((I may throw Oblivion or Senshei if it would make sense))

"It's not a party, it's a down-low operation, sir." A hooded figure walks to the Bushbeast and the disguised god. They stop, and take off their hood to reveal Heaven, "Good day to you two." She nods. Having her normal serious and by-the-book disposition about her.

Over time, another hooded figure approaches, and after more time, another comes as well. They made it seem if they were separate from one another. But anyone in the group could probably easily tell that they were Clocktower mages as well.

((Yo if any clocktower mage people wanna insert their character just take one of the hooded figures btw))
 

“It was a joke, like- nevermind” He looks around. “We expecting anyone else?”

"I do not believe there is anyone else," the Bushbeast replied, finally getting to his feet. Dust and clumps of soil still clung to him, and he shook himself like a wet dog to dislodge it, not really taking those gathered nearby into consideration. With a final uneasy glance around the barren fields, he began to walk in the direction of the heart of Anatina.

"I am not sure what to expect here," the creature admitted as he moved. "This is unlike anything I had been told about this region. I can feel the... I am unsure of the word in your language, but I can feel it gnawing on me. It is not a poison, but it wants to destroy. Whatever is happening here is not an ordinary blight or famine."


As the group neared the outer walls, it became easier to see the activity on the ramparts. Mixed among the mortal guards were massive metallic birds about the same size as the guards themselves, perched on the walls overlooking the fields. They were statuesque, unmoving save for the occasional ruffle of bronze feathers or a tilt of the head, but they all had their gaze fixed on the approaching group with an eerie intensity.

On the ground, a rather nondescript gate was manned by mortal guards. Standing front and center in the middle of the path was a possibly familiar figure. She wore no armor, but the elaborate black and red tunic she wore emblazoned with the Ouroboros crest of Anatina marked her as an individual of some importance. The sleeves of her tunic had been ripped off, revealing intricate geometric tattoos covering her arms and legs. Gevar stood with her arms crossed, watching the group with the same inky black eyes as the birds perched on the walls above. It seemed like she was waiting for someone in the group to speak first.

((I'm p sure I've used Germaine in a thread related to these characters before but I honestly don't remember the context very well, so please correct me for any inconsistencies in dialogue or anything. I'll try to keep up I promise.))

A lady in a purple dress joined the group! She brushed off the dirt that fell on her, and remained silent while approaching the outer walls. Germaine's eyes scanned the area, taking in the metallic birds, guards, and unfriendly atmosphere. Would they be allowed entry? Heaven sounded confident in her words, but there was no telling how the guards would react.
Given that there are magical things involved in this, she didn't bother to conceal her true appearance.

You know, thinking about it, Heaven is actually a pretty good counter against Gevar's flock. Since she's well versed in metal manipulation.

But anyways that's besides the point. Heaven started to make the uneasy walk to within the city walls. Carefully peering at any place for a possible ambush. Or just keeping aware of any sort of eyes on them.

The birds were eerily silent except for the occasional rasp of metal as their feathers slid over each other. They weren't steering the group in any particular direction, simply moving along with them and casting occasional glances at citizens they passed by.

There was a good number of them out, gawking at the odd group-- apparently, word traveled fast. They muttered amongst themselves and there was an awful lot of pointing, specifically at Huck. Everyone they saw seemed to have fallen on hard times. The vast majority of them were thin and pale, and there was constant sniffling and coughing heard as the group ventured through the streets. Their faces would brighten at the sight of newcomers, but would just as quickly fall back to a wary stare as they saw the Stymphalian birds among them. The fog was just as dense in the city as it was in the fields, so many of the mortals simply retreated back into the mist.

Huck's ears flattened even more, practically hidden in the mane of foliage around his head. This was far too much attention for his taste, and being surrounded by sick mortals was wildly uncomfortable. The walls and buildings felt suffocating; he was entirely out of his element.

Ark's search on the nearby souls would not have revealed much. There wasn't much in the way of abnormalities. For all intents and purposes, everyone's souls were extremely normal. However, it's quite possible both Ark and Heaven could sense magic blanketing the city. Several kinds, actually, strangely combined and melded together to make something entirely new.

The group made its way deeper into the city, finally ending up at what looked like a main square. Set just outside the castle gates, it was clear it had once been a very lively area. Shop stalls scattered around the perimeter lay abandoned or destroyed completely, with scorch marks littering the paved stones and wilted, decaying greenery. The bottom half of a statue stood in the center, not much left of it besides a plaque and part of the legs of whoever it was supposed to represent. It appeared to have been struck by lightning. 

A few people were loitering about the area, most laying or wandering listlessly. When the group arrived, one of the mortal's eyes widened as she pointed enthusiastically at the group. 

"A Bushbeast! A Bushbeast!" she crowed, over and over. This caught the attention of some of the others in the area, who seemed to gain newfound energy at the sight of Huck. They began to approach the group, amassing a couple dozen curious mortals, but they balked as the bird escorts let out a low hum, their feathers warming up enough that they rippled with heat and the fog turned to steam, curling off their wings. In response, the mortals simply kneeled were they stood, bowing at the group.

"It is alright," Huck rumbled to the guards. He wasn't sure they would actually listen to him, but he didn't want anybody getting hurt at his expense. That would not have bode well for a diplomatic mission. After a moment, the heat dissipated. The flock seemed a bit on edge, however. Huck didn't blame them, honestly. He had never encountered something like this before.

A murmur of shock had rippled through the crowd as he spoke, but now many hands reached forward, gently touching his front legs and shoulders. It was almost reverent, the way someone would approach a celebrity or some legendary creature. Huck glanced back at the others uneasily, but didn't move for fear of accidentally squishing someone. The mortals were chattering excitedly to one another, so many of them that it was impossible to make out what they were saying. Huck stood, motionless, unsure of what to do.

Heaven noticed Ark's possible sneaking away. With a hidden signal, she notified one of the other mages to stealthy follow him during the commotion. Better to stick in small groups.

Heaven then studied the crowd around Huck. Their condition, their emotions, any possible threats, and anything that might give insight to her in any way.

She let them huddle around the Bushbeast for a few moments, but eventually thought, and announced, "Greetings, all. We are a diplomatic team sent from the deities Time and Chronos." She continues on, "We are attending an audience with your ruler to learn the state of Anatina after the transfer of power, and the fall of the original patron deity." ...They new Ishmael was dead, right? Hopefully. She also exchanged words like "coup" to "transfer of power" to keep it more neutral sounding.

While she keeps it subtle, one could also get the feeling she was encouraging the commoners to speak on the state of their country, from their point of view.

"Metal birds?  Could we make weapons from them?  Metal is a specialty I like.  Who're you lot?  What's the fun party here for?"  Crimson pulled his hood down and looked at Huck.  "Ya gonna get off your lazy butt or am I going to have to trip over another deity again?"  He looked around and saw Ark and a few other deties he didn't know.  "Howdy all of ya crazy people.  What'cha here for?" 

Ark slips away, weaving magic around himself and any mages who follow him to make them seem like inconspicuous peasants, while also creating illusory clones that walk off in other directions. He notices all of the various magical presences, and begins searching for a source of the amalgamation, while making a point to try and distract Dust with clones. That should cover it. Can’t have a battle smack in the middle of this village, it’d draw too much attention. He looks around, observing the magic around him, and thinking. Whoever cast this spell must be a decently strong mage. Most curious indeed.

"Don't treat me like a child.  I'm a Kyng.  I can figure out how politics work here.  I will not let you belittle me just because I'm a new recruit and still adjusting here." Crimson told Heaven, heaving up Husk and brushing the deity off."

((All good there.  And good eye, I was hoping someone would catch on))

Dust's eyes still do not lift off of Ark's group, the shadows darkening seemingly at random. It doesn't seem to want a fight just yet, merely keeping an eye on the intruding god in case one needs to happen. Conversely, the shadows seem just about normal around Heaven, Huck, and Crimson. There is little lingering power, certainly enough for Dust to see them, but not much more.

"Oy...I never even got your name come to think of it...not that it would matter.  I don't really need names to tell anyone apart." Crimson ran in front of Heaven and stood there.  "And also, stop acting like this is all a trap.  If anything, everyone would be able to find trouble if needed." 

Ark continues to pursue the fog, summoning a small orb of light to use as a lantern.

"I am Huck," the Bushbeast responded to Crimson, either not noticing or not caring that he was not the subject of that question.

The birds escorted them through the heavy castle gates, which swiftly slammed shut behind them. At this point, some of the flock wordlessly peeled away from the group and lifted off, leaving them with four remaining. The retreating birds swooped back towards the direction of the city's outer wall.

Huck visibly relaxed, for a couple reasons. He no longer had to be a somewhat flammable object surrounded by things that could catch fire whenever they wanted, and the courtyard the group now found themselves in was alive. Large trees whose boughs were abundant with various types of fruit from all sorts of climates flanked the pathways. Grass sprouted in the well-manicured lawns, accompanied by various wildflowers. Different garden beds dotted the area, some being dutifully watered by groundskeepers. Birds, actual birds, could be heard throughout. Even the heavy fog was absent, allowing the sun to shine freely on the various nobles meandering about. A far cry from the citizens they had just encountered, they were clean, well-fed, and healthy. A few of them gave the group a hearty wave and scattered comments along the lines of "Welcome! We heard of your arrival!"

There wasn't much in the way of room for the group to wander about. It was a walled courtyard after all, and the remaining Stymphalian birds began to settle down, crouching down right where they had been standing, but still keeping an eye on the group. On the opposite side of the courtyard was an ornate door with two guards posted in front of it; the entrance to the throne room.

Huck gladly took this opportunity to make his way over to the nearest patch of grass and throw himself down into it, the force of his impact causing a few passerby to look at him with thinly veiled contempt. They did not seem nearly as excited or interested in the Bushbeast as the peasants were.