Nexus and swv. Various Locations. Another Job Part 1

[dens_extra_pups]

Legacy: *happily puttering about the garden, checking plants to see how far along some of the vegetables are*

Charlie: -Are you busy?-

Lumen: *is the sound of a sheep propelled nose dive into the goosberry bushes*

Legacy: -Not really. What's up, Charlie?- *amused at Lumen trying to get himself out of the bushes*

Charlie: -Do I want to know what that was?-

Legacy: -Bandit knocked Lumen into the gooseberry bushes again.-

Charlie: -He hasn't taught that thing manners yet?-

Legacy: -Not for lack of trying.-

Charlie: *snort* *pause* *that garden's bigger than it used to be*

Legacy: -We've been working on it on our days off.-

Charlie: -That doesn't explain the fact that it's on two whole lots now.- *sounds distracted as he tries to learn the cause of this*

Legacy: -Oh! Blades and Sabrina live in Sabrina's reality now. Oppy brought their house there.-

Charlie: -Ah. And the other houses shifted. I think I'm glad I can't actually go to the nexii.-

Lumen: *sound of his head encountering the walnut tree* See? Like this! Yeah!

Bandit: *thump a tree!*

Legacy: -Yeah.- *amused at Lumen and Bandit's antics*

Charlie: -Have time for a job?-

Legacy: -Plenty of time. Lumen's playing with Bandit.-

Charlie: -You ever hear of Snow White?-

Legacy: -Yeah. There's one that frequents the Black Dog. She's a sweetheart, and her husband and friends are funny.-

Charlie: -Did she eat the apple?-

Legacy: -No. She gave some to the old woman and said "Age before beauty."-

Charlie: -Ah. I know those realities. The dwarves are human.-

Legacy: -They also know how to party.- *much amusement*

Charlie: *snorts* -Would it disturb you to visit a place where the story's different?-

Legacy: -Not really. Den showed me the movie from 1937.-

Charlie: -Alright. What have you got on?-

Legacy: -One of my purple dresses. Why?-

Charlie: -What style?-

Lumen: *grunts as he headbutts the tree while trying to pick nuts off the ground* Bandit!

Legacy: -It's one of my simpler ones. I haven't had time to add any trim or lace yet.-

Charlie: -Is it one of the hooded ones? How long? What are the sleeves like? Is it washable?-

Legacy: -It's got a hood, long enough to cover part of my face when my head's touching the back seam, the sleeves are very narrow bells. I made it out of cotton. It's washable.-

Charlie: -Skirt length?-

Legacy: -Mid calf.-

Charlie: -Stick something underneath. You need a little more length.-

Legacy: -I'll go get one of the skirts Den made for me.-

Charlie: -Alright.-

Legacy: *hurries into the house, will get the dark green skirt that Den delivered earlier that day*

Lumen: *from outside* You deserved that, Bandit. Teach you to hit the coconut tree.

Legacy: *makes sure her moccasins are laced up tight enough not to slip off easily* -I'm ready, Charlie.-

Charlie: -Brace yourself.-

Legacy: *braces herself* *and then she's standing in what looks to be a medieval town* *pulls her hood up*

Damson: *startled little image of a centaur*

Legacy: *looking around*

people: *aren't all human. There are indeed four legged beings over by one market stall, while several others show wings, or skin or hair colours of a non-human shade*

Legacy: *feeling a bit less self-conscious about her eyes now*

ragged mountain dwarf: *bumps into her* *gruffly* Pardon, Miss.

Legacy: *slight start* *small headshake* No harm, no foul.

second dwarf: *black bearded, broad shouldered, and grim* Orin, watch where you're going.

Legacy: *doing her best not to boggle*

Orin: Peter, you've broken the poor girl's brain with your ugliness. *trying to joke, but his face shows he's got no heart for it*

Peter: *snorts at him, then nods to Legacy and turns away*

Legacy: *quickly making sure her blocker is hidden*

Orin: *nods to three other dwarves equally as worn looking and poorly-dressed as himself* Come on, you lot. We've got to find the castle.

Legacy: *small frown* *quietly* What castle?

Orin: *surprised look, and then a quick look at Peter*

Peter: *had turned back at the sound of the girl's voice* *gruffly* The queen's castle.

bald dwarf: *quickly* It's not hers.

Legacy: *so confused*

Orin: Here's Baldur.

Baldur: *young redhead with a scowl* I found it. They say the guards brought Snow there last night.

Peter: *barks* Let's go.

Legacy: Can I come with you and help?

Peter: *frowns at her* *gruffly* What for?

Legacy: I was sent here by someone. I have a job to do here.

Peter: *frown deepens* What job? And what does that have to do with us?

Legacy: *as she realizes she's holding something* I think I'm supposed to help you get into the castle, to start with... *holds out the item, which is an ivory disk

Peter: *looks at the disk and his bushy brows rise* How do you know we want into the castle?

Legacy: Lucky guess?

Peter: *studies her face* Hrmph!

Legacy: *seriously* Getting upset with me for guessing right won't get you into the castle any faster.

Peter: *frowns at her darkly*

Legacy: *so serious* I have a gift. I generally use it to help people.

Peter: *frown deepens further*

Orin: *cautiously* What sort of gift?

Baldur: *yup, he's a young guy. Look at that big eyed kid look from behind that red beard*

Legacy: I can sense other people's feelings and emotions.

Orin: How?

Legacy: It's something I was born with. It didn't really start becoming useful until a few years ago though.

another dwarf: Cat's eyes.

Peter: *busts him in the chest without looking at him*

Orin: *softly, in Dwarvish* [We've got to find Snow.]

Legacy: *small nod* *quietly, even though she knows she can't do the harsh consonants the way Lumen can* [Please allow me to accompany you?]

dwarves: *there are seven of them now staring at you, Legacy*

Legacy: *ducking her head slightly, blushing*

Peter: Hrrmph. *studying you again from under his brows*

Legacy: *quietly* Who is Snow?

Baldur: *quietly, his deep dwarf voice nearly more felt than heard* She's the princess. The only child of the late king.

Legacy: *small nod* *softly, barely a whisper* The Queen is bad news?

Baldur: *looks surprised at the question, as though the answer is a well known fact* Yes.

Legacy: *softly* And how did you meet Snow?

Orin: We found her in the woods fifteen years ago, when she was just a little girl. She's lived with us ever since.

Legacy: *small nod* Then this is more than just helping someone in need. This is rescuing family.

Peter: *grunts and nods*

Orin: She grew up with Baldur.

Legacy: *softly* All the more reason to get going.

Orin: *looks around as another older dwarf calls his name, and then hurries to meet the tawny, centaur-like girl who is standing there* Hawise! Any news?

Hawise: *down to her knees and puts her hands on his shoulders* She'll be speaking to the people in the court of the castle at sun-high.

Orin: *scowls* Then we need to hurry and get in there.

Hawise: *quick head shake* Don't even think of it. All the Crystal Guard is out.

Orin: Don't worry. *takes one of her hands and gently pats it* We've got a way past them now.

Hawise: *brightens and looks toward the other dwarves, her fingers unconsciously curling around Orin's*

Legacy: *very slight smile behind her hood. Thinks the display of affection, however unintentional, is cute*

Hawise: *softly, as she turns back to Orin, but with no sense at all that the question is rude here* What is she?

Orin: *just as quietly* I've no idea. But so far she's talking to us like a human would.

Hawise: *nods and looks relieved that she'll be able to interact politely with this new friend, then lets go of Orin's hand and gets to her feet to approach Legacy, her big honey coloured eyes asking questions*

Legacy: *very polite curtsy*

Hawise: Fffff. You don't need to do that. *down to her knees again* *softly and earnestly* You know a way into the castle?

Legacy: *nod* There's a tunnel that leads into the castle. I have a map. *will offer it to Hawise*

Hawise: *studies it closely, then looks at the smaller girl* Will I fit?

Peter: *scowl* You're not coming. Stay out here and keep watch.

Hawise: *look of protest that looks like she's just been slapped*

Orin: *gentle touch* He's right, lass. You're better to us in the open.

Hawise: *bows her head and smooths down her cheek fur, which has puffed up with her upset*

Legacy: *listening to see if Charlie has any specific instructions or if she's just supposed to wing it*

Charlie: -She won't fit. It's a dwarf tunnel.-

Legacy: *softly, to Hawise* It's a dwarf made tunnel. You won't fit.

Hawise: *needs both hands to smooth her cheeks now* *softly* Alright.

Orin: *gentle touch for her shoulder*

Peter: *gruffly, to Legacy* Anything else we need to know? What's your friend saying? *yes, he saw that listening look*

Legacy: -Charlie, is there anything else I need to advise them of before we set off?-

Charlie: *sounds slightly amused by Peter's perceptiveness* -The queen's a spider woman.-

Legacy: -...Eww.- *looking a bit grossed out* *quietly* The queen's a spider woman.

dwarves: *every one of them steps back. Several growl*

Hawise: *looks scared. It's not her cheek fur that's standing up now. Also looks determined*

Orin: *glances at one of the two other old men* That explains a lot, Col.

Col: *spits and looks disgusted*

Peter: Let's go.

Legacy: *nod*

Orin: *turns and says a last few words to Hawise, then hugs her and turns to follow Baldur as the younger dwarf indicates the way to go*

Peter: *jerks his head, indicating that Legacy should walk beside him*

Legacy: *will fall into step beside Peter*

Col: *from behind her, as he drops something over her hood that rests around her head* There, now you fit in.

Legacy: *curious, will reach*

thing: *is a chain circlet with a few garnets on it*

Peter: *gruffly, without looking at her* Maiden's crown.

Col: Dwarven lasses wore 'em. That was my little girl's.

Legacy: *softly* Thank you for allowing me to wear this one.

Col: *slight smile as he comes up beside her* It's the only one we have. Orin and George were bachelors, and the boys have never seen a dwarf maiden.

Legacy: *very small nod*

Peter: *snort*

dwarves: *silent as they thread through the busy crowd, the only sound being the tramp of their boots and the occasional soft sound as Hawise leaps over someone who stepped in front of her where she's paralleling the group several paces to one side*

Legacy: *keeping on alert as well*

crowd: *mostly pays no attention to them, though one or two do notice and go quietly wide-eyed at sight of the bearded faces and the crowned maiden with them*

Charlie: -There are more dwarves left than they think. And those dwarves are learning the same thing.-

Legacy: -Learning the same thing?-

Charlie: -That they're not the only ones left.-

Legacy: -Ah. So that's something else to help get out so they can be stronger for it?-

Charlie: -It's not part of your job though. You know about spider women?-

Legacy: -Not much.-

Charlie: -Your wrist computer should work. Look it up.-

Legacy: *will check, as subtly as she can manage*

Charlie: -Don't worry. If anyone notices they'll just think it's old dwarf tech.-

Legacy: *very small frown as she pulls up the information*

Peter: *softly thumps her shoulder with the back of one hand, then holds the hand to receive something*

Legacy: *blinks, offers the disk*

Peter: *grunt of thanks and studies it, then nods and hands it back*

Legacy: *will keep the map safe*

Peter: There. *stops to look at the massive circular structure, which resembles nothing so much as a tulou, then walks around it toward the left of the spot that they arrived at*

Legacy: *keeping on alert for any danger*

Col: *squinting and frowning at the building as they walk* There's a cloak on it so nobody can see it unless they know it's there.

Orin: *grunts from where he's also studying the building* It needs maintenance.

Peter: *shortly* Put a lid on it.

Legacy: *bites her lip to keep from snickering*

Peter: *scowls at her*

Legacy: *sheepish smile*

Peter: *snorts, then glances around at the deserted, tree-filled area that they've reached and stoops to pick up a grid from the pavement. Beneath is a very short tunnel ending in a door level with the wall of the castle*

Legacy: *listening for any sort of danger*

Peter: *jumps down into the hole, and then turns and holds up his arms*

Orin: *quietly* Do you need help?

Legacy: *bites her lip and nods, doing her best to keep her unease in check*

Orin: *gently grabs her under the arms, lifts her, and then steps forward and lowers her. Acts as though she weighs no more than a little doll*

Legacy: *relieved sigh once she's standing beside Peter*

Peter: *gives her a quick look once he's taken her from Orin and set her on her feet. Then jerks his head to indicate that she should move out of the way as he goes to the door and fiddles with the lock*

Legacy: *will move out of the way*

Peter: *door is open even as the others jump down. Orin comes last after a final reassuring word to Hawise*

Legacy: *still listening in case there's anything up ahead that is going to be difficult to dispatch*

Peter: *glances back at her and stops when he sees her expression* *quiet, gruff whisper* Your friend talking?

Legacy: *softly* Not this time.

Peter: *brows lift questioningly*

Legacy: *still softly* I was listening to see if there's anything that will need dealt with up ahead. It's all quiet so far.

Peter: *frowns* Listening with your ears?

Legacy: *headshake* *quietly* I can sense the emotions of others if I concentrate.

Peter: *frown clears slightly and he nods, then jerks his head at the others* We'll hear something before it comes. The stones'll report it.

Legacy: *blinks* Stones?

Peter: *impatient expression, but then explains* We're mountain dwarves. We can hear echoes through the rock.

Col: Especially if it's rock we've worked. And this is dwarf work.

Legacy: *small nod of understanding*

Peter: *grunts and heads into the dark tunnel*

Legacy: *moves to follow*

darkness: *swiftly becomes absolute*

Legacy: *doing her best to keep calm, and keep her footing*

hands: *large and callused but gentle, come down on her shoulders as she stumbles and then guide her*

Legacy: *reminded of Mr. Toudou's hands, feels a lot safer now*

dwarves: *travel in silence for some time, and then Legacy will feel her guiding hands holding her back*

Legacy: *stops, wondering to herself if they're close to something important*

Baldur: What is that?

Peter: Not sure. But there's three of 'em.

Orin: Dire rats.

Legacy: *nearly soundless meep*

Peter: *as a chittering sound reaches Legacy's ears* Noisy.

Orin: Yeah, they're not hungry. Maybe we can drive them off.

Legacy: *still a bit worried*

Charlie: -What's wrong?-

Legacy: -Dire rats.- *yes, she's being a girl about rodents, Charlie*

Charlie: -You ever record any holo-clips of firework shows?-

Legacy: -...Yes.-

Charlie: -Lights and big bangs?-

Legacy: -Fourth of July at the Pax School.- *thinking back to how Lance and Misty were showing off*

Charlie: -Got it on your watch?-

Legacy: -Yeah.- *starting to get an idea of what you're about to suggest, Charlie*

Charlie: -Go for it.-

Orin: *quietly* What is it, lass?

Legacy: *quietly* I have something that might scare them off.

Peter: *quick glance, and then moves against the wall so that she can come up beside him*

Legacy: *will move to stand beside Peter, calling up the clip from the fourth of July on her watch*

chittering: *louder now. Big ugly nasty ratties are curious*

Legacy: *trying not to shake in her boots, calls up the holo-clip and makes it play*

dwarves: *hands over their eyes!*

Baldur: *deep voiced eek as he does so*

Orin: *quietly agrees with him*

dire rats: *GONE! And wet themselves on the way*

Legacy: *stops the clip once the rats are gone*

dwarves: *wide eyes all looking at Legacy*

Peter: *okay, not him. He's already walking*

Legacy: *deep breaths, waiting on her eyes to adjust to the darkness once more*

hand: *touches her shoulder, asking if she's ready to go on*

Legacy: *small nod*

hands: *back on her shoulders and off they go*


A short while later


Peter: *grunts as Legacy's guide steers her into his back, then reaches back and pokes the guide*

Baldur: *soft laugh identifies him*

Legacy: *very soft chuckle*

Peter: *gruff whisper* Shhh now. *sound of something being manipulated*

Legacy: *very small nod, will do her best to remain silent*

Col: *fatherly pat for Legacy's shoulder as Baldur lets go of it*

Peter: Close your eyes.

Legacy: *will close her eyes*

sound: *whisper of a well made door sliding open*

Peter: *grunts* Kitchen.

Legacy: *going to listen for any servants, just in case*

Col: Nope. Scullery. The back one.

Peter: *semi-annoyed grunt as he looks around*

Legacy: *softly* Farther in, there're people who are sad or horrified... some of them are both.

Peter: *soft growl as he turns toward a narrow door in the back corner of the room*

Legacy: *wonders if it's safe to open her eyes yet*

Baldur: *soft hiss of surprise, and then gently pokes at one of her eyelids as he stops beside her*

Legacy: *cautiously opens her eyes* *surprised by the dim lamplight filtering in from another room*

Baldur: *lifts brows and urges her to follow Peter with the hand on her shoulder*

Legacy: *small nod, will move to follow Peter*

Peter: *has the door open and is looking down a narrow service corridor lit by small globes on the ceiling* *gruffly* Col?

Col: Yes, it's standard set up.

Peter: *grunts and starts forward, leading the way rapidly through what seems to be a confusing and claustrophobic warren*

Legacy: *trusting Peter to keep the group from getting lost*

Peter: *stops as he comes abreast of a door that looks no different from the others. Glances back toward those following him, then jerks his head at Legacy*

Baldur: You better stay here.

Legacy: *bites her lip, but reluctantly nods*

Col: *encouragingly* George will stay with you.

George: *perks and looks toward her, and this may be the first time that Legacy realizes that the quiet old man has only one eye*

Legacy: *comforted by the fact that she won't be alone, will give George a small smile*

George: *comes to stand beside her. And shows her the frying pan that he picked up somewhere*

Col: *shakes his head at him and snerks, then pats Legacy and follows the others to the door*

Legacy: *will study the frying pan and nod when she sees it's a good, cast iron one*

George: *softly* It's not much, but I feel better with something in my hand. I hadn't anything when the Crystal Guard hit the Golden City, and look at me now. *more quietly, as he looks at the pan himself* Look at the dwarves now.

Legacy: *gentle shoulder patpat, will look around to see if there's anything she can use as an improvised weapon*

George: *still quiet* What do you want?

Legacy: *softly* Something in hand, just in case.

George: *glances around, and then nods toward a closet door* Try in there.

Legacy: *will move to check the closet for something to protect herself with* *pleased sound as she finds a mop. Knows that mops are effective weapons, from all the times she's watched Den chase Bumblebee, and everyone else who ran from her, with one*

George: *makes sure of her with one hand as she comes back. The eye he has isn't the strongest*

Legacy: *softly* Now we both have something in hand.

George: *slight smile* Aye, lass. You know how to use it?

Legacy: I'm not as skilled as some, but I do know how to use it.

George: Alright. But if you see Crystal Guards, run. And don't look back.

Legacy: *small nod* That goes for you as well.

George: *very quietly* I'm too old to run.

Legacy: *bites her lower lip and frets quietly*

George: *still so quiet* If I die I'll just see my brothers again, and my father, and my beautiful mother. And all the others that died that day.

Legacy: *wibbles and moves to hug George*

George: *startles slightly, and then gives her an awkward but warm pat on the back*

Legacy: *deep breath* *focuses on calming down*

George: *noticed something on her hand and uses his fingers to explore her ring* Did a young man give you this?

Legacy: *quietly* Yes. *remembers very clearly the day Lumen gave her the simple silver band, and how he apologized at first for not getting her something prettier as a promise ring* It represents his promise to marry me properly someday soon.

George: *quizzical head tilt* Marry you properly?

Legacy: Back home, he and I live together, but we haven't had a minister perform the wedding ceremony yet.

George: *concern* Haven't you anywhere else to live?

Legacy: Yes, but my kitchen at home would not survive my intended.

George: *very soft rumble of surprised laughter* Did he build you a house, and then try to live in it himself till the day?

Legacy: He built the house, and started the garden, intending it to be a wedding gift. He didn't count on me being curious about where he went at the end of the work day and following him.

George: *seems to surprise himself with this second quiet chuckle*

Legacy: I started fixing things up shortly after that.

George: *softly* What are the homes of your people like?

Legacy: It depends on the preferences of the people living in them. Most of them are wooden houses. Usually one family to a house, and they either build on to the house or move if their family outgrows the house.

George: *nods* Not city dwellers, eh?

Legacy: Not really, no. *quieter* What was the Golden City like?

George: *sucks in air quietly* It filled the entire heart of Twin Mountain with golden light, life, and laughter.

Legacy: *softly* It sounds like it was really beautiful.

George: *nods* And the sun even shone on it. I remember the building of light shafts for a new sub-division that the brother just before me was thinking of moving to with his Chagin bride.

Legacy: *small nod*

George: We never had to worry about new roofing, and if a tree fell on the mountain we didn't know it. *slight humour in his smile as he thinks of broken roofs he's helped mend*

Legacy: *very slight grin*

George: And then the king of the centre kingdom married again, and died within a few days. And it was less than a month later that the Crystal Guard started appearing.

Legacy: *bites her lip and nods*

George: And then they struck that spring, during the time when we brought the babies to the pastor so he could hold them up, show them off, and ask the Mountain Maker to bless them. *head droops* And that was that.

Legacy: *more wibble, hand to mouth*

Baldur: *back, eyes showing his excitement* Peter says come!

Legacy: *slight start*

George: *also startles, but then steps forward, his hand going out to make sure of exactly where Legacy is* What's happened? Where's Snowdrop?

Baldur: The Queen's got Snow in some kind of glass coffin, and she's going to talk to the people gathered in the central courtyard in a few minutes. *glances at Legacy* What's the mop for?

Legacy: In case of trouble.

Baldur: *understanding* Alright. Some of the others brought extras for us.

George: *frowns* Others?

Baldur: *bites his lip and then smiles* The other dwarves. They've been hiding and pretending to be other races. But some saw us and where we were going, and they've gathered.

George: *soft gasp*

Legacy: *small smile* *quietly* Word travels fast.

Baldur: Well, they saw the prince going to the castle. Sure it would. Let's go!

Legacy: *blink blink* Prince? *moving to follow*

Baldur: Yup. *gives his shoulder to George and leads them through the service door and then through a nicely fixed up room*

Legacy: *looking around*

room: *looks almost medieval with the furniture style and tapestries, but there are many hints of higher technology here*

Legacy: *making a mental note of this, will listen to see if the crowd is still sad, horrified, or both*

crowd: *mostly very much both, and also hopeless and indignant. A few are determined, hopeful, and vengeful*

Legacy: *quietly* Things are going to be getting crazy soon.

Baldur: *burst of excitement and upset and determination* Yup. *opens the door and leads them out and up a flight of stairs*

Legacy: *holding onto her skirt and dress hems with one hand*

Baldur: *warns George that the stairs are ending, and then leads them out into a massive circular courtyard overlooked by continuous balconies and thronged with people of many races*

George: *holding his pan till someone startles him by taking it away and giving him a hammer*

Legacy: *looks that way, concerned*

woman: *short, with greying hair and a servant's uniform* *hefts the pan with satisfaction and nods to Legacy before slipping away among the crowd*

Legacy: *hand up to her mouth to muffle her snicker at the situation*

Baldur: *bulldozing his way to the front, where he pushes till George and Legacy have places just behind the ring of tall people who are closest. Parks them right behind a light brindle centaur man* Alright. We're ready.

Legacy: *realizes something* Here, hold this for a moment? *offers the mop to whoever's closest*

blue-bearded dwarf: *takes and quirks a brow at her*

Baldur: :o?

George: *gives her a concerned look*

Legacy: Thank you. *quickly hiking the hem of her skirt and dress up and tying the hems on either side of her legs so she doesn't trip*

men around her: *understand! And look away politely. Except George. He helps her because he can't see anything anyway*

Legacy: *once her skirts are no longer a tripping hazard, she'll reach for the mop again* Now I'm ready.

blue-beard: *grim grin and gives her back her weapon*

Legacy: *will scan the crowd* *is keeping an eye out for any potential trouble for the dwarves*

crowd: *starts to stir as the great doors at the back of the courtyard open and what appears to be a glass or crystal coffin is wheeled out by slender men with coffee coloured skin and hair, and shining eyes the colour of good honey mead*

Queen: *follows with stately step. Is a tall, pale woman with elaborately dressed black hair and a gown that trails behind her for some length*

Legacy: *scowl*

George: *gripping his hammer there under the cloak of their large, furry neighbour*

Baldur: *eyes flicking from the blue-bearded dwarf to someone on the other side of him. Is poised and ready for something to happen*

Legacy: *tensed and just as ready for something to happen*

crowd: *falls utterly silent as someone bangs on something and calls that the queen will speak*

George: *lowers his head and tightens his grip on his hammer*

Queen: *voice is sweet, and carries what seems to be deep sadness* Dear people of Centre Kingdom. I grieve to bring you sad tidings. Your princess, who has suffered madness for many years, managed to nearly destroy herself last night.

Legacy: *softly* She's lying.

George: Of course she is. Shhh.

Queen: I managed to save her by putting her in this magic coffin. But sadly, she will never come out of it. Instead, she will sleep and stay young for eternity, and I will be her faithful regent.

someone: Let her out, and I wager I could heal her.

Queen: *dramatic and dejected seeming head shake* I'm afraid that's impossible. Only the rightful prince of this land can open the coffin. And there is no prince.

Legacy: She is so full of it. *quieter* And she's so wrong.

blue-beard: *glances at her, brows lifting*

Legacy: *so much scowl on her face*

voice: *strong and deep, it booms out in the silence* The prince is right here, spider woman!

Queen: *startles so badly that everyone sees it, her pale face going paler for a moment before it flushes dark with rage* Who speaks?

Orin: *steps forward* I do. I, Orin, son of Garrin, son of Bane. And I repeat, the prince is right here!

blue-beard: *cranes and then grumbles* Who's he pointing at? Oh.

Legacy: *stands on her tiptoes to try and see over the crowd*

Peter: *walks up unto the dais and manipulates the controls on the box, which beeps and fills with gas*

Queen: That's impossible.

Peter: *turns and scowls at her, his beard bristling* It's not impossible, spider. I'm Peter, son of Thrain, son of Thom, who was of the line of Dane of legend.

Baldur, blue-beard, and every other dwarf in the place: *ROAR!*

Legacy: *surprised squeak, but then she's shouting something she learned from the nice Ifiri lady who comes to the Black Dog sometimes*

Charlie: -Why are you holding on so hard? I'm trying to get you out of there.-

Legacy: -There's a fight about to break out. We're gonna kick the queen's *butt!*-

Charlie: -Your mother said no dangerous work.-

Legacy: -It'd look bad if I vanished suddenly, Charlie!- *yup. Determined to see things through to the end*

Charlie: -Flonq it.-

big hands: *land on Legacy's shoulders as all heck breaks out around her*

Baldur: *reaches for her and then blinks and looks up with surprise* What are you?

Lumen: Fuzzy! *ROAR!*

Legacy: *ROWDY*

George: Lass, who is it? What is it? *sticking close to her still*

Legacy: *to George* My intended. *grin*

George: *relaxes* Good, that makes four of us to watch you. *and then he's fighting as armed guards tear into the crowd*

Baldur: *going to town!*

Legacy: *saying things she learned from Mama Yau*

Lumen: *soon deploying those big hands of his as sledgehammers as those guards who didn't flee from his roar try to swarm him and the six-limbed boy beside him. Both stay close to Legacy and shield her*

George and Baldur: *protecting her other sides as they too fight!*

Legacy: *scanning the crowd for danger*


Continued here