The Trinity Chronicles

[Red Knight V]

Gladius nodded and bowed his head before turning to leave. He strode out of the tent and walked over to get his drake. His drake had to be sturdy, stronger than a regular soldier's drake, as he weighed considerably more than any human. Any drake could carry him, but it would tire much quicker than the rest. He had picked hand picked his drake, the pattern made it good for stealth, and it's horns were quite... ornamental looking. He reached up and rubbed one, as he mounted the reptile.
He was probably the most qualified for this task, as he was not of high command and was not needed in planning and discussion. His drake only needed a little prodding, like him it was not a lazy beast and immediately sprung to its feet and took off at a trot. He rode through the camp and met the Young Prince and the group of guards escorting him. He was mad, not quite furious, and called out as his drake stopped in front of them. He looked down at the guards and asked them, "Who told you bring them into the camp? Him?" The knight didn't wait for them to respond, he pointed a finger, just briefly at Alexander, "He is not you King, nor your commander. You can go back to what ever it was you were doing beforehand, just know there will punishment awaiting you later." He did not actually have the authority to have them punished, but if he attacked them, no one would try to stop him. Unless the King said so, but then, he would probably tell Gladius to stop and he would.
The men looked scared, one was eying the massive hook on his hip. They turned away and left his view. Gladius sighed and shook his head then turned to the group he was supposed to escort. "Right this way, the King wishes to see you, as I assume you wish to see him." He turned his drake's head back the way he came and waited until he was next to the group to stir it into walking. He eyed the woman and the banner holder. His blank face not betraying the swirling thoughts in his steel mind.

 

[Akumulosis]

Raven Krona, Queen of Bloodsbane
​

Raven sighed as the day continued on. She didn't think managing a kingdom could be so...tiring. She stepped off the throne, and pinched the bridge of her nose. It was going to be a while till Syris got back...especially if every day was like this. She walked back to the grand bedroom, and put on her normal attire, having been wearing a more royal one before. She looked out of her window down at the city, and nodded. She would take a walk through the city...Most people didn't recognize her anyways. She snuck out of the castle through a small passage way that she had made sure was built into her room, and took to the alley ways of the city.

 

[PatchedUp]

Maenith sighed softly,sticking her head out of her door to see the line that was still waiting to see her and motioned for the next child to come in. She smiled softly and scooped the small child into her arms before placing him on the table to get a better look at him. She frowned slightly when she noticed what was wrong with this child and crossed her arms over her chest,thinking. The child was bleeding profusely but no matter how much she washed the area,she couldn't find the wound that was causing the bleeding.

She walked over to the large pile of books in the room and started to flip through them,trying to find what she had found on this child.
She made it through three books before she realized that she wouldn't find it in these books. She started to pace,wondering about the possibilities and grabbed her cloak from the back of a chair. She would need to find the king,she didn't know what had caused this and didn't know how to fix it. She scooped the child into her arms,ignoring the blood and found a guard. "Where is the king?" She asked softly and nodded once she was told that he was outside in the city.

She left the castle and walked throughout the city,looking for the telltale guards,eventually finding them. She placed the child on the ground beside her and walked to the guards. "I need to speak with the king." She said,motioning towards the little boy. "My king," She called softly. "Something is wrong."

 

[UnseenShade]

Ellidil chuckled at Ishmea's request and smiled. Holding out a hand slowly, his guards seemed worried but he knew what he was doing. He was not afraid of anyone, or anything in this world. He believes that if he enters any area in this world with open arms that he will never be struck down. No one could strike down a man that offers an open hand instead of a closed fist, could they? It was possible that he would be struck down one day because of his incompetence, or maybe he plays the part of the fool very well. He held his hand out for Ishmea, smiling the entire time. "I would greatly appreciate it if you would be my Court Mage. You served my Father loyally and I have no doubt that you will serve me loyally." He waited for her to shake his hand before he continued on. His Guards were still alert, but they were a little more accepting of her if their King accepts her so quickly. Especially if they have a past.

"I am at War with my brothers though. It saddens me really, these lands were divided by our Father so no conflict would arise, yet here it is. Conflict, all because of my brothers ambitions to unite the land. Foolish...unnecessary. Hopefully we can end this war without any of my Brother's dying...but a sacrifice may be needed to end this foolish war." He sighed, his face darkening for a mere moment before he brought on his Kingish smile once more, all for show.

"I do not wish to speak of the possibilities of my brothers deaths or the fires that may rage through this nation. Theses is safe for now, borders well protected, and Penndragon and Bloodsbane doesn't seem to acknowledge our existence at the moment. Good for us I say." He was beginning to rant, but he caught himself and stopped. Chuckling before running a armored hand through his hair, fixing it, adjusting his left eye to stay on his face correctly. "Sorry for that, how have you been these past few years?"

As soon as Ishmea's hand was released from the handshake, she did something she always did before lessons. In fact, any time something big was happening, she did this, so by now, her now king of a pupil would have seen it hundreds of times. She clapped her hands together while her hair seemed to flare a bit. "Then, let us begin. There is much work to do before this kingdom can do more than protect its borders. We could end this war in many ways, most with minimal bloodshed. I have a few ideas if you desire to hear them later. I have also perfected the production of the elixir your father used to use to reduce his illness. It works well for all manner of disease and fortifies the body. Perhaps we can produce it on a larger scale to improve the lives of the refugees so we can utilize their skills for trades, crafts, and intelligence."

Looking around, once she mentioned the elixir, many heads perked up. Luckily, it was not addictive, but she could tell they had loved ones in need of such concoctions. Maybe the street alchemists could give it out or sell it cheaply with her. All this depended upon the king's decision. "Also, I have researched and developed two special types of steel, mostly for my own use, but if you wish to forge better weapons and armor for your men, I can teach the smiths how to properly fold and create it. I would need about a week per forge that would need the enchants, though. I would, if you allow it, like to craft myself some arms and armor. My old regalia has long since fallen into disrepair, beyond the hope of maintenance. Run in with a manticore, you see."

 

[Artorias]

Ellidil listened to Ishmea, she wanted to offer her help and that was already more than enough. She didn't have to do anything for Theses, and Ellidil already had many plans set in motion and prepared, so he didn't want to tell her no. However, speaking in the middle of the town wasn't a smart idea for discussing battle strategies and plans to win wars. "It is best to speak of these things further within my council room, as for winning the war. I already have a few plans set in motion. Don't worry about the war Ishmea, that is what I'm worrying about, but the people need someone to look after them and I'm stretching myself thin by doing both." He offered her to basically take control of all matters that involved shelters, food, and anything else that involved the refugees. Ellidil was smart enough to trust her, and to deal with his Military Tactics.

He smiled before waving his hand and his Guards relaxed, Ellidil was moving, but this time he was walking back towards the castle. It seemed he had the intentions of discussing things now. Best to discuss, instead of later when it was old and the ideas weren't fresh. His Guard moved, keeping Ishmea and Ellidil within the protective circle, people waving and smiling. Cheering for their just and peaceful King. As he told Ishmea he would prefer that his Brother's didn't die, that didn't mean he wouldn't like to see them locked away or exiled. 'My brother has a wife, and I'm sure if she cheated on him. That might shake up Bloodsbane, and my little brother was sheltered as a child. Maybe I should pay Alexander a visit.' Ellidil thought to himself. He didn't plan on having Syris or Raven assassinated, in fact he just had to find someone that was great at seducing and get them to seduce Syris's wife.

He turned to look at one of his Guards, gesturing for him to come closer. Ellidil leaned in, whispering something into the Guard's ear, but whatever he said the Guard nodded and pulled away from the circle, and ran ahead to the castle. He was given the task of finding information on possible people that would be great for the job.

 

[E.T.]

---In These---

Max shrunk down as the woman dismounted and held out a hand for him to grab, growing unusually shy. Sheepishly he stared up at her. Long awkward moments stretching between them as his mind tried to catch up with the rest of him. However the sound of the woman's voice seemed to jog the boy back to the present as he flushed crimson. Cautiously taking the hand offered to him he started slightly as something like a shock tickled his hand the second it touched the woman's. Unlike Carmen he was unused to identifying demons and users of the dark arts from their presence alone, and so he was able to shake the feeling quickly. Letting himself be pulled to his feet he scuffed his feet against cobble street, his eyes unable to hold a stare for more than a second.

"They're gone." He said softly his shoulders rising in a small shrug. He was past the point of outright grieving after the passing of the years, but that didn't mean that he didn't still feel a slight twinge in his chest at the mention of the loss. Carmen most definitely helped fill the gap, playing family to keep him happy. As he thought of his demon he remembered the sweets that he was supposed to be returning with. Turning slightly he stooped and plucked the, mostly, unharmed package from off the ground and clutched it to his chest.

"My sister is in the market getting groceries." He said, reciting the lie perfectly. He had been taught how to mix truths and lies so that it was difficult to tell one from the other, and perhaps foolishly believed that only Carmen could tell when he was trying to sneak something false into his statements. However something suddenly seemed to catch the blonde haired youth's attention as his eyes narrowed slightly and he leaned forward a hair, a subtle gesture but one made as he tried to peer underneath the hood of the woman who had helped him to his feet.

"What's your name?" He suddenly asked, quick to shed that shyness that had halted his words at first. He could have sworn that he had seen something that looked like a pair of furry ears moving underneath the woman's hood, but the piece of cloth did its job well enough that he could not quite be sure.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A few blocks away Carmen had encountered her own set of trouble. Apparently she was not the only one that had noticed the recent demon activity. A group of around five city guards were systematically making their way through the market, laden with wards, and heavy with the stench of silver. From the looks of it they were not expecting a fight of any kind, especially not on such a sunny afternoon, and were simply sticking a ward where they thought a demon might try to make a nest. Most of the wards the watch carried were weak things, good for low rat demons and imps who were small enough to slip through on the tail of untended spells and waves of heated emotions, but these were not the usual stock.

With a muted snarl she drew back into a sheltered alley, fighting for control as the watchmen passed by the alley, one passing briefly to paste one of the wards not three feet from where Carmen stood. As soon as they were passed she dodged towards the other end of the alley, trying to put soon distance between her and the ward's pulsating white magic. Her skin appeared to buck and ripples bizarrely under her clothes and she fought to keep her composure. These wards might not be deadly or overly harmful to her, but they disrupted black magic, unraveling it like knotted thread. And right now it was attacking the spell that was keeping Carmen looking normal to the regular humans that swarmed past her unknowingly.

"Shit." Carmen swore under her breath as she finally stopped in a back alley nearly five blocks from her original position. She was far enough away to avoid anymore of the spell's influence but the damage had been done. Desperately she kept one hand clasped on her head as one of her horns ripped its way through her skin, a small point jutting two inches or so out of her head as another just below it was just barely beginning to push out against her skin. Normally brown eyes had turned golden and one of the pupils looked like it had been smudged sideways leaving it a horizontal bar across her eye, and her teeth were lengthening their progress impeded only just Carmen's firmly clamped jaw. The spell that she used to hide her identity so well was not such a simple one to cast. At least, not so simple that she could quickly whip up another in this dingy little back alley without the right ingredients and without drawing more attention than she could afford. Feeling the threads of her disguise unraveling fast she tried weighing her different options and found that she did not much like them.

 

[Alice Falling]

[BCOLOR=#3366ff]---Grigor a[BCOLOR=#339966]nd Cecil---[/BCOLOR][/BCOLOR]​

Cecil took another bite of her food, her voice was sullen as she had talked. Cecil's maturity often kicked in when talking seriously, especially to Grigor, "I want to go places. Meet people. I know with the war I wouldn't be able to really handle traveling alone, not even when I'm older," Cecil had failed at being a warrior after all. The anxiety she got from being in large battles was to much for her, "What about you? As much as I know you love the children, didn't you imagine doing something else by this time in your life? I know you care about this job and you do a good job. But don't you want something more?" She looked up and asked him, her eyes full of wonder.

Grigor listened silently to her grief. These were the words of someone with a dream, someone who knows what they want to do, unlike him. He went deep into thought, pondering her question. "In all actuality, the fact I was able to work in an orphanage was already beyond my expectations." He gave a small sigh. "You see, being raised as a monk of my monastery, I was expected to live there my whole life and die there... to be reincarnated as another monk in the future and repeat. So as a monk, you can say I've already failed!" Grigor laughed, trying to diffuse the sullen atmosphere.

"I'm saddened by your predicament though. A parent should always uphold their promises, especially to their children. Me and my peers believe failing to do so makes you unable to happily pass into the after life, becoming a wraith of regret." there was a silent pause in the room. An idea lit up into his mind. "Say, you don't want her becoming a wraith of regret, right? I think the solution to this problem would be to find someone willing to adopt you and travel the world."

"That would be a boring life. You poor darling monks!" She laughed a little and brushed back her red hair with one hand as she continued to listen to him.

"I think the solution is to run away!" She said in a tone full of laughter. She finished up her pastry then said, "It wasn't my mom's fault. She had every intention to take me places. And I have come to terms with that," Stretching her arms out wide she let out a small yawn, "But, if someone would adopt me, that would be pretty nice to. I mean, then I can pull that whole not able to pass happily to the after life card. I'm sure they would feel guilty enough to take me traveling. After all, they don't want an adopted daughter, as adorable as myself, to live an uncompleted life." She winked at Grigor before she broke out in a smile.

Run away, huh? He thought to himself. That could be just the adventure he needs to help him find what he wants in life. While may have debated going off and leaving the children, her smile right then and there was just the push he needed.

"Alas, past that outwards adorableness lies an anxious girl who would threaten someone for so much as eating something in front of them. Did I mention that dreadful bow she always keeps around her? Truly a troubling daughter for anyone, why it would be the ultimate punishment!" Grigor chuckled. He walked over and ruffled Cecil's hair, meeting her at eye level.

"... No better punishment for a failure of a monk like me. As my final duty as a monk, I'll allow your mother to cross over to the other side with nary a regret." He said as he gave a warm smile.

 

[Archmage Jeremiah]

Talli and Francis DeMarché
​

Talli had sat herself down outside, actually quite content with the relative silence around her part of town. Since everyone was off seeing the king, Talli was just glad to work on her Hand-Cannon outside without being pestered by clingy neighbours, or children. She was attempting to build in a sort of knob onto her weapon, tinkering with miniature magic dampeners and amplifiers to see if she could adjust the power of the weapon at will. She knew her invention could already obliterate targets without the need for spellcasting, but the problem was allowing it to do so efficiently. Francis had been walking quietly for a short while, when he heard the tapping of metal on metal.
Looking down, he found a small blue woman...with a rather large cannon.

"Hey there, miss...may I ask, why do you have a cannon like that with you?" he asks, unsure of what purpose it could serve. He did however note that she must be strong to use it, which intrigued him. Talli's feral ears perked up as the tall, dark and handsome man addressed her, and she spun her head around to look up at him. She smiled and chortled at the mention of her cannon, quickly hopping to her feet and hauling it up into her firm grip enthusiastically. "Oh, this baby is the Hand-Cannon! It's of my own design." Talli exclaimed with a proud smile. "I was just making a few adjustments to it after testing it on those dummies back there." she pointed a thumb over her shoulder at the clump of charred scarecrows. "Why do you ask?"

"I was a little amazed such a small lady could handle such a big weapon...makes me wonder what other large objects you could handle" he gives her a slight smirk and wink, to let her know what he'd meant by his words Leaning against a wall her gives her body a quick look over, she wasn't what you'd call voluptuous, but she was cute in her own way. He gave a moment of pause before smiling and adding "Maybe we could find out?"

Little Talli knitted her brows and tilted her head while she quietly read his expressions. He was smirking, as all rich people did when talking to such "Thesesian Lowlifes" like her. But he also winked. Odd... "Do you...want me to do some heavy lifting?" she questioned. Talli scratched the back of her head and held out an open palm, signifying that she was taking a confused shot in the dark with this. Though the innuendo hadn't completely passed her by, she was mostly oblivious to it, or was simply choosing to neglect it. "I'd be happy to earn a little extra gold."

"I suppose you could call it that" he says with a chuckle, his features softening "Though I don't think you'd want gold as a reward..." He knits his own brows and looks at her, unsure if the little blue lass even knew what sex was Let alone if she was currently
wanting it "I mean, the work is it's own reward, so to speak"

Talli's jaw slowly dropped, leaving her looking up at him clueless. "I'm...not following you here. Could you just tell me what you want already?" she implored, a clear sense of annoyance present in her tone, with an awkward disposition to boot. If it wasn't obvious already, this Pixie was not adept in the relationship department.

He lets out a bored sigh and rubs his forehead with a hand "Sex" he says bluntly, giving her a dull gaze "Do you get it now?"
He leans back and grunts a little, taking out a small tin and opening it, taking out a small cigar and lighting it with a look of almost dismissal on his face. It seemed she was either too stupid or too innocent to understand his advances, this bored him immensely.

Talli's moment of realization was nearly instantaneous, as her jaw shut again and her eyes widened. "Ohhhhhhhhh!" she uttered aloud with a growing smile, and rekindled eyes. Then, there was a long moment of silence while all of that washed away. "...Ohhhhhhhhh..." this time it was a mutter. She raised a hand and waved away the doubt with rosy cheeks and a sheepish smile. "I-I knew that."

"Of course you did" he says with a slight roll of his eyes, looking back to her and managing a smile, she at least knew what he was talking about, and seemed to know what sex was, which was good too "So, how about it, little lass?" he asks with a smile "Tell ya what...since you seem like you need some gold, I'll even split my latest earnings with you" he says with a slight smile "If...you earn it"

Talli opened her eyes again and looked down at her feet. "Okay...maybe I didn't..." She looked back up at the man with perked-up ears. "Wait, so...you're going to pay me?" Talli laughed. "Sounds great, haha!"

"Well...except for one little thing..." she said a tad shyly, and with a twiddle of her thumbs. He raised an eyebrow and looked at her with an interested gaze "Please, do tell" he says with a smile "What's wrong? I'm sure you and I can work together to figure out a solution to whatever it is" He smiled a little and waited for her to tell her his problem, a little curious as to what could be he an issue for the little blue girl...was it the size difference? Potential pregnancy? Something else?

"Well, the thing is...I've never really done this before." Talli pointed out bluntly. "I mean, don't me wrong, I know how it all works! But..." she rubbed her neck with some shy laughter. "I'm not too keen of the specifics, s-so to speak."

"You wouldn't mind helping a girl through her first time...would you?" Talli asked indirectly, giving Francis a pair of puppy-fog eyes that couldn't be resisted, and an imploring smile. "Not to mention our obvious differences, eheh..."

He smiles and nods with a slight chuckle "It'd be my honour to be your first time...maybe your second and third too..." he says, giving her a seductive wink "So...if you're ready, my place or yours?" he asks plainly. Talli returned his smile, finding it rather inspiring how easily he was taking this. She assumed he must do this alot...I mean, alot alot, judging from their conversation. But it didn't faze her, in fact it only made it easier to roll with him. She trusted people who had experience. "Your place." Talli responded awfully quick, without explaining why this time.

He quirks a brow and smiles "Sure thing, you wanna bring all that...stuff...with you?" he asks, pointing to her tools and the bits and pieces surrounding her in her work area "Whatever...that is" he mutters, not losing his smile for a moment "As for my place...it's in a slightly nicer part of town, so...don't be too hurt if someone makes a comment about you...they're a bunch of stuck up assholes who don't know how to have fun...and if they're nice, or they start winking...they're customers of mine...don't mind them either..."

He surveys her form once more as she decides her response, a little unsure of how he should feel about this whole ordeal, he'd never had sex with anything quite like her, and she seemed desirable enough...Yet he felt oddly...wrong in doing such a thing He shrugged it off as the feeling he normally got when considering sex with smaller beings, that he'd hurt her in some way, and reassured himself that he knew enough to know if she'd get injured.

Talli glanced at her equipment, then quickly looked back. "Oh, yeah! If that's fine with you, of course. I don't know what I'd do if I lost this stuff." She slowly hauled everything into arms, slinging most of it over her shoulders, including her cannon. It was ridiculous how so much weight wasn't outright crushing her.

Talli looked back up at him the second time he spoke, laughing cheerfully at his quip. "Oh yeah, I know the type. 'Kinda sad how some people don't follow in the king's example eh? Heheh..." After a little bit of walking, curiosity began to dawn on her. She knew she shouldn't get to know someone who's practically a man-whore very well, but...frankly, he'd been the first one to talk to her in awhile. And a human, no less! She had almost forgotten what it was like to talk to someone who stood twice as high. "So...what's your name?"

Francis smiled a little and looked down to her as they reached his house, taking a step inside, before bowing, taking one of her tiny blue hands and kissing it gently "Francis DeMarché" he says with a smile "Pleasure to meet you miss..." his words lingered as he waited for her answer with a smile. He was intrigued by her, that was a given, just how easily she'd taken him up, yet had never had sex before...maybe it was due to her being small and blue...but he'd seen enough gnomes and small creatures around to be sure someone would have taken interest in her...

Maybe she had some kind of size fetish? He didn't get why she was making her choices, but he would be enjoying her company, and she would be making some gold, so it seemed like a win-win situation. Talli smiled at Francis' charming ways, giggling almost childishly as he pulled her in and placed a kiss on the back of her hand with such swagger. "Aren't you just the sweetest?" she cooed, still recovering from her giddy laughter. "I'm Talli," she replied flatly, "It means 'hero'." Talli added on, exaggerating the translation with a sarcastically pretentious tone.

As for why she had picked him up on his offer...none of the people her size that she knew of interested her. And seeing Francis, well, Francis was the man every lady wanted. Her sense of hindsight was constantly nagging at her and telling her she couldn't build a relationship by having sex with someone who did it for a living, but she was still on the verge of maturity, and her juvenile hopes blinded her to the hurtful truths, even despite having been hit hard by them already. But Talli was still a girl who lived in the moment, wanting to seize whatever opportunities came her way, and Francis was like an angel descended from Heaven.

"I don't know if I'm the sweetest...you're pretty sweet...I'll have to taste you to find out..." he says with a wink as he steps further into the house, the simple yet stylish decor was elegant, but not snobby, and seemed to have both style and functionality in mind. He finally reached a door and opened it, revealing a large bed with red silk sheets "So, when you're ready, just let me know" he says with a smile "I wouldn't want to rush you, or anything, so I'll let you decide when you're ready"

Talli peered into his illustrious bedroom curiously, and was happily surprised at what she saw. "Ooh, fancy bed..." she complimented under her breath, just before looking back up at Francis with a grin. "Well..." Talli hopped up and quickly put her arms over his shoulders, holding herself up in front of him. "That's what I'm here for, right?" she teased, flinging her goggles off. "We can go through all the boring stuff later."

Needless to say... <Fade to Black>​

 

[UnseenShade]

She listened patiently to the king speak and stayed relatively quiet at first. She seemed to be taking time to think about it. Should she focus more upon the refugees? It was a rather pressing matter, but she couldn't let it get in the way of her being available to advise and research for the. She figured the king would not be overly opposed to her seeking to hire some assistants. Assuming she could, the assistants could handle daily tasks like transporting the elixir and other goods. Then, Ishmea herself could still oversee the process, check the quality, and be available for anything else the king may need. "I cannot undertake it alone and still perform my duties as advisor and court mage. However, if there is space for them, I can hire some assistants to perform some of my tasks to allow me to remain available to provide advice and services to you."

Her response on the war was slightly less practical. "Young one, the war is not my worry. I know you have that under control. My worry is the integrity of you and your brothers following this." She waited until they had reached and passed the gate before continuing. "Should the war end and one or more brothers be disgraced, there will be backlash. Theses has the largest refugee population that consists of people of both countries. The backlash here would be swift and greatest. However, should one king maneuver into a position to win the war and give his brothers positions as advisors or generals, then the people would love him and his brothers might be placated. Another option does exist where war is unnecessary, though."

 

[Artorias]

He chuckled at her concerns, but he didn't make a scene of it. What she worried about if he killed his brothers or imprisoned them was of no concerns with the refugees. It is because of his Brother's that those Refugee's were in Theses, and they didn't love their King's so much anymore. Especially how Ellidil treats them all fairly, like they were all Thesians and never wanted anything more from them besides to live. They were under his control, without even realizing it. He couldn't have Ishmea digging into his plans though, she was loyal to his Father and taught all three of them, and he knew of her curse and how it ruined her life. He would have to keep her distracted, but yet make her feel like she is in the loop. "Ishmea, I have never told you this..." He began, now that they were in the safety of his Castle. Even if she pushed him away, it would keep her focused on something else and not what he planned on doing with his Brothers.

"Growing up, and you teaching me, I thought you were the most beautiful woman I have ever saw. Even though we were so far apart in ages, but now that you..." He wouldn't blatantly say that she would never age again. "I care about you Ishmea, and I want to keep you by my side." If he was speaking the truth, it was unknown, he currently didn't have a Queen anyways but maybe it was because he did love no one.

 

[UnseenShade]

One would normally be flustered and flattered by such talk. Ishmea was not. In fact, beneath her facade, she saw right through the thin attempt to distract her. He had stepped too far out of his normal demeanor for her not to notice. However, she feigned ignorance about it and gave him a smile. "It is good to know, however, I am not seeking any relationship currently. I have no time nor energy to spare on romance for my corruption requires vigilant maintenance." It was only partly true that she still monitored her corruption. She kept tabs on it to see if it increased, but it never did. She instead had learned to utilize it to her advantage.

She would have to capitalize on this later. For now, she needed to play the benevolent teacher and court mage, acting concerned for the well-being of the monarchs. She needed to stall for time as she prepared the future. The kings wouldn't even know what was coming even if they tried. For her part, she wanted to maintain the illusion that all three were in control. It would make them much more malleable.

 

[Red Knight V]

Penndragon Camp/Fulgur​

Back in the camp of Penndragon the sounds of a bustling army was heard, for a short time after Alexander left everything proceeded as was to be expected. Soldiers were preparing for battle, but were also doing things like unpacking some items, starting to cook, and of course, getting drunk. Near the north side of the encampment the air was tense, a human mage had been targeted by Fulgur to supply entertainment. They were facing each other, hands by their sides.
"You're insane! We shouldn't be fighting each other, we should be preparing to fight the enemy!" A tall male mage, with a manly beard, and bulging biceps stood facing Fulgur, his face was bruising, and he looked angry, but also scared.
"You are partly correct, this is how I prepare, gotta practice my fighting don't I?" Fulgur stood a few feet away, one hand clenched, and one hand open. He dashes forward with thudding footsteps, reaching out toward the man. The Mage raised his hands and a wall of sand rose up, Fulgur stopped on his left foot pivoted, planted his right foot, and punched the wall with his right hand. A bolt of lighting arced high into the sky.
"Heh, you were smart to use dirt, it grounded my lightning." He peered around the now glass wall and looked for the mage. Instead he found the face of a superior officer. "Oh. Shit." The officer looked up at him, Fulgur was taller than most humans, but still pretty short for a Metalborn, just under seven feet.
"Why am I not surprised?!" The officer sighed and reached out, grabbing Fulgur by the front of his armour. "That's the third time since we got near the border." He marched the awkwardly bent over Fulgur to the detainment tent. They had a special box just for him, made of rubber and covered in mesh, the only way he could get out was if he melted it. Which he could of course, but hasn't because burnt rubber stinks like hell and is so hard to get out of your hair. "You'll have to wait here until the King comes back. Let's here what he has to say about your behavior."

 

[PatchedUp]

Maenith​

Maenith walked throughout the city of These after sending the small boy back to the castle and sighed to herself as she walked. She had been hoping for a while now that the king of These would notice her but that was not happpening...yet anyway. She turned onto a more deserted street and moved out of the way of the guards,smiling softly at a few that she knew. Most guards were not that bad,especially here since the city was filled with mostly refugees,but a few were just down right mean so she avoided making eye contact with them.

She turned into a back alley to get back to the castle quicker and almost stumbled over someone on the ground. "I am so sorry!" She exclaimed and regained her balance. "Are you alright?" She asked softly once she got a good look at the person,whom she assumed was a woman as well. This woman did not look good at all but that was probably the physician in her that was trying to figure out what was wrong. "Is there something I can do to help?" She asked,starting to worry about not only the woman but herself since even though this was a very good city,there were a few thieves who wouldn't mind hurting her for her cloak.

 

[Eternity]

Siera was glad when he took her hand. She pulled back, helping him up to his feet. She saw his expression as he took her hand and quickly withdrew it. She slipled her hand back under her cloak. She was a little curious on why he suddenly looked away but didn't ask him.

When the kid told her that his parents were gone she couldn't help but feel a stab of empathy. She put a hand on his shoulder and smiled gently from under his cloak. "Sorry to hear. I didn't have any parents at your age either." She said and patted his shoulder twice before letting her hand fall at her side. She watched as he picked up a package of candy.

"Oh, you have a sister." She said then crossed her arms over her chest outside the cloak. "She must be a great sister. That is, if she's real." She said with a smirk under her cloak. As he leaned forward she took a step back and put her hands back in her cloak. "Watch it kid." She said with a slight growl.

"My name? I have many names. But why do you want to know?" She asked him, raising a brow from under her hood. Her left ear flicked, but not much. She pressed them closer to her skull, ignoring the pain telling her to stop.​

 

[Lewi]

Kieara the Self-Taught Mage and Youngest King Alexander
​

The young woman was very nervous at the king's tactics. She didn't know what he was going for here. She frankly thought he was mildly insane just waltzing into his brother's camp, namely the most aggressive of the three, and asking to have audience with him. While Alexander was flying a white flag of truce, he had large stone golems standing at the ready and that alone was enough to spark some tension. She thought that if he'd wanted a true truce, he wouldn't have risen his golems just yet. He would have waited, then risen them if things went awry.

She was silent as he spoke with the guards and they led him and her to King Syris's planning tent. The maps were conveniently put away, and it was obvious they were expecting Alexander's arrival. It was there that they were put before the bloodthirsty king himself. He looked just as frightening as she'd imagined donned in large, heavy armor, and bearing a stone cold expression on his face. Much the contrary of her own king. He acted as if it was just a fight among siblings and they were young again, and this disagreement would be over quickly. Kieara was wise enough to keep her mouth shut and stay out of their affairs, but she kept a strong grip on her father's staff, and should she be asked to put it down, she would not.

Alexander smiled and looked at his brother. "Hello Syris." He started. He paused to see if his brother would respond before continuing. "I would like to discuss our differences rather than fight. I come here in peace. What say you?" He asked.

@Tonedeaf GET YOUR ASS BACK ON HERE!!!!!
​

 

[E.T.]

Locked in her own struggle Carmen did not hear the woman approach and was not aware of her presence until they had already collided. With a jolt she was shaken and for an instant her concentration broke. In that instant even more of her meticulously crafted skin split apart. Both of her eyes were now bright yellow with long horizontal pupils, her hands stretched and bent with her nails now looking more like claws, the skin on her limbs was starting to look almost grey, and her hair looked vastly too wild. From a long distance off she heard the woman ask her something, she should respond, it will look strange if she does not say something, but damn these words were getting stuck in her throat. Finally, swallowing the constriction in her throat, she turned and tried to stammer out a few words.

"I'm f-fine you s-sh-should go." She said her voice faltering as for a brief moment her eyes met the stranger's. Such a foolish mistake. The grip that was keeping her horns from bursting out of her skull lessoned for a heartbeat as she divided some of her concentration into forming some understandable words for this intruder, and with no time to hide her two spiral horns split through her skin jutting out from her skull. There was a moment of shocked silence as Carmen stood, charcoal black blood dripping down her face from the base of her horns, a moment of hesitation as she tried to think of what to do. It would be so easy to just kill this woman, this pest, who could make her life, and Max's, so very difficult. It would just be to easy. In a flash one grotesque hand reached out and grabbed the woman by the front of her shirt, claws holding fast to a fistful of fabric, anchoring her.

"Stay s-silent and you will b-be unharmed." She hissed as another ripple passed under her skin, a grey stain seen creeping up her neck from the collar of her shirt. Having closed the gap between them she could feel a distinct lack of magic, all the better for her, facing a magic user right now would only result in a mess for both parties. By the Gods it would be so much easier to end this woman now, but in the back of her mind she remembered a promise she made to Max so, at least for the moment she was not so keen for blood.

 

[Rion]

Bloodsbane Command Tent
The Bloodsbane Champion took the group to the command center uneventful. The tent was large enough for the Golems, but the presence of the big guards should prove counter effective. More than a handful Kronaian soldiers took position along the edges inside the tent, and men was guarding all exist. The tension was obvious. Syris could almost taste the hatred, hatred he had directed towards Penndragon years ago. The Bloodsbane people was not only fighting because their King had said so. Long the nords have lived a harsh life, while the Penndragon was said to swim in money and food. Jealousy was bound to show.

Gladius joined Syris's side, and the King gave the man a nod in approval. The Young King spoke, causing Syris to return his attention to his little brother. The Sword King did not greet him, as the fact the man now stood in his tent was absolutely foolish. Syris was sure, that if it had been his older brother, he would not have the advantages he was now harvesting. When Syris spoke, it was without the warmth you usually saw between brothers, "If you have come to surrender, then I shall listen" A couple of the men grinned by this.

"If you think a handful of golems will protect you, than you are wrong. Not only do we vastly outnumber you, we also have the advantage of the terrain. Magic is all you have, and that will not save you when your mages are slain. Give up now, if you truly wish to spare your men". Syris continued, hands calmly placed on his shield and sword. The woman was ignored entirely.

 

[PatchedUp]

Maenith nodded quickly and lowered her eyes to the ground,trying to look as nonthreatening as possible. She clasped her hands tightly in front of her body to hide the fact that they were shaking and lowered her eyelids,almost completely closing her eyes. She took a deep breath in and tried not to gag,the scent of the alley was incredibly bad. She stood there silently,quietly hoping that this...thing-or was it a woman?-would leave her alone. Her eyes opened slightly to see the claw gripping her shirt and she drew in a ragged breath,her heart starting to beat quicker for fear of injury or death.

Maenith was a gullible girl and she,without a doubt, believed that if she stayed silent, no harm would come to her and that was what she wanted. She desperately wanted to be alright because her family needed her,not just because she provided money for them by working in the castle,but she was the youngest of multiple siblings,making her the baby of the family. She opened her eyes completely and took in the sight of this woman,trying her best not to cringe away from her from her. The horns were probably one of the more terrifying part but the claws and eyes were also very terrifying.She drew in a small breath and couldn't help glancing back over her shoulder,barely moving her head,when she heard steps behind her at the mouth of the alley way.

 

[Artorias]

Ellidil shrugged, and continued walking. He trusted no one, but he acted like he trusted everyone and let them know his 'secrets' but that was all a ruse. Even his old teacher couldn't be trusted, but he wouldn't say that. He would act like she belonged at his side, and treat her like a woman and all of those wonderful things. She also taught Alexander and Syris, so how can he believe that she hasn't talked to them or is working for one of them. He couldn't falsely imprison her for his doubts. "Well, I have some other matters to attend to." Also, she has not been around him long enough to know that it wasn't abnormal for him to be kind and flirt with women.

He let out a yawn as he pulled away from her and began to walk towards some unknown part of the castle, and the guards blocked Ishmea off from following Ellidil. The guards looked at Ishmea, they didn't seem upset or sad, they were just doing their job. "Only the King is allowed passage down this hallway." The guards spoke, almost in unison about what is so secretive down there.

 

[UnseenShade]

Upon being blocked, Ishmea almost laughed at the whole secrecy. Sure, she could just make a portal to see, but that wouldn't be fun or stealthy. Instead, she gave a curtsy and turned on her heel. Looking back at a guard, she smirked. "Would you be a dear and show me or find someone to show me the lab? I have some things to set up and work out." Her demeanor stayed consistent. All part of her act. She would be all sweet and innocent, helping the people from the bottom of her heart. Not too long from now, she would reveal another side of her, the rather disgruntled side. The nobility would fear her and the royalty would bend their knees or have an erupting volcano shoved up their ass. Either way, her plan would mend the broken land and restore what was once lost.

Time was the essence and factor. Time determined what path to take and how cruel she needed to be. She did sincerely hope her pupils would work with her, but their collective pride and deceit would likely inhibit that. She saw them grow and saw what they could become. All three have yet to realize they orchestrate the land's ruin, each step in turn bringing them closer to their own ruin at the hand of the court mage. She would fix this. She would honor the spirit of the late king's request. She would be the arbiter of peace, even if it came at the end of a sword.