Ashaland (read first post)

[Claude Faustus]

Draken swept into the gate-house, Frowning as he saw the soldiers scrambling this way and that.
As the alarm slowly died down, Draken was seated in the main hall waiting for Grant to arrive. He looked up as the soliders allowed a man thought the doors.
"You!"
The Mistral looked startled. "I thought I've left you behind."
"That woman, she wasn't...." Draken stopped himself in time, claws clenching, he walked towards the trickster keeping his voice low he hissed. "...you've wasted my time. now tell me the truth."  

[Toli Bera]

Vyril stepped back nervously. "Which truth sire?" he asked. he looked ready to flee the room.

Grant lay masaya in his bed the doctor having been called for in the meantime. he shook his head. "A general laid low by illness. what a disaster. next you'll infect the rest of our men." he turned to leave and sneezed. "Curse you."  

[Claude Faustus]

Draken Growled thought gritted teeth. "Where is Sabyien's lover?"  

[Toli Bera]

"I don't know!" he kept backing away scared that the man would harm him. "His lover might be here... or back at the castle. they could be anywhere."  

[Claude Faustus]

Realizing that he was acting unreasonable Draken took a step back and deep breath to get his temper under control.
"Soldier, take this man to the prison."
"But Sire, this man....is the High lord's messenger." the soldier protested.  

[Toli Bera]

"Do as I order." the demon glared at the guard. Vyril tried to protest, but the guards captured him dragging him off as he struggled.

from the opposite hallway Grant appeared wiping his nose on a handkerchief. spotting Darren he dropped to his knee. "Sire. what brings you here?"  

[Claude Faustus]

"Purely an accident." Draken replied. "That southern minstrel had lead me on a wild chase."
The demon huffed and shrugged his shoulders. "Has the General Masaya finished his inspection?"
"Sire, He has arrived lastnight and is bed with a Cold."
Here Draken lifted an eyebrow. "Really?"

He climbed the stairs to the upper rooms. gently waving aside the doctor that came to attend the to the sick general.
"But Sire, he needs rest, he's in no condition to take in visitors." The doctor said as the demon closed the door in his face.
"General Masaya..." He began.  

[Toli Bera]

bleary eyed and looking quite unwell Masaya looked up at the king. "sire..." he gave a weak salute from his bedside looking at the demon. had he been well he would have realized why the man was there. "What brings you here?"  

[Claude Faustus]

( Pht! There is no King in Ashaland, Draken is not even a noble, he's more of an advisor to Sabyien.))


"Sabyien's messenger had promised to take me to his secret lover." He said, pouring him another glass of cool water and putting it within reatch.
The half demon sat on the short stool. "You are his friend, you must know why I am searching for her. Sabyien must get married soon or he will lose his creditability as being part of the nobility."  

[Toli Bera]

Masaya shifted in the bed. "Secret lover? is this some ruse to try and position him in a place to be ridiculed?" he asked drinking the water fast gulping it down his hands trembling. "any word on who?" he asked  

[Claude Faustus]

"I am trying to prevent it from happening. If anyone hears that the Highlord has a secret lover and he is not willing to tell us who that is then Sabyien may not be Highlord for much longer."
The half demon, refilled Masaya's glass. "I was hoping who it might be so that I can speak to her, perhaps she will be willing to marry him to save his image and place in life. " Draken's single burning crimson eye met Masaya's
"It is for the sake of Ashaland and the wish of his mother that he for fills the position for the rest of his term. He still has much to do." he paused wondering just how much he should tell this young man.
"How close are you to him?" He asked. "Do you consider him his friend? and I'm not merely asking if you simply are grateful of him because he completed your training and gave you your postion.....but is it a genuine friendship?"  

[Toli Bera]

Masaya looked at the demon, for once not with fear or awe, but with a quiet discomfort. "Marry the highlord..." he gently rubbed the rim of the glass contemplatively. "I concider him my greatest ally. my only true friend. I would lay down my life to protect him like any knight would for their lord. but if he has taken a lover i cannot say. i respect his position and secrets he may keep to ask him of such things." he shook his head at Draken. "I do not know her name."  

[Claude Faustus]

"You are aware that if this get's out....Kalim would be the next highlord?" When he got a nod he continued. "A narrow minded man like him would undo all the progress that Lady Elysia strove for, vampires will be our bitter enemies once more instead of our tentative allies. He will push Ashaland back into the dark ages, where anyone different was prosecuted and exiled." He said meaningfully, Masaya's dark completion and deep brown hair revealed his southern ancestry. ".....and anyone with demon blood in them will be hunted down like animals." Draken didn't mean himself, his main concern was for Sabyien's safety.
"I hope that whoever this girl is, she has the intelligence enough to either stop seeing him or reveal herself to me so that we can make some kind of arrangement."  

[Toli Bera]

"I understand." Masaya said darkly. his eyes going to the bed cover. he coughed a bit. "if sabyien is here, you should talk to him directly. this is perhaps something better dealt with with him. tell him tomorrow I'll be leading an advance charge to scout out enemy encampmets. i will be gone for some time."  

[Claude Faustus]

"Sabyien is not here yet." Draken said seeming surprised by the news. "He should have been here by now. "A messenger came to the palace, apparently the south is moving to make war."