Of Killers and Kings

[cannibal cookbook]

THE CONTINENT OF AURORA

Village & Swampland:
xx

Wastelands & Floria:
xx

Isch Mountains & Empire City:
xx


Saene Forest & Faeira:
xx


Eruna & Ixzian:
xx

Quille Town & Dour:
xx

Sedneth:
xx

Westend & Pirate's Cove:
xx


Rendell & Sheikra's Temple:
xx


Kikaan & Andromeda Island:
xx

[cannibal cookbook]

Denre

-Arguably the largest continent on Aurora, located in the central and north-east. It also has the greatest geographic diversity, consisting of everything from the highest mountain range to the desert-like wastelands, swamps in the north, river valleys, and grassy plains.
-It has the largest land army of all of the countries. They place high value on courage and faithfulness on the battlefield.
-The population mostly consists of humans.
-Empire City is where the royal and governing families take residence.
-Floria is a river-valley oasis in the midst of the wastelands. It's a haven for outcasts, rogues, gypsies, bounty hunters, criminals, assassins, and other people of that sort. It is known for its gladiator tournaments and other violent sports.
-Quille Town is a moderately sized river port in the center of the country.
-Dour is the country's border-patrol city, where a large portion of the army resides.
-Andromeda Island is mostly devoid of any human settlement and has a reputation for being cursed.

Hynn

-Hynn is located to the north-west of the continent, most of it encompassed in vast forests of the Saene. This forest seems to have a will of its own.
-The population of Hynn mostly consists of elves, fairies, and other magic folk.
-Faeira is a fae settlement inside the Saene on the banks of the Noira River.
-Eruna is the largest Elven settlement on the western coast of the continent. Their small but forceful naval fleet is docked here.

Jespa

-Jespa is the smallest country on Aurora, consisting of the mountainous peninsula and large island off the west coast and the Elven Waters. It's run by one of the largest and most formidable groups of pirates and other ruthless outcasts.
-The population is a pleasant mix of all races. Anyone who can survive initiation is welcomed.

Gorxoth

-Gorxoth is the southernmost country, and the second largest by land mass compared to Denre. Most of the farthest south coasts are encased in ice caps. This country and its northern neighbor, Denre, don't often get along. Gorxothians are more ruthless and sly in their battle tactics.
-The population consists of humans, dark elves, shape-shifters, whatever.
-Sedneth is a mysterious, ghostly city with a quiet population known for training the stealthiest and most elite of assassins.
-Rendell is a city carved from the soft rocks of the mountains. The population mostly consists of humans.
-Ixzian is the largest city on the continent, both by population and area. Most Gorxothians call this city home.
-Kikaan is a city only the toughest can survive in because of its freezing weather and constant storms.
-Sheikra's Temple is a religious temple located near an active volcano in the far west of the country. Hardly any settlements survive for long in that area.

[Sick Salacious X]

From the swamplands of Denre to the Ixzian Palace at Gorxoth, three weeks into his journey and gray-green eyes finally took in the majesty of the grandiose building style of the natives. Dorian Jules was an individual of contrasts, his mother had been a wood elf, his father a demon and as such his appearance was quite peculiar with the slender body type of the elves, but the slitted eyes and peculiar coloring of his demon father. A hand swiped away at his usually shoulder length teal hair which had started to tickle its way down his back undoubtedly thanks to the long trek across nearly the entire blasted continent of Aurora. His emerald green robes blew about in the wind which was constantly attempting to throw him off balance by catching his wings which were nearly invisible being only a shade darker than his robes. A growl resounded in Dorian's chest, expressing his annoyance.

His life was that of an assassin, growing up in the swamplands and trained in the arts of killing. Twenty four years of life spent snuffing out the lives of others- be it plant, animal, or living being. Dorian sighed and hitched his bag up his shoulder, marching up towards what he hoped to be a comfortable dwelling. Little over a month ago he had received two summons, one for an assassin who was to protect the royalty at the palace at all costs, the second as a live-in alchemist and herbalist which was to be his guise while in this southern part of the country. Naturally he'd burned the papers declaring the need of an assassin and brought only those calling for the palace's needs of a glorified expert gardener. Dorian's skill with plants was naturally hard to match, having grown his own poisons and tonics in the marshy swamps of the north, but he was irked at the need for a cover, why couldn't he simply be placed in the palace as an additional guard? He sighed and brushed his hair behind the two ram shaped aquamarine horns, hoping that they would help in protecting his wispy hair from the grappling hands of the wind.

Dorian had no idea why the royalty here would feel the need of such extreme protection, there had seemed to be little to no civil unrest in the cities although he had not witnessed any of the impoverished that tended to dwell in the outskirts of every other city in Aurora. He stretched as he finally came to the gates of the palace and greeted a guard by way of showing him the letter stamped with the royal seal, he was then led through the grounds and up the stairway, through numerous hallways (really, what was the point of a bodyguard if the palace was practically a maze?) Dorian straightened out as best he could while being marched up to a throne and being made to bow and wait for royalty that didn't even seem to be present.

'I swear to all that is holy, if this is how I'm to be treated for the duration of my stay they can handle their own problems. This indignity is ill befitting my status.'

[cannibal cookbook]

"Stand," the silken voice of a male figure echoed throughout the royal hall. He was addressing the bowed figure in front of the throne. His footsteps thudded rhythmically on the dark marble floors as he entered and stood just a foot away from his new 'expert gardener.' Not short, not tall, and with an average muscular build and slate-gray skin, his deep blue eyes matched the shine of his combed back, raven-colored hair. His clothes were plain and by far much less extravagant than royalty, or nobles, for that matter, although they were well-made and well-tailored to fit his body perfectly, down to every contour. Unlike Dorian, he lacked most of the basic tell-tale features of a demon except for the slight upward point at the top of each of his ears.

He nodded towards the guards, dismissing them from the room. Once they were gone, he was free to speak what he needed to speak. "You're here because I have heard you're the best at what you do," he continued as he inspected Dorian with a scrutinizing stare, as if he was trying to search the other man's very soul for proof of the claim. "You may or may not know that the king of this country, my father, is laying on his death bed, and I don't suspect many people will praise my ascension to command. However, despite my impure blood, despite my birth by a human whore of a mother, I am here, and it is my given birthright. That is why I need you - someone from another birthplace. Someone without given bias or bitterness towards me. Do your job well until I establish myself and you will be rewarded with the gift of your choosing."

He paused, and let a moment of silence fill the hall. He lowered his voice. "You are required to keep a cover because I know there are people within these walls who would see me dead. I want you to seek them out and discreetly dispose of them without raising suspicion."

[Sick Salacious X]

Dorian took in the appearance of the prince, a small smile alighting his face as he took in his words and nodded agreement. Part of his mind noted that neither of them quite looked the part: the prince certainly didn't appear to be of royal blood about to take the throne and Dorian himself certainly didn't look like a trained assassin, being short in stature with thin wiry muscles that were barely noticeable.

"Are there any individuals in particular that you suspect? Perhaps other new additions to the palace grounds, or older individuals who may see you as being unfit?" His eyes roamed the hall, taking in the lavish decorations before turning back to the prince. Judging by his clothes he certainly hadn't been the one to decorate.

"And what of my quarters?" He asked as an afterthought, wondering if like in previous arrangements he would be required to remain near the prince's dwellings. "As for my duties on the palace grounds, I'd like to see the greenhouses or wherever it is the plants are kept so I might keep up the charade." Perhaps Dorian should have kept proper decorum but being alone with only the prince he felt little need for it, he couldn't give a rats a** who was royalty or not, he'd killed greater men alongside petty thieves. He would play his role when and where it was necessary.

[cannibal cookbook]

"My uncle, for sure," he responded with a smirk as he led the way from the great hall towards the palace grounds, his hands clasped together behind him as he walked. His eyes constantly scanned every shadow, every corner, just to make sure nobody would overhear his words. "He's always had a grudge for me. My father is the king, but my uncle's son - my cousin - is pure, and that, I believe, is more than enough reason to envy me to my murder."

"As for where you will be staying... It would be strange for a gardener to share quarters with me. Were you an official bodyguard, such a circumstance would be looked over, but you are an assassin under guise. The southern wing of the palace is where all of the staff and servants who work inside the palace live when they are not on duty. You can find accommodations there."

As they stepped into the sunny outside of the courtyard, a chilling wind from the frozen alps in the south met them. There was not a cloud in the sky, but the air and the winds kept the earth frozen enough as it was in Ixzian.

"These gardens in the courtyard will need tending to occasionally," he mentioned as he passed them and kept walking, eventually coming to, lo and behold, a greenhouse filled with invaluable species of plants including medicines, spices, and vegetables that would not otherwise grow in such a harsh climate.

"I would like you to report to my study near the throne room every other morning and inform me of what you may have uncovered. Be wary. All inside these walls are to be suspected."

[Sick Salacious X]

Dorian's eyes hungrily took in the greenhouses, knowing that if he weren't on an assignment he would be more than happy enough to spend all his time within those warm glass walls, amidst plants he was sure to be familiar and unfamiliar with. He sighed and shuddered in the chill breeze, thinking to himself that he was unsuited for such a cold environment.

"And where can I find your uncle and cousin?" Dorian asked, eyes forever scanning their surroundings, after all a prince and a gardener would be two easily slaughtered individuals under normal circumstances. He had plans for improving the castle's ground which he could easily show both the prince's cousin and uncle, claiming he sought their approval before moving ahead with changing the grounds. Not that Dorian actually planned to put forth the total labor that would be required to change the grounds unless the prince were to ask it of him but he couldn't otherwise think of a reason that a gardener would need to contact two members of the royal family who were as high ranking.

Dorian blinked a little tiredly as he followed the prince, attempting not to let it show, but he couldn't lie to himself that a bed after weeks of sleeping on the ground or out in the woods would be a welcome change.

[cannibal cookbook]

"They live on an estate just north of the city. I expect they'll be coming soon, perhaps today, to visit my father. Even if they don't come now, they will be required to attend the funeral. And that, I can assure you, will be soon." He stopped at the entrance to the southern wing of the palace. "If you're with me, you may be able to approach them directly. Otherwise, do what you can to seek out information on whatever they may be planning. I can't stress enough that you make sure nobody knows who you really are."

He cleared his throat and gestured to the building behind him.

"This is where I leave you for now, as I have personal matters to attend to," he informed with a nod. "Should you be needing assistance with your duties, seek out Tariq. He is wise, and he is one of my personal advisers."

[Sick Salacious X]

Dorian resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the prince. In his line of work, someone discovering his identity was usually a warrant for his arrest. He wondered about approaching Tariq however, what exactly was he supposed to ask of this individual? If anything Dorian would ask for assistance in settling into his new environment and nothing more. Call him overly paranoid, but just because he delt with death on a daily basis did not mean he had a deathwish.

With tired resignation he headed towards the servants' quarters, managing to get lost and aquire the assistance of a maid who happened to pass by. His lone sack of items was dropped at the foot of a seemingly empty bed and he fell on it face first, closing his eyes and not even considering taking off his shoes or changing clothes. The castle was heaven and the bed a cloud after so many days of travel.

[cannibal cookbook]

As evening fell, the robed figure of a man stalked the halls of the south wing's quarters in search of his bed for a well-deserved rest and some peace from the hectic happenings of the day. He went by Tariq, a Sezrian Wastelander, and his appearance credited his name. He was very tall, and tanned, with dark eyes and very short black hair. On his face ran a scar from his scalp, over his forehead, and to the bridge of a slightly crooked nose that never healed straight from obviously having been broken. His features were young, but his seemingly tired eyes and his scars deluded that facade. He was old, even though he might not have looked a day over thirty. Underneath the sleeves of his robe, the pointer finger on his left hand was missing completely, and his middle finger on the same hand was cut off to the knuckle. His right hand, from what could be seen, was completely bandaged up with not an inch of skin to be seen. Any other marking on his body were concealed by those long robes.

"Have you gotten yourself lost?" he inquired aloud, raising his voice enough to wake whomever had decided to steal his bed. He walked into the room and placed a heavy tome on the wooden desk near the window with a thud. He then turned around, and with his arms crossed, examined the person on his bed - anyone in the quarters who had been there for more than a week would know to stay clear and stay out of his room. This person he had never seen before, and obviously, had never heard of his reputation.

Right. We were informed that there would be a few new additions to the staff this week. He must be one of them.

"I suppose the Prince told you to come see me. Well, speak quickly on your matters."

[Sick Salacious X]

Dorian's hand fell on the first thing within reach, a wooden style or something to that effect. The object was promptly flung at the intruder before he realized where he was and sat up with a start, blinking sleep out of his eyes as he stared at the tanned... freak?

"You say summit?" He asked with a yawn, it was fortunate he hadn't fallen asleep with a dagger in his hand, otherwise the prince may have had to search for a new adviser, "Matters?" Dorian asked, trying to shake the sleep from his muddled brain before holding out his hand.

"Dorian, I'm the herbalist, or gardener- whichever you wanna call me... And who are you?" He asked with a yawn.

[cannibal cookbook]

The whistling sound of something flying through the air was soon changed to the thunk and clatter of said object hitting the wall and ricocheting to the floor. Tariq's eyes glanced from the floor to the figure on his bed, his gaze now narrowed and his brows furrowed to a dangerous crease.

"Gardener?" he repeated in question, blatantly refusing the other male's extended hand. As far as Tariq was concerned, he didn't like this guy already, although that was usually how he met newcomers.

He uncrossed his arms and stood idly by the window. "I am Tariq Shadar, Callias' adviser. And you are intruding, Dorian the Gardener. You have vacant rooms to choose from in the next hall." He paused, and then figured that while he was talking he would inform the new gardener of anything else he might need to know for tomorrow (rather, answer the question he was most asked by newcomers before it was even asked) just to avoid future confusion and headache. "The cooks in the mess hall downstairs provide dinner at eight bells in the evening. Fresh bread is baked in the morning."

[Sick Salacious X]

cannibal cookbook

Dorian snorted a little derisively at Tariq and gave him a lopsided grin, resisting the urge to laugh at his expression. Apparently they'd gotten off on the wrong foot, oh well. He wasn't here to make friends. He didn't particularly care when or where food was prepared, Dorian was accustomed to eating on his own time and was sure that he could find his own meal in the greenhouses if it came to it.

"Thank you Tariq, the advisor." Dorian said with a flourish, getting up and patronizingly bowing before him, looking up with a grin before straightening his posture. "I'll contact you if I have any other questions." He held out his again in the futile hope of receiving a handshake. From the expression on Tariq's face he was doing a wondrous job of pissing him off.

[cannibal cookbook]

The snide grins and sarcastic bows of reverence would not be idly forgotten, however, for the moment, and per usual, Tariq had no intention of furthering the disturbance. Rather, he would enact his revenge of sorts in more subtle ways. He let out a small huff and turned to his desk without even a second glance at the friendly handshake gesture. "Oh, please do," he responded, covering up his brazen annoyance with a subtly calm tone to his deep voice. "Just make sure you knock next time."

When she heard the clattering and voices echoing from Tariq's room, one of the maids in the hall abruptly stopped to eavesdrop on the conversation. When she heard the footsteps coming for the door, she quickly straightened herself, briskly walked off and went to spread her gossip around. Pretty soon, the hallways were alight with conversation, and the new herbalist and his encounter with Tariq was the hot topic of the day.

"So the new herbalist got on Tariq's bad side already?"
"Well, you know how that man is... everyone is on his bad side at first."
"I'm surprised he didn't break the guy's arm, or at least dislocate his shoulder. Who just walks into a room without even looking?"
"I'm not surprised at all, actually. You know how the Prince scolds him for being excessive like that."
"I know. He's the only person Tariq listens to, though I suppose that's how it should be. He is the Prince and all, but still... They're so close. Too close."
"Oh God, don't let him hear you say that!"

[Sick Salacious X]

cannibal cookbook

Dorian only smiled to himself as he exited the room, not failing to notice that everywhere he went silence ensued, only to be followed up by the idle chatterings of those with not enough to talk about on a daily basis. After his nap he felt refreshed and ready to poke around, wishing he'd thought to examine the contents of the room he left. It took Dorian a while to locate a clock but fortunately it appeared that he hadn't managed to sleep through dinner, in fact dinner was to begin shortly for the servants if Tariq had told the truth.

However, Dorian chose to spend the time when the servant's quarters was sure to be empty to poke around the remainder the rooms of those other than Tariq, listening into what vague gossip could be overheard. Both his better senses, as well as the whispers of the servants warned him to avoid the adviser if he valued his life, or rather a life of any sort of ease while here. It was with a sigh that Dorian peered at Tariq's door with longing, he was sure that the servants weren't kidding about Tariq breaking his arm, not that the 'herbalist' doubted his ability to take on the adviser, the problem was more along the lines of the suspicion which would be aroused by a)taking on the adviser hand to hand or b) kicking the adviser's a** hand to hand. In general it would just arouse too much attention.

But his searches of course led to nothing among the limited belongings of maids and cooks and servant boys. A couple letters to family outside the palace and nothing of value that made anyone stick out. Dorian sighed as he sat back in a creaky wooden chair, rubbing his eyes until a chipper feminine voice caught his attention and he hunted down a bed that was genuinely empty this time, in a room with a door he could actually lock. The only object of note in his possession was the small dagger he kept hidden inside his boot, taking it out he set his footwear at the end of his bed, and kept his hand under the pillow with a firm grasp on the dagger, reminding himself not to assault the next person to wake him. Although he hoped the door would be enough to protect any unthinking intruders.


((It took me like 8 tries to figure out how to spell examine... I kept thinking of the french word for test e.e))