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| Topic Started: Oct 7 2015, 03:16 PM (426 Views) | |
| Harper-Minstrel | Nov 16 2015, 05:08 AM Post #16 |
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Resident Demon House Plant
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As soon as the circle dropped Pica started for the exit of the cave, pausing just outside the entrance to take a deep breath. Clean air - actually clean, and not just breathable. She paused there, still, head cocked to one side to listen to the sounds of this out-of-the-way section of forest. She could hear game skirting their smell, downwind, picking a way through underbrush that served to conceal them from her sight if not her other senses. The soft rasp of moving leaves in a breeze farther above them, and the call of night birds as they made themselves known. When her summoner stepped past, she hesitated for a moment before following at a brisk pace. She watched him as he moved, a steady scrutiny. He was trained with a blade by the way he walked and stood, and confident enough to turn his back on her after just bringing her here. He introduced himself, and she was a tad bit surprised. A prince, so his sword training was likely done by the Master-at-Arms and the magic she felt from him would have been tempered by a trainer as well. Both would, she mused, likely lack creativity. He would lose a fight with an actual, experienced combatant on both fronts in all likelihood - especially if he was placed against a proper battlemage or swordsman rather than a rank and file grunt. Not that he would admit it; Pica recognized Pride when she saw it and he practically oozed that particular vice. A Pride domain demon might have gotten a contact high if he'd summoned one instead. Given his apparent age he might, might have begun to refine his 'skills' into something actually resembling the word.. but she made a mental note to be watchful if he wanted to get his hands dirty. She would make sure that the blow to his ego would simply shatter the facade and not his fleshy bits. She was looking forward to being here a while, after all. The cabin wasn't far, as he had said, and when led inside she looked about curiously before settling on the food. The invitation was hardly noted before she had begun to tear apart one of the loaves of bread and eat it, and she was chewing thoughtfully at the remnants of the heel of bread when he returned. No guards here either. She curled her tail around the small bowl to scoot it closer as he began to speak again. The bread disappeared in short order when he handed her the marble, and she lifted it between her fingers, watching the swirling element within for a few moments before closing her hand around it. The marble floated away from her when she let it go, contained within a mote of inky energy that seemed to probe at the surface of the sphere. The necklace was an elegant affair, something she would expect from an Elf, gaudy as it might be when set with stones. The tip of her tail snaked forward as he set it down, the tip slipping through the loop of leather and lifting it aloft for her to study. More difficult than the glassy bit of magery that was floating near her, but still not hard. She let it dangle there as she looked at the third and final item Blade drew out; a pretty little etched piece of what someone might mistake for marble. A dragon's egg, huh? She laughed, a short sound but evidently pleased. "It's funny how little stock a lot of your kind put into your eggshells. What do you want me to do with these individuals once I find them?" Her tone held no doubt, as if stating fact - she would find them. "And the marble, what of it? I can find your servant within the hour, if you wish." The underlying thread of the shapeshifter's magic was easy enough to find, especially since she had an actual bit of his working to draw off of. Given the tendency for Fourth and lower demons - those who were young, whose forms were more immutable - to change shape, this was something she had experience with. Any demon would. |
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| Jennoria | Nov 18 2015, 08:05 PM Post #17 |
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Kassia sat silently, listening as he explained. She was awed when he explained that he was a dragon. She found it a little hard to believe, but what reason would he have to make something like that up? She was scratching under the little dragon's chin when he told her he was going to let her take care of the dragon. She couldn't help the smile that sprang to her lips, she couldn't think of anything she'd ever wanted more. She glanced down and as if sensing her eyes on it, the dragon cocked it's eye up at her but it didn't look as alert as it had earlier. It yawned and laid it's head down, promptly closing it's eyes. She smiled again and wrapped her cloak around it. She nodded up at Lord Liexe. "Nothing would please me more sir." "What does Ove want with dragons?" Kyrenia asked, she was normally the quiet one, so Kassia was a little caught off guard to hear her asking the question. After Lord Liexe explained that, Kassia stared into the fire, "There were legends back home about this." She pointed at the sleeping dragon in her arms. "Mages and dragons sort of bonding. But that was before the necromancers came into power and the dragons fled. It was almost considered a myth. There was no proof that it could actually happen. Someone took great care in hiding or destroying all evidence of the past cases of it happening. Has it ever happened before here?" She asked, looking at the duo across the fire. Alameth was still in his trance-like state and had started drawing lines in the dirt with a stick. He reached over and picked up a piece of the egg shell and placed it in his lines, humming. Kassia frowned. She never knew what to do when he was in these states. Kassia's eyes lingered on Alameth a little longer, she knew it was because of his magic. He had a rare type of magic like herself, instead of drawing the magic from around them like elemental mages, Alameth was a projection mage. His magic came solely from his mind, which if used too often took it's toll. His was a special case though, he was known to receive pictures in his mind every now and then, similar to the images he could make people think they were seeing or experiencing. He couldn't control those times. It was almost like he had two types of magic which was unheard of. She looked down at the dragon again. "I'm going to call her Demyra." She said to no one in particular, but before anyone could respond, Alameth broke into the conversation. He was holding up the piece of shell he'd picked up."Someone's searching. Someone wants light dragons." Alameth's head was tilted sideways and his eyes were only halfway opened like he was in a sort of trance. He was still holding up the piece of shell, higher than his head. Kassia just stared and shook her head. |
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| Tak | Nov 19 2015, 05:02 PM Post #18 |
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She nodded. "Yes, that's right. My master's name is Arash." She'd known many servants to balk at admittance of their occupation since, for most, it meant they were little more than slaves but she never felt the need. She had always been treated well, paid fairly, and given as much time off as Arash could conceivably allow so why should she be ashamed of her job? Bryn stoked the fire and added another log then set to work chopping vegetables, chitchatting as she did so. She was glad to be off the road and hoped they'd be staying awhile; she really didn't like traveling and was looking forward to the return of a more normal routine - and having a woman to talk to! "I don't mean to imply that my master is dull but he is a man." A look and a wave of her hand summarized her thoughts - men had a one track mind and, some days, just weren't good conversation. When the food was done, Bryn arranged it on a tray and took it upstairs to Arash who was sitting at the small table cleaning his pistols, which he returned to their holsters and hung on the post at the head of the bed as Bryn set the tray down. They ate in silence, both too occupied with their own thoughts to bother voicing them, until as she was gathering up the empty dishes to return them to the kitchen, Bryn asked if Arash needed anything more or if she could be dismissed to locate a bath. He said nothing, simply waved her away. |
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| Rin | Nov 29 2015, 07:56 PM Post #19 |
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Administrator
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"Monitor them for now," Blade answered as he pulled out a chair and promptly sat down in it. A tendril of his magic, hardly seen in the darkness of the cabin, snaked its way to the basket on the counter. It consumed a large piece of dried meat, depositing it on the table for Blade to reach and begin eating. "Aaany time frame? Do you want me to shadow them all? One specifically?" Questions spoken while looking at Blade, tracking the magic he used across the table and curiously eying it. "Can I take territory? Feed?" Specifics. Details she wanted but could possibly ignore either way. "Let's find my servant first," he responded, idly picking at his food. "The sooner I find him, the sooner I'll have another person to help me. I don't much care what else you do, just don't step foot in Drakyn unless I need you to." That was his territory and he wasn't about to let a demon gallivant through it. She nodded as he finished. His servant, the maker of the little marble he had given her. She crooked a finger at the object in question and it floated toward her, still suspended in a field of her own Magic. "What is this servant's name, hm?" "Darius." "When I find him?" She tapped the field of energy and it hummed angrily, picking more earnestly at the marble within. "I assume you want me to contact your servant?" Pica said, shifting her eyes from the hovering mote of energy and raising an eyebrow. She could find the servant, alright. He was in relatively close proximity to the owner of the eggshell. Curious. "That marble is a good enough message. I'm the only one with something like that, as far as I know." He stretched his arms above his head, relaxed, and let his magic remove his shoes for him. "I don't know what he's been up to. He could have found himself a new master by now. See if he'll meet with me." "Heheh, alright." With no sound other than the breathing of the two in the room, Pica cast out her magic. It traced along the connection between Darius and the marble, extending her range so that, within the same breath, Darius received a knock at his door. Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap. An unusual knock at his door grabbed Darius' attention, wondering who it could have been. He didn't normally get people looking for him, and he hadn't sensed Liexe's return yet. It wasn't Aki, nor any of the children that were housed here. Getting up from his spot on the floor, he crossed the room to open the door. A messenger stood at the door, clad in travel-stained leather armor and wearing a loose scarf around her neck. The girl, as she appeared, stood only five feet tall and had a mop of dusty dirty- blonde hair. Her ears were pointed, and her armor mimicked the style of her creator, bar that it was oaken brown. A short sword rode at her right on her hip, and a satchel her left. From within the satchel she drew a package, smiling winsomely at Darius. "Special delivery for one.. Darius?" The last word a question, directed at the man. Darius knitted his brows at the girl that stood before him. "Who sent you?" he asked, eying the package. His own magic coming from the package made him curious enough to take it from her, opening it to find a marble. He recognized it instantly. "Where did you get this?" "The sender wishes to meet." She continued, as if reciting a list of instructions from memory. She leaned back, looking down the hall in each direction - an action so immediately suspicious that had anyone actually been looking they may have felt outright obligated to try and find out why. She tapped her chin, eyes wide and thoughtful, a pale yellow. "Pretty sure you know the answer to that." Darius clutched the marble. "Give me some time," he requested. "I will need to inform the master of this castle of my absence. Will tomorrow evening suffice?" The girl in front of Darius seemed to drift into deep thought. A soft hum coming from her lips. "Maaybe." Back in the cabin, without missing a beat, Pica looked to Blade. "He wishes to meet tomorrow. Says he must inform the master of the castle of his absence. Nice place, strong castle. Response?" Blade simply nodded. "Acceptable!" The messenger grinned widely at Darius, nodding. She held out her hand and a mote of black energy condensed there, forming into a pure black marble very, very similar to the one Darius held. But not, obviously, his. "When you're ready, crush this. I'll be waaait-ing!" Her voice took on a sing-song lilt at the last, and the messenger turned to leave. 'Another castle, huh?' Blade thought as he stood and retired to the single bedroom of the cabin - Pica would have to make due with the small couch. It seems Darius had found another castle to occupy, but where? There weren't many castles left that hadn't been converted into a stronghold for Ove's armies. He wouldn't have defected to Javaan, would he? No, that was out of the question. Darius was always a valuable spy and able to infiltrate anywhere, but he was loyal and wasn't the type to lend his services to just anyone. Well, he would find out tomorrow. "Ove wants everything," Liexe said with a sigh. "He wants everything under his control. Those that oppose him, get killed." "I know of only one instance where a dragon bonded with a human," Isi stated. "According to stories, there was a dragon that bonded with the Great Witch. It's said that the death of her dragon was part of the reason she cast her curse. But it was centuries ago, and the story has been passed down through so many generations that no one's sure if it's true." She shook her head lightly. "The only one that might know the truth is a crazy old wizard that's locked up in one of Drakyn's towers." Liexe was about to comment on that when Alameth spoke. He quickly got to his feet. "We have to get back to the castle," he instructed hastily, motioning for Isi to collect the horses. He turned his attention to the horses once Isi brought them over. "I'm sorry I can't let you rest, but we need to get home," he spoke softly, almost pleading them to bear another run. They snorted and he promised that he would have Aki grow her best apples for them. "Talk about apples later," Isi snapped and urged them to get moving. Once Kassia, Alameth, and Kyrenia were saddled, Liexe lead the way. His magic left a trail of light with every step he took, a glittering path for the horses to easily follow. It dissipated quickly which made the horses strain to keep up with him, but they managed. Isi followed behind, keeping her senses open for any hint of danger. But the trek home was uneventful, fortunately. Isi ushered the children to their rooms while Liexe took care of the horses. The next morning, Aki awoke early to make herself breakfast. A note from Liexe had been slipped under her door, requesting apples for a few of the horses. After she fed herself, she made her way outside to tend her garden. (( Time skips, yay~! )) |
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| Tak | Nov 30 2015, 03:12 PM Post #20 |
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Faces everywhere. Some featureless, some grotesque, all sneering and laughing as he stands in a pool of blood. The faces suddenly melt and twist into another form, a maimed and broken creature at his feet. He reached out to it but couldn't grasp it; somehow it was always out of reach. The faces returned, mocking his attempts. The noise was deafening. He ran towards the creature as the pool got deeper until he was practically swimming but the creature disappeared as he approached. He cried out, the only response being a mouth full of blood as a wave covered him. He was drowning. Arash woke gasping for air, drenched in sweat, and staring wildly around the dark room, attempting to regain his bearings. It was early, Bryn was already up and presumably in the bathroom. He swung himself out of bed and fumbled for his pants, Bryn returned just as he finished pulling his boots on. "Sir?" she asked in surprise. "I'm going out." he replied shortly, leaving his shirt and weapons hanging where he had left them. She quickly grabbed his cloak and held it out for him but he shook his head and left without it. He was too warm already and had absolutely no desire to wear it. He moved quickly and silently through the castle and out the front doors, avoiding any and all signs of life on the way out. He was in no mood to be social. Outside, the sun was barely up. It was warm, despite the mist that hung in the air as last night's dew evaporated, but he shivered when a light breeze licked at his sweat dampened skin. "Human bodies are such a bother.." He grumbled to himself as he took a deep breath and started walking to clear his head. He found the stables first and spent a few minutes feeding and watering his horses. His mare seemed a little concerned that he was out so early and gave him several questioning nickers while he scratched her ears. After he gave her a reassuring pat on the neck, he was off again. His aimless wandering brought him to what appeared to be the garden, and a good sized garden at that, but he never saw the food. His attention was focused on the low rock wall that encompassed it. One stretch in particular looked tantalizingly warm and comfortable. He stood there for several minutes fighting with his body's desire to lie down and his mind's desire to remain upright after his fitful night when two fence lizards decided to take advantage of his inaction and wrestle for the spot. Before long, the victor stretched himself out comfortably with a contented puff of breath and, while Arash glared enviously, the little bastard had the nerve to yawn at him! He would pay for his sins by relinquishing his place to the much larger "lizard" - after Arash yawned as well, of course. Lying on his belly with his head cradled in his arms, it wasn't long before the warmth of the sun had effectively lulled him to sleep. How long he was out for he couldn't say but he woke at the sound of the gate on the wall opposite being unlatched. He stiffened, uneasy at being discovered unarmed, but relaxed when the one entering the garden was the dragon he met earlier, Aki, who apparently hadn't noticed him. He zoned out as he watched her go about her task, staring mostly at her butt, enjoying the safety her ignorance provided when, suddenly, the warning lights went off. He blinked and looked up to find her staring right at him. He shot her a sheepish grin as he stood and walked towards her, brushing the dirt off his hands and torso as he did so. "Drem Yol Lok" A greeting said in his native tongue, Dovahzul, a dialect of Draconic. |
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| Harper-Minstrel | Dec 9 2015, 12:21 AM Post #21 |
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Resident Demon House Plant
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Pica did not need sleep. Nor, plainly, did she even need to rest all that often. Four hours, perhaps, every two or three days to recoup her strength. That was her usual pattern, and one that had served her. Having just arrived and been summoned, she was suffuse with energy that needed an outlet. So, during the night, things began to happen. Small things, at first. Always small. When Blade retired to the small cabin's only bedroom, Pica hopped from the table and languidly began to knit together a small simulacrum, perhaps three feet all. The little apparition was black, stick-like, and gangly - but possessed surprising strength, if little else. She finished the body, giving it a vaguely smiling face and then flicking a small lance of dark energy it it. The puppet jerked, went through a discordant series of sounds and jerking, uncoordinated movements. After a moment it moved to stand attentively near the table, facing the bedroom. Blade, should he wish it, could treat the little creature as a servant - fetch this, clean that, bring me my hat. Not that she left instructions before she left, and the simulacrum was Blade's only company for the night. Others lost theirs. A drunk disappeared from a town over. A constable was roughed up and subsequently vanished. One or two late-night workers lost themselves as well, their shops never opening on the morrow as the sun rose; A smith, a fletcher, a clothier, those like them. All so very fun. A handful of others vanished as well, but they were hardly worth mentioning. Really; nobody cared about bandits. -- In Liexe's castle, the messenger who had come to visit Darius parted from him and walked the grounds, well into the night, before locating it's quarry - a library tucked into the first floor, lit dimly at this time of night. This elfin copy of the demon that Blade had summoned entered, assured herself that the library was clear, then began to gather information. Histories, both mundane and focusing on the Witch and Dragons. Names of Kingdoms, their holdings, current disposition (the latter hardly reliable, but a start). A smattering of more esoteric texts that just mentioned the Witch or specifically mentioned Earth dragons. After an hour or so the young messenger set herself up in a nook, a place farthest from the door and screened by one of the shelves (she moved one of the chairs closer to the shelves to assure herself of that). Odd yellow eyes, slit pupil and faintly glowing in the darkness of the library, drank in the wealth of information on offer. Things that would prove useful to Pica, and thus most likely her summoner. A quill pen and parchment sat to her right, scribbling notes as they occurred to her and recording them for later use -all without the touch of her hand. A name, a description, possibilities; links to others, affiliations. Key bits of culture. This sort of mundane information might not concern many demons - nor, perhaps, many humans - but it was a foundation of basic knowledge that could be built upon readily in face of new insights. Something that a few decades or a few centuries being absent would take from someone. She was a quick learner; the pile dwindled, then refreshed. Parchment produced from a seemingly bottomless satchel on her hip, ink never running dry, the constant scritch-scratch of a quill hard at work. ===== By the time Blade began to stir, Pica was back inside the cabin, sitting in the same spot she had been. She had acquired new clothing - silks perhaps, by the look of them, well made and tailored for her body. A sleeveless shirt, not much unlike her own, in a dark golden color. A pair of comfortable pants, billowy at the bottom and colored a deep honey brown. No shoes to speak of, and the pants were cut high enough to expose her feet. Her arms had a long, leather gauntlets with a sturdy studded plate along the forearm that extended to just before her elbow; the knuckles were studded as well, obviously meant for striking, but left her fingers free and exposed. A satchel sat behind her, plainly full and probably heavy. Resting atop the satchel was a large, brimmed hat the same color as her shirt, with a flat top. The top appeared to have been cut from a point and stitched flat, the only part of her attire that seemed to have been damaged. A cloak of similar color to her pants hung on a peg near the door, which still stood ajar. She was speaking to a man that shouldn't have been there. The fellow, rough-cut but rugged and fierce, watched her with absolute attention as she spoke, detailing a list of mundane instructions. She finished with a final, specific order; "If you are in peril, speak your name and clutch the pendant I gave you. Aid will arrive." She snapped her fingers and the man stood, leaving the cabin at a brisk trot, a mile-eating lope that would put him some distance away in a short time. The demon stood, a slow smile spreading on her face. It was nice to be back. She walked to the head of the table and produced a box from her satchel, placing it in the spot where Blade had sat before. Inside was a pair of boots; no tricks as of yet, though she had been tempted to give him, say, a pair of women's boots. Or some gaudy, overdone trifle with gilding and perhaps even armor. Maybe both? But no. Perhaps a pair of the most comfortable, sturdiest traveler's boots he'd ever come across. Amazing what people could make when driven to it. She brushed the box with her fingertips before exiting through the main door, and gazing up at the sky. Blue, a few puffy white clouds slowing trawling their way across the expanse. The sun was warm on her back, and the demon stood there stock still, waiting, enjoying the brief reprieve. -- In the library the elfin young woman continued her studies, showing no evidence of lack of sleep or complaint of the growing bustle in the castle. She idly turned away a servant that came to close, using an impulse that made her forget what she was doing altogether, then rush off in a tizzy about something she couldn't place. Time marched on, the sun rose and heated the air around the castle and the castle in turn. Something kept the entire library pleasantly warm despite its more isolated location, and it was rather nice. Barely perceptible beneath her shirt, a tail unwound and flexed idly before stretching to its full length once, twice, and then rewinding underneath; the same motion accompanied the young woman working the stiffness from her joints, having been mostly still for the entire night. She would favor a walk, but not at the moment. Information to gather, plans to make - a glance toward the door and a moment's listening told her that servants were beginning to move about the castle - tidying up and bringing lights to the inner rooms. Would be an interesting place to be. She sensed magic, and no small amount. Edited by Harper-Minstrel, Dec 16 2015, 05:11 PM.
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| Jennoria | Jan 25 2016, 06:05 PM Post #22 |
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The ride back to Lord Liexe's castle was much more rushed than their ride from it had been. Even though the horses were tired, it was as if they knew there was an urgency to them having to get back. Kassia held Demyra close to her body, doing her best to keep the jarring of the ride to a minimum on the poor little dragon. Alameth was riding along with a silly grin on his face, holding remnants of Demyra's hatched egg in his hands. Kassia found that strange, but well, Alameth was a strange fellow. "Well, that was a waste of time." Kyrenia muttered loudly enough to hear over the horse's thundering hooves. "How was I supposed to know?" Kassia defended herself. "You could have left well enough alone." She said. She was always the more mature, less head-strong and spontaneous one. The one who acted like the mother of the group. Kassia felt Demyra shuffle around in her grasp and shook her head at Kyrenia, "No, I couldn't have." She said, almost too softly to hear over the horse's headlong strides. Kyrenia shook her head slowly and sighed, clearly defeated, knowing she wouldn't get Kassia to agree with her. "I'm an alchemist!" Alameth piped in with a goofy grin and Kyrenia rolled her eyes. Kassia offered her close friend a small smile, nodding her head. They made it back to the castle safely and as the horses were taken back to the stables, Kassia, Alameth and Kyrenia all retired to their rooms after they bid Lord Liexe goodnight, thanking him again for not punishing them. Kyrenia and herself shared a room so she said goodnight to Alameth having escorted him to his room with Lady Isi. He seemed to be acting more himself now which she was glad for and then Lady Isi ushered Kyrenia and her to their room. They said goodnight and thanked her before settling down for the night. Kassia took out some of her dried, salted pork and fed it to Demyra before retiring though, which the small dagon seemed to enjoy thoroughly. Kyrenia went straight to sleep, saying something about having to get up early for missing a full day of training. Kassia shook her head exasperatedly. The two of them were two of the best in the group, if not the best. Eventually Demyra fell asleep, curled up beside Kassia's pillow and after Kassia couldn't keep her eyes open, admiring her new little companion, she too promptly began to fall asleep as well. [/hr] The next morning Kyrenia's roaming around the room awoke Demyra, who decided she wanted food, to use the bathroom probably and to explore, which meant she woke up Kassia. Kassia groaned, but she quickly broke into smiles remembering her adorable new friend. She scooped up Demyra and got dressed quickly, rushing out of the room before Kyrenia had even finished getting ready, heading for the kitchens to grab some fresh meat for the little dragon. She had her wrapped in her cloak though to avoid anyone trying to stop her until she was sure Demyra was fully taken care of first. |
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| Rin | Jan 28 2016, 01:16 PM Post #23 |
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Administrator
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Liexe was awake at sunrise, as he so often was, always regardless of how little he slept or exhausted he felt. He yawned as he got out of bed, his body sore from his previous journey away, and the energy he had consumed from last night's retrieval. He sighed at the thought; what was he to do with a newly hatched dragon? He would have to check the food stores to see if they had enough to support the added resident. Certainly he would have to make another trip for more supplies - unless, by chance, it had a similar diet as Aki. If that were the case, he was confident that she would be able to produce enough produce to sustain them. If not, hunting parties would have to be doubled, and that brought more concern; the native animals on this island were nearly all hunted out. A few deer remained up north, and perhaps some rabbits, but not enough to feed everyone. Catching and breeding animals had been a futile attempt; the few that avoided being slaughtered right away had died from stress. Liexe took a calming breath as he pulled the curtains aside. The morning sun had not yet reached the west side of the castle, but its rays were slowly creeping across the grounds below. He really ought to switch to the east side, but everyone always insisted that he take one of the bigger rooms on the west. They regarded him as their leader, some calling him savior even, and they wanted him to have the best. He in no way felt superior to anyone; he simply wanted everyone to stay safe. He inspected the cuts and scrapes he had gotten, took a look at the large bruise on his leg, and determined they were healing nicely. He dressed, stretched, and made his way downstairs to the kitchen. He paused on the first floor landing and drifted his gaze towards the library. An unknown presence was sensed there. He cautiously stepped towards it, but just as he was about to round the corner, Darius emerged from the hallway. He relaxed for just a moment, thinking that it had been the shape shifter he had sensed - but no, the other presence was still there. "Darius?" "It's nothing," Darius said shortly, but Liexe was skeptical. "I need to talk to you. Don't worry about that; I swear it's nothing." Having led Liexe away after a few moments, the two of them went to the kitchen. Plates had already been prepared for them by the cooks that were busy getting the rest of breakfast; they took these and went up to Liexe's office. The plates were set on the desk. Liexe waited for Darius to speak, but he was hesitant. "It's the Prince," Darius finally said. "He's sent for me." Liexe stood silent for a long time, eyeing Darius carefully. He knew that he had served the Prince of Drakyn before their meeting. But after that, he served Isi for several years. She trusted him, which spoke a lot about his character; she didn't trust others easily, especially anyone from Drakyn. Time and actions proved him a loyal ally. But with his old master back in the picture, Liexe wondered if his loyalties would change. "I see," he said finally, slowly, contemplating. "This Prince of yours; do you have any reason to believe he would pose a threat to us?" "I cannot say for sure," Darius answered honestly, shaking his head. "I know without a doubt that he does not share the views of Ove. I know that he has been in search of the Witch in order to break her curse. He often spoke of bettering the kingdom, and he's wholly against the execution of others without proper cause. But it has been some time since I've seen him, so I cannot say for certain what he would do to those of you that have fled the continent." The two ate their breakfast in silence as Liexe considered the options. The Prince of Drakyn could pose a serious threat, or he could be a strong ally if they played their cards right. When the plates were empty, Darius stood and gathered them. "I cannot give you an answer so quickly," Liexe said. "For now, you are to remain on the island under Isi's charge. You will wait to contact your Prince until further notice." "Yes, sir." Darius bowed and left the room. Liexe heaved a heavy sigh and leaned back in his chair, but it wasn't long before the door opened again and Isi poked her head in. "Just making sure you're still alive." "Hm. I'm fine," Liexe answered. "Take Darius hunting with you. He's in your charge until further notice. And," he added, "the library; keep an eye on it." Isi nodded without question and left to begin her day's task. Alone at last, Liexe set to going through the papers stacked neatly on his desk. Responses from shopkeepers and herdsmen about his inquiries; a small list of things the island needed; plans for houses to be built farther from the manor to give families their own space. Although he didn't think himself a leader, it was no wonder he was treated as one. Downstairs, Isi took the hallway by the library to proceed to the barracks. She walked slowly outside, to get a feel for the presence within, making sure she would remember it. She proceeded out and down the steps, joining her small group of hunters in the barracks. Darius was there, as well. She raised a brow at him, wondering what he could have done to be put under her care, but she didn't press him for an explanation. On their way out to the northern woods, she stopped a boy and instructed him to come fetch her if anything should happen while she was away. Aki inhaled the fresh morning air and enjoyed the grass beneath her bare feet. Even though she walked this path every day she knew that it could all be taken away at any moment, so she was thankful for every day she had. A small prayer echoed her thoughts as she picked up a basket and unlatched the iron gate to the garden. She went about her morning routine, weeding where necessary and inspecting the over all health of the plants. It wasn't a very big garden but it easily produced enough food to sustain everyone. She turned around, intending to go tend the fruit trees, but found that she wasn't alone. She blinked at him, holding a basket full of zucchini and tomatoes. It took her a moment to realize he was shirtless; she cleared her throat and looked away after a second of staring, but glanced back when he greeted her. "Drem Lund Lok," she said, the Dovahzul words flowing easily suggesting it her native tongue. She leaned to one side in order to look pass him, making sure he had not stepped on any of the plants near the wall he had occupied. Satisfied, she turned her attention back to him. "Kolos drey hi bo nol, waan Zu'u aal? Hi los ni nol bromuv deylok. Lost Ove's lahvu hiiv ful gut stum? Uv los hi nol wer?" She turned back to her plants as she spoke, adding peppers and various herbs to her basket. Blade finally stirred late in the morning, or at least what he assumed was late morning; he couldn't tell the time with the black drapes blocking the windows. Still no doubt it was later than would be acceptable in the castle. He was reluctant to get out of bed, content to lie there for several more minutes before he could no longer stand the stiff mattress. With a groan, he shoved the blankets off and sat up. It took him another minute to find the motivation to actually get out of bed and put pants on, and he even groaned about doing that, but eventually he emerged from the bedroom. He paused in the doorway, dazed by the light coming in through the windows. Still half asleep, it was a wonder if this was the same Prince from the night before; his hair was a complete mess; his pants, severely wrinkled, hadn't even been buttoned; his shoulders slouched. But the sparse scattering of black scales on his bare sides told of the great black dragon hidden beneath the human flesh. The great black dragon that wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep. "Jerkins," he grumbled, rubbing his eyes while keeping a steady hand on the door frame. "Drevab coi, wux xihuulina wiik, svaklar re wux?" He blinked hard, trying to get his eyes to adjust to the light. When his servant didn't respond, he looked hard into the room. The cabin. Right, that's where he was. Jerkins was... left behind in the mountains somewhere, if he remembered correctly. The frogesque servant had been so plain that he didn't stand out in anyone's memory. With another grumble and a yawn, he shuffled towards the kitchen, letting the door softly close behind him. He paused in the few steps it took to get to the kitchen, staring down at the little black creature standing before him. He blinked, then pointed at it and said, in Abyssal, "Jerkins number two. Coffee." The order given, he turned and made his way to the couch, falling onto it and leaning back. He almost fell right back to sleep but jerked himself awake. The struggle to stay awake was very obvious until Jerkins #2 delivered a cup of extra strong coffee. "Good, now fetch me my boots." It disappeared as Blade downed his drink, reappearing with a box. He raised a brow and set his cup aside, taking the box and inspecting the contents. A new pair of boots. He certainly wasn't about to complain; he pulled them on, picked up his cup, and walked out the door that stood ajar. "Enjoying your time here, are you?" He asked the little demon. He sat on a stump outside the cabin and drank his coffee, waiting for the hot liquid to fully wake him up. Edited by Rin, Feb 5 2016, 03:35 AM.
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| Harper-Minstrel | Feb 6 2016, 07:06 PM Post #24 |
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Resident Demon House Plant
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Pica had begun to doze, almost. The sort of half-sleep, half wake one can reach when the world is calm and warm and pleasant. A phenomenon that was altogether more rare when your home plane was the Hells, which could be described as the opposite of two of those three things. Incidentally, relaxation was usually reserved for devils and demons with enough power to flaunt it and keep away the fools and the aspirants. Or at least those that could be a nuisance enough to secure some quiet. But here you didn't need that. She was in the woods, in the middle of nowhere, listening to bird and trees and other Meeden critters go about their lives and she really almost snapped at Blade when he disturbed her little reverie. She had smelled the coffee when her simulacra had begun to make it, and the heavy scent of the strong, dark liquid served to wake her in a similar manner from her own musings. She turned toward him as he spoke, regarding him almost solemnly as he took a seat on a worn old stump that had probably served as a seat since it had been cut down near the structure. She raised a finger to her lips and voiced a low hum, pensive. "I am. Here is better than there, you know." She was referring to her home plane and this one, and of the differences she had just been mulling over when he had disturbed her. She hat she wore shifted in the slight breeze weaving its way through the forest, and she crossed her legs, hovering in mid air as if sitting on the edge of the table again. "'twas a pleasant aside. What's next, then?" ---- The library was somewhat disorganized at this point. The new occupant had carefully disassembled any semblance of organization in favor of creating huge piles of books, sorted by topic, for the same occupant to peruse. The nook she had chosen was fully fortified by a veritable wall of parchment and bound leather tomes. Knowledge was power, one might say. Even mundane knowledge found its uses in the work of a demon. This kingdom, that kingdom. These customs or those, what to wear what to say what to do. Even a few new magical theories and fun sorts of things like that. It really was a nice library. But even a creature used to hell could only persist for so long in pursuit of books. Regardless of what one might think, headaches were indeed a looming possibility even if sleep or the like wasn't needed. The particular worrisome etchings of an elderly historian might remind one of a clever equivalent to mental torture when trying to decipher it, especially since this old codger might insist on using archaic prose as well. So the doors to the library finally opened, and the occupant left. The door remained ajar for a short time before the young lady went on her way, before sliding shut of its own volition and locking. Her objective, it seemed, was the kitchens and the scents she could trace. Hunger, true, took many forms. That which might consume magical energy would still not scoff at wholesome food. Those that did were fools and philistines of the highest order, in her opinion. Truly. Who didn't appreciate a pie? Edited by Harper-Minstrel, Feb 6 2016, 07:43 PM.
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| Tak | Apr 11 2016, 03:44 PM Post #25 |
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Bryn sighed as her master left the room and sent up a silent prayer to whichever god may listen. Despite their time away from the stress of Drakyn life, Arash's night terrors were getting worse. She feared they'd never disappear completely. She quickly finished up her morning routine, grateful that today was not a bad hair day, then neatly folded Arash's shirt and tucked it under her arm to carry down to the kitchen. Once there, she set it on an out of the way crate, wrapped in a towel to keep it clean, then set about fixing breakfast. There were other people in the kitchen to chat with, which she was glad for, but had to remind herself not to dally. If Arash's mood hadn't improved in the past hour, she'd get the brunt of it. Thankfully, sausage and potatoes didn't take long to cook. Once that was done and she had retrieved Arash's shirt, she asked if anyone had seen him, to which she got a few vague answers indicating the stable area so that was where she started. Upon arrival she discovered that the horses had been fed, despite the mare's insistence that she hadn't as she tried to nibble the breakfast try out of Bryn's hands, so it was a relief that she at least started in the right place. Bryn stood for a moment, her ears swiveling in an attempt to catch her master's voice, when, finally, she heard him and the woman she had met the day prior. She cringed a little, knowing that'd he'd be somewhat cross at not being decent in company's presence but there wasn't anything she could do about it. She headed in their direction, stopping a respectful distance away so that they may finish their conversation. Arash hesitated with his answer, Darius's warning about keeping his occupation to himself suddenly ringing in his ears, finally settling on a vague "Jacida reabi re rilvelklar." She would notice the shift to common Draconic, obviously, but continuing in Dovahzul may reveal more than necessary at the current moment. He was silent for just a few seconds, staring past her at nothing in particular, when Bryn came into view carrying his shirt and something delicious smelling. He bowed politely to Aki and, leaving her to her gardening, followed Bryn back towards the stables where a stack of crates served as a table, unceremoniously pulling his shirt on as he went. Gods he was starving. Bryn barely had time to get her hands out of the way before he had half of it down. Bryn was silent as he ate and the looks Arash stole away from his food left him feeling she was preoccupied and worrisome over something. He finally caught her eye and perked a brow but she merely smiled and shook her head. Women, I tell you. He thought as he returned to his meal. Spoiler: click to toggle
Edited by Tak, Apr 12 2016, 03:28 PM.
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| Rin | Aug 20 2016, 03:09 AM Post #26 |
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Administrator
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"Here is definitely better than there," Blade agreed, casually drinking his beverage. He plane jumped once before, and once was enough for him. At least in his current state. He took his time to finish drinking before he answered her question; "We go west to Javaan. The Princess there is... naive. I'm sure I can easily win her over and have all of Javaan's resources at hand." He knew it was easier said than done; Javaan and Drakyn have never been allies, and he knew they would sooner throw him in a pit than aid him; but he was confident in his ability to win over the Princess, and Javaan's King would do anything for his daughter. Family ties were often the best weapon to manipulate. He finally stood, stretched, and went back inside for some breakfast. He took his time getting dressed and packing his things, stalling just to see if Darius would show up. But he could not stay in one place for too long before Drakyn's guards were on his trail. He threw them off in the last town, but for a price he knew he could never repay. Even though Darius said he would meet that evening, Blade did not want to wait that long. Besides, Darius was not one to keep him waiting; if he could not get here right away, then he was involved in something that could not be dropped easily. He would leave something behind for Darius if he did show up after their departure. Once that little something was in place, Blade gathered his things and led the way from the cabin. They went west until the trees parted to open plains, then he changed their course southwest and stopped at a rustic village roughly a two and a half day journey from where they had started. He stopped there long enough to resupply food and water before continuing west again. Blade stopped at a ravine three days later, dropping his pack at the base of a large rock. His sword remained at his side and he kept a loose hand by the hilt as he walked along the edge of the stream that ran through the valley. Shadows stretched from the foliage and rocks as the sun made its slow decent into the western sky. Blade stood still and quiet for a long while. Until he got bored, let out an audible sigh, and looked up. "Itrewic dout tzarreth vhira tenpiswo. Usv re wux tesantamaso?"* A group of five men clad in white armor descended to the ground in a semicircle around Blade. Each of them had large, blue wings that folded behind them, although loosely, ready to take to the sky again at a moment's notice. "Well, he must be desperate if he's sending you guys to come get me." "Escorting you back to Drakyn is our highest priority," the captain replied. "Really?" Blade asked, amused. "I didn't think he'd stop his invasions for anything." "Nothing has stopped, we've simply moved units around." "Finally put the southern unit to some use? Sah'Konahrik has been sitting around for a long time just gathering dust." A man to his left made an audible "Tch" and a younger officer spoke out of turn; "That good for nothing-" "Enough!" The Captain snapped, hushing his men. Blade raised a brow. "I didn't expect problems from him." "Sah'Konahrik has retired from duty with full honors. He is not the problem. We've been ordered to keep a look out for his son." "His son? Tell me about him." Blade's tone was demanding; the Captain knew that he would get the information he wanted one way or another. He was not quick to concede but eventually gave the information Blade requested; "Arash Tahrovin. Youngest son of Sah'Konahrik and a member of his ambush unit. He defected from the King's army and was last seen heading east." "You're not going after him?" "Our task is to retrieve you." "Well, that won't be easy." "I never thought it would be." "Alright, Captain, you've got a few options; attempt to take me back; go back to Drakyn without me; or come with me to Javaan. The choice is yours." "All of those options would get me killed," the Captain said looking sullen. "It's a hard decision to make, isn't it?" The two stood in silence, the tension growing thick as neither refused to yield to the other. The Captain's men shuffled in uneasy indecisiveness until one finally stepped forward and said, "Sir, your orders?" "We do as the King commanded; bring back his son," the Captain said sternly. Blade sighed and shook his head. * * * The steel swords clanged together, the sound echoing throughout the valley. Blade's swordsmanship was enough to send the younger officers to the ground, wounded and unable to fly or fight. The Captain had the advantage of wings; the Prince had the advantage of the shadows stretching across the ground from the setting sun. If the Captain was ever out of reach, Blade would pull him back down with tendrils of his magic. It took some time for the Captain to admit defeat but a tear in his wing finally made him surrender. Blade took a moment to catch his breath before stepping towards the Captain. "If you want to escape him, take your men and go as far east as you can," he said as cleaned the blood from his weapon before sheathing it. "Ove has no desires for the eastern lands. At least for now." "Those lands are filled with sorcery we've never seen the likes of." Blade stared at him with a sunken expression. "No, I suppose you haven't seen that type of magic." He turned around without another word and left the men to decide their fate. * * * Upon arriving in Javaan territory, Blade did nothing to hide himself; once he reached the city, he went out of his way to attract attention from the patrolling guards. It was the quickest and easiest way to the castle. When he was stripped of his weapons and thrown before the throne, he mumbled under his breath about the lack of respect they showed him. Kneeling with his hands cuffed and a spear at his back, he looked up to the platform that held the King's throne. He was an old, frail looking man, certainly more brains than brawn. The young Princess that stood next to him had a confused and worried look. Blade gave her a charming smile; she blushed and turned her gaze away. The King slammed his cane on the floor to demand attention, "What is the meaning of this?!" "What is the meaning of this?!" "We found him in the city, sir." "What! Are there more Drakyn soldiers here? GET OUT THERE AND MAKE SURE MY KINGDOM IS SAFE!" "Relax," Blade said as he stood up. "It's just me and my companion." "Why are you here?" the king asked, eying him carefully. "I want Ove gone as much as you do." "Tch. How can I believe that? You're his only son!" "Let's get a few things straight. Ove is killing, not only his own people, but anyone who so much looks at him. If he continues, there will be no one left. Drakyn is my kingdom and I will not let it fall to that tyrant. I came here to ask for your help." He paused to gauge the reactions of everyone in the room. The guards tensed; they would do nothing without the King's orders. The King looked unconvinced. The Princess had brought her gaze forward again, curious. "And," he added, "I have reason to believe that I am not his only son." Still, the King wasn't impressed. "It's common knowledge that the first Queen of Drakyn died during childbirth and that the child did not make it. You may not be his first, but you are the only living heir." It was clear that the wheels were turning in his head; how could he use this piece that just fell into his lap? "No," Blade said plainly. "I have a brother. I'm sure of it. If I can find him, we may be able to use him to get many of Ove's followers to defect." "How?" the Princess asked. "Alina," her father shushed her. "Because," Blade gave a sly smile. "He is a Dragon of light." The Princess made an audible gasp but the King wasn't so foolish. "Preposterous. Ove would never-" "Not knowingly," Blade interrupted. "But the first Queen had light ancestors. Whether she knew it or not, she carried the gene and it was passed on to her son. She didn't die in childbirth; she killed herself out of shame. She retained more of her draconic powers than Ove did; that's why he mated with her. Her son was the last of us to hatch from an egg." "How can this be true? Certainly everyone would have known about an egg." "It was hidden by the maid that assisted the Queen. She threw herself off a cliff." "You're lying," the King decided. "How could you know so much about something that happened before you were even conceived?" "I have my ways." "As I have mine. Lock him up! And get Abdul here now!" The guards and servants made haste to complete the tasks they were given; Blade and Pica were taken down to the dungeons where they would be guarded at all times. They were kept in their cage for nearly two weeks before anyone came to talk to them. Blade could have escaped, but he knew that it would take time to win the King over so he patiently waited in his cell. Not without complaints, though; he openly voiced his opinions about the meager meals they were given, saying that they should provide better accommodations for such a valuable prisoner. It eventually worked; they got a slightly bigger helping of gruel and less stale bread. Still not the royal meal he wanted, but better than dirt and mouse droppings. When someone finally did descend the stairs into the dark corridors, it was neither the King nor his advisors. A guard escorted a man with dark hair and a sharp face. "Darius!" Blade said, jumping to the bars. "Great to see you. What took you so long?" "My apologies, your highness," Darius said with a bow. "This King is quite stubborn." The guard unlocked the cell door as they conversed. "I gave him information in exchange for your release. He requests an audience." Blade nodded and the group traveled up through the castle to a room on the third floor. The King stood at a large table that held a very detailed map of the continent; sculptors of mountains were carved from wood and placed atop the table for a better understanding of altitudes. Small metal figures that represented the King's armies were scattered throughout the western region; another figure seemed to be inching its way towards the northern mountains. On the eastern side of the map, Drakyn's castle had been marked with a dagger that was surely thrown at the table in anger. Ove's armies were marked with varying sizes of wooden blocks; Blade could already count five mistakes of the locations. "Your servant has given me valuable information," the King said, nodding towards some papers on a desk. Blade looked down at them; military orders for Ove's armies. "Can you confirm these?" He looked at them more closely and nodded. "Yes." Setting the papers down, he stepped over to the map to correct the locations of Ove's men. "This group has taken the southern docks already," he said, moving a block towards the water. "He's started to build a navy. He plans on coming at you from the water." He adjusted the other blocks that were out of place, and added a new one towards the middle of the map - much to the dislike of the King. "Let them come," the King growled. "We'll burn their ships." Blade absently agreed as he looked over the map. He wondered if the people he was searching for somewhere on this continent, or if they've already traveled across the waters to the eats. The King saw his unasked question and cleared his throat to get his attention. "This way." He lead the way up a set of spiral stairs in the corner of the room. In the next room was a table much like the first, but on a larger scale. An up-to-date map of the entire world filled the room, separate tables holding different continents or islands. Blade was impressed by the level of detail put into the mountains and forests, even settlements had their own little carving. Parts of the map had been painted and Blade now realized that the carpet was blue to mimic the oceans. The walls were a sky-blue dotted with clouds and the ceiling was dark and held the constellations. "You seem to have changed your mind about me," Blade finally said. "May I ask why?" "My sources were able to confirm the things you told me," the King replied. "And I am acquainted with this servant of yours," he added, nodding to Darius. "He's helped my family on more than one occasion." Darius had casually made his way around the room until he came to a string of islands. There was one island that had been painted completely. "Lovely little island, isn't it?" The King commented. "My late cousin had a summer home there. Sadly, he passed away some years ago and I haven't been able to visit it since. I do wish to take Alina there some day." * * * They were given proper rooms that night instead of a moldy cell. Now that they had privacy, Blade was able to sit with Darius and his servant gave him any relevant information that he had gathered since their separation; most importantly, information about the island the King had spoken of. Blade finally had a location; he just needed to get there. He stood up and left the room without a word, making his way to the courtyard to pace around and think. Without knowing if his target would move, he needed to act quickly - but getting the full trust of the King would take time. "Ugh!" He growled out in frustration, throwing his hands through his hair. He laced his fingers behind his head and looked up at the stars. "Why does this have to be so hard?!" he demanded as though the heavens would give him the answer. "What's hard?" piped a young voice; Alina had wandered into the courtyard with him knowing. He looked at her and sighed, dropping his hands to his sides. "Darius gave me information about my brother. He knows where he is." "Oh, that's wonderful!" she clapped her hands together and smiled. "Are you going to him?" "I want to, but I can't leave here just yet." "Why not?" "Because I want your father to trust me. I have no ill intentions towards Javaan." They made small talk throughout the night until Alina's maid insisted that she turn in, then the two parted ways and Blade returned to his chambers. He sat with Darius a while longer to come up with a plan of action, but he only managed to get frustrated with having to choose between getting the King to like him and going after his brother. If only he could do both at once - he stopped in the middle of his pacing. Maybe he could do both at once. He joined the King for dinner the next evening; a proper meal this time, not old bread. The King was impressed with Blade's military knowledge, and the Prince easily offered up information about Ove's plans. Alina quietly admired Blade from across the table while her older brothers boasted about their own victories in combat. Tussles with their friends, really. Blade wasn't sure if the King would really let his sons go to war. As the evening wore on, the King relaxed in the company of his family and a bottle of fine wine, and as they conversed Blade was sure that the King was growing more fond of him. Dinner concluded and the King invited Blade into his study. "I never thought I would be dining with the son of Ove," he said as he relaxed into an armchair. "You're certainly not your father." "I take pride in that, sir," Blade replied. The King chuckled. "Maybe Drakyn does have a future. You'll make a better ruler than Ove, but what of a Queen? Every King must have a Queen." "Yes, that is true." "What about my daughter?" the King suggested. Blade paused. "Sir?" Although it had been his plan, he was surprised that the King was the one to suggest it. Perhaps it was the wine, though he didn't seem that drunk. "What better way to strengthen our loyalties? Alina will make a fine Queen. What do you say?" Blade bowed. "It would be my honor, sir." He wiped the victorious smirk from his face before he straightened. "As a gift, would you permit me to escort her to your cousin's summer home?" "Yes, of course! We'll have the wedding when you return." Blade bowed again. "Thank you, sir." He half expected the King to change his mind by morning, but the announcement was given at breakfast and Alina seemed all too pleased with the proposal. The next couple of weeks were spent planning for the wedding and Blade putting the necessary effort into charming the royal family and gaining their trust. After that they were packed and on a ship eastbound. Spoiler: click to toggle Darius was gone; vanished. Snuck off in the middle of the night without anyone noticing. A presence had appeared in the library; it seemed harmless, but Isi was agitated by it. Liexe was angry and paranoid and knew something bad was going to happen; he got many people off the island and sent them to safer, more secluded places. Some refused to leave; Isi and a few of her men stayed. Aki stayed. The infant dragon stayed on the island because Lixe did not want it out of his sight; that, of course, meant that Kass and her friends stayed. With the island almost deserted, he could do nothing but worry and wait for whatever was coming. "It's been months, Liexe" Isi said. "Maybe we got lucky and no one's coming." "Of course someone is coming," Liexe continued to fret. "Darius served Blade before he came to us. What would stop him from going back when his master calls?" Isi sighed, crossing her arms and flicking her tail. "I've met Blade before. He was full of a lot of hot air, but he despises Ove as much as we do. If Darius went back to him, he could very well help us." "That was years ago, Isi! He could very well kill us." "And what of Arash?!" she demanded. "He served in Ove's army and we know nothing about him. He could have killed us in our sleep by now." "He's... I don't know." He gave an exasperated sigh and fell into the chair at is desk. The papers in front of him had come from some of his contacts and warned of movement within Ove's army. They were preparing to move - from the sounds of it, to invade; but they didn't know where they were going. Arash had stayed on the island; maybe he was sending messages to Ove. What could Liexe do? Arash was a trained soldier. He couldn't fight him. Even Isi didn't attempt to fight him. He sat there trying to think of what to do until one of Isi's men came bursting through the door. "There's a ship approaching!" Liexe stood up with enough force to knock the chair over - which he did not care to correct - and he dashed out of the office, down the stairs and out the door. He ran as fast as he could to a point where he could see the docks; a large ship slowly drifted towards the island. Liexe squinted as Isi came up beside him with a spyglass. "It's not Drakyn," she said as she handed him the glass. Liexe peered through the lens at the oncoming ship. He could see no weapons attached to the vessel and the deck was not crammed with soldiers. Also, it was the only ship to be seen. Perhaps a scouting party; but the ship itself was too big for that purpose. "It's Javaan," he said, taking note of the emblems on the sails. "Javaan? What are they doing all the way out here?" "This house belonged to the King's cousin." "What?!" "It was abandoned when I got here. The guy's been dead for years. Drakyn was keeping Javaan busy so I didn't think anyone was coming back." "You seem awfully calm about this." "I've been to Javaan before. They're not out to kill me." "So we just let them dock?" "Sure," Liexe said simply, handing back the spyglass and turning around to leave. Isi looked through the glass and let him walk. "What if they're after it?" she called back to him after a moment. Liexe paused for a brief second, swore under his breath, then hurried to find Kass and the infant dragon. If Darius had told anyone about it, they could be in a lot of trouble. (( I feel like this is enough to get things going again. If anyone has questions just text me. )) Edited by Rin, Aug 23 2016, 08:25 PM.
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| Tak | Aug 23 2016, 04:22 PM Post #27 |
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All other forms of entertainment exhausted, Arash resorted to reading a book; a very dull book, it turned out, and he was glad for the distraction of a knock on the door. Bryn entered and curtsied. "There's a ship approaching the castle, sire. It looks to be Javaan in origin." "Oh?" he swung himself off the bed, paused for a second to make sure he was presentable then strode downstairs with Bryn at his heels. He arrived at the harbor just as the ship was moored and the gangplank lowered so the passengers could disembark. It was strange to see a lone Javaan ship and bearing only a small regiment of guards and servants, at that. Who were they? Arash wasn't close enough to tell. Gawking at the edge of the dock was a pastime for commoners, not a soldier, so he remained where he was, on the path leading to the castle. As the party approached, Arash recognized the prince immediately and dropped to one knee on the side of the road. Bryn knelt behind and slightly to one side of him, head bowed almost to the ground, and sent up a silent prayer of thanks that their search was finally at an end. The ship was anchored and the plank set; Alina excitedly bounced onto land and hurried to admire the flowers along the pathway. A couple of her servants stayed behind to unload the luggage; her guards and maid hurried to catch up to her. Blade casually stepped off the plank and onto the path with Darius, pausing when he caught up with the Princess. There were two people bowing on the side of the road. Aaaaand there was Isi, arms crossed and glaring. She always refused to bow him. "Hmph. Long time no see, Isi. Where's your brother?" "Dead," she replied through gritted teeth. She shifted her glare from him to Darius. "What the hell are you thinking?" "He was doing his job," Blade answered, then turned to his servant. "He's here, isn't he?" Darius nodded. "Who are you looking for?" Isi demanded. "My dear old brother," Blade said and he offered his arm to Alina; she took it and they started walking up the path. "Brother?!" Isi growled and shot a look to Darius. He avoided her gaze and hurried after his Prince. Isi ran ahead of them when they approached the castle, rushing inside before they even got to the door. She found Liexe and hurriedly explained. Liexe started panicking. He rushed downstairs to find the group standing in the door way. He saw the tail end of Bryn disappear to the kitchen, and a girl in a pink dress was going into the sitting room. Liexe froze in the hallway and he and Blade just stood there for several moments staring at each other. Isi stood somewhere between them, protectively, ready to pounce if Blade so much as twitched. The girl in the pink dress suddenly came out of the room and stepped into the circle of people - completely oblivious to the tension between them. "Hello!" she gave Isi and Liexe a smile. "I didn't know anyone was living here. Did you know my cousin Aali? Or do you know my father?" "I... uh.." Liexe stammered. He cleared his throat and composed himself. "No, I came to this island years ago and it was abandoned." "Oh. Well, yes, Aali passed away some time ago. My father's been too busy with the war to come here." "The war? Is he a general or something?" Isi asked. "Oh, no," Alina shook her head. "My father's the King." Liexe stiffened and quickly remembered his manners, bowing. "Pardon the intrusion, your highness." "Oh, it's okay! I'm glad that you've cleaned the place. I would have been sad if we got here and it was in ruins." Liexe straightened and hesitantly asked, "May I ask what your highness is doing here? Isn't your father worried?" "Not at all! I've got Blade here to protect me," she said, smiling and wrapping her hands around Blade's arm. "His Majesty allowed me to escort her here," Blade said with a smirk. "We're to be married upon our return to Javaan." "Who in their right mind would marry you?" Isi remarked. "Isi," Liexe's tone told her to stand down. "I'm sure you're tired from the trip. May I offer you dinner?" "That sounds wonderful!" Alina smiled. Arash silently cursed Liexe for sending the servants away in his panic. This castle wasn't fit to welcome him let alone the prince and princess. Bryn masterfully took over, directing a few of the servants they arrived with to rooms and taking the rest to the kitchen to fetch ale and start cooking. The princess was too absorbed in the building itself to notice the lack of service and the prince was busy talking to Liexe; nonetheless Bryn was in a rush to get the dining hall in order, places set, and dinner served. They were seated, downed a round of ale and started on round two, before the meal was ready but, thankfully, tempers had held and as the first of the trays of meat filed in carried by Princess Alina's servants, Bryn breathed a sigh of relief. At dinner Arash took the opportunity to study the guards assigned to the prince and princess. They behaved as well trained soldiers who were clearly devoted to their princess should but he wondered if the whole army felt that way. The servants were another story; some devoted to her but clearly uncomfortable with the prince's presence, some indifferent, one of the girls was a naive twat with not much going on upstairs who looked as if she'd believe anything the princess told her, and then there was that one. Carrot top curls, pale, freckled skin, and her corset laced so tight it was a wonder she could breathe. That one fancied herself mistress to the king, if only she could catch his eye; maybe even queen herself one day. "I wish to have a word with that one." Arash said quietly, without looking up from his plate, to Bryn as she refilled his ale. "See if you can't arrange a meeting." "Yes, sir." she nodded, knowing exactly which one he meant. Edited by Tak, Aug 23 2016, 04:54 PM.
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| Harper-Minstrel | Oct 5 2016, 02:53 AM Post #28 |
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Resident Demon House Plant
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Pica had played the part of attaché for the bulk of this journey. From the encounter with the soldiers in the pass, to the clash with their captain, to the proposal and acceptance in Javaan's Royal Palace. She had been present for each and every exchange, in one way or another. Blade himself might not have noticed her, past the times when she came with him on foot, during the days leading up to Javaan. Her lack of presence did not correlate to lack of activity. Nor, certainly, did the presence in the library limit itself to just the little nook it had chosen at first. Much can be done in months, and months of work can lay the foundation of the greatest of undertakings. The presence in the library, the fair, elfin figure who had delivered a message in some time past, had devoured the knowledge within the library word for word, committing it and cataloging it for Pica, who had spent the trip on the ship in careful, meditative communication with her second across the sea. It was also a convenient excuse to ignore the depth of the water or the rickety feeling of the (admittedly very sturdy) vessel. She thought back, casting her mind to the previous months, moving things into place. A series of faces tinged with a peculiar feature - violet rimming their eyes as they went about their business. A soldier in Javaan. A winged Draken soldier. A Traveler, belted with sword and shield and half plate, along with his party of four. An innkeeper. A few men at arms, a politik, and perhaps a monk. It was good to bury her fingers, so to speak, in the soil of Meeden once again. A man in Javaan thanked his luck and offered a small tithe, and she smiled with the reception. Good, indeed. --- The walk to the castle after the landing was short, but she anticipated the next few minutes with glee. It would be so very interesting to see how this all developed - enmity was in the air. When they settled for the meal, she took a seat near enough to Blade to be counted among his retinue - and also a bit improper, given that she was not seemingly tied to him by blood, nor perhaps ' fit' to sit at the table. She had chosen to abandon her travel guise and sat in her everyday clothes, carefully reclining in the chair, eyes closed as she listened to the hum of voices. The presence in the library fluxed once, twice, then exited the room suddenly and with no further preamble. Said presence made its way to the main room, where the dinner was taking place, and poised near the door as if waiting. The girl in question, Pica's twin in all but hair color and clothing, waited in the space between the library and the main room. |
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| Rin | Jan 25 2017, 06:57 PM Post #29 |
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Administrator
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Blade entered the dining room first, taking a seat at the first table he came across. Darius stood behind him and slightly to the right. Liexe sat directly across from Blade. Isi stood behind him and slightly to the left. Alina took a seat next to Blade with her maids behind her. Isi's men stood behind Liexe. The Javaan Princess was oblivious to the tension in the room; the others could cut it with a knife. "So," Liexe started. Blade's eyes were crawling around the room, inspecting, then snapped to Liexe when he started talking. "So," Blade repeated. “Quaint little place you have here." "We make do with what we have," Liexe said. "Instead of taking everything from everyone." "I only take what's needed," Blade said, calm and calculating, judging the body language of the men in the room. So much tension, unease, people fidgeting uncomfortably. And most of all - fear. Liexe was stoic; Isi was angry, and their men constantly shifted uneasily. Rightly so. He was, after all, the Prince of Drakyn. A child of Shadows; a calculating predator that used every person's weakness against them to get what he wanted. This was a game of chess and everyone was his pawn. Liexe narrowed his eyes. “And what is needed, Prince?" "An army," Blade replied casually, like it was something discussed over tea. Speaking of tea, he could go for a cup. He glanced at the doorway as though expecting the kitchen to hear his mental request. "We can talk about that later," he said when, to his delight, drinks were brought up to tide them over while the dinner finished cooking. There was a long awkward silence as everyone tried to drown their tension in their glass. But the tea wasn't a strong enough drink and they were all forced to endure Alina's small talk. A simple girl, she talked about everyday things such as the weather and her visits into town. Everyone was polite enough to respond to her, but no one initiated conversation. Except Blade, who managed to charm her with every word he spoke. Isi and two of her men spoke amongst themselves, stopping only when Blade looked their way with a sly smile. Her ears pinned back and she growled at him which only made him laugh. “I wasn’t scared of you before, and I’m not scared of you now, cat,” he said. “So please, don’t embarrass yourself.” “Go to hell,” Isi spat. Dinner finally arrived, but everyone was hesitant to start eating. Even Alina refused to be the first to pick up her fork. Blade and Liexe stared at each for a long time, wondering if the other had ordered the kitchen to put any kind of poison in the food. Finally, Isi tested it for Liexe and Darius tested it for Blade. They waited. Nothing happened. Everyone reluctantly sat down started eating. “So, the reason I’m here is to enlist the help of my brother,” Blade said. “I need your help killing dear old dad.” “I am not your brother,” Liexe hissed. Blade gave him an amused smile. “You say that every time we meet, but I don’t think you believe it. And I know for a fact that the cat sides with me on this.” “That doesn’t mean I like you,” Isi said. “I’m not really asking you to like me, am I? All I’m asking is for your help in killing my father, and I know how much you want that. So can’t we just come to a truce?” They all fell silent again as they continued eating, everyone contemplating Blade’s request. It was no secret that many people wanted Ove dead; nor was it a secret that they were all very skeptical of the Prince. One of Isi’s men cleared his throat and spoke up, “We all want Ove dead, but the saying “apples don’t fall far from the tree” is a saying for a reason. What guarantee do we have that you won’t turn around and betray us?” Blade shrugged. “You’ll just have to take my word for it.” “Your words mean nothing,” Isi growled. “...unless they are carried,” Liexe suddenly said. They all looked at him, brows knitted in confusion, someone asking, “What?” “Apples. They don’t fall far from the tree, unless they are carried,” he explained. They still stared at him. “It was something somebody said about Blade years ago. They told me that he would need my help, but…” he trailed off. “So will you help me?” Blade asked. Liexe stared at him but remained silent. “He has my father’s support,” Alina butted in, speaking in such a way that made it seem like that was all the anyone needed to know in order to help Blade. Liexe sighed. “This isn’t something that can be decided over night. We will need time to consider it and come up with a suitable agreement. Of course, we’re going to expect compensation from you.” “Of course,” Blade agreed. “I am prepared to give you anything you ask for. Just name it. Except for Ove’s body; I’ve already promised several pieces of it to several different people.” They all fell into a tense silence again as they returned to their meals. When they finished, everyone was given a room for the night. Isi joined Liexe in his office. “What are we going to do?” she asked. “I’m not sure yet,” Liexe answered. “I’m wary of him, but at the same time, Darius trusts him. I know he left us, but he is a good man.” Isi laughed. “You never would have said that when I first met you. He has good judgment, though. And I as much as I hate Blade, I know that he’s speaking the truth.” Liexe sighed. “We’ll think of something. By the way, have you seen Aki?” “She’s been at the north side of the island all day. Said she’d be back tomorrow.” “I see. We’ll need to keep an eye on her.” “Why?” Isi asked, her tail flicking behind her. “Because she might try to kill Blade, and I don’t know if I’d be able to stop her.” Isi nodded and they bid each other goodnight. |
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| Tak | Jan 25 2017, 07:16 PM Post #30 |
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It was late when Bryn found the girl alone in the washroom, towel drying her hair after a bath that had far too much perfume in it, by the smell of the room. "My master wishes to see you." "Can he pay?" she replied frankly, looking at Bryn's reflection in the mirror instead of turning around in her seat. "I don't do IOUs." Bryn had too much pity for this ignorant girl to be annoyed with the implication that she served a poor lord. "You will be reimbursed." The girl considered for a minute as one perfectly manicured finger smoothed an equally perfect eyebrow, then she shrugged. Any paycheck, regardless how small, was better than none, after all, so she tousled her hair, pinched her cheeks to get some color back into them without having to find her makeup, and put her corset on over her nightgown. Putting all her clothes back on would be just a tad pointless. "Name's Nina, by the way." She said before turning to Bryn, striking a sultry pose and asking with pouted lips, "Well, how do I look?" "If you want my advice, you'll leave here." Bryn answered, deliberately avoiding everything but Nina's face. Especially her stupid breasts threatening to spill out of her stupid corset. "Oh, my, don't be jealous, sug, you'll get wrinkles on that pretty face of yours." Bryn said nothing as she handed her a cloak then led her through the castle and to the entrance of the woods just outside the grounds. With a curtsy to her master, Bryn left them alone. Ugh, why did it have to be outside? I'm freezing. Nina grumbled inwardly. Outwardly, she was all coy smiles as she clung to the arm of this silent soldier. He hadn't said a word as they walked a little further into the forest, nor had he said anything when they stopped in a small clearing where he reclined against a log and motioned for her to strip. She didn't mind. Chatty clients paid more but they could be so tiring that it was hardly worth it. It was difficult to strip out here in the dark. The full moon offered enough light for him to see her, presumably, but she couldn't see him very well, sitting in the treeline as he was, so she had to guess at his reactions but he hadn't complained yet so she must be managing all right. When her little dance was done and she motioned him over with a finger, Arash exploded from the log he was leaning against and tackled her to the ground. She began to protest but was cut short by his left hand clamping down on her mouth. "Do you remember me?" he growled. She didn't answer; not a nod or shake of her head or even the tiniest spark of recollection in her eyes. "Then let me remind you." A glint of steel caught her eye and she looked down to see the point of a dagger thrust into her left breast. The blacksmith opened the door with a growl and Arash's face immediately contoured into a grimace as the stench of booze, vomit, and whorehouse perfume assailed his nostrils. "Yeah? Wasis it?" the stocky armed, beer-gut wielding smith slurred. The man barely had his pants on, stank like he hadn't bathed in days, and, to Arash's further disgust, seemed intent on dislodging something from his naval. "My horse cast a shoe." Arash said finally. "Closed" was the answer as the door swung shut but Arash caught and held it open, his voice firm. "You will fix it." The smith growled again but was spared articulating himself further by the topless source of the rank perfume descending the stairs behind him. "What is it, love? What's keeping you from me?" she asked with a pout as she draped herself over his shoulder. "This guy wants me to shoe a horse at this hour." The smith replied with a jerk of his thumb in Arash's direction. "Oh, that wont do. We're having a party, sug, why don't you come join us?" As another whore appeared to drag the surly smith back up the stairs, this one laced her arms around Arash's neck and cooed propositions into his ear. "You look tense. Come on, it'll be fun." She closed her eyes and leaned in for a kiss that never came; Arash having chosen instead to choke the daylights out of her. It always disappointed him that humans were so easy to kill. If he wanted her to suffer, he could do very little in reality. A few broken bones, maybe some internal bleeding, but anything worse and she'd simply give up and die. Really, he wanted her to run, screaming, so he could give chase. The chase was the best part but, oh, what he could do when he caught her! He could rip off her breasts, maybe swallow them whole, he could rip out her uterus, that horrid thing that births whore daughters and bastard sons, or he could simply rip out her heart and crush it between his jaws. If only he was a dragon proper! But, alas... he released her and she crumpled to the floor, coughing and sputtering. He drew his knife, knelt down, and cut her finely across her left breast. He smelled her blood, tasted it, committed it to memory. "I will be back for you and you will die." "Do you remember now? Did you forget my promise to kill you?" he asked as he dropped the dagger and, entwining the fingers of his left hand into her hair, pulled her head back to expose her throat. He smelled her freshly washed skin covered in that disgusting whorehouse perfume but it was the unmistakable stench of fear he was searching for. Her mouth, free at last, could have, should have, screamed for help but, frozen in terror, all she could do was stare wide eyed at the stars above her while her breath came in short, choking gasps as she sobbed uncontrollably. "Do you know what I am?" he whispered. She shook her head, closing her eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks. Again, he whispered "A dragon". Her eyes snapped open to see not a man but the serpentine neck and head of a dragon and with one last blood curdling scream she knew no more as he ripped out her throat. His magic held long enough to dismember her into a scattered pile of mostly unrecognizable pieces then he reverted back and with a contented sigh fell asleep in the blood soaked clearing. |
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7:22 PM Jul 10