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 Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 9:48 am
The bar keeper's face was pale and getting paler as Midalthorn looked at him quizzically. "what seems to be the problem? I'm a simple soldier looking for those who wish to employ a good warrior." The barkeep, shivering visiblely, shook his head and hurriedly stammered. "T-t-t-thank y-you f-f-for your p-p-patr-r-ronage. B-b-but c-could you p-please leav-ve."
Sighing heavily and shaking his head Midalthorn got to his feet and looked around the bar. Seeing the shock and terror painted plainly on all the patron's faces he bobbed his head, bowed to the bar keeper and strolled out. Upon reaching the door to the tavern, he cast a glance over his shoulder. "The offer of 10 gold is open to anyone who would be willing to provide information on the where abouts of an employer of mercenaries." Seeing no one move, he twitched his wings in exasperation and walked back onto the street.
As he stepped out of the tavern, the livery of a group of guards caught his eye and his interest. They look like guards of someone with influence. Stepping out confidently, he kept his hands away from his weapons and his hands open. As he neared the guards he raised a single hand, "Hail there. Do you have an employer in need of a good warrior?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 7:26 pm
Lilith's head was now resting against the desk, eyes closed. She'd slipped off into sleep after spending a few hours obsessing over the symbol. But all that she'd gotten was a headache. Nothing else. No clues, no hints, nothing at all....
In her mind, Lilith could see all of the various tunnels that she used every so often. The damp smell, cobwebs, and darkness that wrapped around every corner. Footsteps echoed throughout the dank area, filling the dulled silence. She could see them all, each door and small crack that marked them. Then her view lifted up, going up towards the sky. It was as if the rest of the castle didn't exist and she could see all of the tunnels from a bird's eye view. And there they were, twisting around with... a....
Lilith's eyes popped open and she lifted her head up from the table, blinking as she recalled her dream. The tunnels- all of it- if they were to be drawn out onto a map, they would match the... symbol... could it actually be possible?
Lilith stood up, turning around to look at Serenice with wide eyes. Her guard, however, wasn't there. Although Serenice had a habit of disappearing into dark corners, Lilith had been around her so much that, for one reason or another, she could at least have a vague sense of where she was. But the room felt... creepily empty. Did something happen? Lilith's eyes moved to look up towards the window just in time to see a silhouette that matched Serenice's move. Could it be? 'Do I actually have an opportunity to go somewhere... by myself?' The idea was terrifying and yet thrilling all at the same time. She turned and looked over at a book case before grabbing the paper she had on the table and walking over. She pulled a book out and then stuck it back in, walking over to the end of the bookcase and pushing it open. She squeezed in through the small opening and then closed it, reaching into a pocket and pulling out a light stone. She blew on it and it lit up; light spilling over the darkness and allowing her to see. She lifted up the symbol and then started walking, speeding herself up while she followed the designs on the symbol. Time ticked by and she came to a sudden stop, turning her head to look at a door. She knew this door well enough to know that it led to one place- nowhere. Just as a precaution she grabbed the rusted handle and twisted it open, stepping into the dark musky room. It was empty, just as she knew it would be. She opened the door farther and held the stone up, glancing around the room before walking in. She turned her head, trying to see if anything seemed out of the ordinary. Nothing. Just stones and... lots of dust and cobwebs. She walked over to the opposite wall and lifted her hand up, pressing a gloved hand against it. She stared blankly at it and then looked down at the symbol that she had drawn onto the paper. She sighed and let it fall, turning around to walk out of the room. And then, she heard something- it was as if someone was digging their nails strait into the stone. She whirled around and her eyes grew wide as the emblem that she had had on the paper was now suddenly on the wall that she had just touched. It looked as if it had been scorched on- the wall itself looked melted and there were scorch marks surrounding it. She could only stare it, muscles stiff while an odd feeling began to worm itself into her stomach. Then something else pierced strait through her heart: fear. There was something terribly, terribly, terribly wrong with this and she had to run now. She turned on her heel so quickly that her shoe fell off, but she caught herself in her stumble and ran; slamming the door shut behind her while she held onto her dress with white knuckles and sprinting down the hall. She felt as if something were behind her, but she didn't dare to look. It was if a being were breathing strait down her neck and it was scaring her strait out of her spirit. The hidden entrance to the library appeared in her limited view and she practically slammed into it, digging her finger nails into the notch in the wall and pulling at it. As soon as a sliver appeared that was wide enough to fit her body in she forced her body through the small opening. Her dress ripped but she paid no heed. As soon as she was out she grabbed the shelf and yanked it shut. She moved backwards and tripped on a piece of her now ripped dress. She fell, jaw tightening as she turned slowly to look over at the seemingly harmless book case. And that's just what it was... harmless.... Wasn't it? For some reason she couldn't stop herself from shaking- there was something there. In that room... and it frightened her far more than how scared she'd been for the days that had been passing on with her life on the line.
"S... Se... Serenice...?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 7:33 pm
The knights were doing their daily patrols on the city- there wasn't too much happening, not quite yet at least. They were mostly talking amongst one another, all of them keeping what had happened about the queen and king out of their conversations. One of them glanced up when they spotted a man wearing weapons. This caught their attention fast enough. The man, however, seemed to be on peaceful terms... for the moment.
"A mercenary, are you?" The one who seemed to be a leader held his arm up to signal for the others not move while he stepped forward. He kept his hand on the hilt of his sword and grabbed his helmet, pulling it up so that he could get a better look at the man in front of him.
"Hmm..." while the Erion army wasn't exactly known for their habit of picking up mercenaries, but the Erion army wasn't exactly in the greatest position either. "Come with us. We may just have a position for you in the Erion army."
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Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 9:12 pm
Sweeping his arm down and across his waist he executed a minuscule bow and straightened up. "Thank you for your help in this small matter." Falling in step with the lead knight he was careful to casually keep his hands away from his weapons knowing, in the current circumstances, touching his weapons could, and probably would, be a instant prison sentence. As they headed deeper into the city Midalthorn instinctively shifted into the sword stance "cat crosses the courtyard", causing his stride to become an elegant yet arrogant saunter. His entire body seemed relaxed yet poised on the brink of rapid movement.
As the approached the palace district, Midalthorn shifted his hands further from his weapons. His eyes noted placement of various buildings, towers, guard patrols, and where the easiest exits were.
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Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 5:02 am
Nicholas openly gawked behind his full helm as he watched the Queen's Guard berate him and new guy about their lateness, before demanding their names.
"I'm Nicholas..." he said, somewhat awkwardly. God damn it, here he was, a full grown adult and now he felt like he was 12 again. Damn the Guard and their...just damn it.
The New Guy had finished informing the guard of his name (He didn't really quite catch it, to busy mumbling to himself about...something) and the Guard continued scolding them, before giving them instructions about some kind of man with...wings...?
Okaaaay...?
"Yes mam, no mam we won't be late again, yes mam we won't kill him, no mam we won't capture him, yes mam we shall go know..."
The two hurried off, and as soon as they were out of earshot of the Guard- a good 50 or so metres, who knows how bleeding powerful they were- Nicholas mumbled outloud a question that had been bothering him since they had received their instructions.
"She did say a man with wings right?" The New Guy gave a nod. "...Either he gained those wings from supernatural methods, which given the environment we're in isn't impossible or one of his parents must really like birds..."
---
They hurried along to the Captain of the Guard's chambers, informing him of this strange birdman (The Captain raised an eyebrow at Nick's hypothesis on the origins of said birdman) and informed him that he would send extra guards along to the area.
"Sweet, can we hit the hay then?"
---
"God ******** damn it." Nicholas groaned as he marched in line along with the rest of the knights towards the East Quarters, only to meet up with the patrols who were bringing in...some guy who kept looking around in a not so subtle way.
"Oh...are you the birdman?"
(Rubs temples.)
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Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 6:50 am
(hands you a bottle of ibuprofen and a glass of water. "hope that helps")
Midalthorn's eyes jerked over to and froze on the new "guards" as one of them called out "Oh...are you the birdman." Suppressing a glare and a biting remark about the man's intelligence or lack there of, Midalthorn bowed his head slightly. "If you mean a man with wings then it is I, but if you are thinking that it a parent got with a bird...." This time there was no suppressing the glare, "Then your mother have slept with a drunken donkey while sick with leprosy."
Midalthorn was careful, even as he exchanged insults with this weak-minded fool, to keep his hands away from his weapons. Unfurling his wings slightly, he shook them in an, among his clan, an manner that meant his brain was grounded to the dung of cattle. Just as he finished his insults he realized that many people had forgotten about the Avarials of Rivvel. Sighing to himself he refolded his wings and touched the shoulder of each wing in apology and waited for the man's response.
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Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 8:45 am
Serenice glared at both guards wondering to which extent they were just new or they were really stupid. As they disappeared she sighed and casting a last look at the sky, she reentered the library.
She walked slowly, trying to gather the few information she had and wondering why she was feeling such a threat in this winged creature. As she stepped close to the table where the Prin...Queen was reading moments ago, she noted with horror that noone was there. She quickly looked around. What a fool I am... She knew about secret doors and passages, but did not hear no one coming in. She deducted that Lilith had decided to go explore by herself.
She rushed to the secret passages. Opening them one by one and each time calling the Queen's name. "Lilith!! My Queen !?!" Each time the same answer came: an icy silence, brought by rotten wood and humid stones. She was about to open the last passage when the shelf rotated by itself and the Queen appeared. As pale as a ghost, her dress full of spider webs, cold sweat dripping from her face, the Queen slammed close the shelf and stepping backward fell on her dress. In a reflex the vampire let herself fall behind Lilith, too late to prevent her from falling, but soon enough to catch the neck and head of the princess and soften her fall.
She could feel the younger woman shaking in her arms as she had never seen her before. When she heard Lilith calling her name, she felt grateful for a second and slightly squeezed the Queen against her chest. "I am here my Prin...Queen. You are safe." The vampire's heart was pounding in her chest. Her fear had been different from the Queen's but it was deep too. She was relieved to see that the Queen was scared but unharmed. She discreetly smelled and detected no smell of blood.
With a raucous voice, Serenice slowly talked. "My Queen, I beseech you, please, do not leave again without me, I shall follow you in the deepest darkness if that shall be your choice. But never go without me." Her ton was a mix of plea and order. She looked at the Queen's face and saw that something beyond a murder tentative had happened. Taking a softer ton, she asked "Lilith, please, tell me...what happened...?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 7:22 pm
The soldiers took the odd winged man through the gates and into the castle. It seemed as if not much was going to happen, at least considering the circumstances. That was up until what seemed to be a new soldier asking if their guest was a certain person. They all exchanged looks before frowning and stepping in front of their comrades.
"As much of an insult as it may be to you," one of the soldiers stated while another sighed and shook their head. "But the man was only asking a simple question regarding your identity. You are quite clearly a birdman just as I am a man with brown hair. Responding with such insult to one of our own soldiers is unacceptable. If you cannot hold your tongue against such a simple question, then we have no more business with you." He turned to look at one of his companions and waved his hand. "We'll escort you out of the castle in just a moment, mercenary." He stepped back and then looked Nicholas, hand resting comfortably on his hip. "Now, what business do you have with this man, soldier? Aren't you part of Princess Lilith's personal guard?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:26 pm
Once again, Serenice somehow managed to frighten her one again. Lilith jumped but remained still, trying to calm down her frazzled nerves. She shut her eyes and grabbed onto the front of Lilith's uniform, failing in her attempt of recollection. Honestly, what had happened shouldn't have scared her so much, but there was some sort of a feeling that she'd gotten... it was worse than anything she'd ever felt before.
Lilith flinched as the harsh edge Serenice's tone had taken. She wasn't... she'd never really heard it before. It was unreal, practically, and Lilith had to push herself up and look directly at the vampire to see if it was Serenice. It was. 'She's actually... acting... emotionally.' A hard knot formed inside of Lilith's throat and she tried to wrap her mind around the fact that Serenice was actually... being... human. It seemed ridiculous- after all, Serenice was a living being and Lilith had been very well-aware of the fact since she could first remember. But still, Serenice had almost been... like a kind of inanimate object, without any feelings. And now she was acting, with emotion... it was as some sort of a demon or spirit had jumped into the vampire's body and possessed her.
"I... I-I do not wish to t-t-talk about it..." Lilith whispered back in response, moving her head to look down at the floor. Her entire body was still shaking despite the mental demands that it stop doing so. This entire cursed year had been awful- first Cedric had appeared for little to no reason at all and forced her to open her eyes to what was actually happening around. The fact that she was not the center of everything, about how others dealt with things... and then the news that war was coming for them. Then the king and queen had left the kingdom, taken half of the army- and then this. The symbol appearing in the room, that ghastly presence that she couldn't explain and now Serenice seemed to have some sort of a personality. This wasn't supposed to be happening. It wasn't how it had been before. Nothing else had mattered, there was peace, no strange magics in godforsaken rooms, and Serenice did not show emotion. Everything had changed and it was all so... so... so wrong.
"There was something in... a room..." she didn't want to talk about it, she just wanted to forget. She could feel that odd, terrible presence still. She could feel it right behind the door. She felt as if something had appeared, physically, even though she knew that it hadn't. What had been, though? "I... I-I-I don't know what it was, but it scared me... I d... don't know... what it was... I don't know what it was...." Lilith dropped her head, burying her face into Serenice's lap and holding onto the edges of the uniform with her hands. "There's... th-there's something in that room..." after all of that research... the bizarre symbol, the books all relating to the great "secret" of the Ovet family... whatever was in that room, did it have to do with Erion? What was inside? There was something inside... and she needed to find out exactly what it was.
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Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 12:05 am
Nicholas gawked again behind his helm as the birdman began insulting him for his single question, before he in an over-exaggerated manne said to the New Guy in an over-exaggerated whisper:
"Holy s**t dude, this guy can read minds." At the New Guy's sigh (which he ignored), he turned back as Birdman continued with his barrage of insults, going from suggesting that his mother had slept with a...drunken donkey sick with leprosy?
Okay...
"Out of all the things in the world, why a drunken donkey? Why is it always a drunken donkey?" Nicholas mumbled, as the birdman began doing something with his wings. He had know idea what it meant of course, so he assumed it was something people like him did when annoyed and just went with it.
One of the soldiers began defending him- him, an insane famer man who talked to drunken donkeys with leprosy in his spare time. A feeling of happiness swelled through him as the soldier waved the rest of the guard on before turning to him. He grabbed New Guy before he could go, because every great hero needs a sidekick.
"Me and New Guy here-" New Guy gave another sigh "Were ordered by the Queen's Personal Bodyguard (QPD) to inform the Captain of the Guard about a strange birdman that was seen flying around the Easter Quarters. The Captain sent reinforcements in case of trouble, and we were ordered along as well. But it seems like you guys have everything under control here, so we'll head back now...?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:11 am
Realizing his quick tongue had yet again probably got the single best customer's guards angry, he bowed sweeping his wings in a show of humility and embarrassment.
"My sincerest apologies to you and," turning to the man who had asked the question, "to you I ask your forgiveness for the slight i called against your family." Remaining bent at the waist. "Among my clan, being called a bird man is a grave insult. I have forgotten that many no longer remember us. Even in the ruins of Rivvel, travelers run from us even, thinking us demons or spirits, even though all we wish to know is about the going ons in the world."
Raising his eyes slightly and looking around hopefully. "Again my apologies, I have come partly to find work as a mercenary and partly to see if there is a place among Erion's people for my clan to live without having to descend into barbarism."
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Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 8:25 am
Serenice stayed quiet in front of the first refusal of the Queen to share what happened. She patiently waited, a little puzzled when the Queen cried on her laps. In a unconsciously reflex, long forgotten, Serenice's hand reached the young woman's hair and caressed it, trying to allay Lilith.
Slowly, bit by bit the Queen gave information, share her fears, described the impossible. Serenice wanted to stand up, open the room and face the Queen's fear, destroying it. But she knew that currently she had to stand by Lilith, she had failed to be there minutes ago, when she most needed her, she could not fail again. She just stared at the bookshelf, trying to feel, to smell and after a minute, she could. She also had the feeling that they were not alone. But she looked around, her eyes piercing the deepest shadows, and there was nothing, nothing but this presence. They had to leave the library. She wondered if anyone would be trustworthy enough to be sent to kill whatever was in that room, but she could not think about anyone.
She spoke slowly "Queen...we should leave the library." She slowly stood up, raising Lilith with her. "Can you walk...? Do you want me to carry you...?" She was concerned. She had never been concerned about the Queen, but once. But today was different.
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Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 2:04 pm
Lilith sighed, shaking her head and keeping her eyes tightly shut. She was still shaking, although it had been lessened, and her skin was freezing. At the suggestion of being carried she shook her head, continuing to look down at the floor. "I-I am quite alright." She responded slowly, taking in a deep breath to try and eliminate some of the lightness in her head. "Please... I just want to leave now." She pulled away from Serenice and quickly walked out of the room. As soon as she was out she turned, looking in as if to check and see if anything was inside. She took in a deep breath and then shut the door. She grabbed the front of her dress and headed down the hall to one of her other rooms. She went in and then over to the bed. But, as opposed to just sitting on it, she sank down and sat on the floor beside it.
"Everything is going wrong..." she whispered to herself and drew her knees up to her chest, reaching up and pulling out the pin that held her hair together. Immediately the tightly woven bun came undone and her hair fell in a tumble of curls and waves over her back, shoulders and onto the floor. 'Everything is going wrong and I have got to fix it, somehow.' But would they be able to fix it? Everything was against them. People died. Would they lose...? 'After all... what can I do? I am just a spoiled little brat who gets scared of dark rooms... I am pathetic. Not suited to be a queen, not of Erion.'
The soldier turned his head, listening with a serious expression to what Nicholas had to say. "I see..." he looked back at the winged back and sighed, shaking his head. "Normally I would not accept this, but due to our circumstances and the fact that you're a foreigner and not used to our ways, your actions will be excused. But I would suggest that you learn our ways before you try to do anything such as that again." He turned to look back at Nicholas, giving him a curt nod. "Go back to your post and tell Lady Serenice that he's been found and is of no harm thus far. Come on, let's continue on our way."
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Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:35 pm
Midalthorn bowed again. "My apologies and thanks for understanding. I will watch my tongue in the future. "
Taking a deep breath he crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes. He bowed his head and formed an arcane symbol with a single hand and his belt twined itself around his weapons, locking them within their scabbards. Raising his head he exhaled slowly then opened his eyes. He studied the guards escorting him with his piercing blue eyes.
"I'm now unable to draw my weapons." Sliding a bracelet of runes of his left arm he held it out. Reaching down his tunic he drew out another string and held it out as well. "I give these runes up freely to reduce the ease of my spell casting." Holding out both sets of runes, one in each hand, he waited for the guards to take them from him.
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