Three hours ago just after Celeste left... Ramger called the guards together in the main hall to discuss what had just happened. This was when Echo, the heir to the throne, was stolen along with the ridgerunner Zarabean. Celeste had just stormed out with Clef in a rush to get her nephew back. In her haste, Ramger decided to plan with the guards to find a way on their own to retrieve Echo. "... And that's why I need you to search around the docks. I fear that the young king will be lost if we do not exhaust all our resources." Ramger explained with clear worry, "We cannot allow what happened days ago to stain our spirits. I fear history could repeat itself and we would need to rebuild this Kingdom from the ground up again as in the past. No! I cannot bare the thought!" "But, Sir Ramger, wouldn't it mean us abandoning the palace and leaving us as vulnerable?" The soldier captain asked in concern. Ramger sighed and nodded, "You raise a fair point, Kinabrick. Would it be best to send half and keep half here? If our heir is lost... We might as well not have a Kingdom." The soldier captain, whose name was Kinabrick, thought a moment before replying, "We can leave half of us here to guard and the other half can go search for the King. Where has the Lore Wain gone so that we may protect her as well?" "The Lore Wain Celeste has decided to go searching... independently." Ramger didn't dare mention Celeste's crew out of fear the soldier allies might think her a traitor. "Keep watch for her as well. As far as I'm concerned, she's in danger too." With the command, half of the royal guard expanded out in search of Echo and Celeste around the docks and the edges of the Shining Isles. For whatever reason, they didn't spot Celeste's or Captain Sealen's ship leave the harbor. It could of been on the account the night was very dark and Celeste's ship was careful to stay hidden. Meanwhile in the jail cells, a commotion stirred up amongst the captive stranders. "How long must we wait?!" A male strander complained, "You've got the key, haven't you?!" "Close your mouth, you foolish digtoad!" The woman strander, whom Celeste and Clef had spoken with, hissed. "My husband said we needed to wait for the signal. Do you want to lose your eyes?! Watch the windows!" An half an hour prior to Celeste's party approaching home... The signal was given and the woman unlocked all the gates in the jail cells, even threatening lesser criminals to join them in their raid. After the first storm of the castle, about half of the castle guard was taken out by these very same stranders. They played dirty and cheated their way through them all. Only the nastiest of stranders survived and it was too much for this half platoon of guards to hold back this time. The castle was taken over in a little under an half an hour, causing Ramger, Captain Kinabrick, and the surviving guards protecting the palace to flee. Anniera's capitol was taken over. The present time... Celeste and her crew quickly docked and tried to observe what was going on through all the chaos. They docked just in time to see Ramger and Captain Kinabrick of the royal guard fleeing to the boats. Celeste waved them down and shouted in exasperation, "Ramger, what's happened?!" "Lore Wain, it's horrible!" Ramger cried with great grief, "The stranders from the holding cells broke free somehow and took over the castle! Oh, I fear I am to blame!" He dismounted his horse with the Captain of the guard and quickly moved to Celeste's boat. "What do you mean, Ramger?!" Celeste shouted with confusion and deep concern. "I didn't have our full guard present when the attack occurred- I thought... I thought it best to send half the regiment out to search for the young king and you!" Ramger wailed most uneloquently, "I've doomed us all!" He covered his face in shame at the base of Celeste's ship, fully expecting to be charged for treason. Captain Kinabrick stood beside Ramger and patted him on the back, "My lady, he only did what he thought was best for you and the Kingdom! Please don't be upset with Sir Ramger!" Celeste appeared angry but it wasn't directed towards Ramger. Tears poured out of her eyes as she replied, "N-No... No, Ramger... It was all my fault. I fell into their trap!" Clef looked over at Celeste, as if starting to understand what happened to cause this. "Wait... Are you saying-" Celeste turned to Clef and cried, "They pick pocketed the key from me, Clef! It's all my fault!" Ramger's blubbering turned into shock upon looking at the Lore Wain. His tears did not stop but the shock overtook his face. Clef looked at the floor back and forth as if trying to understand what Celeste just said, "Wait- No- How could they have? I was right-" He paused and looked at Celeste, "I would of saw it!" Celeste showed them that her pockets were empty, "I checked them just as I saw the flames. There's no key in there and I know I never put it back!" Clef quickly came over to Celeste and held her by the shoulders, "Whoever's blame it was doesn't matter now. We need to get Echo and you somewhere safe!" That was when Celeste became aware of Echo's crying. In her panic and guilt, she had blocked out any other sound except those most potent and directed at her. She quickly went to comfort him upon realizing this but she couldn't stop crying herself. Clef looked past Celeste toward the others, "Get ready to undock!" "Lady Celeste, what shall we do?!" Ramger cried up to her from the docks. Celeste clenched her eyes closed and shouted, "Let Ramger and the Captain on! We need to regroup before stranders surround us!" "What about the people?! We've helped many evacuate but there bound to be more!" Ramger asked in haste as well as blubbering. "Ask the remaining soldiers left to guide them to the remaining ships!" Celeste replied before quickly heading into the Captain's cabin with Echo. Ramger and Captain Kinabrick boarded the ship after instructing the soldiers on land to follow Celeste's orders. The royal advisor and captain of the royal guard were most uneasy to meet the crew aboard. However, they didn't have room to complain with the night they've had so they held their tongues. From the outside of the cabin, Celeste could hear Clef making orders for the crew. She sat in a chair behind her desk and held Echo close. She couldn't successfully calm him, for she herself wasn't calm. There was a knock on the door of the cabin.
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That was good! I guess Ramger is already getting better, which is nice. He is gaining humility. They all have to flee Anneira though.... Will they go to the Green Hollows?