2nd Interlude: The Conspiracy

The Emperor returns the squad's salute with a nod before extending his hand towards the couches and the armchair. "Shall we sit?" he suggests. "My back is killing me."

The old man lowers himself in the armchair with a pained expression on his face. Meanwhile, Edward Fox positions himself in front of the door, blocking access to anyone who'd wish to enter the room.

"You can come out now," His Majesty says. "We're here."

A very small head slowly sticks out of the Emperor's pocket; it's Jacob, the fairy who the squad saved a few days ago from the Elementals' wrath, along with the rest of his siblings.

"Oh, hello," he says to the ISA agents. He deploys his wings and begins to hover in the air. "It's good to see you again."

Sam sits down on the couch, not slouching or relaxing until commanded to be at ease. When Jacob pokes his head out, she smiles. "Hello, Jacob! You're looking much better."

Spellcraft 28
looking for green magic link

Nick and Smirk miss a beat, seemingly realizing something. Then resume normal operation and sit down like they're told.

"How's the family?"

May takes up the spot next to Sam, sitting cross-legged on the cushion. She waves at Jacob in a friendly manner as she drinks wine from her wine skin.

Sam:

Colonel Riddle sits next to May while Anne decides to join the green mage's couch. Jacob flaps his wings and lands on Hammerfist's armchair; he appears composed at first, but there's some uneasiness in the way he moves and talks.

"They're much better now," Jacob says. "This nice man gave us a home where we can live. It's even bigger than this room."

"It's the least I could do," the Emperor says with a reassuring smile before shifting his gaze to the squad. "These ‘fairies’ are quite exceptional. You've made the correct choice risking your lives to save them."

"We were doing only our job, Your Majesty," Riddle replies.

"Is that so?" The Emperor looks at the other squad members with an inquisitive expression.

Sam keeps smiling at Jacob until the Emperor praises their initiative at Shadowstep. "I have to agree with the Colonel, Your Majesty. Our job involves responding to a changing situation quickly and intelligently."

"May do it anyvay. Is right thing to do. Besides, May got to punch hill into mud. Good story." She punches the air, to emphasize her point and then laughs.

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Anne adds, the hint of a smile aimed at Jacob.

The Emperor listens attentively to the squad members' response, apparently pleased to hear that.

"Far from me or especially Bradshaw to gainsay the word of our CO, but for us it got personal at one point. Speaking of which..." - Nick's gaze hardens a bit, while Smirk gulps down slightly - "...might as well address the whale in the room. If we haven't been locked in a deep cell under heavy guard, and are actually being allowed in the same room as the Emperor, i'm guessing everyone is confident the Orb works."

"Of course it works," Jacob says confidently, who's now sitting on the arm of the Emperor's chair, his feet dangling in the air. "And we've brought enough orbs for the rest of you."

"I'd be remiss if we didn't offer you adequate protection from the Enemy," Hammerfist says. "We cannot take any risk when it comes to them."

"The ‘Enemy’?" Anne repeats.

"Yes; this room might be magically soundproof, but we should take the habit of talking about the Elementals using general terms. They have eyes and ears everywhere."

The Emperor joins his hands together, deeply concerned by this newly discovered threat. Jacob lowers his head, still shaken by everything he has witnessed. Even Edward's impassivity gives way to genuine worry.

"I believe the Orb works," Sam nods. "The fairies gave it to you, and it stopped you from attacking. A the time, the El--the Enemy, was trying to destroy them. Why put on that elaborate ruse just to convince us something we've never seen before doesn't work? It seems to be exactly what it looks like, from where I'm sitting."

"No vorries Nick. May punch you if you go verrückt again until you wieder gesund. Keine Sorge, ich werde dafür sorgen, dass es nicht weh tut," she promises, before taking another drink of wine.

Nick chuckles inaudibly, but sensing the general unease, decides to Smirk up.

"Well... i'm just gonna let Bradshaw speak through me here." - Smirk flicks Nick. Nick discreetly smacks him -  "When that thing took over me, there was no warning bell. No sudden feeling of being overcome that i could sense, let alone struggle against. I was just gone. We were gone. Decades of being together with this guy, and it was that easy." - Nick stares unflinching at the Emperor - "The one that did this to me, i call it Phil. Not just because of some idiotic sense of humor, but because when you give something a name, the irrelevancies tend to burn off. All that's left is what you do about it. So i guess the one question worth asking is, what does it take to get rid of this threat?"

Kieran Hammerfist gazes at Nick for a long moment, paying close attention to this recounting of the Elementals' power over the green mages. This unsettles Anne, who can't help but express her concern for her comrade by putting a hand on his shoulder.

"The Enemy pose indeed a great threat," the Emperor says. "One we cannot confront head on. And our new friend here cannot realistically weave enough orbs for the whole Archipelago either."

"I would if I could," Jacob says bitterly. "Even if my siblings learned how to do it, there are just too many humans."

"And if we had enough orbs, we could never distribute them in secret. The Enemy would learn of our plans and attack us immediately."

"So in other words, we're screwed?" Colonel Riddle asks.

"Not quite." The Emperor pauses to lean back in his chair. "There is one way, and I'd like you all to help me."

May leans forward, her interest clearly peaked. "And that is?"

Sam hesitates. She thought she wouldn't have to risk her life apprenticing for a quartermaster. But, she signed up for a package deal, and she didn't want to refuse an offer to help these cute little people they just discovered. "Whatever it is, I'll give it 110%, sir."

Hammerfist nods at Samantha, encouraged by her determination, and continues.

"Nineteen years ago, a brilliant mage named Finley Howe requested an audience with me. He feared the possibility of a second Flood, one that would end all human life in the Archipelago. He labored for years, searching for a way to prevent this eventuality while being ridiculed by his peers for the infeasibility of his project. The Citadel wasn't willing to fund his research, so he turned to me instead. I had doubts about it myself, but my father often told me that great Emperors consider every possibilities."

"...Finley Howe found a way," Anne says, hanging on the Emperor's every word.

"To my surprise, he did." Hammerfist chuckles and shakes his head. "He calls it the ‘Sphere’. A shield that would protect the entirety of the Archipelago."

The idea of a catastrophe like the one humanity suffered 200 years ago disquiets Sam.

"But, is Howe's fear founded, Your Majesty? How could another Flood occur after magic already appeared and caused the first?"

Knowledge: Arcana 24 (failure)

"Good question. You can ask him when you find him."

"Is that mission then? Find Howe?"

OOC:

"Yes. He left to visit his family in Voluptis and was supposed to return next week. I very much doubt he will make it back here without your assistance however; early this morning, your colleagues at the ISA informed us that the four legions of Emerald have been deployed for an ‘unscheduled’ military drill."

Colonel Riddle frowns. "Your Majesty..." he begins tentatively. "Do we have any reason to believe otherwise?"

"Usually, we wouldn't. But I know something that very few people know; King Axon of Emerald is a green mage."

Nick grits his teeth. Smik just mutters - "Better take a spare Orb."

May sits back in stunned disbelief. "Scheisse."

The look on Sam's face shows she shares their sentiments. Of course, with a name like "The Emerald Kingdom".

"We'll find Howe, Your Majesty. They won't see us coming."

"Especially me and May, we're very inconspicuous." - Smirk mutters worriedly - "And now they know we know about them, thanks to yours truly." - As Smirk says that, a realization seems to hit Nick's face. He looks at Jacob, but decides not to pursue it right now.