In this world, Magic is Everything. All people, all races, are granted with the power to perform mystical and magical feats via grimories, mystical tomes granted to each and every child on their 15th birthday. Those blessed by the mana can have their names written down in legend.
Shattered Grimoires is the work of the mind(s) of Ardere & Shattered Grimoire's staff. All characters and content are copyright their creators, and may not be replicated without their creators' permission. Black Clover is owned by Yuki Tabata and published by Viz Shonen Jump. All images belong to their original owners. The theme you are currently viewing was made by Eliza of ElizaCodes exclusively for Shattered Grimoires.
Some days the goal was clearly painted on the roads life moved on. Traveling to a town, help an orphanage secure dinner, and make sure you get something to fill your belly too. It was a simple, low-paying life that help to patch up the ever expanding void that her heart struggled through. The answers she sought basically gated away due to rules. Rules she knew had to be upheld and something that would not bode well if squandered. Citizens such as herself really needed something to have faith in: be it the church or the kingdom. An ancient entity appearing and upturning everything they deemed normal has that sort of effect on the masses.
"Excuse me madam." spoke a hooded figure, small and unmistakably a noble lady. One glance at her feet and how her hands trembled spoke volumes on this person's intent. No would be thief or nightwalker would dare wear embroidered pearl heels. The poor thing really must have felt like a rabbit currently being stalked by a starving fox; constantly looking over her shoulders.
Bryn took pity and decided to hear her out, "How can I help you milady?"
The look of astonishment upon being semi-discovered washed over her, soaking into the posture that became more erect than the dysfunctional members of society were they to find the poor thing now. Hands trembling and reaching into where Bryn's ruby eyes could not track, she removed a single letter. It was written on excellent parchment and sealed with an equally flowery ribbon. No two ways about this, even if fancier than the sorts back home: it was a love letter. Bryn couldn't help but crack a smile, asking,
"Oh wow. So is this going to be an escort or delivery sort of favor to Prince Charming?"
Responding with a soft tone gave the confidence boost the noble lady needed to explain the job. She was in love with some charmer further down the street. The house was unmistakable, big stallion statue gate with eagles perched upon it. Bryn immediately thought this family was a caveat to the famed magic knight familia, but the noble lady reassured they were simple noblemen. The art was merely a symbol of pride to the Silver Eagle's fame. The ravenette could have sworn that meant the same thing but chose to not break the confidence train this girl was riding on.
Handing Bryn the letter, she requested that it be delivered to her lover up on the second floor in the east wing. Bless her soul for saying it was a two story destination. Bryn couldn't fathom trying to sneak into anything higher, taking a moment to reassure this noble that trespassing was not something she normally did. A small vein of frustration appeared when the noble lady assumed that it wouldn't be hard to do. Surely every commonborn had a bit of a thief in them no? is what could be fluttering about that lovestruck brain of hers. The pugilist forgave the hidden meaning and let the young lady muse on about the gentleman. Tall, green eyes, blonde short hair, wonderful gallant smile. It was a pity her water magic was unable to give an image of sorts. Bryn couldn't help but join in on the love squeals.
The sounds of a certain name calling brought the young lady's attention back, looking a bit frantic as if suddenly needing to leave. Bryn figured these were the escort party, given how quickly the young woman sputtered where her house was located. Basically matched the description of the lover boy's, except trade the stallion for a whale. As her employer pulled up a mantle to skedaddle away, she noted that there were a lot of armed guards patrolling the grounds. Letting out an exasperated "Hah?!", Bryn now found herself in a pickle.
Rambling to herself about the whole situation as she walked down the cobbled roads of Silva, Bryn was loosely aware of other pedestrians passing by. This oft carried the chances for accidental bumps, as she collided into the backside of a stranger.
"Oy, my bad. Wasn't paying much mind to where I was looking!"
Augustus was unsure what he was doing here in the Town of Silva in the first place. Truly, he was not welcomed here. It proved to be quite a headache just trying to break the tail that he had had since entering the Town of SIlva. Who knew that the family really hated his family that much, especially him for some reason. His tail had been very consistent too, having stayed more than twenty five meters away, and was most definitely a sensory mage of some sort. Truly, it would have been something Augustus would not have sensed at all, especially with the fact that he was a lousy sensory mage at best, and was horrid at worst. But of course, in true Silva family fashion, the tail had been wearing the cloak with an emblazoned family crest on it. The pride of the Ravencrest family can only be exceeded by the pride of the Silva family. He supposed that both family’s prideful nature rubbed against each other, and could never really find their common ground. He had tried. The Royal Capital was where the politics happened, and he had tried his best to find some form of truce, but it never bore fruit. Always grinding their axes, always coming after him, always making it seem as though he had an ulterior motive, such a relationship could never be mended. It was one of his failures as the political figure of his family, though he would never admit it out loud. [break][break] “And they say I’m a horrible sneak,” Augustus would grin to himself, as he led out a relieved sigh. His tail had finally vanished, or was it him that vanished? All he knew was that after darting in and out of random stores, very crowded streets, as well as back alleys that crisscrossed. It was an interesting time, and he knew that his tail would be reprimanded severely for losing him. No matter, he was free now, and he really needed to get going with his true reason for being here. As the current Deacon of the Royal Capital under Priestess Sierra, Augustus had been tasked with delivering a few missives from Priestess about coordinating relief operations for some of the poor common folk living within the Noble Region. Normally, something like this took less than a day, but Augustus’ tail made it just a bit harder. More so because Augustus had wanted to mess with the man by shaking him off his trail, and he had been successful at the cost of time.[break][break]
Shaking his head, the Ravencrest nobleman would pull his cloak closer to himself, before heading towards the church. With a quick knock, and a short conversation, Augustus had delivered the mail and was ready to leave.[break][break]
Just as he got down to the last step of the church’s entrance, he found himself being bumped by a random person. A woman, by the looks of it. Augustus lurched just a bit by the force, but held himself together for the most part. He brushed his cloak, adjusting the sigil that told the general public of his position as the Deacon of the Church of Clover, before holding his hand up and greeting the stranger, “Don’t worry about it. I also find myself lost in my thoughts sometimes, and it gets me in more trouble than I would like to admit.” He chuckled then, thinking about his first few Royal Court duties, politicking, and keeping up to date with everything and anything. He had been fifteen then, just fresh and the new recipient of his Grimoire. Court life had been boring, and often he found himself daydreaming of being out and about, a Magic Knight even just like his sister, going on adventures that took him to places known and unknown. [break][break]
He then sighed, before taking the young woman to size. She seemed capable enough, more self-assured in her stance than most women who roamed the streets of the Noble Region. Augustus found himself drawn, however, to the item in her hand. A letter of some sort? There was also the fact that he had heard some mutterings about a letter and delivery just before the woman had stumbled upon him.[break][break]
“Oh! Are you delivering a letter to the Church of Clover? The priest has just closed his doors. I think I woke him up, to be honest.” Augustus chuckled then, “But he should be up and ready to receive correspondence.” He assumed that the woman carried a letter just like what he had, “Just don’t comment on the old man’s toupee, I was told he was quite sensitive about it.”
"Well aren't you just a well-mannered gent?" Bryn replied after the well dressed individual apologized back. Offering a hand to him, Bryn introduced herself while clearing up a misconception on the letter's intent.
"I'm Bryn by the way and this here parchment is not for anyone that important. Just a love letter I suppose. Unless the church suddenly has a fancy for the passings of love dealings."
She scratched the back of her head, having realized the tasking was actually rather troublesome. "I've got a bad habit of helping whoever crosses path with me, so this here letter is from a lady of the town to her forlorn lover boy. Guessing the family don't approve of them seeing each other for reasons I'll not be wanting to know of. I'm just heading on over to see what sort of trouble I've gotten myself into."
Stopping herself there, she realized time was burning and spending any more time out at night just invited more questions from curious eyes. Giving the young, gallant man a slight bow out of respect, the ravenette began walking towards the area she was instructed to deliver the letter to. She turned her head one last time to give the stranger a goodbye before doing so,
"I'll not trouble you any further though. You have a good evening ser."
Augustus took the hand of the woman for a shake, and noticed her firm grip. At least, it was definitely more firm than the handshakes that the ladies of the Royal Court had, and it had impressed Augustus somewhat. He supposed that he could not compare the Ladies in Waiting to the women who actually worked, the regular citizens of the Clover Kingdom. It was an unfair comparison, though he was not sure whether the unfairness was towards the Ladies in Waiting, or the working women of the Clover Kingdom.[break][break]
“I suppose well-mannered is one way to describe me,” He would chuckle, before scratching the back of his head. Funny enough, it had been the first time somebody had actually complimented his mannerism. The few people he had met outside of the Royal Capital had actually been more apprehensive of his good manners. People like Valo Stark had made fun of him, while Hans Wilhelm had been annoyed, at least, that was what Augustus took from the man’s non response to his prodding. Of course, he had known that it would be hard for him to adapt to the lifestyle and the way that the common people interacted with each other. Being brought up as one of the Upper Nobility gave him the necessary tools to interact well with the other nobility, and even the Royal Family. However, that did not prepare him for the lax nature of the common people. He was learning, slowly but surely.[break][break]
She would then explain the letter, and Augustus almost laughed out loud at the woman’s response. Love letter, truly. Augustus knew that the Priests of the Church of Clover were very much eligible to start families. In fact, it was something of a fact that a Priest would usually have his own family outside of the Church, especially those who are of a noble background and needed to propagate their bloodline, siring the next generation of the blood. Augustus himself was one of those, having known that his sister would most likely pass on the responsibility of siring the next generation of Ravencrests to him. It was not as if he was averse to it. In fact, Augustus did not mind. His trysts had of course been well documented by the rumour mill of the Royal Capital, and everyone knew that he was something akin to a ladies’ man when he wanted. His family, his fortune, and his status made him one of the most eligible bachelors of the Royal Capital.[break][break] “Love letters to the priest?” Augustus chuckled, “I’m sure he has his fair share of women he takes comfort with.” He would then point to his hair, “His toupee is a hit among ladies of his age, from what I was told.” Laughing now, he continued, “Can’t tell you my sources though.” He winked at the woman in jest, before settling down for a moment. [break][break]
The woman then explained her situation in earnest. Star crossed lovers, doomed to fail because of their fates. Now that was a play Augustus would pay to see if it ever was written up. He was one for novels, and was always on the look out for great stories. However, he knew this one was something akin to a tragedy. Defying one’s parents was not something easily done for the nobility, especially when it had to deal with relationships. From what Augustus could guess, this was something to do with their families not seeing eye to eye, maybe even a historical rivalry that had bled through generations. On all accounts, Augustus would have stopped the woman, and convinced her to burn the letter. It would only lead to more heartbreak if they continued this forbidden relationship. Freedom was sometimes not a luxury for those who ruled, and the noble families, lesser or otherwise, held onto their pride with a vice grip.[break][break]
But something within Augustus stirred. He could not help but feel for the lovers. [break][break]
“Wait.” Augustus finally shouted as he ran to catch up to the woman who still held onto the letter. “Manours are usually guarded heavily. Let me at least help you, hey?” He would say, turning towards the place that she had seemed to be heading towards. “Is this it then?”[break][break]
The place was gated, as per usual for noble estates. However, it was smaller than most. While the place held acreage, the manor itself was only two stories high. The gates were solid steel, and from what he could gather, were easily scalable. There were really no security measures, since there is no immediate threat inside a town like this, though there definitely were guards posted around the whole place. A hedge maze was situated just across from their current position, which gave Augustus an idea. [break][break]
“We can use that to our advantage,” He would quickly speak in a low tone, “If you’ll have me, that is?” Augustus would not intrude on the woman’s mission of sorts, though he would like to help at the very least. The tragedy of the star crossed lovers intrigued him.
So much for a shaking off the luminescent example of chivalry, with his T.M.I. about the pope. Really gave Bryn a different image for the devouts of the church, as well as how admissable it was to have pleasure women. Truly was this something to be sharing with the commoners? She at least had to credit this young man for his integrity. Nothing to hide and knowing this boosted Bryn's confidence about relying on Augustus. Augustus brought up a good point though. Taking a look at the manor, there were a decent amount of guards roaming past the gates.
The easy answer would be to barge through like hooligans. Next would be to sneak past and then take them out. The hardest answer was to just sneak past the entire layout of the guards. She hated all the options. There was something to take apart from all of them and were it left to her, being banned for however long on a noble's property was an easy price to pay. With Augustus in tow, however, Bryn could not in good conscious bring the man's reputation down. Scanning the alleys and area for options, life was seemingly tempting the young woman to scurry over the walls like the sneakiest of cat burglars until a gleam of light shone. Figuratively, as Bryn would no doubt feel the guards would've reacted to an actual light shining down on the pair.
"Yeah sure sure. Just come with me right quick Augustus!" Bryn quickly sputtered out while taking the gallant blondie's right arm underneath hers.
It may have looked forceful, given Bryn's strength, but she was looking to hide in plain sight. Bryn's smaller frame hid under the floofy armor of Augustus, while providing enough of a view to see past the fence. Augustus's strategy was a great one on paper, until she noticed that there was something akin to a gate where some guards were posted. Some of the manor's guards tried to take a look at whom was passing due to their relatively awkward slow pace, but a simple head tuck onto Augustus's arm had the men scoff. Bryn also heard something along the lines of the jealous nature. The words itself didn't matter, so long as they excused the two passing by.
Past the gate and out of view from those guards, Bryn switched the awkward couple hold to almost a full drag. The long haired girl dragged Augustus towards one of the well-lit stores that would definitely raise an eyebrow or two: a boutique. Not just any boutique, but one filled with some of the frilliest Sunday dresses could find at the noble's court. Upon closer inspection, there were some risque dress choices befitting those seeking to seduction rather than glamour. Bryn freed Augustus from his shackles and shot him a devilish smile. Clearly, this was not a stop just to discuss the plan of sneaking in.
"So Augustus, since you've volunteered to help me...I think your idea to sneak in is a good one. But we don't know the layout and time favors the guards. Rather than waltz around the gardens like thieves, why not we walk in as a guest?"
She then pointed to what the point was. Behind them, walking up to the gates were some well 'dressed' women. Some in pairs, some single, but they were walking with the intent (and eventual passage) of the armed gates. Returning his attention to her, Bryn's smirk did not falter. It was clear what was being implied, as no men were being allowed through.
"Last chance to back out. I think you'll be an absolutely 'pretty' catch though and we can even accessorize each other~" Bryn teased, then walking into the boutique to begin shopping.
The first thing that Augustus noticed were the guards. Of course, it was not surprising at the very least. Guards were a staple thing for familial manours, especially when the place had no magical type of security around its gates and its fences. There was no need for those, and sometimes it interfered with possible Magic Knights business. This meant that to compensate, the families would have guards placed around their homes. Of course, there were exceptions. Some families erected some sort of protective magical defenses, even when deterred by the Magic Knights. If the family had enough clout, there was nothing the Magic Knights could do. The Ravencrest Manour was one of those that had enough clout, and therefore had barriers of magic around their compound. This was private information, however, and nobody outside of the immediate family truly knows of this. [break][break]
He was then pulled by the woman that he had been accompanying. He had been lost in his thoughts that the pull on his arm elicited a yelp, before he took it to stride. The woman must have seen something to have her react like that. She did not seem the type to do something without reason, after all. Augustus would hold the woman’s hand with his own, placing a caressing palm on top of the one that was wrapped around his arm. A loving gesture for those who were glancing towards their direction. He was quite experienced with these types of situation. After all, having grown up essentially within the Royal Capital, inside the Royal Court, made it quite hard to avoid social functions. And with these social functions came the responsibility of having a partner of sorts. Augustus had at first been quite aghast at having to bring a woman, a girl of his own age. Not that he did not want to, but more on the fact that he was not sure how to ask a girl out to a possible date. He had been a stuttering and a shy young teen back then at the age of fifteen. Nowadays, he had finally grown up and had acquired the experience at the expense of his first few dates that had ended quite awkwardly. His partners had not always been ones that wanted to be with him in the first place. Customary partnerships and escorting etiquette was important for families that had alliances. This meant that Augustus was constantly partnered and had escorted Vermillion and Blake family members, the women and young girls within his age group. Not all of them were happy with the situation, and Augustus could understand. All he did, therefore, was try his best to have fun, and to fake a smile and a nod.[break][break]
Though, to be fair, it was hard to fake smiling at the guards while having this young woman draped on his arm. He heard their curses, and could not help but smirk. The young woman, Bryn as she had introduced herself, was beautiful. And she had an edge to her that made her the polar opposite of the ladies within the Royal Court. It was a breath of fresh air, and reminded Augustus of the Vermillion women he had had the chance to meet. [break][break]
He was then dragged towards one of the well lit stores around the area. Augustus was not even looking, and just followed the woman. He felt comfortable enough with her, which was saying something since he was not easy to trust others. Augustus then listened to her proposal. She had a point. After all, why fight when they can just enter without having any issues what so ever. The problem was leaving, but that will be something that they will deal with when the time came. [break][break]
“Dress up?” Augustus finally yelped in surprise, though it did not seem to have caught the attention of anyone within the vicinity. He would chuckle to start, before starting into a full blown laughter. Augustus thought about it, and laughed some more. Him, of all people, wearing women’s clothes? What would people say? What would his peers say? In fact, what would his family say of him? His future partners? He had almost said no there and then, but he gave it another thought. This was in the name of love, after all. Was it not that reason that made him volunteer to do this pseudo mission with Bryn? Was his pride so high and mighty that it could not take a backseat for the sake of the happiness of two estranged souls?[break][break]
“...Fine.” Augustus sighed, before looking around. “To be honest, I don’t know where to start.” Oh he’s seen the underclothes of women, and of course their dresses and how intricately they are designed. He knew how to take them off of a woman’s body, but not how to wear it. “One condition: I get to decide on what you wear.” He gave the woman a sly smile. He might not be the best at dressing up, his outfits having been pre-picked by his staff, but he knew what looked good on women, at least those in court. Augustus knew his taste.[break][break]
“So, where do we begin?” He was not excited, but he knew that this is the easiest way to get this done. Besides, if she agreed, then he would be able to see Bryn in some fairly complimenting clothes. That was prize enough, Augustus thought.
She struck a nerve somewhere. That crack in Augustus's voice meant he hadn't considered the option of waltzing through the front gate undercover. Thinking further into the matter, Bryn would not have had the thought to go this route either had the jealous guard's leaked about the courting process. Judging by the hour, it was fitting to have nightly visitors for some noble families. In her experience, having suitors who desired a chance at a better life was not unheard of for those in a higher social class. So to best deliver a message filled with love to another, why not do so utilizing love as a guise? Bryn smiled at Augustus's acceptance to her terms, adding a caveat to his clause,
"You're more than welcomed to, but I get to dress myself. Big girl privilege after all. You on the other hand....may need some assistance."
Bryn dragged Augustus into the store with a mischievous grin splattered all over face. Upon entering the boutique, two well dressed (and squealing) young men immediately fell upon them. Literally from the rafters on the upper level. There was no impact however, as the giggling twins were attached by a thread. Both of them took out a humorously tiny scissors, cutting them free to land with a gentle tap as their polished auburn shoes kissed the cherrywood floor. One had a top hat the size of a mini crossbow, while the other twin wore a large feather hat that likely belonged to a rare species. They adorned cross patterned long sleeve shirts with a dress vest, cuffs folded up as it seemed they were working on something prior to Augustus and Bryn's disturbance. Their color scheme for the top half was gold and black, with form hugging pants to match. Their nails were polished and gleaming, with the men's face looking smoother than the pope's bald head. More importantly, both of these beautiful men fluttered their eyebrows at both Bryn and Augustus, giving the two a very special "Welcome to our shop!" that was accompanied with a blown kiss. Two ways, with one aimed for the cheek and one aimed below the belt.
Bryn, with her frank personality, did shudder a bit. Still, she needed to seize the initiative once the tailors asked whom they were picking a dress for?
She quickly pointed to Augustus, stating, "This fine, pious gentleman has fallen to the ever powerful feeling of love, smitten at the opportunity to fulfill another as an arbiter for romance. Though he needs to dress appropriately to deliver the letter, as the object of his affection is a bit shy in contesting the traditional values of nobility. So...can you fine folk help glamorize him for this first affair?"
Those were the magic words to ignite the cockles of their hearts, with both tailors raising their arms close to the chest and giving them a few shakes of glee. One seized Augustus's right arm, beginning to get a bit handsy as he mentally annotated some measurements. The other, taking out an inch tape with a satisfying snap, drop to his knees really quick in Augustus's front, bobbing back and forward a bit as measurements were expertly taken. From the tip of his toes to the armored knees and taking extra time at waist level. 'Oho!' the tailor said as he quickly brushed past the gate to the jewels, making Bryn snicker and then turn pale. As funny as this was to see on Augustus, her body's proportions were not exactly standard for noble ladies either.
Growing self conscious all of a sudden, Bryn's fears were realized as the twin with the inch tape was now on her. Quickly spanning around, across, and definitely snuggling about every inch of her toned body was surely an experience. One that she couldn't help but feel a bit violated, but these two were incredibly professional. Nothing changed through their giggles, sizing up each and every angle of the two. When done, both pushed the mages forward and suggested that they pick an outfit for them to recreate in their proportions. Once again, to ensure their getup was convincing, Bryn asked the tailors,
"We want him to be very convincing, as he wants to let out the purity of his flower into the real world for the first time!"
Another round of giggling fits as the tailors rushed off into the back. Sounds of glass tipping and undergarments flying from the curtains meant this was going to be quite an ordeal for Augustus, as one of the tailors peeked out with what appeared to be something very similar to women's panties. Except there was a hole in them. And it was attached to garterbelts. The tailors kept on peeking out through the curtains and spitballing the size. To include shoes. Bryn had a slightly exasperated look on her face, as she patted the backside of Augustus. She turned to him and said,
"You can pick my outfit first Augustus. Seems like you won't get the chance to once those two find what they want you to wear. Seems they also got a vision of what to put together too...I can't wait."
Thankfully she was already a female and did not need those undergarments. Well, unless Augustus was going for something far more risque. She would slap him if he did, but be a good sport about it. Bryn could have sworn she saw a few spicy corsets fly out from the back where the tailors were still rummaging. Given that their experts also took good care of their nails and face, perhaps a full makeover was not off the table either. Bryn may have to decline that offer, as their time was better spent elsewhere.
"Let's get on with it then shall we? I can hear the noise getting softer in the back~"
Augustus would grin at the young woman’s response, though as he was dragged into the store itself, he thought to himself that he might have made the wrong decision. The store itself was more like a boutique, something that was fairly common in the Noble Region. This was especially more so because it catered to the middle to upper class of society. They were a dime a dozen in this place, and Augustus rarely visited one. However, the specific store that Bryn had dragged Augustus into seemed to be the more flamboyant one. Case in point, the two men that greeted both Augustus and Bryn as they entered the place. [break][break]
The man almost laughed out loud at the two shop owners’ antics. Were they twins? Possibly siblings. Either way, they seemed to complement each other in their actions, which he supposed helped with their business. Augustus was not one to judge, after all, and he would stay quiet with a small polite smile on his face as they were greeted. He let Bryn take charge of the conversation, trusting her enough to be able to deal with the two very flamboyant men. There was also the fact that Augustus really did not know what to do or say. He supposed that he was out of his depth at this point, and had to rely on his partner. [break][break]
Bryn had said something about needing to be disguised as a woman, and the two men were immediately at work. Augustus had been busy looking around, glancing at the different dresses, shirts, underclothes, and even some accessories hanging around the store. But without warning, he was assaulted by the two men’s measurement antics. He supposed antics would be the best way to describe their actions. Augustus had grown stiff in body as the two men started to measure every crevice of his body. He was not someone who was a stranger to people measuring him for clothes. Designers were often called to his home to fit him with the latest trends after all. However, these men were just more handsy than the others. Augustus swallowed his complaints, though sent a pleading look at Bryn, hoping that the woman would help him in his plight. But, as it turns out, the woman was also being measured. At least, she was being measured after they had seemingly been done with him. Augustus had to hold in his laughter as the woman looked to be as uncomfortable as he had been. To be honest, everybody would have been uncomfortable by the handsy nature of the twins, though their business seems to still be standing so there must be some love for their work.[break][break]
“That was...not the most comfortable...experience.” Augustus would finally say as he approached Bryn now, having been just a little bit separated while they were being measured by the twins. “Of all places, you decided on this one, hey?” He would chuckle, shaking his head at the ridiculousness of the situation. “I hope this ordeal would be worth it. Those two star-crossed lovers have better be grateful at what we’re enduring for the two of them.” Shaking his head, he turned towards the racks of clothes that he had been glancing at earlier.[break][break]
There were a few choices that he had been trying to eye for Bryn. her physique was fairly fit, with her waist length dark brown hair accentuating her piercing red coloured eyes. If Augustus were to be honest with himself, he would admit that he had already found a few dresses that could match the woman’s features. Though, he had to decide on the best one. He did not mind paying for this whole outfit for Bryn. It was for a good cause, after all. Plus, he was sure that seeing her in the dress he had finally decided on would be prize enough. So, price was not an issue at all.[break][break]
“I shudder to think what they have in store,” He would sigh, moving towards one of the dresses that was being modeled by a mannequin, one of the centerpieces of the store it seemed like. “This one.” Augustus turned towards Bryn with a smile, “Of course, you get to dress yourself. Big girl privilege and all.” He would then grin mischievously, “Wouldn’t have minded helping though.”[break][break]
It was then that the two brothers came back giggling. They rushed towards Augustus, carrying quite a few items as they seemed to have finally decided on what he would be wearing. He was now, more than ever, unsure if this was a good decision. But he had to live with it.[break][break]
“Before you start with me, please alter that dress for the young woman.” He pointed towards the dress he had picked out for Bryn, “She’ll be wearing it tonight.”[break][break]
Raising an eyebrow at Augustus's choice of dress, it was fairly simple. She was not overly thrilled at the semi-transparent midrift, but could appreciate the sex appeal. As she is so fervently reminded every morning: Bryn had a very well endowed body. Both at the chest and in the rump, no amount of training to build up her muscles could thin out the volume of mass her back would endure each day. Her eyes squinted at how loose the fabric looked, then took a moment to stare at Augustus with judging eyes, and then back to the dress. The look on Bryn was that of mild disappointment, but at least the man had class to pick one with some form of decorum.
As the knight spoke about tailoring it to Bryn first, the twins peeped out and gazed rapidly between the dress to its potential wearer. Smiling they asked Bryn if there were any special touches they would like to the dress since the fitting may actually not take all that long. Her answer was to darken the netting to be less transparent. Something akin to the satin for leggings would be fine. She was less concerned with the dress's breathability, as they noted to her the problem with changing the mid section of the dress. They eventually relented as one of the twins came out to pull the dress off the mannequin. Taking one final measurement of Bryn's chest line, as it was the focal point of the dress, he nodded in approval while disappearing into the back. For now, Bryn's part was done until the dress's adjustments were finished.
Augustus would not be so fortunate. The other twin came out and snagged the knight's arm with a surprising amount of strength. Asking whether he would like the full dress treatment, Bryn interjected with,
"Make up and heels only. No need for the panties. I don't think we'll get that far tonight. Definitely give him a chest though!"
Nodding in acknowledgment, the tailor yoinked Augustus onto a spinning chair to size him up. Whistling for the other brother to come over, who just finished Bryn's dress, they began to spiral around Augustus like vultures to a carrion. Snickering and still whistling, obviously very impressed with his dashing good looks, the two murmured to each other about color schemes that would fit his pale complexion. Rather than take a whole new dress, they decided to alter one of their bridal outfits to look similar to his current attire. Nodding in approval, one of the twins quickly disappeared to go hand Bryn her dress and usher her into a dressing room. The other, turning on a few gas lamps, began to weave his slender fingers about Augustus. As the hands moved, the clothing pieces came off till he was exposed with naught other than his undergarments. The twin that disappeared reappeared with a record player in hand. Or at least something similar looking to a music box, as he cranked it up with vigor. A chorus of music began to play from its curved emerald horn speaker; signaling the start to the beautification.
These individuals were clearly more than just tailors, as one twin whipped out a makeup kit and the other got real personal with Augustus's mid section. His face very close to Augustus's undergarment, he gazed upward with a smile that would be mildly distracting from the task of wrapping the church magus with a corset. The blessed curse piece of clothing that would be key to the beautiful figure men oft desired. Augustus, whether he desired to or not, was about to get a first hand experience of the delicate details that went into preparing for a court dress. With a fierce pull, the corset constricted the midsection. A male's proportion was definitely not fitting for an hourglass figure, but the goal was an illusion to be born. The corset tailor placed his ear around the area Augustus's lungs would be, adjusting the tightness in proportion to the beat of his breathing. Settling on a binding that would make deep breathing impossible, it was loose enough to not limit the man's breathing to little wisps.
Concurrently, the other tailor went to town on Augustus's new makeover. Powdering his cheek, applying liner and filing those rough hands of his, there was no limit of how fast the man worked the brush to slowly transform the grizzled warrior into a slightly masculine lady. In fact, some thin sheets were taken out and applied onto his face to slightly alter the facial structure. Gave him slightly more open eyes and a softer cheek bone. The strips felt like mud being put on, but not as restrictive. It moved and contoured to his actual features, which would be quite alarming given how much of a difference it made. Showing him his own face revealed a softer, far more feminine version of himself. A thin layer of gloss to his supple lower lips, some pale emerald eye liner dusted along the edges of his extended fake lashes, and complimented with dangling clip on earrings. No piercings required!
Thoroughly pleased, the tailors turn the chair around so that they could do something about Augustus's broad chest. What he saw were a pair of breasts that could easily give Bryn a run in the size department, yet it looked almost realistic. No nipples and the coloring was slightly off from his natural skin color, but it matched the pale face Augustus wore with all the make up on. One tailor began fitting it onto the body, which was slightly chilling to the skin and sticky. The fake bust would snap into place with the corset as its anchor, with the upper ligaments requiring a bit of goo to attach along Augustus's shoulders. If left to dangle, the chest would look unnatural as it maintained the shape of being constricted by a brassiere. Still, if the man so relished in it, he could move a bit and the pair would jiggle appropriately. The fleshy cover extended just over his crotch, smoothing it to match a specific curve.
As he was then pushed to a standing position, stockings were swiftly rolled onto him and then secured with a waist hugging garterbelt. The tailors respected Bryn's request to keep Augustus's undergarments as they were, but they immediately took out the 'dress' of choice. A very regal, pristine white. Not pearl, not cream, white. It was befitting the shrine maidens yet regal for even the noble lords. It clearly was a female dress, but fashioned after a hunter's attire. There were tasslets under the chest area and over it, which rigged nicely with the white corset. Augustus's broad shoulders would be covered with a fur mantle similar to his armor, tapering just past the shoulders. The choice of bold breasts was made clear as the tailors sealed Augustus into the suit. It was padded, drawing focus the eyes towards the chest and mantle rather than how masculine Augustus's frame would be. The leggings were a one piece, smooth pants that had extra cotton to emulate the wide hips fitting for the hourglass figure. His footwear seemed big, but still proportionate to the image. They went high, past the knees even. It was a dominating and commanding outfit, yet ultimately fitting for the church mage.
The tailors did some final touches, such as sewing on lace and fluffing the collar to make the dress breathable. They wiped their foreheads with pleasure, looking with Augustus into the mirror. Both of them spoke in unison,
"You were born for this! Well done Master Magus. Brava!"
"I agree. Almost as if he'd been reborn even, Ms. August~"
A wolf call could be heard from the entry way leading into the tailor's workarea. There stood a dressed Bryn who was also slightly dolled up. The dress was worn almost exactly how it was presented, but altered a bit to fit Bryn's rougher nature. Her hair was still down, tied up in very flat rings on the side. She seemed to have taken the liberty of borrowing some black plum ornamental flowers to match the dress's attire. Her choice of going with a darker mesh contrasted extremely well with Augustus's attire, going for almost a completely seductive image rather than letting a tease of Bryn's fit body. She opted to not wear the dark stockings that came with the look, instead running with a more porous fishnet that was midnight black. Her heels were surprisingly high and every bit as commandeering as Augustus's white boots. Taking out a black feather fan to finish the look, Bryn gently fanned herself and then gazed over towards the three 'men.' Two of them gulped audibly. Whether she was doing so on purpose, Bryn definitely carried the image of a femme fatale who would be on the prowl with piercing red eyes.
Walking over to Augustus and offering him a hand, they needed to hurry. The dress up took longer than expected and the amount of ladies walking into the courtyard had dwindled significantly. She left the tailors a hefty satchel of money, which thankfully was not nearly as bad if they were going to buy it. Rental shops were amazing, even if some of the purchasers never actually did come back. Pulling Augustus out of the shop after hastily offering the men their more than well-deserved thanks, she offered him a steady platform as they made their way towards the gate.
"Oy oy, we definitely are crunching for time but I think we can get past these guards without a worry. You're fuggin gorgeous and I look far less of a plain Jane. Once we do that, let's try and stick with the screening line until we get a general lay of the courtyard. Lover boy shouldn't be too far from the festivities. None of these ladies are dressed like harlots, unless you wanna enlighten me that nobility have funny ways of buying sex these days."
Augustus was not surprised by the amount of attention that the two gave him, well at least one of the two. The set of twins, he determined, were very skilled in what they did. There was a reason why their shop had not been bankrupt just yet when they had numerous competitors around the Noble Region. These two had more than just their flair to sell. No, their skills with makeovers, as well as style and eye for fashion seemed to be second to none. Augustus had never had a fitting within the Royal Capital that was as fast as these two. Their work was speedy, yet precise, an orchestra that had played the tune for more than a dozen times. Their work of art came together, and it seemed to be building itself. [break][break]
The first thing Augustus found himself blanching at was the dress. It was definitely womanly, and seemed to be bridal more than anything. Though, from what he had been told in the past, the colour of snow white seemed to compliment both his complexion and his eyes. His blonde hair made it quite well paired with the colour white as well. It was the reason why his usual outfit was adorned with a white coloured fur lining. As the tailors had told him, it accentuated his striking features, and he could not argue against their better judgement on style. And so he complied with it, and to be fair, he had had quite a few compliments thrown at him. It was money well spent. [break][break]
The twin seemed to agree with Augustus’ personal tailor. White seemed to be their choice as well, and Augustus could only internally sigh. He would have been happy with a different colour, but he would not complain. They knew what they were doing, and would trust them with this. [break][break]
But, the ordeal was not over. The corset came out, and the magic started to be weaved into the fashion itself. From what Augustus could tell, there was definitely more than just dress and artificial items used for this whole makeover. He could feel the trace of mana around the items he was being given. Possibly to make them fit better? Augustus would ask, but he was unsure how they might take it. In fact, it could be their trade secret, and he was not one to pry where his nose was not wanted. [break][break]
“Where do you want your regular clothes, hm?” [break][break]
One of the twins, the one who was in charge of him, asked him seriously. Augustus would look surprised at the moment, though the twin seemed to lighten up a little. [break][break]
“I know you’re not that comfortable. And this mission might cause you to need to quickly change back! Maybe near a ladies’ most intimate place, for maximum concealment!” [break][break]
Augustus would shrug, “I suppose. Thighs?” He would grin at the twin, before he set to work once more. A quick transformation magic later, and there was a strap that held a small bag that held his usual attire, transformed to fit the bag. [break][break]
“When you need to quick change, just channel a little mana and it will spill out your natural attire! Though I would say you look more fabulous now than before!” [break][break]
Augustus would acquiesce, before he turned to look at Bryn. The woman had dressed up, and he fought hard to keep his jaws from hanging. She looked breathtaking in the dress he had chosen, though it did have some alterations. He thought that the woman might not be as comfortable showing some skin, which seemed to be some of the alterations’ intention. Otherwise, she still looked beautiful. [break][break]
“You dress up well, Bryn. One would think you’re a noble lady.” He would smile softly, before coughing, “Uhm, my voice might be a big giveaway. Best not to speak, yeah?” Augustus would nod to himself, before he was dragged by the woman towards the manor now. [break][break]
Following behind her, Augustus let Bryn take the lead. The line was dwindling indeed, and they had just gotten there in time before the last few ladies would slowly be given admittance. Augustus would fall in line with Bryn, and soon, they were able to slip past the unknowing guards who only eyed Bryn more than Augustus. He had half the mind to hit the two guards, but held himself back. He supposed it would have blown their cover, and that would not do. No, Augustus kept appearances as a high born lady, and slowly trudged towards the manor with the rest of the ladies, though him and Bryn lagged behind. [break][break]
“This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever done,” He would chuckle as they made their way into the ballroom. “Let's hope it’ll be worth it, shall we?” [break][break]
The ballroom was beautifully decorated. A lower nobility’s manor always held an air of nouveau riche. "The nobility buy their pleasures in secrecy, though a secret never remains thus in the wandering eyes of the Noble Region.” He would shake his head, “This is a spectacle, and I’m almost sure that the festivities would begin soon. Ladies will be paraded, shown off like cattle, with all of them hoping that they would be chosen as the bride.” He spoke with just a little spite, “I outright banned this practice for the young men of the Ravencrest family, at least those who are living under my roof. In the end, only my sister has the say in abolishing this ridiculous practice for the family.” [break][break]
Then, it began. [break][break]
The ladies lined up as the young heir of the family was escorted along a parallel line of young ladies looking to gain his favour. Augustus was at the very end, with Bryn by his side. He felt uncomfortable with his getup, but he would make sure to keep up this farce. Funnily enough, he saw some familiar faces here, though he seemed to have been disguised enough to be unrecognizable. [break][break]
“Here he comes, get ready.” Augustus whispered to Bryn, bringing his face close to her side. It would do no good now to be discovered, and so he passed his whispers off as some sort of excited gesture by a young lady to her friend. Smile and all. “I hope you have the letter.”
Actions Taken - Used Haunt 210 on the bandit leader, dealing INT damage (-20 MP) - Fled into the Maze
- Recovered 20 MP
post
A snickering Bryn reassured Augustus's worries as they were corraled into the main hall. "Nobody ever truly knows whether their effort was worth the work till way later down the line. Put it this way, at least you'll gain some valuable experience and vision. And a new found respect for the thins some women are willing to do eh?"
The Ravencrest liege explained in more detail about the practice of buying comfort within nobility. Such revelations were about what was expected, though it was good of Augustus to save face by admitting his household abolished the practice years ago. Not that Bryn would have thought much worse of him. It was a pleasant surprise to see some nobles actually having the spine to stand up for what was just instead of abusing the amenities that came with their status. She gave him a pat on the back and a quick slap on the butt. Right around where the twins placed the equipment pouches for his gear.
In a short moment, they were lined up for display much like how her companion described. Coming into the hall were a group of well dressed men. Two stout and two fairly good looking. The younger one in the middle matched the description. Combed back brunete with fair skin and clear hazel eyes. Definitely a lady killer, given the immediate responses from the other hussi---women. Their target however, seemed genuinely disappointed. It was his entourage that oogled the competition. Given their location in the middle of the pack, the screening process definitely went by quickly. Some of the portly advisors wanted the nobleman to give certain girls the look over, while one of the normies padded a candidate's redeeming qualities upon his deaf ears. Bryn gazed and figured drastic measures were necessary to keep the man from passing by.
"Sorry bout this!" Bryn whispered to Augustus.
Bryn delivered a loud slap to a particular area. Her magic flared up into a semi-transparent fist that surrounded her hand. The motion was timed to have Augustus's push up to be a small obstacle to halt the nobleman's path long enough for Bryn to make her move. She lunged forward and seized the collar of the nobleman, bringing the man's head down to the level of her mouth. Bryn's free hand opened the fan towards the other ladies and the entourage while relying on Augustus's large frame to mask the other side. The woman whispered and quickly withdrew the mentioned letter from her bust. Tugging a bit harder allowed the poor nobleman some wiggle room to take out a new piece of parchment from his coat. He whispered his thanks and would help with a distraction to get them out. Why he couldn't just escort us out personally was perplexing to Bryn, but she thanked him all the same.
Bryn let go of the man and took a step back. She played off the overconfident lady by fanning herself and smirking, then giving the nobleman a wink. The guards were suddenly on alert and took out their choice of weapons---those with chains attached. One of them, clearly the alpha of the guards, didn't take kindly to Bryn's show of insubordination. Placing a hand on her shoulder tightly, an ugly sneer painted over his face as he leered over her figure trying to get a good view at her midsection. He let out a loud gufaw as his hand began to wander lower towards Bryn's buttocks...
...until forcibly held by a haunting blue hand of pure energy. It gripped the wrist and twisted, paralyzing the leader's advances as yelps of pain excited the other ladies into a panic. Bryn's posture was undisturbed as the arms swung the guard leader up and around like a human lasso. A few swings and the man was then slammed down onto the floor with a loud thud! She planted the smooth side of the heel onto the guard leader's head, causing it to double-tap the floor before passing out. Bryn ripped her lower dress and used it to wrap her face, quickly tying the looser ends around her legs to form makeshift leggings. Just in time for the other guards from the foyer and courtyard to open the doors of the ballroom. Each guard, four strong, raised their flame spells up and targeted Bryn. Before they could throw it though, the nobleman intervened and chastised the guards for their lack of situational awareness. The noble quickly glanced over towards Augustus and Bryn's location, signaling that they needed to get out of here.
"Time to go!" Bryn said as the arms shrunk to latch themselves onto Bryn's own body. She scanned the room real quick and noticed a toppled table.
Picking it up with an impressive display of strength, Bryn whispered a quick apology before shattering the nobleman's window by throwing the piece of furniture like a discus. Following right after it, Bryn tumbled into the garden maze Augustus pointed out earlier. Loud commands from the nobleman to chase after them could be heard, but definitely had a tinge of half-heartedness to it. The ravenette laughed as she began trying to figure out the way closer to the outer walls. Escaping the maze still left them to run through the courtyard before they reached the gate and that ran the risk of getting surrounded. So, Bryn offered a suggestion to Augustus.
"These guards ain't too bright. Why don't we take down as many as we can in here quietly, then we can jump the gate guards. Safely! I really don't want to be branded a rogue before getting a chance to do anything yet! I think only the four inside actually saw us, so whoever at the gate may or may not be easy to dupe."
The soft tinges of light permeating the dark maze began to emerge. If they stuck to the walls and quietly disposed of their pursuers, then there was a chance to escape the compound with little alert to reinforcements.
There was a point in time when Augustus would have been quite uncomfortable being manhandled by a woman. There was also a point in time when Augustus would have been hard pressed to find a woman who can manhandle him, especially with his height and weight. The ladies of the Royal Court were frail and lithe, definitely not fit enough to move men with their strength alone. So when Bryn had shoved him in the way of the crowd, or at least the escort of the noble man, he was shocked into a stupor. It left him paralyzed just for a moment, not moving as he turned his attention from the noble man to himself as he tried his best to maintain balance. The hardest part was stopping himself from yelling, or even just uttering an exclamation of sorts as he was shoved. It would not do well to reveal to the world now that it was all a cover up, and that he was, indeed a man. Of course, there was a chance that people might think that he was just a deep voiced woman, but he would not pray on the fact that people can be clueless sometimes. No, he bit his lip, and instead internally screamed into the void as he tried to find his footing, successfully, though at the expense of his own pride.[break][break]
He would then turn to Bryn now, and watched as she interacted with the young noble man. He would assume that she was quickly getting the young man to actually take the letter. There was a possibility that the young man might have something that he wanted to give to the young woman in return. They both seemed to be starstruck lovers, and those kinds always had each other on their minds, and therefore would have had some sort of letter readily made for circumstances that might have them meet each other. It can happen at any time, and anywhere, especially during the day in a busy street.[break][break]
And it seems he had been right. From what the interaction he had been able to see, the man had handed the woman a letter of sorts. At least, that was what it looked like. Augustus himself was a little uncomfortable now, though still used his body as some sort of distraction. His broad chest made him into some sort of a makeshift wall. He realized that Bryn might have intended for him to act as such, though he made sure to act as though he was hurt. Would it be she? Augustus shook his head, turning to the group that he had blocked and apologized profusely. Though trouble started to brew at that point. Not everyone was on board with his profuse apologies, and from what he could see, the guards were now on high alert. They were getting ready to apprehend them both, and Augustus could only sigh as he prepared to fight back. It seems as though that their intended tactic of sneaking in and out was not panning out well enough.[break][break]
Bryn seemed to have one of them handled, and he had been a bit preoccupied now at trying to find a way out. Then, without pause, the young woman signalled for him to follow her. A window was smashed, and they were both out.[break][break]
But they were not home safe.[break][break]
Guards were now following them, and Augustus had to grunt as the dress he was currently wearing became too much of a burden. He did not have the same amount of flexibility compared to the pants he was so used to wearing.[break][break]
“I don’t know how women are able to wear dresses,” He would finally use his voice as they entered into the hedge maze. “These do not provide enough flexibility and movement. They look nice, but they definitely are not good for utility!” Augustus cursed, before looking back at the commotion following them. He found himself shaking his head at the four figures chasing after them.[break][break]
Augustus then grabbed the satchel that was tied to one of his thighs, before turning to Bryn. “I’ve got my set of clothes here.” He would channel a pulse of mana through the satchel, and without warning, his clothes appeared. But before he could even started to change to his usual attire, the guards were coming upon them.[break][break]
“Fine!”[break][break]
Grimoire glowing with a dark colour, Augustus’ was immediately in his battle mode. Already grating from the dress he was wearing, his anger poured into his spell as the grimoire flipped a few pages to reveal the spell he was planning on using.[break][break]
“Abyssal Armor!”[break][break]
The dark element oozed from his grimoire, and started to crawl on his skin. There was little time between casting and its full manifestation. Augustus was quickly covered in full armor garb, enhancing his strength in the process, while protecting him from attacks.[break][break]
The first of the four guards tried to throw a spell at him, but Augustus took the hit without too much of a problem, before launching his own right hook at the man, knocking him out and throwing him backwards. The second one had tried to weave around the busy Augustus. The man was sneaky, and utilized some sort of chain magic that shot towards Augustus. However, the Deacon of the Royal Capital had reacted just in time, ducking down and letting the spell fly past him above, before sweeping his leg out and knocking the man’s balance away from him. The thud that resounded when the man’s head hit one of the small rocks told Augustus that he would be out of it, not dead, but definitely will be waking up to a huge lump on his forehead.[break][break]
Two down.[break][break]
He would turn to Bryn, hopefully the two that seemed to have fixated themselves on her would be down and out by now. If they were, Augustus would take the chance to hide behind one of the hedges to finally change. If they were still up, he would give the young woman a hand.
Name of Spell: Abyssal Armor[break] Elemental Type: Dark[break] Rank & Spell Type: Intermediate | Defense Creation & Physical Reinforcement[break] Range & Speed: Self | 20m[break] Mana Cost: 20 | 10[break] Stats Effected: Intermediate Strength[break] Applicable Perks: Self Repairing[break] Description: By channeling his mana, Augustus is able to create for himself an armor that envelops his entire body. The spell armor takes the form that is akin to what a knight would wear, though it still leaves flexibility for Augustus to move in. The armor itself is a defense spell, with Senior health. The armor also boosts Augustus strength, buffing his physical strength akin to an Intermediate spell. He can cast the spell for his allies, with accordance to ammo rules, through touch. They must stay within 20 meters of him for the spell to be continually sustained.[break][break]
Actions Taken - Used ignite to boost strength (-10 MP) - Delivered a elbow to guard 1 for junior damage. - swept and hit guard 1 with a follow up attack for junior damage. - Put guard 2 into a choke hold for junior damage. - KO'd Guard 2 with void limb (-10 MP) - Threw a gnome at gate guard for junior damage. - Used Shoony on gate guard for junior damage, KO (-10 MP)
- Recovered 20 MP
post
"Oh! You're done too?" Bryn said with a little huff.
The woman had two guards, whose bodies were limp and partially hidden in the hedges. As the big bad dark trap beat out some of his aggression on the unsuspecting guards, Bryn had scurried about the narrow corners of the maze. Sudden twists with multiple blind spots to cover would be difficult with a four-man squad. This is especially true if the pursuers lacked the training or experience in this 'trench' style warfare. Thus as one around the corner hook into a sweep set up for a clean job to the forehead. That combo quickly disposed of a guard's conscious, making way for her to quietly 'dispose' of the body. The other guard she was tasked to silence was done more discreetly. Augustus would be able to see Bryn manhandle a guard who was twice Bryn's mass into view while having him in a sleeper hold. Sleeper being the keyword, as his body went limp with the pure aura mage relying on her own strength to knock out the fella. Just as a precaution, she struck him in the head too with an aura limb. She eyed out Augustus's handiwork and gave him a quick thumbs up.
Taking a small moment to tie up her hair into a neat bun and then covering her face with the torn dress piece from before, Bryn offered a suggestion to her companion. She looked at one of the stone gnomes who helplessly realized his gardening days were numbered. The garden piece was roughly the size of a football, which made it ideal for the task of prodding the only gate guard. Poor guy left to hold down the doors as the rest of his buddies were knocked out in the maze.
"Might want to keep your disguise on a little while longer Augustus. I'm digging the edgy, demure look though, to obscure yourself. If we can clear the gates and cut into the second right off the main street, we can definitely lose them in the alleys. Then we can ditch the garb."
She was no sensory mage with a mapmaker skillset, but it didn't take one to form a makeshift picture in the dirt. Bryn channeled a bit of her pure aura to illuminate the diagram. The gate was on the main road that led straight to one of the business squares. She made a few squares representing the various commoner households and storefronts, with alleys on the right. The first one led back to the clothing street and in view of the manor they're trying to escape. The other, which was the goal, winded about the backside and between the household. Bryn made a square near the exit of the winding zone, which was noted as an aqueduct entrance. Bless that noble zones had these interconnecting tunnels connecting water to houses. It was a small achievement made better for the comfort of living in richer zones.
"They see us as dastardly crooks, so the aqueduct will be our diversion. I can kick it up and drop this gnome to be swept up by the current. Since these guys aren't particularly sharp, we can probably use this as a diversion to cross over into a separate alley. Change out of these grabs and deliver the last letter. I'm cutting it off at two for tonight. Too much excitement before bed."
Nodding and seemingly convinced at her own plan, Bryn moved closer to the outer walls of the garden maze to peek out. No reinforcements yet, but loud yelling coming from inside the halls of the manor will likely wake the neighbors into an irrate fury soon enough. Judging that now would be an opportune moment to vamos out with limited witnesses, the girl took aim with the gnome in one hand. Faking a few throws to get her arc right, Bryn then chucked the garden gnome with a substantial amount of force. The beautiful spiral mid-air it took helped guide the decoration true to the path of the guard's head. Following it up, Bryn shot a tiny aura bullet above the neckline. This created a double-tap to the noggin of the gatekeeper: bonked by the weighted gnome and then stuck with the force of a punch from the shoony spell. Bryn could be seen in a dead sprint along the path she outlined, cutting a hard right into the alleyway. She remembered to scoop up the little gnome, as his part in their getaway was not done yet!
It was littered with boxes and sprawled out tools, requiring a bit of fancy legwork to vault and shimmy past without making any more noise than their heels did. They needed to ditch them. Louder voices echoed from the way they came, likely belonging to the guards realizing what went down. Bryn and Augustus had a sizeable lead on them as the aqueduct's gated grill came up on them. Sticking her heel's between the opening after removing them hastily. From a squatted position and fully aware that Augustus got a full view of the lacy undergarments, the long-haired girl popped off the cover. She whispered to Augustus to change out quickly or to ditch the heels, as she threw the gnome in. A loud tonk! off the wall followed by a splash was all she needed to confirm it was time to move on.
Bryn put the grill down loudly, definitely drawing the attention of their pursuers. Now barefoot, she took off to cross another main road and towards a concrete wall. Sizing up the obstacle, she jumped and used her magic to give a slight boost to vault over. Or so it would have been if the spell didn't fizzle out before being casted. Guess there was a limit to how many spells she could cast in a short amount of time! No matter to Bryn, as she was fit enough to run up enough to grip the ledge. A little effort and she hoisted herself over the tall wall.
There was a crack at the bottom seemingly big enough for a child, which Bryn used to peek through and whistle Augustus to follow. She was confident they'd lose them with the simple ruse, so long as her companion's dashing beauty didn't draw any more attention!
Augustus would sigh as he finally saw Bryn coming up to him. It seems as though that she was able to handle her own against the two that had fixated themselves on her. He did not have an inch of doubt about her capabilities, after all. Bryn had proven herself to be very agile, and an even more dangerous opponent when she was engaged in battle. He had seen her fight one of the guards first hand within the mansion, after all. While that had been a small sample, no ordinary citizen would have been capable of such feats without prior training, or even just talent in the first place. Guards were hired for a reason, and it was not just because of their size and their pure strength. For the most part, these men and women were trained to at least at the level of a Magic Knight that was newly minted, if not a little bit more experienced. They had the power to thwart most dangers that targeted the lower tiered nobility without any issue what so ever. They were more than just hired thugs, and Augustus had only been able to actually fight them toe to toe because they had underestimated him. Though, recently, he had found himself to have grown in strength. It more than likely helped him during the fight previously, though he was uncertain. It was something he was still trying to ascertain, which he hoped to try and test out with a spar against his current mentor. For now, however, he would smile at the woman with him, before giving her a wave.[break][break]
“Seems like you had no problem taking care of yours!” He would nod to her quarry, as Augustus himself gestured towards his own quarry, “Mine went down like a sack of potatoes, though I was sure they had not expected me to actually fight them seriously.” He scratched his head at that point, “I suppose you were right about the disguises. They had definitely worked in our favour, at least on this end.” Having been disguised was probably the worst option for Augustus. He was not one for cross dressing, after all. This was definitely an adventure he was not going to be repeating to anyone any time soon, though he had to admit that he was having a better time than he had expected. Augustus supposed this was a better time spent than trying to get back to the Royal Capital during the night. Delaying his arrival back to Priestess Sierra was worth it, especially since he was helping two starstruck lovers out. Though, he could not say whether this would end up in a happy ending, or if it would end with something that was expected, a sad dalliance that would never truly come to fruition. At the end of the day, there was nothing for it but to hope. While the lady had little to no control it seemed like, it would be up to the young man to find the courage to defy his parents and be with the one he truly loved.[break][break]
Augustus would listen then to the young woman’s plan. It was sound, though he was irritated that he would not be able to change out of his outfit at the moment. Bryn was right, it would be better for them to go now, and use some sort of a distraction, before changing back quickly later on. This way, they were not only undelayed, but it would also lessen the risk of Augustus being found out. He wanted to stay as anonymous as possible, not wanting for anyone here to find out that he was dressing up as a woman, for one, and also the fact that he did not want the Silva family to be alerted of his presence. The Four Spirits only knew just how much that family abhorred the mere presence of a Ravencrest, especially him, and even more importantly, in their own self-declared town. No, it would be better to stay as anonymous as possible, and truly he knew he had done a good job about it. [break][break]
“Sounds like a plan.” he would start, before dragging the bodies of those he had knocked out away from sight, and into the bushes. It would keep them away from prying eyes. “Lead the way, you seem to have this all in the bag.” Augustus would smile at the woman, “I’ll cover our rear just in case any one of them sneaks up on us. I am almost sure that at least one of those buggers is a speed type. Guards usually complemented each other in their magic and fighting style, and those we engaged were definitely strength based.” There was always some sort of organization with these types of groups, he knew it well enough as an Upper Noble who had hired guards previously for functions. [break][break]
The plan was in motion.[break][break]
Augustus would not see Bryn deal with the guard by the gate, but instead had been occupied by another who had caught up to them. Without a word, Augustus would block the incoming punch that was sent towards him by the barreling guard. It seems that seven was the magic number for the guards that they were going to engage tonight in this estate. With two swings, the guards was down for the count, though Augustus would lament the fact that the guard had been able to nick him on the side. From what he had seen, however, his armor could take the small amounts of hits, repairing itself right before his eyes now as it saw no combat. [break][break]
When they had finally come to the aqueduct’s grill, Augustus was prompted to change. He did not waste any time, and was immediately taking his stuff off, while quickly putting his own attire back on. It was a quick change, and he had not even tried to cover his modesty. Though, a glance at the woman had given Augustus quite a heated face, having seen the underclothes of the woman as she was squatted. He would sputter, though he would look away, as a gentleman should. The image was burnt into his mind, however, though eh would not openly admit it.[break][break]
“Uhm, your..” He would start, before realizing they had no time anymore. Ditching the clothes and throwing them into the aqueduct to be swept away by the currents, Augustus would soon follow the woman towards a wall. She would vault first, and would signal Augustus to follow. His enhanced strength due to the armor he had sustained, though momentarily taken off while he changed, would be enough to give him the boost to leap and do a somersault.[break][break]
“Let’s go and deliver this.” He would finally sigh, the adrenaline pumping through his system giving him the needed reserve energy for this extremely tedious task. “No more deliveries after this.” Augustus agreed with the woman, before heading towards the manor of their new quarry. [break][break]
The symbol on the letter previously was very distinct to Augustus. It was another lower nobility house, and their manor was very close by. It was good that he was a noble himself, and had to know these small details about the lower nobility. No matter what the other upper nobility would say, the lower houses were vital to the Clover Kingdom, and should never be discounted.[break][break]
“There,” Augustus would point towards the two-story manor that was alight with magical lamps. “The symbol that was on the seal wax of the previous letter should indicate that this is the manor.” The symbol was emblazoned on the manor’s gates, which was something that was hard to miss. “Though, we seem to have more problems presented to us.”[break][break]
The place had guards. At least, there were a handful of them patrolling the grounds. Augustus was sure that there were a few more inside the manor itself, and they were definitely going to encounter them. It was hard not to at this point, and Augustus was not really keen on trying to disguise himself once more. Once was enough.[break][break]
“Shall we get this over with my punching through hard and fast?” He would suggest, a grin already forming on his face as he stared into the manor itself. “My armor should cover my identity from the guards. I hope you have something that can do the same?” He would ask. “A piece of my cloak can be used as a veil for the lower half of your face, if you’d like?” Augustus offered, though the woman might have her own plans. “Unless you have a better plan?”
Name of Spell: Abyssal Armor[break] Elemental Type: Dark[break] Rank & Spell Type: Intermediate | Defense Creation & Physical Reinforcement[break] Range & Speed: Self | 20m[break] Mana Cost: 20 | 10[break] Stats Effected: Intermediate Strength[break] Applicable Perks: Self Repairing[break] Description: By channeling his mana, Augustus is able to create for himself an armor that envelops his entire body. The spell armor takes the form that is akin to what a knight would wear, though it still leaves flexibility for Augustus to move in. The armor itself is a defense spell, with Senior health. The armor also boosts Augustus strength, buffing his physical strength akin to an Intermediate spell. He can cast the spell for his allies, with accordance to ammo rules, through touch. They must stay within 20 meters of him for the spell to be continually sustained.[break][break]
Actions Taken - Used Lahar to boost her speed. (-10 MP)
- Recovered 20 MP
post
She nodded after Augustus stated they should go with a more direct approach for this delivery. His newest armor spell, a rather edgy look for Bryn, definitely looked the part that he intended it to be. Yet she knew the guards of this area would likely identify the element as a key feature when the inevitable report to the magic knights goes out. If she remembered correctly, the higher elements beyond that of nature were often regarded as a 'once in a blue moon' sort of experience. Though it obscured Augustus as well as he showed it off, Bryn couldn't shake the feeling that the sheer fact it looked too similar to pure darkness would be the bread trail leading back to him. She cupped her chin to think for a moment, then making a light pound into her other hand after coming up with a good counterplan!
"I think it's a great start, but that element of yours sticks out way too much Augustus. If I'm not mistaken, because I am a bit stupid, isn't that the dark element? Something of a rarity right? There's not too many others who share the same typing as your grimoire, and I am plenty sure the noble family will do what they must to find the one who shamed their family's name." Bryn explained, initially suggesting that they do away with the use of the spell altogether.
Then she flashed the knight with a proud, mischievous grin. "So to protect your namesake, why not we mislead their thoughts? I'm a pure aura user, something more common in the region. My spells aren't overly flashy either, if you discount the Haunt spell---errr, the one with the phantom arms. If I ride your tailwind and extend the aura just a wee bit to coat your form, it'll be less obvious you're a dark magic-user. After all, pretty sure pure black doesn't let out little color specks or glows when active huh?"
She was offering to trail behind just a few steps as Augustus moved. Suggesting if he could make a draping cape or something for her to allude her position. The two would definitely stand out if still, but in motion, the human eye tends to blur objects together. She was small enough to follow behind and the concept wasn't too different from the game many children play as if chasing another's shadow. Since this wasn't a raid, her aura spells could be toned down enough to be difficult to see under the cover of night. Awakening her aura with a gust spiraling out, Bryn's form became coated with green wisps that gradually danced about her body. They did not immediately fix their position as she performed a few warm up motions, meaning they would trail behind as the two moved forward. A speed aura, in Bryn's mind, would also help her manage sudden stops or adjustments due to her basically shadowing the knight.
As for the rest of her, she kept the torn dress sleeve on as a face mask. Noticing some grease near their position, she rubbed a bit of it to dim the bright red color of her gauntlets. Against her better judgment, she kept her red boots off. Some sore feet would be a small price to pay for keeping their cover from being blown. She looked over her attire once more and decided it was about as convincing as it could get without dedicating a lot of time like before. Getting behind the man, she was ready to add to his disguise.
