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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2013 0:13:50 GMT -5
Panic, fear, chaos... Across the universe every world had been struck with a wave of destruction, similar to the way that Elfenhiem had. In the Enchanted Domain, the citizens of the kingdom crowded around the gates that led to the castle ground. They looked to one another for answers, searching for some explanation as to why the west side of the ancient structure was a pile of ruble. Was the royal family all right? Had there been an earthquake? Was this the work of the Order of the Destroyer? These questions and more were asked regardless of the world.
In Twilight Town people asked the same question while staring at the broken rubble that had once been the Clock Tower. Back in Cornelia, the same question was asked in front of the destroyed foreigner's district. And finally there was the Land of Dragons. Here the destruction couldn't even hope to be compared too. The entire town had been struck by a wave of death. Homes lay in rubble, the people bleed on the streets while wild fires continued to take building after building.
The academic schools that had produced the policing force for the land was also caught in flames. The only areas that had yet to see destruction were the Wilder Palace, and the small village that lay at the foot at the mountain. Both areas lay on opposite ends of the own. Some of the surviving townsmen fled to the estates, while others went to the village surrounding the mountain.
What was the cause of the destruction? Just as those on the other worlds, the answer remained unknown. Some of the people mentioned a hooded figure, while others pointed fingers at the Order of the Destroyer. After all they had caused the fires before hadn't they?
Three days ago the world had not been like this. Amber had not been caught in the situation she was currently in. "Way to go! Get yourself trapped under a house with none of your friends in sight!" She said in disgust at herself. Amber was in a sticky situation to say the least.
The bottom half of her torso was trapped under fallen boards and stones. She had already shed too many tears in her frustration to try and get out of this mess. "Rekka! Bartimaeus!" She tried shouting again, hoping that fate would be kind and that they would answer.
"It's no use. I know there's no one here." Amber was out of strength and out of her magic. She couldn't summon her armor even if she had wanted too. There was a sense of urgency as well. She couldn't move either of her legs and she was sure that she was bleeding. Additionally the smoke was starting to grow heavier and soon it would put her out. Than it would be only a matter of time before the fires reached her. That is if the smoke didn't suffocate her or she didn't bleed to death first.
"Things had just started going in the right direction too! Things were finally looking up for once!" Amber had arrived here with Bartimaeus and Rekka three days ago. A lot had happened in those three days.
Three Days Prior! Amber stepped out of the portal and into the world of the Land of Dragons. She was the last of her friends to come into the portal. The battle that had just occurred in the Enchanted Domain was still fresh in her mind. The three of them had agreed to come here because it was Rekka's home world. That and there was really no other place to go. Amber couldn't return home yet. She had to track down the Wilder Family first. The most important thing to do was deliver this letter. She could figure out going home later.
"Ah! The Land of Beautiful Women!, I mean Dragons." Bartimaeus announced with a smile. His comment made Amber roll her eyes in annoyance. The Bard always had one thing on his mind.
"Honestly Rekka I sometimes wonder why we travel with him." Amber commented.
Bartimaeus took the jab and seemed unaffected by it by the smile he wore on his face. The portal beans had taken them a bit out of the way of where they needed to go. They were brought out at the base of the mountain, not to far from the small village that lay between them and the city that surrounded the Wilder Palace.
"Rekka you better lead us. I don't trust Bartimaeus to take us in the right direction. He'd take us to some hot springs or something."
"Actually if I remember correctly there is a hot springs in the village not to far from here."
"Exactly my point!" Amber didn't trust Bartimaeus at all. She would much rather have Rekka lead the way.
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Post by Sprow on Aug 9, 2013 2:43:00 GMT -5
Rekka scurried here and there. Three days ago, things had seemed fine. Now, it were as if the three of them had been thrown right into the pits of hell. Her mother's homeworld was in utter chaos. People were screaming left and right, children were crying, bodies littered the ground. Whether or not any of the bodies were alive or dead, it wasn't easy to tell since the people were so motionless. It was a frightening thing indeed. Feeling her heart hammering against her ribcage, Rekka had to stop abruptly and breathe. If she kept freaking out she would only cause herself harm. Unlike her friends, she was fire proof. The only thing Rekka had to worry about was the debris falling from the buildings that hadn't been demolished in the turmoil that took place.
"Amber?! Bartimaeus?! Where are you?" Rekka called out. Amidst all the screaming and cries, Rekka doubted that they would have heard her anyway. Yet, a part of her seemed to think that it were possible that they might. There was a deep sense of urgency flowing through her. Where were the others? Were they hurt? Maybe them separating to help others hadn't been such a great idea? They should have stuck together! However, in all of this, no way were they going to help many people if they had stuck together.
Rekka recalled having only just come out of a home that was up in flames. Just like she had done with Infusca, Rekka had separated the flames once she reached where a little girl had been crying, cornered in her home's kitchen. Carrying the girl out, Rekka had at least managed to reunite the little girl with her mother. After a brief thanks, the two had run off. Where to, Rekka could only guess. She just hoped that her rescue hadn't been all for naught. It seemed when people ran they either hurt each other colliding into each other or things, or debris fell on people in the streets causing more chaos. Rekka had witnessed the misfortune of a cluster of people where a huge chunk off of a nearby building had plummeted onto their very heads. Out of instinct, Rekka had hurried over to try and remove the debris but it was far too heavy. After a brief check around the chunk of heavy debris, it became clear to Rekka with a harsh jolt that she had just witnessed the deaths of several people.
The number of people she had helped remained lost to Rekka. She just tried what she could on the fly. Now, here she was, wandering the littered streets, dodging people that were rushing past as she tried to find one of the other three. "...So much for getting to know what life had been like for mother when she was my age..." Rekka murmured to herself, sidestepping a cluster of men that ran past carrying pails of water that she was sure wouldn't do much to stop the flames that were consuming all. Even Rekka, with her flame abilities, couldn't hope to put out the flames so easily. It was one thing to kill a campfire, it was another to kill a wildfire sweeping through the city.
Rekka wasn't sure why but she worried for Amber. There was a feeling of urgency because of that. Maybe it was just because of the fact they were caught in what seemed to be the end of the world? "Gee, we didn't see this one coming three days ago!"
Three Days Ago...
Rekka had exited the portal created from the Portal Beans and into the Land of Dragons for the first time. There had been a feeling of excitement that swept over her. Her mother barely spoke of her homeworld so Rekka was eager to learn about it as much as she could. What child wouldn't want to learn more about their parents? She even wondered if there were family members that her mother might not have mentioned that had been left behind here. Of course, her spirits were deflated a bit when Bartimaeus spoke in that lecherous fashion of his.
As she turned her gaze onto the bard, Rekka gave him a flat look in her annoyance. The bard was always saying those sort of things. If they weren't traveling so much, Rekka might make it a point to find him a girlfriend his age to keep him occupied. Maybe then they would be saved from his lecherous comments for a time. Until then, they were stuck with him. It wasn't long before Amber spoke up, making Rekka nod in agreement.
"I don't know either." Bartimaeus, despite the jabs, looked content anyways with that smile of his that never seemed to falter. Shaking her head, Rekka looked all around them. She really wasn't sure which way to go now that they were here. It wasn't long before Amber spoke up, stating that she wanted Rekka to take the lead for the time being since she didn't trust the idea of Bartimaeus leading them anywhere. Rekka had to agree with Amber about the hotsprings thing. Knowing the bard, that's one place he'd likely consider being the way that he was. As if to confirm that, Bartimaeus piped up stating there was,in fact, a hotsprings nearby.
"No hotsprings!" Rekka retorted. The last thing they needed was for them to end up in serious trouble because the bard decided to take a peek on someone or worse, them accidentally peeping on someone when they tried to yell at the bard for being perverted. Rekka could do without that sort of stress for the time being. That and she very much appreciated her eyesight and did not wish to be blinded by someone's stark naked body. The mere thought made her shudder. Focusing again on the city around them, she was interested in the main city for the time being so she had motioned for the other two to follow her as she walked down what looked to be a main road.
"Huh, I didn't think her home was so modern compared to mine...man, is it crowded though!" Rekka stated. There were people hustling and bustling past them, not even paying them mind as they went about their business. "Well...if there's one place I'd like to see, it would be the palace and that famed estate everyone talks about..." Rekka told the others before continuing down the street. The palace was easily seen looming over everything around it.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2013 8:50:22 GMT -5
Walking among the flow of people, Amber wondered just where everyone was off too. Glancing at the sun sitting directly above them made Amber guess that it was sometime near noon. She had never been on this world before and it was a bit different in comparison to Cornelia and the Enchanted Domain. Spotting the buildings that surrounded the palace, there was more of a foreign feel to the buildings which from her all looked as if they were combinations of red and greens.
The palace that lay in the distance was absolutely marvelous to behold though. It was a type of architecture that Amber hadn't seen before with its strange black shingle roof held up by various pillars. It was nothing like any house that she had seen before. "It looks beautiful." Amber commented when Rekka mentioned wanting to see the palace.
Amber had no problems with that. She definitely wanted to see it up close! "How can a building be beautiful?" Bartimaeus asked.
Spoiling her mood, Amber gave the bard a flat look. "What?" He asked her. Apparently his comment had been a serious one for a change.
"I don't know, it just is!" She remarked as they came upon a cross way in the road. A sign at the center of the cross hinted at two directions they could take. If they took the path on their right it seemed that it would lead them to the "Summit Village". If they continued on the path they were going, according to the cross sign, they would be heading to "The Palace City."
Eyes trailing down the path to their right, Amber could see that the road actually snaked around the mountain to a set of older homes near the base of the mountain. Additionally there was another trail that went from the edge of the village and up the mountain. "If were going to the palace that is not the way to go."
The other path straight ahead led right into the palace city. "So where we going girls. If you guys want to go to the palace we should head down the straight path. Otherwise it's not to late to go to the hot springs!" It was easy to figure out what the bard wanted to do by the excitement in his voice.
"If you want to go to the hot springs Bartimaeus your more than welcome too. We could always meet up with you later..."
That was all the permission the bard needed. "See this is why I like you Amber. Your always thinking of others! There's an Inn in the city called the Whipping Post. I know the inn keeper there. Tell her you're with Bart, she'll give us free lodging while were in the city. I'll meet you guys there tonight." Without a moment to loose Bartimaeus headed past them and started down the other path.
Rolling her eyes Amber crossed her arms. "If he causes trouble there, I swear..." Amber couldn't even finish the thought.
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Post by Sprow on Aug 9, 2013 13:42:44 GMT -5
Rekka wondered where everyone was going too. There were so many people running off to who knows where. She probably wouldn't find someone to ask about her mother in all of this. There were far too many people. Just one person from here probably wouldn't be remembered amidst all of this. Oh well, just coming here was good enough. Still, she always wondered how her parents had met. She still had questions about them that neither parent had cared to tell her. Why, she wasn't sure. It was a mystery that she hoped to find the answer to.
After Rekka mentioned the palace, she heard Amber's comment about the palace. Now that she looked at it, Rekka gave a nod of agreement. It was Bartimaeus that asked how a building could be beautiful. Rekka turned around to look over at her friends. Bartimaeus, for once, looked as if he had been trying to be serious then. Amber, on the other hand, didn't think it that way. Maybe if Bartimaeus was allowed to go his own way the two wouldn't bicker? Well, Amber more so than Bartimaeus. The bard just like making remarks that pushed buttons and seemed to be oblivious to their reactions half the time.
The three of them made their way to a cross sign. Looking at it, Rekka turned to the others again as Bartimaeus spoke. It wasn't long before Amber stated that if the bard wanted to go to the hot springs then he could and they'd meet up with him later. The bard seemed content with that idea. Well, at least Amber and Rekka wouldn't have to go there with Bartimaeus. Rekka didn't want to think how that was going to go. Rekka merely rolled her eyes as the bard stated why he liked Amber before telling them to meet him at the Whipping Post Inn.
"See ya, Bartimaeus...don't go getting into trouble while we're gone." She watched as the bard left their company before turning to Amber. "Yeah...hopefully he won't but knowing him..." Rekka shook her head before looking ahead of them. "If there's anywhere you want to visit too, Amber, just let me know. I don't want it to all be me here." With that, she took the path leading straight ahead for them to head over to the palace. It was once ruled by a local family but now, it was under the rule of the Wilder family. The largest, foreign family that made this world their home. It was said that they had come here at least four hundred years ago.
As the pair of them came to the palace, there were guards on either side of the huge palace doors leading in. They were adorned in the local's armor and despite this, their hair was a shade of blue. It seemed the local authorities had heads full of blue hair or variances of blue. It made sense given the fact that it was said the Wilder family was what protected the world from danger here. "Hm, I don't think they'd let us enter it...well, save for what we've brought, right?" Rekka asked Amber, as if looking for reassurance. Who should they approach though? Neither of the guards seemed like a captain or anything. Maybe they should just ask?
Without waiting, Rekka walked over to one of the guards and spoke. "Hello, I'm Rekka and my friend over there is Amber. We've a letter for your king, if you'll show us to your captain, please?" Rekka asked him politely. She figured as long as she was nice, it might make it easier for them to deliver the message. The guard looked from her and Amber to his companion on the opposite side of him. The other simply gave a nod in his direction.
"Alright, follow me." The pair of guards lead them up the steps of the palace. They were long steps but surprisingly, not tiring to climb. When they reached the double doors, the two knocked and another set of guards opened the doors to permit them entry. "These women have a message to deliver. I think the general should see them first." With that, the guards went back to their posts as the new ones took up station on either side of them. One of them went to fetch this general of their army here. Well, this was certainly interesting...not to mention awkward. Rekka had been in Cornelia but it wasn't easy to ignore the fact there were armored men around them. She side glanced at Amber, making sure to stick close to her so her friend wouldn't get nervous. One of the nearby guards looked over at Rekka with a raised eyebrow, sensing that she had been checking him out. He was close to their age, like most of them here if not a bit older. Rekka immediately turned her gaze. Whoops! She looked a little too long and got caught!
It was a matter of minutes before the general finally arrived. He was older than those around them, maybe close to Bartimaeus in age. "Ladies...I hear you two have a message to deliver?" he spoke to them. The guards stood at the ready, poised knowing that their commanding officer was there. The only other one that had their complete obedience would be the royal family here in this world.
(OOC: Feel free to control any of them here if you choose.)
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2013 15:38:07 GMT -5
Watching the bard go, Amber prayed to whatever was out there for the bard to not get into any trouble. No doubt if he did it would follow him right back to them. Letting Rekka take the lead, Amber was glad to follow. Without Bartimaeus there was room for Amber to just enjoy her first time being in this new world. She took in everything as it came.
Coming into the city surrounding the palace, Amber was surprised to see that most of the homes were actually made of colored wood and not just bricks. Also they were fashioned slightly different than the homes in Cornelia. As they made through the city, Amber made a realization that this world must not be as technologically advanced as Cornelia. It would make sense given the shape of some of the architecture.
And then there was the mighty palace. When at last they started up the path that led to the gates, Amber paused as she gazed up at it in wonder. The building was much older than the other homes. "I wonder how old this place is?" Amber asked aloud, more to herself than to Rekka.
There wasn't much time to waste though. Rekka seemed intent on going straight to the palace, so Amber followed her right up to the gates. This was the Wilder estate then. Amber couldn't help but wonder what made this family so special that the entire world entrusted them as their protectors? Was it the blue hair? Spotting the blue hair in the guards, Amber had to admit it was her first time seeing natural blue hair. It certainly looked odd.
When Rekka informed the guards that they had a message for their king, Amber was surprised by the guards response. Back in Cornelia the guards would have just laughed at them if they had approached the gates. "Guess people are a lot more trusting here." Amber thought as the guards led them into the estate.
Being led up to the large red doors, Amber watched the exchange between the guards with slight interest. Apparently these guards were going to take them to see a general. This was it. Amber would take the letter to the king, than her mission would be complete. The information in that letter was dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands. Surely there were supporters of the Empire from back in the old days still alive. Amber would not surrender that letter to anyone but the King or Leader, or whoever was in charge of this world. Once she handed the letter though... Well her mission would be over. She'd be returning home. It was a somber thought, that she would no longer be traveling with Rekka and Bartimaeus. She'd have to return to her position in the army. Rekka would have to do the same, she'd have to finish her training.
Amber's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Seeing the guards snap to attention, Amber glanced up to see the general approaching. He was an older man, older than Bartimaeus that was for sure. But there was still a hint of blue in his hair.
"Yes... My name is Amber, I am a division commander of His Majesties Royal Army of Cornelia. I was instructed to deliver this message to your king." Reaching into her pocket, Amber pulled out the letter. It was obvious that it had been crushed and re-straightened given the creases in it. Amber handed it over for the general to read. Hopefully he would allow them through and they'd be able to deliver the message.
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Post by Sprow on Aug 9, 2013 18:12:21 GMT -5
Rekka had wondered about the trust the guards seemed to be showing them. Either they were more trusting here or they knew something the young women did not. Thankfully, they wouldn't have to find this out since Rekka and Amber were honest people. They meant no one harm here in this world. Of course, there was the matter of how long it took before another world knew of another's problems with off worlders. As they had traveled up to the palace, Rekka heard one of the guards answering Amber's question. "This palace is over a thousand years old." Rekka's eyebrows rose in wonder as she looked then at the palace. Now that she looked at it, the palace, though renovated over time, was still styled in the fashion that it used to be and didn't become modernized outwardly. Inwardly, of course, it was more modernized. It were as if the world preferred it stay the way it had always been even before the Wilders.
Now that they were in the palace, Rekka took notice of just how many guards were around them then. There were enough that if the two proved to be dangerous, they could be apprehended in a matter of seconds. If Rekka were to have an outburst in this, she would endanger them. Of course, Rekka didn't plan to let herself get flared up. Still, there was no telling when her anger would get the better of her at times. Hopefully, things won't happen that would cause her to flare up. The last time she did, where it had gotten them out of that prison, it had caused trouble. Whenever it came to training, Rekka would sorely need to train what fire abilities she knew she had and prepare herself to handle with any newer abilities that might show up. It wasn't fun not knowing yourself and what things you were capable of, especially if it could endanger those around you.
After getting caught by the guy she had been checking out, Rekka had focused somewhere else. Ahead of them, she could see a grand hall leading up another set of stairs. No doubt, the throne room had to be up there. It didn't take long for the general to appear. Rekka could tell when the guards around them suddenly stood at attention. Rekka looked over and spotted the general. He seemed close to Bartimaeus's age but it looked as if he might even be older. Regardless, like the guards here, there was a trace of blue in his hair. No doubt, all of these men had traces of the Wilder family in their blood.
When he spoke to them, Rekka just merely stood at attention. Where Amber had been a friend, Amber was still the commanding officer out of the two of them. As Amber spoke to the general, Rekka could feel his gaze shifting between the two of them carefully. As Amber handed him the paper, the general lowered his gaze to glance at the letter that she handed him. There was the seal of the kingdom of Cornelia that was easily recognizable. Bringing his gaze back over to his guards, he gave them a nod. Those that had been surrounding them had returned to their posts somewhere else in the castle. No longer would they feel crowded.
"Alright, you seem genuine enough. I will take you to the royals. Where I would like to believe you, if there is a chance that this is all a trick, there was a reason why we're not as protective as other kingdoms you may be more accustomed to." Rekka wasn't sure how to take that as she simply nodded. With that, the general motioned for them to follow him as he turned toward the set of stairs that Rekka had seen earlier. He was climbing them and since he had motioned for them to follow, Rekka turned to Amber to let her lead the way. They were friends but Rekka recognized her place too in military standing. Once Amber would start to climb, Rekka would follow and the trip up the next set of stairs would take them only several minutes.
When they reached it, there were guards standing at the entrance. They opened the doors and the general walked right in. Rekka and Amber were left to follow his lead. Within, they would see a large room there. There was a pair of throne and seated in them was a man and a woman. The way they carried themselves, even seated, told Rekka that these two were the royal family. "Your majesties, I bring you a message given to us from two of the king of Cornelia's royal family."
The king and queen looked them over in silence for a moment before the king motioned for the general to approach him. As the general handed him the letter, the king took it and read. His wife, at his right side, also peered over at it. Neither of them said anything while Rekka and Amber stood before them at a respectful distance.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2013 19:12:03 GMT -5
Amber had no clue as to what sort of defenses there might be in this palace. Having spent most of her days in the barracks and in the field, she hadn't really experienced the life of a castle guard. Back in Cornelia those types of soldiers were of an entirely different class in comparison to those who worked in the city and in the public. Following the general, Amber could only wonder what he meant when he spoke of tricks and not being as protective. "I see..." She replied, figuring it was better to keep her responses short and to the point until they reached the throne room. Sure enough that was exactly where they were headed.
The general led them right to where the king and his wife sat upon their respective throne. Their guide had gone ahead to announce the reason for their arrival. Amber had done dealings with the king back in Cornelia. She knew all about the standards for showing proper respect to royalty. It was actually one of the things she had to teach herself when she first became Division Commander. They didn't teach you how to behave around royalty in the army.
"Your majesties." Showing her respect, Amber stepped forward, lowered her head, placed a clutched fist on her chest, and slowly bowed. Slowly straightening back to a standing position, Amber watched the general hand the king the letter.
She knew exactly what that letter said. She had read it back in the Enchanted Domain. That letter was not addressed to the king. The first thing the king would probably notice is that it was addressed to the "Leader of the Elfan People". No doubt the entire letter would confuse the king given that it talked about the return of the evil emperor. It also pointed her as the witness and that her words had been tested for lies and deception. Finally the letter asked for a response to what they should do. Should they tell the leaders of the other worlds? Was this threat legitimate since there was no way that the evil emperor had an army? The letter was clearly not intended for the king, yet Amber had given it to him. Amber waited to see what he would say.
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Post by Sprow on Aug 9, 2013 21:02:46 GMT -5
Rekka stood at attention, bowing to the king and queen in unison with Amber only because she figured that what Amber was doing was the appropriate thing to do. She had never met royalty before so whatever Amber was doing, who had seen royalty, had to be the right way to go about it. At least now she had learned that bowing was a sign of respect. Rekka hoped that the king and queen wouldn't dismiss them, disbelieving anything in the letter. While they stood there, Rekka watched the king and queen reading the letter. It looked like they were a bit confused about what it was that they were reading.
Eventually, the king had finished, handing the letter over to his wife so that she could finish reading it. "I assume that it is you whom have witnessed this proclaimed return of the evil emperor?" the king had been looking right at Amber when he had asked her this for a confirmation. "This letter is clearly not meant for me. However, I assume, circumstances have brought you here with this letter?" The king looked between Amber and Rekka then. Rekka had given the king a nod.
"So this is to discuss the possibility of the other worlds getting rallied in this matter..." It hadn't been a question. In fact, the king went into thought as he looked at the two women before him. "What proof do you have to prove that this...evil emperor, Lakari...whom is believed to be long since dead...has returned?"
Rekka had looked toward Amber for an answer. It was not her place, after all, to speak unless given permission to do so.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2013 18:14:19 GMT -5
Amber studied his majesty carefully as he read the letter. With no clue as to how he might react, Amber had to just wait patiently for his reply. When it did come, it was direct and to the point. "Yes your majesty." Amber admitted. She was the one who had seen the emperor. She had seen him and the so called Raven Prince.
When the king next asked her about the letter not being meant for him she just nodded. She would go into detail if the king asked, but he didn't. Instead he was more focused on proof of what she said. Amber had not been questioned in Cornelia. The magic of the King's Truthseers in Cornelia had only needed her memories as proof of what she saw. Here thought it was different.
"I..." Amber didn't have any solid proof that she could show this king. There was no way for her to convince him otherwise than beyond her own recollection. "I have no physical proof that I can show you, your highness."
Head lowering in defeat, Amber didn't dare look up at the king then. No doubt he would be troubled by her words. Would he take her seriously without any proof? Any letter from another king would have to be given some respect. At least that was what Amber thought. Most likely the king would simply heed her words. But beyond that there was not much to do. They had no clue as to where the Emperor was, or what involvement he had in the universe. Amber waited for the king to answer.
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Post by Sprow on Aug 10, 2013 20:01:51 GMT -5
Rekka waited as Amber answered the king. Unfortunately, neither of them had any physical evidence that the emperor was alive. Rekka lowered her gaze to the floor then too. So much for their journey here by themselves then. They were at a loss. No way was the king going to believe them without there being proof. There was a resonating silence then as the room fell into silence. Then, after what seemed like forever, the king spoke again.
"...I see." The king shifted in his throne, looking at them watchfully. "Do you at least have any account of what you may have encountered that may have lead you to believe that the emperor is still alive?" the king asked Amber. Where he seemed skeptical, he seemed at least willing to hear what it was they had to say on the matter. If a king had to send out a letter about the situation, it was worth looking into even if he wasn't sure that something like this were true.
"You see, where you have me skeptical, the letter seems to warrant there's at least something worth looking into. I will not ignore the fact that this is, indeed, the king of Cornelia's writing. If what you say is convincing, I will send out a few of my men to visit Cornelia and speak to your king there."
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2013 10:34:35 GMT -5
"Why did the king send me to do this?!" Amber asked herself. She wasn't a diplomat. She wasn't some sort of speaker or noble. She was just a soldier. Yes she was the division commander of a group of teams, but that didn't mean she was the right sort of messenger for this type of job.
The king had every right to be skeptical. He had every right to ask the questions that he had. Amber just didn't know how to answer. How was she supposed to convince the king of what she had saw and what her king believed. If the king had wanted someone who could convince the leaders that what she saw was real he should have sent someone else.
"Your majesty..." Amber began in response to the kings question about her account. "I was the representative for the Kingdom of Cornelia during the searching exposition a year ago..." Amber spoke of the incident that had occurred where a representative had been sent from the four civilized worlds to the Keyblade Graveyard. All but one of the four from the respected kingdoms had returned alive. She had been that one, and only the Kingdom of Cornelia knew about it. The rest of the kingdoms had sent their own searching parties to find their representative, but none of them had been found.
"The reason none of the others returned was because we encountered two elfs in the Keyblade Graveyard who attacked us. One of the elves was the Emperor Lakari. The other was his son, the Raven Prince. And the reason I know it is them is because I am the bastard daughter of Emperor Lakari." There she had said it. Now she would have to see how the king would respond.
There were any manner of ways he might respond. Perhaps angry that she had been alive and his own representative had not. If Amber remembered correctly the representative from the Land of Dragons had been a Wilder. The king might not even believe her. What if he thought she was lying about the whole thing? What if he thought this was all some farce to cover up the deaths of the other representatives? There were so many different things that the king might believe. Amber could only wait for an answer.
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Post by Sprow on Aug 11, 2013 22:14:40 GMT -5
Rekka wasn't sure what Amber was going to say in answer. As she stood there, what Amber revealed made Rekka's stomach lurch. She had just revealed that she was the bastard child of Emperor Lakari. Her only eye widened in horror as she looked over at Amber. Her horror only because she was scared for her friend. She didn't want them to arrest Amber or hurt her because they thought that she'd be in cahoots with her father or something. Remembering her look might jeopardize Amber, Rekka quickly dropped it as she looked toward the king and queen. What would they think? What would they say? More importantly, what were they going to do?
As Amber brought up the subject of some sort of search exposition, Rekka listened intently. She didn't hear about this before. At least, not from what she could remember. As Amber spoke, the king's expression only changed subtly. A brief lift of the eyebrows said that he was interested, even a slight shift in his seat, making himself sit up more. After Amber revealed the fact that she had been the only survivor during that incident and that she knew the two elves. Rekka gave a shudder at the memory of the Raven Prince. He had almost killed Rekka back in the Enchanted Domain. She wouldn't want to run into that one ever again if she could help it. He was also the one that had killed Infusca.
"...We had been wondering what had happened to our representative, that explains what had happened." The king let out a sigh then. It seemed as if he were reliving the moment where no word had been sent about the representatives. He had sent out a search party only to find nothing. He had suspected that the Wilder had died or something had to have happened to him. Now, they knew for certain what had happened and it seemed like it distressed him a little.
"...Our representative...He was my own brother." Rekka wondered what that meant for them now. Would he direct anger on them over his loss? The queen had placed a hand on her husband's shoulder then. Gently, she rubbed it. "I watched his family deteriorate in his absence. I could not stop my sister-in-law from falling into despair. The despair alone had caused her to neglect her two sons. One of them, their youngest, ran away. I don't know where he's gone. As for the other, he currently leads the dojo here in the city. I will not ask you in detail what had happened but at least now I have an answer to what had happened to my brother."
Rekka relaxed a little. The king didn't look intent on doing either of them great harm. He didn't even seem intent on doing Amber harm. Still, even if he threatened to, Amber was under the protection of the kingdom of Cornelia. If he arrested her, the kingdom here and Cornelia could end up as foes depending on how important Amber was to them. Rekka, if that were to happen, certainly hoped so but she also hoped nothing bad would happen to them in general. Unlike Amber, Rekka was much more expendable.
"I thank you. In my stead, I will have a representative go with you back to Cornelia. Unfortunately, that will take three days of preparation since I plan to send them away with a message of my own. If you can give me that, I will provide a means for you to return to Cornelia with whatever companions that you may have with my representative, message and the small number of escorts I'll be sending along with him. If there is anything else, please state so now. Otherwise, you two are dismissed until further notice. I will send a vassal to retrieve you when the preparations are ready."
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2013 23:50:23 GMT -5
Amber's head fell when she heard the king speak about his brother. She hadn't gotten to know any of the representatives really. In fact when she had arrived on the world, she had walked in on their death. Amber still remembered walking out of that portal. She remembered watching the kantana of the raven prince being pulled free from the dead representative's body. She had never even known his name.
That incident had been better to forget. It brought up feelings of her past and connections that she would have rather forgotten. This was the excuse she had told herself when the First Commander had her swear an oath of secrecy about the subject. Hearing the anguish that Amber and the Kingdom of Cornelia had caused the king and his family, Amber felt ashamed. They should have at least been able to inform the king of the death of his brother.
"I am sorry for your loss, your majesty." It was not much, but it was the best she could offer the king at this moment. She could not tell him the whereabouts of his brother's body because she had no clue as to where it was. She had hitched it out of that world as soon as that incident had been over. "There's no way he'll help us now." She thought.
The king surprised her however. It seemed he was not mad at her or the Kingdom of Cornelia. At least he didn't show it. Additionally he informed them that he would have a representative accompany them to Cornelia. It brought smiles all across Amber's face. "Thank you, your majesty. That is more than we could have hoped for."
Glancing over at Rekka she smiled. It seemed in three days that they would be able to go home! After everything that happened it was a sweet feeling. "My mission will finally be over." Perhaps now there would be no need to send her to Elfenhim. Amber was less afraid of returning home now.
Having nothing else to ask, Amber bowed respectively to the king and queen before exiting. Once she was outside and the doors closed behind Rekka and herself she turned to her friend. "That went better than I expected! Looks like our mission's going to be over soon!"
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Post by Sprow on Aug 12, 2013 1:47:53 GMT -5
Rekka had felt uncomfortable as the king informed them that the representative they had sent out had been his brother. She, too, lowered her gaze out of pity and sympathy to the king's situation. It must not have been pleasant sending out his family member and then for him to never return. Rekka could understand the king's dismay. She knew what it was like to have lost a loved one. On top of it, she knew what it was like to lose friends. During the time she spent with Amber, they had lost four friends. Yes, even Infusca had been a friend if only for a short time. Hopefully, they would never have to experience that again.
As Amber apologized, Rekka gave a nod of agreement. When the king stated what he would do, Rekka was surprised. She had thought that things would have gone differently. Instead, he offered them to go along with his representative and a few escorts back to Cornelia. Rekka's eyebrows rose considerably then. At least, it seemed, their luck was turning up. If only they knew what lay in store for them three days later.
"Yes, thank you, your highness. We greatly appreciate it."
Since there was nothing else for them left, the two had gratefully bowed out and exited the throne room. Rekka couldn't help returning the smile that Amber had given her. With their mission complete, it meant that they could finally head home. Rekka could complete her training and hopefully learn ways of controlling her fire abilities better. Still, would they be able to still see each other? Now that they were outside of the palace doors, she looked over at Amber as she turned to her. There was a delighted smile still on her face then as she informed Rekka that it looked like their mission would be over now.
"Yeah! It was definitely a...wild ride, that was for sure!" Rekka agreed with a smile. She couldn't help but wonder what things would be like when they got back home though. She wasn't sure why but...it felt too easy. Was everything going to end just like that now? In a way, Rekka felt a little reluctant to go back to Cornelia. She wanted to be with Amber and Bartimaeus. Ever since they first started out, they had all been together for a majority of their quest. It didn't feel right to be traveling without either of them or be without them. They had become her friends. Yes, despite how odd it was to say he was one, Bartimaeus was a friend.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2013 13:21:24 GMT -5
With their dealings with the king done, Amber figured they now had time to do pretty much whatever they wanted. Bartimaeus had said to meet them at the "Whipping Post" later tonight. Apparently it was an inn of some kind that Bartimaeus must have stayed in before.
Listening to Rekka's response, Amber couldn't help but agree. It definitely had been a wild ride. First the loss of Ty and Justin then the encounter with the elf and their adventure with Infusca. The poor necromancer had perished because of that stupid Raven Prince. "Why was he there to begin with though? What was the point of killing Infusca?"
After all Infusca was hardly that much of a threat. Sure she was a necromancer, but she had been locked away in that mountain for years. What good would have killing her done? It was a question that bothered Amber. She couldn't help but feel like she was missing something with all of this. Why had her father killed the representatives? Why was he in the Keyblade Graveyard to begin with?
Realizing she was leading them in silence with no real clue as to where they were going to go, Amber stopped. "So... any ideas on where we should go? I know you wanted to track down your mother's family you said. Any clue as to where we should start?" They had quite a bit of day left. Amber figured they could spend it trying to track down Rekka's family. Then latter tonight they could track down the Whipping Post and find Bartimaeus.
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Post by Sprow on Aug 13, 2013 1:36:19 GMT -5
Now that they were outside, Rekka wondered what Amber would be up for doing. They had quite a bit of time to themselves while Bartimaeus was enjoying himself at the hotsprings. Hopefully, he wasn't getting into any trouble and none of it would come their way by extension. She knew nothing of the things that were running through her friend's mind then. In fact, she was more preoccupied with where they should go to next. Where she had wanted to visit the Wilder estate, instead of the palace now, there was a part of her that wanted to see if there was family here on her mother's side for her to track down.
Amber started to walk off in silence, Rekka following her as she did so with no idea of where they were going figuring that Amber might know. It wasn't until Amber had stopped that Rekka realized, by her question, that she hadn't really intended to go anywhere in particular. "Well...my mom never really told me much about her homeworld. I mean, there were stories but nothing to really give away much of her past. The only thing I remember about where she might have been with family is a street by the name of Sakura road. We could head down that way and ask around. My mother's maiden name was Ito."
"Er...I've no idea where this road is. I guess we should ask around. People would lead us in the right direction, I'm sure." With that, the search was on. Rekka lead Amber into some sort of mainstream road and asked around for directions. A kind, elderly man pointed them in the direction of the dojo and informed them that their road they were looking for was to the left of that. Thanking the elderly man, Rekka lead the way toward the dojo. It was the Wilder dojo. Ever since four hundred years had passed, the Wilder family had grown considerably since Rowen's and Jean's time as well as even Lance's, White's and Brayden's time.
"Alrighty, we're here..." Rekka trailed off, looking around. She specifically remembered her mother mentioning that her home was small. Of course, she couldn't just go by that. Asking around again, no one seemed to really know that many by the surname of Ito. There was mention of an elderly lady that lived at the end of the street whom had been there for years. She knew the Itos. After traveling to that, their whole search having taken already a considerably amount of time, they happened upon the old woman who was sitting on her porch. As they approached, she looked at them with mild curiosity. Well, until her old eyes fell upon Rekka.
"Hm..." The old woman said as she leered at Rekka. Looking at her good and hard, the old woman finally gave a slight gasp. "Now, you certainly look like a young Ito. Who are you, young lady?" she had questioned Rekka then, gesturing for the two women to come over. As they did so, Rekka tried to not get too excited.
"My name's Rekka Garnette. My mother, Saya Garnette went by the maiden name Saya Ito. I am but only half of an Ito. I've come searching for information about my mother's side of the family." The old woman sat back in her chair, which happened to be a rocking chair, and rocked a bit as she seemed to go into thought. A faint smile was on her face then.
"Ah yes, I remember little Saya. She was the youngest of three. She had a sister and a brother. You've come to the right person to talk to about the Ito family, child. Where they have long since moved, I was a friend of the family and know who is still around and who is not." While Rekka placed herself down on the porch's wooden floor to listen to the old woman speak of tales in the years before Rekka had been born, the whole conversation lasted around a couple of hours. In the time that they talked, Rekka had learned that her grandmother had passed away and her uncle died from complications as a child. Her aunt, on the other hand, was still around. She still lived here in the Land of Dragons but her whereabouts exactly were unknown to the woman.
"Wow...an aunt. Mother never told me about her family. It were almost as if she didn't want for me to know. Why, I don't know but I thank you, Yuki." Yuki, during the conversation, was the name the woman had given them when she had introduced herself finally. Getting to her feet, Rekka glanced over at Amber with a smile. "Thanks for coming along Amber. I now know that I have an aunt somewhere and might even have some cousins. The issue now is just finding them. Not sure how since not many seem to know where to find them. In any case, is there anywhere you wanted to go? I figured while we went, we might find something along the way anyway."
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Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2013 18:56:58 GMT -5
Amber gladly let Rekka take the lead as they started their search for her family. As they searched, Amber recollected the memories of her own mother. Growing up Amber's only source of family had been her mother. The only human in an entire kingdom of elves, Amber's mother experienced many hardships when she first came to the kingdom. Only the elder had trusted her from the get go. For the other elves, Amber's mother had to work hard to get them to trust both her and Amber.
All of this reminded Amber of her mother and the circumstances that she had left. Amber hadn't seen or spoken to her mother in four years. She had never answered any of her letters and hadn't even said goodbye when she left. As Amber followed Rekka in the search for a particular street, Amber wondered what her mother must be up to now. "I should visit her when I get back." She made a promise to do so when she got back.
Amber had to admit that Rekka was pretty good at finding things. It took a while but they managed to find the street and even found someone who knew Rekka's mother. Taking a seat on the porch, Amber listened to the old woman as she spun her tales about Rekka's family. According to Yuki, Rekka still had an aunt who lived in the Land of Dragons. Yuki didn't know where to find Rekka's aunt, but still it was good news.
As they began their journey away from Yuki's home, Amber couldn't help but glance at the sun as it set. The sky was a variety of orange, blues, and greens. The day had gone by fast, but it was a productive one. When Rekka asked if there was anywhere that Amber wanted to go she shook her head. "No not particularly. But we should find that Inn before it gets too late. I know you want to find your aunt, but I figure we should at least stop there first and get our rooms and see if Bartimaeus is waiting for us. Than if you want we can continue the search." She told her with a small smile.
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Post by Sprow on Aug 17, 2013 6:58:30 GMT -5
Rekka just then took notice of the sky when Amber suggested they should head to this "Whipping Post" inn that Bartimaeus had been talking about. Where to find this inn though? Rekka gave a nod of agreement, however. "Alright, no problem. Er...hopefully it's in an easy to spot part of the city." With that, Rekka set off, probably letting Amber take the lead now as they wandered the streets in search for this inn. As they went, Rekka could only hope that the inn wasn't something strange. If it was, she'd rather sleep outside and out of sight.
"Surprised to know I still have family alive around here. Mom never told me about them. I mean, I knew she had a mother and father...but never about a brother or sister. I wonder why?"
There could be all sorts of reasons as to why her mother didn't tell her. The only two possible ones that she thought were more likely was her mother parting with her family over a bad argument or that her mother had given up all ties here and didn't want Rekka to know about them and not come here. Those were the only two likely ones that she could think of that made sense. Why her mother would consider her past thrown away, Rekka couldn't be sure. Maybe they didn't agree with her father and mother marrying? That could be a possible reason for an argument or disagreement that would split a family. If that were the case, would they even accept Rekka's existence? The child born from her mother's and father's marriage? It made her nervous what her aunt would think.
As Amber and Rekka went, the day gradually grew darker. In this light, Rekka would rather spend the rest of their time at the inn, if it was a safe one. By the time they had managed to find the place, after much time spent asking for directions, Rekka examined the exterior of the place before they set foot in it. "This better be a legit inn and not some...well, I don't want to think about it." Where she trusted the bard, she didn't trust his...ways. Never before had she met someone so perverted. She was really hoping it wasn't one of those inns as the pair of them stepped inside.
(OOC: Sorry this took me so long, muse died for a bit everywhere. Only just now revived it.)
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Post by Deleted on Aug 17, 2013 15:44:27 GMT -5
Amber had to agree with Rekka. Why hadn't her mother not mentioned any of her other family members. When it came to families Amber didn't have much experience with Aunt or Uncles growing up. It was just her mother and her. She had no idea what sort of things would keep a family apart. Amber's own mother was an orphan. She had never had any family to call her own.
As they searched for the inn, Amber was preoccupied by her own thoughts. There was much on her mind and most of it involved several different scenarios about reuniting with her own mother. Thankfully though Rekka was on the lookout for the inn. If she hadn't Amber would have walked right past it! Spotting the name and the etching of a whip on the door post, Amber had to wonder just what they were about to get themselves into.
"That bard better not have led us to a brothel!" Amber told Rekka.
Stepping inside, Amber was thankful to find that they had not stepped into a brothel. Entering into a common room / dinning area, Amber gazed around the room. The room was lit by overhanging lights that reflected off of marble floors, wooden oak tables and chairs, and about thirteen people either drinking at the bar or sitting at various tables. Women in skimpy maid outfits traveled from one area to another, holding drinks or plates of food. There outfits were way to short and revealed way to much skin.
"This might not be a brothel, but this is surely a shady place." Amber said. Noticing their arrival several men at the bar turned around to glance at the two ladies.
Amber recognized one of them as the bard. He was dressed as he had been earlier, but his face was red from too much to drink. "My friends!" He shouted.
Amber glanced at Rekka, unease written all over her face. Just what were they about to get their selves into! "These are the girls that I were talking to you about boys!" Reaching them, the bard gestured over to Amber first. "This here is the Captain. Better watch your hands boys or she'll cut um off!" Staggering over to Rekka he got really close to her face. "And this is the special cutie I was talking about. But she'll light you on fire if you piss her off. Aint that right pumpkin?"
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Post by Sprow on Aug 20, 2013 21:26:50 GMT -5
Rekka rose a brow as she inspected the whip etched onto the door's post. Just what were they about to find? As Amber spoke, Rekka shuddered at the thought. She hoped they would never set foot in one of those kind of places. Hopefully, they weren't about to enter one. "If we do...I won't be responsible for what happens." Really, she wouldn't be. God help any poor soul that triggered the fiery side to Rekka. She definitely needed to learn to control that part of her but until they returned home, she couldn't. Not yet, anyway.
When Amber stepped in first, Rekka tentatively stepped in after her. She gave a bit of a sigh though when she found that they hadn't. 'Thank god!' she thought. If she had, she didn't even want to think on how she'd react if they had. It was bad enough that the bard drove them insane with his perverse comments. Still, she couldn't help but notice the looks they were being given. No doubt, this wasn't the kind of place anyone wanted to stay at for very long especially if you were female. Rekka had seen a few women walk past dressed rather scantily. She scrunched her nose up with displeasure. How could any women permit themselves to be used in such a fashion? Even when Rekka was struggling for munny herself, she never resorted to this sort of thing.
"Agreed, let's find Bartimaeus before something or someone unfriendly finds us first."
The two of them didn't have long to wait to find Bartimaeus. All of a sudden, Rekka heard a familiar voice coming from the bar. Glancing over, Reka found several men staring at them, one of them was a familiar face that was beat red from what looked to be too much drink. 'Oh for the love of-!' Rekka thought as Bartimaeus spoke to the others around him. The girls he told the boys about? Just what stories was he telling them about them? Rekka furrowed her brows and narrowed her eyes. As the bard approached them, she heard him mention Amber. Well, hopefully, what he said about Amber would make them leave her alone. Now, Rekka had yet to hear about herself. Sure enough, the bard invaded her personal face as he talked about her too.
"Bartimaeus? Just how much did you drink?" The smell of alcohol was strong on him. She tried to not let it effect her too much with him standing so close. She hated what he called her too but she was trying to keep her cool for the time being. She didn't want to risk Amber and her getting kicked out because of Rekka being a possible fire hazard.
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