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 Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 12:59 pm
 Kiran's gaze slipped back to Soray as she spoke again. So the man over there was indeed Captain Shinta, but who did that make Soray? It seemed more and more unlikely that she had given them her real name as the conversation pressed on. And then his question was answered when Shinta announced her as Hua An of the Legion. Kiran gritted his teeth at the the realization that he had been following the Legion General. He, of course, knew of her by name from stories, but he never would have imagined that he would ever get this close to her, and being of the Nobles still be alive.
If he had known her real identity, would he still have followed her, still have offered his help? Rolling it over in his mind, Kiran settled on that he would have. The spy in him would have seen it as an opportunity to seek information about the Legion that he could report back to the Nobles. Given the sight that had met him when he first arrived on scene at the Main Street, a time that felt ages ago, what side everyone was on hadn't been the first thing on his mind. The information that he sought was more about trying to find out the culprits behind the corpses piled and strewn about in the street like trash. He still couldn't imagine the type of person that would do such a thing. He couldn't see any of the Nobles being behind it, but he also thought it was beyond anything that Legions were capable of doing.
A sudden bubbling of rage over what he had seen on the Main Street was quickly dissolved into confusion when he felt the prickling of his skin where Hua An's finger ran across his shoulder blades. Kiran's grip tightened once again on the handles of his tonfas as he tried to watch her movements out of the corner of his eyes. But he hadn't so much as blinked before the sharp blade of a sword pressing close to his throat. He didn't dare to move, not even to swallow the lump of fear suddenly lodged in his throat as he stared at the threatening blade. Slowly, he moved his hands away from the tonfas to show he wasn't going to resist. As much as Kiran would have liked to fight, to break free of his current situation, Hua An had proven that her speed far surpassed his own. Any attempt he made would quickly end with his throat slit before he could even pull off an escape. But his hands remained near enough to grab his tonfas should any opening present itself.
Tenjou? Kiran's attention turned to the man that he hadn't previously recognize, and he felt his throat dry when he saw Lestari being held hostage as well. He had little time to think over their predicament as Tenjou's question made him stare widely at him.
Where is the emperor?
He didn't care much for the man, but if the Emperor really was missing, that was big news for both sides.
Someone voiced the same question that was seconds from slipping out of his own mouth. Kiran turned to see who had spoken and found it was Cais, who was standing near a dark skinned woman. He tried to force on a cheery smile to let Cais know that he was all right. For the moment. He couldn't be sure what Hua An would do next. She might simply decide to slide the blade across his throat. But it seemed for now holding him hostage kept things at a stalemate between the Nobles and Legion leaders gathered here.
Listening to Cais speak seemed to help dislodge that lump in his throat. "I don't know anything about the Emperor gone missing," Kiran said, trying not quite successfully to keep the angry growl out of his voice. "But if we've all gathered here for that reason, perhaps we should stop fighting among ourselves and actually listen to what the priestess has to say. That's why you've come here, isn't it?" He tried to slide a glare toward Hua An without moving his head much, still fearing that too much movement might make her bring that sword even more uncomfortably close to his throat.
But Hua An had asked them to search for a man back at the Bar. His eyes narrowed somewhat. Had she been using them to search for the missing Emperor? Or did she think whoever that man was would know the location of the missing Emperor? Regardless of the answer to those questions, it seemed like the only logical explanation for coming here was to seek answers from Mizuki.
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Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 5:05 pm
 Her eyes went wide as her sudden gasp somehow never left her throat, having gotten stuck there, perhaps afraid, also having heard, and thus aware of the dangerous forces to be reckoned with so close by. Weapons were bared with deadly swiftness that Kotone ended up only stumbling one step back before her body froze as her vision took in new positions taken. She had managed to quell the violent tremor that came over her almost immediately after it hit her as she stumbled, but she found herself shaking ever so slightly now and fought herself desperately to stop. To keep herself from any possibility of her reaching for her weapon, she gripped the sides of her skirt with her hands. In these very moments it all felt too much for her. Experience after experience after experience all in a matter of months, the hurt and confusion has yet to stop coming. She felt her heart being clenched tightly in her chest. Everywhere, there was pain. Her family, herself, the whole of Lunaria, Kotone couldn't think of any place she wouldn't be able to find suffering dealt by this war. A closed hand was brought up and opened to sloppily and briefly press against her forehead before returning to its previous hold on her skirt and tears had taken to silently streaming down her cheeks. Kotone is inclined to thinking highly of others. However she also has already gone through many disappointments; disappointments that she still struggles against facing the reality of. Of the Legion and Nobles alike, Kotone had witnessed cruelty from both these sides before today. With the caliber of a general in this secluded place, Kotone thought these circumstances enabled those at such a skill level to hold all others present here hostage without the need to single out individuals, that they could take a life at any moment with less than a few steps and motions. And so wouldn't this capability remain unaltered even if the two, the pony-tailed lady and the armed man who prompted more of her wariness earlier, were released? " The Emperor is missing?" She recognized the man who posed the question as who she had stolen a hat from at an apparel shop and fought shortly after the incident. She shared in the interest in the question; she did not try to voice this though. First she blinked several times more to further clear more of her sight of tears. Then it took quite a bit of effort for her to swallow, like she had literally, foolishly filled herself up with her dark river of memories, and then she spoke. "Lady Hua An, Sir Tenjou, won't you please let them both go?" Kotone said her words after a momentary bow of her head and with an adamantly sure yet trembling, tearful tone which was at a volume that sufficiently carried. Her gaze resembled the sound of her voice, blended and constructed with touches of anger, injury, chaos, pleading, fear, and stubbornness. After her query, she checked and reminded herself to remain as watchful as she could.
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Legend of Lunaria Captain
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Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 10:02 pm
Even though their voices had not been bells, Mizuki swayed slightly, as if moving to music she couldn't quite hear. She breathed evenly, deeply. She just wanted to return to the temple, to return to her shadowed halls. Why must they disturb her? Why would they drag her out only to argue and threaten?
She folded her hands into her robe, and tilted her head upwards, as if it was raining and she was catching the drops on her face. So many voices, so many spirits to listen to. Of course the others couldn't hear them. Naturally they didn't know what they were asking of her, and they took so long to ask something she had already known from the beginning.
Mizuki scanned her eyes across the gathered Lunarians: Cais, Kiran, Shin, Lestari, Eiji, Sara, the generals, the Noble retainers. For a moment, she seemed lucid. She studied each face in passing, as if memorizing them, making eye contact with every single one.
Her answer was delayed. She was about to speak, when Kotone pleaded with Hua An and Tenjou, and had to cover her mouth to prevent laughter from escaping her. The girl would ask such bloodied generals to surrender their tokens of assurance? With a simple plea? In any case, her brief amusement passed. She strode forward until she was closer to the group, closer to Shinta, next to Shinta. She tilted her head, leaned in and whispered something to him, smiling.
Without hesitation, she retreated back to her doors, and stood in the doorway. "Do you know... any of you, how little time alone we truly have? There are others with us, always someone nearby-- can none of you hear?"
Mizuki swayed gently back and forth. "If you could hear, perhaps you would know, and you would not ask me."
And one final pause, one long pause. Mizuki swooned, as if she was going to faint; she straightened up, in one fluid motion, and her eyes focused in on some point beyond anything the others could see, looking not at them but through them to something on the distant horizon. She spoke, at last:
"The Emperor is dead, Shinta."
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Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 10:53 pm
"The emperor is dead, Shinta."
The words rang throughout the wide expanse of the North, Mizuki swaying where she stood. The throngs of people spread out in front of her shrine were silent - a horrible, echoing silence that seemed to weigh heavy upon the hearts and minds of whoever stood there.
"...dead?"
The word came, not from the mouth of the reckless, hotheaded Shinta, but from Tenjou, sharp and clear. His fingers, still pointed at the throat of the young legion woman, seemed to tense, a flash of silver just beneath his hand.
"You lie," hissed Shinta, and there was a blast of light that exploded from the palms of his hands, a fiery serpent twisting and contorting in front of him. The scent of magic burned, scorching across the air, and Shinta, his face a mask of anger, threw the fire towards the shrine in the center of the black lake.
"Shinta, NO! - "
Tenjou's shout came too late, the fire cascading towards the shrine. It engulfed it in seconds, a bright, blazing explosion of fire -
The leader of the Noble Retainers pushed aside his hostage, running forward, and Hua An had done the same. Kiran was shoved back into the Lunarian with the claws, the general leaping to action, a hard look of ferocity instantly snapping into place instead of the flirtatious one she had held before.
But though the fire was burning, it seemed as though it were not consuming the shrine...the walls were not breaking, the wooden slats not curling and charring as they normally would have. In fact, it was almost as if the fire was...dissipating..?
It curled inwards, shrinking down, and then it was gone, only the scent of something black and burnt remaining. The three figures of the factions stood near the bridge, all of them staring at the shrine as though it might catch fire once more.
A light, chiming voice came floating out across the water towards the figures.
"You enlisted the help of the citizens to find the emperor. A strange fact, but you did it because you all thought it might give you the upper hand - a bargaining tool, even."
Bell-like laughter - or was it bells? One could not be certain.
"Your emperor is dead. He will not be returning to this lifetime. His body has already disappeared, and you might find it if you look hard enough, but I doubt you will."
"And who," interrupted Shinta, with a horrible look on his face. " - exactly will Lunaria be ruled under now? We are already at war - it is clearly the job of the Noble Retainers to keep the memory of the emperor alive, if what you say is true - "
Hua An had already started to retort, but Mizuki's laughter rang out once more.
"Lunaria will not be at peace until you have settled your disputes with one another. Until then, it will be under the control of the neutral guard - they will watch over Lunaria for me."
"For you - " started Tenjou heatedly, but Mizuki had already cut him off again.
"Go home. You will find the wind is changing in Lunaria...
"...perhaps."
The sound faded, disappearing into the waning sky, smeared with the beginnings of night. Shinta, Hua An, and Tenjou all stood in front of the shrine, none of them looking at one another, ignoring the Lunarians behind them. It was only when Tenjou, as silent and stoic as always, turned abruptly and began to walk away that the unbearable tension snapped.
"Go home," said Hua An, in a surprisingly strong and firm voice.
"All of you, go home."
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Legend of Lunaria Captain
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