The Zoo II
001 - Poached
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What could he say, Soren was a silly guy! He just put on his most charming smile and shrugged, regardless of if it was true or not about sneezes. some people said it, mostly people who were from or who had picked it up from earthers. "I certainly hope people think of me in as good a light as you believe."
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After his feeding and the time he spent leaning against Sysyu he would finally pull himself together. "Thank you for sitting with me, I appreciate it." He said and kissed her hand gently, "Shall we get ready to move on? Remus can rest while we do so." It should not take long for his brother to get back on his feet, regeneration was a lovely thing.
Soren helped Sysyu pack up their rations and water, and then tended to his own mount making sure it had its fill of water and what not. He also checked on Cillian, making sure he was ready for the day ahead. Soren was eager to get to the zoo, curious how his brother would react to all the sights and sounds that awaited them.
Once camp was broken Soren looked around to each of his troupe. "Mount up. Daylight is burning and we have a zoo to get to." No matter how much sway being the son of the king had, he doubted it would be enough to visit the zoo after hours, after all disrupting the animals circadian rhythm would be bad. Not to mention Cillian was practically bouncing with excitement.
Once everyone was mounted Soren led his troupe toward the shortcut mentioned before, he was excited too, this was going to be a good day.:
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Sysyu blushed a little when Soren thanked her for sitting by him. "Well... I... needed your strength as much as you welcomed my company." She looked upon Soren curiously then. "Why would anyone think unkindly of you, Soren? You seem bound to honor and goodness." She observed with genuine esteem.
The shortcut they followed when they came to it proved to be easy to find and a well worn trail. Even better it led them to one of the most beautiful regions in the reserve. Open savannahs of nutgrass like an ocean of amber gold was broken by islands of ancient stands of trees with the Trident River central fork snaking through both field and forest like a silver serpent. Animals great and small meandered in herds, prides and in solitude in abundance. It was like entering a world untouched by mankind, even the natural path they tread which had been created by the movements of the lombra which traveled in single or duel file however large their herd. They only massed when threatened to put their young and old at the center. Cillian was so excited at each species they encountered that he had to be reminded more than once to stay mounted and close to their group. Remus meanwhile regaled him with information about each species. Cillian's little wings had carried him off of Shimmer's back to get a better look several times already now. When a herd of beautiful lombra crossed the path ahead he bubbled over wanting to catch and ride one.
Remus decided to fly ahead and see if he could drove the lombra back for Cillian to get another look. The lombra had gone faster and further ahead than he had anticipated however and the party lost sight of the Noctmaire prince as he passed out of sight beyond and behind a massive stand of moon trees, the nuts of which many of the park's animals fed on, from Lombra, antelope, warbash and deer to the great Mastumaaq of the planes. Much as prey animals were drawn to the moon tree stands (named for their white shelled cashew-like nuts and smooth white bark) for food and shade beneath their massive canopies, so too were predators. The Trident River's central branch and its tributaries ran through the forest Remus was navigating.
Remus thought himself prepared to encounter just about anything except for the trouble he did find himself in. He heard the quiet popping reports of charges being fired then found himself doging a number of nets. He attempted to alert the group only for his voice to go silent and the world around him black as he dodged the fourth net in succession only to fly into a cloud of invisible gas. As he began to plummet, a fifth net caught him and slowed his descent to soften his landing. It was enough to knock the breath out of him regardless. His captors were quick and had him bound, gagged and shot him with another much stronger tranquilizer. Everything was distorted dreams after that.
"This isn't the one we wanted," one of the women in the crew pointed out.
"Well he's unique enough that he'll do. Now lets clear out and reset. And remember..." the boss man was speaking.
"Leave no sign, yeah yeah, we know the drill," one of the older subordinates assured their boss and got to work cleaning up. Their crew was efficient, quiet and fast and even removed any brush or sticks that got broken during the capture.
Afterwards as they set up for their next ambush and waited word from their scouts, the boss and his lead woman exchanged hushed words. "So what is he you think? Will Lord and Lady Deumas want these specimens? They are awfully high profile." The pretty woman addressed him with her concerns.
Her boss, a rugged but handsome man in a weathered gunslinger way smiled with a natural charm that made him magnetic to women, especially those who loved bad boys. "No one really knows what the dragon prince is other than a noctmaire something or other. Our clients don't care about profile as they don't intend for their pets to ever leave their private menagerie. What they care about is rarity and that boy-" pointing to the sedated Remus "-and the younger one we're after are as rare as they come. The moment we have the other we move out and deliver."
The girl nodded, smiling, satisfied with his intel.
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Soren smiled at her words. How good she was to say such things, always something reassuring or encouraging, and he liked that about her. He was glad to be so lucky as to have captured her interest, and he would not waste it! "Not that they think I'm wicked, but... perhaps that they underestimate me." He had been human so long and he did not flaunt the gifts Remus had given him in siring him. So it was likely many still looked upon him as just the king's half-human brat, or so he told himself, though it was likely a self inflicted insecurity. "With you by my side though, I feel like I can do anything. Is that corny to say?"
As they made for the shortcut he kept a close eye on his brother, he could not fathom the wrath that would be visited upon him if Cillian came to harm, so he would stay vigilant. Soren watched Remus flit away to play herder for their party.He felt something along the bond, though once Remus was out of sight, had he not been so guarded he might have missed it, but it was like... a sudden rush of panic and then nothing? Perhaps his brother nearly slammed into a tree, he would ask after him when he returned.
"Cillian, stay close, dear brother of mine." He said as he rode beside Sysyu, "I know my brother is excited, how about you.. have you been to a zoo before?" He could only wonder at what strange and exciting things she saw in Acheron, he had only stories and rumors to go off, he'd love to see it himself sometime. "You know my father has some Black Lions I could show you sometime, they are beautiful, and friendly." At least he had never seen them riled up and on the attack.
So they would push on following the short cut Soren keeping an eye out for Remus as they went.
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Sysyu pursed her lips in consideration of people underestimating him. "I'm not really sure people underestimate you. I haven't really seen any signs of that. Who does that you think? It's very silly of them if they should," she believed. She smiled at the following compliment and a little colour rose to her cheeks. "It makes me very happy to hear that I make you feel that way. You're the sweetest man, Soren," and she pushed her stallion in even closer and came off her saddle to lean across the gap that remained to kiss his cheek. She looked a little puzzled though when she settled back to regain her seat. Corny... she hadn't heard that one before so she tried to figure it out. "Let's see... Corn is a vegetable originating on earth in the Americas... It has sweet, nutty, starchy, crisp kernels attached to a woody stem called a cob and is covered in both layered protective leaves called sheaves or husks and silky styles called silk. One piece of corn is called an ear. It's a pretty amazing and versatile vegetable, so I guess yes, what you said is corny, if corny means amazing." She smiled just a bit but her blush deepened.
Beran chuckled across the way. He found Sysyu quite amusing in her analytical nature. She was a total nerd but he liked that about her. "Corny actually means silly in a goofy kind of way but what he said about you is more amazing than goofy, so you're spot on to the facts, Sysyu." He informed her to save his best friend the embarrassment and pay him a little compliment of his own.
Spot on... now that one spoke for itself to Sysyu!
Beran then felt it too... that brief flash of panic that left as quick as it occurred. He thought much the same as Soren only that maybe a bird or flock of birds burst from the treetops to startle him. Still... it was enough to make him look Soren's way and whisper to him mentally. He was glad that mental abilities worked in close range at least. ~"Did you feel that?"~ When Soren confirmed that he had felt panic from Remus Beran pursued the subject. "What do you think we should do? Remus doesn't startle easy. What if something happened to him?" Beran was also keeping a lot more alert now. "Should we stick together or should I fly ahead and look for him?" He was taking Soren being the assigned leader seriously.
Before Soren could even decide what to do Cillian decided for them. Just as they were entering the outskirts of the same large copse of trees Remus had vanished behind some miles ahead, a young gold dragon napping in some nearby brush exploded from the dense shrubs to take flight. Cillian immediately took off after her, ignoring all calls to return. He was just too happy and excited to even register their alarmed shouts for him to come back. His wings were already out and he just shot off of Shimmer after the juvenile gold dragon which was just a little larger than Shimmer was. Cillian then began to speak in a screechy, clicky, poppy and whistly complex language that was dragon speak which actual words of Griddaen could be heard through if one knew the language and paid attention, and next thing they all knew Cillian and the young dragon who introduced herself to him as Copper (Braealus Eolin, Gilded in Copper her full name), were playing together in flight just ahead and above the party. Not wanting to get left out Shimmer joined them in a three way game of air tag.
Sysyu huffed loudly after telling Shimmer in vain to ' Oh no, Shimmer! Stay put, you!" Her flustered expression then settled on Soren after Shimmer disobediently shot off to play. "Your little brother and his dragon are as stubborn as MY little brother Erogi!" she vented in frustration. "Are all boys so head strong or is it just them?" she wished to know, meaning no offense to Soren or Beran.
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Soren shrugged, "I don't know, I am probably just imagining it, I couldn't point out someone. Maybe my father feels that way?" That was a false insinuation though, Octavian thought quite highly of his son's abilities. He intended to give Soren more responsibility when he completed his squire training, "It could be the last vestiges of the boy I was though, being insecure." Hearing her speak on it made it more and more obvious that it was likely the insecurity of a boy making him feel this way, he was glad that she was here with him to point it out, he felt a surge of confidence welling inside him as they spoke. He was surprised when she leaned over and kissed him and got a little rosy cheeked himself, and he was thankful that his brother Beran explained to her the turn of phrase he had used.
"You know I will have to steal a kiss back from you now?" He said with a mischievous look in his eyes, and it seeped into his grin a bit. He still remembered the passion they had shared when they were infected by the desires of her sister and Andros. He could not help but remember where it had been so intense. He found himself reaching out. He wanted to hold her hand as they rode beside one another at this leisurely pace. If she agreed he would kiss her knuckle and glanced into her eyes.. "This doesn't count, as my stolen kiss by the way, so dont think it does!"
Beran saying what he said about her was more amazing than goofy made him blush a bit deeper. What was this; A make Soren turn red contest!? Though he did like hearing them speak so, even if he did not say it outloud.
That said, when his eyes and Beran's own met and they shared their concerns about what was felt across the shared bond, it was concerning at least a little, but Soren tamped down on the part of him that wanted to immediately jump to action and go directly to Remus. "We stick together," He had not really spoken to Sysyu about her combat experience, and Cillian was a newborn, their safety was paramount, that's what their training dictated. "We stick together, but keep trying to connect with Remus." Beran was the more skilled, Soren was a fast learner, but Beran had these gifts since birth, he was the better for the job.
Not that it mattered! Cillian flew off like a damn dart! "Beran after Cillian, we will follow on horse back!" Soren unconsciously knew they should approach from different angles in case there was something in these woods with ill intent. Shimmer too had flew off like a... bat out of hell? He really had picked up on a lot of damn earthling turns of phrase.
"Oh it is all of us of course. That's why we men need women, to pull us back from the edge when we look like were about to ride right off a cliff!" He said, "Lets ride!" He said and pulled his hand from hers as he galloped off, the mounts of his brothers following along behind, answering to a whistle from Soren. His brothers might need their mounts when he caught up to them.
As they galloped off, the sounds that had alarmed Remus could be heard again, as the poachers fired the nets, this time from two different angles. The additional targets called for a more sophisticated attack.
The male Warden from before looked to his female companion, "Think they have the situation in hand, or should we follow?" He was on edge, poaching was one thing, but capturing the children of powerful immortals, it was something else entirely, if even one of them escaped the fallout would be cataclysmic.
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"Lord Octavian does NOT feel that way, I promise you," Sysyu was certain and gladly took his hand to squeeze it warmly, her fingers laced with his. But that didn't last long as the spirited Cillian decided to throw all caution aside and take off after a dragon. Sysyu's eyes lit up despite herself. The young gold dragon was so beautiful with its copper edged gold scales and horns it was named after. And the way she and Killian flew together was amazing. Shimmer was far less agile in his bulkier build and far quicker to tire. Indeed he was unable to keep up and had to land and run after the horses. When even they outpaced him in their dash after Cillian he just whispered away in streams of glassy blue particles like glitter on the wind to sink back inside of Cillian. It became clear then why Cillian named him shimmer.
Now when Beran came after Cillian he made a complete game of evading him and with laughter and giggles trailing after him he sped away calling to the others to "Catch me if you can!" The child could weave and dart with the best of them, his small size giving him an advantage in the way he whizzed around like a hummingbird. He had learned a lot from just watching Remus fly and had the fearless confidence of his young age to not back down from acrobatics he wanted to pull off. Cillian LOVED to fly and it showed in his airborne antics. The kid was literally born flying so it should not be surprising that he had a natural talent for it. Where Remus loved to fly so much because he was kept from it for so long, Cillian was born being in love with flight.
When the charges started going off from both sides of the road, some aimed high and others low, Sysyu tried to wheel her horss around only for the nets to catch in the stallions long legs and spill him over. Sysyu scrambled from the saddle only to meet a second net full in the face as it was fired at her. The gas bomb which followed was delivered with a loud pop and long hiss of unseen gas which quickly enveloped the area. Sysyu and the nets entrapping her went down almost immediately.
Beran was able to evade several of the nets before the gas got him and he began falling. A net was then expertly fired above him to drop down on him as he fell. Alarmed by all the commotion Copper flew off and upwards quickly to escape the nets and gas but Cillian, brave little tyke that he was, dove right after Beran intending to grab him and pull him back up, but had to dodge nets being fired at him as he went. He was quick but the nets and gas covered his only space to maneuver in. He went down shortly after Beran. Now where Beran was out cold, Cillian was fighting the nets and the gas like the wild thing he was. His angry growls and snarls bit the air as viciously as his claws tore at the tear-proof netting. Where it was easy for the men wearing the protective masks to haul Beran away, Cillian was a handful until they were able to jab him with the following tranquilizer.
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When the female warden's partner asked if they should follow and help, she shook her head. "I don't think we should risk our cover. No one is the wiser that we are involved. They can handle it." She was sure and turned her mount away from the trail Soren's party had followed.
The boss of the poachers crew and his right hand meanwhile were in their right with their people. He was the kind of leader that led by example. There was nothing he asked of his people he wasn't willing to do himself. Because of that he ran a tight crew that obeyed and truly respected him. They were being paid a fortune for their present job. Not a small fortune either, but one that would set them ALL up for life. They just needed to be sure they lived to enjoy it. They had all agreed to take the job and accept the risks that came with it. The wardens working for them would be well paid for their parts as well.
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He was glad for her words and the short lived hand holding they shared, but before long their peaceful journey became much more lively as Shimmer, who could not yet keep up, ran after them until he became a shimmer of light and rejoined with Cillian, his rambunctious little brother. Cillian would have to learn to obey his brother's commands in the future! Soren felt a bit of relief when Beran joined them, at least he knew if there was something lurking about Cillian would be safe.
Soren could appreciate his brother's desire to fly. Soren alas was not born for it, but he loved it. Always had loved it. He had wanted to be a dragon rider since he first knew it was a thing, of course that was different than being the dragon itself. He could not wait to see what feats of flight his brother would come to master.
Soren's thoughts were cut off in an instant as the sound of charges going off, quiet though they were, drowned out the world to his perception, and he relived the emotions he felt in those woods at the lake of shadows welling up inside him again. Soren was leaping from his saddle before he even realized what he was doing. The luck that seemed to follow Soren did not disappoint as the net that would have captured him caught his horse instead. The situation was not lost on Soren as he saw Sysyu fall and in the sky above his brothers being captured by nets. It felt like the world was trapped in molasses as he tapped into his haste, just enough to let him see what he could see.
The moment Soren touched down though he was lost within the bulk of a spooked herd of Lombra. To the eyes of those who saw it the young Prince looked to be trampled as the mass of animals washed over him like a river of horns, hooves and billowing fur.
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The herd of Lombra Soren fell in amongst had been on the move towards because Remus had been droving them their way, only the alarmed winnies of scared horses, the startled cries of Sysyu before she succumbed, and Cillian's crazed snarls and shrieks turned the herds relaxed lope into a panicked stampede. Fortunately for Sysyu, Cillian and the poachers, they were moving parallel and away from the road and not across it where all the rucus came from else they might all get trampled. Soren was hidden from them all by the lombra he moved along with in and out of haste to keep from being trampled himself. Poor Cillian though thought the animals had run over his elder brother though and started to wail and screech his name. Remus was already long gone. Just prior to making their ambush to take Cillian they had sent two men on their fastest mounts to take Remus and make their first gate rendezvous on a little known path leading to a small even lesser known gate viable zone not far away. The wardens had chosen that path to send Soren's party on for several reasons. It was a game trail few people followed, as such it was isolated and it was near a well hidden gate zone. It was a deep but accessible crevice in the ground between two crags of rock which the gate nullifying wards just didn't penetrate. A litteral gap in the wards.
Cillian was next. They got him sedated and he finally quieted. The men and women were alert for the missing man Soren. He may have been trampled but they wouldn't bet on it as the boss waved to his right hand lady to bring Cillian on. He had their mounts waiting, a pair of Gaero that were as swift as the swiftest of horses. Some called the quilled big cats Repticats because of their reptile like qualities, armored not only with heavy quills but thick scales and a long lizard like tail. Mix a lion, wingless dragon and giant porcupine together you had a gaero with the he sustainable speed of a race horse or cheeta.
Sysyu meanwhile was out cold and like Beran had been given an added tranquilizer then been ignored other than being observed for signs of consciousness. Their focus was on getting Cillian out of there as swiftly as possible now.
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Soren had not expected the surging wave of Lombra to fall upon him, a stroke of luck or ill fate? Soren was not sure what he'd have called it, getting stampeded was not exactly a good thing but it did shield him. Avoiding being trampled was a combination of extreme luck and practiced bursts of haste that allowed Soren to slip past being trampled as he moved with the beasts working to the outside when he pulled himself onto the back of one of the younger male beasts. Often times in herds it only took a few spooked beasts to get the entire herd moving. Good think about lombra was they had plenty of shaggy fur to hold onto so while he clung to the beast he began to work on calming the animal using methods his brothers had taught him when they worked on practicing charm techniques.
Soren's twinned vampiric blood raged within him as he focused on calming the beast with the pairing of calming words and the influence of vampiric charm. "Calm down, shh.. That's it, peace." He bade the beast, his mind racing at what to do as he tried to reach out to the minds of his companions. Nothing.
Soren felt it locking in over him, like it had when he and his brothers were fighting to protect Sysyu and Sophie, but it was more like it had been when he and Magnus battled that Gryphon. There was more control over his emotions, not blind panic and fear as it had been against those army of immortal haters. It had taken longer than he liked to tame the lombra, he was a wild one with an impressive spirit, but he had the Lombra under his command now, allowing him to focus his senses on the task at hand. He had to find Cillian, his brothers and Sysyu would be fine. Cillian was the primary concern. The others would understand that he had no doubt.
Something odd had happened the night he had been made immortal, at the exact moment his Astraeus blood had awakened he had been infused with Noct'maire which had fused within him, fusing together into one, a merger of the clans bloods within the vessel that was Soren. The young prince had become a hybrid of the two clans, and that was without even mentioning the dragons blood that also flowed within his veins. Soren opened his every sense now as he looked for his brother, carried by the Lombra as his wings slid from under his cloak, he would need to draw on every advantage he had.
Like his father before him Soren had excelled at Haste and somewhat with Umbramancy, though magic was ever difficult to practice as of late. Soren was a quick study though and seemed to pick up on things his brothers taught him quickly, becoming proficient in what could only be explained as prodigal speed, as if he were making up for lost time. That said Twain Haste was still quite new to him, but he had practiced with it some in recent time.
It didn't take long to figure out where Cillian was going, the large fucking lizard cats made it pretty damn obvious, and Soren was not going to let them escape with his brother. He'd die first.
The Lombra and Soren burst from Twain Haste with the Lombra's head lowered in a charge of the boss man's leg intent to crush it against his mount and the thick skull of the beast that Soren had ensnared.
Soren was not his usual handsome self, he was a cross between a dragon and a vampire, and with all the strength at his beck his next act was to rise up off his mount with aid of his wings to take a back handed swing at the man's face hoping to sprawl him back wards in his saddle. Soren then conjured his flaming blade into his hand in a reverse grip and hiked himself in a rise to then thrust it downward towards to stab at the man's chest. If he could he'd drive the blade through the man and into the spine of his Gaero.
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Had the poachers been fools and not had the skills to do just what they were doing Soren might have gotten away with his surprise attack of the crew's leader, but the diamthrill torc the man wore around his neck began to vibrate and hum at the presence of haste so that when Soren charged at him out of that blind eye motion the man knew it was coming and had been granted the time to turn his mount away from Soren to expose its backside and its many venomous quills to the charging Lombra. If just one of the long spines the animal was charging into pierced either Soren's mount or Soren himself they'd find themselves quickly sedated and immobilized by the venom. If Soren avoided the quills and was able to spring his next attack a swift sword shank would rise up between the back of Soren's hand and the boss man's face to just barely glance off the blow. Soren was fast but so was the mob's leader. Whatever he was he had haste of jos own. The ensuing plunge of that firey blade would also meet with a defensive clash of the man's gleaming blade which reflected all around them like a mirror, both Soren's rage and the man's determination reflected on the sword. Soren would feel the blade humming as his own met it hilt to hilt just before branching bolts of lightning exploded from the blade all aimed at Soren. The man's other people were catching up to them now with only seconds between them and Soren and all were well armed. The lady ahead of her boss with Cillian meanwhile was getting further away.
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Soren had not expected the poacher to see his opening rush, and as he turned away and fire the quills Soren pushed against the Lombra as he launched himself skyward to avoid himself and his mount from being skewered by the damn things. Soren hadn't any clue what nasty surprises they held, his attacks following that proved ineffective, it was a fucking shame this poacher decided to not just lay down and die. They moment they blades clashed Soren growled and vanished for a split second as the lightning exploded from the blades. A blind eye movement and Soren shifted to the right of the leaders mount to strike at him with that flaming sword. Another and Soren soared over head and darted after the woman who held Cillian. From Soren's hand he released behind him a mote of light that exploded into a glaring cornea and searing flash of light! The Lombra had been willed to close its eyes, then open them. 'Stop him' was the command the Lombra felt nestled in its mind, images of the Lombra using that powerful head to Stop that creature and its rider.
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The boss growled as he blocked yet another blow and prepared for another."We don't want to kill anyone, boy. Back off and no one gets hurt!" He shouted after Soren. He thought the young man foolish for attacking people he knew nothing about but then that was often the nature of unplanned combat. He cursed the fact that Soren had escaped them, otherwise it would have been smooth sailing.
The crew did have one wildcard, a man who took no issue with taking lives and had lived on the edge his entire life. He had no fear of death whatsoever which made him both reckless and incredibly fierce. He had all manner of tattoos all over him, some of them lore others mundane. He had various weapons and among them guns. Guns which fired plasma charges. These were not weapons from earth either but another occupied planet called Antares. It was his home world. He had two side arms and a rifle each with three plasma settings. Stun, Hot plasma and what he liked to call little nukes which could burn through layers of steel at the speed of a bullet with a flash effect that could vaporize anything organic in a radius of several yards. His leather armour too was unique to his world Earthers might call it steam punk.
The boss man didn't like him using his weapons unless things got really hairy. Problem was the gunslinger in the crew didn't always listen. At the moment he had a keen eye on Soren and his sidearms in hand. If it looked like the boss man was in real trouble he'd issue some commands to his mount and start shooting.
002 Mercy or Mistake
Sysyu's head was spinning as she came around but it didn't take long for her to figure out she was bound in ropes. She looked around. Her horse was on its side at rest. He had struggled with the ropes until he'd exhausted himself and gave up to regain his strength. Then she spied Beran who was still out cold. She called out to him but got no response. She relaxed while she focused her telekinetic energies on untying herself. It went slow at first but then the knots began to unwind and soon she shook the rooes loose and was free. Soren and Cillian were no where in sight. She got up and went to Beran. First she untied him then she tried to wake him. He was breathing steady but unresponsive. She stood and dragged him off the road then hid him in the same kind of yellow leafed bushes the gold dragon had been sleeping in. The leaves were fragrant and she hoped it would hide his scent. Next she went to untangle her horse. He was fine but still shaken. She tied her horse near Beran then went to find Beran's horse which she found nearby grazing like all was good in the world. She smiled and mounted him then headed out, following the tracks left behind by the poachers. Soon enough she located Soren while in the heat of battle with the poachers. Sysyu instinctively went invisible and her horse with her. They were in a sort of mild phase with the abyss. Her horse didn't like it, not at all, so she climbed down off his back and let him slip back into Esscha Endor. Then off she went making her way towards Soren on foot. She arrived just as Soren threw his flash bomb.
The boss wheeled his mount in a circle as the bomb went off with tail swinging off to one side and its heavy maned head and shoulders to the other side in an effective defensive maneuver of all quills out. His sword meanwhile arced over him in case of an overhead attack but Soren took off. The lombra opened its eyes and charged one man whose side was left open while he was blinded. He didn't see it coming but felt it and one horn pierced his leg with crushing force while the other caused enough pain to his mount to send it running aimlessly towards a herd of mumaaq, still temporarily blinded.
The lombra turned and charged the gunslinger but he had regained enough vision to see it coming and fired on the poor beast with hot charges. The lombra fell at his feet dead. Then he went after Soren.
His boss called after him. "Don't you damage the goods Kane!!" He shouted and rode after them.
The lombra hadn't died in vain though. Where the lombra had run away from trouble a lot of angry mumaaq were running towards it. The crazed gaero had upset them when it had blindly charged into them and drawn their attention to the riders in the distance. The man riding the gaero had barely escaped with his life and his gaero had not been so lucky. After throwing the man who scurried off to safety, it had been trampled and savaged to death by two mumaaq which then fell over in a stupor caused by the venom.
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Soren used that time he had wisely, the young Squire flew like a bullet after the woman who had his little brother in her possession regardless of what they threw at him, he needed to safeguard his brother, that was all that mattered at this very moment. Soren attacked people he knew nothing about because he had no choice, because it was what he had to do. Soren used Celerity so that he could prepare his next attack, not with his sword this time, but instead he slid a pair of gloves on he had kept on his person. A pair of gloves he had liberated from his fathers vault a couple of months back and had practiced with when he had time and in private, not wanting to get his brothers into hot water if he got caught.. He should have just asked.
Soren focused flexing his hands palm up and a pair of Lazer disks appeared in his hands and with all his might he threw them, Selecting his little brother as a target to phase through, it had been interesting to learn they could do that. The interesting part was, aim hardly seemed to matter, intent was more important with this weapons than anything else, at least with the disks. Even as the disks flew he kept his pursuit summoning a pair of Lazer swords to finish the job if he failed with the disks.
He did not even know he had enlisted other wild animals into the battle yet, that would be.. a later concern.:
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Sysyu remained hidden for now but whispered to Soren, her voice ethereal as it passed through the thin wall of the abyss she had sunk into. "Please, Soren... don't kill anyone unless you've no other choice. Please..." she begged him. She was close to them now, out ahead of the girl now. She wondered if she might reach out and startle the gaero the woman was riding. She'd make a grab for Cillian if she was certain she could get away with it, but the risks were too great. She had a better chance of jumping out and scaring the gaero.
So that is just what she did. With a sudden leap, she threw her arms out and shouted, "BOO!!!" Unlikely as it might seem it worked.
The girl had managed to duck and weave out of the disks paths for the most part but had gotten sliced up pretty bad regardless. Nothing mortal as yet but then Sysyu jumped out and startled the gaero which stopped dead in its tracks so suddenly that its rider was thrown clear off its back and over its head to plow right into Anwi who broke her fall. The two of them then went tumbling like a rolling pin as the woman grabbed her instinctively. When they finally stopped with a hard thud that shocked them both and knocked the breath from them, Sysyu was on top of her. Question of the moment was who would come to their senses first?
Meanwhile the well trained Gaero was lifting its head and looking for its rider. A growl issued from its throat as it spotted its rider beneath Sysyu who was just laying half unconscious on top of her. The gaero's muscles grew taut, ready to spring.
Not to forget the boss, gunslinger and other poachers!! And not too far behind them a thundering herd of Mumaaq!
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Soren was surprised to hear Sysyu, and her words did little more than lay even more weight across his shoulders. Save your brothers, protect her, and dont kill anyone.. He suspected that meant the very angry one staring down at her with a hungry look in its eyes. Soren dove in with all the haste he had and with an expert cut he sliced the girth strap of the saddle and pulled it away with his brother quickly, then as hastily cut the binds securing him to the saddle. After sheathing his swords he grabbed his brother to lift him off the saddle and gather him up in one arm. He then summoned two more discs to throw them, not at the Cat nearest him but toward the approaching leader, aiming at the man's sword arm at the wrist meaning to cut cleanly through to dismember him The next disk was thrown at an arc at the gunman's rifle on his back intent on cutting it in half. He summoned two more discs. "Stand down!" Soren shouted as he stood ready to throw again, even if he missed his marks the discs would hit something and the damage they did would be evident. The nature of those discs made missing very rare. He told himself he would only use them if he was pressed too, it felt like cheating. The other poachers closing in would need to be dealt with but luckily he could see he was not the poachers' only problem.
"Sysyu.. Are you okay?" If he could get her to just take Cillian and go he could fend for himself well enough to find Remus. His brother must be where ever their camp was. Soren felt he would be able to handle it. Thats what he told himself.:
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The boss man of the outfit snapped his hand back to try and avoid the rapid disk and indeed was quick enough to jerk his wrist free of harm but failed to anticipate the blade swinging back after the miss to catch his wrist from behind. "Gah ah rah!!" he shouted growling in anger and surprise as he registered what happened, but suddenly kicked his sword up from the ground to catch it in his uninjured hand. Only then did he shake the stump of his cauterized wrist at Soren, the flesh still smoking to sting at his nose with the scent of his own burnt flesh. With another embittered yowl he shook the disconnected hand still gripping the hilt off to fling it to the side. The fact that he smelled a little like ham sickened him but he only paled just a little. This was one tough man a lot of people would love to have on their side if his heart hadn't turned to rot somewhere along the line.
The Gunslinger glanced the laser disk that had been fired at him as it zipped around him. He dove to hit the ground but the blade of light followed and zipped through his rifle like a hot knife through butrer to cut it very nearly in half. It was unusable regardless. Only a thin plate of metal remained to hold it together. He shrugged the weapon off as he rolled to his feet with both handguns snapping at aim at Soren. Weighing the situation for what it was, he blurted out a curse of Fuck this! And spearing both hands together skyward he immediately vanished, just like that, and his hand with him and his gaero just a moment after that. That was supposed to communicate to the others to do the same, but the gunslinger wasn't done yet, and one other man chose to stay by him while the last two fled, then there was the outfit's right hand who was still unconscious. Sysyu was coming around though.
Sysyu woke up in what was widely known as the nick of time much as the gaero staring her down was just winding its muscles up to make the spring it had so far held out on in its reaponses to the other things going on around it. Instinct had locked its muscles in a hard freeze when the saddle had been sliced off of him. It knew moving might get it killed. But as focus fell elsewhere its regard of its fallen rider and Sysyu had been regained. It watched her briefly then as it was about to remove her from its rider, Sysyu lifted her head to look around and did so to see the beast launch itself at her. Sysyu's hand snapped upward palm out and she barked, "Wait!!" There was something in her voice it was just unwilling to ignore and this was a very spirited animal.
The catbeast slid to a halt and lowered its head with a low growl as Sysyu stood, whispering something to the girl beneath her. She shouldn't be rousing for awhile now. Sysyu then began to talk sweetly, kindly, calmly to the gaero as she walked towards it. It seemed like the closer she got the more relaxed it became, until she was standing right next to it and petting its scaly head and even the smaller quills by gently and safely pushing them back. Gaero could safely be pet this way as long as they weren't raising their quills and making them stiff.
Sysyu was doing this all the while Soren and the other poachers faced off. When Soren asked if she was alright she nodded. "A little banged up but well." When Soren ducked over to quickly pass Cillian to her she took him gently into her arms to rock him. He was sniffling with fear and fury. She soothed him as well as she could then whistled. Cloud Minder came running.
The gunslinger pointed one of his two sidearms at the horse. "I WILL shoot it lady if you don't call it off!"
Sysyu tried to gain control over the gunman but he just glared at her hard and cold. Sysyu sighed. "GIT Minder!!" She commanded the horse which tossed and shook its head then swung away. Sysyu heaved a second breath.
The gunslinger wasn't going to be caught off guard again. Soren would find that any disk he could throw at the gunman he could shoot and even match his haste, perhaps even surpass it. The ground however was beginning to rumble as the mumaaq closed ground with all of them.
"Well, kid? What's it gonna be? I suggest you take your kid and we all cut our losses and go our separate ways. That or we shoot it out until someone or most of us dies. Now my boss, he doesn't appreciate killing, but me? I'm fine with it. I'm giving you a chance here, kid." There was a certain swagger about the man that came with well grounded confidence. The tattooed gunslinger knew he could beat Soren and there was no false confidence in him. When it came to a fight, the gunman was far better than his boss. The bossman was good at planning, leading and stealth tactics. Everyone had their strengths. The gunman's was killing. "Give me a knife and I'm in paradise. Give me a gun and I grin at the universe. Give me a rock and all hell cometh." the man smiled. He wanted Soren to be clear on what he was up against.
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Soren stood Stock still, and tense, the cat beside him felt like a ticking time bomb, if the cat pounced he would have to act. Unfortunately he could only take the gunslingers rifle, it was the more deadly weapon he assumed, but.. He recalled Wulfgar being very handy with some similar weapons so he was wary. Sysyu was coming to, and he was glad for it, and that was not the only good news most of the poachers had fled as well, and besides his Lobra no one else was dead. "You really are good with animals." Soren Said as he still had his eyes on the Gunslinger. While his hands were full with the Laser disks, his tail lifted his baby brother and handed him to Sysyu. "You get out of here, I have to find out what they did with Remus, Get Cillian home for me."
Soren locked eyes with the Gunman and listened. He had not come looking for a fight, of course he had gotten one. That said.. He was young enough to be more brave than wise, but he was smart enough to know that killing wouldn't get Remus back. Every fiber in his being told him that the gunman was dangerous, that didn't change a thing though did it. "I appreciate that." Soren Said, and then the discs vanished, "There was another, what happened to him?" Soren asked across their would-be battle field. "Where is my brother, tell me where he was taken and we can both walk away just like you suggested.":
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Sysyu had tried to leave if Soren recalled but the gunslinger has not allowed her to call her horse. She was about to respond to Soren when the gunslinger stole his attention.
"Ah ah ah, no one leaves until we have an accord, Prince of Esscha. I'm reasonable to a point. Everyone leaves, or no one leaves." When Soren questioned where Remus had been taken he rubbed the side of his temple, thinking, firearm still in hand, then glanced over at the unconscious woman. He'd never liked her. Felt she was a negative and dangerous influence on their leader. "Tell you what..." he said looking back to Soren. "I can't tell you what you want to know, but she can." he pointed at her with his gun briefly. "Let the rest of us go unharmed and you can have her and leave unharmed. Does that appeal to you?" that rumbling was getting closer and was joined by trumpeting. They were running out of time.
"Soren please... let's get out of here." Sysyu pleaded with him, afraid if they stalled much longer Cillian would be in danger, if not from the traffickers, the mammoths.
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Soren listened to Sysyu but he didn't respond. The Prince just watched the Gunslinger who was trying to make a deal. Fighting him would be too dangerous especially with the rampaging mammoths coming. "Done. You have an accord." Soren said, as he moved to the woman and lifted her throwing her over his shoulder. "May we never meet again, Stranger."
He looked to Sysyu, "Are you ready?" He asked, as he offered a hand to help her to her feet if she wasn't already standing. "Let's get out of here." He bade her and took her hand to lead her away from that place. "Have you seen Beran? We need to get this woman back to Black Stone." He would feel safer when they could gate to the safety of BlackStone or Goth, everything had gone completely tits up on this one. "Is Cillian alright? I haven't got a chance to get a good look at him yet.":
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The gunslinger tipped his left pistol to Soren when he agreed to his proposal. "Oh I don't know. I rather like you, kid. I hope we do meet again." He chuckled and headed out, backing away at a jog with the man at his side eastward before dropping behind a hill and vanishing from site both behind the hill and from all visual acuity altogerher after spearing their arms upward with palms together as their boss before them had. It was a personal cloaking field powered by vambraces they wore. They didn't use magic but outland technology. Their vambraces also powered their haste.
Sysyu's hand was a little shaky when she accepted the hand Soren offered. She nodded that she was ready.
"Beran was still out cold so I hid him in some bushes near the path where we fell and left him with my horse. It's not far. At some point his horse went back and Minder found his way to us." She brushed some of Cillian's curly black hair from his face when asked if he was alright. "I think so. He's just shaken up and he's not the only one. Is no place safe? What do those people want with them? A ransom?" She could only guess. Sysyu called her horse over. "You mount up and I'll hand Cillian up to you. I'll get the prisoner. Hurry. The Mumaaq are almost here." Once Soren was mounted and had Cillian in his arms Sysyu shifted into her winged fawn form and phased beneath the innert woman to lift her slung over her back before falling in beside Soren. As they headed back to the path she spoke to him. "I'm sorry, Soren, if I make things harder. I know those people are aweful... but they didn't actually hurt any of us. I truly believe killing someone who isn't trying to kill you is wrong. Even more wrong than kidnapping people. Taking a single life hurts a LOT of people for a very long time. They need to be punished and taught a better way to live, not be executed. Please tell me you understand. Our world is unsafe because it's so uncivilized."
When they got back to the path Beran was sitting by it against a tree with his head in his hand. He had not long been awake and had a raging headache. He was trying to remember what happened and figure out where everyone had gone. He had a mild concussion from the fall that left him foggy and unsteady on his feet. He tried to jump up when they arrived but dropped back to the ground on his ass groaning. "What the hell's going on?" he asked either of them who would answer.
Cillian answered first with a shriek. "The bad people took Remus!!"
Beran's gaze leaped on Soren. "WHAT??! Is that true?!" his heart plunged into his chest. He forced himself to his feet. "Well where is he? We have to go after him!"
Tears spilled from Sysyu's eyes. "He's gone, Beran. We are in no shape to go after him. We need help." Sometimes she hated being the voice of reason.
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Soren was not sure how to take that, so he just let the gunman's words hang unanswered. Soren was cold inside at his inability to get Remus back, he had failed a brother, the one who had saved him and it felt like he had been stabbed in the gut! He climbed into cloudminders saddle leaving the woman on the ground. By this time Soren was back in his human form as she handed Cillian up to him. “I wish I knew the answer.. this world is dangerous, but it is our world Sysyu.” He said as he caught her hand just before she went to shift. “She will have the answers we need.” He said then let her hand slip from his own as she shifted, into that enchanting winged doe form.
“I take no joy in killing, but sometimes taking a life can spare hundreds more from losing the ones they love, I don’t fault you for that idealism, I just wonder if I can live up to that expectation.”
Soren had to catch himself from chiding his little brother, “I wasn’t fast enough to get to him. I failed. This woman has the answers we need. I will get Cillian back to his queen-mother, then I intend to put her in a cell and find Mortiara. “I WILL find Remus. I will save him.”
“Can you ride? I want to make for the nearest gate, we’ve no time to waste.” The moment they were near enough he would open a gate to Goth and reached out to Mortiara. “Ser I urgently need to talk to you, Remus has been abducted, I will meet you in the royal quarter.” He wanted to speak to Mortiara immediately after handing Cillian over to Desiree.
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Beran glared at Soren but perhaps not for the reason he may suspected in the moment. "How many of them were there? Eight? Twelve? We ALL of us failed Remus! **I** failed! Do you think you alone should sort out all the world's troubles or even those just we encounter??! Don't be a dolt, Soren!" Beran was frustrated and angry but also concerned that Soren took way too much on himself. Had he known about Sysyu reflecting her passive beliefs on him mid combat he'd have lit into her as well with a piece of his mind. Soren was lucky to be alive as it was taking on so many alone.
"You got Cillian back... that's a feat you should be proud of. Much as I hate to say it Sysyu is right. We need help getting Remus back. There is no I in team, Soren." He nodded when asked if he could ride then checked his weapons and mounted Mars. "I'll go find your horse," he indicated and rode off to where he last saw Cloud Chaser. He found him not too far from the path under a large shade tree nibbling on shoots. He clicked his tongue to the stallion and he threw his head up then followed him back to Soren.
"Be sure to check his cinch strap. He may have loosened it up by now." When Soren checked it he did indeed find that it was loose around his girth.
"The closest gate area is at the zoo," Beran informed as Soren mounted up. "I just don't know if we can trust the people there after this though. Those poachers knew exactly where we would be. But we're hours away from the park outskirts and Northshore, smack between both with the zoo only a short ride west. That may be no accident. They might be counting on us retreating to the zoo. I think we should abandon the horses and fly to Blackstone at a high altitude. We can be home in half an hour by wing."
"We can't abandon our horses on what ifs!" Sysyu protested.
"I think we must," Beran insisted. "We can't risk Cillian. The horses are trained to return home when left behind."
"But there are all kinds of predators and mumaaq and..."
"We will just have to risk it!" Beran wasn't going to back down. Beran loved Mars but he knew how and when to prioritize and so he dismounted and shouted at Mars to "Go home!" swatting his hindquarters.
Sysyu was already winged with the prisoner on her back so when Soren took off with Cillian in his arms and Beran right after him Sysyu gave the same command to Minder and followed.
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002 - Downtime
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Half an hour later they were landing safely in Blackstone and wasted no time in getting Cillian settled in and making a full report to Mortiara. Sysyu found out quickly enough that the queen had taken the rest of the children to the wedding reception and left word for them to join her when they returned. After putting Cillian down for a nap under Memnochs watch, she went to catch up with Soren and Beran who had just finished reporting to Mortiara.
"Those rangers you met. Do you remember their names?" The Morning Star Knight's mind immediately kicked in to investigative mode.
Sysyu answered. "The man was Woods and the woman Loren."
Mortiara nodded. He had met them. They did work for the park. In fact, they were the only rangers left after the scepter incident completed. They just hadn't found replacements yet. There were manpower shortages all over. "They and your prisoner are a good place to start. I have an idea... We'll put a couple of covert people on them and send the rangers a summons to report here for questioning. If they try to run then we'll know they're involved. If they report we'll see what we can glean from them." His eyes settled on Soren. "Wherever they were taking Remus he is very likely already there by now. I know it's hard but you three need to go about your business. The queen wants you to bring Cillian to her at the reception in Durasgard. We will continue our investigation in the meantime and report back to you, Prince Draguta, as soon as we some solid leads. With your father presently unavailable and as Prince heir, the kingdom is yours to rule in his absence. But first you must go to your queen mother." What a way for Soren to find out that Octavian had chosen him as his heir apparent. Desiree was just too unstable to delegate the throne to.
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Soren took the tongue lashing, Beran was right on a lot of what he said of course. "I wasn't alone! My hand was guided by those who made me who I am today, by you and Remus, everything you have taught me allowed me to survive to save Cillian!" He knew it sounded like non-sense, but he meant it, if not for them he would not be the man he was today.
"We will get that help, I promise you." He already had plans to speak with Mortiara and from there he was sure his father would be ready to send a rescue mission to free Remus, of that he had no doubt!
Soren made sure to check the Cinch strap as Ber suggested, but before long they decided on flying there, it was the best option. "The horses will be fine, they are all well trained." Soren took off with his brother in hand, holding him close as they went. Cloud Chaser had been commanded home like the others.
Soren wasted no time going to speak With Mortiara after he handed Cillian off to Sysyu.
Soren was quiet as Mortiara spoke, usually it was the prince who was under Mortiara, as a squire it made sense, but by the time the knight finished Soren was heir apparent, and his father was missing? HE was in command? "My father.." Well that was unexpected. He was worried about his father and Mortiara likely could see it on his face, but if Mortiara had more information he'd have said so.
"Thank you Mortiara, I think we will do just that." He said as he leaned into the wall and needed a moment to gather himself, until his father returned he was to preside over Esscha Endor as it's Ruler.. that was kind of... a lot.
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Mortiara could see that Soren jumped to conclusions about the king by his worried expression. "Your father is fine, Lord Draguta. He's on a diplomatic mission in Eastguard, accompanied by his Honor Guard. He is unavailable, not amiss," he apprised to ease his concern. The knight then bowed his head to the young Prince when he indicated he should carry on and so Mortiara withdrew. His first stop would be the prison cell of one so far nameless female peddler of the living.
Before interrogating the prisoner Mortiara examined the gear that had been stripped from her. A very sharp pair of hunting knives, a dagger she'd had sheathed in her boot, the boots themselves and her armour, a pack of tranquilizers, two plasma pistols, a pack of weighted nets, and a rifle designed to fire explosive charges which launched various kinds of payloads including nets. The nets were folded, weighted and packed in cylinders a specific way that when fired ejected the nets which spread out by the time they met their zenith. The were quite reliable and accurate. Mortiara also recognized their make. They were Triferen weapons and Syntech armour out of Antares. Amon had lived there once and had taken Mortiara and Niall there for a time. From what he gathered from the report and the woman's belongings down to a lighter and cigarettes on her person, at least three of them were very likely Antares humans; their boss, the woman in custody and the man they were calling the gunslinger. It was possible the entire crew was from Antares. Most likely outlaws who had fled their homeworld and come to Morashtar to escape capture.
Antares humans like Morashtar humans originated from earth but adapted and evolved to survive on the planet they were stranded on by various means if even time anomalies or planar rabbit holes. If they were here they might have a ship IF they were recent arrivals or IF the planetary wards had failed to register it before Mael's merger had shattered those safeguards. Having a better idea of who the poachers might be the Clanless Demon proceeded to the cell to interrogate the woman.
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Beran stood rather quietly when they reported to the knight commander, only speaking up when he had something to add to the report. He felt rather bad that he had taken out his frustrations on his best friend and so when Mortiara parted ways and Soren leaned up against the wall, Beran did not take the hint that Soren wanted a moment to himself. "Soren ... I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier. I just hate seeing you take so much on yourself. You're a lot like your father that way, yah know. I shouldn't have let my own problems spill my temper onto you like that. Anyway... Would you mind if I went to the reception with you?" He needed a distraction. Doing nothing while Remus was out there... Beran was terrified for Remus. Being held as some kind of prisoner again after what he'd endured in Hesstromeph's black pit deeply frightened Beran. He wasn't sure Remus could cope with it, and if he couldn't... Well it stirred a lot of dark worries.
Sysyu just kind of stood back while Beran apologized to Soren then asked if he could come with them to the after wedding party. Soren hadn't said a word to her about her own explanation about the not killing their enemies subject and she felt a little lost at the moment, wondering if he was angry at her or worse .. doubting if she was the right woman for him. She perished the thought the second she had it. She just couldn't believe he would reject her for that. No, not Soren. She decided the best thing she could do at the moment with him having so much on his mind was let him come to her. She smiled at him after he answered Beran. "Soren... I'm going to go take a bath and get ready for bed. I'll see you in the morning at breakfast, okay?" She almost said 'I love you' but refrained and headed for her quarters.
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Soren opened his eyes wide with understanding. "Oh of course, I... Thanks for clearing that up, Mortiara." He had jumped to a conclusion, and he knew that was a mistake. He needed to do better. If he needed to make decisions of stately importance he had to be smarter! He watched Mortiara leave them and he looked to Beran and Sysyu both, he hadn't been exactly talkative, with Remus being in trouble he was practically beside himself with worry and anger.
Finally Beran was the one who spoke up, it caught Soren off guard, and then the apology, Soren did not interrupt him. "Like my father? What do you mean?" He hardly thought he was like his father at all, surely Beran spoke in jest. "We are training to be knights and even rulers, and one day our shoulders may hold up the hopes of who knows how many people, Beran." He then placed a hand on each of their shoulders, "I am not alone, now am I?"
He had forgotten all about the reception, "I dont see why that would be a problem, you may join us of course, it will certainly distract, that place is.. interesting."
Sysyu after a moment said she wanted to retire for the evening, but Soren did not let her slip away just yet, instead he took her hand, "I would like to talk to you before bed. I need to talk to you, after I have cleaned up. Would you mind if I called on you, Sysyu?" He was not sure if it was appropriate for either of them to meet the other in their bedroom or not, but with everything that was going on did propriety even matter right now?
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Beran managed a smile when Soren asked how he was like his father. "Let me count the ways," he joked weakly. "You carry the world on your shoulders like him. You're stubborn like him. You're insanely fearless in combat like him. Just the right amount of wicked like him. Don't deny it. Anyone who gambles and pulls off pranks as well as you has a devil streak in him. I'm sure there's lots of other ways too. You're sweet and pretty like your mother though," he teased and ribbed him with his elbow .
Sysyu smiled as Soren took her hand, chuckling a little from what Beran had said. She met his gaze and nodded at his request. "Alright. I'll meet you just outside my room after we've had our baths." She agreed and after kissing his cheek took her leave.
Once she was gone, Beran smirked a little. "You're going to marry that girl, aren't you?"
#
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Soren smirked a little, "I dont think my father even gambles." He did not deny any of the other accusations though, he knew he could be a bit much when it came to gambling, even when his life was the stake, it was.. a bit much he had to admit, but that was who he was, wasn't it? "Well aren't you a charmer, maybe I'll tell mom you have a crush on her."
When she agreed he smiled, and the kiss to his cheek left a warmth that went to his very core, and lit a fire in his heart something fierce. "See you soon." He nearly said more, but he held his tongue not wanting to say something that might scare her off.
"Of course, if I am to be king one day, that woman will be my queen. This may sound stupid, but I love her. And with all the courage in the world, I dont think I could tell her that, im afraid."
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"It was the wickedness behind the gambling I was pointing to, not the gambling itself, you goof," Bear corrected. "Besides, your father gambles all the time, just not with cards, dice, darts... well that we *know* of." He thinned his eyes on him at the threat of his mother. Had he been his usual self he'd have tackled him with some horseplay. "Oh no, don't you dare. I told you you were wicked! Do I need to tell my Da it was you who stole his favorite dice?" he retaliated.
Sysyu was laughing as she walked away. So Soren was a thief!
Beran wondered at the whole queen thing Soren reminded him of. "Will your marriage also make you a Prince of Hell?" he smiled a little. Soren. Prince of Acheron! He chuckled in afterthought.
It wouldn't be long before Sysyu had bathed then dressed in a pretty but comfy night gown and stood outside her door.
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"Maybe you are right and he does his gambling in secret." He then laughed, "Are you turning red? Does my mother fluster you so?" He knew his mother was gorgeous, he had done his best as a young man to defend her honor, though it was not like she needed him to do so! Besides she could do much worse than a Noct'maire man!
"Stealing, I am just protecting him from being seen as a king with a favorite set of dice.. who knows what that would do to his reputation! In a way im protecting him."
When asked about where his standing in hell would be he shrugged, "I hadn't really thought about that, if im honest. I suppose it would." He said giving Beran a slap on the back, "I will see you at breakfast, I have to go get cleaned up, and.. We will get him back, no one fucks with our family." That last bit had enough fire in it to melt stone, he meant it VERY much.
Soren would arrive in black trousers and a poet's shirt, proper evening attire for a young prince. "He moved to greet her, offering a gently kiss to her knuckle.
"What a day we have had.. I hope I can take you out sometime and not have it go catastrophically bad.. one day.":
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His mother was hot! But no, he didn't lust after his mother! Maximus had been courting her though, off and on, because she was afraid to let herself get too close to anyone again. She was enjoying being single, but when she was feeling lonely? Well Maximus was still available and she was very fond of him. "I wouldn't dare step on Max's toes. You know she wouldn't be able to resist me." he smiled, teasing his friend right back.
"Protecting him? Ah, you're so full of shit, Soren! Go on and get outta here! Your girlfriend is waiting for you. " He made kissy sounds at him.
Beran returned the cuff to his back when Soren said his goodbyes. "You're damn straight we will and only if they're fools." he was as set on getting his brother back as Soren was if not more so. "See you come morn. Night, my friend." and off he went in the opposite direction. He wanted to see if the horses had come back and keep an eye for them if not, and would report to his mother and Max while he was at it.
Sysyu smiled when Soren arrived to kiss her hand and hugged him tightly after. He could feel her trembling slightly. She was still holding his hand when she led him into her room and over to a comfortable couch to sit down with him. "Our bad luck can't last." unless someone had cursed them! She didn't think that was the case. "Well, we'll be going to the reception together. We can steal away and explore the area. What we saw of it was pretty amazing. I doubt trouble will find us there unless we go looking for it."
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"Well max better put in some effort, Mama isn't going to just wait forever! If he is too slow who knows who will steal her heart out from under him." They they said their good byes and Soren was off to get cleaned up for his aforementioned girl friend.
They were hand in hand sitting on the couch, he couldn't help but smile like some dope to have her here with him, she was out of his league wasn't she? "Is that right? I have always had good luck, so this bad luck is new to me."
He liked the idea of running off together and exploring her... uncle's realm? "About earlier, you cant do that again. Make me hold back in a life or death battle like that. If I pulled the wrong punch against that Gunman, I would be dead." He pressed a hand over her lips to keep her from interrupting. "I feel too strongly about you to want to disappoint you, and if I have to choose between failing you or pulling my punches, I lose either way. I'm a soldier, I don't love the killing but.. Sometimes it is necessary. I'd have killed them all to the last to get my brother back, Shy, traffickers like them do worse than kill, they destroy families, and ruin lives, when someone dies you can mourne them, sometimes even bring them back to life, but when somone is taken and held prisoner or made a slave.. there is no closure, only pain."
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"Well I suppose it could be worse luck. We could all be dead." Sysyu figured. "So you see? You are good luck." she grinned.
Her smile quickly faded as he tried to reach her about holding him back like she did. "I don't want to endanger you, Soren, but I don't want you carrying the guilt of killing people if you have a choice not to. Those people, however rotten they may seem, were doing what they could NOT to harm any of us. So say you killed them all to get Cillian back. You would have taken all their lives for something you were able to do without killing anyone. Good or bad they are still people. We don't know enough about them to be their executioners do we? I begged you not kill that man because I knew you didn't NEED to. If you uphold authority with as little loss of life as possible then you will gain the love and respect of the majority of your people and make your enemies THINK about the value of defying authority. Authority wrongs people so often they end up on the wrong end of it. They get turned around against it. Doing RIGHT by people turns them back around to your side. I didn't ask you not to kill no matter what but only if necessary. Tell me I am wrong and tell me why." She dared him.
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He watched her curiously as she spoke like those human traffickers were somehow virtuous for not killing them was likely out of some other dubious intention and not because they were swell folks. "What would Maelmorda do in my place if it were you taken by those people? I know you mean well, but.. to those people killing a prince, or princess might seem like a waste of merchandise, dont you think?" He said as he looked down to her small hand that was within his own, "If I had not come, it is likely you'd all be in their clutches right now, more meat for them to sell.. That would break me, knowing I let you all be taken like my brother Remus is taken." He said laying his head on her shoulder, "I dont know what the right thing to do is, whats does that make me? If I killed any of them would I be just as bad as they are in your eyes? Worse maybe?"
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Soren really wasn't getting her. Not yet. "Soren, I know I am naive about things but I swear to you I am right about this. It isn't about believing baddies are good, but justice and second chances. About punishment that teaches and corrects. Is everyone who does bad or even terrible things beyond hope? If you arrest that entire crew and imprison them, teach them a better way to live, if just one of them turns their life around won't it be worth it? If they blow their second chance they blow it, but at least Esscha Endor authority gave them a chance. There are a lot of bad people in the world and maybe that gives people license to just cull the rot, but how many are cut down that could have flourished? That could change, heal from their deep wounds, and have the advantage of learning from a lot of mistakes? Learning they can pass on. I hate that those people tried to take Cillian like he was an animal and got away with Remus. I HATE what they did. But I don't think they should die for it without being given the chance to turn themselves around. Maybe some of them are irredeemable, but I am willing to bet some of them are WORTH saving. If you had killed them I would have forgiven it, but it would have saddened me deeply. If you killed them out of pure wrath? I would have lost respect for you. Had you killed them to save yourself or someone else, I'd have understood and respected that because you had no other choice, like with those enemies at the lake. That was kill or be killed. They left no choice." she rubbed his hand softly the entire time she spoke, occasionally brushing her fingers across his hair. She would never be anything but honest with Soren whenever sharing her thoughts with him.
"I am unimaginably proud of you, Soren, for getting Cillian back without killing anyone. And we got the prisoner we needed to gather all the information we require to get justice done. I know you're angry, furious, so am I, but rage won't get Remus back. Love, determination and authority will." Of that she had no doubt. And Sysyu was working on something. She just needed to make sure it could work before she got Beran and Soren's hopes up.
Lately, the ether of the otherworlds and planes felt further away from her but time remained more constant and the dimensions predictably variable. She could still slide into the planes and otherworlds but it was more like a long drop or fall that was much harder to get in and out of. Just phasing into the faintest edge of the abyss had taken her much further than she'd expected to go and been a struggle to rise back out again. And many strongholds were heavily warded against infiltration especially by metaphysical methods. She needed to do some testing.
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Soren listened to her but he found himself realizing this sort of debate, and it wasn't really a debate he did not want to talk her into being okay with killing, it was not like he was in love with it. Soren did think that killing was a necessary thing, he was not sure a utopia existed where murder and crime was completely solved, and if it was he wasn't sure what it'd look like. "What if they had taken him and did some irreversible damage to him, would they deserve this mercy? What if Remus is.. broken in a way that we cannot fix, this might open an old wound. Why do they deserve mercy when they act without compassion?" He knew this was dangerous, it could very well start an argument he was not prepared to have nor wanted. "Those poachers are not going to be reformed, they will do what they did here again, and they might hurt someone else.. Shouldn't we act in a way to protect the future victims?" It was difficult to know what was right, "There is no right answer, no matter what we do someone will be hurt. I might be forced to make the best decision for Esscha Endor, the decision that does the most good, that must be the right answer, the position that protects the most of our people." He was of course overthinking it, it was not likely he'd be forced to make any such decision while his father was gone, he hoped.
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Sysyu realized it wasn't always easy to tell when someone would turn on you with intent to kill but it seemed fairly obvious to her when someone was trying to kill you in the moment, unless they were hidden or hiding a weapon as assassins did. As for the exceptions one just needed to keep those in mind didn't they? The traitors, bandits and muggers in the night? The jilted lover? Yes, a cornered criminal was likely to turn and fight but that was predictable and therefore defensible. If all else failed and there was no taking them alive then you did what you could just as Soren had.
Sysyu would have been thrilled had Soren understood her. She didn't expect him to see things as she did but at least grasp what she was trying to get across. The usual brightness and warmth of her smile when she was happy was missing from her face where her disappointment was clear as pure water. She sank against the couch to gaze sideways at Soren where he sat next to her on the couch. "I am so thankful you saved Cillian from ending up where Remus is now, but I have to admit I was truly hoping you'd understand what it is I wanted you understand. If you could just commit to an oath to yourself not to kill unless left no other choice, and live by that code, then as a warrior you wouldn't have to grapple with the guilt and faces of those you do have to kill, because they will have left you with no other choice. You CAN be a warrior without being a killer. There Is a distinct difference between killing in defense and killing someone in cold blood. One destroyS your soul the other does not." Sysyu's gaze drifted off. She'd stand by him regardless of whether he lost himself to guilt or not and if he felt nothing when he took a life then he had already taken a deep step towards Acheron. "We should turn in soon. It's getting late and we have an early morning. But before we say goodnight, can you tell me if there are areas in the castle wards will forbid me access?" She wanted to test herself against them.
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Soren had not actively participated in open warfare, against brigands and stuff like that sure, and he had killed before, but not often. He couldn't say he enjoyed it, but.. those people were criminals. Most criminals were handled through lawful means if they could be safely captured and judged. "We already do that, Sysyu, I have heard about what happened at Blackstone. Before you met us at the Lake of Shadows, weren't some assassins captured? Beran, Remus and I are training to be Knights, not common cutt-throats." He reminded her, "I wont take an oath, I might be put in a situation where I'm forced to break it.. I dont wish to be an oathbreaker, Sysyu."
She hadn't taken note of his apprehension, "You are the daughter of the Morningstar, I think you might have more access than I do, but.. perhaps fathers vault, you could try there." He said as he stepped to the door, "Good night." He said before opening the door to slip out, thinking he must have offended her with his words. Soren was sure she would find a way to call this whole courtship between them off, she likely thought he was a homicidal maniac after this conversation.:
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After hearing Soren out she decided she should just drop the subject and not raise it up again. Soren might not have noticed but while trying to catch up to him as he chased the poachers she witnessed him very violently try all he could to kill those who were fleeing even before he reached the woman who had Cillian in her clutches. There was no attempt at taking them alive there, not until Sysyu had begged him not to kill anyone. He was lying to himself. She didn't say anything about it though. She had tried to reach him and he just wasn't listening. She didn't ask him not to kill but only not to kill unless he HAD to, yet he refused to commit to the ideal. Sysyu loved Soren. She wasn't going to reject him over their difference in the ideology of what being a warrior entailed. It would only become her concern if and when his soul suffered for it in a way that was destructive to him or their relationship. "Your father's vault? That seems a risky place to break into. I guess I'll just root around." she laughed but it was quiet. She was feeling rather down. She just needed some time to recover her usual shine.
003 Making Plans
The prisoner, who Mortiara came to find was named Moreleth, was everything the spying Maelmorda had predicted her to be. She thought herself very clever and attempted to manipulate the knight commander via her wit, bewitchery and wile. Mortiara baited her by letting her believe she was getting somewhere with him before turning the tables and using her inducements to manipulate her. Oh he didn't fall for her too easily. He played the game. Where she was moderately clever Mortiara was a genius at extracting intelligence. He was all too easily able to make her believe she had finagled the best possible deal for information about her crew. First, he pretended to fall for her sexual seductions after some convincing resistance. When finally pretending to say what the hell and give in to her, he guarded himself against the physical contact in case of poisons, organic weapons, or disease. But soon enough she found herself incredibly attracted to him and telling him her name. At length he fawned over her beauty and how incredible she felt, how wonderfully clever and wicked she was, and soon pretended to be completely under her sexual power, making plans with her to help her escape. When she asked why he was willing to help her he told her how he despised the king and his self-righteous authority and all those who followed him like loyal dogs.
She tried at that point to persuade him to kidnap Cillian for her after her escape. He said it might be difficult but he was certain he could pull it off though he'd have to take his time and do it right. He made it clear he would only do it if she had a position in her crew waiting for him if he succeeded and a place for him by her side. She was very pleased by the compromise and agreed. They kissed and then fucked to seal the deal. Mortiara used the opportunity to utterly enslave the woman by drowning her in his demonic essence via his seed, saliva and blood which she drank from his tongue after she bit it. That done, he gatfered all the intelligence he could want from her over pillow talk then left her bunk, got dressed and withdrew, leaving her to believe he was on her side. What she was, was under the Naga Warlock Demon's power and a prisoner whose fate was up to Soren. In the course of one night Mortiara had everything they needed from Moreleth.
After a quick shower Mortiara headed to the banquet hall in search of Soren. It was early morning when he entered the hall to look for his prince. Spotting him at a table with Sysyu, Cillian and Beran he grabbed himself a tray, heaped it with food, and made his way over to the foursome to sit across from Soren. Beran was at his right. "I have news, M'Lord." Mortiara then formed a four way mental connection between himself and the three elder of the four, as they'd all been involved and had the authority to receive the knowledge. Cillian was too young to be included but he smiled at the tyke and greeted him. "Good morning young Augustus. Are you alright?"
Cillian sighed. "Well, I guess. I'm just sad about Remus."
"I understand, young Lord. We all are. But don't you worry, we'll get him home soon. He is fine you know. He just went to another zoo those people wanted him to see. He will be well cared for, I promise."
The knight's assurances made Cillian smile and the child started to dig in to his hearty breakfast.
Mortiara then explained his comments to Cillian to Soren, Sysyu and Beran through their link. "Remus was taken overseas to be kept as a specimen in a sort of sick menagerie created by a pair of demons. I wasn't lying. Prince Emrys will be well cared and provided for. They collect rare creatures and other than keeping them imprisoned in guilded cages they treat them like beloved royalty. He won't be harmed."
Beran made his voice known then. "Even if the *specimen* is particularly difficult to handle? Possibly traumatized to the point of either being mad with rage or utterly unresponsive?" he posed.
Mortiara keened his eyes on Beran. "You have reason to believe that might be the case?" he asked.
"It's a fair possibility."
"I cannot answer to that at this time but I will look into it." Mortiara insured and Beran nodded. "He was born and grew to maturity in the Black Tower dungeon of Hesstromeph as I understand it." Beran nodded again. "His present prison may not bring memories of that prison, or at least be posh enough to soothe him. I'm certain he'll adapt. I feel his constitution is stronger than you fear." Beran nodded a third time hoping he was right.
"The castle in question is very well fortified. It may be prudent to not only infiltrate the castle but go under deep cover to become a part of their household. The prisoner is completely under my power and we might be able to use her to get an invitation to view the menagerie. Her people know what the three of you look like but we can disguise you through flesh craft. Illusions are too risky. You would need to take on a physical disguise."
"The crew who took Remus are Antares humans. Their equipment makes them a match for most immortals but without that equipment they are at a much greater disadvantage. Skilled yes but no haste, not as tough, no magic equalizing weapons."
"The people holding Remus are however Sumari Demons which are very similar to the type I am. We are just of two diverse bloodlines. I am out the Naga, they of Lilith. They are also Duke and Duchess of their kingdom and very dangerous to cross. We will need to do a great deal of reconnaissance, find out exactly what we are up against. We may find ourselves up against the entire Black Hills Kingdom. They have their own laws and we will no doubt have to go against their authority to get Remus. The laws there are not exactly favorable. But if we can get inside and establish ourselves, and our army can move in at an auspicious time, we may be able to break him out. If we attempt a seige without us there to seize the moment they will only use Remus against us as a hostage. There is no quick way to resolve this travesty, my friends. I'm afraid this is to be a long term campaign. I'm sorry."
"My father will want to add his army to Lord Octavian's under his own command, I know that he will."
"Has he returned from the mysterious journey his people have been keeping so tightly under wraps?" Mortiara inquired.
Beran heaved a breath. "Not as yet... But any day now..." the dubious look Mortiara gave him made him sigh. "He ascended... again, for the second time, and he got trapped somehow, in his planar realm. He'll find a way out! I know he will!"
Mortiara cringed as his ears rang. "Easy, Beran. No shouting into our brainpans please."
"Sorry..."
"Well with him offworld who is in command in his absence?" the knight asked.
"My mother and commander Maximus."
"Report to them on this matter then." Mortiara indicated.
"Can't we just *magic* Remus out of there?" Beran asked.
"Possibly. I have considered that and we will exhaust every option by those means before we ever infiltrate their castle and wage war on Blackhills.
Just knowing who they are there is only a slight possibility of magic being a viable option. They will anticipate that and have wards."
"Won't they anticipate the rest? Know you're one of Esscha's? Know what we're willing to do to get my brother back?"
He voiced some very logical concerns all of which Mortiara had pondered. "I had already concluded that they must know all of that, which begs the question, why risk it over one or two individuals? I don't believe the answer is one you'd completely understand. Because when they desire something, they MUST have it, and are so confident in their abilities to take on the world and have whatever they please, that they just TAKE it. Our job is to prove to them how wrong they are, to prove they are vulnerable to US and may NOT take whatever they desire FROM US. And as mentioned prior, I like the rest of you will be disguised."
"Was Remus an intended target?" Beran had the brains to ask.
Mortiara was really hoping he wouldn't ask that. "No... Cillian was the target. They took him as a gratuity."
Beran frowned. "So these avaricious demons don't get the toy they want, but some other plaything that invites the wrath of not one kingdom but two. How does that bode for Remus you think? Stop pouring water in the clay and let's have it, *Sir*. We don't have time for a long game."
"Beran. There is the chance they will wish to be rid of him, but he IS a very rare and interesting creature by their standards. His situation isn't ideal, no, but they may be content to walk away with such a prize over ending up empty handed. Also... killing brethren Achonians is tricky business."
"But they might also take out their disappointment on him." Beran understood the nature of evil better than most would have guessed.
"It is possible, yes, but that's not to say they will. We don't know one way or another."
Before anyone said anything else Sysyu blurted something out. "I think I can get Remus!"
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Soren was eating his food about to ask about something from last night that Sysyu said to him before Mortiara appeared, and before he could ask Shy they were pulled into a more pressing conversation. Cillian was practically connected to his hip, and on the other side of his Sysyu, Soren chewed on a bit of Sausage as he took in the conversation. Remus being taken was eating at him as well, his kissed his baby brother atop the head, "No need to worry baby brother." He said, trying to soothe him, but on the inside Soren's emotions were in a tangle.
"That is good." He said, "I didn't expect you would pry the information from the captive so readily." He replied mentally, saying his sire was in a zoo nearly made Soren burst from his seat, it took all that he had to stay calm. It was like a part of him was gone, he couldn't even feel Remus presence, it was just gone! Soren did not speak up immediately, rather, he let Beran speak. Soren needed to think, "Mortiara is right, Remus is not weak, I have faith in him, and he will know we wont leave him to suffer over long!" He said, his tone in their minds one of confidence, he knew Remus would trust him, he had to believe his sire trusted in his brothers.
---
Niculaie was tapping his foot on the ground as he looked into the bottle, empty?! He sighed, as he looked to Felix.. "I think the lord here has excellent taste in booze, but do you hear that? Like a soap opera going off in my head." He said to his brother as he ate at his breakfast, it was perhaps not his favorite fare, but he had a soft spot for breakfast food! He glanced around the hall, where was that pretty girl he had been hanging around with while his brother was doing devil knows what? Well he didn't see her, maybe he would go hunt her down after a while, she was fun.
His eyes moved to settle on the group at the high table, where the prince and his servants(?) dined. "You getting all this Felix?" By now he could hear them talking about planning some sort of assault. Wards, magic.. a Rescue, that sounded entertaining, and suspiciously like work for a pair of enterprising mercs like they were.
Niculaie Stood up, and looked to Felix, "Why dont we go introduce ourselves to them, this is the chance we were looking for after all." Why work small jobs for pennies when they could do a job to help save the prince's friend, that had to pay a kings ransom, right?
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As all eyes turned on Sysyu she blushed slightly. Poor Cillian was clinging to Soren, had been since they arrived in the banquet hall. Mortiara was just gazing at her in stoic anticipation. He really was a man she would not wish to get on the bad side of. Gathering that much Intel in one night? Either Moreleth was a blabbermouth or Mortiara had really squeezed her for the information. And of the two Interlopers one of them at least looked annoyed. "I tested myself against Goth's wards. I can get to Remus and get him out unscathed before anyone even knows I'm there." She sounded very confident in her claim.
---
Prior to the Reavers arriving from the other table, Felix hiccupped. "Gods... I love being drunk so much but fuck if I don't loath the hangover when the party ends..." he moaned. "I didn't even drink that much! Oh shit .. you don't think booze is our vice do you? Do we even HAVE a geis?" The bar and kitchen had cut them off for mere cost and the local pubs had barred them for drinking too much of their stock.
The he started listening more closely to the dialogue he'd been ignoring up until Nic encouraged him to eavesdrop. Soon he was on his feet and following Nic over to the Prince's table. He smiled at the group and nodded to them then the pretty girl stole their damn thunder right out from under them before it even crackled. "We could uh ... make sure she makes it." it was the best he could come up with hungover and on the fly! "I'm Felix by the way, and this is Nick."
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Sarku meanwhile went back to what he was doing before the beneficial interruption. He was adding a ring of statues around the circular gate pad he'd already replaced the arch with. Gothtyrdan's South Courtyard Gate was now a large circular slab of stone with dimly lit sigils which glowed a bright azure blue when activated, hinting at the source of their power. The gate was capable of shifting people to called known, linked, or holo-mapped destinations and was infused with potent anti-invasive and gate defense wards. Among the new features Sarku had added was a *holo-map* which would pop up with the vocal or clear mental command 'Map'. By touching a location on the map and indicating *take me there*, the gate would activate. It was a smart gate, it could interpolate.
Children under the 'maturity' age of Sixteen could not activate the gate or pass through it alone. An adult had to be either holding their hand or holding them. And if there was no DNA match between child and adult the gate would screen the plane of knowledge for permissions. This all happened with only the briefest delay. It was barely even noticeable.
The number of people the gate could shift or receive all at once was limited by how many could crowd onto the twenty-plus foot diameter pad. Large entities like dragons could only use the triangulated gate beacons on the keep roof.
About ten feet above and ringing the pad was a circular lentil held up by the six exquisite, white marble statues, resembling bestial-looking priests (deer, reptile, bird, fish, insect and wolf), symbolizing the natural world's support of chaos with each figure representing an aspect of chaos (birth, growth, climax, decline, cessation and chaos). The lentil featured a repeating pattern of chaosian pentacles in its six sections, representing the Achonian worship of chaos and the great cycle. Pentacles set within pentacles is what made them chaosian. Vertical, trailing, leafy thorned vine impressions in the stone defined the solid lentil's sections. The statues and lentil also stored and focused more power for the gate's commands and defense. It would take an arch God's might or power and with great effort to break any part of the gate, which was the only way to interrupt, endanger or destabilize its power. There was plenty of room between the six statues to access the pad and one larger gap for big horses. The statues were evenly spaced all the way around with exception of the one wider space for horses.
The wider gap was positioned on the gatepad's likeliest approach from the west, the gap facing west south west, and was marked with a beautiful rearing horse relief between two of the sigils on the gatepad making it more convenient to identify. The sigils themselves were still evenly spaced.
Sarku had thought to give the gate a voice but decided it might disturb people. He was certain to add that feature later though. Personally he liked the idea of giving the gate and its statues some personality.
All told, the gatepad presented a striking display in the corner of the courtyard against its dark surroundings. And with all it's very Sarku symbolism it spoke volumes of the Achonian culture. Maelmorda was going to be thrilled when he laid eyes on it. Sarku was going to receive something very special from his liege in the near future for once again out doing himself.
Sarku's story was a long one. His history could fill a library. But Gothtyrdan suggested everything there was to know about him. To understand Sarku one just needed to take a really Close Look at Gothtyrdan.
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Soren was imagining him ripping out her nails or some other gruesome torment, he did not think that Mortiara had gotten it in more.. dubious ways, if he ever learned he'd be surprised! Soren watched her curiously, "You are sure?" He'd be relieved if she really could but, "It sounds risky.. However the longer Remus is there..." He had to put the woman he loved in danger to save his brother.
Nic smirked, "I dont think its a vice, drinking is fine, besides.. I would much rather have vices that involve that pretty creature from last night!" He said slapping Felix on the back, besides.. we could quit anytime we wanted too, dont worry about it."
They then arrived to interrupt the party having their chat. Niculaie gave a slight bow. "Sounds like you have a job that requires some bit of derring-doo. " They would be particularly helpful in infiltration, after all they could move through wards unhindered.
Soren just looked dumfounded.. "Why would we bring untested strangers on such an important mission?" He was a step from having Mortiara put them in the drunk tank.
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Mortiara stood up slowly to tower over Felix. Fuck if he wasn't tall and had a very menacingly quality no matter how good looking Felix thought he was. The knight commander did NOT appreciate their private conversation being broken into! "I agree with my squire Soren here. Why we should trust strangers? And mind explaining WHY you were trespassing on a closed conversation?" he practically but not discernably snarled.
"Felix chewed on his lower lip a moment before responding to the two. "Well I believe the King trusts us else he wouldn't have invited us here to wander rather freely in Gothtyrdan. Plus I'm an old friend of his clan, Lavoy and I were... close friends. I still stop by and hang with Roary, Kael, Sebastian and my good buddy Faust now and again." Faust thought Fekix was funny. "As for Nic, well he's been well known to Seth for years," that last bit intentionally vague. He could have thrown it out there that Nic was related to Galaxy to help cinch the deal but he had a feeling Nic would be pissed. He didn't really talk about his father Agares much. "About that... The eavesdropping wasn't intentional... It's just we have to work hard at *not* overhearing mental shit and well... we're coming off a weeks long...? Month long maybe binge." Felix explained apologetically.
Felix had this uncanny way of coming off as a sweet innocent boy no matter how opposite that he was. Even drunk and hungover he could pull it off but Mortiara wasn't buying the innocent act. He did believe them though because his truth probe utterly failed to activate and that just didn't happen. "You're those Reavers I was informed of, aren't you?" They were expecting a pair of Arcane Reavers who'd been given the liberty of guests, he'd been told by Niall but not been given their names.
Mortiara hadn't bothered asking for them because guests were not his concern unless they drew his attention. Guests were otherwise for the royal family, guards and household to worry about. He had however asked Niall what Arcane Reavers were. Niall said he assumed they reaved magic as if Mortiara hadn't already speculated that much. Seth was the one who'd collected them and knew more about them. Niall had intentionally been cagey soas to give the two lads a chance at being treated AS the King's guests rather than distrusted scions sired by one of Acherons greatest evils. "Try HARDER next time not to invade mental guards or you'll find yourself in lock up." He warned them both in uncompromising tones. Good thing Mortiara didn't know whose blood they were out of or it was likely he'd have gone ahead and made them Moreleth's neighbors.
"Aye aye, Sir," Felix clapped his combat boots together and snapped straight to salute him.
Beran couldn't help himself and laughed. He'd have laughed at them a lot sooner had he not been tied up in knots.
The knight commander then trained his regard on Sysyu once again as Soren asked her to elaborate. "Yes Lady Ahmetwuar, do explain how you intend to free Remus," he urged, addressing her as Desertwind in the Achonian tongue.
Felix was curious as to how she thought to manage that himself.
Sysyu tried to think how to put herself and her discovery to words and answered. "I am an Astral weaver and for me traipsing through space and energy is as natural as swimming is to a fish. Wards aimed at preventing supernatural incursion can't hinder me because in order to work they have to target a wide range of potential invasive forces that can breech them, but I simply am part of the planar, elemental, dimensional and even chronological fabric so wards simply don't register me as supernatural or invasive because I will just be blending into the wards energies as I lapse through them. You might call me a sort of energy chameleon when I phase through wards," she smiled. "Do you have ward commands?" she then asked Mortiara.
"No. Sarku does. Everyone else who does is in Eastguard."
"Would you ask Sarku if the wards were triggered in any way last night?" She then asked the commander.
Mortiara did as requested and after a brief exchange with Sarku he answered. "No, they were not, but I want you to test them again in about ten minutes." He indicated making it fairly evident that Sarku was in the process of modifying the wards.
"Well I'm not saying I can't be stopped, but if Sarku didn't consider someone like me, and as far as I know I am unique in my disposition to pass undetected through wards the way I do, then it is extremely unlikely anyone else would have prepared for such a contingency."
"Even if that is true for you what of Remus? He is not you," the clanless demon pointed out.
"Well I have a plan for that as well. I can pull Remus into a dimensional pocket within myself while I am phased, thereby extracting him from where he is without actually removing him, and once inside of me I can drop with him into another plane and return from there to here before they realize what is happening." She smiled, certain beyond a doubt it would work.
"I don't know, Sysyu..." Mortiara however had serious doubts. Sarku then appeared out of nowhere and took Soren by the arm to pull him through the ether into a highly warded area, (his tower's research chamber) kidnapping him temporarily, then informed Mortiara he was ready for Sysyu to test the wards and that he wanted her to rescue Soren. Cillian had jumped out of his seat when Soren was taken shouting out his name.
After Mortiara passed on Sarku's instructions, Sysyu stood up and went to Cillian to reassure him and calm him down. "Soren is with Sarku and you love Sarku. We are just doing a little test to see if I can bring Soren back. I'm going to go get him right now, okay?" Cillian nodded and she straightened herself then phased out of sight. She was not gone long though before she was knocked out of her shift and back into the banquet hall right on her ass in a slide across the marble floor. She never made it to Soren. "Ouch that hurt! What did Sarku do?"
Mortiara smirked and pulled her to her feet. Sarku then returned Soren who stepped out of a gate he provided. Cillian ran right over to him. "He linked the infiltration command strings to an absolute command adaptation. Adaptive commands that act on what simply is cannot be fooled. You weren't supposed to be there therefore the wards rejected you, no matter how invisible you are to them."
"Well why weren't those commands already in place and how many people utilize them?"
"They are risky to use and require hard lore. If for any reason they cause wards to get caught in a zero solution loop they can weaken, break and even shatter colliding ward energies, sometimes explosively. Admittedly there are few who have mastered the technique but we can't be sure if the Deumas Nobles are not among those who implement them."
"It's doubtful though, right?" Sysyu searched.
Mortiara shrugged. "The Deumas are awfully confident in their wards or they wouldn't add important people to their collection," he speculated.
"The chances are at least slim though, right?" she pressed.
"Very few have the knowledge or utilize absolute commands it's true and even fewer successfully use them, but any risk to you is too much."
Sysyu frowned. "It's a risk I am willing to take! One I insist I take!" she argued vehemently. She was glad Soren was on her side at least!
Felix waved his arms around. "Before you argue any further, Nic and I can make sure she succeeds and has back up by killing whatever kind of wards you are talking about." He blurted out as quickly as he could. "We take the wards down, and she can stealth in with her planar whatsit mojo, with an army of ninjas at her back if you want." he elaborated, pointing around quickly at Soren, Beran, Mort, Nic and lastly himself when he said army of ninjas.
"I'll be ninja too!" Cillian cried out. Then looked up at Soren whose leg he was clinging to and whispered. "What's a ninja?"
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Speaking of Ninjas...
Within the castle were The Sargoth (deep watchers). They were a garrison of mysterious guardians within Gothtyrdan split between it's high towers. They appeared human in their forms but their appearance was completely concealed in black by body suits covered in two layers of light black leather armour with thin diamthrill metal plating in between, masks and hoods that covered their heads, necks and faces entirely, and by black leather, cloth and chain gloves and leather boots. They all looked exactly alike with only subtle variations in height and build. No one but Maelmorda had ever seen them without their guises on and even then only on rare occasions.
The weapons they carried varied widely but they were very quick and proficient with their weapons of choice and masters of martial combat one and all. They did appear to be able to succumb to mortal injuries yet their numbers never diminished for long and they numbered in the thousands, and still they generally went unseen unless one of the leaders *wanted* to be seen.
They moved between the towers, land above, dungeon, and underground like shadows, and were exceptionally quick and stealthy. Few were even aware the black garrison existed. Their two leaders lived among them; Raeksor and Penteres and were the only members of the garrison who would speak to anyone outside their squad and Lord.
Their purpose was control and defense of the high towers, dungeon, undercroft, and land above from the towers.
This garrison answered only to Maelmorda and his proxies, but were open to obeying other authorities within the castle. They just weren't obligated to. What they were exactly was unknown to all but... You guessed it. Niall speculated there might not be anything beneath their cloth, leather and metal but spirits, if even that. Sarku knew exactly what they were because he created them for Maelmorda.
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Niculaie was impressed, Mortiara was massive.. He held his hands out wide, usually Felix was the one to get them out of trouble, however Mortiara did not seem to buy that. He was about to make a similar joke that Felix did and he punched Felix in the side, "I was going to make that joke, you dolt! Joke stealing drunk!" They were like brothers really, and well, he couldn't help but enjoy some good old fashioned sibling rivalry. Nic was saving the Galaxy bit for a last ditch effort, he did not like blathering on about his fathers side of things too much, really he kept things quiet about his mother too. He wondered how his family was doing after so long, he sure missed them.
'Those Reavers,' Did that count as fame he wondered, or were they so unknown even people who should know of them didn't even recognize them. "Do you think weve finally made it Felix, that were finally going to make it? Maybe work will be more regular now, no more bouncer jobs to make ends meet!" He said in a loudish whisper to Felix, before clearing his throat and looking at Mortiara. The Arcane Reavers, as in the only Arcane Reavers in existence, with a very specific set of skills." Did he accidently slip into a Liam Neesam voice? No, it was 100% on purpose, it was comedy gold to anyone who got the reference, which was... very few. Nic just held his hands up in a show of surrender, "Absolutely, we will do that. It WAS an accident." He got the feeling Mortiara thought the accident thing was some dubious lie, it absolutely was not!
Soren was not sure what to think of these two.. individuals, and they were hardly important right now, at least that's what he thought at current. He turned his attention to the matter at hand, which was Sysyu and her apparently dangerous idea. Soren leaned close to Sysyu "Ametower? Why did he call you that, Shy?" He asked under his breath to her, they hadn't talked too much about her family so he had no idea about that sort of thing, only that he knew who her parents were.
Soren was not sure what she had up her sleeve, but.. it sounded easy enough if she could just jog over and get Remus that would be great! But, if she failed.. He would have his sire and Girlfriend both captured with nothing he could do to help them! He just listened to her explain what she could do, until he was snatched away without warning! His cry of protest ended abruptly as he was pulled into Sarku's tower. "Sarku! You nearly scared me to death, I could feel my soul practically leaping out of this immortal coil!" He said, then laughed!
"Sarku, you know.. We sure have missed having you around!" He still remembered how interesting and funny Sarku was as a young man, on the mission with the others into that Tsularian tomb, that had been.. interesting. Very much so. Though Sarku seemed much like a disinterested uncle at times, he showered much of his time and attention on Maelmorda's twins, he supposed it made sense, after all Sarku had been rather upset with Soren's father for something. "I was just told I am heir to my fathers throne and he is.. absent, which lays things on my shoulders, do you have any sage advice for me? I could... use it, very badly."
Niculaie quietly watched, when she did her little trick, could he and Felix stop her from doing that with their abilities? While Nic came off as a bit of a nonchalant ass at times, he could be very driven when he needed to be. Even without speaking he and Felix both knew they could make this little job ALOT easier for their patron here. Niculaie wondered if those adaptive wards could touch them though, he and Felix, ward powers seemed to slide off of them like they were coated in something slick to the touch letting them move against enemies hiding behind wards. They made excellent assassins because they could bypass and even destroy wards, surely their maker intended to use them as such. Luckily, that bastard got his, good riddens Nic thought, Mek was a piece of shit.
When Soren returned he was thinking on everything they had learned, the Reavers would be useful after all. "I think it would reflect poorly on your teachings Mortiara if we refused my fathers guests offer of assistance, their abilities will be a boon for us.
Nic grinned, "We could even make a lot of noise and draw their attention," Nic had trained for jobs like this since he was taught to fire his first gun by his older brother, he had been a fortune fighter all his life, he felt at peace when he was working. "But you will have to work fast, after the initial shock, im sure they will try to vacate their prized possessions.. that or they will kill us." Niculaie didnt seem to take the dying part too seriously though, he and Felix had pulled off some really.. dicey jobs.
"Ninja's? Couldnt we ask 'them'?" He said to Mortiara, they were much quieter than any ninja, Soren didn't even know if they could leave. Or if they would even entertain listening to a request for an incursion in an enemy stronghold.
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The Reavers' claim to be able to negate wards was an intriguing addition to Sysyu's plan. But could they *trust* them? There were times when you just had to take a leap of faith but doing so with Remus and Sysyu on the line just wasn't good enough for Mortiara. "Tell you what... If Soren agrees... the two of you give us what you most treasure to hold onto until the task is done, and when Remus and Sysyu, and anyone else along for the ride, are safely back here, we will pay you well for your gifts and returh your treasures to you. What say you, Soren? Reavers?"
"Taken! It's from the flick Taken!" Felix cried out in mock exasperation when no one else got Nic's pop culture reference.
"Oh. I haven't seen that one yet. Is it any good?" Sysyu asked. At least she understood what a 'flick' was.
"People!" Mortiara refocused. Nic and Fekix were a couple of clowns. If there was anyone he trusted less it was clowns. They were usually trying to cover for something by being funny. Ironically their claim of listening in unintentionally was the one thing Mortiara did believe. "By the way... I advise you not to set your price. I am sure you'll get paid better if you don't." His instincts about them told him. " Now about your collateral..."
"Money is the only thing precious to me I can actually hand over... and money means plenty to me. It means I can drink. If I can't drink, I think. If I think too much I... well let's just say I like to drink. Although... wait. Our bar is my best treasure I'd have to say. I can hand over the deed. It's the Black Stag. Ever heard of it?"
Mortiara cut a furtive eye on the young looking demon. "Yyyes. It's were all the underhanded types go to drink and plot."
Oh damn. He had heard of it! "Well that's not my fault..."
Mortiara cut Felix off before he could say more. "It absolutely IS." he begged to differ.
"Will you accept the deed or not?"
Mortiara smirked and held his hand out for it. Felix pulled it out of his pocket like he carried it around. He had reached through abyssal folds to retrieve it from his vault.
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Niculaie gasped at Sysyu when she instantly started trying to wheel and deal! "Young lady, isn't it unbecoming of a debutant to be wheeling and dealing with people who feel at home in dens of scum and villainy?" Oh yes, he was unrepentant in his love of referencing movies. "Taken was amazing, entirely unrealistic, but that was its charm I think." He said, he thought about what his prized possession might be.He needed his guns for the work.
Niculaie hid many things with his banter, if he didn't laugh he might fall to his knees and grieve. No, he shit it off, locked it tight and threw away the key. NEVER. AGAIN.
Niculaie then sighed and held out his hand and summoned forth his Blade, it was very much one of THOSE kinds of swords. "My treasure, I shall will it into your possession. and until I get it back it shall be quite out of my reach, such a blade is nearly priceless, I should think."
Niculaie whistled, "Damn, I never thought Felix would offer that up, I half expected him to give up our favorite book!" He said, then looked at Mortiara, "No take backs, you already accepted." The book of Reavers would have been a priceless thing too, man.. he really hoped this place worked out.
Soren then nodded, "Done." He would see what these clowns could do, but he didn't have high hopes, they sounded kinda dumb if you asked Soren. He knew he should be more charitable, but they were so.. strange. Not like Mortiara or Niall or any of the other powerful immortals, they were just a pair of drunk idiots, but supposedly Father had brought them in specifically.
"If we go in, I want to be with the team doing the rescue, Sysyu take me in in the same manner you will pull out Remus with. I want to be there when we save my Sire."
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Sysyu clasped Soren's hand when he inquired after the name Mortiara had addressed her by. "Ametwuar. It means Desertwindbin Mythemyn, after my Sam Father." She explained. She hoped Soren wasn't angry with her over their debate. She just wanted what was best for him, for him to understand he had every choice in whose life he should take, and those choices would shape him.
Sarku chuckled then smiled a bit at Soren's warm greeting after his initial scare. The animist was looking very enochian that day. His auburn fur backed dragon wings unfurled in their full glory. His flared dragon horns curling heavily up and away from his partially braided, beaded and feather adorned mass of ginger hair, large claws curling gently around Soren's shoulder, red scales popping from bare, highly tattooed bronze skin where it was exposed between his beaded and bone armored loin cloth, boots, arm wraps, arm bands and the torc he wore. His now bright green eyes beamed on Soren like a pair of emeralds in a face chiseled of sienna earth.
"Never intended this one to stay away too long. Missed his friends here we did as well. Advice... hmm... Our advice is that our Prince heeds the counsel of his officers and based on that knowledge follow his heart. The heart will tell us what the mind is wont to know." Leave Sarku to grant philosophical guidance. "And always, always, consider the possibilities before acting," he added in retrospect.
"Wheeling and dealing?" Sysyu asked Nic looking quite confused. "I'm not sure really what kinds of things knights get up to in service of the realm. Whatever they have to?" Then she smiled as he spoke of the movie being unlikely. "I've noticed a lot of things that come out of that Hollywood place are... what do they say? Over the top? Seems to me the older movies were more grounded before they had more advanced computer generated graphics... Of course..."
"Wow..." Felix leaned in to whisper to Nic. "That girl is super naive..."
"I can heeear you," Sysyu said
Mortiara pursed his lips and stared at them in a way as encouraged Sysyu and Felix to leave off. The knight then accepted the offered sword and examined it a moment then tucked it beneath his cloak to slide the blade into a spare frog. "So the plan..." then Soren announced thar he was going in. And Beran after him with a determined glare. Mortiara sighed. " And who will you place in charge of the castle while all available royals are absent? You realize your father may well fire me for allowing two additional princes and a princess go after another prince? Do count the royal heads walking into the bloody Lion's den! Take my advice and let Lady Ametwuar and the Reavers attempt extracting him BEFORE the rest of us go in." He was trusting Soren to let his cooler head prevail and trust him.
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"Ametwuar." He said softly as he tried to get used to it, "Desertwind, OH.. oh." He now understood and of course, it made much more sense. He was hardly mad at her, if anything she likely thought he was a callous psycho or something! He sensed there was something between them, instead of speaking he just slipped his hand in hers, "I like it."
Soren thought back on the words Sarku shared with him, he hadn't realized at the time that he had stopped talking so he tried reaching out to Sarku with telepathy. "Thank you for the wisdom, I will try not to ignore all of it, you know how we impetuous youths can me."
"You have seen movies, right?" Nic asked the young lady, "Knights are the upstanding face of their liege, Noble, good, sickeningly good at times. For honor, and all that." Yeah Hollywood leaned into the blockbuster stuff, too much effects kinda killed some movies that had so much potential, but sometimes it was just fun to watch giant kaiju battle it out."
Nic just smirked, "Play nice, these could be our future employers."
Soren just gave Felix a glare as if to say 'shut it', the prince thought better of saying anything though, he'd suffer them if it meant saving Remus.
He watched Mortiara, "I--understand, I will trust in your wisdom, Mortiara. But Before they go I want a force on stand by for an assault if things go sideways, I trust you know what will happen if word reaches the wedding that we allowed a prince and a princess to be captured. Both our heads might roll." Soren had an impression that if they failed and Sysyu was captured, The Desertwind was not known for being kind, Maelmorda was not her only father after all. "The assault team needs to be the best most effective soldiers we have." That also likely excluded Soren, he was still green in many ways, and that pained him.
"Is that what sitting on the throne means, not being able to fight when your friends are fighting for their lives?" He felt paralyzed, who could he even leave in charge? "Couldn't the Queen be left in charge?" He asked curiously, he was not sure who else, "Sarku would make an excellent regent lord." There were many who could hold down the fort, but it was his duty, passing it off would mean failing Esscha Endor, what an impossible decision.
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"My bad," Felix acknowledged with a little blush, "And pardon," he added, bowing to the princess? Huh... then the name Ametwuar struck him as Soren repeated its meaning. GULP. He kinda hadn't paid attention to them talking about it just before that. And he called her naive and she heard it! Well hopefully her Sam Father... oh shit it was all circling back to him. Felix kind of meandered idly away from her to stand by Nic whose mind he spoke to. "Did you hear that..."
"But Kilcanoragh is also correct, my Mael father's surname" Sysyu went on to say to Soren, smiling because he liked her name Ametwuar. Most people didn't seem to care for it. She looked Felix's way and he smiled at her. Yep, they responded like he did, or worse, weren't even polite about it.
Nic did finally get a slight rise out of Mortiara, a response at least. "You find honor sickening? At what point can one be TOO honorable, Nic? No, don't answer that. We really don't have the time right now to talk about movies and their depictions of knights, or to exchange empty banter when we need to be planning on infiltrating a highly warded demon palace. How about we all join in the conversation and talk about that?" He was starting to get a little testy by now. He wasn't about to let the fact that they needed them keep him from firing them!!
Sysyu didn't even get a response out to Nic. She just kept her tongue and fixed her eyes on the knight commander and Soren. Soren had not answered to the advice about staying behind yet either. Beran certainly didn't look happy about it but hadn't contested it either. He was waiting for Soren to decide what they should do. If Soren asked him? He would say *go*.
Then Soren did respond and had a lot to say. She felt so proud of him. He was showing a lot of reason in his decision making process. She squeezed his hand tight and cuddled in more closely against him.
"The plan..." Sysyu took the initiative. "I slip in, the boys take out the wards, I pull Remus into the pocket bubble and dip back here. No hesitation. Then... you knights take a regiment and free the rest of the prisoners." She looked to Soren. "I can't risk taking you with me. Its taxing to planes shift these days and I won't have time to recover. I need to move quick to avoid detection. Its important I focus my energies on Remus."
"Do we know that there are other prisoners?" Mortiara examined.
"I... don't really know. We can assume they do." Sysyu said.
Mortiara didn't like to assume much of anything and fixed his gaze on Nic and Felix. "Do a little recon while your in. See what other captives they have in their menagerie and report back. If it's only animals... we're done until we move to arrest them on another day. If Sysyu isn't back within... say ten minutes, we'll be joining you with a full regiment as soon as we can muster." His gaze fell on Soren. "Is this well with you, My Lord? Anything to add or do differently? I've been mustering the regiment since we started planning," he assured.
Mortiara clapped Soren's shoulder when he wavered a bit on the staying behind and choosing a guardian for the throne. "The queen is in Durasgard with the remainder of your siblings. Sarku is a fine second choice. He ruled here for ages. Mendes is capable too albeit he hasn't the coolest head. Another good choice might be Seress. That elf has a sound heart and mind. It is for you to decide whether to join our ranks. I just can't in good conscience advise it, understand?"
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Desertwind, Sam-father, oh yes it made Niculaie lock in and focus a bit more, those names preceded a turning in his gut. That was another life, a life that was behind him, that was over with now, he had to move forward, ever forward. "Yes." He whispered to Felix, but his voice was tight, letting Felix know he had indeed heard it and understood what that meant.
Nic practically sighed aloud when Mortiara took it a little too literally, Niculaie was of the opinion that those who seemed too good to be true often were, after all, his father could be damn self-righteous! He had been about to tell Mortiara when the fellow rolled right over him and continued speaking. He sure liked to speak. Nic might have said something about the one who liked the sound of their own voice if Mortiara hadn't shut him up in a way, oh well.
The young miss need not get disappointed, Nic was sure they would get a chance to talk Hollywood and well, how in hells did she know half the movies he mentioned.. did she have a TV? He'd kill to see movies on a projector again, goddddddssssss!
The plan soon was laid out though, Nic couldn't help but smile and offered a slight bow, "We can do recon, it will be our pleasure." He then whispered into the mind of his brother, Felix. "Should we negotiate for a bounty price for each head we save, recon and extracting a high value target is one thing, but risking our necks to save random strangers?" Niculaie did clear his throat, "Pardon my lady, Commander, if you wish to save all the prisoners that changes things. We wont know how much until we have done our recon, but.. We might have to do some things you might have difficulty accepting." Niculaie.. Oh yeah, it would get right bloody. "We might need your army regardless, my Lord, if you mean to free them all."
Soren frowned a bit, "I will stay.." He felt like an absolute coward right now, "I forbid Beran to join either, I wont go to Aurellius and tell him I let both my brothers be captured." He said as he held his gaze, he hated to do it.. but he had to protect their line of succession as ally to Noct'maire, it was the right thing to do.
Soren decided he would be the one to make the hard calls, so he would do just that. "Reavers, Your primary objectives are to protect Sysyu, and rescue Prince Remus. If there are others to rescue that do not jeopardize those objectives, you have my blessing." He looked to Mortiara, "We should create strike teams, if they really can bring down the wards, hitting the enemy in multiple locations could sow more discord in their ranks."
"Mortiara, I want to take the head of this snake, how confident are you that you could capture their leader in the confusion?" He was sure his mentor could face most any opponent and do well. "They trespassed into our lands, nearly took my newborn brother, kidnapped my sire.. hurt the people I love. My brother and the woman I intend to marry. There must be a reckoning." He looked at Mortiara still with a fierce look in his eyes, "Before you say it, its not just that, Esscha Endor is a sovereign nation, we cannot abide foreign incursions, these trespassers and traffickers must be brough to heel and dealt with like the criminals they are. My father would do it himself, and I am a poor replacement, but I know you could with the right team."
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Felix understood the strain on Nic's voice well enough and nodded to him. Nic had an unfriendly history with Sammael being the Desert Wind was Marsol's arch Nemesis, and Felix had his own dark history with the Serpent of Acheron. Mekkor served Sammael and willingly answered to him and had shared his little pet with his lord whenever Sam pleased. It had not been often he had pleased but that had been too often for Felix. Sammael had been the one to truly test Felix's loyalty to Mekkor. Sam knew... KNEW Mekkor had never truly had Felix's loyalty because he was only loyal because he was enslaved and feared him. So Sammael had broken Felix. Broken him so hard, that no matter what, Felix would always crawl back to Mekkor.
Had Nic said any of his thoughts on Mortiara aloud the knight commander would have taught him a thing or two about respecting authority and chain of command but Nic had wisely kept those insolent thoughts to himself. Mortiara did not put up with impudent recruits, subordinates or mercenaries.
If Nic and Sysyu did get a chance to talk TV and Cinema, the she devil would probably let it slip that she had a TV and Cinema of her own. Of course they were in her quarters within Morning Star palace in Acheron. Though she would be only too happy to invite them 'down' to watch some movies and DvDs of her favorite TV series! Felix would die first before stepping foot in Acheron of his own free will for any reason, even movies! Even if Sysyu guaranteed their safety by signing a document in blood swearing to it.
Felix speculated on Nick's suggestions a moment before offering his take through the mental channel they shared between just the two of them. "Well I dunno... maybe we should see what they pay without setting a price like Mort there suggested. If we get more than we would've asked for them we know this is a sweet gig. If we get less then we can negotiate for more. If they won't pay us our worth we'll take what they offered but ditch this pile of rocks and take our talents elsewhere. We are worth a LOT Nic. We don't need to settle." He confided in his good buddy but if Nic wanted to name a price, he wouldn't argue with him.
Mortiara nodded to Nic. "Our garrison and knights are standing by, or will be by the time we need them deployed. They are still mustering but most are ready. The garrisons house standing troope that are always ready. We will deploy them in squads that each have their own orders. Kill who you must to save or free any captives but I want the Duke and Dutchess alive if possible. I want our prince to be able to look them in the eye when he passes down their sentence." He made clear. "You'll have all the arms you need to create a disturbace if that proves necessary."
A yet unknown fact was that Cillian was their first humanoid target and Remus their first humanoid captive specimen. Lady Deumas had heard from her dear friend at Blackstone of the wonderous children the king and queen had born there and Nazmin Deumas just HAD to HAVE some of them! Cillian had 'become available' first but the one she wanted above the rest was the butterfly dragon girl Calliope. Who was her friend at Blackstone Palace? Well that had yet to be discovered. In any case, Remus was what she got, and although disappointed, Remus would serve her and her husband's purposes for now. They just had no idea who they were messing with and probably wouldn't have done things differently if they had. Nazmin believed in her husband's arcane genius and was confident in the potency of his wards.
Whatever the case, Remus was the only humanoid captive. The rest were rare and unusual animals.
When asked by Soren if he was confident on his abilities to seize the leader Mortiara answered truthfully and without pride. "I will take a team with me to do so. Little is known about Dutchess Deumas other than she is young as immortal, and even less about her much older husband Zax Deumas. He has always been a recluse even as Duke of Black Hills. He rules by proxy of his subordinates. It is rumored that he is some kind of genius of his arcane and elemental arts. In all honesty, none of knows what we'll be facing. What we are doing is risky, even for the Reavers. Trial and error will most likely lay our path." He stressed to them all. "There will be a reckoning, Soren. Of that you can be assured. They will not get away with their vile crimes against us." He promised. Even if they weren't captured today they would be brought to justice tomorrow.
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Nic decided to keep quiet. His brothers advice would lead the way, it would be much easier to negotiate a reward after they helped save the prince, besides.. they could even seek something from the other prince's kingdom, as a way to show the soldiers who helped save their prince some gratitude.. yeah that was best. Nic just offered a nod to Mortiara and a simple reply. "Perfect, we have no further questions, only some time for us to prepare our kits."
The Reavers would need to pick what weapons and arcane objects they wished to take on the task, Niculaie was always on the look out for new toys, and he always pilfered from their bounties, after all, you couldn't take your magical toys into the next world, now could you? Jesus.. was he a thief?
Soren was pleased that Mortiara was keen on bringing their aggressors to justice, "I have another thought though, how is it foreigners know about Cillian? Did I miss the announcement?" Knowing Seth there would be a week long celebration, his father was VERY roman after all. Soren read up on the romans, they seemed to enjoy parties. "Are we safe to speak here like this? already strangers have pierced this conversation.. No offense, Reavers."
He locked eyes with Beran, he would talk with him when they were alone.Maybe they would just have to fight it out, Soren would need to be left unconscious before he let Beran go though, and that was that.:
004 Into the Breech
Felix nodded to Nic. "I'll go equip myself and come back here." He said and set off for the quarters he'd been asigned by Valira. Seth had told them to report to Valira and that she would see them settled in and give them a tour of the castle and its on. Valira had put them on the second floor in the southwest tower. They had the game room beneath them and all the stories they wanted to expand into and explore above them all the way to the roof, with access to the south rampart from the towers third story. It was a sweet set up. Valira was a good judge of character. She knew those boys needed space they could make their own. While Nic took the fourth floor, Felix claimed the sixth with the fifty floor between them as a hang out and place to keep their gear. The third floor saw a lot of traffic from the guards going to and from the rampart watch. Basically Nic and Felix made the tower theirs from the fourth floor up.
Felix went to the fifth floor and grabbed his gear from his armory. They each had a cabinet style armory of their own. He outfitted himself in a harness of light weight black armor with the 'borrowed' black garb he already had on, then slipped the cloak back on. His combat boots, American 60s make, were nice and flexible and stealthy. At his hip was a katana, on a shoulder holster he was packing two Sig Sauer P226 Legion pistols with three extra clips (15) and a box of 9mm hollowpoints in case he ran out. His guns weren't just guns though. The chambers were enchanted to infuse the bullets with abyssal energies which would release on impact to drain the stamina of anyone hit. The target would in effect be immobilized quickly if the shot wasn't lethal. Jot fair really was it? Well Felix didn't believe in playing fair, he believed in winning a fight. The katana meanwhile which he had named Ger was infused with the living spirit of an abyss wraith and was also a lightning blade. Interesting story that for another time. When the blace pierced someone the wraith inside drank their essence draining stamina, life and will. Nasty one that wraith but good for Felix. Last but not least he had several fine daggers tucked away, all mat black, all razor edged with sharp points. Their protective sheaths were black too. Felix looked something akin to Sarku's Deep Watchers in his get up. The uniform was stolen from the laundry room. He just couldn't help himself when he saw it folded up so neatly there, that fine black cloth. And at the time... he hadn't a stitch of cloth on his body. SOMEONE thought it would be funny to take his clothes while he was bathing. So... while creeping through the castle trying not to be seen,he passed by the laundry just when the knights uniforms were being set out after being washed and pressed. Felix snagged himself one of the uniforms in his size and had been wearing it off and on ever since. Black was his color after all.
Ready and looking forward to a job that blazoned their name, Felix returned to the banquet hall.
Mortiara met Soren's gaze when he spoke of the information on Cillian being shared. "I have been considering that but for now our focus needs to remain on retrieving Remus. The logistics of personal information on the children and or household being exchanged is a definite concern we'll address when he is safely home. We'll have to figure out opportunity, motive and all that." Then he changed the subject. "Now as soon as the Reavers are back and set to go, we'll all go into the southside courtyard and stage our incursion from there. Faust had already cleared the yard and closed it off to civilians." Gothtyrdan had very few civilians as it was beyond housekeeping staff. "I want you to remain ready in the courtyard with Beran in ready contact until our mission is complete, my Prince." Mortiara instructed. He glanced over at the Reavers as they took leave to ready themselves. "It's safe enough, M'Lord Squire," he smiled just a bit. "Theirs is not a common kind or knack, I'll promise you that. Now finish your meals while we wait their return." Mortiara didn't dislike Nicolaus and Felix, they just lacked discipline and manners and needed to learn it. Soon enough the Reavers returned and Mortiara led their little procession to the south walled in grounds.
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When Niculaie reached his own armory he dressed down out of their barrowed clothes and he got into the leather armor he usually chose when a mission required a bit of stealth, he and Felix had been of a similar mindset. This would likely be close quarters work, he had a pair of Glock-18 with extended mags and enchanted barrels like his brother, but these were just crowd control. His favored weapons were a set of three revolvers that he had spend time and money seeing enchanted, his pride and joy. Each cylinder was enchanted with a different effect, the Abyssal one he did himself, he decided to take explosive antipersonnel, and a high power kinetic barrel for armor piercing. And of course his bowie knife, he dare not leave home without it.
It hurt not to bring a long range option, but.. Well this job wasn't a sniping job, so he pulled his cloak back on after he made sure he had enough ammo to see him through the night. He did hate working a job on such short notice, but it was what it was. This was better than another kidnap job, he hated finding peoples estranged family members and hauling them back home, that was the worst.
Once back Niculaie pretended to bump into Felix, "Hey, im walkin' here." He said with a grin, and then threw an arm around his brother. "If this goes off well, I am going to find you a girl.. or boy, whatever you like and you can meet that girl of mine, it'll be a good time." He gave Felix a kiss on the temple, "You dont have my permission to die, understood?" He liked to remind Felix every time they did a job of that fact. It felt like a ritual at this point.
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Just before they walked out the door Felix grabbed Nic's shoulder belted sniper rifle and thrust it into his hand. "Castles with menageries inside them are fucking huge. You may need this." then grabbed up his ammo pack by its strap and stalked out with Nic.
From room to hall of victuals they were led in a smooth transition to the grounds outside. They were almost to the courtyatd when Nic bumped him and hurled an arm around him. He smiled at him sideways. "I've never actually been with a girl. I wouldn't know what to do with one." Felix really knew how to pick his times to confide in Nic. "How about I get a dog instead? I've wanted a dog since I was a kid." Then he shook his head when Nic told him not to die. He knew it was coming of course.
"Only if you promise me the same, pal," Felix returned with a quick hard cuff to Nic's shoulder that was his part of that same 'be safe' ritual.
"Let's get this show on the road, people," Faust spoke up once everyone was present. The yard was full of their best warriors and officers available. Mendes and his garrison were remaining behind in blackstone. The garrison Art had put together was present with his clansmen Faust and Roary acting in his place as commanding officers. There were roughly fîve hundred individuals there. Art had named them the Goth Dragonguard. He had not come to Gothtyrdan empty handed. Their uniforms were black and white with gold trim. Faust looked to Nic and Felix. "Ready Reavers?"
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Soren and Sysyu slipped away to a small alcove, it was a small private nook just far enough away that it was private, Beran being the wingman that he was would keep Cillian occupied.
“Things sure got crazy, didn’t they?” He asked as he pulled her into a tight hug, he took a deep breath of her scent.
“It’s going to be dangerous.. promise you will come back to me.. I” he was beside himself but said it, he had to. “I love you. I understand if you think it’s too soon, but.. I do I love you.”
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002 - Zax
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Zax Deumas was a really messed up Demon. He was actually the primordial of mazes, which translated to traps, puzzles, impenetrability and inescapability. Wards to him were an Art form. Lilith had wanted him for her own to control but he was too powerful so Sammael killed him and guided him on a mortal rebirth. Lilith waited until he was twenty two and snatched him up, forcibly siring him as a Sumeri while seducing him, and enslaved him. She found his will tiresome however. Though he could not always resist her, he managed to do so at the most inconvenient of times, and so she decided to just utterly break him. Few could defy Lilith when enslaved to her but whatever else he became, Zax was ever the prime of mazes. She held him and tortured him for several ages that would have continued for eternity had not Maelmorda stepped in and taken him from her. Zax was locked up tight within himself by this time. Maelmorda just let him wander freely in Acheron and if anyone trespassed on Zax they'd have Mael to contend with. Then when Maelmorda orchestrated the exodus from Earth during its latest Armegedon, he let Zax go topside. Just turned hin loose. He had been no trouble at all to him in Acheron.
Zax went to then Hawkers Fort and met Nazmin at a tavern she was working towards owning. Nazmin was nothing like Lilith and her Sumeri clan. She like Zax had been forced, but unlike Zax had never been abused. Naz took pity on him .. The way he hated to be touched at all. The way he cringed from loud noises and sudden movement, isolated himself withdrawing from people, particularly crowds, were evidence of terrible abuse. Lilith hated that Zax lived and breathed because he shamed the name Sumeri. Nazmin however came to love and adore him and with patience and support gained his trust and affection, never once using her Sumeri powers of seduction and domination on him to speed things along.
The memories of a past life stolen from him by Sammael started coming back to him. At length he remembered he was very wealthy and owned a vast estate and castle in the Blackhills Kingdom of Arithendor. He returned with Nazmin to his ancient home and it was still there, still his, STILL warded. He and Nazmin married, ended up becoming the most recent King's friend and ally and being raised to nobles in his court. Count and countess at first then Duke and Duchess. Carrok Thorn did not care that Zax was a recluse. He aided in safeguarding his kingdom as none had done before him. Enemies had to get past Zax on his furthest western border before they could invade Blackhills. The kingdom could not be assaulted from the shore because the entire peninsula was raised up on a high shelf of cliffs all the way to the land of Zax which extended betweeb the Blackhill Mountain range and the Borderland River his castle stood by. The forest in Zaxland was a labyrinth in and of itself, not unlike Killian's maze of trees, vines and undergrowth but static, until he altered it. It did not alter itself as people proceeded through it as Killian's maze did. Zax could have enchanted it to be so but he was about puzzles, that no matter how difficult COULD be solved. He had a sense of fair play. Did he think it fair to capture innocent children? Well not if thet were out traipsing alone on their own, but Cillian had an escort. And they had no intention of misusing him, but making him their own Prince! Lilith had cursed Nazmin that should she fall in love with Zax she'd be unable to give birth to a living or animate child, OR to adopt one. She had been pregnant several times but always lost them which was worse than not being able to have them at all. They had adopted two different childrenbbut both had died tragically. Lilith was cruel. She wasn't even aware she was cursed. So Zax agreed she could bring home a child and left it to her how to go about it. He was taking a hands off approach because it was heartbreaking to let himself hope. Nazmin had decided that perhaps if they kept a child caged it would remain safe. Then hearing about Seth's offspring from Magda, she just HAD to have one of them for her own!! Only as a captive of her wonderous menagerie! And so she did some asking around about mercenaries for hire specializing in live capture and was pointed at length to the outland poachers.
For every enemy there was a story for where they were and why they were. Where some were evil, the nature of most people wasn't so black and white. While an act was evil the motivations behind the act might not be quite so malign. But the actions and not the motives were what were most often judged and paid for.
Zax was a very broken creature and so was Nazmin, only not so shattered as he. Maelmorda had taken pity on Zax, but it was not for him to say if Octavian, Aurelius or Soren should. Zax knew what he was doing was wrong but did it anyway out of love. Love for the only creature he could even bear to be touched by.
Maelmorda was seated with Tad asleep in his arms after feeding him thinking about Zax. His fingers were steepled in support of his brow as he thought on him dismally. He wanted to pull him out of there... pull him back into Acheron, but Zax had to face what he'd done. Much as Maelmorda wanted to safeguard him from himself, he could not. It really depressed him... And what saddened him more was knowing Zax was just the first in a long line of evil doers he had to leave to their own devices when their deeds caught up with them.
Sammael... well he had been given another chance. Hell would have him and all his bits for eternity if he couldn't turn himself around even WITH his soul intact and a good life to guide him. He had finally located Sammael. He was an adult now. Mael had seen to it he was untouchable by brethren which included those out of Acheron and Auros aka Haman aka Leviathan. Mael hadn't even been able to find him until a particular time was approaching. Sammael had grown into a fine, well adjusted, well educated, happy man who had a family with all its relations. Wife, children, parents, step parents, grandfolk, aunts, uncles, cousins, the whole package. He had so far lived a good and very content life and was soon to turn fifty. Problem was... that life had to come to an end... He had to remember who and what he was. Maelmorda had lived through that scenario multiple times and it never got any easier, but it WAS inevitable. Maelmorda was going to break it to him in the company of a few of their gentler children; Aras, Erogi and Phanes. Sammael was living in Eastguard's Lionhead Citadel, a beautiful city of white marble, gardens and pools. Sammael was an architect by the name of Treleon. His family and friends called him Leon. Between Cliff City and Lionshead he never wanted for work and his talents were in high demand. It was Mael's hope that even after Leon learned the truth he would return to his life there and only consider Maelmorda and their children part of his extended family. Maelmorda had navigated far more complex and difficult situations. First though, he had to introduce himself to Leon and get to know him before he dropped the devil nukes.
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003 - Rescue Op
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Sysyu raised and locked her gaze on Soren as he noted how chaotic things had been. "Every day has been an adventure, that's for certain," she laughed. She eyed him almost curiously hearing his appeal and hugged him back but her gaze softened when he profressed his love to her. After studying him a moment she couled her arms around him more tightly as she hugged him back. "I love you too, Soren." The words came so easily and naturally because she truly loved him. "I'll come back safe, I promise. I won't do anything foolish." She swore and kissed him passionately. Then she broke the kiss with a smile and slid her hand into his and pulled him along after the others as Mortiara called out to them by name. As they walked she thought her thoughts and wished he could come with her. Had she the strength to take him with her and return with Remus? She believed she could but felt enough doubt that she had to listen to it. After everyone had spoken and much had been decided she turned to Soren, still holding his hand. "Come with me," she whispered quietly to him. She knew he had agreed to stay behind, that Mortiara wished him to stay, but despite her doubts something louder was telling her Soren should come. And if Soren went? There would be no stopping Beran from going with them, though he would jump on the path the Reavers cleared.
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He was glad she reciprocated, though he had not drug her off initially to kiss her in a dark corner, but it was a worthy benefit, it was. He enjoyed it however. He could practically feel the electricity in his veins! "Promise you wont take any risks?" He said, he was worried about her, but also his Sire, it made him practically beside himself with worry.
She drew him away from their dark nook and he walked hand in hand with her. She then tempted him, to his credit he did not immediately give in to the beauty's whim. "Father is absent, I should stay here, I said I would." Though it was not just that she asked, but it was Remus.. and part of him, that dare devil that had him riding on the backs of unexpecting dragons when he was still a boy, that part of him yearned for the adventure. Soren still had those gloves as well, he was ready to leap of course, but... should he?
"You said you couldn't before, what has changed? If you tell me you need me there to do this, I will go." He would make it up to Mortiara, if need be. It was selfish he knew, but.. he trusted her instinct, if she felt she needed him, he was there for her.:
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Beran, who was walking just ahead of Soren and his girl glanced back at them discreetly as they talked.
"Nothing has changed..." Sysyu began. "I am certain I can pull this off, but I have just enough doubt not to take any chances. Or I did... it's just... I have this nagging feeling that you need to be there with me. My Da tells me not to ignore my heart unless it tempts foolhardiness, and never to dismiss my instincts if they've got teeth. Nevermind that... if you don't come I'll be distracted knowing all this!"
Beran had surreptitiously dropped back. "It'll be worth it when we go just to see Mortiara's expression." he smirked a little then shrugged when Soren shot him with his eyes as if to say 'what? So I overheard'. He also made it pretty obvious that if Soren was going? SO WAS HE!! Poor Soren. Now he had a duo of beloved devils on his shoulder.
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Soren glanced over at her as they walked, it was certainly something they could do, he wanted to go, but at the same time he knew that Mortiara seemed to appreciate that Soren was being more reasonable than he had previously shown he could be.. However this was not just any mission, his sire was at stake. "Well I dont want you to be distracted from the task at hand."
He couldn't help but smirk at his brother trying to push him further along this course, what a dangerous little band they were! He reached out to Valira, and communicated to her what he planned to do, and he wanted her to go to Seress after he left and let them know they were needed to hold the regency until he or his father returned.
"Very well, let us be off then. How does this work, exactly?" He asked curiously, and of course they likely had to wait for the Reavers to make some noise.:
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Sysyu was so happy he... they were going, that she hugged Soren tight then Beran after more briefly. Was Bear blushing? Sysyu then explained the plan when Soren asked how they were to proceed. "The moment the Reavers make their shift I will do the same with you, Soren. Beran will have to call on his own path but he can either lock onto me or Nic and Felix and follow as soon as the reavers drop the wards." She had NO idea how long that was going to take them. But for her, the Reavers were backup, in case her own inherent gifts failed her. If that should happen, she believed they just wouldn't make it in and would wait until they could to snatch Remus up.
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Soren nodded, he then spoke to her while he was held in her embrace, "I will find a reason to excuse myself breifly, and you will need to.. hide me in your.. abyssal.. pocket." He was not sure what she had called it, it was a strange statement.
So Soren approached Mortiara, "I am going to take Cillian to a minder, and then change into something more appropriate. Do not delay the expedition on my account, I wont be absent." And with that Soren left to do as he said and see Cillian was in good hands until he returned. Then he changed into something more appropriate for the rescue mission, and then he reached out to Sysyu.. "So how do we do this?"
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"Wait!" Sysyu called out to Soren as she realized he intended to try and hide their endeavor. "Soren... Unless I'm wrong, I think you misunderstood me. I don't mean for us to conceal what we're doing! We have to tell the others you and Beran will be joining the rescue team. We can't hide something like this." She was surprised actually that he'd think she'd want to. Even more surprising to her was that he'd agree to go along with it if he did think she planned for them to go on the sly. She never once said anything that indicated they would be sneaking him and or Beran in. "May I ask how you reached that conclusion?"
Beran was regarding him too, wondering the same thing himself. How were they going to see the knight commander's face if they were stow aways?!
As for the how they were going to do it? Sysyu had already defined that. Once they sorted out all the confusion Sysyu would meet them with the others in the southside courtyard.
Felix was smoking a cigarette when Nic asked if he was ready. He nodded, took another drag, put it out then went to stand beside him. "Ready, brah."
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Soren looked at her and then scrubbed his hands into his hair as she stopped him, he was under the.. well he assumed, he closed his eyes and took a slow calming breath. "Someone I love as a brother and who brought me back from the brink of death is captured, my little infant brother is on a list by some freak to be made into her pet, I am suddenly thrust into a position I was in no way prepared for.. and you want to know why I am not making the most rational judgement calls imaginable? "
Soren looked indeed frazzled, the last twenty-four or so hours had been stressful, for all parties involved no doubt, so he did not want to act like he was special in this regard. "I am trying to do the right thing, but.. then you tell me you have a feeling you need me there, and I trust your instinct.." He then looked to Beran, then back to her.
Soren sighed he was the one who was going to look the fool to Mortiara, after he just did his best to seem level headed, he now had to go and disappoint his mentor. He did trust her instinct though, and if she said she needed him there, then that was that. "I will meet you in the Courtyard, both of you, and get ready for the biggest dice roll of our lives."
In the courtyard he would meet with Mortiara and took a slow deep breath. "Lord-Commander, a moment." He addressed Mortiara, when they were aside he would let him know the bad news. "I have sent Valira to inform Seress to mind the throne. I wanted to do as we had planned but.. I have to go, I know it seems like a foolish move on my part, but I have to do it. I hope you can trust my judgement."
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Niculaie and Felix both stood ready, and Nic whistled aloud, as he looked around, "So, you nervous?" He asked with a smirk, "Did you used to be a surfer, you know before, on earth."
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Felix smirked back at Nic. "Have you ever known me to be nervous? Okay there was the once, but nah." Felix looked at Nic with the sobriety of a stone when Nic asked if he used to be a surfer on earth. Then suddenly he burst out laughing uproariously. "How did you know? Brah, I'm really stoked about this party wave we're about to drop in on! Don't worry, brah, if it gets really gnarly, I got your back!" He gave Nic a brotherly cuffing to his back and grinned. And seeing Nic spinning his gun Felix whipped out his flask which had a little handle on it and did a fancy side and over shoulder spin with it then uncapped it and drank then handed it off to Nic chuckling.
The usually stoic Faustus laughed at the two Reavers. He appreciated good comic relief which was why of all the Blacklions other than Lavoy, Faust had liked having Felix around. He'd never met Nic until now but his gut told him he was okay too.
Felix shook his hands loose as if about to perform surgery then brought up the map on Sarku's beautiful, brand spanking new Gatepad by saying, "Map." He smiled at the holo-map of Morashtar that came up. It was quite pretty. "Ooo it glows," he said and tapped Arithendor on the map. When the continent came up he tapped Blackhills. "That region is not available." The map said in a pretty but ethereal voice. Felix frowned. "Well fuck the entire kingdom is warded against gates," he griped and tapped the neighboring kingdom of Eastwend. "Show me the nearest possible entry point to the Deumas Estate in Blackhills." A blip started glowing just across the river from the estate. "What is this land here called?" he asked drawing a circle around the western end of Blackhills. "That area has commonly been referred to as Zaxland since the emergence of the humans in the age of..."
"Zaxland is good enough," he grumbled glancing at Nic soberly, the look genuine this time. What the hell had they gotten themselves into? If he wasn't nervous before he was now! We got this... he chanted to himself. We got this. "Open a gaté here," he said and tapped the site at the river's edge," and sighed..."Just across from the commonly called Zaxland," he uttered under his breath, and on command the gatepad activated and opened a path to the Borderlands River in Eastwend. Their destination appeared to them on the gatepad. The area was... pretty. "Keep this path open until a ward commander closes it," he told the gate guardian. "This path will remain open until dismissed by authorized personnel," the guardian assured and Felix chuckled. Who knew Sarku could create something so... sci-fi!! "Thanks..." he said then cocked a brow when the gate said, "You're welcome, enjoy your journey and good luck."
Felix swept a hand towards the gate. "After you, Nic." And he stepped onto the gatepad with his brother.
The transition from the courtyard to the site overseas was smooth. They stepped out onto a sandy strand of shoreline with smooth riverjacks piled on either side of a small boat launch of the same fine sand and smaller river polished pebbles. The boat was attached to a rope and pully system by a well maintained river shack. Near the boat was a metal box bolted to the ground with a slot in it that read "Donate" in three languages (English, Esurian, and Cenys). The Deumas castle could be seen on the other side of the river about a half mile from shore whereas it's well groomed yet wild grounds came almost all the way down to the Deumas side of the rivershore. "So that's what it's like to be filthy fucking rich." Felix commented and took a look around them. "Let's get out of the open and into the edge of that forest behind us," he suggested. On their side of the river was the road's end they had landed on, the river, and forest far as their eyes could see. Arithendor had more damn trees than Morendor. Its name meant land of trees. It might be true that Arithendor had more trees if the entire continent wasn't the size of Noctmaire kindom. Morendor was a huge continent.
"Evidently these people don't believe in lumber mills," he mocked as they left the road. "So.... we need to get closer without risking detection. Let's just dip into the abyss edge and see what we have here." Felix led the way and sank into the abyss to move closer to the warded area. They could just walk right through them, but for the contingency to get in they had to take them down. "Holy shit... are you seeing this? I've never seen so many layers or weaves of power winding and snaking together... We can spend hours pulling this apart and they will know... Or... we can act quick and just waltz in and fetch this Remus fellow ourselves before the girl even gets here. Badda bing, badda bang, badda boom. I know it's not the PLAN, but it's the smart thing to do. I got a description from that interesting Sarku dude. Remus is a winged albino with shortish hair who might be exibiting dragon aspects. He won't be hard to spot. I mean we won't even need to take the wards down. I didn't mention this to the others because they don't seem to trust us, but we can either work the wards and risk them retaliating, or just cloak ourselves, walk in, locate him, cloak him and get the fuck out with him. Once he's home safe we can come back and tinker with these insane wards until they're down. What do you say? In the mean time I'll ask Sarku to delay Sysyu. I struck up a good rapport with him even before we talked about this. He has concerns about meddling with the wards while Remus is in there. I am pretty sure he'll help us.". Better to be a little underhanded than getting Remus killed or transported elsewhere in his opinion.
---
Sysyu waited in the courtyard with Beran for Soren to arrive. Sysyu ran some things past him while they loitered. "Maybe we should inform them of our change in plans," she suggested.
"Soren wouldn't like it, my lady. He might not enjoy breaking the news to our patron but he'll want to be the one to do so, trust me."
Sysyu nodded and focused on what lie ahead.
When Soren arrived to inform Mortiara of his progress the knight nodded, then when he confided his change of heart the knight regarded him intently. If the commander was pissed off or disappointed he didn't show it. He just nodded again. "Alright, Prince Draguta. If that's the way it needs to be, proceed as you must. You know my concerns." Soren was in charge. He could only advise, not demand.
Sysyu grinned. "Well that wasn't so bad! But then what should we expect? That he should stomp his feet and wave his arms around in protest?" she whispered to Beran.
Beran scoffed. "Oh we'll be getting extra grunt chores after this, you can bet on that," he guaranteed.
"We as in you and Soren," she giggled.
"No, as in WE," and he pointed between Sysyu, Soren and himself.
"I'm no knight!" she argued.
"You really think that matters?" Beran moved.
When Sysyu and Beran were joined by Soren Beran glanced over at the Reavers as they lapsed through the gate. "Well they're off. Should I follow them or the two of you?" he directed his question at Soren.
Sysyu waited in the courtyard with Beran for Soren to arrive. Sysyu ran some things past him while they loitered. "Maybe we should inform them of our change in plans," she suggested.
"Soren wouldn't like it, my lady. He might not enjoy breaking the news to our patron but he'll want to be the one to do so, trust me."
Sysyu nodded and focused on what lie ahead.
When Soren arrived to inform Mortiara of his progress the knight nodded, then when he confided his change of heart the knight regarded him intently. If the commander was pissed off or disappointed he didn't show it. He just nodded again. "Alright, Prince Draguta. If that's the way it needs to be, proceed as you must. You know my concerns." Soren was in charge. He could only advise, not demand.
Sysyu grinned. "Well that wasn't so bad! But then what should we expect? That he should stomp his feet and wave his arms around in protest?" she whispered to Beran.
Beran scoffed. "Oh we'll be getting extra grunt chores after this, you can bet on that," he guaranteed.
"We as in you and Soren," she giggled.
"No, as in WE," and he pointed between Sysyu, Soren and himself.
"I'm no knight!" she argued.
"You really think that matters?" Beran moved.
When Sysyu and Beran were joined by Soren Beran glanced over at the Reavers as they lapsed through the gate. "Well they're off. Should I follow them or the two of you?" he directed his question at Soren.
Sysyu meanwhile gave Soren a tight hug. All the things he had said before about the pressures he was under had really sunk in. "Soren... About all the pressure on you. I understand, I really do. I hope I'm not adding too much undo stress?" She was gazing at him with deep concern and affection with those big green eyes of hers.
Beran just shook his head subtly. Damn if she didn't have him wrapped up tight around those wiles of hers. Like father like son, he thought. Beran decided then and there he was going to marry a nice girl! No hellions for him! They were just TOO crafty by nature!
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Niculaie just shrugged at that question, if he had an answer he kept it to himself, he would never make Felix think too hard on THAT, he then grinned. "I don't know, you just seem like the kawabunga type, not sure what it is." He said with a grin, "I've always got your back, Felix, never doubt it." He said, "Valis really came through for us you know?" He was fiddling with his rifle, the great thing about this world was you could get a scope to be so much more versatile and well compact. The barrel on his rifle would impart a kinetic enchantment to the high caliber round, they had learned that some armor could not be easily punched through, the kinetic blast that followed the shot, it was a thing of beauty.
After taking a swig from the flask, completely forgetting about the western, he looked at Felix. "How'd you know it would do that? We didn't even have this kinda tech back on earth.. See it is like I have been telling you Felix, Technology and magic fused together, we could make the most amazing toys here. I cant wait to meet the one who made this. I cant even imagine what we could come up with together." He said as he watched Felix toy with the gate pad. "An entire region warded from gate travel? That must be a most exquisite ward." He was curious indeed what it would look like, he enjoyed their work, tearing down wards and the like. "I was thinking, we could bring Gemora in for this job, never hurts to have a third set of hands."
"Zaxland? Dumb name, sounds like some clown named it after himself.. Ugh." He shook his head, and then arched a brow at Felix, "Brother, it is just another slaver who got too greedy. "Spare the rod, spoil the child. We're the rod." Niculaie couldn't wait to get back into the field, they hadn't had a good paying job in months it felt like, and now.. well, they had something that might set them up for life, at least with regular work.
By the Time Felix swept Niculaie had already leapt into the breach, the land was indeed gorgeous, "So Esscha Endor blokes, when this is over.. think they will annex this castle and its land?" Retaliation for an attack on their lands and royal children and squires, Niculaie was thinking from a perspective of.. more work. War, or even skirmishes between kingdoms, that was good money.
"Yes lets find some shade." Niculaie agreed with Felix idea of Abysswalking, it made the most sense. "No use alerting them until we know what we are dealing with." He agreed and so he and Felix settled into the edge of the abyss, it was surreal like walking in a misty, smokey rendition of the real world. Niculaie only whistled at what they saw before them in those ward, damn. "Someone had a lot of time and paranoia to think up this little number, Jesus." He looked at Felix a moment, "Well it could be part of the plan, that lad Soren, he mentioned something about taking in the ones responsible.. If they dont have to worry about their princeling, we might get a bonus for being so proactive."
"Lets do it, reach out to Sarku." Niculaie looked excited at the prospect, if they could tinker with the wards without needing to protect the young prince, that would be ideal.
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https://wizardquestgames.com/TMKchapters/Zaxland.txt
Felix laughed a little when Nic asked about him knowing how to use the gatepad setup. "Sarku told me how to operate it. He's really excited about all the upgrades he installed," he laughed, treating Sarku's power like it was tech, and in a sense it was... "Oh yeah, we'll get there, Nic. Advanced technology through quantum manipulation, technomancy. But before the sci-fi comes the Wild West meets Sorcery!" he grinned. "Baby steps, if Sarku doesn't start building plasma powered space ships before Westworld gets off its feet," he cackled. Well at least they weren't all robots! Then he wondered for a sec. Maybe they were. "Zax is a weird name. He's definitely a weird dude. Oh I don't intend to spare the fiend anything, but Sarku and Mort want them alive if possible. I kinda hope it's not possible, but I get why they want him alive." They had a network to take down.
Remus contacted Sarku, who as he had anticipated was plenty willing to give them the go ahead. "I just talked to Sarku. So it's decided. We search and seize Remus THEN come back to distinguish the wards." And so into the darkness they went at Abyss edge. There was a subtle hollow wooshing sound emanating in pulses that was space, air what have you getting captured and swallowed up in the abyss. It was an eerie sound but Felix had grown used to it. Taking a step foward he lapsed closer to the wards. Usually wards could be felt by magic sensitives but not by Reavers. Reavers couldn't feel wards, evergy at all for that matter, or at least Felix and Nic couldn't yet. Felix just figured it was part of how they could walk right through wards. Once they captured and channeled those energies though, they could damn well feel them.
"I had the same thought about Gem. We'll bring him in when we return."
They could see powers clearly. Wards were a brilliant show of light. This Zax ward? It should have lit up a Yes or U2 concert. "You think Zax is his real name?" he chortled briefly. Of all the thoughts he had to share it was that one.
"I don't know if they're interested in starting a war overseas. This Zax guy and his wife from what Sarku told me is a real recluse holed up in a huge castle. I don't know the laws in Blackhills. It's a pretty wild place, mostly mountains and forests ruled by some very territorial barbarian King they call the Raven King. His last name translates to Ravenclaw. He commands all the ravens in his kingdom too Sarku tells. He's considered a tyrant by the neighboring kingdoms but little is actually known about him other than him being ruthless to his enemies and being powerful.And yeah, these wards are ancient. He's been building on them for ages Sarku said.It almost sounded like he knew him and even liked him when he spoke of him. Like he was sad his old buddy had gone down the wrong path."
Felix was looking at all the Plasma is the air as they spoke. Plasma looked kind of like liquid lightning. Felix loved plasma. Thought it was super cool to look at and to manipulate... But. Plasma and lightning didn't like Reavers. Any abyss demon for that matter.
Even the devil had to be careful around electricity. That was how Argal killed the devil at a very sensitive time. Mael's suspicious mind had immediately jumped to wonder if the timing was intentional. But no. It was just an arch mage jumping to conclusions and acting on them. Argal had paid for that but not the price he had expected. No, his punishment had made him THINK. Really see and accept. Now Argal was in Art's army. Definitely no accident there.
The Plasma. Well... it was a funny thing with reavers. They didn't register to power in the normal or magical sense WHEN it was woven together. Stable power didn't register the abyssal Reavers. They registered as absence. Channeled or natural electricity was wilder though. That they had to catch and redirect. Powerful wards could throw off archs in places, either the really bright areas where power concentrated or where it was deep blue. Deep blue meant deep magic. A lot of purple, the presence of chaotic powers, made wards super unpredictable. Felix avoided purple and blue if he could.
The archs the reavers just caught with channeled vacuums and pulled into the void. Because ward archs were a normal outlet of excess energy ward masters were rarely even aware of them unless they ran a deep scan.
"Ive been interpreting more of the Book of Reavers and found out we can redirect and even absorb the power we catch. We should try it on some of these archs. There's an area ahead of us now."
Instead of avoiding it he headed towards it. It was a plasma arch, sure enough. It was the most common kind. "All right now... when we catch it, try channeling its raw energy inside yourself. Meanwhile I'll direct mine to you. You should receive a double boost. Here goes..." Then Nic asked why HE had to be the one taking all the risk. "Because if we both get knocked out who will heal us? And I'm the better healer." That might be debatable with Nic having seraph wings but Felix had around five hundred years of experience with healing.
Felix could hear the buzzing and see the area flare, then there they were, a little burst of archs. Some of the bolts would be attracted to them others not. Catching Archs was like child's play to them. They even made games of it.
Felix caught and held an arch in a tiny void in the cup of his hand like a mitt then swung it around letting all the ozone and particles slide away into the abyss before he released the raw energy remaining to Nic. All Nic felt was a mild rush of energy that invigorated him as he was dosed with power doubly so if he was as successful. The arch Felix caught was a moderate one. The stronger the arch the more power it bestowed. "It worked!" he crowed triumphantly.
Not all wards were like ambling through a land of continuous glowing, swimming, interweaving, revolving warm and cool prisms of colors like the Deumas wards. Sarku's wards extended through entire areas too for that matter, but not like Zax's wards. The average strong ward was like just walking through a thick wall of layered and woven energies. Some were even like a thin plane that followed the contours of a structure or area. Most area wards were separate from those around a haven or city. Sarku layered his wards like that. One ward through blackstone palace, one for the city, one for goth castle, one for its grounds. It was more to keep track of but they couldn't all be busted at once unless a world event came along and crashed them. Thank you, Mael! But that was exceptionally rare. The Deumas ward was all just one vast ward so far, from just above the river shore, all the way to the castle, all the way through it and out the other side who knew how far. Layer upon layer, weave upon orbiting weave of varied power from electric and telekinetic to various elemental, abyssal, and shadow, it was all one vast ward. Felix suspected that somewhere was a huge pool of deep violet and dark blue energies powering the whole thing because this much energy and the way it moved was pure chaos.
"We're going to need help drawing off this much power when we come back. People to draw stamina from once we exhaust our enemies stores." He noted.
They were approaching the menagerie now. They walked through the zoo like invisible tourists. All that power engulfing the area and no one had any idea the Reavers were even there. Felix tried not to let that go to his head but it kinda did anyway. It was awesome! And then they found Remus. He was the only humanoid they'd seen. "Yeah, that's some cage they got him in." It was like a huge luxery suit but the walls along two sides were clear steel. Poor kid had no privacy if anyone was ogling him. Everything was set up so he couldn't hide. Even the huge fancy ass bathroom was exposed. "This is so many kinds of fucked up." This coming from the acolyte of Mekkor. Remus was curled up on a couch covering himself with his wings as he slept. It was midday. The Deumas were night owls. Felix looked to Nic. "You can bet someone is watching him. We should proceed with caution." Felix didn't want anyone to get clued in they were there. So, when they entered the suite, phasing right past the walls through the abyssal sphere as they had been the whole time, Felix whispered to Remus. "Don't react to us, Lord Emrys, not in any way. We're here to take you back to Goth by order of Soren. He's in charge you know." He spoke in a way to help relax him he hoped. Felix waited for Nic to feed his ward immunity and natural cloaking to him as he himself did, granting Remus duel protection from detection, then they'd both pull him into the abyss then shift with him home, locking onto the open gatepad for a more stable path to shift through. Navigating the abyss could be tricky.
Remus did as instructed. He didn't move a muscle from his restful state. Indeed he couldn't if he'd wanted to. He was heavily sedated, though he had heard Felix in his nightmarish dream state.
(If you want something to go wrong, include what goes awry in your follow up post lol)
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Soren rejoined Beran and Sysyu, he looked like he just defused a bomb, he might not have looked it but Soren was sure of it. "He is pissed, were gonna pay for this one, for sure." Soren shook his head, "I would wait, my understanding is they have special abilities, you will need to wait until the wards have been dealt with I think."
Sysyu surprised him with that hug, and well maybe Beran had a point.. That said, Sysyu didn't force him to do anything. It was just that when a girl who was capable of what she was, said she had a feeling, you listened to that feeling. She had fucking gorgeous eyes, he couldn't help himself and he kissed her. "You will just have to make it up to me later." He whispered against her lips as their kiss ended. "Sorry I got you involved with all this, hardly the best date, was it?" Part of him wanted to taste her blood, that vampiric nature that rested within him, she tugged at it so damn hard.Something about her was irresistible to him. Would she let him? He wondered to himself, "Hopefully we can have a few boring days from time to time, if you dont mind.":
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Soren didn't look too happy when he made it back to her and Beran did he? Evidently Soren was of the same mind as Bear. Mortiara was unhappy with the turn of events. "How can you tell? He doesn't look upset?" Sysyu said, glancing the knight commander's way.
"We can tell," they both echoed in unison in the same tone no less which made Sysyu laugh. She loved their friendship!
"Well, I'm sure you're glad that's over with anyway." Then Soren spoke of delaying their end of the operation. "But the whole point of going in before they meddle with the wards is so the Deumas house won't be alerted. Waiting defeats our entire plan..." Before she could say more on it Sarku approached them. Now it was Soren's turn to be pissed that Sarku had stepped soundly on their toes.
"Have to wait is what the Lady Sysyu cadre must do." The ancient animist related on his approach. "An opportunity have we to Remus liberate safely and quietly from the most impenetrable kind of wards. Wards Lady Sysyu may not be able to slip past. Abilities have these Reavers unlike any other to through any wards, however powerful, move unseen and unfelt and to with others share such traits as are inherent to them. Share their immunities, their resistances, their obfuscation they can. Simply walk in and retrieve Lord Emrys they can, unseen, undetected by wards or spying eyes. Rare is such an opportunity and one that seize we must. Offered they to do so freely and granted his authority to do so this one has. Imperitive is haste we hope our prince agrees."
Sarku had the authority to act with a certain amount of impunity in matters of state. Politically he had overstepped but lawfully he had not. He was doing his duty by protecting royalty from three kingdoms, Soren, Remus and Sysyu. He had done what he believed the king would have wanted him to
in his absence and what he was sure Octavian would have done.
"Once restored Lord Emrys has been, raze the wards the Reavers shall and the criminals to justice be brought." His cheeks clenched in saying this because one of those criminals was indeed a friend, or had been. He never would have believed Zax capable of such a low act as stealing children. And in the way that he had? Sarku was angered, disappointed and depressed by it.
Sysyu did not respond as Sarku thought she might. She wasn't seeking glory, only to bring Remus home safe. She could test her abilities against any wards at another time, and if the Deumas wards were as potent as Sarku claimed then she might have failed and made things worse by getting all three of them captured. Sysyu had been willing to risk it, but if the Reavers could bring him home she was content not to argue about it. "I wish Nic and Felix a speedy success, I truly do." And she hugged Soren. "They're going to do it, Soren. They're going to bring your sire and your dear friend home." She hugged him tight as she said so.
As for drinking her blood? He'd just have to ask her about it or try it to find out if she'd be willing to satisfy the vampire in him. Sysyu had no experience with vampires other than just social interactions in the common sense. For some vampires feeding WAS a social undertaking.
Sarku meanwhile was informing Mortiara of the latest development and he was grateful for it. That didn't mean the three royals were out of hot water though. He was plotting to assign them some unsavory tasks. Cleaning the Blackstone streets of manure and roadkill was on that list.
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Sarku and Felix sure seemed buddy buddy, not that Nic was jealous, Felix should at least have introduced them though! "Hey I am completely happy with taking things slow, besides you know I love my irons." He said with a grin, wild west meets sorcery sounded.. well kinda insane, he was curious what would come of their little experiment. "West World, now that would be interesting.. Think something like that could really happen? I mean.. something like that would make a killing, especially for earthlings, they'd eat that shit up." He was just thinking about it, but damn it would be cool. "They are the client, if they want some live freaks who are we to deny them?"
"Sounds good." Niculaie said as he thought for a moment, "You know.. we should think about updating how we store our gear, I have been thinking. What if we had access to our arsenal, from like anywhere, what would that look like?" Felix didn't need to answer right away but it was something they could think on, it was a practical matter, it would be convenient to be able to swap out and swap in tools as needed for a job.
"Oh good, great minds think alike!" Gemora would be good to have around, besides they had a whole damn tower, it felt a bit empty one more face would be good to have.
"Christ, its like were in Vegas!" Niculaie wondered if these mages realized how much subtlety they lacked with wards like these? "Zax? No way that was the name his dear ole mama named him, sounds like a name some edgy kid thinks is cool, he was probably Bartholomew, or maybe.. Theodore?"
"Raven King, sounds like something out of a second rate fantasy novel.. But, well not our call, though it would keep us fed if we had a war to play a part in. Think Octavian will want to go to war when he returns? Soren will be guided from that path I think, but.. Octavian is like old school, old testament right?"
Niculaie tended to follow the same logic as Felix, but, Nic was also more of the risk taker and often ended up being the one trying out risky or new ideas, or revelations gained from their study of the Abyssinomicon, Nic thought it was a neat name for the book!
"Have you? This should be.. interesting."
Niculaie followed but he had an idea what Felix had in mind, they really should try these things BEFORE a major mission, "Is that what we should do? Heh." Niculaie was going to do it, but.. not before he busted Felix's balls about it. "Isn't the saying age before beauty?" Nic just smirked, but did it, he trusted Felix so, here it went!
Catching the Arc was easy enough, "Here goes nothing," Niculaie said as he channeled the arc into himself, Like Felix Nic let the abyss swallow all but the raw energy and it was invigorating, doubly so when he felt Felix add to it and he felt powerful, and alive with the raw power from the arcs they caught. He was practically buzzing with the power, it felt good.
"You will need to try this sometime Felix, it feels so good!" He said gleefully as he looked to his brother, Niculaie would hold it as long as he was able, they might need it when they found the young prince.
"Well it did not seem the Esschians were hurting for volunteers, I am sure if it means a successful campaign they will give us all the aid we need."
Niculaie was just as put off by the sight as was Felix, sure they weren't good guys persay, nor were they explicitly bad, but this was a bit much. "A man should get some privacy when he takes a shit, this Zax and his woman are freaks." Part of Niculaie wanted to find them and burst out of the abyss and just blow their head off, but.. he wasn't being paid for that. A wise--psychotic man once said "if you are good at something, never do it for free." Nic agreed.
Niculaie did not respond but he took Felix words to heart and stayed very frosty, Niculaie fed Remus a large portion of protection, using that power he had absorbed earlier to Cloak him, and protect him from the touch of magic, like them Remus would soon cease to exist for all intents and purposes to the wards. Once Remus was in the ward Niculaie lifted him into his arms, "Lead on brother.":
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Meeting Sarku had been accidental but they had struck up a conversation which started with why Felix had been puking his guts up but ended with them talking power. They exchanged a lot of ideas as Sarku walked with him to their tower opposite his own.
Felix tossed an arm around Nic's shoulder. "On the subject of cold iron we are in total sync, me brah.". Then he kind of shoved him off when speaking of a Westworld scenario.
"An actual Westworld would be fucking sad, man. Being a slave to the decadent whims of others sucks." And he should know. He shook his head at the freaks comment and caught a couple of arche to whip them into the abyss. "Couple of freaks, yeah..." Felix was starting to feel a bit unbalanced and was glad for the change of subject which came after.
Felix swung the pack off his shoulder in response to the storage topic. "You mean like one of these?" It was a pack of holding. "Standard equipment in Morashtar." He started pulling various weapons out of it then putting them back, including a rocket launcher. Yeah, he'd known Valis for awhile now from living in his city. He slung the pack back over his shoulder. "Or do you mean some kind of pocket dimension we can just reach into or even walk into?"
Felix sighed a little when they agreed on bringing in Gemora. Felix thought he might be in love with Gemora, but was that wrong? Did that cross a sire acolyte line that made him creepy? He didn't want to take advantage of their bond... He wished he could talk to Nic about it but didn't know if he should. What if ...
Felix chortled at the Vegas crack. "It's sometimes easy to forget few beyond us can see such displays of power as this. Tsetar and devils can if they focus while we just see it all the time. Maybe a few gods?" He assumed. "Imagine if everyone could see it all the time like we do? And do you ever imagine what kind of emissions come off this much power? Evidently Morashtar just drinks it up. It's weird to contemplate."
He shrugged to Nic's assessment of the name Zax. "Who knows who named him that or if it's his real name or if Zaxland is what he calls his kingdom or if others did. I just think it's a stupid name." he snickered. "I bet Sarku could tell us if that's his real name though."
"Well to be fair... in his tongue his name is Balgha Yoril. The common folk are the ones call him the Raven King which makes sense his name and abilities being what they are.
The two stepped out onto the gatepad to shed the abyss with Remus in between them completely supported by the two Reavers who were holding him up. He was unconscious. Soren and Beran rushed them when they stepped off the pad. "One Sleeping Beauty of a prince delivered as promised." Felix declared with a grin as Soren scooped Remus up .
"Is he alright? What's wrong with him?" Sysyu asked.
"Can't say yet. He was like that when we found him. A sleeping spell maybe?" It was worse. He was drugged and Deluvian did not tolerate drugs or toxins at all well.
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Soren wasn't delaying. The plan was to let the Reavers reconnoiter was it not? He was just giving them time to do that. No one besides maybe Beran was more fired up to do this, but he wasn't going to risk the mission on his eagerness, no they needed to be smart about this. Not that either Beran or Sysyu were anything close to stupid, if anything he was the daftest one of them all. Before he could speak though Sarku was approaching them.
Pissed was not the right word. Sarku would not delay them without a good reason. Soren kept quiet as Sarku explained the situation, Remus could be rescued and without them putting all the young nobility of three kingdoms at risk, not to mention the punishment that would follow on those who brought all this danger to those he loved.
"Sarku, if you trust them to do it.. then I trust them to do it as well." Sarku did not trust easily, and if Sarku was confident in these mercenaries, then so would he.
Sysyu agreed and he embraced her back and smiled, "I can hardly believe it, now I need to think of a way to thank them, and pay them for this.. Saving Remus, is a priceless act, how do I repay them?" He was not sure what to offer, he would need to speak to Mortiara, did his father have a treasurer? He'd need to talk to them too, he certainly didn't want to bankrupt the country as a thank you! "Remus might need me when we get him back, so... if I seem to be less.. attentive, just know it is nothing you did." He drew her hand up and kissed her palm, "I still have every intention of making you my wife, so don't you dare doubt it, okay?" He said kissing her wrist, and well he hoped she would be there with him, helping him attend to his sire.
"Beran! Do you think.. we should get that girl from the Tailor shop? Perhaps she would be a welcoming sight to him, they hit it off pretty well, didn't they?" Oh he knew Beran would hate the idea, but.. He was only concerned about making Remus happy at this moment.:
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Sarku wouldn't say he trusted the Reavers. Not exactly, but he trusted them do the job they offered to undertake. "This one is certain that complete the task the Reavers will," he had assured. Sarku decided to stay close for awhile in case Remus needed help or they wanted him to join the incursion at the Deumas stronghold. He might be able to bring them in more peaceably.
Sysyu nodded, understanding that Soren's sire was going to need him. "I understand all your obligations and commitments, Soren, I promise you." Then he dropped the W word and she released him from her embrace and slapped his arm. "Wife? Is that any way to propose, Soren Draguta?!!" It was hard to tell if she was seriously chastising him or having it on with him.
After Soren had settled the little marriage rebuttal with Sysyu; Beran looked to Soren with a somewhat bewildered expression at the suggestion of bringing Danni to cheer Remus up. He looked doubtful at first then shrugged. Remus wasn't gone long fortunately so he couldn't have suffered too many abuses at his aberrant captors hands., but still, knowing Remus it had been very traumatic for him and him being out cold suggested he must have gone off the rails enough for them to sedate him. "I'll go get, Dannalora." Beran said and dashed off. He knew his brother was in good hands with Soren and Sysyu.
Sysyu watched Beran sprint away then trained her eyes on Soren. She was positively glowing knowing Soren wanted to marry her! In regards to repaying the Reavers she answered. "They are mercenaries so I imagine paying them each a bucket of money and a fine horse would please them." She smiled. "Maybe a unique magic item each as an added personal thanks? I'm sure your kingdom can well afford it. Who minds your treasury anyway? You could consult with them."
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Niculaie had got the feeling he might have struck a nerve accidently with Felix, but he did not confront it, instead he just kept pace with his friend. Well they were closer than family really, they were true blood brothers, both broken free from a cruel master. Felix bore scars from that master that he did not, part of him felt bad that he did not know how Felix suffered, he wished he did so he could help him.
When asked if he meant like a pack of holding or something they could enter.. Nic only replied "Yes." He liked both ideas, and both had their uses.. "One you can enter? We could go back to earth and steal a fucking tank!" He said with his eyes practically sparkling. "Imagine rolling a tank at a bunch of fuckers with sword and bows, and just shelling them back into the stone age! Abyssal shells, of course. Man, tanks are so fucking badass."
When his brother sighed and went all tight lipped Niculaie slung an arm around him, "We need to talk, when we get out of here.. I know a 'we need to talk' sigh when I hear it, and you wont weasel out of it until I know exactly what has you so... wound up." He kissed Felix on the temple, "We are family, aren't we?"
"It is always so satisfying to tear down their wards, even if they cant see the piece of art were shredding to pieces, at least not the way we can see it. I wish they could." He said jokingly, "I imagine if everyone could see it, they would be a lot more mindful of how.. outrageous some of their wards look." Nic took in th rest of the information without much to say, besides to say the Raven Kings real name was a lot more impressive. But, it made sense he supposed he had a fleet of ravens who obeyed him.
"Indeed, maybe they will keep these people on display, it would be a just punishment." A demon would live for a very long time so such a captivity would be truly harsh, and no less than they deserved.
Nic was used to the shift so when it happened he was ready for it, and carried their rescued prince with ease, he was surprised how quickly Soren and Beran came and Niculaie wasted no time handing off the young ward to the Prince of the Esschians. Niculaie was no healer so he let his brother, the self-proclaimed master healer attend the questions of the young princes state. Nic would retreat to speak with Mortiara,"Hello again, when you have a moment I'd like to discuss what were going to need to deal with those wards, its quite extensive.":
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Felix had issues. Everyone who knew him knew that, including and especially Nic. Felix just did his best to keep his troubles away from work and usually succeeded at that. He smiled a little bashfully at Nic when he went all brotherly and supportive on him. Having Nic as family meant everything to him. "A talk then... after the job or if we get some downtime between. There is something I've been meaning to tell you about..." Namely Declan, Brutus and Frekie.
"A tank?" that seventeen year old voice cracked a little. Six hundred plus years old and he still had the voice of a teenage boy. "I don't know, man. There are wards on this planet that prevents the import of modern offworld machinery to Morashtar. I tried to get a car from Valis and he told me all about it. It's also outlawed by the High King so... No tanks. Not even a damn motorcycle! Firearms used to be unlawful too but Valus said Lucifer relaxed those laws to allow Valis and one other bloke to import and sell them to special clients, whatever that means. Evidently we're one of them, so awesome on us." Felix was just a font of information wasn't he? He was just connected to the right, maybe sometimes the wrong, people.
Felix nodded about the wards but carried a few regrets. "Tearing down some wards is like burning artwork. I regret those two jobs we did. The one for Daemos and that other for that Lilith chick? She gave me the fricking willies man. I don't care what she pays. I won't work for her again. I hate that she even knows what we do. Daemos was okay I guess, but I don't think we should have accepted that mission either. It felt like he was in the wrong with that Ewyn Guy. And I don't want to make enemies like that doing jobs. Also... while Im bitching, I think if we are going to take jobs that have a political impact like this one, we should pick a side and fucking join it or stay the fuck out of it. I mean messing with deviant Dukes and the kings backing them and shit is just more trouble than we need for a damn pay check. We need an entire kingdom backing us for this kind of work." Ever the pragmatist. Logic is what kept him grounded and from losing his damn mind.
Felix smiled at the expanding notion of putting the creeps on display. "Imagine the pair of them in two steel glass boxes, side by side, in the city plaza, with just a toilet in each box. Man that would be sweet!" That thought cheered him up.
While Nic went to chat up Mort Felix joined Soren. "Mind if I examine him and see if there's anything I can do to help? Among my other skills I'm also a decent healer." He offered and once permitted he would lay a gentle hand against Remus's cheek then his chest. He looked a little concerned. "He's drugged... but it's acting more like a toxin to him. May I extract it?" he asked very professionally. Once allowed he drew the impurities out of his system much as he siphoned off energy and into the abyssal ether it went. Then he restored his health and stamina to him by pulling those energies from the atmosphere around them and feeding them to the Prince. Remus began to stir but forced himself back to sleep. He felt so tired still and was afraid of what he'd wake to. Felix stood and backed up. "I think he just needs to know he's safe now. He doesn't know me so..."
Mortiara heard Nic out about the wards, getting as many details as he could then noticed Sarku standing nearby. "Sarku?" was all he had to ask and the animist came to join them.
"Request the opportunity to confront Lord Deumas ourself we do. The devil who took the children is not the devil this one knew. Believes this one he can Aneiren bring in without loss of life. Ask we that the attempt be permitted once the wards come down."
Mortiara raised a brow. "You are familiar with the kidnapper?"
"Yes, quite."
"I will consult with Soren and some of the others." And so he did, bringing what Sarku suggested to Soren and Faust, who he called over.
Felix butted it immediately after hearing the proposed plan. "Those people are sick! They need to be caged and put on display themselves! They had him in a glass display suite. He was utterly exposed! And they drugged him so heavily it nearly killed him! He was extremely sick. He's okay now... but he doesn't want to wake up if that tells you anything!! Honestly, I would fucking shred the pair and leave Lucifer to sort out their damned souls!"
Beran returned with Danni entow about that time. He stood somewhat shocked with fury as he heard what Felix had said. "I want their heads! I want their damn heads!" Yeah, Felix got him fired up alright.
Felix hadn't meant to lose his shit. It was just that the kind of treatment Remus had faced was a taut trigger for him.
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Soren nodded, "So they will, and I will be here to thank them personally when they do." Soren was glad to have Sarku here, if something went bad, Sarku would have ideas on how to make it right.
"I am glad to know it, and I thank you for it." Before she slapped him after he made his intentions known to her, "Oh that is not my proposal, I just want you to know my intentions." He wanted to get at least the blessing of one of her fathers before he made a proper proposal, but he did have that promised picnic they had planned. He had to plan his actual proposal too.. oh god, he was going to need to talk to Beran and Remus about this.. maybe some advice--but, who should he ask? Was Mortiara good with women? Maybe Niall.. No he was out with his father, perhaps Desiree?
Soren then nodded to Beran, "Thank you." They had not spoken but their shared looks alone was a kind of conversation, Soren told Beran without words to trust him, and Beran seemed to do that and went to go get the young woman that Remus had taken such a shine to.
He couldn't help but smile that Sysyu had not run off at the idea of being his wife, it made him think this could actually happen, so he entwined fingers with her own, boldly holding her hand. "That is a good notion, Money and a horse, and maybe something to sweeten the deal. I will consult with Mortiara and see who is the treasurer." He should already know these things, but well, he hadn't thought he would be made heir, he always figured one of Desiree's sons would be chosen over him. "Thanks for being here with me, Shy.. I am all nerves right now, and I know Beran and I would have done something stupid if you hadn't been here to be the voice of reason, so.. thank you." He said and looked away toward the portal.
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Felix had no more issues than the rest of them, Niculaie had his own trauma from his time in the desert, perhaps it was not as traumatic as his brother's but it had the Reaver fucked up over it all the same. "Whichever comes first, hard to say when they will want to make the assault, but if we dont get time til after, then we will talk after." Nic arched a brow at that, "Something you want to tell me, now you have me all sorts of excited."
Niculaie thought a tank would be fucking great! "Are tanks even modern? They been around since like the 1800's! I mean maybe it will take some convincing, but i mean at least a gun carriage or something, either way, having access to some bigger toys might be nice." Felix absolutely knew a lot. "You know, all this stuff you seem to know, makes me feel like an idiot, you are gonna have to tutor me or something.
"I know what you mean, some of those jobs we've done, I dont feel great about." Niculaie though had had jobs like that before, Like the FoG gig, that hadn't been his proudest moment, and Mekkor had been a piece of work. "Do you ever think about wanting to make it right, like undo some of the damage we've done on those old jobs?" He knew that was a dangerous idea, it could put a target on them, poison the well with their reputation.. but still, they might sleep better at night. "Add that topic to our talk, we should make a decision on what sort of jobs we ought to take, playing two sides of a war is dangerous so im right there with you."
Nic laughed about the transparent box idea. "What a sight that would be."
---
Soren and Sysyu bolted to the Reavers the moment they arrived and took Remus without delay. Soren held his sire close, He was glad to have him back. "Thank you, Reavers, forgive me for ever doubting what you could do." He said to them, he was ashamed he had ever doubted them, they had been true to their word. Soren wanted to cry he was so happy right then, "Yes, please do.. Thank you." He said, "Do I need to lay him down?" He would do as Felix instructed so he could be examined. Drugged? Those bastards. "Please do anything you can for him, thank you." When it was done, he nodded to the Reaver. "I wont forget this kindness, I promise.. You aren't what I expected of a Mercenary." He figured they wouldn't do a thing without coin, but here these two were.. doing all they could and had not received a single coin yet.
"Sysyu, join me? I am going to take him to his room." He said and opened a gate of shadow to Remus quarters, taking to lay him in bed, anyone who needed him only had to reach out to him. "Beran when you return I have relocated Remus to his chambers, I Want him to wake up somewhere he is familiar with." Soren then looked irritated, and glanced to Sysyu.. "Could you stay with him, I dont want him to wake up alone, Mortiara is requesting my presence about our next move." If she did not wish to, he would wait until Beran returned to go and see what Mortiara had in mind.
Niculaie slung an arm around his brothers shoulders to try and calm him down, "Forgive Felix, he is very passionate, and in this case very right. However it is not our place to dictate how you wish to handle this, we will stand ready if you wish to consider further action." He said and guided Felix away to sit on a bench and calm him down while the command structure of Esscha Endor plotted their desired course. "Hey, you okay Felix? I agree with everything you said, but.. we're just mercenaries, lets just see what they want to do and decide from there what we choose to do, alright?"
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"Heh," Felix scoffed at Nic's faux excitement. "You'll probably kick my ass."
Felix shook his head hearing Nic put himself down. "I've just lived here longer than you and know more people. Like Lord Urik, Marco, Daemos, the Blacklion Clan, The Decasey Clan, Erugoth and Argal. Hell, the Morning Star. With contacts like those you learn a lot of things. First thing you leaen is how UNIMPORTANT you are until you are. I think we're beginning to be."
He chortled as Nic went on about tanks. "I think the point is it's heavy artillery not of this world that's bigger than a bread box."
Felix kicked up a little particle ball of flame energy and caught it to juggle the glowing sphere. "I don't think we can make it right, just not repeat our mistakes. I want to be better than that horror who tried to shape me into his mini monster. I don't mind bending some rules and busting some heads... but it'd be nice if they deserved it, like these Douchmas. So yeah, let's be particular. I think we can afford to be. We are fucking valuable."
Felix dipped his head to Soren when he thanked him. Oh the Reavers were total mercenaries and expected payment but they were letting Morti set the reward just to see whar he'd come up with. He'd promised to pay them more than they'd ask for. "No problem," he assured, Soren then withdrew to join Sarku, Mort and the others when Sarku said those things which set him off. Sysyu waved at Felix kindly and she went with Soren as he carried Remus off. Felix waved back.
Felix felt foolish, humiliated by his outburst and let himself be pulled aside by his brother. He sat rather stressfully but did his best to regain himself as Nic calmed him. He nodded with a little vocal gasp to assure he was okay and nodded again with less agitation to waiting for decisions to be made. "Sorry I lost my temper. Just some people..." he growled and just shook his head and inhaled a few deep breaths. "I'm fine. I'll be good. Promise."
Beran heaved a breath hearing from Soren. Mortiara was gazing at him with concern. "Justice will be done here, Lord Pendragon. Be patient and let not others encourage rashness." He glanced over at Felix.
That one was a Wild Card he thought. They got the job done but could they be relied upon not to be jeopardized by the more unstable Reaver? They already had a High King, Honor Guard and Garrison Commander who was an eight ball. Artorius was just way too unbalanced to trust with so much authory in the knight commander's opinion. Now he was married to two very questionable immortals squeezing out how many children between them? High Spire Keep was the best place for them. Huge, isolated and yet accessible. Sarku had meant for it to be the King's palace but then thought better of it. The king needed to be far more reachable to the public which High Spire was not and so Sarku designated it for Niall, who had turned it down in favor of a castle tower as he had in Goth. Southeast Gatetower. Belial had purchased High Spire for 100,000 gold crowns which translated to ten million earth dollars. The treasury had recovered quite well since Hurricane Yfraeus (the name of the dragon Octavian absorbed) and Belial's purchase had helped. The Treasurer? Well that would be the newly appointed Duke Nystori. Sarku was second Treasurer.
Beran took Danni by the arm and started walking she falling in step with him. "Will you stay with Remus awhile in his room?" he asked.
"I... there are things I've been wanting to talk to you about," the beautiful elven girl indicated.
"Can you tell me as we walk?" Beran asked.
"Yes, of course. It's complicated though." She said as they started walking. "I recently... awakened to some things. Memories of a past life." She got Beran's attention right off. "I like Remus, I do, but I'm not who I thought I was when we met. I'm incredibly old, Lord Ambrosious. Niall Nystori is my father. Sophia Defluer is my daughter. Lord Belial... he... he was... Is? He was my husband!" She exclaimed in a whisper. "I can't see him anymore. I'm too old for him... I'm spiraling. Just spiraling!"
Beran stopped walking and turned to face her. "Does your father know?"
Dannelora shook her head.
"He's a good man..."
"The best," she agreed.
"You should go to him. Tell him. You can trust him."
Danni nodded then hugged him, kissed his cheek and left him.
Beran sighed heavily then continued on by himself only this time he lapsed through shadows to enter his brother's spacious chamber. "Sorry it took me awhile. Danni couldn't make it. She had to go." he sat on the bed at his brother's side. He looked so like a boy when he slept. Beran was catching up with him age wise in appearance. "One day he won't be my older younger brother anymore... He'll look like a proper younger brother. I want to look in my late fourties, more like my Pater. Though I guess he stopped aging in his fifties, but I don't want to look THAT old." He leaned over and kissed Remus brow then whispered to him. "You twerp. Always getting in trouble," he kidded with him quietly then dragged in a shaky breath. They could have lost him. "I'll stay with him. You go on." he prompted hence and looked up. Sysyu was seated in a chair across from him. He looked for Beran. Had he left before he got there?
Mortiara waited until everyone had gathered again before addressing them. Emotions seemed to be running high now so he made a psychological decision. "Remus is safe. That was always our priority. The culprits aren't going anywhere. They won't have the faintest idea how their captive slipped from his cage. I know we have mustered all these fine brave men but I am of the mind we wait a few days before engaging in an incursion. Cooler heads will prevail far more efficiently than burning blood. I also want to consult with the king in this matter as it has potential political ramifications. You who were headed to the wedding reception, go. We will return to our investigation and reconvene in two days to discuss the situation. Men at arms. Report to Posts."
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Sysyu smiled at Soren with adoration in her eyes. "Well your intentions are well received dear Prince Draguta. I will be yours if my fathers permit." She would never disobey them. She was clueless of Sammael's fate however. Sent into the Blue flame only days ago, he had lived as an Escion for fifty years to become an architect in his twenties. Mael was soon to go make his acquaintance as Treleon.
Sysyu had dismissed his gratitude for her sticking by him with a flip of her hand. "Well of COURSE I'm the going to BE here. We are in this together from first sip to last drop. And wasn't it YOU being MY voice of reason just a minute ago? We balance each other as we should I think." And she hugged him tight.
Beran did trust Soren but had been uncertain about Dannelora from the beginning as Soren well knew. Remus did have it bad for her though and she would have cheered him up certainly, had she not been dealing with circumstances so intense that she decided to call it off indefinitely with his younger brother. It was so easy to forget HOW young Remus was when he looked anywhere between eighteen and the low twenties. Danni was his first REAL crush. There would br others. Beran fell asleep next to Remus where he'd stretched out, his last thought before dozing off, "I wonder how long he's going to sleep?"
As Beran was watching over Remus Sysyu went with Soren. The announcement Mortiara made was... unexpected. He was delaying the operation because emotions were running so high? And because he wanted to give it a few days and see if the king returned? It made sense she supposed, but she had concerns and to the knights annoyance she voiced them. "Won't delaying give the enemy more time to prepare? Even if they have no idea how Remus got away, might they find out? Perhaps through whoever told them about Cillian and maybe even our zoo trip?" she voiced.
Mortiara stared at her a moment and that's how she knew he was annoyed by her questions. She got it now! How Soren and Beran could tell! "You don't think I didn't consider all that, my lady?"
"Well yes, but..."
"I hope you will trust in my reasons. The advantages I hope to glean for the investigation and the operation will be well worth the risks gambled by the delay." He wouldn't say anything further in the open. Ambassador Vendekuar had fed him a very crucial report during the back and forth of the Princes and Princess which was instrumental in his decision to postpone.
Soren could of course overturn his decision but he seriously prayed he did not.
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Nic grinned, "Just you wait, some day soon.. People who hear about the Reavers being hired will quake in their boots!" He said with a wicked little grin, "I was thinking, you know if this goes right we should open up an office, make this thing legit. We dont need to just be hired guns, we could even investigate for people. We could be proper hardboiled detectives!" He teased, "Y'see Mack, we could make it to the big times!" He couldn't help but laugh, Niculaie at some times was his own biggest fan!
"Maybe we can, if we get the chance we do a job that counters that bitch! Maybe one of her rivals will hire us or something" He said, but Felix would understand at this point he was just talking, he agreed with Felix.
After Niculaie rejoined Felix and took him to the bench with his arm around his brother, he sighed.. "I am supposed to be the loose canon, you are the logical and calm one.. so stop stepping on my fucking toe!" He said and kissed Felix on the cheek hard. "And I know, you are a good lad." He teased, he was actually older than Niculaie by a fair margin. "If we get the chance I'll make sure to shoot this Zax right in the balls, and you know how good a shot I am, so... dont sweat it, they will get theirs."
Niculaie had a wicked little grin as he leaned in to whisper to Felix, "If you are bored tonight," He had a feeling there would not be any battle tonight, "I could ask Magda if you can watch." He said, but, was he teasing or serious? "Also, you apparently have something to tell me, but.. let's wait 'til we get back to the tower for story time, hm?"
Seth might have chastised Mortiara for his opinion of Artorius if he ever spoke it aloud, Art was many things, but unreliable was not one of those things.. at least where it counted. Niculaie might have got into a fist fight if someone called out Felix as well, luckily Mortiara was quite tactful, at least he seemed that way. Ris would have scoffed at being named an immortal, as if he were something so common! Disorder considered itself much more than just an Immortal, a force of nature integral to the fabric of creation was disorder. If only Niculaie and Felix could have seen the weave he had used to draw himself back into a complete being, they had likely felt it those days ago when he and Art had done the deed and made Disorder whole.
Soren grinned at his lady love, when she said that, it gave him butterflies.. she would be his. She wanted to be his. "Speaking of permission, when I see your father.. How should I act? I mean--Like is he easy going, or would he expect me to follow strict decorum in approaching him? I don't want to ruin things before I even get to ask, you know?" He was glad how emphatically she wanted to be at his side, "To the last drop." He said in agreement, "I hope I can have more moments of wisdom, and that that wasn't my last." He looked into her eyes mirroring that adoration, "I like that, being each others balance."
Soren and Beran would just miss each other as he left the room just as Beran entered it and he attended Mortiara. Staying quiet as he tried to wrap his head around it. He was surprised to see Sysyu join him as Mortiara made his announcement though and he was also surprised that she tried to question the knight. He felt a bit of pride hearing her question Mortiara.
"If the reavers did it right, they won't even know to think we are up to anything." He said thoughtfully, "Very well Mortiara, I want absolute control of information, we still have that leak to deal with. If our plans get leaked as well, I dont need to tell you what that would mean."
Soren glanced to Sysyu, "I know waiting feels wrong, but... I think it is the right move, besides we need to take Cillian to my Queen-mother. Not to mention speak with your father."