1071/The Hunt is On

The Hunt is On
Date of Scene:	03 December 2014
Location:	Dun Realtai
Synopsis:	As part of the price for staying in Dun Realtai, Sir Bedivere and his allies must hunt the mortal sorceror responsible for the land's destruction and bring him back alive. The hunt is on!
Cast of Characters:	Kotone Yamakawa, 85, 253, 255, 346, 482, 560, 639

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Sir Bedivere (482) has posed:
Dun Realtai is a land temporarily given to the Union at the cost of a bargain: That the criminal responsible for its destruction be returned to its rightwise guardian by the midwinter solstice. Sir Bedivere intends to see that done, today, for a knight must be true to his word.

The knight had reached out to his allies for help, uncertain of what to expect. Will the man have entrenched himself, fighting to the bitter end? Will he turn himself in peaceably? There's no way to know.

For once, it's not raining in Dun Realtai. The ground is a muddy mire, though, and the sky is leaden and grey.

Bedivere himself sits astride a big black charger, wearing his battered and dented Round Table armour. Slung over his chest on a leather baldric is the war-horn he had borne at Camlann, cracked and bloodstained but serviceable.

Standing beside him is a strange, horse-sized creature that looks like a greyhound, but seems to exude a cold mist. Wintry and intimidating, the skull-faced Kepas is the creature that will be doing today's tracking; and for once, he looks every inch a nightmare-creature, the empty sockets of his eyes lit by eerie yellow light. (How he does this without a nose, for his hea is a skull, is anyone's guess.)

"I will be brief, for Kepas is eager to go." Bedivere stands in the stirrups to address his allies. "Horses have been provided for those of you who need them. We will ride fast and hard. We are to capture the sorceror Harkaitz, responsible for Dun Realtai's destruction. He is to be captured alive, that he may be presented to this land's rightwise guardian."

"This is Kepas." Bedivere indicates the icy nightmare-hound with a sweep of his gauntlet. "Follow him as closely as you can. He will lead us to Harkaitz, for he has the scent of his magic, I am told. It will be a wild ride, I suspect."

He sits back down onto the saddle, frowning. "Best we remain brief before we go. Kepas is eager to be underway, I suspect. No doubt you are all eager to be finished with this, as well, and back somewhere warm and dry. Well, then. Have you any questions, before I bid him go?"

Setsuko Kaminagi (255) has posed:
Setsuko Kaminagi made a promise, months ago.

When they visited the guardian of this place, the swordswoman was there. She was there as insurance, but a sense of fairness and justice led her to vow her aid in bringing the criminal back. Much about Setsuko has changed since then, but she as a person has not; and the swordswoman keeps her vows.

The first words out of her mouth as she stands, however, are not for Bedivere. She speaks instead to the icehound itself, looking at the beast with a steady gaze. "You've recovered well." Only then does she turn to answer the knight himself, giving him a calm nod. "If anything, I'm more ready now than I've ever been." She was already faster on foot than a horse the last time she was here; her speed has doubled since, and she can fly besides. "What can we expect from Harkaitz?"

Kagenashi (85) has posed:
Kepas isn't the only hunting beast present. A giant fox with fur as black as the starless night sits near the back of the assembled group, large enough that her shoulder must be as high as an average person is tall. Five flowing tails swish back and forth behind her, the tip of each holding a blue-green flame that burns brightly even in the moist environment. Silver eyes remain fixated on Bedivere as he speaks, but the fox doesn't seem intent on moving until everyone is ready.

When the nogitsune finally does speak, Kagenashi's serene voice comes without her mouth needing to move. "You need not worry about my ability to keep up. I will remain close by, as the situation requires." Setsuko gives the only question she would have in this situation, so she remains silent otherwise, poised to move whenever everyone is prepared.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
Horses.

Shirou's not been astride a horse since Mordred nearly tried pushing him into jousting. He's not too fond of riding, although he's spent some time helping shore up some stables with elbow grease and definitely likes horses well enough.

Riding's necessary today though. Shirou's hoping he can keep up and won't lead his mount into an accident. Chances are, he guesses, leaving it up to the horse will be smarter.

So behind Bedivere and Kepas he trots for now, clearly anxious but keeping his emotions shut out. It's time to focus, and go on a knightly mission to give back for the hospitality he's been shown and the assistance Bedivere's lent him. And well, he's Bedivere's Not!Squire, so this is kind of required in its own way!

"Just one, Sir Bedivere. What do we know about this Harkaitz? Magic specialties, allies, anything?"

Sir Bedivere (482) has posed:
"I do not know, but he had the power to lay this place low. We should be cautious. However, he has also been on the run. There is little love lost between Harkaitz and the people he had spurned. And I am aware some of them have hunted for him on their own time. He is as a fugutive." Bedivere shakes his head. "Perhaps that has worn on him, and weakened him to our benefit."

The hound-creature merely tilts its head at Setsuko, yellow eye-lights winking out for a moment. Its jaws fall open in a vacant-looking grin, though it's hard not to ascribe a certain blankness to its empty skull face.

Bedivere nods to Setsuko and Kagenashi both, eyes turning then to Shirou.

"I do not." He shakes his head. "Perhaps specialty over the power of ice and snow. Winter. That was the power with which he staged his unsuccessful coup, so that is what I would expect of him. Though, he is not as skilled as some, I think. He did fail, after all." Bedivere makes a thoughtful sound. "He is most probably weakened, having been in the elements. I suspect our trail will lead into the winter-witch's weald, north of here; there is no other place with cover enough for him to hide."

Saber (346) has posed:
Beside the temporary lord of these lands is the woman known only to the villagers as the lady, yet was in fact the king of the lands from which they both formerly hailed, now known to the Union as the Servant Saber. Mounted on a draft horse that, while not the sort of mount proper for battle was nevertheless one of the few which survived the cataclysm which had decimated the village, she regarded the group in silence, clad in the magic armour she wore in battle. Perhaps there would be no trouble, but it was hardly detrimental to be unprepared.

As Setsuko and Shirou asked questions, she remained silent, letting the marshal act as her voice once more. Yet, the air of authority she subconsciously projected would caution anyone who entertained the idea of giving him lip that it was a Bad Idea. He was, after all, the Left Hand of the King. Fortunately, everyone appeared to understand how things were supposed to go.

A brief glance was all that was required to 'speak' to the marshal leading the group. He certainly looked the part of the careworn veteran, and she had already chided him on obtaining armour which wasn't about to fall apart with the next good blow. But that would have to wait.

He might have other powers, as well, she cautioned.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Motorcycles were once called Iron Horses for a reason Kotone mused, still she wondered how one would take to her. It was always hard to tell with animals when your cyberized after all. She was actually of use in this hunt given she had some less lethal weapony like the shock gloves she's wearing over her hands at the moment.

"I see he's certainly different and more magic huh?"

She takes a look at the creature and it almost feels like something that might come out of the mists in Kingsmouth She look to Shirou and says, "Well here's hoping I umm don't mess this up."

She's not got much in the way of horse riding skills after all it's become a thing of the wealthy or those rangers who still have some tradtional habits left to them. She'll move to get up on her steed which kinda of gives her a look, given she's about as heavy ads a knight in armour really.

"Right so this is going to be interesting..."

Psyber (253) has posed:
Psyber would have been very rude to ignore a direct summons from Bedivere.

Owing to this, the half-angel is present and wearing his normal attire and standard work clothes. The only difference is that draped around his neck today is a red and black patterned scarf which hangs around his neck lazily.

He has a car, or more specifically a Jeep, which is parked nearby. He's sitting on the hood of it and smoking a cigarette as he listens to the explanation and address from bedivere, "Captured alive. Got it." He says briskly.

Sir Bedivere (482) has posed:
Although he doesn't say anything to Saber, Bedivere seems comforted by her presence. They need no words between them to actually communicate, and he takes in her silent warning with a faint nod of agreement. Best to expect anything.

His eyes turn to Kotone at her observation. Interesting is a good word for it. Here's to hoping they all don't mess this up; if this man gets away, it's going to be fiendishly difficult to track him down. "Aye." This, to Kotone. "Best for us if we flush him away from the warpgate west of here, in fact. If he flees through that, I fear there will be no finding him."

Violet eyes flick back to Psyber as he arrives. "Alive," he agrees. "He is to be presented to Lady Alaia as per our agreement. Bound and gagged, if necessary. I would not renege on my word. I am hoping we might convince him to cease his nonsense and come into our custody willingly, but I remain prepared to take him by force if it must needs be done that way."

Merlin (639) has posed:
The mud will make things annoyingly difficult. At least it's not raining, and his powers won't be needed for that sort of thing. Instead, the Other Wizard of Dun Realtai finds himself astride a horse, one of many of Lord Bedivere's stable but one with a temperament fitting the wizard's mercurial moods.

"You quite likely have the right of it. He was not one to make significant changes, it seems; I doubt his skills are quite so widespread as to find the weak point in every situation. In this case," the pale-blue-haired wizard mused, "I imagine he simply finds strength in doing one thing over and over again, until it brings him power he seeks." The wizard's eyes narrow slightly. "He will never reach the gate."

Then again, that's why a wizard like him is along, just in case. And, it seems, why Bedivere has gathered such a widespread collection of warriors. "It is good to see so many have come to the call of the Lord of Dun Realtai. It might be quite tedious were it only ourselves..." Not to mention exceptionally boring.

Sir Bedivere (482) has posed:
Was that a twitch near Bedivere's right eye? He doesn't look pleased to have Merlin tagging along, in fact, but it was inevitable that the wizard would deign to crawl down out of his tower. He'd been quiet and polite, and that had been good, but alas that all good things must come to an end.

Bedivere sighs, reaching up and pinching the bridge of his nose with gauntleted fingers. "He was able to enact sweeping changes on the weather, but that was in part the doing of the winter-witch by her mere presence out of season. I do not think he is as powerful as I fear he may be, and in fact hope that is the case."

"Still. I will remain cautious. He must be taken alive, and I do not know how desperate he is. Without skill, perhaps, if he is as singular-minded as you claim; but enough to represent a danger."

As though following some unspoken signal, the hound-creature is suddenly off, hurtling down the hill in eerie silence, swift as a flushed deer. Large and pale as he is, he's easy to spot against the brown, dead mud.

Not long after, Bedivere sets spurs to his steed, crouching low over its neck, white cloak flying behind him as the horse lunges forward down the hill. "If there are any other questions, use your radios! And away we go!"

The hunt is on!

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
Oh heavens! Shirou fumbles a bit, trying to get his horse going with the flow. He'll be behind the others, but once a few get moving... well, sooner or later he manages to give his mount the idea and– "Wh-whoah!"

Half-panicking, he hunches down low like Bedivere. This is NOT his preferred method of travel! He'd take a bike over this. Even a motorcycle...

This is such an un-knightly display. Riding lessons are probably in order!

But as long as he arrives without breaking his back, not much to really complain about!

Maybe he should've ridden with Saber.

Kagenashi (85) has posed:
Kagenashi watches and listens in silence, briefly observing the people that arrive before her attention shifts back to Bedivere. Tails swishing, flames making trails through the air, she waits and listens, prepared to begin the hunt.

It's been a while since she simply hunted like a normal predator. This should be interesting.

Hardly a moment after Kepas dashes off, Kagenashi sprints ahead. A flash of black trailing ghostly flames from her tails, she's certainly easy to make out herself. Even at her size, she would probably keep up well with Kepas, but she instead stays a decent distance behind the frost hound. Better to give herself plenty of space to adjust to whatever movements he makes, in case they suddenly shift direction at any point in this hunt.

Setsuko Kaminagi (255) has posed:
"I fear not the man who has practiced a thousand sword techniques," Setsuko says, her tone calm. "But I fear the man who has practiced one sword technique a thousand times." If he's the type to try the same thing until it works, then that makes him dangerous in its own way. When all you have is a hammer, you get really good at swinging it in just the right way.

But she doesn't wait until Bedivere calls for the charge; the instant the hound tears off at full speed, the demigod is running right behind it, keeping easy pace, with one hand on her blade.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa Says "I'll follow your leade then Sir Bedivere."

She seems to be doing all right and hopefully the horse is well trainied so nothing will go wrong. She's on nothing has gone wrong and she looks to merlin for a momnent nodding.

"I see, I think I get it."

WIth that away they go they want him alive she'll respect that and she's a bit behind hereself as she looks to Shirou and mimics him she mutters she'd like a off road motorbike her self however she hangs on and yes she clearly in need of lessons as well.

Merlin (639) has posed:
"Not without skill. But perhaps not so much depth of creativity. It is a resource lacking among many of my kind, sadly." Once gained, so many are taken by the power they reach for, rather than choose to truly master it.

And on that note, it seems that Bedivere's young squire certainly hasn't mastered riding. While the others move to his aid, the poor horse is becoming more agitated - and well, it seems a few words might help. Hand clasping his staff a little tighter, Merlin begins whispering a spell to soothe the horse. It won't turn it into a docile, hungry grassmuncher in the middle of the formation, but it'll at least keep it from completely spooking while the others rescue its rider.

Saber (346) has posed:
It would have been a familiar sight to some; the marshal giving the briefing at the side of the silent, watchful eyes of the king, and her advisor likewise interjecting snippets of his own vast yet obfuscated knowledge. Of course, not everything that might have been nostalgic was necessarily a good thing; Merlin tended to chafe the sensibilities of his former student. Whether it was his mischievous streak or simply the primal reaction of a force of order to that of chaos, the fact remained that her familiar aloof mask had returned, if only to conceal her annoyance.

All of those who had gushed over the radio had no idea at all what they were in for. None whatsoever.

And then, Kepas was off. Even without her class skill of Riding, Saber could handle a steed – even one which made her seem even more tiny than usual – with ease from years of rigorous training. Yet that skill enabled her own mount to keep up with the incredibly swift ice-hound, channelling her magical energy into the horse...

...Yet, a quick glance revealed Shirou was in trouble. Deliberately slowing, she matched pace with the red-haired magus. In a single swift motion, plucked the boy off his own mount and – impossibly – set him behind her on her own mount. And probably to his great embarrassment. "Perhaps later, we should train you to ride...as infrequent as this would appear to be," she managed to call out, yet keep her voice soft as she did.

And at least merlin had cast a calming spell on the poor horse.

Psyber (253) has posed:
Psyber nods his confirmation at Bedivere on their mission goal and then turns and heads back towards his jeep, gunning the engine and putting on a hat as Bedivere takes off.

Psyber isn't keen to do much beyond follow at Bedivere's back in his jeep, so this isn't a particularly large or in-depth pose.

Sir Bedivere (482) has posed:
Kepas is off like a shot, arrowing straight down the hill with such speed that a few villagers, going about their business, are forced to dive out of the way. They stare after him with wide eyes, clutching their hats, flinching back as the horses come thundering down the hill after the hound.

It's like a strange parody of fox hunting of the nobility...

Fortunately, he's easy to spot, bright white against the drab colours of the muddy hills. Kagenashi also forms an excellent point of reference with her shadowy black hide and the bright lights of her fox fire. Even if keeping up is difficult for some, keeping them within visual range isn't too hard.

Bedivere crouches low over the neck of his own charger, lips thinned against the cold wind, though he does offer a sideways nod to Setsuko. "Aye. The truth is, I know not what to expect. This will be difficult, or this will be easy. I have no way of knowing. I know not where he even hides, and that is why we have Kepas leading us on."

Thundering hooves churning up the mud, Bedivere nonetheless rides well; keeping low over the horse's neck and watching the bouncing form of Kepas' springy gait.

Is he smart enough to know that the one he hunts is responsible for the death of his brothers? Or is he simply following his instinct, however strange that may be? It's hard to say where the creature's intelligence really is. Sometimes he seems frighteningly wise – and other times, impossibly... dumb.

Bedivere's horse doesn't seem to like having a Jeep following behind it. The creature snorts, kicks out with one hind leg, and speeds up its pace a little. Bedivere has no trouble hanging on, fortunately.

Up ahead, Kepas slows, pausing as though to sniff the air, turning this way and that. His ears are back and his jaws hanging open, frost spilling from his maw. Again, with eerie silence, he suddenly turns and lunges off in a different direction, heading vaguely northward; frost spilling from his maw with every breath. He seems more urgent – caught the 'scent,' perhaps?

"He has something," Bedivere observes with narrowed eyes. Taking the horn from around his shoulder, he raises it and sounds it.

It's a loud, clear note in spite of the cracked and bloodstained horn; a beacon for the others to follow, if they can't all see Kepas or Kagenashi. And, to those who have heard it sounded before, it may be a haunting reminder of days past.

Setsuko Kaminagi (255) has posed:
There is little on Setsuko's part to say for the moment; she is focused entirely on running alongside Kepas, superhuman speed keeping pace and superhuman reflexes ensuring she can match direction. When the hound of ice slows, so too does the demigod, coming to a stop and straining her own half-divine senses to their limit; but whatever he senses is beyond her dim magical affinity, and her more material senses are useless when she doesn't know what to listen or smell for yet, and so when Kepas dashes off again, she simply follows along.

However, she does begin to veer to one side, opening a bit of distance between herself and their 'guide'. When they have a more definite bead on him, she can peel away and circle around more easily this way.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
YOOOOOINK!

Shirou finds himself yanked clear off his mount and plopped behind Saber. With the ride being what it is he has no choice but to grab hold of her! Oh... dear.

At least she's wearing the armor. Getting his arms somewhat around that is so less... troublesome. But once he gets his bearings...

"S-sorry Saber. I'll learn so this doesn't happen again!" Troubling her like this is the LAST thing he wants to do.

Simultaneously a bit ashamed and quite embarassed, he avoids making eye contact with anyone but eventually settles in and keeps his attention on the ride. Onwards!

Then the hunt changes direction and his interest piques. His eyes scan about, and Saber might hear him mutter, "Trace, on."

A faint amount of magic flows through him. Just enough to amplify his eyesight by several times. There anything to note off in the distance...?

Psyber (253) has posed:
Had he brought a car, navigating off-road terrain would have been more difficult and required a greater degree of effort. A jeep is much easier for him, however, and while the vehicle may bounce or jostle as it crests a hill or takes an embankment a bit too tightly, he's still mostly able to manage it throughout the chase.

When the horn sounds, he skids the tires along the ground and sharply turns in the direction of it, intent to find the sounder and to regroup with the others.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa Says "I get it we're in for a fight but what else is new!"

She's hanging on perhaps a bit too tight but then again she's riding on something with a mind of their own. Then Bedi notes they have a lead and hear the horn it's sounds like they got a lead and it's time to attempt to direct her horse after the sound away they go. Saber saves Shirou thankfully, Ko? No such luck. She's at leat not yelling Bedi how do you stop this crazy thing, right?

Sir Bedivere (482) has posed:
There's not much to sense in the direct the hound runs. A glimmering of magic, weakened and fading, as though there were something here that's now vacant; like embers gone cold, with only a fading memory of heat in them.

Either he was here and left recently, or he's here still and his presence is somehow masked.

Kepas skids to a halt right at the edge of the tangled northern forest, pacing back and forth. As before, he's eerily silent, sniffing the air and pacing in tight, agitated circles, as though something makes him uncertain.

Bedivere rides up, frowning as he regards the hound.

Something moves in the underbrush; a scrap of tattered black cloth.

The horn sounds again; a single long blast – 'quarry found.' Bedivere, however, is no fool; he'll wait for the others to show up before he takes any action. "Kepas." A single word from him calls the hound away, where it skulks to his side, panting puffs of frost and staring unblinkingly at the strip of cloth.

There is a man-shaped thing somewhere in that tangled undergrowth that moves a little, as though crawling; what kind of shape or appearance, though, can't be seen. It's too firmly buried, and Bedivere's unwilling to unbury it until the others arrive.

Setsuko Kaminagi (255) has posed:
Setsuko is far enough to one side that when they come to a stop, she has room to move without running into their quarry in the undergrowth. She halts herself and closes her eyes, letting her hearing find the man's location, and then opens them again, watching for the tiniest movements with a gaze sharper than a hawk's. About the time Bedivere sounds the call, the swordswoman lifts up a few feet off the ground and then begins to circle, taking a wide, careful turn that will put her on the other side of the huddled figure hiding in the tangle. This way, he can run only to one side or the other; attempting to retreat from the hound would run him right into her, and attempting to flee her presence would put him right in Bedivere's grasp.

Saber (346) has posed:
Shirou might hear Saber chuckle softly or see her shake her head slightly even as she guided her own steed after Kepas. If she found it troublesome, she certainly didn't let on. "It would be too soon for such an endeavour, were you a knight-aspirant in Britain," she called back. "As it is, your training has been 'on-the-fly'. Worry not."

The two mumbled words, however, are familiar. "Do you sense anything?" Clearly, she's familiar with that particular method of activating his circuits.

Indeed, the sound of the familiar war-horn brought with it all number of memories, from the first battle against the Saxons to Camlann. But those memories were in the distant past, and the hunting party had a task before them. Her mind remained sharp, entirely on catching up to Bedivere and Kepas.

It did not take her long. She halted her mount beside her marshal's, her frown mirroring his, jade eyes moving from the ragged strip of cloth to the vague shape in the woods beyond. She remained mounted, however, Shirou still behind her, not yet summoning Excalibur.

Merlin (639) has posed:
At the first sounding of the horn, Merlin nudges his horse into a faster gallop. The hunt continues, Kepas leading the entourage to its target. Merlin takes advantage of the chance to look closer at his allies. One of the divine, riding a cart powered by the blood of earth and hellfire itself. How curious. Kagenashi as well, in a form truly different than he'd seen her before. Two others, Kotone and Setsuko - both fascinating magic users in their own way, with skills he'd never encountered before.

Oh he just can't wait to meet any of them properly.

But Kepas is surprisingly efficient - and it seems, if this tangled mess before them does shelter their enemy, that it may be over quickly. The wizard reins his horse to a halt, and with a gentle pat steps down atop the muddy ground. It's so good to be a wizard, though, as he doesn't step onto it, the wet muck as steady as stone under his footsteps. The elves had such fantastic ideas to use their magic for, he thought.

And his mind turns to what may well become a proper battle...weighing options, debating his abilities, and the wizard simply prepares his staff - and then steps quite to the rear of the small gaggle of troops. Why, there's certainly no sense in exposing himself to any such direct threat of swords and armor! That's what Bedivere, Arturia, and the rest are for. Merlin has better things to do with his time.

Kagenashi (85) has posed:
Kagenashi comes to a skidding halt after Kepas stops giving chase again, claws digging into the earth to ensure to make sure she stops before going too far. She takes a minute to sniff the air as her tails lash and sway behind her, trailing foxfire in their wake as she waits, tensed and ready. The hint of their target's presence, however, is given to her sharp gaze; ears perked, she watches the hiding figure and slowly, carefully lowers herself into a pounce-ready crouch.

Rather than immediately leaping, however, her form is suffused entirely in black, briefly putting out the light of her eyes and the flames on her tails. The black shape then splits, branching off four new single-tailed foxes that slowly slink around to assist in Setsuko's flanking. As color returns to their forms and relights the flames on their tails, they settle into crouches low to the ground, eyes fixed on their target as they wait for the others to be ready.

Psyber (253) has posed:
The jeep Psyber was in comes to an abrupt halt as Psyber hits the brakes and regroups with the rest of the hunters. He kills the engine and pockets the keys, stepping out of the vehicle and then moving over to Bedivere's side.

He takes a few careful moments to assess all those present. He doesn't know Merlin personally, but he has certainly heard Bedivere describe him to extent, as had most of Dun Realtai's residents that Psyber spoke to with regularity. An introduction for later, perhaps.

Instead, Psyber stares at the underbrush and asks Bedivere, "Do you want me to throw a flashbang in there to flush out the brush?"

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
"I'm no good at sensing magic unless it's something huge." Like Saber here, whose presence, so close, is almost blinding in its own way! "I'm just enhancing my eyesight. Nothing odd's that way at all.." But he's proven wrong.

When the group arrives, he spots the wriggling clothes. Though, for the moment he remains unarmed. He wants to see what their quarry's gonna do!

"... This is him...?" He's dubious toward the idea. But could Kepas be wrong? Unlikely.

Sir Bedivere (482) has posed:
The hound-creature turns a tight circle before dropping onto his belly, inching forward in much the same manner that Kagenashi does. In fact, his path brings him beside the primary Kagenashi among the pack, snarling silently and parting his jaws to show white fangs.

Bedivere stays right where he is, perched firmly on his horse's saddle, with one hand on the reins and one hand on the damaged war-horn. He frowns as he regards the shrubby undergrowth and its dirty, ragged fugitive hidden somewhere in there. It's no beast, to go by the animosity Kepas shows, but the object of their pursuit.

The knight releases the horn to rub at his jaw in thoughtful gesture. Yet he doesn't draw his sword, instead standing straighter in the saddle and addressing the rustling undergrowth. "Come out." His voice is firm enough to carry, over the jingling of his horse's harness, or the beast's soft snort. "You are surrounded, and among them is one of Lady Alaia's hounds."

There comes a sound from Kepas, then, finally – a low, rasping snarling. Gone is the puppyish demeanour of this creature; not quite the mindless aggression of his cousins that had been put down to free Dun Realtai, but a vicious beast nontheless. A vicious beast that seems to recognise an aggressor put before it.

"As you can hear," Bedivere adds mildly, but his eyes are on Kepas, ready to call the creature back if he has to. This change over the creature is unsettling. "Come, and we will be lenient. You will be delivered to Lady Alaia to face judgement for your crimes, instead of killed."

Silence reigns, eventually broken by a hoarse, rasping voice.

"No. I don't believe you."

After a few instants broken only by the rustling and snapping of branches, and Kepas' snarling, Bedivere sighs. The ice-hound crouches still lower, snarling louder.

"We will not harm you," Bedivere repeats.

Silence.

"...Lady Kagenashi." Bedivere looks to the nogitsune, glancing at the others assembled. "Do you think you can drag our guest out? Carefully? It seems he's gone a bit shy in the face of such a warm reception. Sir Psyber, Dame Kaminagi, Dame Saber; best be ready to restrain him if he should prove unwilling."

Slowly, carefully, he draws his own battered sword and holds it before him. "I would sooner take no risks."

Setsuko Kaminagi (255) has posed:
"Of course," Setsuko calls from the other side of their quarry; raising her voice both for the sake of answering Bedivere, and also to serve as a further warning to Harkaitz. You are indeed surrounded. Escape attempts would be... unwise.

Merlin (639) has posed:
Sigh. It seems there's going to be a troublesome bit of effort involved, and Merlin would really rather avoid such a thing. The wizard draws on the power of the land, letting the recently passed storm clouds return - nothing spectacular, but a cloud does dim the light of the sun for a moment as he speaks.

"You are faced with foes of honor and truth, Fellow." A mix of thunder and ice-cracking underscores his words - or maybe that's just Merlin adding a good bit of LISTEN TO ME to what he says. "Justice is their way, and justice they will have. COME FORTH."

Of course, it's not the only magic the gorgeously good-looking wizard is preparing. Just the first.

Kagenashi (85) has posed:
Even as a large beast, Kagenashi's calmness is apparent. Unlike Kepas, she does not snarl or growl, even as she crouches in the undergrowth and keeps her predatory gaze fixed on the man hiding away. She doesn't even move until Bedivere makes a request of her, at which point only the first Kagenashi raises her head and glances back at the knight.

"If that is what is needed," she replies serenely, her mouth unmoving. With that, she stands, her posture becoming more relaxed before she pads over to where the man is hiding. Her footsteps come with hardly a sound, perhaps surprising the hiding Harkaitz when she's suddenly looming over him. She lifts a paw to claw away at any remaining undergrowth, then, even if he attempts to struggle or fight against her, her lips pull back to reveal sharp teeth used only to snag the back of his collar and hoist him up almost effortlessly, high enough that his feet should be a good distance from the ground. Almost like a mother hoisting a misbehaving kit, assuming he doesn't struggle enough that she can't even manage that.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa arrives a bit later than the otehrs and that's when Kotone has a small bit of troubls eh attemps to get off her horse. She looks at the mud at this point and debates if she's going to get off or not no she might end up falling.

She does however prep the shock gloves which now are primed but not charged yet. Since she's not on restraint duty she's going to just make sure he does't try to bolt past them she gets off the horse into horrible slop of ages that makes up the ground.

"I'll try to cut him off if he attempts to bolt then?"

Psyber (253) has posed:
Psyber nods to Bedivere and cracks his knuckles. He doesn't draw a gun yet, owing to Bedivere wanting him alive. What he does do, however, is taking out a stungun and turn the switch into the on position. He's not making an advance yet, but he's ready to lunge and zap him if things go wrong and he heads his way.

Sir Bedivere (482) has posed:
Relaxing his arm so his sword hangs at his side, Bedivere watches the tangled thicket. Setsuko earns a faint nod, and he remains silent through Merlin's impressive speech. All that phenomenal cosmic power, and he uses it for cheap tricks and theatrics. Hmph.

Kagenashi earns a nod, signalling for her to go ahead and drag their prisoner out. So does Kotone; keeping him from escaping would probably be the best course of action.

In goes Kagenashi, and out comes Kagenashi and a bundle of black rags and miserable-looking human. He's older, grey in his tangled beard and hair, and he looks like he's been out here for a while. (Unfortunately for Kagenashi, he probably tastes terrible, too.) His feet windmill for a moment before he realises he's too high up to do anything, and then he goes limp and unresisting.

Kepas remains where he is, belly to the ground, but he gives a louder snarl as Harkaitz comes into view, parting his jaws and showing his teeth.

Bedivere just sighs.

"You have been the cause of a great deal of trouble," he proclaims solemnly, staring down the filthy Harkaitz, who must have been living in this wood pretty much since his flight from Dun Realtai. He looks and smells it, anyway. "You will come with us back to Dun Realtai. And you will remain there until we may deliver you to Lady Alaia."

The wizard sneers, but he doesn't say anything. Apparently he's decided that fighting against all these powerful-looking Elites is probably the most suicidal course of action, and has resigned himself to his fate. Sort of.

"Do you understand?" Bedivere demands, sheathing his sword.

The man glares, but he doesn't answer.

"Close enough," the knight mutters. "Well. That was easier than I expected it to be. I suppose a life lived as a refuge is hard even on the most ambitious. Fear not. You will be given food and water, and a roof, which is more than you likely deserve." Bedivere's mouth curls into a hard little smile. "Lady Alaia is kinder than More than I would have afforded you."

He looks to Setsuko and Psyber. "Lady Kaminagi. Sir Psyber. Would you be so kind as to escort our 'guest' back to the keep? There is a dungeon below the great hall. We will follow, but I think you two serve the best chance of preventing his flight." He makes a thoughtful sound. "If one among you has the means to bind him, that would be best."

With that, he turns, letting them do as they will; however they wind up conveying the prisoner back to the castle.

Setsuko Kaminagi (255) has posed:
"Of course," Setsuko replies, emerging from the brush shortly after Kagenashi hauls the wizard out. It ended without battle or bloodshed; kind of a welcome change. She's content to serve as a guard alongside Psyber for the return trip.

Psyber (253) has posed:
Psyber nods his head to Bedivere and moves to take whatever side Setsuko doesn't cover for the return trip, "No funny business. Bedivere wants you alive, but he didn't mention busting a kneecap like a walnut if you try to run. You be good, I'll be good."

Saber (346) has posed:
Trust Merlin to make a big production out of things, even as Sesuko and Kagenashi were far more subtle and elegant. But the wizard, she suspected, was merely indulging his love of scaring the skin off others. Putting the proverbial fear of God into the lesser wizard was just too good an opportunity to pass up.

Fortunately, it seemed their quarry was disinclined to argue when Bedivere issued their demands. While perhaps it was far easier than they expected, a lot could certainly be said for a group of powerful Elites showing up to drag him back. That, and hiding away in the woods for a month.

Wordlessly, she turned her steed around to follow her marshal. But as they started back toward the castle, she nevertheless commented to Shirou, "Would that all our endeavours ended so peacefully."

Merlin (639) has posed:
Oh they're theatrics alright, but there's nothing cheap about them. Wait until Merlin gets /really/ mad about something and goes all Special Edition on someone's ass; THEN you'll see special effects and cosmic powers. Until then it's good to not be relied upon so much, and for others like Bedivere to learn to come into their own power. Especially when others like Bedivere had shown so little affinity for it a lifetime ago...yet now wield something they barely even understand. Those symbols he'd seen upon Bedivere's hand...where did he get the ability to handle such a thing? Magic runs in families, after all...

Hm, he did spend a lot of time with those filidh bardesses. Well, with lots of bardesses to be honest, but how else would one's own stories become legend so quickly?

Then Bedivere turns to Psyber and Setsuko, and Merlin smirks inside. See, that's the other thing about making people rely on themselves; they don't come pestering YOU for every little thing and can leave you to your peace. Even if he had been on a horse and at the back the last time anyone looked, Merlin reaches his hand out and settles it upon Bedivere's shoulder, stepping out from behind the taller knight.

"Fret not, Milord. Justice has prevailed, and peace as well. It is as you most hoped."

Kagenashi (85) has posed:
Kagenashi doesn't seem to care about the taste too much. She does, however, give Harkaitz a good shake in her maw when he refuses to answer Bedivere. Probably won't get a response from him, but maybe it'll make sure he doesn't proceed toward sass.

The other Kagenashis rise up and slink back into the one holding the wizard once everything seems to be taken care of, returning her five burning tails to her. The nogitsune doesn't say anything more, as Setsuko and Psyber move in to begin flanking the wizard, but she opts not to let him go just yet either. She's staying at the castle herself, after all; she may as well keep him scruffed on the way back and make sure it's that much harder for him to get away.

Plus, she'll need to prepare things for Gin and Kin to come in on guard duty, including things to be distracted with so they don't get too bored. Idle hands are the devil's tools, and so forth.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa is not in a pleased mood as she moves though the mud but it seems she really wasn't needed then again she might have been so iut wasn't a waste that came, right? She keso the shock gloves ready at this point. She looks at them for a moment she does have the means she pulls some zip ties out of her pocket and moves to bind te man if no one else will do.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
"I was almost expecting him to pull some trick out of his sleeves." And maybe he still will. When nobody's looking too much at him. But still, his attention slides to Merlin.

"What happens to him now? I'm not sure the extent of his crimes." Though he wouldn't expect to get a full accounting NOW. He knows he's done bad stuff, that's for sure.

Hopefully that waits until after this uncomfortable ride...