Welcome to Gaia! ::

With a soft clack, Vahn placed the pitcher of water back down, having emptied it's content atop his head, even as another hand came out to run through his hair.

"Yea, yea... sure."

He stood there in the first actual casual wear he had worn...since ever. Wearing normal shoes to boot.

Hahaha, boot. The sooner, the better. Shaking his head side to side, he finally said goodbye to the room and followed after the siren.

He was seated in the chopper, arms folded across his chest as he lowered his head in thought.

So...what now? Where do I go from here... ?

So much had happened in the recent months, that he felt s if his whole life were on some large slide that never ended. He was going to crash and burn, no pun intended, if this pace of living kept up.

His body could only take so much stress...

Sigmund Bakkar stood solemly to the back as Yaits took the podium before a select group of the world-wide press corp at the reception hall of his corporate headquaters. The journalists there were somewhat shocked, as he wasn't even supposed to be there. This was supposed to be a minor announcement with little air time, but he suspected that would soon change. Yaits took the stand and pounded it three times to get everyone's attention.


"I know this was a meeting about the declining sales of certain commodities in the Durem / Barton regions, but I have something else to say," Yaits Began, speaking with controled rage. "The intigrated political situation between Yaits City and the Gaian Republic has become untenable. Those in support of the Yaits corporation effort to improve the world, and the followers of the charitable order can longer tolerate the flagrant neglect and corruption of the Gaian government. Yaits city, which has been built by the ground up by hardwoking devoted people, has asked nothing of the central government while being drained through excessive and downright ignorant tax programs designed to drain newly created prosperity.

The central government, despite my constant urgings, has done nothing to combat lawlessness in several regions of Gaia. They have done nothing to eliminate threats to the security of the world's peaceloving citizens. Why, because the government is nothing more than a breading ground for politicians who care of nothing besides feathering their own nests.

Aekea has been allowed to festor into a sore wound. Nothing has been done to redress the robotic rights issues! This cannot be tolerated. Machines that demonstrate highly advanced A.I. comparable to human thought deserve all the rights that humans enjoy. Cyborgs and those using artificial limbs should not be persecuted and subject to unfair laws keeping them restricted to one city. Enough is enough! Aekea can not be abused by the Gaian government any longer. The city deserves a referendum to decide the future of its citizens.

As of now. Yaits city declares its complete and utter independence from the Gaian government. The fervent followers of Ymir, who have been crucial in populating this area, have dubbed this new nation Ymiristan Diplomats have been dispatched to Barton town to work out an agreement on the new distrubution of national territory. As the Gaian Republic as shown absolutely no interest in developing the western continent or Barthavos and has in fact hindered that development, I forsee no problems with the claims of Ymiristan over said territories. Aekean territory should be held in nuetral status. Ymiristan demands withdrawal of all military forces stationed in Aekea within one month, as well as a referendum to take place to determine the status of the city and the rights of its citizenry.

A word of warning, any incursian into Ymiristani teritory will be considered a hostile act and met with appropriate force. This includes all of Western Gaia south of Lament, the entirety of Barthavos north of Strata, Any ground within a fifty kilometer radius of Yaits city.

The last thing we desire is war, but as I and many others see it, a stronger hand is needed to awaken Gaia's potential. Ymiristan will bring that bright future to its people if the general government of the republic refuses.

Thank you, and have a pleasant afternoon."

Yaits sat his desk, staring at the girl across the room as she sat calmly on a plush office chair, her posture straight, her hands folded across her lap, her eyes blank. Melissa Faulkner had done little for the last three weeks, her schedual had consisted of sleeping, sitting, eating, sitting, and sleeping. She had the finest of everything and all she did was sit all day staring at the wall of his office. It was driving him insane. He stood, turning on the television to news of Ymiristan before walking over and turning her chair to face it.

"The Gaian Republic cowards are afraid to launch a major assault," Yaits said, "I bet they'd let me keep the land rather than fight, even while they have me outmanned."

"I created a nation for you!" Yaits said, "A nation, I didn't have to do it. I did it for you! I'm making you a queen, a princess. Think of the power. I'm willing to allow all the people of the world to bow down before you at my side. When they worship me, they'll worship you as well. How can that not please you!"


"I want to speak with Sallea," she said.

"I am Sallea," he said calmly.

She refused to speak any further, pissing him off.

"I gave you immortality, I gave you power, I'm giving you everything a mortal could ever hope to attain," Yaits yelled, "I even gave up smoking for you! Why did you even agree to stay here if you intended to be like this, what the hell is the point?"

She refused to speak anyfurther, they had gone through the argument before. Yaits knew she thought he was nothing more than a convoluted mixture of hatred, an ancient power, and his former humanity, that she only hoped to retreive a man named Mark Sallea from the twisted rubble of the Yaits shell. There was no point in discussing it any further. He had tried just about everything to please her, to no avail, because the only thing that would work was the one thing he wouldn't do even if he could: separate himself from Ymir and refuse to be the incarnation any longer. The fact was, Sallea enjoyed the power, it felt good not to be peon, some inferior always bossed around by the big man, too make his former boss his stooge and lackey. Now Sallea had allowed himself to become inextricably wooven with Ymir's spirit, he was Yarneth, he was the incarnation, and the little b***h would have to learn to like it.

The call through from the front office, someone was here to pay a little visit.

"Evan White," Yaits said, Melissa's eyes came to life at the mention of the name. Yaits could tell by the change in her heart beat and the healthy flourishing of her energy aura that she was happy. "I had strict orders not to let anyone in, business proposition or no. Too late now I suppose, and to think everything had been going so well. Keep him in the lobby, I'll meet him. Come Melissa, and try to behave yourself this time."

Melissa shook her head and looked to the ground, ashamed.

Yaits winced, more at her reaction than anything else, "Oh that, a horrible tragedy with my name written all over it; lone wolf perhaps, or maybe a blatently obvious framed publicity stunt for Gaian propaganda and any other group with a grudge. I believe I owe you no explanation for that, as Ymiristan had no involvement."

If I go now, Melissa thought, It wouldn't be good. The bad part is too powerful, I can barely convince him to hold back as it is.

Yaits could have cared less about the lecture, but when the raven entered Melissa's mind and shut him out he was pissed. He never interfered with the girl's mind, even to speak with her, but he could sense when someone else did. He knew no harm would come to her, but he remained pissed nonetheless.

You self righteous little crow, Yaits thought, he was capable of projecting thoughts as well This girl is mine, continue as you are and I will destroy everything you care about. You will be left to languish in the ruins of your life for an eternity.

"How dare you come to my country and propose to tell me how to run it," Yaits said calmly, "It was probably your little R.I.O.T. that framed the incident in the first place. Yes, I've known about them for a long time now."

I still have one of them. The poor thing refused to be my slave, now she's been turned into one of my more gruesome experiments. I'd take you down for a visit, but I simply don't trust men you like you.

There was a mental laugh of slight amusement.

"So," Yaits said, "Isn't it about time you be on your merry way?"

The defenses were quite successfull, Yaits recoiled before he finished his thoughts with a sudden intense headache. It threw him off track, so he leaned against one of the long marble reception desks of the lobby and pressed his temples while Evan was speaking.

"You'll have to forgive me," he explained, "Events of late have been stressing, so much fighting and oppresion. I haven't been feeling too well of late. Why the sudden interest in laying a rail line through Barthavos? And why should I let you storm through Ymiristani territory with this railroad, one which Ymiristan could build itself if it felt the need? How would this be to Ymiristan's benefit"

In otherwords, Yaits thought, keeping his thoughts to himself, what's in it for me?