(1875-1-26) Midnight Rooftop Dueling in Lyioness
Midnight Rooftop Dueling in Lyioness
Summary: Myrana goes for a midnight stroll, on the rooftops of Averyn, to clear her head after the Execution of her Husband's vassal
Date: 1/26/1875
Related: High Court of Aequor
NPCs: {$npc}
Players:
Myrana  Tavi  

Averyn Castle Rooftops
Midnight, both Summer and Winter Moon are high and the sky is clear. Just a friendly encouner on the rooftops.
1/25/1875

Scudding clouds strip the peerless blue and white tiles of the rooftop maze of Aveyron, making a forest of minarets and causeways and windows and gutters, demilune panes and sloping tile. Valleys of shadow swarm with bats that rise from belltowers and deep places where moss and rain and repairs go hand in hand. But mostly, it is moonlight on countless silvered scales that threaten to dump unwary feet into the courtyards and gardens below.

One of those many windows bangs open, and a dark form drops out, disappearing into one of those moon-shadowed valleys between gables.

The rooftops of the royal palace are no safe place to walk, however, no matter how nimble or clever. It is not widely known, for it would most certainly be frowned upon by their Captain, but the rooftops at night, with the two moons shining like this?

There will be Cavaliers.

And that's just who Myrana D'Armaz is out to find.

Her feet find easy purchase along with a curved ridge after a moment's balancing, and after she's straightened up she gives the skirts of her coat a swat to settle them aright and straightens her tricorn over her thick white braid, through which she's thrust the beautiful fiur feather. Roofwalker's boots over the warm woolen stockings, and a smart kirtle of charcoal grey wool trimmed with plum. Ardaigh belted low at one hip, red gloves on her hands and a duelist's half-mask on her face.

Tonight's a good night for a fight.

Myrana strides out along the ridge without a sound, looking and listening for the telltale clatter of boot heels, or the bright pang of dueling, or a stray laugh.

"These idiots," she mutters to herself as she turns and leaps down another level to run along the slope of a roof.

The year she spent in Lyionesse serving as one of her majesty's handmaidens was largely spent not sleeping very well.

But not for any fun reasons. She was always opening up her window and telling those idiots to gtfo and pick another spot to fight before they woke up the Queen.

Tavi slaps the Cardinal's Guard's blade out of his hand and grins at the other man. "Ah. Loius. You let your grip slip. You have to keep a firm grip on the blade." Then, before the other man can respond Tavi decks the man with the handguard of his cutlass knocking him out cold. There are three other red tabarded guards out cold on the rooftop and Tavi performs a little flourish before sheathing both blades casually and efficiently.

When Myrana shows up with her mask he smirks in her direction. "Little girl, isn't it past your bedtime? You know Dueling is illegal during High Court." He makes a shoo'ing motion. "Go to bed little love." He winks at her. "It ca even be mine if you so wish."

It would be an ugly lie to deny how absolutely pleasurable it is to be on these rooftops at night, under the moons. And how could one resist a duel here? The risk of plunging to one's death or sliding down after a misstep into a dangerous place (and the risk of being caught) is just so…

Aequoran.

Appearing at the top of a gable, Myrana is obliged by patriotism to pause for three full heartbeats so that the cardinal's guards are allowed to appreciate a good dramatic silhouette. She throws her other arm out disbelievingly o the side: "Really, Deverot? You make it too easy to find you." before tossing her head up to God apologetically and leaping down in a furl of coat-skirts, petticoat ruffles impervious to the judgment of catsuit nazis.

I digress.

She lands with a fashionable clack.

Then, closer up, she sees they're already all out.

"How many more do you think you can find in short order?" She asks. "Or are there a couple more looking for you in the dovecotes in that gallery over there?"

At a shout four more guards appear over the crest of the building, their blades naked and glinting off twin moonlight. Tavi sighs and rolls his head to look at Myrana. "You had to say something?" He sighs again and draws his cutlasses again. "The real trick is trying not to kill them." He then bows toward Myrana. "Please. Ladies first. Let it not be said that I, Tavi Deverot was no gentlemen." He then steps sideways and gestures to the Guards for Myrana.

Myrana's eyes light up behind the mask and she turns to Tavi with a brilliant smile that really oughtn't be used on a man on a wintry rooftop. She draws her cutlass with a moonlight comma of steel. "Thank you, sir."

But Tavi is a Blue Cavalier, and they are generally held to some very high standards for not dying in embarrassing ways.

She straightens from the grinning bow, breaking eye-contact only as the swords of the Cardinal's Guards are daringly close to her exposed back as she suddenly whirls, swatting down a thrust that would've opened up the boning of her corset and scarped her ribs if it weren't for her startling quickness. In the same movement, she kicks out and knocks the toe of her boot across the guard's nose.

If she were bigger it might've ripped it aside, but instead, it spurts blood and the man crashes down off of the roof and into a gutter full of winter leaves and disturbed pidgeons with a scream, grabbing his face.

"You're not a gentleman, Tavi; you're a scoundrel my father failed to kill at sea."

OH. DANG.

But, true. Also, extremely applicable to lots of fathers on lots of ships out there (though rather LESS, NOW.)

"But I'm glad. When I heard that you'd been sent to help D'Juliano, I was afraid you'd been sunk."

Tavi follows in after Myrana. He parries a Cardinal Guard as he replies, "That d'Juliano so-called Admiral nearly did get me sunk. Sent me in with three…" He parries a series of attacks and then spins, slashing at the man's thigh. He screams and falls off the roof. Quickly stabbing a cutlass into the roof he produces a dagger and tosses it at a Guard approaching Myrana's back. The man screams and follows his fellows to the courtyard below.

Somebody is going to get a rude awakening when the tend the Winter Garden tomorrow ….

Tavi plucks his Cutlass from the roof tile. "She sent me against a bloody flaming fleet of Hallers with my ship and two Flaming Merchant ships. Then she gets angry we're unable to hold the line. What did she expect? I'm good, but nobody is that damn good." He shakes his head and points. "One to your left Love." He shrugs. "The Bitch was heavily damaged, but I got her to d'Picot. Spent a few weeks recovering there and repairing. The Bitch is STILL in d'Picot, because I obviously had duties as a Cavalier to perform. Sorry for nto getting a note to you. The Queen's kept me occupied."

Myrana drops down to a knee just as the Cardinal's guard tries to crack her with the pommel; he gasps and overcompensates, tripping over her and falling with a loud scream after his friend.

"I'm just glad you're alright," she says, grabbing his arm suddenly in her earnestness. "There's something I need to tell you… and I need you to just believe me."

Tavi blinks at Myrana of all people physically touching him. This act registers to him that what she has to say is important so he forgoes the usual bout of sarcasm and nods to her, clasping her arm in a return of the friendly gesture. "Of course love. Speak and I shall listen and take it to heart."

"Ramius and I went into the Northern Wastes, looking for the tree where Son-of-Horse met the Man in Red." Myrana isn't listening for more guards, and despite the silk mask over her face, Tavi knows her well enough to see it. She is an expressive woman. "There was nothing around it. Nothing. Just this… tree."

And in a hushed, sincere voice, Myrana D'Armaz tells Tavi everything.

Leaving nothing back, filling her friend and fellow agent of the Queen in on what has happened since they last parted before the burning of the Aequoran Fleet.

And she finishes, finally, with Goddess Death and the Riverman, the manuscript of the Book of Life and Death which not even a month past, she finished decoding from it's madman's tangle.

Once again Tavi blinks at Myrana as she finishes her tale. "Holy shit." He says after a moment. "Holy flaming One's left ass cheek covered in the Abyss of all shit while shitting on a crow begotten son of a vitch." He blinks again before he finally says quietly, "The First Emperor. Ramius not only has Darius the Fucking Firebrand's crow begotten sword, but he's ALSO Darius FUCKING Firebrand?"

His tone isn't one of disbelieving, Tavi has seen some things riding beside Myrana as the Queen's agent. His tone is just … Shock. Pure and simple. "One above Myrana, your Husband is … He's the Firebrand reborn. He's … " He stops and looks to one of the moons, Summer Moon, "Fuck me. Captain shiney pants is actually … Awesome."

Myrana doffs her hat for and rakes her fingers back through the mop of her bangs.

"And if that is the Firebrand's sword, WHAT is in our Cardinal Ramius' possession?" she asks.

"Do you recall, years ago? Cardinal Ramius gathered nobles to his estate, and produced a gladius that he claimed to have been the sword of Darius Firebrand?"

Nodding Tavi sheathes his cutlasses and walks toward the edge of the roof to see if any more Guards are coming. As he scans he says in answer to Myrana, "Look. Myrana. Darius Firebrand was the First Emperor during the Age of Heroes. Chances are he had more than one Sword. Abyss Myrana, I wouldn't be surprised to learn he walked around in Sidhe Steel enhanced Lorrica." He shrugs his shoulders, "It was the flaming the Age of Heroes." He does however sigh and look up to the two moons high in the sky.

As a cloud drifts past Summer Moon he says, "But yes. That is suspicious as Abyss." He frowns. "The Queen suspected him of working with the Icenalians for whatever reason. If he really has some side project for that Gladius, what could it be, and how is it trouble for Aequor?" He looks over his shoulder to Myrana, "And why are you NOT in Four Corners right now? Did you SEE that Falling Blade death trap? Somebody is going to figure out you have a Mark and it'll be your pretty head in that contraption. While I don't mind Ramius, I don't want to comfort him at night over his loss." He rolls his eyes, "And it would have to be me. He won't sleep with a single Courtesan or Whore I pay for."

Myrana smiles as if to say 'let them put me in that thing, see how the Wallbreaker likes it', but keeps that thought mostly to herself. "

"Jean-Paul had the pommel stone that the Cardinal wanted to complete the sword. When he… well," she sobers and seems to lose her hangman's smile, dark eyes clouding. "When he healed his Majesty. You must ask Her Majesty what became of it afterwards."

"And I saw it, Deverot! Tomorrow I have to go to Ramius at the Front, and tell him what happened." Shuddering, she crosses her arms about herself. "Thank the One he wasn't there. If it wasn't for Lord Eisen…" A beat. "Count D'Geroux. Oh god."

Tavi folds his arms and continues to Moon Gaze. The two moons moving steadily through the night air. He takes a deep breath and let's it out. "I'll speak to the Queen tomorrow. Chances are she has it in her Jewelry Box." He shrugs. "Or she was smart and moved it to the Royal Armory. Truthfully, there is a hundred different places she could have put it." He closes his eyes and when he opens them he looks back to Myrana. "Ramius is going to rebel isn't he?" He asks flatly.

Myrana is silent for a long time.

Finally, she goes and takes a seat beside a mossy gargoyle at the edge of the roof, letting her booted legs dangle and settling her hands on her knees, looking down at them.

"I don't know," she admits, finally. "If he had been there at Court, he would have destroyed the Falling Blade. And we'd have no choice." Closing her eyes, she tilts her head back, causing the little bell she wears to jingle softly. "I can't anticipate him. He's smarter than he seems." A bit of a smile touches the corner of her mouth.

"He will want to change the law. Ludovic is going to rebel; I have spent months trying to talk him out of it. Perhaps when Ramius sees that D'Korbina has rebelled, he will too."

"But Ramius is loyal. And I don't want to stop serving Her Majesty." Lowering her head suddenly, she brushes gloved fingers over her eyes. "I don't want to be a criminal, Tavi."

Taking a seat on the roof next to Myrana, Tavi lets his booted feet dangle as well. He nods to Myrana as she speaks and then looks back to the sky. "If he rebels I'll go with you." He says with a shrug. "He's far from the ocean, and I understand I'd be just giving up the Sea, but you and he … " He goes quiet for a long moment himself. "Yer both my family. The only ones I'm likely to have in this life." He looks over to Myrana and lightly punches her arm. "I've got your back little d'Armaz."

"Ow," says Myrana, still wiping at her face. It didn't hurt, but it's a good idea to make Tavi feel a little bad. But she leans over, and for a few moments just butts her shoulder against Tavi's and collects herself, slowly murdering the overwhelming need to cry on the roof of Averynon Castle. It isn't the thing to do. So she wipes her eyes, and now and then takes a hitch of breath.

But eventually, she's a little better and gives a shuddering breath.

"You'd be totally useless," she says, sniffing. "How do you think I feel, surrounded by those mountain barbarians? D-don't get me wrong! It's just… everything is huge there! The damn furniture is too heavy! My chair!" She smacks the rooftile for emphasis. "HAS A BOOSTER CUSHION!"

"Fuck!!" Myra shouts loud enough to disturb the pigeons across the way. "THERE ARE NO SHOPS THERE, TAVI!"

"No! I'm not going to live miles and miles from the first decent river!" Myrana shakes her head, angry now. "Mail has to come in by caravan!" How INDECENT.

"SHUT UP UP THERE!" Comes a voice from below. "GO TO THE DAMN STABLES TO SCREW LIKE EVERY OTHER SQUIRE AND SHUT THE ABYSS UP!"

Tavi blinks and looks down before he snickers and looks to Myrana. "I could train his Knights to you know, actually ride a damn horse." He grins and pats the Hand Cannons at his waist. "Or to maybe join the rest of the world and use modern weaponry. Those bastards could probably fire bigger guns. Might be interesting!" He grins to Myrana. "Be ready for it Myrana. Ramius is rash, and if he really IS The First Emperor reborn, he'll probably want to rebel, to protect you from that damn machine. His first move will be to attack d'Augustin. I can almost promise it."

"Fuck you, friend!" Myrana shouts back with instantaneous Four Corners attitude, masked and impervious to be recognized with the moons behind her, and cups her hands around her mouth. "How 'bout go fuck your horse, pervert!"

Then she gets up with a little scrape of tile. "There's no man that can take me anywhere I don't want to go," she says, which is rather a lie, but she says it to be comforting. "Not if I know they're coming. Anyway, Darius is a lot wiser than you think. He won't bring war lightly."

Tavi also stands and then extends an arm in a friendly gesture to help her get down from the roof. "Indeed he is." He doesn't miss that she said Darius instead of Ramius. He just doesn't say anything. She did tell him after all about the book and reincarnation and all that. "Come on. It's getting late, and I feel like we're going to have a lot of problems soon. Better to get our rest while we can."

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