>>39485840
>"I'unno."
stay classy, jack

>>39485840

>"Argh, it's best not to question on these things, Cody."

>>39485840
"Argh, it's best not to question on these things, Cody."

Sorry about that

>"Argh, it's best not to question on these things, Cody."

writing!

>>39487066
Well I am glad you are running but I think it is a low player count time.

>>39488141
I'm glad I caught it so early, wasn't expecting it. I need to follow Announcer on Twitter

File: SummonCircle.jpg (81 KB, 635x353)

81 KB JPG

"Argh, it's best not to question these things Cody."
It's true, the guy probably only started talking instead of squealing to his guards because he thought he could get something out of you. You sure showed him, you guess.
Besides, the idea that you would fold and just hand the princess back over after all that work is insane to begin with. So dumb that you reckon that he probably earned his licking in some small way.
"What next, Captain." Atsuko sighs as she tries to hide Keiko among the linens and scraps inside the cart.

"Aye had Cody go ahead and contact the pilot, some kind of signal system he had set up. She should be touching down up ahead any minute now."
And not a moment too soon, you can already hear noise and disturbance eminating from the castle you just left.
Something seems a little off with it, though. As if something is incorrect about the sound. It doesn't sound like a chorus of soldiers preparing for battle, it sounds more like metal scraping against concrete.
"Hey! The castle's glowing!"

You look back to see Aligot standing on his seat next to Yuuki. It looks like everyone in your caravan has turned their attention back toward the place you're rapidly fleeing from.
"Woh!"
"Is this some kind of attack?"
"Maybe they're gonna fly after us."

That's when you hear.
The sound.
HrmmmmHrmmmmHRMMMHRMMMMHRMMMM
It grows in intensity, eventually you have to let go of the reins and cover your ears!
"What's happening?!"
"Is this the attack?"
"I'm scared!"
"Grow a pair, Aligot!"

POW!
The sound culminates in an ear-shattering explosion!
Your entire party frantically searches around for the source of the blast.
But everything seems perfectly normal.

>Wait, what? Go investigate that.
>NOPE! Keep running!
>Get everyone loaded onto the airship, THEN investigate it.
>Probably not that important. Right?
>Other?

>>39488424
>Get everyone loaded onto the airship, THEN investigate it.

>>39488424
>Get everyone loaded onto the airship, THEN investigate it.

>>39488424
>Get everyone loaded onto the airship, THEN investigate it.
Oh boy, things are going all sorts of crazy

>>39488424
>>Get everyone loaded onto the airship, THEN investigate it.

LOL
>"I'm scared!"
>"Grow a pair, Aligot!"

>>Get everyone loaded onto the airship, THEN investigate it.

writing!

Folks, I'm not sure I'll get done with this next update before Ii leave work, if not it will take me a couple hours to get home. But I'm working on it.

how far dose he live from his work?

>>39490463
took him 2 hours last time I think

>>39490463
I think he is taking public transport, so distance might not be that great but the wait for the trains/buses are adding to the commute.

My apologies everyone.

I'm home, writing continues.

>>39491916
yay

>>39491916
cool

File: 0d8570d6b4aaf93930c7648a0(...).jpg (358 KB, 840x595)

358 KB JPG

Nope!
To hell with that!
Where there are explosions, there is gunpowder. Cannons, big muskets, whatever it is you don't want anything to do with it before your crew is safely hold up inside of the airship.

Besides, if by chance it IS an enemy superweapon, you would prefer to have a quick escape route.

"Keep going!" You yell back to Cody.
"That's exactly what I had in mind!"

In the distance, the rumbling from the explosion seems to echo through the hillside and the forests. This is the beginning of a very bad omen if you've ever seen one.

- -

That has to be record time loading a ship if you've ever seen one.
Then again, you've only had the looming threat of gunfire at your back a couple times before while loading a ship, so you don't have much experience to speak of.

Speaking of which, still no soldiers or guards.
"Anything, Cody!?" He sits up in a treetop watching the general direction of the castle and the clearing as your group finishes lashing the carriages to the airship.
"Nothin'! It's like they just forgot we existed!"

You highly doubt that.
"Are we ready!?" The pilot yells, "I don't know what the big rush is about, but I do think we should get out of here before that storm arrives!"
You look back up at Cody, "Storm?"

He puts his finger over his lips, apparently he doesn't want her knowing that there could be an army here any second in case she decides to pass out.

"Yar! We're set, but before we go-"

>"I'm gonna go have a looksie on the ground, it'll be harder to spot that way."
>"I'm takin' a small team with me to have a look" (who?)
>"Let's pass over the castle nice and easylike, I want to see what's happenin'"
>"Nothin' let's just go."
>Other?

>>39493042
>"I'm takin' a small team with me to have a look" (who?)
just Cody

>>39493042
>>"I'm takin' a small team with me to have a look" (who?)
cody, yuki, Algot

cody for range, yukie to assit in a fight and algot to see if the explosion was magical

>>39493252
I like this plan but Algot for being moe through uselessness is a better role for him.

>>39493252
Backing this. seems like a solid set up

>>39493042
>"Nothin' let's just go."

>Takin' a small team with me to have a look
>Cody, Yuki, Aligot

Writing!

Sorry for the delays once again.

...Why do I get the feeling we just screwed the pooch, metaphorically speaking?

>>39493921
If you aren't thinking the worst is going to happen after every choice, you ain't questing properly.

>>39494002
Remember to keep your shadowruns within reasonable limits, chummers.

File: Shield_Bubble.jpg (163 KB, 1280x720)

163 KB JPG

You assemble a small scout team that's small enough to not be noticed by any major force, but fast enough to make a quick retreat if that's necessary.

Your group watches as the airship slowly lifts off, they're to return here in twenty minutes.
That gives you more than enough time.

There's a tight grip on your left arm as the airship slowly starts to ascend.
But Yuuki's to your right, and she's checking her spear.

"Aligot, Please Lad. It'll be fine."
"I know! It's just- worrying. That's all."

He loosens his grip on your arm.

"I just think this is a terrible idea! Who cares what that sound was? We should be focusing on getting out of here!"
"Aye know that is what you want to do, but ye have to understand; they know something 'bout this magic circle business. We don't want them to employ some kind of powerful magic weapon against us. Aye'm sure kidnapping their royalty is an act of war."

"Not just that, if we don't find anything out now, then we'll never know what they're up to." Yuuki unsheathes the end of her spear.

"Yeah.. but-"
"No buts."

You grab Aligot into a princess carry and dart off in the direction of the castle. The two other heroes flank you as you run.
He stops squirming and squealing after a few minutes.

- -

That's weird.
"'Ey Aligot." You whisper to him. "Why can't we get back into the clearing the caravan was docked?"

In the distance is the castle, but something seems strange about it. It's like there's a layer of pink-colored mist surrounding the entire perimeter.

"It's a barrier." Aligot gently puts out his finger and presses against it. Ripples shimmer along the outside. "They usually take upwards of an hour to set up. And they don't go away until it fatigues or something really big crashes into it."

>Cont.

>>39494622
looks like bailing out was a good idea, their plan was probably to have us stay there a bit longer and trap everyone under the barrer

File: shield_bubble2.jpg (99 KB, 1280x720)

99 KB JPG

>>39494622
"Then what was that huge bang from earlier?" Cody's still itching on his pistol.
"When they're put up, all the air that's trapped in the layer of the bubble is pushed outwards very quickly. I don't know the theory behind it, but that apparently causes some kind of boom when it happens."

An hour?

"'Ey, Aligot. An hour ago was when I was just getting dressed for my wedding."
He stands up, "Elementary. That's because they planned to trap us in there with them.

Yuuki immediately jumps a little, "T-that seems, but didn't that bearded guy try to speak with us before?!"
"Aye."
Aligot crosses his arms, " And if he kept you even a few more minutes, we'd be stuck."

You don't feel quite as bad for socking him in the nose.

"Hey, take a look at that." Cody gestures at everyone to get down.
Off in the distance, you can see something that has kind of a similar design to the thing you flew in on.
And there are two of them.

They're both airships, and there are little bear-guys loading up onto both of them. One seems to be loaded with all the usual soldier-types, even has a couple cannons mounted on the bow. The other has no cannons and no armaments, and the bear-guys on it look more ornately dressed. They also have several familiar people standing on the deck, one familiar mountain of a bear-guy, one bearded bear-guy, and one blonde flowing-haired-
Wait. That bear-guy isn't a bear-guy at all. You don't even see his ears. It's hard to tell, sure, but you can't see his face either. He leans against the doorway to the cabin with his back toward you.

"Huh." Cody doesn't seem to get it.
"We need to get back to the airship, right now. We gotta go." Aligot seems worried.

>RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN
>Stay and watch a little while longer, they're locked in there unless something catastrophic happens.
>Slowly make your way back, cautiously.
>Other?

>>39494819
I just realized that I didn't make something very clear.
>The airships are inside the bubble

Carry on.

>>39494819
>RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN
we foiled one plan lets not give them the chance to regroup

>>39494819
>RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN
fuuck

>>39494819
>>RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN


sweet me say hit a mofo at the end of the last thread was right

>>39494819
>RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN

Time to exercise the age old art of haulin' ass

>RUN!

Writing what may be the last post of the night!
Apologies for the short thread in advance

File: United.States.full.1712290.jpg (181 KB, 600x684)

181 KB JPG

"Well ye know what we must do then."
"Yes Jack, Yes I do."

He grabs Yuuki, you grab Aligot.
And away you go!

You're not entirely sure if those things are soundproof, but at least Aligot quickly takes to holding on for dear life as both you and Cody run like hell to get out of there.

You make a mental note next time to carry Yuuki instead.
Speaking of which, Yuuki gasps.

"He saw me!"
"Ergh?"
You turn your head toward the two airships parked inside the bubble. You're almost certain that no one can see you from this distance.

Except that one guy, standing on the edge of the bubble.
It's the same guy you saw before with flowing blonde hair, but now he's somehow magically appeared quite a ways from the airship. His arms are crossed, and his hair falls over his face.
Is that even a guy? It's hard to tell. You don't know many men that keep their hair that long.

"JACK WATCH OUT"
You dodge just in time to miss a bush you were heading toward.
"Oh calm down."

- -

"Cody! What's going on?!"
"No time to explain! On the airship, let's go!"

"R-right! But we're heavily loaded, we might-"
"GO, GO, WE'LL WORRY ABOUT IT LATER"

He shouldn't have raised his voice like that, because she's clearly panicking now.

"Aligot! How much time do we have?"
"It depends on if they can bust out of that bubble or not!"


You're certain that you can evade those two other airships if you play your cards right.
"We need a decision, Capt'n." Cody readies his revolvers. He's already convinced that there's going to be a fight.

>Thread End

>Next thread vote

>Find someplace to hide the airship for a few days until they quit looking
>Fly as far away as you can manage, hopefully it will take some time for their ships to escape and you'll be long gone by the time they do.
>Dump a few wagons off the side to lighten the load.
>Prepare for combat! You'll have to invent a term for sky-piracy
>Other?

>>39496171
>Fly as far away as you can manage, hopefully it will take some time for their ships to escape and you'll be long gone by the time they do.
and WE take the bar!

>>39496171

>Fly as far away as you can manage, hopefully it will take some time for their ships to escape and you'll be long gone by the time they do.

>>39496171
>Dump a few wagons off the side to lighten the load.

>>39496171
>>Dump a few wagons off the side to lighten the load.
>>Prepare for combat! You'll have to invent a term for sky-piracy

Commodore will be are new title.

>>39496171
>Fly as far away as you can manage, hopefully it will take some time for their ships to escape and you'll be long gone by the time they do.
>Dump a few wagons off the side to lighten the load.

>>39496171
>Fly as far away as you can manage, hopefully it will take some time for their ships to escape and you'll be long gone by the time they do.
>Dump a few wagons off the side to lighten the load.

File: erron_black.png (688 KB, 1040x900)

688 KB PNG

Thanks everyone for the thread, sorry it didn't last longer.

That said! we could leave bear country by next thread at this rate! Depends on how we play our cards!

Thanks for playing!

I've been watching MKX videos and all I can think of is how much I wish people would draw cowboys that look half as good as Erron Black so I had artwork for Cody besides Hol Horse and misshapen cowboy guy
If he didn't have the mask, I would use Erron as Cody's portrait in a second[/spolier]

>>39496404
thanks for running, it was fun while it lasted
that's what she said, ahaha

File: 4352121-erron+black.jpg (34 KB, 320x320)

34 KB JPG

You know, if the anime artstyle I'm using didn't clash with the comic artstyle, I would use him anyway.

>>39496558
>>39496404
be careful now, your fangirl side is showing

>>39496589
Maaaaaybe a little
I do know what images I can post on my twitter now that isn't that four month old picture of Rebecca from Dog Days.

>>39496558
Really, I'd say use it anyway. Looks badass