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Under the Shadow of the [ e c l i p s e ]

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He didnâ??t know what was going on in the other twoâ??s mind, but he hoped that his ploy would work. It was a cheap thing to do, even for himself, as he knew that he was using a slight weakness of theirs against them. Brand was used to being the youngest, the babied among the knights and the one that had to ask for help at random times. As Altima pressed herself against him, and Valen placed a hand on his shoulder, he smiled a bit and drew them closer together. Despite using their feelings against them to draw the eldest away from the pipe, he felt at peace when they were close by. It was like a light that shone brighter if the parts of a whole were united. A light that has lost one of its corners, but as he rested his chin against Valenâ??s shoulder, slipping an arm around each of them, he tried hard to picture them whole again.

â??One dayâ??, he told himself. The four pillars were not to be easily broken for eternity, and he wouldnâ??t lose hope until the very end.

Gazing over the other maleâ??s shoulder from his position, he stared at the pipe once more, half wanting to send a zap of thunder down to smite it. Nothing from his own body though, as he knew doing that would kill his two companions. Instead though, he just contented himself in the moment, curled up with his two companions in a platonic and intimate embrace. The softness and roughness of their flesh seemed to sooth him. From Altimaâ??s warmth that was beyond the natural body temperature, with her soft form and gentle nature towards the two, despite her own fiery temper, to Valenâ??s firm and solid form, yet soothing tenderness that was like a warm summerâ??s breeze.

They both provided enough of a peaceful feeling within him, that he was lost just cuddling with them, holding them close while in the water and forgetting about all awkwardness. They werenâ??t a square, one leaning against another and being the strongest they could, but for now, their triangular bond would work.

Hazel eyes were closed for the longest time, but soon, they snapped open when he heard someone say something. A whisper of voices from their position, but the sound seemed to just snap as a crackle of lightning for him. Not that there werenâ??t others speaking around them, people passing the bathing areas and whatnots. But because the voice sounded so familiar and so different at the same time.

His body had tensed fractionally at that, nearly fearful it was an enemy that he was remembering the voice from. He would be of no help in the water if so, as heâ??d kill not only the enemy, but his companions as well. However, the form that he saw, made his mind pause at the thought of danger. Brand didnâ??t even think for long, as he saw bits and pieces of the back, marred by strange designs that he had once admired. Memories of tracing them flashed back, before more pieces seemed to just fall rapidly into place. There wasnâ??t even a face to his memories, before his vocal cords blurted out the complete image. â??Tsuâ??Ro?!â?

At that, his body tense as if to run towards their companion, parted when everyone had to flee for their lives from the attack upon Elizarâ??s palace. In fact, his body had slipped out between Valenâ??s and Altima, leaving the two to hold one another if anything, and began to hasten his steps towards the other male he assumed was whom he thought it was. And a tiger.

And suddenly, Brand hoped he wasnâ??t wrong, because if he was, that tiger was liable to eat him alive. The only trade-off he could find from that fate, was that at least he made sure to kick that damned pipe into the water as he got out of the bathing area, completely foregoing his towel. Thatâ??d take at least a day or two before Valen had that thing dried.
 
"Please don't make this any harder than it has to be right now Firu~"

Tsu whined softly. In spite of his whining, the large white tiger sat still, not moving a muscle. Just as the demon opted to just yank his tiger along, he heard his name. Instinctively he froze in place. There was only a handful who actually knew his name... and only a couple lived to speak it. And apparently they were right in front of him. His mind wasn't playing games with him... This wasn't some sick fantasy conjured up by his subconscious. His old comrades were really there... The heavy weight he was feeling upon his battered shoulders had suddenly been lifted. Years of stress and worry seemed to fade with each passing second. His fingers released the collar around Firu's neck, and he turned to face the blonde quickly approaching.

Brand...

For the first time in a while, Tsu'Ro brushed back his dark hair revealing his face to another. He just couldn't believe his eyes. Brand had remembered him. He still knew his name...even his face under so many years of hell that may have slightly altered it. This was a dream... It had to be. The gods have never been this good to him. Something bad must just be waiting to tear this moment away from him. Despite his rather, pessimistic thoughts nothing happened to deter the other's hastened path toward him. Tears had begun to rim his dim hazel eyes...the sudden realization of Brand really being there sinking into him. And then, he himself had begun fast steps toward the other.

"Brand...it's really you...."

Tsu finally spoke to the youngest knight as a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He closed his eyes, the tears streaming down his pale cheeks. It felt like forever as they ventured toward each other. Each step was like torture as Tsu's mind began to wander, and he started to wonder again if any of what was happening was real. But....when their bodies collided, all doubts were gone immediately. Tsu'Ro embraced Brand, his whole being melting within the blond's warmth. He was so ecstatic. Slowly, the flowers that seemed to sprout from his neck and wrist had begun to bloom. A cool wind blew through the area around them, the branches of the trees, small flowers and weeds began to bloom to their fullest potential--his powers running a little rampant.

"I'm truly surprised you've even remembered me....it has been entirely to long~"

Good lord master he's naked~

Tsu'Ro hadn't even noticed, nor did he hear Firu's voice in his head. He was too caught up in the moment to even notice. All he knew was that all his searching had payed off. Whatever was wrong with the world barely phased him now that he was within the arms of Brand. Nothing else mattered at the moment....nothing else.
 
Sometimes, Brand wonders if he should think things through before he just ups and goes at it. So when he finds himself pressed against Tsuâ??Ro in a tight hug, the blonde gasped as he felt vines and branches swirl around him, sanding a bit against his flesh. â??Whoa! Heyâ?¦â? he awkwardly chuckled, not knowing what to do with his arms for a moment. Brand hadnâ??t actually expected for the other male to turn around and literally â??glompâ?? him, but then again, he didnâ??t know how else to describe what just happened.

His hands came around Tsuâ??Roâ??s shoulders and patted the firm back, realizing that he must have looked stupid, standing there naked and hugging an old friend that was currently tearing up. The blonde didnâ??t think itâ??d be appropriate to announce that the other male was crying, since it wasnâ??t becoming of their gender to do so. So instead of drawing attention to it, he just brightly smiled and patted both of the dark haired maleâ??s shoulders. â??What happened to you? Tsu, did you know that you shrank?â? he asked bluntly, using his left hand to measure their height from top to top.

He had always been the short one, staring up at his companions and friends. They would pat his head, call him cute and little, and young. Tsuâ??Ro had been the tallest of his companions, and now, seeing the other male near his height send his mind reeling a bit. It was nice to see a companion again though, despite the rumors that floated around Tsuâ??Ro, about how he had joined Vayne. Not a doubt flashed in Brandâ??s heart that this person could turn on him in this moment; he was either too trusting or stupidâ??either one was possible.

â??And of course I remember you! But I donâ??t remember that. New friend?â? the blonde pointed to the white tiger, not liking how the creature eyed his form. The lightning wielder truly hoped that the tiger wasnâ??t eyeing him like some freshly washed meat for dinner, because with or without a towel, he would run screaming through the inn for his life. â??Ally, Vali, look who I ran into!â? he called over his shoulder, as if he hadnâ??t just bounced out from being â??scaredâ?? to excitement to chase this person down in front of their eyes.
 
    • Arioch put much thought into her decision, but ultimately decided that it would be for the best if she went and joined the others. As of now, they were acquaintances, and that did not bode well. Together, she would be traveling the three knights for the sole purpose of defeating the King of Darkness. But there was one vital thing that was missing between them all - comradery. She did not trust them, and she was sure that none of them trusted her. Well, perhaps with the exception of Brand. He was an idiot through and through, seemingly a bit too trusting, but there was also a good chance that he was merely playing the fool. Her head ached attempting to figure someone such as he out.

      Besides, there were things that she wished to ask of the knights, and figured that the sooner she sat down to speak with them about it, the better. Honestly, she was a bit nervous about meeting the three of them in the bath's, and silently prayed that the knights had only been joking when they were on the road. The sight that greeted her when she stepped off the stairs and headed towards the bath? A very naked and soaking wet Brand embracing another man, who was crying. For some reason, there was a tiger present as well. Just what the hell was happening here she hadn't a clue. I'm not really seeing this, am I? He's not. . .really that. . .really? She thought, trying to fathom just what made a man Brand's age behave in such a way? Had he fallen on his head one too many times, or was this genetic? There had to have been some reason, some logical reason behind it. If not, Arioch felt as if her head would explode.

      Under her breath, the former general muttered a string of obscenities while shaking her head. Brand was more of a fool than she thought him to be, which she didn't think possible. An attractive fool - but a fool none-the-less. As calmly as she could, she approached the two men, who were both much taller than herself, and spoke. "Lord Brand, if you would be so kind as to return to the baths now. Not only are you exposing yourself to everyone here, a few children included, but your dripping water all over the tavern floors. Your. . .friend is more than welcome to join us in the baths, the tiger will have to remain outside," she said, straining to keep a straight face. It was rather had to do given the circumstances. A part of her wished to merely kick the knight in the back of the head and go about her business, but after the first impression she made on them all, she felt it best that she didn't.

      Unfortunately.

      "Now. Please," she insisted.[/list:u][/list:u]
 
Valen felt relaxed, joined with his two comrades, and as close as they would ever get. Vaqlen enjoyed the feeling of the union, and though his breaths were a little harsh from his coughing earlier, they calmed greatly as he closed his eyes, moving in closer with Brand and Altima. The moment of togetherness with his friend was what Valen really needed, Brand's chin rested on his shoulder and Altima was drawn in closer. Valen allowed his eyes to close and remained that way until brand moved again. A sound caught Valen's attention.

Brand Tensed and then jolted out of the bath, leaving Valen and Altima behind, he seemed excited somehow.

As the excited young man scrambled out of the water, he managed to kick Valen's pipe square out of his hand. Valen grabbed for his precious pipe as it sailed out of his hand into the water, landing with a wet -kerplunk- in the water. "No!" Valen grunted in dismay as he leaned forward. 'damnit' Valen mentally growled, it would take days to dry off the pipe. Valen glanced up as Brand scrambled off naked, into the inn or tavern, for a boy who was unwilling to take off his towel as he fell into the bath it was an awfully bold move. Valen payed little attention to Brand's doing as he fished the pipe from the water, murmuring under his breath about the time it would take to resume his habit. Chances were both Brand and Altima were more than pleased with the coincidence, though Valen wasn't. Valen fished his pipe out of the water and examined it, it was soaked, as was the only tobbacco he had with him, which now floated around in the water, it would be impossible to light again, and Valen would have to clean it out as well.

Valen turned when he heard Brand shout, his eyes falling upon Tsu'ro, he hadn't seen that man in a while, not since Brand was younger. When Brand returned, Valen looked up from the water, eying over Brand's naked body, the boy still nude, in public. Valen wasn't disgusted, though he was thoroughly amused by the sight of the young man standing without clothing. Valen was slightly less amused by the man standing behind him. Valen recognized the male as one of their allies however, a man named Tsu'ro. The face was certainly familiar. Valen glanced up at the male. a slight suspicion in his eyes, Valen hadn't seen the man in a good long time, there was no telling what could have happened in that time span, the man could easily have signed on with the forces of the Dark King. Ari was with them, and she looked far less pleased than Brand did, most likely with several factors that were abound. .

"Tsu'ro, hail, good to see you again"

Valen offered a friendly greeting to the man, turning around in the bath, eyes scanning over the two men as well as Ari, before going back to look at his dripping wet pipe. Arioch looked pissed, likely with Brand's state of undress, and the fact that he was likely dripping water everywhere. The oldest male sighed and set his pipe down by the water's edge "Brand, I would suggest you get back in the bath... If you wish to join us, Tsu'ro, Arioch, you are welcome to do so" Valen was actually getting anxious, there was so many rumors floating around, and he had no idea if the man had changed from the time Valen last saw him, he did not know the loyalty of the man, though he could at least guess Ari's.

Valen moved a bit, sliding away from Altima and straightening, a fierce wind blowing by his form, straightening his hair for him, though it was still wet from diving in after his pipe.
 
Altima had backed off when Brand jolted up and out and began to laugh at his sudden nudity, it was rather amusing to see him getting so excitable like that. But it was still driving at her mind: the possibly of going home to all that fanfare she'd be getting; embarrassing. When the others showed up in the bathing area she sighed, and stood up herself, drawing her towel up with her and began to steam visibly as her skintone began to redden from the heat she was generating from within and wrapped the towel around herself when she was done. She didn't really like Tsu'Ro, hell she didn't really like any pretty boy like that, they weren't masculine enough for her taste. "Tsu'ro." She said politely in way of greeting.

She stepped out of the water and trekked toward where her clothing was stored and perked a brow at Arioch and gave her a small grin. "Have fun." She said shortly. "But after you're done, I'd like a word with you if at all possible." Altima said and nodded toward the tavern. "I'm going for short walk around the city but I'll return after a while. enjoy yourself." she said and got dressed, now wearing black long pants and tan colored boots with a tunic, belted at the waist as she walked out into the evening, raking a hand through her hair. Her blue eyes ghosting around at everything around her but didn't' seem to focus on anything.

Ally did love her family and was always welcome back at home but she'd invariably have to suffer her sister's efforts to make her more feminine and she knew she'd be stuck in a dress by the time it was all over. On top of that she knew she still had suitors lined up through the gates waiting for her to return. Marriage to anyone of the three princesses would get someone into the royal family and that's what alot of them wanted. Altima wasn't interested in any o fthe scrawny bastards waiting for her; hell she had yet to find anyone that truly impressed her. Perhaps that's why she was paying some attention to the elven guys as they passed, but it seemed like they had no interest. It was humbling a bit, to be on the receiving end of the refusals.

With a sigh, she'd go to find an isolated spot overlooking some natural springs and a waterfall and sighed. "I don't want to go back to all that "Steel Princess" stuff, it's embarrassing and I like adventuring around so I'd have to find some way to get past those damn suitors as well. I could just kick all of their asses..." she mused with a grin. "But that would give everyone else a bad stigma wouldn't it? But in the end it might not matter that bloody Lassadar can show up anyday at all and ruin it." she sighed. "Why do we keep trying, it seems like no matter what we can do it'll get met by crushing failure again and again." She grumbled to herself.
 
"Me shrank?" Tsu asked with a laugh... "No I just think you had a huge growth spurt." he said with a small smile. "Oh him...that's just Firu'en...he's of no danger to any of you...he's actually quite friendly..." as the brunette spoke of the beast, the tiger got up and sauntered over to them both. He was just about to branch out and lick Brand's hand but, Arioch appeared. There was an immediate shift in moods when the female elf appeared. He could tell she was someone of importance with the way she carried herself into the bath. However, whatever she was it didn't change the vibe he was feeling toward her. How dare she talk to him that way... Firu looked at the elf, then up at its master slightly tilting its head to the side.

Please master don't go flipping out. The tiger insisted nuzzling his master's thigh. Do you really doubt my patience that mu-- he couldn't even finish his thought as the word "naked" finally clicked inside of his head. A deep blush tinted his pale cheeks, as his eyes drifted low to see his long lost friend was naked. He hadn't even noticed....and he was glad he didn't. He'd hugged him naked. Most likely if he were aware he would have wound up fainting or something, becoming a corpse of sorts for Firu to drag back to the room.

He quickly shook his head just a bit, to allow his dark bangs to conceal his red cheeks when Valen, and then even Altima had greeted him. He managed a small smile toward the other's with a bashful wave. Just as he did Altima was beginning to leave. I wonder why she's leaving. Tsu shrugged his shoulders at the tiger's thought. Perhaps it's cause misses doom and gloom has showed up.... Tsu'ro replied as he ran his fingers through his hair. Once Altima left, Tsu began trying to recollect himself. The sight of Brand naked was just almost too much for him. "Wait....why does my tiger have to wait outside?" he suddenly blurted out looking down at the elf. "It's not like he's gonna suddenly attack you or anything..." he added on as he looked down at the white tiger. "Right?" he should have been obvious then that he could speak to the animal on a telepathic level as the beast shook his head 'no', to the male's question. "See...very obedient..." he said with a reassuring smile.
 
The exact moment he realized he was naked and exposed and being stared at, Brand snatched a towel off of the random carts and nearly crushed his own family jewels trying to cover them up. My god, how stupid can you get? he mentally scold himself, giving a tentative smile to the others and trying to force the blush that worked up his cheeks. Honestly, he must have seemed like such an idiot, racing towards an old friend in the buff and happily hugging Tsuâ??Ro like some child. â??Well, if you say so. I donâ??t mind if er, Firuâ??en joins us.â? he acknowledged, inching towards the waters once more before dipping himself back in to hide himself under the warmth of the water.

As soon as he was back in, the blonde stretched out his limbs slightly and moaned happily. â??You know what we should do? We should go visit the spa section of this inn. Iâ??d give anything for a massage.â? he muttered, closing his eyes in bliss for just a fraction. However, in the back of his mind, he was worried for Altima. The other knight had gone off without so much as a consulting word, and while he knew she was strong on her own, he worried if she met danger. It wouldnâ??t be unheard of if one of them became separated and got attackedâ??their foes had number against them, after all.

But instead of chasing the blonde woman through the innâ??he wasnâ??t going to run nude a second timeâ??he just swallowed his concern and kept his opinion to himself. Brand was sure she wouldnâ??t appreciate him attempting to tell her what was safe to do and what wasnâ??t. No one generally liked being told by a younger person, after all.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he noted with glee that Valenâ??s pipe was damaged for the time being. â??So, what are we going to do about the shard? Should we ask the Elvin King?â? Brand attempted to swing them back to the topic at hand. It didnâ??t even faze him that the other two were with them now, as he found no reason not to trust the two. Afterwards, they could debrief Altima once she returns and has spoken what she had mentioned before she left.

â??Ari, Tsu, you two should join us in here.â? he waved at the other two, hoping theyâ??d dip themselves in as well. Without thinking of it, he held out his hands for them, as if a child asking for his parents to join him in the bath. Round, innocent eyes that did not belong on a face that had seen and cause many deaths, stared up at them, attempting to attach his own smile upon their lips.
 
  • Arioch was curious what business Altima could possibly have with her. Whatever it was, she supposed that it couldn't hurt anything to hear the knight out. The two of them hadn't really gotten along with one another since meeting, as neither of them had been able to say a thing to one another without making jabs for one another's throat. She hoped that whatever this matter Altima felt she needed to discuss with the former general was wasn't anything that would cause anymore friction between the two of them. Her eyes wandered back to Brand's face, making sure to keep her eyes situated above his waist, then to the other man with him, and finally the tiger. Indeed, the tiger was well behaved. It wasn't attacking anyone, and hadn't taken Brand's hand off.

    "Perhaps you can not read the Elven language, but the sign by the bath says that animals are not permitted inside," Arioch explained. The answer to such a question was quite simple, and not at all something that she held against the man, Tsu'Ro he had been called, and his animal, but the rules set by the owner of the tavern. Such a thing was beyond anyone's control. The general shrugged almost apologetically. The man and his tiger were obviously much closer than any of them could understand. This tiger was a bit intriguing though, as it seemed to understand what was seeing said around it just as well as any human could, and responded to what was being said in a most curious way.

    The high elf sighed with relief when Brand finally seemed to get the picture and made his way back into the baths. So much trouble had already been caused, she thought it a miracle that the owner hadn't yet thrown them all out. But the look they received by the young man? His eyes looked. . .almost childlike, and there seemed to be an unnatural purity in them for a knight who had stained his hands and his blade with the blood of others. Arioch was unable to hide her surprise. Rather than saying anything, she ducked into one of the changing rooms to remove her clothing, only to reemerge with a towel wrapped around her slender form. She slipped into the water opposite of where Brand and Valen sat, careful to keep a distance between them. She still wasn't exactly comfortable with either of them yet.

    "If you wish to appeal for the King for aid, I feel it's only fair to warn you that he has no intention of doing anything. He fears bringing the wrath of the King of Darkness down upon Hieronidan, and feels that doing anything would paint upon our quiet little haven a target for the dark army to destroy," she explained. Arioch knew all too well how the King thought at this point in time - it was the reason that she was leaving in the first place. "If you insist on seeing him and appealing directly, I will not hinder you. But I do feel it best that I not join you, if only to help your situation." The elf had no intentions upon elaborating any further the matter.[/list:u]
 
  • Itsuki instinctively shifted back a bit when 'Shawn' appeared beside Lin. She had been around creatures of darkness enough to know when one was near her. She knew their smell, their aura, and she knew the way that they made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end when they were around. This. . .thing, whatever it was, was not normal. But Lin didn't seem at all bothered by it's presence. Her body reacted on it's own when that thing looked at her, and she felt herself growing more and more uneasy. Lin seemed perfectly normal, almost harmless when Itsuki first looked at her, but now, Itsuki felt she would have to keep her guard up. Just in case things got bad in the future. "Seems ta me he's mor'an capable," she said, laughing nervously.

    "Only been here in these parts for a few days, but ah think ah can show you the more 'mportant places," Itsuki said. Why did she say that? She was trapping herself with Lin and. . .whatever this 'Shawn' was knowing that this could be potentially dangerous. Lin had a harmless look about her, and for some reason, it lulled Itsuki into a false sense of security. She would be safe, right? If it came down to it, she would fight. If not? She would breathe easy and thank the Gods that she lasted another day here on this earth. She trusted her abilities enough to think that she could at least defend herself and create an opening through which she could escape in the worst case scenario.

    Now seemed to be as good a time as any. Neither of them were being approached or pestered by anyone and she had long finished the bottle that she bought. More importantly, it was a good time to escape the glare of those unseeing, empty eyes upon her. Itsuki left a few coins on the bar, a tip for the barkeep who had been kind enough to put up with her and her rowdiness, shuffling away from her seat slowly as she did so. She moved towards the door slowly, moving as if someone stood behind her with a dagger to her back. It was definitely comforting to know that they would be moving along the streets, which were usually well populated at this time of day. So long as they remained on the main road, she was relatively certain everything would be alright.

    "The tavern here sits on tha main road of tha town, all the way down over there is where yer wealthier folk live, with the castle sittin' way up on the hill over lookin' everythin'," she said, jamming a thumb back over her shoulder. "This area here is where all've yer common folk dwell. Shop's an' everythin' are set up here where us drifters can find it nice an' easy like. Mosta the intersecting roads 'roudn here'll lead ya to other inn's an' taverns an the like. 'Cept yer pickpocketin' types, I'd have to say mosta tha streets on this road are the safest. Definitely stay away from them back alley places. This is a nice little town here an' all, but it's got it's share of bad places too. Did'ja need to find anythin' specific? Or is justa general once aroun' gonna suffice?"

    Granted, her thick accent might have made it hard for the lady, and her strange guardian, to understand, but she spoke slowly and illustrated what she was saying with her hands as best she could. Outside of Lassadar, she found that her way of speaking was not commonly understood, and that most thought her to be an idiot for the way she spoke.[/list:u]
 
Valen's eyes watched as the events around him occurred, Brand spoke to Tsu'ro, then realized finally that he was naked before coming back into the water, it was amusing, but Valen's fixation at the time was on his pipe, which was now unusable and quite out of tobacco. Valen set the wooden object down on a nearby step, where someone wouldn't accidentally knock it down, again. Valen looked up, mildly surprised to see the elf was entering the bath with them, earning a smile from the eldest male. It was good at least that the woman was willing to join the two even the other woman had left.

Valen listened to Ari's words, her opinion on her king, and the fact that he would be unwilling to act, if only for the safety of their people. Valen shook his head, speaking his mind on the situation at hand.

"To protect his people, it is admirable, but impossible." Valen looked at his soaked pipe, his eyes moving to Ari's form in the water "As much as your king wishes to keep his kingdom from being conquered by the King of Darkness, or attracting his attention, he needs to realize that it is all an eventuality." Valen glanced down, Ari probably realized this, if she thought anything like him at least. "I mean no disrespect to your liege, but it is foolish to just hide when the king will turn his sights on Heironidan within a lifetime anyway. Unless your king expects to just roll over when the forces of darkness arrive, he will not be aiding the elven people by simply hiding until the entire world is engulfed in darkness" Valen's words were charismatic, then again, Valen's air of leadership had never faded, even as his body weakened underneath him. "If Kali's brother gets the amulet, he will be unstoppable, no one will be able to even hinder his conquest. The Dark Army will march on the elven lands"

Valen's face looked grim as he spoke "If the elves and humans, even the dragons fought side by side, as we did so many hundreds of years ago, we can beat back the king before he conquers the entire world for eternity." The king was bent on conquest, not destruction, so it was at least a noble decision of the king to spare as many of his people as he could through surrender, it was a choice Valen respected, though it wasn't a choice Valen would agree with. Valen closed his eyes, imagining the situations and possibilities that could happen, the elves were as stubborn and vain as any other race, especially the high elves, they were conservative, though Valen hoped at least that he could sway their leader in some way.

Valen crossed his arms, leaning a bit a little and looking at Brand, then Ari.

"We will speak to your king, appeal to him to aid us, fight by our side once we have mustered enough support and collected our objectives, he needs not act until it is necessary to do so, but we need to do something eventually, if he decides not to, things look that much more grim." Valen's calm tone didn't change, it was a topic that must be stressed later.
 
  • "Do as you must, I shan't stand in your way. However, it is only fair that I warn you, now that we are traveling together. The king. . .can be a stubborn man. You were one of the Queen's Champions, her most trusted warrior, so perhaps you may be able to persuade him. . .no matter what approach you take towards this situation, I whole heatedly believe it is for the best that your negotiations proceed without me. My presence would only serve as. . .a hindrance to your cause. I would hate it if I got in the way of you protecting this land, and my people," Arioch said. That was, perhaps, the most sincere thing that she had said since meeting any of the nights. Their first encounter was a less than pleasant, and Arioch hadn't exactly been easy to be around since they decided to travel together. Valen was, committed to helping the Elven people, no, the world. They would need assistance in their task, and the Elven people needed to take action. Somehow, she was confident he could make that much happen.

    "May I ask what we plan on doing afterward? Where we plan on venturing once we've concluded our business here in Hieronidan," she asked, looking to Valen. She hadn't been here before when they discussed their next destination. Her own guess? They would, perhaps, head to one of the human Kingdoms to appeal for aid. Elzier had been the seat of power before it had fallen, a mixing pot of people of all races who, somehow, got along rather peacefully. There may not have been harmony, but there wasn't any madness like what could break out further away. No Elven bandit parties who would corner, murder, and ransack a human trade caravan for wandering too close to their territory, no human warriors who brazenly stepped into the forest seeking a duel with one of the famed Elven swordsman. Life seemed like it would have been simple, and much more fulfilling - in a way - there. But now, Elzier had been taken and occupied by the King of Darkness.

    It wasn't the only human kingdom though. There were smaller ones scattered about, and another major one to the south. There were also the dragons, the merfolk, the winged people. . .perhaps there were even some of those native to Lassadar who would aid their cause? Such seemed to be a stretch, but stranger things had happened. After all, prior to the fall of Elzier, no one thought that anything or anyone could shatter the peace that they once knew. Well. . .relative peace. Perfection could not be achieved, but there certainly wasn't any worry of a kingdom being taken or attacked over night.

    The elf closed her eyes and sank down into the water, just a bit, feeling the tension ease out of her body. This alone made the trip downstairs worth it.[/list:u]
 
Tsu's face lit up, and a sheepish smile appeared on his face when Brand said he didn't mind if Firu joined them. However, as soon as it appeared it was gone when the elf spoke. He sighed softly running his fingers through his dark hair. "Fine..." he replied not wanting to argue on the subject. She looked as if she'd bite his fucking head off. He didn't want that. For one, he knew he wouldn't taste too good, and well he still wanted to spend a little more time with the youngest knight... before parting from their world. Turning his attention to the tiger he smiled a little. Sorry Firu...I tried. Just go wait in the room until I return. There's food in the sack if you get hungry. Tsu leaned forward just a bit, to place a hand upon the large tiger's head gently scratching behind the beast's ear. Firu let out a growl like purr, before he nuzzled the brunette's leg, and ran its large body up against the same spot he nuzzled like a small cat before leaving the bath.

Tsu listened as Valen and the elf spoke to each other, whilst he crossed the walkway over to the bath. He slipped into the bath with a soft sigh as the warmness of the water engulfed him slowly. It seemed that the land was worst off than he could have imagined. Now the separated land had to come together...use each other's abilities and powers to save their land. Tsu waved the thought away, his hazel eyes wandering over the party before settling upon Brand. There was a time when he thought this moment would have never come.

He allowed his head to rest upon a rock behind him. Moss began to slowly cover the rock, making it serve as a pillow then. Everything seemed perfect in his life, aside from the threatening darkness craving to cover all the land in an everlasting damnation. Tsu sighed softly to himself, as the words spoken by Arioch went into one ear and out the other. The night sky was most beautifulâ?¦ the demon would do all he could to preserve moments like this. Everyone deserved peace...like what he was experiencing. Everyoneâ?¦ What a task....such a difficult task. Nonetheless, he would would enjoy every last moment...once the land was peaceful again...and justice prevailed....he would be off once again to find a purpose.
 
As the two slipped into the water, the blonde found himself lowering his arms and swimming around in the warmth of the liquid. Half of him still wondered how Altima was doing, worried that she would do something to get herself injured or worstâ??kill someone. Probably on accident, because Brand didnâ??t think that they would kill with intent. At least, in his own little world he thought that. Meanwhile, the rest of the world was out for blood.

Valen seemed intent on speaking with the Elvin King, settled on the fact that the old man would help them in some way. In a sense, he wondered why they had to speak to the Elvin King to get his help, but on a closer inspection of those around him, he supposed it wasnâ??t that large of a leap in realization. The people were much too calm about it, no one caring to raise an arm in defense of the world around them as they were almost side-stepped from what was going on. Immortal creatures that saw years pass as if days. And from what Arioch was saying, it seemed as if the counseling of whether or not they would stand up against Vayne had crossed their path before.

A glance at the sky reminded him that the glow they received across the land was of the four moons that orbited around their world, each with a unique hue that reminded him of gems. The slightly reddish-orange one had always, to him, been made of the finest cheeseâ??one day, heâ??d figure a way to get up there and then take a bite if he could. Of course, he wouldnâ??t tell anyone of his outlandish dreams, as they would think him childish and make fun of him. But with such a lovely cheesy color, how could it be made of anything but cheese?

â??Without you?â? Brand spoke up after hearing that Arioch didnâ??t want to meet the Elvin King with them, before swimming closer towards the Elvin woman. Water lapped around them, his movement causing a ripple of tiny waves. Without thinking of consequences or asking for permission, he maneuvered himself closer towards her and reached out to wrap his arms around her waist. If her body didnâ??t move, then his gently drifted towards hers, as he pulled them close together. â??If you think that your fear would be scented upon, I doubt Elves could smell it. And there is no need to be afraid,â? because Brand had the solution for fear. â??Iâ??ll hold you until it goes away, okay?â? it didnâ??t even cross his mind that he had misinterpreted her reason for not wanting to see the Elvin King.

Their bodies near brushing at every gentle lull of water and sway, causing what he hope to be a soothing lull of a gentle embrace. It had always been something that had calmed him down, after all. Brand turned his head towards the Wind Masterâ??and he wasnâ??t just talking about gasâ??with a slight frown. â??Shall we go find Altima and congregate with her before we head towards the Capital?â? it wasnâ??t day, per se, but if the sun was still able to shine instead of the blocked state it was in, he assumed it would have been roughly midday. â??Tsuâ??Ro, youâ??ll join us, wonâ??t you? Not just to the Capital, but our journey?â? the blonde asked softly, caramel orbs swinging to take in the sight of the taller male. He had heard the rumors, had heard terrible stories and fabricated myths on how Tsuâ??Ro had been swayed by Vayne to gut out his heart and present it to the darkened King. But he trusted that the brunette was innocent, because in his mind, if Tsuâ??Ro had been on an assassination mission, he would have struck just moments before.
 
Altima was actually staying out of trouble for once, just remaining on the balcony overlooking the city where she was. It's not that she had much else to do really, but it was a nice view and she could feel the warmth of the city as the life went about it's normal business. Raking a hand through her thick blonde hair, she let out a sigh; her turmoil still roiling about inside her mind. The constant concerns if anyone would be able to do anything to really change how the world was going; perhaps it would be better to batten down the hatches and simply wait out the age of darkness that seemed to be coming inevitably. Civilization had it's golden era under Kali and perhaps it was just time for the dark to have its fun for a while?

"No no, I can't think like that. There's always goodness no matter where you look in the dark..." Ally told herself mentally as she continued to look out over the city, by now getting stared at by a few of the young men wandering around. She might've been human but she was still appealing to the eye and a few were paying attention to her as she leaned on the railing. "Maybe... something I can do to help brighten my own spirits... a bit of magic I learned as a child back home... She thought and took a deep breath as if to calm her nerves.

That's when she started...singing. A surprising gift she'd been blessed with, her voice sounding out and being carried on the wind to the people below her. She sang naturally with a melodic, heavenly voice that carried the weight of it's own magic, wrought from her soul. It was her attempt to help calm the people around her and allay their concerns and worries at least for a while; the notes carrying throughout in clear, celestial harmony as she did. Singing of times long past when the world was at peace and goodness prevailed.
 
  • "Yes without me. As I've already said, I doubt that my presence would help yo - "

    Arioch froze. Brand completely misunderstood what she was saying. No, she wasn't telling them the whole story. If she told them about the disagreement she had with the King and the other generals of the kingdom, about how she discarded her title and her status to leave Hieronidan, then maybe they would understand. But before she could even do that, Brand drew her into his arms and close to his body, much closer than she cared to be. Her face slowly began to glow bright red in color, and her voice hitched in her throat. Half because she was embarrassed and uncomfortable, and half because she could feel herself becoming more and more upset with each passing second. Had he no knowledge of Elven customs? Didn't he know that something like this was. . .

    Immediately, the former General began to struggle against the hold of the knight, resisting her urge to inflict bodily harm to him our of respect for who he was. Eventually, she managed to slip away from his hold and immediately widened the distance between them. With a single glance, anyone could see that she was furious, yet, her words and actions would convey the same, deadpan calm she had displayed since they first met. "I'm not afraid. The reason I won't be going with you is because . . .I'm no longer a General. I disagreed with the King's decision to do nothing, and directly disobeyed his order to sit by and do nothing. That would make me a fugitive here in my homeland. It would be beyond foolish to appear in the presence of his Highness with a criminal in your party, so once again I'll say that it is for the best that you go to speak with the King without me," she calmly explained.

    Rather than settle back into the water, she excused herself and left muttering a string of obscenities in her native tongue. Out of all of the people in the world, how was is that someone as stupid as Brand managed to be one of the Queen's champions? If he were one of the people they were counting on, she greatly feared for the future of Marosia. A part of her was greatly disappointed that she was unable to enjoy the baths for long, but she thought it best that she take her leave of the knights and the strange man who apparently knew them. Arioch dried herself off, put her clothing back on, and decided to seek out Altima. For some reason, the woman wished to speak with her about some unspecified matter. Though Arioch didn't really like the woman, she felt that it would be much easier to attempt to be civil speaking with her than it would be dealing with a complete fool like Brand.

    Finding the blond proved to be much easier than she anticipated. It wasn't hard to notice a human in an Elven city, especially an attractive young woman like Altima. Even more so when the attractive young woman made herself stand out by singing like a bard on the street and drawing a crowd. Even Arioch was drawn into the crowd. She waited until the song was finished and the crowd began to disperse before approaching her new companion. "You wished to speak with me," she said. [/list:u]
 
Following the ogre out of the tavern and into the town, Lin didnâ??t even misstep as â??Shawnâ?? stepped between them and held up an umbrella over her head. There was a sense of distance that the male wanted to keep between Lin and those around them in general, but as it was, the said lady placed herself in positions where she would receive contact with others. Curiosity caused her to interact with others, so that she could garner information.

Just listening to Itsuki speak was soothing, nice to the ears, and the pitter of rain against the cobble stones made a nice ring in the background. For an ogre, the redhead was able to speak with a crisp neatness that she found almost out of place for the otherâ??s image. Then again, no one could judge a book by its cover, as the old saying went.

â??A general feel will suffice.â? spoke a gentle, grateful tone.

â??But dâ??ya know where ta brothels arâ???â? spoke an equally gentle, slightly smooth, yet deeper and slurred tone.

At the beginning of one blink, Itsuki was with a petite woman. With just a short blink and a shift of shade from a cloud over the sun and a building obscuring them with a quick step to turn the corner, there were no longer two women and a man, but two men and a woman. The second man had similar baby blonde hair, face nearly angelic with a touch of roguish desire that wooed many partners into their untimely virginity-lost.

â??Shawnâ?? didnâ??t even so much as bat an eye, as he continued to walk in step with them as to keep them dry. Instead of being grateful though, Nao smacked a hand at the other maleâ??s chest. â??Shoo, shoo.â? and without a word, Shadow took a step back and melded into the shadows around them. Rain poured upon them like they had done something horribly wrong to the sky. The blonde male just lopsidedly grinned and took a sliding step to nearly press himself side to side with Itsuki. â??Threesomes arâ?? overratedâ?¦ unless yaâ?? up for it?â? there was a noticeable perk at the end of his sentence, as if he was willing to settle for a quickie, but spicing it up never hurt anyone, yeah?
 
Sweat.

Musk.

Salty, bitter, stinging stench that perfumed the eveningâ??s air.

In the furthest corners of the darkened hall, he could hear the droplets left over by yesterdayâ??s rain splash into small puddles. It was a hint of a sound though, as anotherâ??s breathe husked directly into his ear. Their bodies mingled upon the harsh stone ground, scraping and bruising their flesh. The moonlight had already begun to take its reign over the sky in Elizer, ghosting over their agile bodies and illuminating them like two holy creatures uniting.

Nix, his mind supplied to him, reminding him of the far Eastern lands he had once guarded. The first moon to have been named and identified as one of Marosiaâ??s moons, glistening a blue hue in its eerie light that consisted of solar reflections around the Eclipse. Such a beautiful moon for the strangely serene Evening that slowly shifting into the darkness of night. Ever sense the Eclipse had fallen before all of Marosia, the only thing that distinguished night and day was different shades of the moonlights that hued their surfaceâ??s color.

Yes, a beautiful moon, for the dawning of a beautiful night. And a beautiful woman, warming the cold room with her lavishing touch. Greedy hands smoothed over pale flesh, flexing pectorals to firm shoulders. His soft, blue-silver hair was roughly grasped, thin fingers curling like an iron grip on the back of his head. Her own flesh was pale against his, warm and supple as any woman compared to the natural sinew of a manâ??s. As he breathed into her shoulder, black hair tickled his nose.

â??Gandrianâ?¦ even here, youâ??re so cold.â? her silken voice teased, hips arching upwards to meet the downward slide. Their chests moved in synchronization, their hips swaying in near perfect motions with and against one anotherâ??s. Pleasure coursed through the synapses, frizzling the nerve endings like bolts of lightning. His thick shaft glistened with her natural lubricant, while her body warmed him faster than his natural ability to remain cool could kick in.

A soft chuckle escaped him, before he nuzzled her neck and sat up to lean his upper body back. Their hips matched thrust by thrust, despite his movements. Soft sea-blue eyes gazed down at herâ??or rather, between her legs, where the tuff of pubic hair was stroked by his own. Just seeing their sexes mingle sent shivers down his spine, sweat sticking hair against forehead. â??Thatâ??s alright, I have you to warm me up.â? he teasingly stated, words dripping with a honey that could have killed bees.

It wasnâ??t enough for her though, as she wanted more from him. No, more of him. Strong thighs, firm and powerful like a race horseâ??s, clamped down on his hips. Her body agile, using a leverage of limbs and cobble stone to knock him down onto the ground. Whereas they had been standing in their moment of passion, his body nearly crushing her against the stone wall, this new position left him breathless for a mere moment. Air shoved out of his lungs from the fall, head slightly aching from the thud it had made hitting the ground, Gandrian grunted as pain mingled with pleasure. They had parted bodies just for a brief moment, but she was upon him quicker than a starving man upon a feast. Her tight passage clamped down on his prick once more, sliding with just a touch of resistance that indicated that she had been virginal.

â??Now that wasnâ??t nice.â? he muttered, hands on her hips as she rode him. The brunette laughed freely, leaning down to press her lips against his jawline, just before the shell of his left ear.

â??We donâ??t play nice, remember?â? she husked, before sitting up fully and moaning at the delicious feeling. He grinned at her, thoroughly enjoying the sight of a fine woman riding him with wanton abandonment. Ethereal, majestic, powerful, deadlyâ?¦ she didnâ??t need to flaunt her poisonous intents the way that some other women in the Dark Army did, but she was just as deadly. Perhaps not as powerful as the female Lieutenants, but no matter the woman, hell hath no furry when scorned.

He could see it in her eyes, as she stared down at him with conquest. Had he scorned her? He didnâ??t know, as he never had the strongest ability to peer into a womanâ??s eyes and deduce her emotions. â??Your skin flushes a lovely shade. To think, the powerful General, reduced to such a lovely creature.â? she brushed her fingertips along his jaw, nudging his chin, before trailing down the pale throat and towards the panting chest. If anyone were to look, they could clearly see it in her eyes. She felt power, raw adrenaline gnawing at her at being able to press the Kingâ??s right hand down, fucking him like he had no control over the situation. Her hands slithered along his arms, grasping the wrists and pinning them down on the hard ground.

Their completion neared, hips plowing into one another, spearing like there was a way to ride one another of a sin. Her body undulates with a firmness that radiated the desire to prove that she was truly dominating him. The silver-blue let out a soft whisper of a moan, lips finding their way pass her supple breasts, nipping lightly at the perked nipple, before trailing up her slender neck. Without words passing their panting states, he sealed their lips in a passionate kiss. Hot, scorching heat rushed through both parties, a fire that sparked from the pit of their souls crushing outwards and breaking barriers.

Just as it came, his body and mind soaring upwards in a spiral of pleasure, another sort of spark flared. A painful stab wrecked through his nervesâ??starting from the base of his right earlobe. â??FUCK!â? he growled out, sharp as the pain he felt. His one eye visible rolled back into his head with pain and residue pleasure, before he sat up. One arm looped around her waist, the other sliding up her back to press her head towards him. One final kiss, a tingle that left her lips a bit sore. And right after a moment of the delicious kiss, she was shoved onto the cold floor without a care.

Gandrian stood up and fetched his pants. â??Fuckerâ?¦ canâ??t even give me a decent moment for myselfâ?¦â? he grumbled under his breath, already walking away from the woman recovering on the stone ground. His hand clenched at his shoes, pants dangling over his forearm, while the other hand rubbed the biting sting away from his ear.

â??Wait! Where are yo-!â? but she would never finish her sentence, as her body began to violently react to the poison he had kissed into her system. Twitches became violent spasms, wrecking her limbs, before she began to retch, and then uncontrollably contorted her body in pain. Her death wouldnâ??t be swift, but he didnâ??t care whether or not he â??gaveâ? her enough poison. Gandrian understood the needs of his body, the want of sexual contact. However, his emotions were rarely connected to the needs of his body, and to have the same person twice gave them a sense of power over him. So the solution? A soft and passionate kissâ??a final goodbye.

Meanwhile, the Treacherous knight was still grumbling under his breath, frustrated that his time withâ??and oh, what a time to realize he never got her name; pityâ??someone, was cut off in the height of things. Vayne had always had the knack to summon him whenever the man liked, which often time, was an inconvenience for himself.

As he continued to stumble into his pants and down the darkened hallways of the grand castle, the silver-blue didnâ??t even take note of where he was going. His body knew its way around here, a castle of where he had nearly grown up in. The King of Darkness had decided to use the old throne room as his own, black touch darkening the area that once shone with radiance. It wasnâ??t like some fairytale, where the angels were turned to wretched gargoyles or something. No, just shadows over old memories, the splendor of Elizer still vibrant around them, only covered with blood and lightless areas.

The drapes were something new though.

At least, Gandiran didnâ??t remember them having royal blue ones, compared to the ones that were pristine white.

Oh, and he supposed the double doors were new, leading to the throne room. It had once been a single door, but the attack had blasted bits of the stone around it. Someone had mentioned how tacky it would look if they fixed it like that, so they decided to carve out more of the wall and made double doors.

But other than that, not much as changed.

Stepping into the throne room, it might have looked like Gandrian was paying some respect as he had his head bowed down. However, it was just him trying to do up his pants. If there had been any other person in the room beside Vayne, he didnâ??t acknowledge it, as he wouldnâ??t need to unless they spoke to him. A splendid room, large and spacious for any number of guests. The spider webs of what used to be beautiful tapestry looping along the ceiling now tinged with a darker aura, the entire setting just pointing inwards towards the main platform.

Once the final hook had been latched and his crotch was covered from view, he slackened his arms and eased himself down upon one knee. He was, after all, not that stupid, that he didnâ??t know how to butter his King up with submissive acts of loyalty. That, and he was sure he looked and slightly smelled like he had just had coitus. Bathing was always a must-want for him after such things, but it felt like Vayne would give birth to his colon if his call wasnâ??t obeyed. And no one liked a cranky King. â??You summoned for me, my Lord?â? he asked evenly, traces of irritation at being interrupted completely devoid in his tone, as if it had never been there. Almost shyly, he raised his head fractionally, peering upwards at the black haired male. We need haircuts.
 
Altima would continue on for a fair amount of time before she finished what she was doing. She'd heard Arioch approaching and glanced over when she stopped singing and stretched out a bit and couldn't help but grin, feeling much better. The song had helped dispel her own doubts and fears about what lay ahead for everyone, perhaps there was no real point in getting all uppity about it anyway. Things would work out just fine if they kept their heads screwed on straight. When The elven general spoke up Altima nodded to her, feeling like she should clear the air between them and try to be her friend at least. That's what Ally needed very badly, sure the guys could do it but there were somethings you couldn't share with men...

"Yeah I did." she started off and ran a hand through her hair, seeming to be a nervous habit or something similar. "I wanted to apologize for being so caustic when we first met." She said, figuring it would be the knightly thing to do to seek forgiveness and be willing to do the same. "With things as hard as they are now it's understandable that you and I would both be uptight to some extent." Altima said. "I apologize for any offense I might've given you Lady Arioch..." she continued with a sincere tone. "I was hoping that we could be friends at least. We all need them in this day and age."

Ally meant what she said too, she didn't want to be alone in the world and she could tell to some degree that Arioch didnt' want to be either. If worst came to worst, it was always easier to face problems together than it would be separately. "The guys are nice enough and all but there's just somethings you can't share with the opposite gender. and I hate to admit it but I"ve been kind of lonely for a while." she said, blushing faintly.
 
  • Surprised laced the features of the green haired Elf. Arioch had come with the expectations of a confrontation, but had been met by a more. . .calm and subdued Altima? Asking, of all things, to be friends? It was only natural that Arioch was surprised to the point that she couldn't hide it. She hadn't even noticed that her jaw slackened slightly until the initial shock passed. In an instant, she had regained her composure, clearing her throat and covering her mouth with her hand while averting her gaze, a bit embarrassed after showing such an expression. Her mind began to process the words spoken by the blond, contemplating a suitable response for the moment. Indeed, to do such a thing was not easy, especially for a person such as herself.

    "I believe I am also at fault concerning the matter, as my own. . .introduction t'was less than. . .welcoming. But I bear no ill will nor malice toward yourself or the others. I have no delusions, I know I am not the easiest person to get along with. Though I must say that declaring myself a friend to someone I neither know nor trust is nothing something I am quick to do. . .well. . .it would be rather callous of me to decline such a request, would it not? I suppose trust and knowing one another will come with time but I'm not as cruel as to simply say no. So. . .I guess this would make us friends then," Arioch replied, responding to Altima's honesty with her own. She knew that her first encounter with the knights was not a pleasant one.

    Her words were laced with anger then, perhaps even a bit of hurt though she would have never admitted it openly. And even when they came to help her, their goodwill was met with only more nasty words, even their offer for her to come along with them was not well received. Her attitude and comments toward them all were less than forthcoming, but she was still here, and they were all still being rather welcoming and kind toward her. She didn't know any of them, nor did she really trust them, but it was impossible for bonds to form with such a negative attitude and with negative feelings formed between them. A better, more friendly disposition would, perhaps, do them all some good. And of course, there were some differences between the rest of the knights and herself, as they were all accustomed to the human world and human traditions whereas she had lived her entire life here, born and raised with that Elven pride that lead many of her kind to their downfall in the human culture.

    Such a thing was something she would have to be careful of in the future.[/list:u]
 
"You and me both." Altima smiled then giggled a bit. "I've lived around knights and soldiers all my life so I tend to act like them for the sake of appearances." she confessed and turned more fully to Arioch for a moment and thought about what she said. Ally knew the elves had tremendous pride in themselves, the same as humans but they weren't all that different if you looked at it from all the angles.

They all lived with similar concerns, ambitions and problems, they just refused to see that for the most part. Altima extended her hand to Arioch and nodded. "Trust and the like are consistent with a bridge. To build one, you have to first throw the rope over the river." She said. Her gesture was magnanimous and symbolic of what she was talking about. She smiled a somewhat flaky, but pretty, rueful grin though:

"But I'm terribly embarrassed that you found out my little secret like this." She said candidly, opening herself up to Arioch so that they could better understand each other's personality and quirks. The knight had noticed that the elf was reticent and unwilling for the most part to open up, having a kind of grim defensiveness about her that lent itself out to nobody. Fearing mistrust and betrayal is probably what had caused that, but Altima hoped to help her by being her friend and companion; to show the elven general that not all humans were pigheaded and selfish and prone to betraying someone at the drop of a hat.
 
Tsu's eyes followed the half elf as he shuffled in the water trying to comfort Arioch. He wasn't surprised at all that she refused his gentle hold. He wanted to call her a bitch for refusing his comfort but....not everyone was too keen on things like that. He hated showing his appearance to anyone...and even more to let them get to know him. He was never sure when they would try to back stab him like the King had. He idly sat up in the bath, reached behind himself caressing the thorny choker which obscured the curse upon his neck. "So close to....so close to being a slave....his slave..." the demon murmured to himself. "He almost deciphered it..." he murmured softly again, running his fingers through his dark hair. â??Tsuâ??Ro, youâ??ll join us, wonâ??t you? Not just to the Capital, but our journey?â?

Tsu'Ro snapped out of his trance with a small smile towards the other, hazel eyes somewhat saddened now. "Yes...I would be honored to..." he said with a small nod, of his head. He shifted in the water a bit more, pressing the palms of his hands onto the edge of the bath. He then hoisted himself up and out of the water. When the cool air around them gently caressed his pale skin, he shuddered. He sighed softly, retracting the stem from his neck just a bit, he rubbed his fingers over the healing skin around his neck, feeling the spell reconstruct itself. After his encounter with the king, he discovered what he was really meant for. He was unable to take his mind off of the tattoo, or the fact that he was nothing but a mere tool for his clan's disposal.

"I think I'll return to my room now...to get some rest...." Tsu announced to Brand and Valen, as well....the elf walked out before she could know. Not like it mattered anyhow. "My room number is 12... Come see me whenever you are ready to depart..." Tsu said to Valen and Brand as stood up from the bath, with a slight bow toward the two. Tsu then headed for the exit. He needed a rest. Perhaps some sleep would take his mind off the things he was thinking of at the moment. Taking his hand from his neck, he allowed the stem of the rose to encircle his neck once again, ripping the freshly healed skin, blood slowly dripping down his neck and onto his chest and a bit of his upper back.
 
  • Pride? Pain? Fear of betrayal? Those were all reasons that Arioch was keeping herself distanced from the other knights, but only a part of the reason. There were so many other reasons, so many other things that it was impossible to explain easily. Maybe one day, she would open up to them all and share things with them that she normally wouldn't have, tell them all why she was so cold and distant towards them all. Perhaps not. There was no way that she could tell what would happen in the future, but even she knew that they needed to start building trust between each other if they were going to succeed with their seemingly impossible goal. The hand shake was human custom, a friendly gesture between two individuals that showed good will, if she remembered correctly.

    To be offered one at a time like and refuse it would have been rude of her, especially when the two of them were trying to 'build bridges' between each other. The rope had been thrown, and it was her job to catch it so to say. Arioch took Altima's hand and gave it a slight shake. "Well then, I'll keep your little secret between the two of us," Arioch replied. "And since we're sharing and being honest, I should tell you what I told the others. I abandoned my post, my. . .duties, here as a General. Our King. . .he doesn't think what's happening now is something that our people should concern themselves with, lest we paint a target upon our picture perfect home here. Such is why this place is. . .why everyone here is acting normally. He plans on fortifying the defenses of the kingdom and drafting more of the able bodied into a militia. To build up Hieronidan's own defenses just in case it becomes a target at some point in the future."

    "I believe the plan is foolish. If Elzier was so quick to fall, what hope would Hieronidan have if it were attacked? We live in a forest, yes. We live high up in the trees, yes. We know this place? Of course, after all, tis our home. Elzier was practically a fortress with high, sturdy walls and built on a lake, so it twas surrounded on all sides by water, with the only suitable access points being bridges and the ports. It still fell, yes? In a matter of hours from the stories we've heard. One could conjure fires and burn down our forest around us. The protective ward only reaches but so far out from the actually settlements within. Our greatest defense then becomes our greatest weakness," she explained. That was a weakness that all of the military officials and the royalty of the kingdom all knew. Burning the forest would only expose them and leave all of the villages and other important places bare - and the siege would be quick.

    "My opinion was ignored though. I am young, much younger than our king and our other leaders. They've seen things like this before, and survived many times by doing the same thing over and over again. And they are afraid I think. . .who wouldn't fear an enemy such as ours though? He tamed even the most savage of lands, and forced barbarians into compliance. That speaks power more than anything else could."[/list:u]
 
Altima nodded to her, those were all very valid concerns; Lassadar was certainly a dervish of brutality and aggressive expansion. But she thought they could hold him off for a short amount of time in Elizier but to be honest Elizer wasn't ready for them, who expected their own brother to attack them afterall? "those are all valid concerns." She said in agreement. "Hell I could burn down the forest on my own which would make the point but why would I want to? I like it here, the scenery is beautiful, as is the city itself." She said. "So different compared to Alusair." Ally smiled. "it's always dry there except in the city itself where we live atop an enormous aquifer that supplies the entire mountain/hillside city with water." she said, leaning on the rail some after the handshake and smiled at Arioch in a friendly way.

"The king should amplify the defenses and get more men into the military but he also needs to think about ways to evacuate the city if things go like they did in Elizier." Altima said in a kind of sad seriousness. "And you probably have the correct idea Arioch, but elves are, no offense, stupidly stubborn about some things I notice." She grinned faintly. Since they were sharing and being nice, and since it'd already come up. She thought she'd tell Arioch another little secret too.

"I'm actually a princess from Alusair, far to the south. The others only know I"m from there but they don't' know that I'm one of the royal family. I'm the 'contingency' which is why they let me become a knight; that and It's the life I'd rather have. I'm no good for a ruler, I prefer to act instead of hiding behind a military." she chuckled some. "But they still call me the 'Steel princess' there. So don't be alarmed if I suddenly vanishfor a day or so when we go there, My elder sister probably wants me to go through with this makeover idea she's had for a couple years now." She warned her new friend in a laugh. "Can you imagine? A knight in a heavy brocade gown and all that?" Altima joked, trying to elicit a chuckle or something from Arioch.
 
  • The city was beautiful? In a way, it was. There was no doubting the aesthetic beauty of Cam, as the Goddess of Nature blessed the people with fertile lands and a wonderful climate that kept the vegetation around them in good condition year around. And there were good people here, yes. Arioch knew of the other side of the kingdom, those who were considered second class citizens and lived in such bad conditions that many people who were 'fortunate' enough to have a child usually killed their child so it was one less mouth to feed. She knew that she wasn't the first child that her parents had, but she was the only one who was alive now. For Arioch, that was a very disturbing reality that she could never forget. She would have loved to see an end to it, an end to the violence and the mistreatment of those from the Lowlands, but there was little chance such change would come anytime soon.

    "None taken. I wholeheartedly agree. We can be stubborn, and a bit selfish. Though I still believe that sitting back and doing nothing is pointless. 'Tis a shame that such a heavy burden falls on those who are without the power to make things happen now. We are but knights, soldiers, no politicians. But it 'tis we who see what needs to be done, how it will be we who go around seeking the aid of others to help in our quest. Well. . .I am just someone of less than common birth who met a bit of luck to get where I am. Perhaps you could do something more than any of the rest of us could? Asking for aid as not only a knight, but as a member of a royal family would surely get the attention of our rulers," Arioch said. A manipulative method? Of course. But if it was something that needed to be done, it needed to be done. When dealing with nobles, one had to play the game of politics.

    "I'm sure she just wants to do something that will bring the two of you closer together. I can't imagine that you two have been able to have that much of a bond if you were sent off to be a knight and she was raised to take the throne of your homeland," Arioch replied. It was an honest opinion on her part. Women often did such things and bonded with one another. She merely thought that, perhaps, Altima's sister wished to get closer with her, and wanted to use this experience as something to bring the two of them a bit closer? Maybe put them in a place where it was easier for them to bond? or trap them into speaking with each other? "You are right though, it is a bit difficult to imagine a knight dressed up in a fancy gown," she mused, think a bit further on what her companion said.[/list:u]
 
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