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 Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 10:18 pm
Welcome to
-The Fiction We Live-
CLOSED PERMANENTLY OR UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE,
WHICHEVER COMES FIRST.
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Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 12:57 am
"Long, long ago, in our world of Altan, or perhaps in another, there were many times in which beings of great evil and corruption came forth and threatened to annihilate everything that was good. The people lost hope, feeling they were all doomed. However, each time this happened, a group of heroes emerged, out of nowhere, like a shooting star in the night sky, to face the evil. They struggled through many adventures and trials, endured hardships, felt both happiness and pain...And in the end, when their journey was completed, all was right with the world once more. ......Or so the stories proclaimed. Everyone knew them. Books were written about it. Songs were sung about it. Performers acted out plays about it. Children made up games about it. But no one truly knew exactly what had actually happened, in any case. Since I was a small child, I wondered how any of it could have possibly happened. How could the heroes have gone through so much, and yet come out triumphant in the end? Why didn't they submit to defeat when it was staring them in the face, bringing them to their knees on more than one occasion? How did they keep going and prevail against evil? Of course, back then I usually shrugged it off and settled with the conclusion that "They're just stories. They're not real. They're works of fiction." But were they? I would often ask my father what it would be like if we were in one of those stories. He would simply laugh and ask "Are you so sure we aren't?" I was offset at his words. Our lives were reality, not fiction. I thought it was a rather ridiculous thing for him to say. I had no idea at the time, but after witnessing events much like those in the old stories, I eventually came to realize that there is much more truth in fiction than we realize......" ~Excerpt from the prologue of The Twisted Road To History by Izzy Talliessin 
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Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2010 8:28 pm
Tal, William
Tribal
Sleeping Forest ---> Gabbiani Plains
William kindly shook his head to Lot's offer of healing. They'd be out of the woods soon....literally. "Well, this's been fun and all that, but I think it's a great idea to hurry up and get the hell out of the woods before anything else decides to try to eat us." He finished with a chuckle as he sheathed his dagger. Tal jumped up immediately, despite how tired he was.
"You said it, man. Lead the way, I'm ready to see civilization again."
William nodded and turned back to their previous path. With a quick gesture to the others to follow, he began to walk quite briskly northward. Tal followed, trusting their other two companions to follow closely behind. Within only a few more minutes, the small group had neared the edge of the forest. The trees became thinner, and there were more berry bushes than the wild, scraggly thorn bushes they had seen nearer to the heart of the wood.
As they finally made their way out of the dense forest and into the sunny green fields ahead, William decided to randomly question Tal.
"So, you're from Gabbianni?"
"Huh? Yeah. Well...as far as I know, anyway. It's where I've lived for most of my life, as far as I can remember. I think it's where my 'dad' found me."
William let out a bit of a chuckle. "Sounds about right."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothin', forget about it. So you were brought up in the big city, huh?"
"Mostly...Ever since I turned about nine or ten, though, my dad's been sending me to live with a family that he's friends with, down on a farm east of Relm. Every summer...all summer long...I'd live there and do farm work with 'em. It's a satisfyin' way o' life, I suppose, what with growin' and raisin' your own food, and all that s**t, but seriously...It's hard work. Hard as Ifrit's hells, man. I wouldn't recommend it. But hey, at least I've grown from it, I guess."
"Ah, a cooowboooy, eh?" William laughed, earning him a glare from Tal. Seeing the vehement look on the younger man's face, he broke out into another uncontrollable laugh. "What, did I say something?"
"I don't like to be called a 'cowboy', William."
"Well, I don't like to be called 'William'."
"Fair enough." And with that, the young thief's face melted back into a smooth, friendly smile.
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Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 12:59 am
Nikolas, Astrina
Palazzo
Amoria
Thousand-Year Wall ---> Amoria Castle Dining Hall
Nikolas cleared his throat and rolled his eyes before hurrying to pick his staff up from off the cave floor.
"Well, come along now, my children. The war is won, but my own duties shall make the rest of this day drag on forever, and I do so need my beauty sleep. Trina, be a good girl and cover the rear for me, would you?" All this was said as the red-headed mage gracefully high-stepped his way out of the cave, not turning or hanging back to wait for the others to follow.
It had to be late in the afternoon by now, and he had so much to take care of today, let alone in the upcoming week.
Why I have to spend all my days shut up in such a tacky castle, surrounded by complete idiots, is beyond me.
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Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 8:40 pm
Lot
Tribal
Gabbiani Plains
Lot ran after Tal and William, trying to keep up with both their pace and their conversation. His tarnished white robes tripped him up as he ran. "Hey Remmy, don't fall behind," he called back as he stumbled on some stones, causing him to fall flat on his face. Quickly picking himself up, Lot recovered his stride and continued to listen in. "Ooo, do me next!" said Lot wanting to see if William could guess his home town.
-----------------------------------------------
Dansworth
Palazzo
Amoria
Thousand-Year Wall ---> Amoria Castle Dining Hall
Cleaning off her blade and sheathing it, Dansworth followed after Nikolas. She watched and glared as Astrina passed. The stolen kill combined with her prissy attitude made Dansworth's initial dislike of Astrina go up tenfold. It was only for the sake of her pay that she let it go unmentioned. Taking a deep breath, she let out a sigh and calmed down. "Now, where did my Fals cutie go?" she asked while looking around for the cute, fuzzy moogle.
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Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 3:21 pm
Tal & William
Tribal
Gabbiani Plains
Billy smiled at the young mage boy to whom he had given his "treasure" White Ring. What was his name again? He kept forgetting what these kids called themselves. One of them was long-ish, and the other two were short, he remembered that much.
Let's see...I...Hm..."Tal" is the green-haired kid....And the White Mage kid just called the Black Mage kid "Remmy", so that takes care of that one. So....Oh!
"Lot! That's your name! I knew I'd remember it," William said with a laugh, in rather a carefree way, as if the two had in fact been discussing the subject out loud. "Yeah...So, Lot....You next? Well, you're a mage, so it shouldn't be too hard to guess, if you're a native of Tribal. I'm gonna say Rosa. Think I'll say the same for your very young friend there, too" he finished with a thumb pointed towards Remetheus. "The two of you from the same neighborhood or something? Just guessing."
Tal shook his head and chuckled. He had thought of telling Billy that he and Remmy had just met Lot the previous night, but he figured he could figure it out for himself. Instead, he just stuck with what he loved to do most: singing.
"It's been such a long time.
I think I should be goin', yeah.
An' time doesn't wait for me,
It keeps on rollin'.
Sail on,
On a distant highway.
I gotta keep on a-chasin' that dream,
I gotta be on my way.
Wish there was somethin' I could say~"
Before he could finish the first verse, his foot caught a large rock stuck in the ground, and he almost tripped. He stumbled, spun around in a full 360 degree circle, and continued on his way with a grin, never missing a beat. After finishing the verse, he humbly acquiesced to laugh at himself before proceeding with the song. He was having a good time, despite the worries that were beginning to nag at his mind. They would soon be at Gabbiani - and none too soon, either. The enormous city was in sight....but Akara wasn't. Not yet, anyway.
Did something happen? I hope not...
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Nikolas & Astrina
Palazzo
Amoria
Thousand-Year Wall ---> Amoria Castle Dining Hall
After what seemed like hours of walking in silence, Astrina just had to make some kind of sound. The caves were DEAD.
"Soooo, Nikki....Who're your loyal minions this time?"
Nikolas sighed and gave the woman a displeased look. "Do you have to make so much NOISE?"
"You answer MY question first," Trina replied, sticking out her tongue and smiling. Nikki sighed.
"Mercenaries currently in the employ of the Royal Palazzian Army...the Amorian Guard, specifically. The brave little moogle there is known as Fals. The woman who apparently likes to make people think she's a man-" here he smiled and winked at Dansworth "-is Jenata, also known as Dansworth."
Trina stared wide-eyed at Nikki's female follower, then back at Nikolas. "You hired the Red Plague?" She exclaimed in wonder, before turning her gaze back at Dansworth and grinning. "Good job, Nikki."
"The Red WHAT?" Nikki blurted out with a chuckle. "Are you trying to insult my soldier, Trine?"
Trina sighed. "No, you dolt! It's what she's called. Dansworth the Red Plague is rumored to be a fearless, ruthless warrior. Damn, Nikki, when's the last time you stepped outside the castle? I've been away from Palazzo for most of the past two years, and even I knew that!"
"Too long, that's all I know. So, I have a knack for hiring professionals, hm? Good to know. I honestly didn't know this little tidbit of information. I usually don't care who works for me, as long as they'll do what I tell them."
"Well, regardless, she's probably killed even more people than you."
Nikki gave a mock-laugh. "I seriously doubt it. But I'm glad you have faith in my soldiers."
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Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 8:34 pm
Lot
Tribal
Gabbiani Plains
"Cool, that's an awesome ability. That probably comes in handy a lot." said Lot amazed at William's deduction. "You can learn all sorts of things like I didn't know Remmy was from the same town as me," he said looking back at the other mage. "So why didn't I ever run into you growing up or my many visits afterwards?" he called to Remetheus.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Dansworth
Palazzo
Amoria
Thousand-Year Wall ---> Amoria Castle Dining Hall
Dansworth ignored the conversation between Trina and Nikolas. She'd heard it all before, including the nickname. Just because she stabbed a few people so many times that it looked like some sort of pox did not mean that nickname was called for. Fals ran past her, looking tired. "There you are, my fuzzy cutie," she said, hurrying after the moogle. "Let's go get something to eat to recharge after such a long and satisfying day."
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Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 11:22 pm
Remetheus
Tribal
Sleeping Forest ---> Gabbiani Plains
Remetheus followed as the others made conversation. He breathed a sigh of relief as they reached the plains, which was much easier to walk on than the forest path. The air wasn't as suffocating; seeing all the open space made him breathe a little easier. The black mage admired his surroundings as he listened to Tal's singing.
_____________________________________________________
Fals
Palazzo
Amoria
Thousand-Year Wall ---> Amoria Castle Dining Hall
Fals looked away when Nikolas began slashing at the Gigas' neck. He ignored the nauseating sound that accompanied each hack, but looked back once they had stopped. It wasn't a pretty sight at all. The moogle looked suspiciously at the new arrival as she chatted with Nikolas, then eyed Dansworth's reaction to her. He didn't trust any of them one bit.
The group made to to leave the caves once they were done talking. He moved cautiously, paying special attention to the archer, Trina, who walked behind of him. They walked silently, and Fals could feel the day's exhaustion getting to him when Trina suddenly spoke up, almost making the moogle break out in a run out of surprise. He calmed himself though, and listened to them speak, taking note of what they said about Dansworth.
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Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 6:59 pm
Tal & William
Tribal
Plains ---> Gabbiani
Well, it was too late now. Akara would have to meet up with them at the hideout later. It would be alright; Tal could find anyone anywhere in this city. And what a city it was! For Tal, this was just a return trip home. Nothing new; nothing exciting. But for anyone who had never taken these first steps into the city, let alone taken a journey through its erratically interweaving toothstone-paved streets, the first up-close look at the grand face of Gabbiani was one of wonder and beauty.
It was too bad, then, that the small group was unable to fully enjoy their entrance to the city. Just as William opened his mouth to voice his opinion of the tall brown and pearly-white buildings just past the main gate, someone shouted from afar, and suddenly the four boys were surrounded by Gabbiani soldiers, all drawing their swords and holding them steadily at a very uncomfortably short distance. Tal counted at least twenty of them, all fully armed. They had no chance but to surrender.
He was the first to raise his arms up into the air, his hands well away from his dagger. Using it wouldn't do him any good, anyway.
"Okay...This is real funny, guys, but seriously, we've got places to go and everything, so if y'all don't mind puttin' those things away and...ya know...leaving us alone...?"
"Silence, peasant dog!" This voice came from outside the circle of knights. Two of these stepped aside, and a man with far more lustrous armor - accompanied by a long, flowing green cape, which Tal didn't hesitate to chuckle at - entered the circle.
"Say what now? I'm not the one barking here."
"That's enough out of you," the general said with a gesture to one of the soldiers. The lower-ranked man nodded and quickly twirled his sword around, then jabbed Tal square in the stomach. The blow knocked the wind out of the young thief, and he fell to his knees while gasping for air. "I hope this example keeps the rest of you vermin silent. Men, arrest these four. We're taking them straight to the king."
Tal found himself pulled back up to his feet, while all four of the boys had their hands bound behind their backs and were immediately forced to march in a line behind the general.
"Half of you stay here and watched the entrance to the city. There were other people with these scum in the village; their accomplices should be following close behind them. Arrest anyone who attempts to enter Gabbiani, and bring them to me."
Twelve of the soldiers saluted the man with their swords, then arranged themselves in an odd formation around the southern archway. While the boys were being dragged along the city streets, Tal managed to get his breath - as well as his wit - back.
"It's a crime to enter the city now, huh? Damn, I guess we're not gonna get any more imports of Choco-Cola."
"Your tongue can be easily cut out if you don't have the power to still it, boy."
"Just wondering what the hell we did wrong, s'all. If people are gonna throw me in a dungeon, I'd like to know why."
"Play the fool all you want, it will do you no good. You and several of your accomplices were sighted in the midst of suspicious activity just the other night in Relm. How convenient that, just the day before, someone stole a precious heirloom from the royal family and left tracks heading South after evading capture by my men. Unless you have proof that neither you, or any of your friends here, were behind the crime, you all will be found guilty of the charges against you."
"Charges, my a**. You've got nothin' on any of us."
"Trespassing on private property. Theft. Destruction of public property. Kidnapping a council member. Disturbance of the peace. Resisting arrest. Oh yes, and let's not forget my favorite: high treason. These are the charges against you, and you'll be hard-pressed to convince anyone of your innocence. You will all be beheaded or hanged by the neck before the week is out, if I have my way."
Tal was out of smart-aleck things to say at this point. He hung his head low and let out a low moan. "Oh, ******** me..."
"No thanks, kid," William said with a chuckle. Tal rolled his eyes. At least one of them could keep good humor at the moment. Tal, however, could find no way out of this. And he was supposed to be a master criminal and escape artist. So much for that.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
((Okaaayy....Things are finally happening. Yay. Hopefully we can get this rolling again. We'll see. Also, sorry y'all, I know I said I'd have this up like a month ago, but yeah....so much s**t in my life right now....ugh....blah. Anyway. I'll work it out.
Also, Kyle, you know....You can post anytime you want. XD
Right now it might be kind of awkward to bring your characters in, but don't you worry. For them, Akara, and any new Hero characters anyone makes, all you have to do is walk into Gabbiani, and you will be promptly arrested, tied up, and dragged to trial with the rest of us. XD
As for the villains....I don't need to make another post for them yet. They're still walking through the tunnels, and nothing of any significance is going to happen till they reach the castle. Which I will make happen the next time I post. Maybe. The rest of you with villain characters can go right ahead and post if you want though, ya know, make conversation, interact with other villains while you walk for hundreds of miles. Gwahaha. Anyway...yeah I'll shut up now. I really really want a cig. And some ice cream. And some music. And some Wonka candy. And some music. Yeeeaaaahhhhhhh.))
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Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 2:00 pm
Soryuju & Vereor
Tribal
Plains ---> Gabbiani
"Come on, Vair, we're almost there," Soryuju called to his older brother with a smile as the two of them continued their march through the plains. They'd spotted some other travelers heading in the same direction, but Vereor had thought it wiser not to join groups, in case they'd been thugs or thieves.
"Keep your voice down, there was some shouting," Vereor muttered, his rod in his hands after the two had just beat away some random creatures.
"Oh, don't be such a spoiled sport, I'm sure it's nothing to be... concerned... about?"
The moment they neared the gates to enter the city, guards surrounded them with blades unsheathed, waiting to be used. Soryuju immediately raised his hands as a gesture of peace; Vereor slid his rod back into his belt loop before hesitantly doing the same.
"So maaaybe we should have gone west, as you said, brother," Soryuju said with a light chuckle, obviously nervous. "What, ah... seems to be the trouble, sers?"
"Just had to go north..." Vereor muttered, eyes narrowed at the guards that surrounded them.
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Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 10:09 am
Gabbiani Soldiers
Tribal
Gabbiani
Southern Archway
"Halt, in the name of the King!" One of the soldiers - a gruffy-looking man who had apparently been placed in charge - accompanied his shouts with gestures to several of the other soldiers, who quickly went about the business of binding the two boys' arms.
"These must be the accomplices the General was looking for," he said mostly to himself, a smile creeping onto his face. "We'll certainly be rewarded."
"No, you fool," one of the other guards said, "the witnesses said there was a woman with them!"
"Well then maybe she's on her way. In any case, we need to deliver this er...package," the leader said, pointing his thumb at their two captives. "You five, stand guard. There'll be more on the way to relieve you soon."
Half of the soldiers saluted and held their previous positions, while the other five quickly headed farther into the city to throw their new catch in with the lot.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
((Villains post....ehehe...I'm workin' on it... sweatdrop ))
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Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 7:35 pm
Lot
Tribal
Gabbiani
As the circle of swords raised around the party, Lot quickly raised his hands and dropped his rod in the same movement. "Aw curses, I really hate when this happens," he said to himself. A sudden bark of "Silence, peasant dog!" stopped any hope of additional chatter from Lot. He began hoping that this would end like the last time he was imprisoned by mistaken identity and would eventually be set free.
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Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 6:29 am
Remetheus
Tribal
Gabbiani Plains --> Gabbiani
Remetheus walked beside Lot, taking in the grand sight of Gabbiani. As he was admiring the buildings, Lot suddenly stopped and the small mage drew his eyes away to notice that they were surrounded by soldiers, all of whom were pointing their swords at them.
Seeing Tal raise his arms, Remetheus let go of his staff, letting it fall to the ground with a thud, and raised his own arms as well. Soon, the mage was bound and was following the general. He payed attention to the conversation, slightly regretting the fact that he wouldn't be able to enjoy Gabbiani.
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Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2010 1:09 am
Tal, William, Prince Zak Rivaz, & the Gabbiani Castle Guards
Tribal
Gabbiani Castle
Entrance Hall
Once through the tall, immaculately cleaned and polished oak double doors of the castle, the prisoners were dragged through a massive atrium of exquisite design. The lower length of the walls, as only those well-versed in the history and architecture of the city would know, had been lain decades ago, brick by massive brick. The perfectly uniform stones were composed of a mixture of chakka dust, toothstone, and good old-fashioned stone concrete. The odd, brown-grey mixture never looked very well in its more liquid-esque paste form, but once it was applied properly, every good mason in the Southeastern countries knew that it made for the most stable - and best-looking - foundations possible.
This fine masonwork was left in its dark grey color, although the walls were decorated with countless framed portraits, weapons, coats of arms - most the same usual pattern of a tree that was the recognized symbol of the King's line, as well as those of the nobles, all of which were also kin to the monarchy. The nobles were happy to let their cousins go on having the crown; they lived lives of luxury and never had to lift a finger. And besides, if King Rivaz's line were cut off, the noble house closest of kin to him would succeed him on the throne; and so on, and so on.
As everyone well knew, several years ago the plans to expand upon the castle had been put into action, and so the roofs had been torn down, and the walls were raised higher. The towers climbed up farther towards the heavens, as if they were reaching to touch the robes of Ramuh himself. The original stone of the walls had been left as it always had been - such was the way here, preserving history was of utmost importance - but the newly laid stonework had been painted in the rich greens, browns, and reds that were favored by the royal family. All along the higher points of the walls, regal banners and tapestries coated almost every foot of this superb coloring. The new ceiling had been painted in swirls of yellow and white - air colors - to show the Gods of the sky, the winds, and the all-penetrating lightning that even though earth was the center of their people's praise, and even though this roof cut off their indoors from gazing up at the heavens, the air was still loved and respected.
Amidst the comings and goings of the few people who had business in the castle today - the distant murmuring or the more cheerful conversations of louder people, the footsteps falling on the smooth marble-and-toothstone floors as well as the handsomely carpeted and gold-railed stairs, the opening and closing of doors, and the occasional phone ringing (those things were so bulky and ugly) - Tal noticed a boy, even younger than himself by his looks, sitting in the sill of one of the curtainless full-body windows. His violently deep red hair, blue-on-black eyes, fair face, and the pendant hanging from his neck gave him away immediately. He was Prince Zak Rivaz, heir to the throne of Tribal.
Tal would have spit on the floor as he passed by as an insult to the royal child, but he just couldn't bring himself to do so. When the boy removed his weary, longing gaze from the twilit sky glowing through the window and stared at the group of prisoners being lead across the atrium, his eyes met those of the young thief, and something happened. Some sort of...knowing. Tal saw in the young prince's eyes a touch of sorrow, of discontent...a look that accompanied a feeling that the life being lead behind those eyes was more a suffering than anything else; a feeling of wanting something more, something different...of wanting to tell yourself you did deserve better, but taking the harsh truths of life and simply having to go along with it. Tal knew this look without a doubt, for it was this same look he oftentimes saw upon his own face when staring at his reflection. A look no one of such tender years as they were, should ever have to bear.
What the hell could he possibly be suffering through? How could he not be happy? How does somebody who has everything given to him on a plate of silver and gold, feel in any way what we, the people who've truly suffered, feel in our hearts? It doesn't make any sense. What can you possibly give a man who has everything?
But deep inside, he felt bad for the boy, even if his noble birth already earned him hate within the young outlaw's heart. He didn't know exactly why, but that sad look in his eyes did not spring from light discomfort. The kid was truly feeling horrible, for some reason. Whatever it was, the sadness did not harm his handsome features. Truly, Tal was amazed that the ugly, gruff Kavu had ever sired such a naturally fair son. Maybe the apple fell very far from the tree in this one case. Maybe in many other ways. If that were so, then maybe Tribal really did have a hope for its future...
Soon, they were standing at the wide, intricately painted double doors which lead into the throne room. Two more young men had been shoved along to join them, also bound as they were. The small crowd of soldiers and chained-up prisoners was growing denser, and the junior pirate had let go of his locked stare into the eyes of the young prince. But the crimson-haired boy had not looked away from him...
"We'll wait until we're summoned," the leader of the guards - the one with the cape, who Tal had laughed at earlier - said, breaking the half-silence of the entrance hall. "Then you'll be tried in the king's court, and you'll more than likely all be executed before the week is out." At this last sentence, a grim smile stretched across the arrogant man's face. Tal wanted very badly to smack that grin right off of him. Oh, how he wanted it. As of now, the other guards were silently removing all of their prisoners' weapons and armor, and would soon move on to their small items and accessories. He drew in a deep breath to calm himself as one of the soldiers worked off his leather vest, leaving only the green undershirt beneath.
"Hey now, ain't you gonna at least take me out to dinner first before ya try to undress me?" he managed to say without falling into laughter as his loud words echoed through the atrium. His older, brown-haired companion couldn't hold it in, however; William let out a short chuckle. But what surprised him was to hear an even louder laugh coming from the eastern window sill, where the young prince was still seated. Tal turned and saw the boy, suddenly holding his hand over his mouth and glancing around at everyone, as if in apology. And that put a smile on the green-haired outlaw's face.
I still hate him and his whole damn family, though. But...I guess he's a tolerable kid.....As far as their kind goes, anyway...
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Nikolas & Astrina
Palazzo
Amoria
Thousand Year Wall ---> Amoria Castle
"It's about damn time!" Nikki said to no one in particular as they approached the exit from the tunnels within the Thousand-Year Wall. Just a few steps took them back into the castle. Ah, the castle...It was hard to imagine they had only been gone a day, and not even a full one, at that. All these battles seemed to have taken a lifetime. He flung open the stone covering that served as a "door" and marched triumphantly back into the nicely ventilated inner sanctum of Amoria Castle. Yes, this was much better. Less hot, less stuffy, and of course, more open space. He wasn't exactly claustrophobic, but damn, enough time down there in those tunnels could turn anybody into one. Or at least, such was his thought.
The only bad thing was that all of the sweat that had been accumulating upon his skin was now making him feel very cold in this artificially conditioned air. No matter, it would all be fine. He needed a towel, something cool to drink, and to make a phone call...but the call could wait until after he relaxed a bit. Fear of being magically impaled or beheaded from a million miles away or not, he deserved a break, dammit!
I need a glass of ice-cold Choco-Cola, and a very large pillow, and some...and some...
His thoughts were distracted as he saw a familiar figure hurriedly crossing the hall - a tall figure clad in very light armor, pale blond hair bouncing and swaying with each step. Nikki's face lit up with a smile when he saw the long, wavy locks.
"Airt!" he screeched at the top of his lungs. The young man slowed to a stop just before all but crashing into the red-headed mage. The two friends threw their arms around each other in a strong bear-hug that silently said "it's been far too long".
"Nikki! How have you been, you slippery knave?"
"Airt, you beautiful creature! If I'd known I'd be having any wishes granted, I'd have spent a bit more time talking to the stars these past nights. And speaking of stars, I'm sure you noticed Trine has already returned before you." As he finished the last sentence, Nikki gestured toward Astrina, whose own face was also bearing a wide grin. As soon as Nikki released his hold, she took her turn at nearly choking him with a hug.
"Were you sent here to check on the mission?" she asked, wasting absolutely no time with words of greeting. The young man nodded.
"Aye, and I'll be sticking around for a while, so ye'd better get used to my eyes again, old girl."
"Oh? What if I decide I don't need you watching me, eh little man?" Trine answered, her smile growing to show she was merely joking.
"'Shal't be glad of it 'ere the Spring's passing, as I've heard."
"What have you heard?"
"I'd prefer to have discussions with resting legs, under the blanket of comfort, and over much strong drink. Let's all to the Dining Hall." And without another word, the rather decisive young man turned and headed down the hall, without waiting for any of them. Astrina smiled and followed quickly; she and Nikki were much used to their friend's quick-witted, no-nonsense manner. He hated to waste time, and he knew what he wanted nine times out of ten.
Nikki turned to his two young troopers. "Dansworth, Fals...You two have done exceptionally well. Know that you will each be adequately rewarded, not only with immense riches and other prizes, but with constant promise of hire. The two of you may once again offer your services to the crown any time in the future, if you so wish. And as always, you shall be handsomely rewarded. Also, your lodgings here in the castle shall stay; you always have a free place here. Now...I am very proud to have fought alongside you two, and I have much more to say, as well as a few other things to ask of you, but first, it's time for rest! This new arrival you've just seen is an old friend and ally of mine; he would be pleased to properly meet you two. But of course, you'll want to clean yourselves up and change and whatnot first. You'll find everything you need in your suites. Once you're ready, meet us in the Dining Hall. That'll be all." And with that, he nodded, turned on his heel, and followed his two old friends. What a night they would all have! Sleeping in was inevitable, it seemed.
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Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 2:51 am
Tal, William, & the Gabbiani Castle Guards
Tribal
Gabbiani Castle
Entrance Hall ---> Throne Room
William turned to face the two boys who had just been shoved into their small crowd, thinking to ask them what they were in for. However, he quickly turned back around upon hearing one of the guards snap, "What've we got here, eh?!"
He and Tal both turned to see the soldier who was searching Remetheus for any hidden objects, dangerous or no. He had already taken the young boy's weapon, useless as it may be to fend off the castle's entire supply of knights. He was now tugging the poor boy by a necklace hanging around his neck. Tal had never seen the pendant on the mage before. He must have kept it well hidden; but then again, not well enough.
"Look here, milord. One o' these thieves fancies himself a blueblood!" The man laughed and quickly yanked the piece of jewelry off of Remmy, then tossed it to the Guard Captain, who examined it thoroughly. It bore the famous tree insignia that was well-known as the royal family's crest.
"It's real, that's sure," the caped man said without any tone of interest in his voice. "We'll give it to the King and see what he wants to do with it...and with this child."
Tal was staring dumbfoundedly at Remetheus; for a moment he seemed shocked beyond words.
"....Remmy....You....You're a-?"
His question was cut short as a trumpet blared, and the doors to the throne room opened. The six young men found themselves being pushed and prodded, the guards obviously eager to get the small group to walk forward into the grand chamber. It was decorated in exactly the same fashion as the entrance hall. William thought to himself that these people obviously didn't like change very much; as for Tal, he couldn't speak. He was too shocked; and he was quickly being filled with a newfound sense of rage. He felt ready to stand before that cursed tyrant now. He was quite ready for some answers.
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Nikolas, Astrina, & Airt
Palazzo
Amoria Castle Dining Hall
When Nikki joined his two friends in the Dining Hall, Airt was already lounging in one of the cushioned chairs at the head of the table, shuffling one of his many decks of cards. The man was nothing if not reliable; you always knew what he was going to do. Black Jack was his favorite game, although he would play many other things, and he always managed to persuade Nikki and Trina to play along. They didn't know why they always submitted to his whims; they knew they would always lose to him. But Airt had some kind of quality about him that made people just...give in.
Astrina had already seated herself to the left of their blond companion, so Nikki sat to his right. Airt quickly passed out the cards; five of them. So it would be Five Card Draw tonight. That wasn't one of Airt's favorites, and they knew this. Something strange must be up.
"Well, it's been forever since the three of us have been able to relax together like this. What's been going on in the West, Airt? Got any good business done? Met any pretty young things over the past year?" This last was uttered with a short laugh, although it wasn't even necessary. For years now, the mage had been teasing Airt about a certain incident involving a very young, green-haired maiden. The incident had ended with the blond-haired young man lying on his belly with two knives sticking out of his back and several jugs of whiskey tossed around the barn. It was something the poor gambler would never live down.
"Aye, I've secured the Master's...er....things....rather well. As for the other matter...Not at all, I'm afraid. I've taken to steering clear from the pretty lasses when I've had a bit too much of the drink. Unfortunately, 'tis the only time they seem to want anything to do with me." He finished with a grin, then gave three loud knocks on the table to call one of the servants in.
"I see. And Trina~?" Here Nikki turned his gaze to Astrina, who seemed to suddenly be very busy putting her cards in order.
"Nope."
Nikki scowled before tossing down two cards to discard: a three and a Jack. "Oh, come on, Trine," he said as he picked up the two cards Airt had dealt him back. "You're not still all hung up on that old prince of yours, are you? It's done. He's dead. Get over it. Move on with your life, girl. There are plenty of fish in the sea and all that rubbish."
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Trina snapped as she threw down three cards of her own and was given three more.
"So you're going to tell me that you haven't even had any sort of....anything? No men whatsoever? Not even a short fling like that one time in Muir...?
"Hey! I told you I was done with that kind of guy. He was...Well.....obnoxious."
"Vile," Airt agreed as he tossed down one card of his own, then picked the one from the top of the deck to put in its place, his blank poker face never changing.
"Just plain horrid," Nikki chimed in.
"But yes, I did have one or two little "flings", as you call it. Just a guy or two. But they meant nothing."
"Mhm, I'm sure. And kupo nuts mean 'nothing' to moogles."
"What about you, Nikki?" Astrina asked, a lilt in her voice now and a smile on her face. "How many guys did you sleep with this year?" This was answered with a chuckle from Airt. Nikki only smiled wider.
"Oh, you know how it is, hon. Some men are just so stubborn. Always off in their own worlds...It's so hard to find a good one nowadays."
"It was back in the old times, as well."
"Wait, you mean you actually looked back then?"
Astrina set her cards down; she had a pair of Kings. She then stared rather solemnly at Nikolas. "After a while, you begin to realize he's never going to get his nose out of those books, and he's never going to put down the pen. You might as well sit there and rot in your wedding dress than expect him to remember to show up. So yes....After a while, I gave up on him and..."
"Moved on?"
"....Yeah..."
"Could've fooled me, sweetheart."
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Blank
Palazzo
Corbeau Plains
The sun had already sunk below the mountains; at least he no longer felt the heat beating down upon his back. Just ten or so more miles eastward, and he'd be there. Oh, how he longed for this ride to be over. Blank's entire body seemed to ache. And now, to make things worse, he could hear the sound of at least twenty motor-bikes coming from the west. The invaders were following him, he just knew it. They were a very, very long way off, but it wouldn't take long for them to catch up to him on those machines. He had only his trusty chocobo. The birds were known for their amazing speed, but there was no way he could outrun a motor-bike. Oh, what had he gotten himself into? But he had no choice. General Adelbert had given him this mission. He must not fail. He must persevere. He must...keep his eyes open...
Blank shook his head quickly from side to side, took in a deep breath, and kicked his heels into the sides of his chocobo's saddle. The graceful yellow-feathered creature let out a loud "WAAARK!!!" and pushed itself to run faster. Just a little longer...
"Oh, good boy! You're getting treats galore when this is all over. I promise."
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