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 Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2010 6:41 pm
Lend me your ear!...Heed my words. ℜogvald xxxxxThings were progressing magnificently. Ever since the new rise in power of the rightful heir, order and tranquility was a common view throughout the capital. For most, anyway. A few whispers here and there were a little unsettling, but were shrugged off as nonthreatening. Once the new laws were established, the ones truly loyal to Learania would distinguish themselves. And the ones who weren't... would be dealt with. xxxxxBut before all that, Rogvald had to settle into the castle. James' room had already been prepared and he was able to make it his own. However, Rogvald still had to choose from several. He had gone to Nils' room, but it wasn't as flashy as he would have liked. Other rooms were too small. That was when he went to Rath's room. xxxxxThe door opened and Rogvald strolled in, accompanied by some guards and some of the help. " Ah, this one is much better." he said as he nodded. " The size is adequate, the layout is acceptable and the decoration is gorgeous when looking passed the savage designing which that man has put up. But no matter, it can be taken down easily." He clapped his hands and signaled the servants to begin their work. " This room shall be fine. Bring my belongings here and get this junk out." xxxxxRogvald turned around and it was only then when he noticed a nomadic girl in the room. Unless he mistook her for another of her kind, which was entirely possible, she was that man's daughter. He looked her over and scowled. He was clearly not expected to see her here. " ...Oh. What... are you doing here?" I advise you to listen. Not doing so could prove... deadly.
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Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 1:57 pm
O Father Sky, Mother Earth...
I pray that you give me strength. ↣ ↣ ↣ Sue ↣ ↣ ↣  "What am I doing here, sir? I believe the answer is quite simple." Sue answered the Adviser with an acid tongue. After hearing everything that went on, watching helplessly as her father was taken away, she was in no mood to give this wretch any more words that necessary. He was responsible for all of this! Locking up her friends and family, banishing others, and dismantling the guild as they knew it... it was all his fault! "I was making sure that someone watched over my father's room when he was away. I couldn't trust anyone else to keep his possessions where they belonged."
And where they belonged, Sue felt, was where her father belonged. They belonged here, in this castle, safe from the dangers of the outside world that came in the forms of greed, hatred, and prejudice. Sue was now remembering the oppression that she and her fellow nomads faced at the hands of Bern and its mighty soldiers. How they felt powerless to keep their beloved culture, much less their lives at all. That was what this man and his child king were setting to do, and she despised them both for it. Bringing up petty offenses to get the guild imprisoned? It was just a way of sapping morale that wasn't going to work. As long as Sue was free, and even if she wasn't, she'd resist this profound change in Learania with every fiber of her being.
"Will you leave now?" she asked Rogvold. The bile within her voice was very evident, as her words were as sharp as they could be at this time. "This room does not belong to you." she stated. The Nomad Trooper was not afraid of this man who stood before her. She'd seen a dozen more like him: in the faces of the nobles and aristocrats in both Lycia and Learania. It was something that took a true person of character and pride to stand up to, and after all of her experiences, Sue had become just that.<=|Nomad Trooper|==0 The path ahead shall not be
easy, but I must proceed!
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Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 2:31 pm
Lend me your ear!
...Heed my words. ℜogvald
xxxxxIt actually took a moment for the old man to realize that the little girl was truly serious. It was impossible to refrain from laughter. The mere thought of some savage child telling Rogvald that his room didn't belong to him tickled him oh too much. It was an open slap in the girl's face.
xxxxx"Dear child," he began, sweetly. "what realm of fantasy has your mind sunken into that you would think you are allowed to live in this castle anymore..?" He shook his head at her as if she were some poor creature. "Your father was the reason you were allowed to stay here and since your father is a vile traitor doomed to execution... you are no longer permitted to stay." He slowly clasped his hands together, taking the pose of a praying holy man. "If I could, I would allow this to slide, believe me, child. But alas! There is nothing I can do for you..." His stringy fingers riddled with wrinkles gripped her shoulder. "Do not worry, though... I will take very good care of this room."
xxxxxThe false look of sincerity vanished as Rogvald released her, brushed off the hand that had touched her, and turned to a guard. The sweet, though poisonous in sound voice was replaced with the regular cold one. "...Remove her." Rogvald turned away from the girl and folded his hands behind him. The guard came and offered his hand so that he could lead the girl out, but could not look her in the face.
I advise you to listen. Not doing so could prove... deadly.
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Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 2:43 pm
O Father Sky, Mother Earth...
I pray that you give me strength. ↣ ↣ ↣ Sue ↣ ↣ ↣ The man seemed to be so calm, even in the face of pure rejection of his presence! How amazing, that he wasn't even moved by Sue's open displays of anger. Rogvold's very words mocked her though, she could feel them. "The only reason you were allowed to stay here was because your father was here... and now he's on death row." They were words meant to sting, and they stung right where they needed to. Not only did she have no power, but she had no family anymore, if Rath was to truly hang.
Both were everything to a nomad! To take them away was to take away the Sacaen within a person. There were so many thing she wanted to say, but Sue felt a cold dread run through her when the Adviser's hand went on her shoulder. He claimed he'd take care of the room, but she doubted it. "The way he'd take care of it is by getting rid of all traces of the one worthy ruler who lived there!" she thought with pure scorn. Oh, how Sue felt like spitting on him.
But the Guards came before she could say a cross word or make a spiteful action. "How... dare you!" she shouted with indignation. "How could you sleep at night, knowing what you do... leaving this city's guardians to rot, and putting a fighter for the greater good on the streets! ... you will face your own justice soon enough." the nomad trooper warned harshly. She let herself be escorted off after that, not wanting to cause any undue commotion with the guild's reputation already in the dirt. There would be the day where she repaid that swine for all that he did to the city she loved... and there would be a day where she'd free her father. He had to have a reason to stay silent, and if Sue couldn't find out, no one would.<=|Nomad Trooper|==0 The path ahead shall not be
easy, but I must proceed!
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Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 4:25 pm
Lend me your ear!
...Heed my words. ℜogvald
xxxxxRogvald said nothing as the girl was led out. He wallowed in the silence for a moment once the shouting was gone. "...What a disgusting thing that was."
xxxxxThe old man then went back to work with settling into his room.
________________________________________
xxxxxAbout an hour or so later, the help was well on their way to transforming the interior of the room for the advisor. It was a bore watching them work and he could always call on them again if they didn't follow the layout the way he wanted it, so Rogvald decided to continue with his other business. He stopped only once to talk to a certain person in the guard before continuing. His boots clanked down the castle hallways and stairways, echoing more and more the further down he proceeded. Finally, at the very bottom of level of the castle, he was forced to carry with him a torch- well, he was forced to get a guard to carry one for him.
xxxxxThe advisor sneered as the stench of decay became more potent. Only the sound of rats and drops of water could be distinguished. All he could really see were the bars of cells and the guard ahead of him and it remained so until the guard stopped and faced a cell. The soldier called for the prisoner and held out the torch, revealing the ragged former captain Rath. Rogvald stared and took pleasure in the traitor's weary state. "I have come again. Are you ready to talk? It would be a shame if I had to continue with the... interrogating."
I advise you to listen. Not doing so could prove... deadly.
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Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 6:06 pm
"You ask why do I not talk much?"_______←« _____ ←« ____ ←« ___ ←« __ ←« _____"...Because there is nothing to say."Rath
------------  Darkness, silence, these were the two companions fate had given. Whenever a presence drew near, they ran and hid. As the echoing sounds of footsteps boomed, Rath woke up face down in his own blood and sweat, and found that his companions had left again. Limbs pushed the worn body up the best they could but gave out once the shoulder could fall against the stone wall for support. The light from the torch was blinding despite how little it actually lit up. The identities of the visitors could not be made out. But curiosity turned into dread as the screeching voice was heard. Rogvald had come back.
Prior endeavors to extract information had left Rath in a grossly weakened state. He expected the torture and expected that it would be done secretly. But still, he couldn't help but hope that someone would find out and stop it. Rath wouldn't talk. But pain was pain. Rogvald never pushed it to the point where Rath would pass out and be spared if only momentarily.
"You will not... ...get what you desire... Lord Sceptan..." he uttered weakly. "I.. ...know your house... ...I ...found out... where it went... you... will not..." A fit of coughs stopped the nomad from continuing. When the coughing ceased, Rath did not continue. It was hard to speak. He preferred to just not say a word to him at all. He remained silent.
------------
Guild Captain "The future remains most uncertain, Nino."_____
»→ __»→ ___»→ ____»→ _____»→_______ "...But if this is your wish, then so it shall be."
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Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 6:49 pm
Lend me your ear!
...Heed my words. ℜogvald
xxxxxFlames flickered, causing the light to dance around the advisor. Shadows hid his face and kept his reactions a secret. The old man's reply was a simple one. "...I have no idea what you are talking about." He turned away, signifying his intent to leave. "However, if you still refuse to talk, I suppose you will just have to endure more of my questioning. I will be back to to do so later." He grinned. "Surprised? Do not be so arrogant. The real reason I came down here lies... a few cells down. Rest while you can, traitor."
xxxxxThe advisor paced off, followed by the light of the torch. A couple yards away, he faced the bars and waited for the torch to be held out. When it was, a well developed body stripped of its armor was revealed. A distinctive scar stuck out even in the dimness of the light. "Good evening, Lady Vaida." he greeted. "Or maybe it's morning, perhaps even night. I suppose you would not know." He lifted a hand to his bottom lip to push back his chuckles, but failed. "But perhaps we change that. I have come to you with a... proposition. It was most honorable to take the place of your subordinate and accept her fate. But I feel that you are too skilled to let waste away in here. I offer unto you the chance to rejoin the army and take a command position."
xxxxxHe stopped a moment to let this offer sink in. Anyone would wonder why such a free offer was presented. There had to be a catch. And there was... though Rogvald did not see it as anything one would have trouble accepting. Still, as part of the guild, the woman would probably decline it. However, Rogvald wanted her back in a commanding position. He was fairly sure he knew how to make her accept. "All I ask is that you pledge service to the King and renounce your ties with this guild. You will do whatever you are commanded without question. Or perhaps... you would prefer that girl you favor be called up on some other charges. Or maybe you would like your men to go on small expeditions to see if the bandits are still within Pentheus. I will have to express my disappointment somehow, should you refuse..." He brought down his hand and grabbed it with his other one. "So... what say you? Do you accept?"
I advise you to listen. Not doing so could prove... deadly.
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Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 2:40 pm
xxxxx"If you're worried about surviving, xxxxxxxyou can worry about it after you're dead!"
"The wyvern riders of Bern sit atop the heap of all other forces on the continent!" xxxxx "You will see our power soon!"
Vaida didn't really make out what was said by those cells away from her, but she recognized that annoying as ******** voice. The groan showed how she felt about Rogvald coming to visit. Whenever he did, she had to sit and listen to painful screams and face the fact that she couldn't do anything about it. The smell she could handle. The rats, the darkness, and the shitty meals were all easy to deal with. But knowing that somebody was being tortured (and not by her) was maddening!
It was surprising to see the geezer stop by her own cell. Vaida nearly forgot her legs were spread open, so she quickly recalled ladylike positions since the last thing she needed was a horny geezer. It would have been slightly revealing considering the only thing she had left was a small skirt that looked more like a long shirt. Yeah, eat your heart out.
From the moment the snake in the grass spoke, Vaida was glaring at him. He wanted to taunt for her being locked up? He was damn lucky he was on the other side of the bars. As much as Vaida wanted to lunge forward and try to snap his neck, the proposition kept her at bay. There it was, a free offer to come back to the Guard. It didn't make any sense, why go to the bother of locking somebody up just to free them again? As a scare? There was the chance that the geezer had actually come to his senses. But Vaida was skeptical.
It turned out she had reason to be. All she had to do was pledge service and quit the guild. Vaida would have pledged service anyway, she would have had to. The geezer went through all that hassle just to make her quit the guild? It seemed like he was trying to get her for himself so that he could command her to do whatever he wanted, with freedom. Well, Vaida would follow the king, but not Rogvald! He could go to hell. However, it soon seemed like Vaida wasn't actually getting a choice. That swine was threatening Mihira and all her other soldiers. He didn't come out and say it, but he was obviously going to make their lives hell and send them out to die if Vaida didn't agree. She had been put in prison to save one of her own and so would sell herself to do it again for all her men. Also, she really wanted out of her cell. Hey, she was human.
There was a low growl from within the cell after the geezer had finished. "Fine, I agree. You get what you want, for now. Now get me out of this cell!"
W y v e r n L o r d V a i d a*
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Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 3:31 pm
Lend me your ear!
...Heed my words. ℜogvald
xxxxx"Hmhmhmhmhm! Good." Rogvald replied. "That is a very wise decision." He turned to the guard. "Release her."
xxxxxRogvald stood back as the guard opened the cell. Part of him thought that she would probably attack, but he was not concerned. Nothing would come from such a futile attempt. "There, much better, hm? You will be taken to the barracks to collect yourself." He snapped his fingers. "Ah, but first..." He waved his hand outward into the darkness of the pathway. "I would like you to meet your new Commander..."
I advise you to listen. Not doing so could prove... deadly.
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Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 1:05 pm
At the advisor's signal, Valter stepped out of the shadows. Across his face he wore his usual cold smile, though it was slightly wider than average. He laid eyes on the wreck of a person that was sitting before him, and almost burst out laughing. It was funny, seeing his former Commander in such a sad state.
"Well, dog, it looks like you'll be following my orders from now on. How fortunate you are," Valter chuckled. "Now get up. There's a war that needs fighting."
Commander of the Learanian Guard. Oh, he was going to enjoy this.
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Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 6:24 pm
Lend me your ear!
...Heed my words. ℜogvald
xxxxxIt was a pleasure to see the new Commander of Learania's army take such initiative in his duty. Rogvald knew he had made the right choice. The man would prove most useful in the future. "I shall leave her to you, Commander." The advisor said while turning to leave. "I will send word when there are new orders for you." With that, Rogvald walked off into the dark.
__________________Earlier..._________________
xxxxxA few days had passed since the trial and Rogvald was busy busy busy doing things. One of the things on his agenda just so happened to be to stop by the Guard's barracks and see a certain captain. Wherever the captain was, Rogvald quietly made his way over to where the officer was going about his business. The old man's presence remained unknown for some unexplained reason until he finally opened his mouth- and he was careful to stay precisely out of range of a lance.
xxxxx"Good evening, Captain Valter... my, you certainly are diligent, aren't you?" He grinned. "I wonder- May I have a word?"
xxxxxValter hadn't been in any form of command for quite some time, so those were all things he needed to get used to managing again. That being said, he was progressing rapidly. With his nose buried in forms and documents of all sorts, he had failed to notice the shady old man that had entered the room until he broke the still silence of the room.
xxxxx"Hm? Oh, you," the Captain uttered with a hint of contempt. "What do you want, dog? For what chore does His Majesty require my assistance?"
xxxxxRogvald chuckled. "Your apparent willingness is pleasing to hear." He slowly stepped around the man to look him over ore thoroughly. "Well, you see, is appears the former commander of Learania's army is a bit indisposed. Now I wonder... who left has the ability to take over this role? You are newly promoted, but your tale is legend in the eyes of those from your world. In essence.. I like what I hear." He stopped in front of the man and grinned. "That is why I am offering you, Captain Valter, the Commander's spot of Learania's armies. Do you accept?"
xxxxxValter laughed. Even his reinstatement as a Grado general had hardly been this fast. The old man was right, though- who would make a better commander than a former general? Valter spoke, with that same old sadistic smile. "Old man, it would be my pleasure."
xxxxxThe elder's grin turned into a smile much like the one the man before him wore. "Wonderful." Rogvald clapped his hands together. "Come out- bring it forth!"
xxxxxA guard came into the room, with a spear in his possession. It was not any spear- it was the one Vaida prized. "With your new promotion comes a gift. This spear is yours, now." Rogvald motioned the guard forward, who obeyed, and handed the weapon to Valter. "Use it well..."
xxxxxValter grasped the weapon like a child grabbing a new toy. This was, by far, the finest weapon he had ever held. The new Commander was looking forward to impaling his enemies on this beauty.
xxxxxRogvald turned around and faced the exit. "I am on my way down to see the former commander myself and offer her a deal. I would be pleased if you would join me."
xxxxxAt the invitation the advisor had given Valter to see Vaida, the Commander had but one simple reply. "Nothing would make me happier."
_________________________________________
xxxxxAfter departing from the dungeon, Rogvald fluttered up to see King James. They had been going over some new laws and it just so happened to be the day they would be announced. A decree had been sent to the people to gather around the castle to listen and the time for the laws to be presented was nearly upon them.
xxxxxOn an upper level of the castle, Rogvald found James, accompanied by some guards and a servant or two, awaiting him. The advisor bowed. "My apologies, you Highness. I would have arrived sooner, but I was taking care of other business." He held a curved hand to his ear. Cheers for the king rang throughout the room in echoes. "Ah, it seems the people are ready to hear your decrees." He held out the same hand. "Shall we?"
Once James grabbed his hand, Rogvald led him towards the balcony, where the cheers grew once the people laid eyes on their king. A great multitude filled the surrounding area. It was uncertain how James would do when addressing so many people, but it was his duty- that is, unless he called for Rogvald to announce the laws for him.
But at the moment, the advisor only had one piece of advice to give. "...Remember to project!"
I advise you to listen. Not doing so could prove... deadly.
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Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2010 1:47 pm
James
Take me home, to the land of my fathers...
"A-hem," he murmured, then swallowed and lifted his head. "Good people of Eyris! As King, it is my duty to make unto you these declarations of law and order! These declarations, submitted and signed by me with the Royal Seal and approved by the Council of Governors, are hereby passed into laws for the Royal City of Eyris!" He stepped forward a bit more and laid out the first declaration.
"In the first," he said loudly, "In light of the great potential for damage and devastating effect they have had on our fair city in the past, I regrettably must declare that all dragons of any kind, and any man, woman, or child who shares their blood will be henceforth banned from the city and its limits henceforth!"
As he let the murmurs run through the crowd, he shuffled his pages again, flipping to the next, and cleared his throat. "Hm. Furthermore, it has been brought to my attention that the guild that ran the city previously drained heavily on the city's coffers to fund its wars and squabbles. There is no money to fund reconstructions and maintenance of roads, nor to outfit the city's watchmen or guards!" A soft gasp ran through the crowd, and he cleared his throat to quiet them as he continued. "It is due to the guild's indiscretion that I must unfortunately levy high new taxes, at least until we can refill the coffers. Henceforth, there will be 35% taxes levied upon tea, sugar, silver, oil, and alcohol."
He actually had to stop himself from recoiling at the outrage from below. "Do not blame me, friends, for I would not be in this position were it not for the guild that came before me! I shall undo these taxes as soon as I can begin repairing the roads! But for now, unfortunately, they must remain for an indefinite period. Now, calm down, there is still more to come..."
"-hem. Now, I feel that the guild has made too great an effort to blend itself with the public, and has thereby painted themselves as the very face of Eyris itself. It is for this reason that I must mandate uniforms for all guild members. Sarah, Darryl, please come forward to model them."
A tall man stepped forward onto the ledge of the balcony in a dark green uniform, head to toe. It actually didn't look uncomfortable; a bit snazzy, even! Sarah joined him a moment later, wearing a similarly colored uniform, tight around the chest, and with one truly crucial difference: it had a skirt that never got past the mid-thigh.
"These will be worn mandatory during the week by all members of the guild, inside the city and on any excursion on which they represent the guild or city in other parts of the country."
After quite a lot of whistling and a few of the more progressive women being smacked by their husbands for expressing outrage because this IS a medieval society, James waved for the public to settle down. "Now then, in light of recent complaints regarding the behavior of gamblers and their influences on children, I must shut down street gambling. Legalized gambling institutions will be held to strict codes, and I will approve their operations myself, personally. Anyone caught gambling in the streets or anywhere outside of a legalized institution will be arrested for no less than a month, and fined no less than two hundred crowns." He flipped to the next page, hoping to start the next one before people got too rowdy.
"Furthermore," he went on, "anyone who wishes to learn or practice magic must be approved, due to the danger this field of knowledge presents to the people and city, by the council of elders, and will commit one year of mandatory service to the Learanian army." This was not actually too unreasonable-- similar laws were in effect in Mordache and Estarcia already. Magic was a very serious thing, and was taken quite seriously as a result.
"Furthermore, any mercenary entering the city from abroad will be thoroughly checked, and must present documentation and any cargo they are carrying will be inspected." Again, not much complaint-- sounded more like common sense than anything else.
"Finally," he said gravely, standing up a bit straighter. "On the subject of laguz and other sub-huma--"
"You son of a b***h!" A hawk suddenly rose out of the crowd, wings beating powerfully to get into the air. James' bodyguards were immediately at his sides as the wide-eyed young king stepped back off the podium. The hawk was diving down toward them now, beginning to glow already.
"Take it down," murmured a voice from behind them.
Twang.
Fffffthwp.
Thmp.
"Hrk--!"
Crack.
The laguz bled, wings akimbo, neck snapped on the cobbles, head pinned underneath his own back with an arrow sticking out of his stomach. A couple of guards quickly ran out into the circle of people watching in horror and dragged the body away into the castle.
"A-ah," the king said, shakily climbing back up to his podium with the assistance of one of his bodyguards. "Thank you. As I was saying... all laguz and other s-- non-humans must register themselves with the castle and consent to regular monitoring to study their intentions, habits, and general behavior. They are dangerous and, from experience, unpredictable." He waved a hand vaguely toward the door as it shut behind the guards and their recently deceased cargo.
"That is all for now. These laws will soon go into effect in all cities throughout the country. Thank you." He raised his hand to wave, then shakily climbed down from the podium.
"... You certainly... were right about them," he murmured softly. "I am glad I have someone I can trust. I-I think perhaps I will take a short nap. I trust you can take care of things, Rogvald?" He patted his advisor's hand, still shaking visibly, and walked, flanked by his most intimidating guards, back to his bedchamber.
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Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2010 9:02 pm
Lend me your ear!
...Heed my words. ℜogvald
xxxxxJames had done quite well. It was obvious the sudden attack from the shape shifter had startled the lad, but he stood straight and faltered not. Rogvald had taught him well. What's more, that foolish sub-human made other-worlders look bad. It was a perfect development. "Of course, my king. the advisor replied. "Guards are already on their way to secure the legendary weapons we do not already have. It was wise to not announce this law to the public. Heaven knows certain guild members would try to greedily flee. However, this is for the best- after all, use of these weapons throws the world into chaos. We all witnessed this last autumn. It is best for them all to be kept safe inside the castle."
Rogvald bowed to James as the child left for his nap. Once James had left the room, Rogvald departed to see how well the progress on collecting the weapons was becoming. He was most anxious to have them all.
When he reached the throne room, he was greeted by several guards who had returned from fetching the weapons that they had gotten. The bow, Donarco, had been taken from the nomad's chamber after his arrest. The magic sword, Vezra, was retrieved after the silly little girl had been arrested. The cursed axe, Dullahan, was gotten after the watch officers were discharged. The golden lance, Graver, unfortunately was lost with Captain Deborah. The dark tome, Chikazura, had been in the castle all along. The light tome, Antaram, was retaken from Rhys while guards went to see him as he worked at the hospital. The remaining weapons, Espinne, Brisecshal, and Tervingi had yet to be recovered.
However, it had been discovered who possessed the crest, Tervingi. While the laws were being announced, guards went to the home of one, Annis the raven. There, they searched for the crest with no help from the bird and came up empty. Knowing that the girl knew where the crest was, the guards took Annis herself back to the castle with them. Seeing a sub-human displeased Rogvald until it was explained why she had been brought. The raven was foolish if she thought she could hide the crest.
Her hands were bound for safety, as it was possible she could try to escape. Rogvald, having already scuttled over to the weapons and the guards, turned and looked at the unwanted guest. "It's astonishing how easy it is to find things out about people..." he began as he looked her up and down. "We have learned that you have the crest, Tervingi. These guards say that they could not find it in your dwelling, so that must mean you are keeping it elsewhere. Dear girl, this crest is dangerous. Use of it is said to drive your kind mad. It would be reckless to leave such an artifact out- it could wind up in the wrong hands. And do you think you could keep it from those that desire its power for evil? No, not forever. As a weapon that causes chaos in this world, it must be kept safe inside the castle." He approached her cautiously. "Now tell me.. where is the crest? Once we have it, you are free to go."
I advise you to listen. Not doing so could prove... deadly.
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Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2010 9:38 pm
 →→→→→→The hands I'd kept clean→→→→→→Now look dirty→→→→→→Before I can doubt my memories→→→→→→My memories are doubting me...In retrospect, it was probably a good thing she had actually woken up before they arrived. As it was, though, she had barely been out of bed for ten minutes--and therefore had only gotten herself dressed for the day and was busy trying to drink a cup of coffee--when the soldiers from the castle arrived, practically breaking down her door in knocking on it. They hadn't even let her finish her ******** coffee, either, just bound her hands with only a "You're needed at the castle" for explanation before shuttling her off.
"Would've gotten here faster if you'd let me fly over," she muttered, looking away underneath her hair, even spikier and in more disarray than usual, thanks to the bedhead she'd had no time to mend.
The raven stared ahead in sullen silence as they guided her along. It wasn't like she had the room to fight back, anyway. One of her, more of them. Even if she thought she could overpower every single one of them in turn, they were likely to have archers in the castle. Damn archers.
Annis stared levelly at Rogvald as they introduced her to the throne room, subtly knocking her shoulder against the nearest guard to get him to release her arm, standing up straight on her own. "It's astonishing how easy it is to find things out about people..."
Of course it is. I do it all the time.
The raven scowled at him as he seemed to look her over, feathers ruffling out instinctively, despite her wings being folded behind her. It was probably a good thing she'd had the time to get her corset on. Or maybe it was worse. Either way, it was better to not be in her pajamas for this. "We have learned that you have the crest, Tervingi. These guards say that they could not find it in your dwelling, so that must mean you are keeping it elsewhere." He just kept talking, something about "Blah blah dangerous, blah blah drive 'your kind' mad, blah blah reckless, blah blah 'we are clearly smarter than you towards keeping this artifact safe' blah."
Annis responded by flicking her chin to the side, making her bangs move away from her eyes. "All right, let me get this straight. You guys busted into my own home and rummaged your dirty paws through it when I wasn't home and didn't find a magical necklace, so now you arrive at my home without warning, bind me as if I'm a prisoner, and then demand to have this artifact that I'm clearly trying to hide to keep for myself, even though it was given to me as a gift by the previous owner. Right, that makes a lot of sense."
She sighed, though didn't make any move to run away. She was irate, not stupid. "Look, it's safe with me as it is. I don't use the damn thing. Hell, I don't transform. Why would I need to worry about a crest 'driving me mad' if the source of its madness isn't even glanced at, much less activated?"
And I'm pretty sure the castle is the least safe place to be in this town nowadays, but I'm fairly sure you'll arrest me on the spot if I say that, so...
Annis offered a sly little smile, shrugging her shoulders carelessly. "Basically, I think that the Tervingi Crest is very safe with me. If you're seriously concerned, then why not just have someone check in with me every so often? I'm sure you have plenty of your watchmen stationed around the city. I think that's reasonable."  We're mirrors, both of us←←←←←←
Reflecting each other's karma←←←←←←
Our dirty hands will touch←←←←←←
And we'll know its shape...←←←←←←
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Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 8:36 pm
Lend me your ear!
...Heed my words. ℜogvald
xxxxx"Or..." Rogvald began again. "We can do something... not incredibly stupid."
xxxxxHe sneered at her. "Of course it makes sense, you twit. It is law that these weapons be collected, therefore we have retrieved you." Rogvald sighed and rolled his eyes. "Honestly, have you listened to nothing I have said? You have missed the point entirely. It really doesn't matter if you feel the crest is safe, because as long as it is somewhere out in the open for anyone to be able to come across, then it is not! Guards and watchmen have better things to do than guard some vulture all day! Besides, don't you think that would infringe upon your privacy to have some men follow you around all day...? They would eventually find the crest that way and bring it to the castle, anyway. This- Hrmph!" He took a moment to pump his shoulders and sigh. "I really do not even know why I am continuing to speak with you. This is not open for discussion."
xxxxxRogvald raised his hands up to halt speaking while he calmed himself down. "If you are interested in being reasonable, then I would have you know that you are able to come and see the crest here in the castle whenever you feel like it. You don't use it- would that really be an inconvenience for you?" He narrowed his eyes, as if catching wind of something. "Unless... hm. I wonder. People who used their weapon would naturally be at an inconvenience because they carried it around. Having to come to the castle just to see the weapon would not be in their best interest." Rogvald rubbed his chin then fanned his fingers in the air. "I find it odd that even after your dwelling was torn apart to find this crest, it was not located. Yet you say it is safe... with you. Perhaps, then... you meant it literally?"
xxxxxHe grinned contentedly and took a step forward. "I shall grace you one chance, raven. If you have the crest on your person, then reveal it and hand it over." He said this, of course, since the girl's hands were not bound behind her back. However, her arms were being held by a pair of guards, who would allow some movement if she agreed. "Otherwise... I believe I will have to conduct a search... for myself." He turned his head slightly and increased his grin. "For the sake of upholding the law, of course."
I advise you to listen. Not doing so could prove... deadly.
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