch their descent first hand. If they needed to bail, Noel was more than confident they could manage a free fall with thier repertoire of Arbiters. Diamond Dust prepared them more than well for situations like that.

Still, watching the nearly decrepit wooden dock approach made them curious who built it and why it would be seen as an adequate place to refuel and assess damage. It’s design reminded of Noel of the old construction styles in the Falken Delta at the end of the Kosin River, leading out into the Big Blue. The construction hadn’t been updated in decades, but it kept a rustic, vintage charm in the Kosin River Valley. Here, wherever they were in the stormy mountains, the climate stripped away any sense of classic integrity or artistic finish, leaving behind seemingly functional bones save for a few missing planks or finishes here and there. As they took a drag from their pipe, rumbling in kind with the turbulence of the storm.

Once they docked, Noel took the final drag of their pipe, emptying it on the floor of the cabin and returning it to their jacket. The crew bustled through and many of the other attendees retreated to their rooms at the request of the captain, but Noel preferred a more active view of upcoming crises. Whatever might come, they knew they had a duty to assist however they could. Their pledge to Diamond Dust wouldn’t falter in the wake of a little detour.

[Nalumire]

Nalumire knew that he couldn’t take everyone with him to investigate the engine room. It was too risky, especially with Hytsuya’s inexperience and Seitsuka’s protective instincts that could lead to unnecessary confrontations. So, he turned to Astrune and Daitsuya, whose expertise and poise would be invaluable in the situation. "You two, come with me. We need to assess the damage," he said firmly, his eyes flicking towards the door that led to the engine bay.

Rossern and Seitsuka exchanged a concerned glance but remained silent, understanding the necessity of his decision. With a nod from his aides, Nalumire led the way, his loafers echoing down the corridor as they made their way to the ship’s heart.

The engine room was a maelstrom of activity, with engineers in cloaks scrambling to fix the damaged fuel lines. The air was thick with the smell of burning gas, a contrast to the refined air of the dining hall. Above the din, the whine of the Nimbus's engines was a constant, grating reminder of the urgency of their situation.

Astrune’s eyes lit up at the sight of the Ordara tech, her mind already racing through possible scenarios and solutions. She and her husband had worked tirelessly on the design of these very engines, and seeing them in distress was like watching a child in pain. Daitsuya, on the other hand, took in the chaos with a calm grace, her eyes scanning the room for any signs of foul play.

As they approached the engine, a group of repair crew members looked up from their work. Their expressions shifted from focused determination to something sinister, their eyes glazed over with a strange light. The whisper of incantations filled the air, the very air seeming to thicken with the dark power of mind control magic.

Nalumire felt the tug of a spell, his thoughts momentarily clouded by an alien will. As the words "Kill the Prince" echoed in his very core his being was shifted in moments he wanted blood. But his connection with the Marashin was too strong, and he resisted with a snarl, his eyes flashing with the power of his divine lineage. "Daitsuya, Astrune, beware!" he shouted, raising his hand to counter the spell. He did an hand seal before he placed his palm to the chest of his valkyrie. "Bre'gon"

The crew members surged forward, their tools now makeshift weapons in their hands. Astrune pulled out her staff, the gleaming Sovereign-Steel coming alive with an arcane glow. Daitsuya's eyes grew colder, the power of her own naten flaring in response to the threat. The three of them stood back to back, facing the onslaught of the mind-controlled crew.

The battle was swift and fierce. Astrune's staff crackled with energy, sending bolts of lightning into the fray. Daitsuya's wind magic whipped around her, pushing the attackers back with gusts that howled like the storm outside. And Na’lumire, his amber eyes burning with the fiery determination of his ancestors, summoned forth the very essence of the Marashin, unleashing a wave that incapacitated the first line of the entranced workers.

The mind-controlled crew didn't scream or show any sign of pain. Their movements remained coordinated, almost robotic. They exchanged a grim look, knowing that this was no ordinary mechanical failure.

As they fought, the ship rocked violently, the storm outside seemingly growing more intense. The lights flickered, and the ship's AI, Nimbus, spoke through the intercom, its calm voice now filled with urgency. "Prepare for immediate takeoff!"
Nalumire had to act fast. They had to disable the mind control spell before the ship took off again, or they would be at the mercy of whoever or whatever was controlling the crew. Working in tandem, they began to weave a counter-spell, their voices rising in unison, the air in the room crackling with power.

The entranced workers stumbled, their movements becoming erratic as the siblings' combined might began to overpower the dark magic. Slowly but surely, the crew members began to regain control of themselves, dropping their weapons and collapsing to the floor.

Astrune' quickly called the control room urging the Captain to not start the ship or they would explode. The captain listens to the call of the Denki techmage and cancels the take off. With the immediate danger averted, Nalumire turned to the trembling engineers. "Thank the gods," one murmured, his eyes clearing. "We were compelled to sabotage the engines, but we didn't know why."

Daitsuya stepped closer, her voice soothing. "It's alright. You're safe now. We need to get to the bottom of this. Can you repair the damage?"

The engineer nodded, his eyes flicking to the now-dormant engines. "We'll do our best, Your Highness," he said, a hint of fear in his voice. "But we're not sure what kind of magic was used to control us."

Nalumire's gaze sharpened. "We must find the source of this treachery before we continue to Valdoran," he said, his voice cold and hard. "The future of our kingdoms depends on it."

Nalumire and his entourage returned to their suite, after informing the captin of what had happened, their thoughts racing. Who would dare to attack them in such a way? And what was the true nature of the emergency that had brought them to this desolate dock? The whispers of the storm outside seemed to hold the answers they sought, but for now, they remained tantalizingly out of reach.

[Marquae Noel]

Noel rotated between peering out the window and scanning the empty ballroom, once alive with food and fest now eerily quiet. The occasional crew passed through, too preoccupied with the ship’s maintenance to get them to their room with the rest of their contemporaries. Not that they could, Noel would rather be asked to help with the repairs or herding the attendees, putting their skills to better use.

Then, the floor rumbled and the sounds of the engine turning over whispered through the floors.

“Oh? That was fa—“ just as quickly as they arose, the mechanical sounds vanished. Noel wanted to give the crew their credit with a swift repair, but recognized they might be expecting a bit more than this scrambling crew could offer. Still, they waited to be of some use, a quiet sentry poised to leap to action at a moment’s notice.