The Great Mouse (and a Detective)

The Great Mouse (and a Detective)
Date of Scene:	24 November 2012
Location:	Baron
Synopsis:	Mercade and Mickey run into each other in the city of Baron. The King hatches a daring plan to infiltrate to determine the nature of the Darkness within the country...
Thanks to:	Thanks to Stormfall for GMing!
Cast of Characters:	Mercade Alexander, Sarafina Carenze, King Mickey, Stormfall

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Mercade Alexander has posed:
The city of Baron has always been militaristic. However, of late they have been exceptionally aggressive. The dementia of Baigan and the four strange sorcerors that accompany him, as well as their Dark Knight and Dragoon corps, the Red Wing Airship force, and finally, their use of Heartless have given them an almost unstoppable military advantage.

Mercade's seen their capacities before, and Baigan has expressed a desire to conquer Manhattan for Baron as well. Several members of Baron even expressed concern to him over horrible things happening here, even going so far as to hire him to investigate. This is going to be a problem.

The first thing he needs to do is learn about the enemy. He moves quietly among the people in the streets, not drawing attention to himself as he simply follows how others move and keeps an ear out as to what's going on. You can be surprised at how much you can learn from simply keeping your ears and eyes open.

King Mickey has posed:
However, the detective is not the only one this evening doing some investigative work within the City of Baron. Having heard similar rumors and stories concerning Baron's military campaign, King Mickey has decided to look into this matter personally. After all, with the darkness being just beyond their doorstep, the last thing the worlds of light require at this point is to be conflicting with one another.

Once again, the King does not appear to be acting in any official capacity. He appears to be dressed in medieval clothing that is common to the locale of the current world, along with a worn hooded cloak over his head to cover his ears. One might consider him to be a begger kid or perhaps a black mage's apprentice. However, he too appears to be wandering among the people and can be seen making his way towards the weapons and armor shop on the northern side of town, while too keeping his ears open among the populace for anything of interest.

Mercade Alexander has posed:
The people of Baron have likely suffered much. But there is always hope.

Mercade parts from a movement of townspeople to bank north. He too wants to look into the local shops. He moves through an alleyway and walks up the stone steps towards the plain, uniform and dreary building. He looks to one side, noting the small hooded person approaching, and narrows his eyes slightly. As he reaches the side of the building, Mercade kneels, hands fumbling as if to retie a loose shoelace as the hooded person passes. He looks over, to get a glimpse at the person under the hood.

King Mickey has posed:
Mickey begins to feel that eyes are upon him though not necessarily from where, just a intuitive feeling if you will. The King continues to make his way towards the shops at his current pace, as if not to give the appearance he is aware that he is under survialance. Shortly there after, Mercade can be seen from the alley nearby, taking a knee. The two pass by one another and the detective can see the short mousey nose of the King, popping out from beneath the front of his cloak.

It is at that point, Mickey begins to slow his pace and says quietly, "I've been noticing you've taken an interest in me. Meet me by the river bank, just beneath the shop. I'll be waiting for you there."

The mouse wastes no further time and his pace quickens to its original speed, heading towards the weapon shop. Just before reaching the building however, he deviates from his course and begins heading down a nearby hill, vanishing into the coming darkness.

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Mercade nods, as if to himself, without responding. He knows how to do this kind of thing, it's in his job description. He stands, as if nothing happened, and moves on. Mercade himself passes the shop as well, turning into an alleyway and heading out of sight.

Several minutes later, Mercade appears down on the river bank, dropping with only a little noise from an overhang. He watches the surroundings, making sure there aren't any Baronites watching the area, before leaning back against a hillside and waiting with crossed arms.

King Mickey has posed:
Time passes quickly and before long, the shops above begin to close. It doesn't take long until all is quiet along the riverbank. Hints of moonlight peak through the cloud cover above though it does not appear to hinder the darkness of where the two appear to be meeting.

As the detective makes his appearance, the hooded figure can be seen gazing upward towards the sky, more specifically towards Castle Baron. The figure does not appear to turn around right away, as if appearing to be deep in thought about something. This continues for several minutes. What could he be thinking about to keep him so involved.

Soon, the small mousy figure breaks from his thoughts and turns around to meet the new arrival. A small chuckle emits from the hood, finishing with a squeaky voice, "Fate sure works in mysterious ways, doesn't it?"

After that, King Mickey pulls down the hood and reveals himself, a smile beaming towards Mercade as he continues, "I did not expect to meet you here."

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Mercade chuckles, walking up to Mickey. "I could say the same about you... Though I prefer to believe that we make our own fates."

The detective looks down at the mouse, considering for a moment. "You're a wanderer with a cause, just like me, really. We're both here for the same reason, though I hoped to see you again under better circumstances." He looks out over the riverbank, watching the water. "I feel like I'm fighting a losing war sometimes. Some of my old friends have arrived, fighting back out of the Darkness in their own ways, but for everyone one that comes back, tens, hundreds, or more are lost. New villains appear every day as well, Like Baigan the Snake and his sorcerous assistants, which is the same reason why I assume you're here too." He grins. "This isn't exactly a tourist spot."

King Mickey has posed:
King Mickey cannot help but smirk at the detective's comment concern fate. He too believes a similiar line of reasoning and appears to be quite accepting of the young detective's perspective. However, he doesn't comment on the subject, rather deciding to merely listen and observe Mercade for a moment, as he tells his point of view.

Once the detective finishes, Mickey nods in agreement and wanders up to Mercade's side, gazing up towards him as he folds his arms across his chest, "Thats quite a mouthful you just mentioned."

The King's gaze wanders out towards the river, "Our belief concerning fate is similiar though shares one distinct difference. Where you believe the choice lies with fate, it is my belief that destiny takes that role and fate is the result of those choices. What we wanderers, as you so elloquiently put it, are fighting for what may be percieved as a 'losing battle'."

"However...", pauses the King before returning his gaze up towards the detective, "That does not mean we are fighting a 'losing war'. After all, someone needs to be fighting the darkness or else all would be lost. For every one who is lost, someone is saved and that is reason enough for me to keep fighting."

Mickey's expression turns to a smile and continues, "However, I believe you may be correct in regard to our reasons having a joint interest though I have the feeling you may have heard more than I have. Could you share with me what you know about Baron and its current endeavors?"

Mercade Alexander has posed:
"That's an interesting method of handling it." Mercade chuckles as he listens to Mickey's explanation of how he handles things. "You're very optimistic. I like that." He grins, and shrugs for a moment. "I agree completely though. Anyone we can save is certainly better than not trying at all."

He kneels down on the ground and picks up a twig as Mickey asks his question. "I've had the unfortunate experience of meeting these guys in actual combat. Baron is feared for a reason. Here's the rundown on what they're up to." He begins sketching various shapes and crude labels into the dirt of the riverbank as he talks.

"First up is the King of Baron. He was apparently an extremely wise man even if he was strict and militaristic. He wasn't known for just invading places willy-nilly and the people loved him. He vanished a while back, and hasn't been seen very often even though he is reputed to still be alive."

A line and a circle. "Most of the day to day military work falls then to Baigan, who is his steward and functional second in command. Baigan is insanely loyal, insanely dedicated, and an insane monster. He looks like a man most of the time but something's happened or been done to him to allow him to take the form of a monstrous snakeman with two snake arms." Mercade grimaces. "They can blow themselves up and regenerate. They hurt."

He draws some more lines. "After that, there's the magicians that are helping. There's a wind mage, a fire mage, and one who seems to specialize in lightning and poison. I assume based on context and pattern that there's a fourth that handles water magic, but I haven't seen them."

More diagrams! "Below them is their military proper. They have the standard levies, but also a force of Dark Knights who are powerful fighters that use the Darkness to deal crazy damage, Dragoons who are mobile spear-fighters, an array of lesser mages, and finallly the Red Wing airship force, reputed to be the strongest in their world. I don't know if that holds true anymore given the competition, but they're a considerable threat nonetheless."

He sighs, and then adds in another symbol, one they both known. "And then there's the Heartless. They're using them as shock troops against their targets, overwhelming positions so they can sweep up with their more elite forces. It's brutal."

He straightens then, and looks back to Mickey. "They've been working to expand their available territory lately. We stopped them on the Dias Plains, but there's also an attack on Balamb Garden, which is possibly a retaliation for their help on the Plains, as well as threatening to attack Manhattan, which is one reason why I'm here."

King Mickey has posed:
King Mickey smiles at the observation of his optimism. It is something he continues to pride himself on after all!

However, the mouse's moment of pride is short-lived and is ready to get down to business. He kneels down next to Mercade, as the detective describes both his direct experience and personal knowledge about the Kingdom of Baron in great detail. He remains quiet, listening to his ally intently, appearing to hang on every word mentioned. After all, any and all information he can get on Baron's forces, the better off he'll be! However, the mouse appears concerned at the mention of the heartless being involved and his expression grows grim. He had heard rumors about the heartless being under Baron's control though greatly hoped it was not to be true.

Still, The King remains quiet and waits for Mercade to finish his report before speaking, "So, as I understand it, Baron already has a significant military force that covers pretty much necessary for an invasion. The only thing it appears to be lacking is in ground forces though you mentioned that they have discovered how to utilize the heartless to cover that particular weakness. Then there are these mysterious elemental mages to be counted for and finally, Baigan and the mysterious King at the center of it all. Their attacks have been thwarted thus far though there has been a direct threat having been issued by their forces towards Manhattan." and then he turns to Mercade, "Am I correct in understanding you thus far?"

Mercade Alexander has posed:
"Yes, you are completely correct. And he's threatened invasion multiple times." Mercade straightens. "We have defenses of our own through Xanatos and other allies, but I am not sure how much we can really hold out if they mounted a concerted assault. It's one thing to hold up against random Heartless predating on the city, but a directed force?" Mercade shrugs, and sighs.

"I need to find a way to stop them."

King Mickey has posed:
King Mickey looks at Mercade who appears to be wallowing in despair over the current situation and offers him a pat on the back, "Cheer up, pal! We'll both find a way to stop them. I promise you that."

Mickey looks up from consoling the detective and towards Baron Castle, as a sudden spark of bold ingenunity shines within him. His expression turns to grin as he asks, "So, you wanted to find a way to stop them, Mercade?" and then turns to face the detective, pointing up towards the castle behind him, "How about we go directly to the source and see what we can find? Whadda ya say?"

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Mercade nods to Mickey, smiling. "There's always hope, yes... As long as one can think."

He looks up at the castle at Mickey's suggestion, and he rubs his chin. "That's a pretty good idea. Let's do it." Nothing ventured, nothing gained. "Any ideas on how we're going to get in?"

King Mickey has posed:
King Mickey nods in response to Mercade's question, "I have just the thing actually. Just follow me and stay close. We are out after curfew so we cannot risk alerting the guards."

The King moves quickly to the wall just behind the weapons and armor shop, putting himself up against it as he peaks around the corner. Noting the coast is clear, he pulls the hood of his cloak up and back over his head to conceal himself once more. He then signals to Mercade, motioning him to follow before departing out into the square and their intended destination.

It takes the pair awhile to make it across the town, along with a few narrowly close encounters that were seriously too close for comfort. However together, Mickey and Mercade have made it to a large walled area on the west side of the City of Baron, standing before a wooden door.

The King turns to Mercade and explains, "While I was in the Inn earlier today, I happened to overhear a couple of people speaking quietly about an underground waterway being located in the city and that it ran underneath the castle. I figured this could be a potential way to sneak into the castle without attracting notice." and then the mouse wanders up to the door, attempting to open it.

The door does not appear to budge in the slightest and Mickey gives up his current attempt, turning back to Mercade, "Hmm.. Well, I guess if this is it, then I guess it would not be so hard to assume the guards would not casually leave such an important door unlocked."

"Stand back for a moment.", says Mickey, as he throws his hand to his side. Before long, it is covered in a sparkling light, revealing his Star Seeker keyblade. He brings the key before him with a smile, "Well, it is as they say.. Nothing ventured. Nothing gained." and then he gives the door a couple taps with the keyblade!

*CLICK!*

...and then the door is magically unlocked! It swings open slowly, giving the pair access to the depths below. What lies beyond remains to be seen.

Stormfall has posed:
Neatly hewn stairs carve into the stone. They haven't been maintained for some time, a patina of cracks and a carpet of slimy moss making a patchwork of the path beyond no more than a handful of yards from the door entrance. The neatly hewn and meticulous order of the Baron Architecture quickly behinds to break down into roughly hewn stone.

Sconces populate the walls every fifty feet or so, but the torches are soggy and their ability to give light long since extuinguished by their long passage through time in the chill dampness.

A long corridor descends down another set of moss slicked steps into the water. It is a little more than ankle deep, a chilling dark slick of water lapping against the steps that burbles as it passes through unseen channels farther away, the current gentle and meandering at this point in the flow. The waterway continues straight, then curves to the left at the far terminus, cutting off the main lines of vision.

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Mercade moves like a noir ninja with Mickey though the castle town of Baron, helping to avoid the gaze of the ever-alert (but strangely one-directional) guards. Just focused, he guesses.

When Mickey produces a Keyblade, however, Mercade gasps... But he doesn't say anything, instead waiting until they're in the waterway.

"You have a Keyblade too?" He whispers to the King. "It looks different than Sora's..." He pauses, thinking. "So how many of them are there?"

He's curious, but at least he keeps the questions where people shouldn't hear them.

He does grimace at the state of the waterway, however, trying to stick to the sides so he doesn't soak his shoes.

He's probably not going to have a choice. "This is going to be a very interesting passageway, I see."

King Mickey has posed:
King Mickey dismisses the keyblade in order to prevent any further chance of detection by the heartless. After all, he would have prefered not to use Star Seeker though in their present situation, desperate times called for desperate measures. He does not appear surprised by Mercade's reaction and responds to him as they enter the stairwell, "Yup though I'm afraid I cannot answer that question, as I am not sure myself."

As the two descend down into the depths below, it appears their line of sight appears to worsen the further they go. Mickey says, "Watch your eyes for a moment." and then summons a small ball of light to help light their path.

While Mercade attempts to stay to the side, The King steps into the water and trudges along though the path. If Mercade's got the high road, he'll take the low road.

Stormfall has posed:
And ye'll reach the Baron Basements without detection, one might hope.

Still. Either road still seems like a long road to hoe. The water passes under an archway in the stone which becomes a more common feature as the waterway stretches on. A wall presents itself soon after the second archway, a T junction splitting the waterway into a north and south junction.

The gloom prevents much from being seen of the southern path, while the northern path is close enough that the waterway dips into a larger cistern with a small island in the middle jutting from the deeper waters. The constant gentle flow of the water is disturbed by a distant splashing coming from the northern waterway.

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Mercade has a contemplative expression on his face after Mickey answers. "Interesting." He replies... But he averts his eyes when warned, and he follows the light spell of Mickey. He picks his way along the dry portions of the waterway, pulling out his own version of a light spell from his coat.

That is, of course, a flashlight. Mercade flicks it on, a gun in his other hand as he moves cautiously forward. The sound of splashin gets a flash from the light, and Mercade stares north, and then looks at the gloom to the south. He thinks, trying to remember which direction Baron Castle was from here. "Any plan on what direction to go from here?"

King Mickey has posed:
Mickey continues to treck through the waterways, until hitting the wall further through the water ways. As the pair enter the current junction, he takes a careful glance between the two directions, gauging them for a few moments while holding up his light spell, "North... or south?"

To him, the northern path appears to be the more well-lit though still may hide its own perils, as they have to do a little swimming of their own. Meanwhile, the southern path appears to be the opposite, little noise though certainly not as well lit by any means. His response to Mercade's question? "Good question.."

Mickey considers his options for a moment longer and then points south, "I say we head south. We both have light sources and would prevent us from having to become any more wet than we already are. Lets see what lies in the darkness." and then proceeds to start heading south.

Stormfall has posed:
The southern waterway doesn't go very far either but at least the water stays fairly constant until it turns to the left again and deepens into a shallow pool.

There is a set of moss covered steps here that lead up to a damp lip that winds around three sides of the shallow pool. Another shadowed archway takes them deeper into the complex. There is a disturbance in the water, a irrhythmic splashing and a low snarl from behind them. Something reptilian and glistening emerges from the northern passageway, pulling itself out of the cistern.

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Mercade nods and moves with Mickey on the southern branch. He gets moving down the hall when he cringes, hearing the growling of something horrible. He turns, slowly, and winces as he shines a light at the thing. "Oh crap, they have crocodiles in these sewers too?" He asks. "Uh, Mickey, I think it wants to be our friend." He pauses. "Maybe a little /too/ friendly. He's inviting us over as dinner."

Mercade uses his usual solution to these problems. He gets his hustle on, moving more quickly down the southern passage.

King Mickey has posed:
As if the sudden snarl wasn't enough, the sight of a large scaley reptilian beast emerging from the waters to the north is enough to cause panic!
Mickey leaps back within the water from the sudden surprise, causing a rippling effect and likely further signaling their 'new friend', as Mercade put it, "Ohhhh boy! I think you might be right there!"

The King follows suit by leaping out of the water and onto the ledge nearby, following close behind Mercade though occasionally looking back at hungry reptile!

As they continue down the corridor, Mickey points to the next archway and calls out, "There!", proceeding towards the shadowy arch-way!

Stormfall has posed:
Through the shadowy archway! And -- huh. A narrow corridor presents itself, bending and twisting and spitting them out in a much larger room that is striped down the center by another deep patch of water.

The roughly teardrop shaped room is riddled with more moss covered ledges, the far southern edge containing another shadowy archway plus some stairways that would look more promising if they were going upwards instead of further down into the gloom. It would also help that the room is populated with sleeping crocodiles lounging about on those ledges, not yet aware of tasty morsels. There is not splash of pursuit behind them, but with danger behind and before..

it's just a matter of choosing which path to tread now. Into the water, which looks about chest deep? or Carefully across the ledges to the southern archway?

Sarafina Carenze has posed:
The King and Mercade make their way through the sewers, making their way through the archway and into a narrow corridor. There's a lot more room here and, notably, crocodiles, but perhaps what is also noticeable is a man--crouching on one of the moss covered ledges in the side of the room. He is wearing Dragoon's armor, patterned much akin to that of a dragon, and it's a bright vibrant blue--very traditional, that. In his hands is a large spear that is longer than him and seems quite heavy--he holds it with no problem and, perhaps more importantly, with a degree of confidence that indicates a fair share of experience using it. The man's blue eyes are patient. He appears to be in his late 30s, maybe early 40s, his hair thinning but well-kept--distinguished.

"I knew this sewer had rats, but first time seeing a mouse that big." The man says.

He gestures towards the crocodiles with his spear. "You were smart to come down through the sewers. Not many guards down here. Know why, though? It's cause of those crocs over there. They're napping now, sure, but they're very hungry and not too picky besides. How about you tell me what you're doing here and I won't wake 'em up. We'll start with names." He gestures to the mouse first because, seriously, talking mouse. "You."

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Mercade skids to a halt as he sees the situation unfold before them. He glances over his shoulder nervously, then back to the Dragoon. "Look, we don't have a lot of... time here." He gestures. "I have to ask why a Baronian Dragoon is down here in the sewers. Not a lot of room for your preferred fighting styles. Name's Mercade. Mercade Alexander. What's yours?" He replies, beating Mickey to the punch. He'd rather be the one identified rather than Mickey. He has less to lose, he's already wanted by Baron.

King Mickey has posed:
King Mickey makes it through the narrow passage way, only to find himself and his companion faced with yet another obstical before them!

"Whoaaaaa!", exclaims Mickey, who just barely manages to slow himself down enough to prevent himself from going over the edge and falling into the pool of water below him! After all, the water may be only chest deep though the last thing he wants to be is some reptile's dinner!

The King takes a moment to breath a welcomed sigh of relief. He begins to look around room, searching for a solution to their present prediciment, when a voice suddenly interrupts his study. Quickly raising his head, Mickey notices the dragoon across the room and instinctly takes a cautious stance. He takes careful note of the warrior across from them, . o O (His body language is relaxed and is showing no sign of hesistation. He is also not appearing overconfident or outright attacking us. Once more, his eyesight is excellent. He managed to identify me even through my cloak! This man is seasoned and we are on his home turf.)

Mickey looks to Mercade for a moment. He's only known the young detective for a short peroid of time and has not been able to fully discern his capabilities. However, Mercade has shared his experiences in dealing with Baron's forces in direct combat, as well as the heartless, and obviously not come out dead. Thats enough for him in his book.

As much as he would rather not have to do battle, The King cannot afford to get caught at this stage of the game and begins to speak but is interrupted by Mercade. He smiles at his comrade's gesture, beneath his cloak, . o O (Thank you, Mercade though I am not sure if this will be enough to get us out of this one.)

Mickey moves to stand up at Mercade's side and says, "I'm sorry, my good man. I must praise your abilities to see me through my cloak. However, I'm afraid I cannot share that information with you. If you wish to identify me, you can call me, Mouse."

"I do not wish to do battle with you though as my friend here has explained, we are short on time and do not have enough to spare. I ask that you please move aside and I promise you there will be no trouble."

Stormfall has posed:
A reptilian shape slides awkwardly through the shadowy arch that Mercade and Mickey came through to reach this larger chamber. The crocodile lethargically shuffles a few more steps, eyes gleaming as it fixes it's eyes on Mercade. A Tea-kettle high HISSSS escapes the crocodile as it bares it's teeth again in snarling challenge.

The noise echoes around and around. It is soon joined by a symphony of grunts, hisses and snorts as other crocodiles up and down the room start to stir themselves. A few attack eachother with savage nips and bites, others baring their mawed mouths at the dragoon as they begin to rumble to awareness.

Sarafina Carenze has posed:
"Dragoons need good eyes to see their target." The dragoon says. He seems confident that the crocs can't get up to his ledge--at his peril?!--but they really aren't that picky.

"Then why are you here, if you are not looking for a fight?" The dragoon seems perplexed. INfiltrating and then saying 'hey we don't want trouble' is a strange way to go about things by his understanding. He is a military man. "I assure you, there's plenty room for me to fight. Not ideal, certainly, but you did not give me the luxury of trying to break in through the front door."

He straightens up. "You asked my name. I am Dion Carenze. I will protect Baron by myself if I must." He reaches for a nearby satchel and then flings it towards Mercade, slabs of meat chunks tumbling out, nice and juicy! "And I get sewer duty because there are only so many ways one can overcome dishonor."

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Mercade looks down at the meat chunks as they hit the floor. He only blinks for a moment, immediately holstering his gun. "Really, Dragoon Dion Carenze..." He quickly scoops up the satchel and tosses meat at the lizards, trying to keep them from eating /him/ my making sure they're fed! As he does so, he calls over to Dion, "I'm surprised you didn't choose the same way as Sarafina." He says, pointedly.

King Mickey has posed:
Danger appears to be surrounding them from all sides. To their rear lies their scaly friend from before. Below them lies another pit of very hungry creatures who wish to invite them to be dinner. Finally, there stands the newly introduced, Dion Carenze.

King Mickey does not like the odds currently presented to them though Mercade seems to be rather relaxed, all thing considered. He looks to the detective questionably and asks, "Do you know this man, Mercade?"

Stormfall has posed:
They probably can't get up to that ledge. (Maybe) so the dragoon is somewhat shielded from reptilian menaces. Not so Mercade who has the big sign of 'Eat me, I'm not made of junk food-- as much' until he redirects the secret weapon of the dragoon.

The juicy steaks are almost not enough though. The closest continues to snarl at Mercade, figuring meat on the move would be more tasty when another crocodile climbs out of the water and tears into the meat. They begin to snarl and snap at eachother, fighting over the tasty treat.

Meat goes flying. Into the water, across the ledges, sparking more thrashing, contorting crocodile bodies. Several crash into the base of the ledge the dragoon is standing on, while others are rolling towards Mercade and Mickey in snapping, furious balls of scales and steak-seeking jaws.

Sarafina Carenze has posed:
"Quick thinking--" Dion admits, with grudging respect, as Mercade uses the satchel against him. Dion stumbles as the crocs slam into the ledge--a small piece of stone tumbling off of it. Dion frowns, poking at the ledge with the spear. He crouches--clearly ready to jump when Mercade mentions a name that he recognizes.

Eyes widening, "Sara--" He says. "How do you know of her? What she's done?" He lowers his head. "I heard she was possessed by a demon, turning against her home--she was far more loyal than I--yet since Damycan...bombed with no provocation, a peace loving nation--" He tsks with annoyance. It seems Baron's crimes annoy him too, but not as annoyed as he realizes that Mercade has gotten him talking. "You wound me with your knowledge, sir. Aye, I do not deny that something has seemed strange here as of late. Ever since the King had us hit Mysidia and for what, a crystal? Aye, I admit matters are strange, and ever since that man Golbez took up the charge of the Red Wings...But I have no proof your intentions are honorable. What has happened to my Sara?" He straightens. "You have bought yourself time. Use it wisely." He has to raise his voice to speak over thrashing crocodiles--he's brave enough that he seems willing to risk endangering himself to them to get answers. Then again--it is a family matter.

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Mercade continues to throw what's left of the steaks across the room to try to buy enough time to talk. He backs across the room, splashing as he edges around the water to try to maximize distance. Moving meat is more work than non-moving meat, right? Go be lazy!

Meanwhile, he keeps talking to Dion. "I've spoken with her several times, Sir Dragoon. I can't say that she seemed possessed to me at all. Much the opposite, in fact. She told me a tale of how she was taken and experimented on, foul wings grafted upon her in an experiment to turn her into a monster. She escaped, with her crew, but she could not come back."

He pauses, looking up at Dion. "She left because she had no choice. She asked me to find her family, here in Baron, and to find out the source of the corruption that festers in this city. Because what just and wise King would allow such blasphemous actions? Who would willingly use the Heartless and attempt to turn loyal citizens of Baron into monsters? No, I know the King was renowned to be a wise and just man. He would never allow this. We are seeking the truth, but you and the rest of your family should go to her. She misses you dearly."

King Mickey has posed:
King Mickey remains aware of the thrashing of the crocodiles for beneath him, as they still remain to be a threat. However, his attention lies on upon conversation being shared between the Dragoon, Dion and Mercade. It appears even a King, as wise as he, can learn from the actions of others. When time was of the essence, he was prepared to do battle with the dragoon and allow his partner to go ahead. However, it appeared the detective had a better solution in mind, one that resulted in the non-violent disarming of their opposition. He smiles towards Mercade, nodding in approval thinking quietly to himself, . o O (Well done, Mercade.)

Mickey remains quiet and restricts himself to being the observer, allowing his partner to handle this. After all, this is his show now.

Nevertheless, The King listens to the pair share the story of the woman named Sarafina Carenze. He commits the name to memory and continues to watch this show unfold.

Sarafina Carenze has posed:
Dion listens to Mercade. He doesn't miss a word. He and Sarafina are both clearly loyalists--but are honorable people first and that source of conflict within them makes matters rough on them. He wrestles with this knowledge, particularly whether or not to trust it, but Mercade has such an upper hand on him with regards to information, he feels he has no choice but to believe him. And he does consider himself a good judge of character--and neither Mercade nor the Mouse seem to be bad men.

"...Very well," He says. "I will escort you--show you the way through the maze." This has the dual benefit that if he's been tricked he'll be in a position to do something about it. It's of course traitorous, but he seems convinced.

He hops down, intent on leading the two out of the sewers.

Mercade Alexander has posed:
"Excellent. Let's go before the crocodiles get hungry again." Mercade says, disposing of the empty meat satchel. No need for this Key Item anymore.

He gives Mickey a clap on the shoulder as they move. We got this, King.

Stormfall has posed:
And with the Dragoon's help it is markedly easier to move about the labyrinth. There are multiple side paths, drop offs and alternative pathways that would have possibly tripped them up without his knowledge.

Rough stone and corridor gives way to the orderly construction of Baron. The moss retreats, the dampness still there but life retreating as the stairway is almost completely smooth, bare rock. There is a trap door in their path, and past it a somewhat well stocked storage room filled in a labyrintine mass of stacked barrels and crates. Alas. None of them can be opened for random items.

King Mickey has posed:
The assistance of Dion proved to be a great help in traversing the Baron underground, a benefit that is most appreciated by King Mickey. However, The King continues to remain quiet for most of the journey. Secretly, he feels somewhat ashamed for having thought to resort to combat. On the other hand, He is glad they were able to make it through without a fight and unscathed.

As the trio begins to ascend the stairways towards the trap door, King Mickey looks up towards Dion and begins to speak, "Excuse me, Dion was it?"

At the landing before the trap door, Mickey continues, "I do not know how else to say this except thank you for what you are doing. I sense you struggling with this decision. I won't pretend to understand how you feel but I just wanted to say I believe you are honorable man for making this choice. It is not easy though I thought you should know this and that we won't forget this."

Sarafina Carenze has posed:
"It's a strange time and land, nothing is certain anymore." Dion murmurs. "I'm too old to find my way in a new world like this." He sighs deeply. "To think something like this could have festered so deeply in our home. Perhaps we were too proud of ourselves. Controlling--flying through the air, perhaps it is common in these...these other worlds--but for our home, it was new, exciting, impressive--truly felt like a new age. That anything was possible. I suppose that last bit was technically true."

"She loved---loves them, you know, the ships. SHe always had trouble controlling her strength,=--but she wasn't from a military family like I was, her father was a machinist--delicate work, you know--strength can be a problem with delicate work. Got it under control with time, but every so often... To think we could serve Baron for so long, and for such an unbelievable tale as-- becoming an experiment--that that could happen."

"Well," He admits. "If I am talking with a Mouse, perhaps anything /is/ still possible." He allows himself a small chuckle. "WE should be there shortly. As we are on our way, if I may ask, what precisely do you intend to do?"

Mercade Alexander has posed:
"That's nothing to be ashamed of. You were at a high point in your country's history. My world doesn't have airships anything like yours."

Mercade listens to his story some more, and he nods, stepping up through the trap door and working his way through the storage room. He mentally marks this location for later.

As they proceed, Mercade shakes his head. "Information, nothing more. We need to know the full nature of the problem before it can be fixed, and I am not nearly so arrogant as to believe two or three brave men could deal with a situation of this magnitude."

King Mickey has posed:
King Mickey patiently listens to the story of the elder warrior. The Dragoon may be rambling and going off on tangents though Mickey does not know a proud parent who does not do the same from time to time. However, the heavy discussions and reflections are what remain key to him.

As Mercade replies, The King follows suit, "He's right, you know. You have served a proud and prosperous country for many years. That is something to be admired, respected, and never forgotten. In fact, I believe you are still continuing to serve that same prosperous country right now with the actions you are taking. That's at least what this mouse believes."

Mickey nods as Mercade finishes, "That's right. All we seek is information that can be used to help bring forth a resolution to this conflict."

Stormfall has posed:
Baron Castle is not always being patrolled by just guards these days. However, there is no sign of any guards of supernatural or otherwise nature as the group emerges from the Storage room to a short corridor. The orderly precision of the castle has gone to ruin in a few places, in a faint aura of neglect.

In the slightly ragged state of tapestries in the corridors nobody uses anymore. In the places where people are not meant to see. Of course, being sneaky folk, these are the first on the list to be seen.

One corridor branches off to the left and right. The left passes by the barracks but goes further down the hall to the Library. The right holds passage to one of the towers and deeper into the castle itself, towards the throne room.

Sarafina Carenze has posed:
"You cast charms upon me," Dion says. "But thank you regardless." He looks around before adding, "Well you've got two options." He says. "You can go towards the library or towards the throne room." Dion unfortunately doesn't seem to know where the information Mercade is looking for might be--which makes sense, 'information' can be anywhere or come from anything, or can simply not be present, conversely. He does add, though. "I don't suggest going into the throne room itself unless you'd like to shorten all our lives, but you've been pretty lucky so far." He's feeling the morbid sense of humor today.

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Mercade considers for a moment the options before them laid out by Dion. "The throne room is going to be far more guarded at this point. I'm not confident enough in our ability to deal with the entirety of Baron coming down on our heads to try to breach it. Let's aim for the library?" He looks over to Mickey. "Unless you think we should try going straight to the King, Mouse?"

King Mickey has posed:
King Mickey considers the options for a moment that have been given to the pair by Dion. He then turns to Mercade, looking up at him with a serious look upon his face, "Actually, I believe this should be where you and I part ways, Mercade."

Mickey looks around the castle interior for the moment and then returns his gaze to the detective, "There is some other things I need to personally look into. So, you head to the library and try to discover what you can. If you encounter any trouble, I want you to leave without me. Understood?"

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Mercade purses his lips, considering this request. But he is a Keyblade Wielder. If anyone can do it... "All right." Mercade nods. "Be safe. I need to see you again later, there's someone in Traverse Town I'd like you to meet."

King Mickey has posed:
King Mickey nods to Mercade, grasping the detectives hand with a firm grip to reassure him, "Same to you, my friend. I'll see you soon." and then he turns to Dion, beaming him a smile underneath "Once again, Dion. You have my thanks. Farewell."

With that said, The King is swift in his departure, disappearing quickly into the night.

Sarafina Carenze has posed:
Dion watches the Mouse depart.

"I suppose when one lives as a mouse, bravery comes readily." He looks to Mercade. "Then I will accompany you. I may be able to cover for you if we are spotted, after all." Yoda would be a lot harder to explain.