|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 7:30 pm
Ana was shaking slightly, frankly terrified by the outburst and its noise and the strange man who appeared in the hall. She was unaware of the low embarrassed murmur that had begun to fill it and of the tall flute that had slipped from her white hand.
Nieth had risen to her feet when the Dragon Lord had commanded her to escort Micoi to her room, but now she stood frozen in place, one hand still resting on the table. She was shocked, like the vast majority of the room, and uncertain how to respond. She wasn't thinking about possibly disobeying and angering further Lord Jett, but about what she should do to help the poor woman. It had obviously been too much, all this pomp and ceremony and harsh reality, and the head maid wished to enfold Micoi in her arms.
Something tender in her had been stirred by Micoi's sudden outburst and she had been reminded of herself. Oh, she knew how the game worked now and she played by its rules, but for an instant she had seen a far younger girl in the Dragon Queen's form, a shorter, less romantically beautiful, less elaborately adorned one.
Chest clenched in on itself, she turned to Ana.
"Don't just stand there. Clean up the glass you dropped. Continue to serve the table. I will be back shortly."
Baran coughed awkwardly into his fist, blushing slightly in embarrassment for both the Lord and Micoi and all the actually important people at the table.
"Geeze," he muttered under his breath and to himself, "couldn't wait until after dinner to throw the hissy-fit, huh?"
Aiketh watched as Nieth left the table, then stood suddenly herself.
"Excuse me, Lord Jett." Her voice was firm, though she was visibly distracted. "I am excusing myself from dinner until further notice. I apologize for the inconveniance." Even as she was speaking, her hand was straying to the hilt of her blade, eyes darkening. Without waiting to see how her statement had been taking, Aiketh strode quickly from the room, heading out the door Micoi had been heading to before Kanak had interrupted.
It seemed to here that no more than a heartbeat had passed before she was in the hallway, then on the stairs, mounting them faster than she could recall doing before. Her head was clear, perfectly so, and Aiketh found herself thinking with a keen precision. All the same, the walls seemed to pass with a sticky slowness, before all of a sudden showing her to be in a different part of the castle. She didn't remember when she had drawn her ceremonial sword, but when she glanced down as she turned up another flight of stairs, she found it in her hand. By the time she reached their landing, it had been abandoned for her actual weapon, a much longer and thicker weapon.
It wasn't long before she had reached the corridor housing the private chambers for guests of the crown. Without stopping in her pace, she flung open the wide doors to Micoi's room, halting suddenly in their shadows.
"Who are you."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 7:56 pm
As Aiketh burst the door open, Kanak raised his head and fixed a pair of dark violet orbs on the officer, it was very easy for her to sense; this was a pure youkai. Blinking calmly at Aiketh from where he sat on the large bed that would fit two people with ease, leaning his back on the decorative headboard and with Micoi lying, asleep, in his lap. Actually, she was lying on her stomach, safely cradled between his legs with her head on his chest. Faint streaks from her earlier tears still visible on her cheek and with her corset loosened and partly undone down her back she seemed pretty peaceful.
"You know, it's very rude to rush into someone's room without even knocking first," he told her calmly, compltely ignoring the dangerous looking sword in her grasp. "You could have woken her too." He didn't seemed fazed in the least by anything, not even teh fact that the light shield around the castle should hurt him, even make it impossible for him to be there. Yet there he was, sitting calmly with the Queen-to-be in his lap and petting her head absently.
"I'm Kanak, the one who found and adopted Micoi after her parents were killed long ago on their trip back to Dusis. And yes, I'm pure youkai," he said, stating the already obvious.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 8:04 pm
((He is SUCH a cocky b*****d. XDD))
Aiketh's eyes were narrowed and her voice, though dark, was equally calm.
"What are you doing here? How did you get in? Did she," her free hand gestured towards the sleeping queen-to-be, "summon you here?"
Stepping slowly into the room, Aiketh let the doors fall closed behind her, pulling the room into a deeper shadow. "What did you do to her? It's only been a minute; she couldn't have fallen asleep that quickly."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 8:20 pm
((XD Yes! Isn't he? XD;; But he's lovely.))
Kanak blinked at the female once and then laughed softly, making sure to keep his voice low. "I haven't done anything, merely talked to her. Let's get this straight before you ask," he looked Aiketh directly in the eye, smirking lightly and seemingly amused with her for some reason. "To Micoi I'm like a father, or adoptive father if you wish, an older brother, her best friend and lover." Moving a hand from her back where it had been resting, he held out a violet stone dangling from a leather cord in the air.
"She made this for me, with her Dragon Eyes mind you. With it I can teleport anywhere I want. Also, who else but Micoi would possibly ever grant me full access to the Dragon Castle? If she was going to have to live here the rest of her life she wasn't about to drop all her contacts with her previous life." He let the pendant drop back to rest on his chest.
"Why I'm here? Very simple. I sincerely doubt that any of you would even be able to calm her in the state she was, let alone comfort her. She trusts and listens to me, much less than she does you, I can tell you. And how I was able to know she needed me, well, that's for me and Micoi alone to know," he said before carefully lifting Micoi's upper torso a bit and crawling out from beneath her. Lying her down, on her back now, on the bed, making sure she didn't awak, Kanak stepped up to stand a few feet away from Aiketh.
"What I can tell you however is that you guys owe me a huge favor," he said with a quite smug smirk that the Black Officer no doubt would get irritated over. But the youkai quickly continued before she could speak up. "Though I wouldn't want you to do anything for me, there are limits even to me." He grinned teasingly before turning serious.
"I've talked to Micoi, and not long before you burst in I told her to use her Dragon Eyes to go to sleep. I'm surprised she could muster so much air while in that tight thing," he said with a glance over his shoulder at the offending corset that he had undone partly for the dragon upon their arrival in her room.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 8:37 pm
Instead of snapping at Kanak, Aiketh looked him levelly in the eyes. The only sign that she was getting, very much so to be honest, irritated with him was the slight tinge to her cheeks.
"What do you want." Her words were calm but icy cold. "You and I both know I'm in no position to give any guarentees, but if what you desire is within reason, I can suggest it to the Lord. Tell me first," her seeminly newfound boldness was making her pushier than usual, "what would have happened had you not arrived when you did? Why do we 'owe you'?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 8:57 pm
He blinked wide-eyed at her, visibly surpirsed, even though it quickly passed. With a soft 'heh', he grinned at her, showing his fangs. "I don't want anything from you, even though you owe me greatly. Really, my little riwa-sama, or princess in your langauge, was the sole survivor of a youkai attack on her traveling party when her family was on their way, with Arinian mercenary escort, to Dusis when she was five. I found her not a day later and had I not taken her in and raised her she would have been dead within short. They weren't near any city or even village when the attackers came upon them." He smiled lightly here, looking like her was reminiscing.
"Really," he told her, focusing on Aiketh again. "I could easily have told her that at one point in her life there would come evil dragons who wanted to kidnap her, or worse. But I didn't. I told her the truth, what her Dragon Eyes meant, and don't think I didn't know what she was when I first met her, because I did. I could very easily have led her to hate you, to actively try and keep her away... but I didn't. You lucked out big time, dragons." It was fairly clear that he was only on neutral terms with her race, and that was at its best, he was a youkai after all.
"You really should be happy... had I given in to her, she would have lost her virignity before she even turned twenty. First time was when she was around 17, and don't tell me you haven't been at that age and known how she felt. Plus, we lived in a remote place and the closest village was a few miles away. I told her she was too young at that time, the next time was when she was around 50. Honestly, you really do owe me. I told her she should wait until she was 100 and if you hadn't come looking for her before that... well, you had just yourselves to blame. She even made me promise to give her what she wanted for birthday present, and I held that promise to her." It was becomgin rather obvious that despite this man being a youkai and only neutral at best with the Dragon Tribe... he had gone an awful lot out of his way to keep one of their most precious treasures safe and happy... the Dragon Queen.
"But really, I don't want anything form you..." He leaned his head closer to her, staring into her eyes. "Except that you keep her happy," he told her gravely. "If I ever find her without her Eyes, and regretting it, I will personally come here and rip your Lord's eyes out." Now that was a threat.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 9:08 pm
Midare had kept silent through all the yelling, wide blue eyes darting back and forth between everyone in the room. On one hand, she could understand Micoi's frustration ... as she felt the same way sometimes. But ... she's also grown up in a society that emphasized quiet and refinement. Not that she'd liked it. But she'd learned to deal with it ... and sort of play both sides.
She didn't know what was going on with the Dragon Lord either, but she kind of thought maybe he needed to cool it. Just a bit. At one point, she had thought about dumping some water on his head ... but then decided that might not be such a good idea.
Kanak though ... she'd had her doubts about him at first. After all, he was a youkai. But she ... really didn't know what might have happened if he hadn't shown up when he did. And there was no denying that he obviously cared for Micoi. Quite a bit, apparently. She sighed slightly, glancing around and wondering if there was anything at all to be said about this ...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 9:18 pm
Now Aiketh was more visibly angry. Her voice was shaking very slightly, almost unnoticibly unless you listened carefully.
"Please restrain yourself from speaking in such terms about Lord Jett. I can assure you, both he and his staff will do everything to ensure that a fiasco such as tonight's does not occur again. There are many people at the castle who are not as two-faced as the scum out there tonight and they do care about her well-being." Taking a steadying breath Aiketh continued in a more carefully composed tone. "I will personally vouch for her following days to be far more pleasant than tonight was."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 9:21 pm
Illusia wasn't sure what to say about all this... this whole mess, and when Aiketh rushed away and Neith left too, he felt like it was, somehow, falling upon him to calm the Dragon Lord. Or at least see how he was. Of course, Kushina was the eldest of them all and, ultimately, had known Jett the longest, but when it came to some things she wasn't closest to him.
He wasn't sure what to think about the Queen-to-be either. Sure, it had obviously become quite a bit too much for her, but she had really taken out quite a lot on them too, maybe a bit too much. It was true that they hadn't come for her earlier, and if they had waited a bit longer their Wind Knight might just have informed them instead of the Dragon Consort's location when she arrived... The Yellow Dragon Officer just hoped that this wouldn't put a too deep slash in the Lord and Lady's relationship before it even had started!
And then there was the youkai... How had he even gotten inside!? He wasn't worried though, Aiketh was on it and had left so quickly that they impossibly could have left the castle, meaning they still had to be inside.
Sighing at the situation, Illusia glanced over at Kushina, silently asked her with his eyes if he would be the one to go to Jett... or her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 9:43 pm
Kanak smiled slightly, though it wasn't much out of happiness or amusement, it had a certain grimness to it. "My thanks... if they mean anything to you." It was obvious that he would accept her words, and would probably keep her to them too, but he was prepared to do what it took to follow up his threat. "Since you seem so sincere about it, I'll let you in on a little secret on how my daughter works." They would need it, he reckoned, if they were to have any luck at keeping Micoi happy.
"See, because she knows how to use her Dragon Eyes without having to wish, when she actually do wish it is pure and directly from her heart. Only problem with that is that she might only want that at the moment. Like down there in the hall if you want an example. She was about to wish away her Eyes, all courtesy of her then current emotional state. I'm sure as Nadil was alive that she wouldn't have felt so happy about that afterwards, he explained to Aiketh. "The point is, when she wishes, she's most often blinded by something at the moment and doesn't notice it herself that she actually is wishing. I must say, I didn't try to stop her from learnign how to use her Dragon Eyes, I actually helped her because, make no mistake, even I have had quite some joy of her ability to use them at will. But when she says she wishes... she might not always wish for something she will want afterwards. So take heed. Getting her very angry or sad, which takes some work, isn't always very safe," Kanak warned the female dragon.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 10:14 pm
Aiketh nodded, almost eagerly accepting the yokai's advice. It would doubtlessly come in handy. "And are you willing to share with us any ways of calming her down?" She finally lowed the tip of her blade to the ground, though she did not put it away. She wasn't that trusting of this strange yokai yet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 10:25 pm
Having straightened up, the youkai tilted his head to the side and looked at the officer for a second, almost as if judging if she would be capable of doing the job of keeping Micoi happy. Finally he straightened up completely. "Get close to her, there's really no other way. She has grown up with me so she knows I will always be at her side and at the moment, since you've all lived in Dusis only, you're not so high in her favor, if I have understood it correct. At the moment she's putting Dusis against Arinas. She grew up with freedom and just because she was born with Dragon Eyes she isn't about to throw that away in the blink of an eye. I doubt anyone of you could easily, or quickly either, get even partly as close to her as I am... but try. You'll need someone who can relate to her and understand her, and convince her that they do" he finished.
"If there wasn't anything else, I'll be leaving now. If you don't wake her up, Micoi will be sleeping for some while now. It's just a normal sleep after all," he said, as if he thought she hadn't believed him when he told her Micoi had used her Eyes to go into dream land.
Without waiting for a reply, the dark man walked past Aiketh, she would be able to ask him anything if she wanted before he got out the door after all. "Whether you like it or not, I can visit here without any of you really being able to stop it or notice my comings and goings if you do not look for it," he said when passing her. "And I know that if it wasn't for Micoi... you would kill me in the blink of an eye. Really, you would cut me down right now if it wasn't so that it would sadden her so much, I'm sure," he said as he put his hand on the handle.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 10:32 pm
Aiketh was very careful to keep her sword steady. It was true. She greatly desired to slash upwards and into his flesh, but it would not be appropriate. Not at this point in time, at any rate.
"Yes," she finally responded. "You are correct. When you... next return I hope you are greeted by a more plesant sight. Will you be returning to Arinas now?"
She turned with him as he walked to the door and followed with a glance at Micoi as he stepped into the hallway. It was standard proceedure, really. The Dragon Queen would be just as safe a few feet behind her and she was to escort this visitor-intruder from the castle... as well as she could.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 10:37 pm
The banquet down below was already once more returning to... something... of an almost normal mood by the time Nieth made her way to the Dragon Queen's guest room. Nieth wasn't entirely sure why she had gone to them or why she had taken such a roundabout way. After leaving the dining hall, she had exited the castle entirely, walking through the gardens to a side door that would lead her to the room.
Now, however, she was here. She had thought she might be nervous or angry or somehow emotionally upset to see that tall demon man again, but when she nearly walked right into him out in the hallway, she felt nothing. He was merely a man visiting an old friend and she had merely almost stepped on his feet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 10:42 pm
"Yes, I will," he answered as they exited, turning halfway towards her. "And one last piece of advice you might want to give to everyone, and especially your Lord... If anyof you harm or even kill me, I'm quite sure that Micoi would stop at nothing to return the gesture, even killing. She's far from anything your other queens ever were, remember that," he said before turning to leave completely when he almost bumped into a woman. He recalled seeing her briefly in the dining hall before he took Micoi out of there.
Giving her a loopsided grin, he gave her a mock salute with two fingers. "Good day... and goodbye," he said as he grabbed the stone hanging from the cord and teleported away in a small whirlwind of violet swirly fog.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
