..E m p i r e * o f * O s a n e n.. [O/A]{Ignore Page Count}

[XenZan]

Lance Stone ~ Earth

Skips like a boulder

In the late-day sun, the mammoth man worked away at the forge, tempering steel and shaping what would, in time, become a blade worthy of a king. Since the general had left his shop, the blacksmith worked tirelessly, his earlier labor and his current hunger in the backmost corner of his mind. Some things were simply too important to delay for the likes of food and rest.

During a move from the forge to the anvil, Lance had heard, albeit briefly, the calling of a new ditty by the ever-chipper Shaena down the street. An amused grin crossed his face then, the upbeat girl’s attitude never failing to make him smile and shake his head. They did speak, from time to time, and despite having fairly different demeanors, Lance liked the girl and her assistant, Miku. They all shared a love of nature’s magnificent beasts and beauties, not to mention that, their shops being so close together, the hulking man often helped out with some of the more rowdy creatures, when necessary. It was a simple friendship, but one that Lance had come to appreciate for it's simplicity and lack of excessive drama.

His mind having wandered, Steele shook himself back into focus at the approach of an armed troop of soldiers. The beastly man grimaced. The general from before wasn’t enough military business for one day? He didn’t take his attention from the work at hand until he was addressed. The notion that the Emperor himself had a message for the humble smith was a rather profound one, though the massive smith assumed it had something to do with his rather elaborate reputation.

With a tremendously deep breath, the hulking man set down his hammer upon the anvil and turned to face the officer addressing him. Wiping a trunk-like arm across his forehead and raising a brow, his voice rumbled like thunder in the heat of the forge. “Aye, that’s me.” Steele stood patiently, listening to the officer’s words, his eyes flickering over the small troop of men beyond the gate.

As the smaller man spoke, his commanding tone and simple airheaded arrogance abundant, the smith crossed his massive arms over his massive chest, mirroring the officer, albeit as several sizes larger. Lance was a very patriotic citizen of Osanen, always willing to aid his country when given the opportunity. He was tremendously fond of the late Emperor, as was everyone else, and even the new Emperor had the blacksmiths silent support. The bulky man knew that the new Emperor was doing only what was necessary for the preservation of the Empire, the taxes, laws, and force being the only conduit for order. Despite his looks, Lance was a rather learned man, knowledgeable of politics and economics [he did run his own business].

As supportive of the new Emperor and his means as he was, Lance was not overly pleased about the way the officer treated him, a well standing, law-abiding citizen of the Empire. Furling his brow, the great man huffed a rumbling breath and frowned. Lance was never one to make a decision abruptly, and despite the ‘request’ from the Emperor, this was no exception. He would have to make sure all was in order before he up-and-left his job here. He was the sole provider for his family, and he had a line of other obligatory orders to complete before his records would be clear. Surely, the latter could be easily waived for this reason, but the former certainly could not. The impressive smith said nothing for some time, as if pondering or simply testing the officer’s patience. When he finally spoke, it was in a gravelly, deep tone, which failed to rumble heartily as his typical speech did. “How generous of you.” The smith’s expression was sour, his words dry. “You will find that I have no intention of failing compliance with our great Emperor; however, there are matters which must be addressed prior to such compliance, or I will be forced to decline.” The gargantuan man spoke quite plainly, his words solid and unwavering. He respected the military for their service to the Empire, but he was not about to be pushed around by them.

A female voice caught his attention then, the sing-song nature of which immediately identified the speaker as being Shaena. Shifting his immense bulk slightly, Lance peered over the fence at the woman’s approach, a small smile crossing his bearded face. What timing, eh? He mused to himself as he nodded and rumbled a polite greeting, his tone dry and mildly sarcastic. “Nay, just… ‘business’ with our fine officer here...” Though as Shaena would likely agree, when the military was involved, business tended to be a mite unusual and rather unpleasant. The immense, bearded man lowered his arms from across his chest, as if to appear less imposing. Wiping the sweat from his brow once more, he realized just how long he’d been working and how he was growing slightly hungry now that his work process had been thrown off. The muscled man grumbled, sweat glistening across his chiseled features.

What we are is the sum of a thousand lies
x xWhat we know is almost nothing at allxx
xBut we are what we are 'till the day we die
Or 'till we don't have the strength to go on

[Isnook2]

Andrei Rofocale Sergov
xxxxxxxxI want your obedience.
xxxxxxxxxxxI want your absolute loyalty.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxI want your soul. Relinquish control to me.

Give yourself unto your God. Sacrifice yourself again.
Burn your thoughts, erase your will, To Gods of suffering and tears.

The general took in the shopowner's words with merticulous care, having even attached a numerical scale to the estimate of food she had suggested. Well, would it hurt to give more? Would the stupid thing eat itself to death? How often should the cage be cleaned and what sort of feces should be expected or considered healthy for its kind? Was it of breeding standard?

Before he could really demand for more information, her assistant had grabbed her attention and she disappeared from the room. Peering into the bag, the general finally picked up one of the larger seeds and stuck it through the bars of the birdcage to see if the creature would respond to the offered food. He wasn't particularly afraid of being bitten, especially since his fingers were protected by a layer of black leather.

Even as he waited for her to return, he repeated the finer points of details to himself. Twelve years... water in a dish... no meat... It sounded almost as complicated as caring for a child, not that he knew much about childcare. Half a minute later and the general's patience was wearing thin. Closing the clothbag, he scanned the room once more, in case there was a more suitable creature hidden in the shadows. As the seconds ticked away a frown was etched onto his brow, the ice in his eyes dropping several degrees below sub-zero temperature as he set the bag of feed down atop a container and strode outside.

"Hold the bird on reserve. I will collect it tomorrow." He informed the shopkeeper's assistant on the way out. Perhaps he would, perhaps he wouldn't; but he could not spare any more time and before she could reply he was walking away from the shop. Out of the corner of his peripheral vision he had noticed the troops outside the smith's shop, and while he was worried about his sword, there was no way he could interupt them and ask about it. Plus, he did not want to draw any attention to it.




Tie hallowed bonds around your hands. xxx
Kneel before this seat of shame,xxx
To Gods as lost,xxx
Gods as blind,xxx
Gods of suffering and pain.xxx

[Dragon_Lord_Akuma]

The Officer rolled his eyes as though he were sighing at the blacksmith, his way of showing that the larger man did not intimidate him. He was about to respond when an annoyingly rude girl burst into the middle of their conversation. With a twist to his lips, the young officer turned his attention to the younger girl. “You! Don’t interrupt official Governmental business.” He folded his arms. “If you don’t show more respect, then I will be forced to show you how…” He really didn’t want to bother, and as such hoped she would step down or apologize.

However, he didn’t feel like waiting around for that to happen. He, instead, turned his attention back to the blacksmith. “The Emperor will allow up to two weeks for you to take care your affairs... of course, the sooner the better, but it's your choice." The man relaxed his arms to brush some dust off of his jacket. "Your family will be provided as much as possible by the Emperor for your services.” At that he turned to leave, but paused cocking his head, “When the time is up we will expect to see you in the royal court, reporting for duty. If you are not there on the appointed date, then we will have to extract you by force.”

Then, he pulled out a slip of paper and placed it down in front of Lance. "I will inform the Emperor of your answer, though I'm sure he will be pleased that you are coming willingly, he was hoping for an immediate response. This," he pointed to the piece of parchment with fancy cursive and a royal seal imprinted at the bottom, "will be your pass for entry as well as a description of what will be expected of you, so don't lose it."

As he finished, he left with his posse, them following closely behind him. He dug through his pocket and dug out yet another piece of paper, one that he held in his hand before.

Ah yes, the second errand he’d been sent on for the day.

He disliked that he’d been given such menial tasks for the day. He would have rather done something more worthwhile. Dealing with peasants was so… unpleasant. Most of them were thieving criminals and lower class. They were very distasteful people to communicate with. As he began to walk in the direction of the pet shop, he caught sight of his next target leaving the store.

How convenient! He’d be able to finish both jobs and still have time to do something meaningful with his day.

His spirits were lifted as he approached the man in question from behind, hoping to get his attention. “General Sergov! May I have a word with you.” It was more of an order than a request, but with a smirk on his face, the officer waited patiently for the respectable man to acknowledge his presence.

[Brethil24]

Unperturbed by the thinly veiled threat, Shaena only widened her smile, though her grin did develop a mocking quality. “Of course sir, I was completely out of line. My apologies.” The merchant swept an elaborate curtsy, one that wouldn’t have been out of place in one of the emperor’s own balls had she been wearing one of those taffeta gowns that were so in fashion rather than the comfortable shorts and top she’d slung on this morning. Of course, delicate fabrics weren’t all too practical when dealing with animals, and how was she supposed to show off her lovely scars underneath all that cloth?

Remaining bent over, Shaena carefully listened in on the exchange, or rather one-sided instruction going on in front of her. Oh yes, she knew this man’s type. Only those who deserved it got his respect, and as far as he was concerned, anyone less than noble didn’t deserve any at all. ‘Of course,’ Shaena thought, as she peered through the shock of yellow hair that had fallen to cover her eyes, ‘if you go back far enough, even the most prestigious breed was just another mutt. This one just got a little snootier from all the inbreeding.’

Still, now wasn’t the time to pick a fight. Shaena slowly righted herself as the officer swept by, his entourage following just a pace behind. As she took a moment to stretch, she was satisfied to hear her back give a loud crack, causing a straggler in the group to give a disgusted grimace as he passed by. She flirtatiously winked at him turning to head back to her store. After all, it wouldn’t be right to leave a customer hanging. Any longer and the man might- Ah, too late. The general was already giving what looked like a frosty dismissal to her assistant, turning to walk away before Miku could stammer out a response. She was about to head over and intercept the man, but the official from before got to him before her. She hesitated for a moment before turning to Lance, glancing curiously at the piece of parchment before looking at him in the eye. “Everything all okay here, right? If you’re worried about going, I’d be more than willing to keep an eye on the family for you. Consider it payback for all the times you’ve helped me.”

[Isnook2]

Andrei Rofocale Sergov
xxxxxxxxI want your obedience.
xxxxxxxxxxxI want your absolute loyalty.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxI want your soul. Relinquish control to me.

Give yourself unto your God. Sacrifice yourself again.
Burn your thoughts, erase your will, To Gods of suffering and tears.

Oh this was somewhat unexpected. When his name was called the general halted in his steps, so stiffly one could have almost expected his momentum to carry him forward and for the dark figure to keel over like a collapsed statue of black marble. The uniformed pillar didn't turn immediately, canting his head to the side to glance at the officer out of the edges of his peripheral vision. When he had the visual evidence that this was not a casual greeting or intention to make small talk with him, the general finally spun around and took a few steps toward the officer. Cold eyes stared down at the man, as if trying to decide if the meeting was worth his time. But of course, even if he outranked the officer, the messenger's word represented that of his commander's, perhaps even the Emperor's.

Silently the general lifted a hand, touching the visor of his hat lightly in a very informal salute and acknowledgement of the man's position in the grand empire. Then he lowered his hand, and realized just how empty he felt without a sword, now that he had no fixture to rest his wrist upon in subconciousness guardedness. Tsk. Really, he should be in the offices by now, in his study and sifting through the mound of paperwork that had resulted from last week's raid! Was fate trying to taunt him today? What was next? A cart of vegetables overturning in his path?

"Be quick!" Andrei warned softly and sharply, his voice clipped and his tone contained a business-like demeanor which was almost metallic. It was highly likely that he didn't want to be late for his shift, but this impatience was combined with a workaholic's frenzied need to do something productive; than to stand around all day exchanging pleasantries.




Tie hallowed bonds around your hands. xxx
Kneel before this seat of shame,xxx
To Gods as lost,xxx
Gods as blind,xxx
Gods of suffering and pain.xxx

[XenZan]

Lance Stone ~ Earth

Skips like a boulder

The hulking man frowned at the officer’s threat. Never before had he seen an upstanding military officer of the Emperor threaten a civilian in such a manner. It was these very civilians they were sworn to protect, as the Emperor was nothing without his subjects. The muscular man now considered this officer unqualified for his position, but before he decided to respond, Shaena handled the situation. Lance thought it was better to let it go anyway. He had no doubt he could overpower the arrogant officer, despite the smaller man’s seemingly fearlessness. That just makes you a fool. The smith mused to himself, returning his gaze to the symbol of ‘leadership’ before him. Lance did not appreciate the way this man was behaving, his rude, snooty nature clearly defying the emphasis the Emperor would place on treating the citizens well. The fact that the soldier threatened Shaena, well, it was needless to say that Lance would have come to her aid, taking his chances with the corrupt officer. Perhaps it was merely the heat getting to him, but the smith was beginning to feel rather agitated with this man, his mind playing out violent scenarios. Of course, Lance was wise enough not to act on any of this, but the notion was rather stress-relieving.

The mammoth man eyed the slip of paper, contemplatively. He surely would not require two weeks to set his affairs in order, especially if the Emperor intended on supplying his family for the duration of his absence. Lance was not sure how ‘extraction by force’ would prove efficient if the smith truly refused to obey, but the thought was short-lived. He would come to his Emperor’s call, though not for this officer’s sake. As the arrogant man strutted off, his ragtag band of soldiers following suit, the huge smith let out a sigh that rumbled throughout his forge. Picking up the ‘orders,’ Steele glanced over it quickly [he’d read it more in depth later] and rubbed his forehead.

Shifting his attention ponderously to Shaena, the chiseled man stepped closer to the gate, shortening the distance between them. He nodded politely before speaking to her, his usual heartiness still drained from his thundering voice. “Aye, all’s well. I’ve no reason to worry for the family if the Emperor’s planned to provide for them. That is, unless the provisions include anything like that fellow.” Lance waived a beastly arm lazily in the direction of the officer, now speaking with the general. “But, if you’re sure it wouldn’t be a bother, I suppose I would appreciate it if you checked up on them from time to time. Whenever it was convenient, of course.” A smile crossed the great bearded man’s face then, the young woman’s attitude never failing to plaster one on him. His gruff voice slowly began to regain some semblance of its normality, Lance shook his head amusedly.

What we are is the sum of a thousand lies
x xWhat we know is almost nothing at allxx
xBut we are what we are 'till the day we die
Or 'till we don't have the strength to go on

[Dragon_Lord_Akuma]

The officer smirked at the general. He was well known for his stick in-the-mud personality, but talking to anyone from the military was better than talking to these there peasants right now. He crossed his arms and looked up at the taller man as though he really had something interesting to say. “You have an assignment update.” hoping that this would catch his interest, “You know the… ‘special’ mission all officers have been issued?” he meandered on using air quotes, He then pulled out a rolled up parchment from his coat, “Well, it turns out that the Emperor’s scholars have discovered more on the… matter at hand.”

He looked around briefly before continuing in a lowered voice, “I hear that ever one in the palace and in the military is getting searched, and now they’re having us search the commoners.” He held out the cylinder of paper towards the General Sergov, “Apparently, they’ve discovered that the… people, we’re looking for have certain marks on their body. If we find that anyone, anyone at all, is acting suspicious or out of place, then we are required by the Emperor himself… to strip search them!” He’s smirk seemed to twist, as though this thought was incredibly amusing to him. “Can imagine?” He began snickering, “How crazy is that going to be?”

He turned to the side slightly, “It won’t be hard to do to the peasants, but if he doesn’t find what he’s looking for soon, then he might just try to strip everyone. It’s almost sad how desprate this Emperor has gotten. I almost wonder his he’s still got his head on straight.” He sighed at the thought, “But, anyways, that’s all I really needed to tell you. I’m not going to lie, I didn’t think I’d see you all the way out here in the slummy part of the Empire. But, then I guess this place does suit you a bit better than the inner cities.” He smirked waiting a few seconds for a reaction out of the general, but didn’t wait long. He was beginning to feel dirty here and didn’t want to be bothered by these kinds of people anymore.

[Isnook2]

Andrei Rofocale Sergov
xxxxxxxxI want your obedience.
xxxxxxxxxxxI want your absolute loyalty.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxI want your soul. Relinquish control to me.

Give yourself unto your God. Sacrifice yourself again.
Burn your thoughts, erase your will, To Gods of suffering and tears.

Well, he did have something interesting to say, though being succinct was obviously not one of the officer's merits. The silver-haired man noted the officer's crossing of arms as an unconcious sign of guardedness, the messenger's chatter was one which he was not used to, for so few in his vicinity dared to waste his time. The King's scholars had discovered something? When did they not? They were hard-pressed to churn out literature on improved kingdom management tactics, revolutionary farming devices and the like. It was almost mockery to think that the king was going to devote to much resources to researching a fable when they could be used elsewhere.

The man almost snatched the parchment from the militant, his eyes observing the seal to confirm that it was not a classified order before he broke the light wax and unfurled it. He let the man continue blabbering in a hushed tone as he analyzed the new set of orders, which didn't take long since it was phrased with military jargon. When he had completed this task the paper was folded into quarters before it was tucked into the inner pocket of his coat, where it was more secure from the fingers pesky street thieves. Hmm? The officer seemed to be waiting for a reply of some sort. He was tempted to depart immediately without so much as a blink, but it was hard not to jab some of the man's buttons with return fire.

"Comrade of the King's tongue, the best swords are impure, made of alloy. So then, I shall repay your kindness and withhold from deception." The words were uttered in his usual tone, but with a slight degree of patience, as if he was trying to teach a particularly slow and dumb-witted animal. With that, his right arm jerked up, slender but powerful fingers reaching out to enclose the messenger's chin while his index curled into the ridge of bone of his lower jaw; in order to prevent the poor man from jerking away or evading his grasp too soon. The general bent slightly dipping his head low to intrude into the man's personal space.

"You are fortunate Little One that I, as one of superior rank, has not been assigned to search you. It won’t be hard to do you at all." The general's lips finally began to skew, his features warping into amusement that mirrored the officer as he made the suggestion. This was accompanied by letting his gloved thumb stroke over the man's bottom lip with insensitive force, bruising the fragile flesh against hard enamel.

Well, he was also fortunate that the general did not have his blade on hand. While he would not have drawn it for a verbal insult, a harsh reprimand of its sheath would have delivered a knock which was almost as painful.

(Slight gm.)




Tie hallowed bonds around your hands. xxx
Kneel before this seat of shame,xxx
To Gods as lost,xxx
Gods as blind,xxx
Gods of suffering and pain.xxx

[.:Xhang Sen:.]

ɨf you play with fire...

λou're liable to get burned...

•·.·´¯`·.·•✿•·.·´¯`·.·•

Ember simply stood there clenching her fists as her sister picked up the scattered coins. Her soft voice was like a danger that pierced Ember's heart. She turned quickly as she heard the sound of her door opening and closing. No. She didn’t mean to scare her away! She ran to the door and was about to follow her sister, but found that as much as she willed herself to… her body would not obey her. Something was holding her back. Something was keeping her from stopping her sister from leaving. Stopping her from apologizing… was it pride? Or stupidity?

“Damnit!”

She slammed her fists on the door in sheer anger at her self. Why couldn’t she just be normal? Why did she always feel like she had to prove herself? Prove that she was better than people thought she was when she really wasn’t. It was as if she was lying to herself and she couldn’t stop herself.

She rested her forehead against the wood grain as she heard the sound of her horse on the other side. She didn’t deserve to have her sister… she didn’t even deserve that little time with she spent with Talyn. She always got worked up over the smallest, stupidest things. Her golden eyes shifted to the spilt bag of money that lay across the chair and floor.

Why couldn’t she just be grateful? Why did she have to have such a problem with using her father’s things? Even now, as she gazed upon the bag of gold pieces, she could see her father laughing at her incapability. His voice seemed to ring through her ears.

She took a deep breath and pushed herself away from the door. As much as she didn’t like using it, she did owe Rikka more than she could ever pay back. Using these supplies that was brought to her was the least she could do to show her appreciation.

She sauntered over to the chair and picked up the bag in her hand. She continued over to the food and the clothes, putting them “away” wherever that was. After the small table had been cleaned off, she walked outside.

Rikka was gone.

She wasn’t surprised…

She wondered how long it would be before she would see her sister again… maybe never. Especially after the way she treated her sister’s kindness. Ember knew that she brought this loneliness on herself. Her hand pulsed and she lightly tapped it with her other. She really didn’t deserve any of Rikka’s kindness.

It was later in the day now… too late to try going to town… She would have to try tomorrow. In the mean time… Her golden gaze shifted to the accursed weapon stuck in the tree. She still needed to work on that. It would probably take the rest of the day… And so there was no time like the present.

((I asked her permission already >.> ))

[arcanejalx]

+ Daisuke +

+ Alexandre +

+ Tatsurabi +

He had spotted the small cottage in the distance long before he even gave a thought as to who might be using it. Rather, he saw the lovely home as an absolutely perfect opportunity to sit back and relax after a painstaking three days of work. 'Track down the heirloom and we'll reward you handsomely!' they said. Oh, but of course my life can't be as easy as just finding a damn urn. No, I have to go find the guy who stole it, then find out who he sold it to, then find out who that guy sold it to. Oh, but it doesn't stop there, Daisuke Tatsurabi! No, then you have to interrogate the guy who 'had' the urn, only to find out the b*****d hid the thing in his damn bandit hideout!!! They're just lucky I need the money, that's all... Needless to say, Daisuke felt he deserved a bit of a vacation. He shouldered a large pack filled with all sorts of supplies (including the aforementioned urn) and eagerly started to jog toward the cabin.

However, his hopes for a free bed and possible access to the owner's belongings were promptly dashed to pieces when he spotted a lovely woman attempting to pull a sword out of its present position in a nearby tree. And I can't even get a free vacation home to go with the deal. Ah, Frostbite, things aren't looking too good for you at the present moment. Daisuke deduced that she had tried this before and, judging from the condition of the bandage on her hand, it wasn't too long ago. Hmmm... maybe this might work out to my benefit after all.

"Wow, that looks like it's stuck in there pretty good," he called out before she had a chance to try removing the sword again. He walked over to the pierced tree and started circling it, curiously examining the sword. "Judging by this, I'd say you got about a third of it in there. Nice job, however you did it." He turned back to Ember, an enthusiastic smile on his face. "I'll tell ya what. I bet I can get that sword out for ya... if you'll promise to do me a favor in return, hmm?" Daisuke was drawing on a bit of his infamous charisma to try and garner a free night's rest. After all, it beat paying for some inner-city inn where someone could easily steal the urn which he spent three days to get.

+ Frostbite, n. Injury or destruction of skin and underlying tissue, most often that of the nose, ears, fingers, or toes, resulting from prolonged exposure to freezing or subfreezing temperatures. +

[.:Xhang Sen:.]

ɨf you play with fire...

λou're liable to get burned...

•·.·´¯`·.·•✿•·.·´¯`·.·•

The young redhead had her hands on her hips thinking of the best way to get it out. She shifted her weight from side to side as she pondered when she got an idea. If she just got the rope that she had under her bed and tied it to the handle of her Charkam then it'd easier to pull it without getting hurt. Maybe she could even make some kind of weird contraption where she'll use the weight of a ro-

"Wow, that looks like it's stuck in there pretty good,"

Ember turned quickly to the source of this new voice. A man? Dressed in formal white garment… What the heck was a guy like him doing wandering around the outer city forest? Her golden orbs distorted into a mass flood of confusion. She didn't think anyone knew this place existed, let alone someone who looked like they belonged in an inner city manor of some kind. As he continued to examine the problem that lay before her, she continued to c**k her head to one side, still completely baffled by his sudden presence. Why was he even talking to her, or wasting his time walking over here.

However, her eyes immediately narrowed and she crossed her arms at his proposal. So that's it. To think! This guys just waltzes up assuming that she’s incapable of fixing her own problems and wants to demand a favor for doing something that she didn’t even ask him to do. No wonder he wanted to talk to her so badly. He wanted something from her. Could he really think that she was dense enough to just let him take advantage of her situation? She was so pissed, that she couldn’t even see straight anymore.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” She started not holding back, “Who ever said I needed help with this anyway? Just because I’m girl, doesn’t mean I can’t handle this. Back off and mind your own business!” She whispered under her breath “creep…”

At that she walked back to her little house and after a while came back out with a rope in hand ready to get this thing out herself.

((you don’t have to stop talking to her, that’s just the way she is. XD ))

[Brethil24]

Shaena laughed merrily, patting the blacksmith on his burly shoulder. “Of course it’s not a bother, we're friends right? You won’t need to worry at all now that I’m on the case. I’ll make sure that whoever’s doing deliveries isn’t another one of him.” She jabbed her thumb over her shoulder in the general direction of the officer from before, unaware of the situation playing out behind her. Anyways, it was good to see Lance had cheered up a little. The scene that had played out before seemed to have put a damper on his usually hearty nature, and was a little troubling to see him so unhappy. “Anyways, I’ve got some stuff I need to take care of right now, but I’ll come over later with Miku to make sure you remember to eat.” It was common knowledge that once he really got going, Lance had a tendency to forget things like eating and sleeping, and despite the amount of time he’d been given, the likelihood that the blacksmith would work himself into a frenzy was all too high.

Waving cheerfully over her shoulder, Shaena headed back over to her store, where Miku immediately mobbed her. “Don’t worry he’s fine,” Shaena chuckled as she cut off her assistant’s stammered questions about what had just happened. “Turns out the emperor has a job for him and the officer was just delivering the message. Not nice, but mostly harmless.” Miku sighed with relief, her whole body slumping slightly. “That’s good. But a commission from the emperor! It must be such an honor.” Shaena grinned cheekily and reached over to ruffle her hair. “Now why don’t you go tell him that yourself? I’m sure he’d be pleased.” Shaena laughed at the blush that quickly spread across Miku’s face and changed the subject. “We’ll be heading over there later with food. How about you run over to the food district and pick up something interesting, eh?” Miku nodded vigorously, perhaps grateful about not having to answer, as loose strands of hair fluttered all over her face. Well what better word could be used to describe the girl than eager to please? She turned to go, before pausing to look over her shoulder. “Ah, the general from before asked for you to hold a bird. He said he’d come back tomorrow.” She seemed rather nervous as she said this, as if she felt guilty about not restraining the man. She probably did. “Ack, what’s with that worried face? If he goes, he goes, and if he doesn’t come back, then it’s his loss. Now how about some pork buns?” Miku seemed to have calmed down a little, though her face was still slightly pink as she ran off towards the food district.

Shaena waited until she could no longer see her assistant weave and bob through the crowd before heading inside. The bird from before looked up and greeted her with a cheery chirp, and Shane smiled fondly as she passed it by. If the general actually came by, it would probably be more productive if she went ahead and wrote down instructions for the bird’s care rather than recite it all to him and hope he actually remembered, but Shaena had something else she wanted to write first. She made her way over to a door bearing a sign saying ‘Keep Out’ and proceeded to unlock it before reaching inside. What she pulled out were a pair of less than impressive sparrows in two very plain cages. Shaena hastily reached into her pocket and pulled out two scraps of parchment and scribbled something on both of them. The first gave a brief but accurate description of the general who’d walked into her store, while the other inquired about any reason why the emperor would have need for a blacksmith. She tied each note to a different bird before briefly heading outside to release them. The birds weren’t easy to train, but the city was filled with so many of them that no one bothered to give a second glance, making them good messengers as long as the destination was within city bounds. She stood there, waiting to make sure the birds were heading in the right direction before ducking back inside to write some instructions.

[Dragon_Lord_Akuma]

The officer crinkled his nose, almost offended that the general would say something that… well, that he didn’t understand. He’d never actually met this guy before, but he heard a lot of rumors that this guy was a nutcase. His troop was smaller than the usual general’s assigned count of men. He didn’t really want to stick around for much longer. Now that he finished his task, he wished for nothing more than to leave this god forsaken, slum ridden part of the empire.

However, before he could turn to leave, ignoring what the general said, the man got a hold of his chin, which made him flinch and as he attempted to jerk away, the taller man dug his finger into the officer’s jawbone. The lesser man winced at the pain, but was more concerned with the fact that the general had now moved in for the kill (figuratively). This made him feel even more uncomfortable. Not only was he trapped in place, but he also was closer to the man than he would have liked.

He desperately tried to keep from looking intimidated by the taller man’s actions, but he couldn’t help the slight quiver of his body. The officer fought to keep eye contact with the general as his words slipped through his ears. He couldn’t hold back a slight gasping of breath as he saw the general’s features twist. He struggled to smirk back to show what he was worth, but was interrupted by the general’s thumb movement. Wincing at the pain, he finally found the strength to glare back at the taller man.

The officer managed to raise his hand to grab the general’s hand and force it away before finally being able to step back in terror and anger. He couldn't find even one word in response to the general’s threat - instead, he tended to his lip, glaring pathetically before mounting his horse and quickly making his escape.

[arcanejalx]

+ Daisuke +

+ Alexandre +

+ Tatsurabi +

“Who the hell do you think you are? Who ever said I needed help with this anyway? Just because I’m girl, doesn’t mean I can’t handle this. Back off and mind your own business!”

Daisuke arched an eyebrow at the woman's sudden, sharp retort. Apparently, his charisma was failing him at this particular moment, with this particular person. As she left for a few moments, he decided how to best handle the current situation. Obviously, I'm not going to pass up on this wonderful opportunity for free bedding... or as close to free as I can squeeze out of her. If it means offering a bit of my... services in exchange for lodgings, then so be it. He calmly walked over to another tree - one where he could have a clear view of the woman's house, sword, and everything around it - and sat down. He gently placed his lance on the ground next to him, and waited for the woman to return.

"My, my... such harsh words from a lady! You're quite the spitfire, aren't you?" he asked as Ember returned with a few supplies. "You're almost like Kai! Except you're taller. And older. And a redhead. And don't wear ridiculous face paint. And - I only say this here, so she won't knock me over the head with her crossbow - a lot prettier." He comfortably stretched his body out before continuing. "Well, Miss Independent, if I can't oblige in helping you remove that pesky weapon from its not-so-hidden hiding place, then perhaps you'll allow me to rest here for a while? It's been a very rough couple of days." Daisuke punctuated his request with a slight, charming smile... although now he was a bit unsure about whether this attempt would work.

+ Frostbite, n. Injury or destruction of skin and underlying tissue, most often that of the nose, ears, fingers, or toes, resulting from prolonged exposure to freezing or subfreezing temperatures. +