Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Hm" The Prince almost smiled, but once again he became neutral, "I'm beyond caring". He then allowed her some time to go and wrap her hand, as many of her predecessors have done before her, then watched as she walked back into the room. When she asked him what he knew, he vanished, then spoke again from near the window, where he had materialised without her noticing. "Little more than you, unfortunately. But I do know that you were right about the undead and their disease being arcane in nature. The rest is up to you to find out. I've merely given you a means of obtaining that information yourself. What will you do? Go to Necrovalley and interrogate every necromancer there? Or will you sneak into Declasia's royal library? It was once mine, you know. However I'm not certain she has kept any of my collection. Or... should you face your friends and tell them of our contract? So quickly do the bonds we make twist and writhe with the thread of lies. "

The atmosphere was calm and collected, as though the space they sat in had a personality all itself. Insects chirped with the birdsong high above. Water danced somewhere beyond the emerald leaves and if there was ever minute of silence, it felt like piano and strings could have filled them. Declasia took a sip from her cup when Claudia announced that Tsuna was resentful, and the team suspicious of their motivations. Declasia placed her cup delicately on the table, not a sound from it as it touched the ivory saucer. Claudia then continued, expressing her apology for stepping out of line. Declasia made eye contact then with her subject, showing no signs of her thoughts. "I see" she began, lightly gliding her fingertip over the rim of her saucer. "Make certain that you make no further restrictions without my approval. We need not antagonise our guests further, nor besmirch my integrity." Declasia took in a deep breath, quietly sighing. "Tsuna Miki is too wise, or incredibly untrusting. I like to assume it is the latter. If she had truly wanted our help, I would have thought she would be more amicable. What exactly has she done to arouse your suspicions and force your hand in ruling the students? I would very much like to hear about their actions thus far. And what of Micha'el and Scarlot? Whilst I stand on the edge of caution, I still prefer to believe they are innocent and implicated only by circumstance. Even so, they are valuable in helping us understand the disease, as well as understanding what Alexis Truesvale is up to."

Nyru had come as soon as he received the message from Horakhty. It cut short his goodbyes with Isabelle, who was waiting with him for Claudia to return from her meeting with the Queen. He ran to the infirmary, using the shortest route he could remember through the palace's corridors. It was located in the eastern wing, where the palace was adjacent to the city around it and the public could use it, where the morning sun would usually spill through the tall stained glass at the end of the hall. He burst through the open doors and towards the edge of the room that was curtained off, revealing a larger space behind it. The infirmary of the black palace was a large space, with some main corridors and smaller rooms, then with this larger room with a tall vaulted ceiling. Similar to the rest of the palace everything was mostly black, except for uniforms and patient clothing being an ordinary grey. Beds and other furniture were ornate, but with less extravagant detail or upholstery.

Claudia lay silent. She was in simple grey clothes and the menacing, diseased wound on her shoulder was instantly revealed. Horakhty sat quietly on the armchair beside her, speaking with a nurse that was stood beside him. She wore a grey apron over a purple-grey dress, complete with hat to hold her hair and grey wrapping around her wrists, up to her elbows, to keep the sleeves of her dress tight and away from her hands. Dangling around her waste was a loose chain, with several trinkets that Nyru recognised and healing wards and instruments. There was also the familiar emblem of Declasia, but it was stubbier to better associate itself with the simple hospital cross. She and Horakhty turned to face Nyru when he rushed in, curtain closing behind him. "Maat Statem" the nurse said, greating him with the cultural custom for royal guards. "What happened?" he demanded, "she was fine, Claudia was fine I was just talking to her half an hour ago!"
"Maat Vessalia was speaking with the Queen when she collapsed unexpectedly. An infection has spread from a wound behind her shoulder, causing necrosis and abnormalities of the mind." Nyru scowled, unsure how this could have happened. But upon looking at her shoulder again, as painful as it was to even look at, he remember her injury from fighting the infected Harrowsteed a few days ago. His eyes widened in realisation as he turned to speak. "Our mission to investigate the wild harrowsteed... Claudia was injured but assured me it was healing just fine... why didn't she tell us?"
"Perhaps" Horakhty began, "she was scared of being a test subject for the disease."
"We do not experiment on our wounded, Vizier" the nurse interjected, showing that she wasn't afraid to defend her practise even in front of him. "Even still. She appeared to hide it. I do not know whether it was stubborn... or thoughtful as to not distract everyone."
"I have given her all the medicine I understand to work" the nurse added, cutting Horakhty off from further, untuneful conversation. "Painkillers so that it may subdue her affliction, or at least control her unconscious writhing. I've also administered pale daisy." Nyru's heart sank when he heard her say it. Pale daisies he thought, a flower known only to the Land of Crows, used in medicine to quieten the mind... shut it off almost entirely. It would leave its victim's looking pale, like a statue. Now as he looked at Claudia again, he wanted to punch himself for not noticing. It was obvious and only made the darkness of her infection all the more obvious. The nurse began speaking again, and at first he didn't hear her until she carefully placed a hand on his shoulder. "-has slowed the process."
"Forgive me... what has slowed?" Nyru asked. She smiled softly, then said "the spread of the disease has slowed drastically since administering the pale daisy. It appears that the disease, whilst physical, is linked closed to the mind. I must apologise for using it without consultation, however she was audibly distressed and it was all I could think of using to calm her."
"No... that's fine. Thank you. I.. uhm. What about the Queen? Is she alright? Is this infectious?" This time it was Horakhty who spoke, shaking his head, "Declasia is well and busy." He spoke her name casually, "I wasn't far away when she called for help in the conservatory. Once our nurses arrived she had to attend to something urgent."


(This could be a good time for Tsuna to show up? I'm certain any royal guard of the palace would accept a request to bring her to Nyru and Claudia, news would have barely even spread to them of what's happened.)

Nyru's train of thought was completely broken when Tsuna came forcing her way through the curtains behind him. All there turned to face her, Nyru's face scowling in confusion, followed by the nurse muttering something, and then Horakhty making a noise of irritation, "tsk". Nyru caught the eye of the royal guard behind her as the curtain dropped - who looked embarrassed to have brought Tsuna here. "Excuse me young lady-" the nurse began, but Nyru raised his hand to say it was alright. Then Tsuna spoke, half to herself, or to them, Nyru wasn't quite sure. She described Claudia's condition not being unlike Ivan's, progressing much more aggressively. Finally, she pulled back and gave a silent signal for the nurse to leave. Horakhty rolled his eyes, taking authority here as he said "let us be with the girl. We'll alert you should Claudia's condition changes."
"Of course" she reluctantly replied, stepping out of the curtains.

Tsuna's apology came quickly and profoundly. Nyru couldn't help but feel some pride, thankful that Tsuna was coming clean. However his heart stirred, knowing there was a rift between the teams. He understood her intentions completely however, and he ignored whatever scowling faces Horakhty might be making. She began to reveal her understanding of the disease, linking arcane magic to necromancy, or at least the guise it played, and then explained that she knew Claudia was unwell. Nyru remained silent, unsure of what to make of the information. Horakhty however nodded carefully. Then, conversation turned to Alexis, and how she is a possible culprit. Horakhty looked at Nyru again, who clenched his jaw, then shook his head barely at Horakhty.

Nyru placed his hand on Tsuna's shoulder, then firmly squeezed it to reassure her as she began to cry. "You have nothing to apologise for. You were protecting your team, and I can understand that. We are strangers to you, and you have priorities greater than our own. Thank you for coming here, I wish only that it could have been under different circumstances. Let me get some chairs." Nyru quickly left through the curtains, speaking briefly to the nurse as he found some chairs for them. In this moment, she was left alone with Horakhty, who as ever, was sitting silently, ignoring her, as he looked down at his clasped hands in deep thought. Nyru then returned, carrying two grey upholstered antique chairs as if they weighed much less in each hand. Placing them both down they sat on one side of Claudia, whilst Horakty remained on the other. "Ivan... this is how he is?" Nyru asked, gesturing to Claudia who lay quietly, deathly. "We must work together to understand what is happening and find the culprit. If it is indeed arcane in nature, there must be a master. Magic like that must be commanded-"
"It must not be anything. Arcane magic is chaotic in nature and is only organised and bent to it's master's will. Naturally, it can do whatever it likes with no care for its wielder or those in it's way." Horakhty chimed in, nonchalantly.

"Hm" Horakhty pondered, finally making eye contact with her. He thought about his own harrowsteed, Kafele. He had often considered what he would do if the disease took his steed, and whether or not he would be able to kill it. "Correct" he said shortly, in reply to her rationalisation about the arcane disease not being completely wild. Then, her thoughts on time itself made Nyru and Horakhty look at each other, silently exchanging a whole conversation. "You, dear Tsuna Miki... may have just proven Truesvale's involvement in all of this." Horakhty said, "tell her, Nyru. I think she has earned that much." Nyru leaned back in his chair, trying to catch his breath. He looked dazed, as he swallowed hard and ran his hand through his black hair. He looked anxious. Through a clenched jaw he revealed "Alexis... she can manipulate time, or has done. Well - we cannot confirm that, Vizier."
"Nonsense" Horakhty rebuked. But Nyru was firm as he looked at him, then to Tsuna. "I happen to know that she... she doesn't age. Apparently she is separated from our timeline. Please - do not share this with anyone."
Horakhty rolled his eyes, coming to a stand, "you paid not heed in telling your Queen. Although I must agree to some extent, this conversation will be between us and the queen."
"That's different" Nyru hissed, suddenly speaking in a much more serious tone than before. "That knowledge was not mine to share, and only to the Queen out of duty. Tsuna deserves to know if this implicates her adoptive father." He looked back at Tsuna, his dark blue eyes were begging her not to spread the secret. "I trust you" he said, "if you trust me."

Nyru's attention followed Tsuna's, who was now watching the nurse administer the pale daisy. "uh... Nurse, please can you advise?" he asked. The nurse then tilted her head as she finished with the medicine. "This is made from the pale daisy I described before you bombarded my ward." She looked over at the two of them blankly. "And what of our stores?" Nyru asked. The nurse's eyes looked across the floor for a moment, without moving her head at all, as she calculated in her head. "We have more than enough to keep Claudia in a somewhat stable state, should nothing else develop. Luckily, the plant grows in abundance in the Dead Marsh."
"Good. Arrange for 2 week's worth of medicine to be shipped to Hope Academy in Neutral City."
"Ma'at-"
"We have more than enough - you said so yourself. Have it marked and packaged, i'll arrange the courier to collect it from you this afternoon." Nyru turned to Tsuna, nodding at her with a reassuring smile. He hoped that this would be enough to gain her trust, and to show that he means well, and by extension, the Queen. "I trust that this should help calm your nerves whilst you continue your mission. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

The library of the Black Palace, often referred to as the Per-Medjat by the royal guard who directed Tsuna, was a great and magnificent quarter. The opening hall was laid with chequered black and grey marble. Vast open spaces allowed for stone statues to erupt into the air, standing majestically like gods from another time. Pillars, often decorated with tall, forboding Ibis birds that beaks that hung out to hold a oil lantern, alight with quiet flame. Books lines the many walls, and steps at each corner led up to a walkway above with further shelves that stretched deeper. Ahead, on the ground floor, were archways that seemingly led down steps into another area. The library itself was an organised chaos of multiple floors fitting into each other on slightly different levels, with rooms beyond rooms leading to various genres and teachings. That, and being low lit by flame, made it easy to get lost, even if you were just a few rooms away from the main hall that towered several stories high.

From the silence after Tsuna's call, the Prince of Crows spoke, giving away his place perched on an armchair by a window that looked out over the city beneath them. Light poured in, but it didn't seem to light his body like it would any real object. It was like he was a figment of Tsuna's imagination. "You're not the first to reject my royalty" he said, standing up and vanishing as he appeared behind her. "You'll learn." The Prince then looked around the room, uncaringly, "the library has been through various iterations since my rule, in fact most of the black palace was rebuilt in Declasia's image after she appropriated my castle. Perhaps you ought to begin in the formality section? Or perhaps the lesser visited History section on Therian History. My favourite book is there - Chapter 1: How Slaves Built The City of Crows."