Plagued by a Rose [concluded]

[Trombone Geek]

((And this, my friends, is how I do character death. Sudden, unexpected, and with no warning, with lots of drama and such involved. I'm also usually the first one to do it, too, even though I've only done it twice.. Heh. -grins sheepishly-))

 

[Andraus]

Yaro was on ground, in searing pain already, and getting beaten on by Kuvira did nothing but infuriate him. Maeve would see Yaro was about to cast a retaliatory spell......before closing his hand, and biting back his rage, obviously not trying to give Kuvira more ammunition against him. ".....I was wrong......You're not as bad as King Thornton......You're worse than the Wilting Rose...."Yaro would say, holding his stomach, as he bit back the urge to attack her. "So is that how it is now?.......The end justifies the means........is that what has happened to my homeland since I have been away....? If so, then you have the same reasoning as both the King and the Assassins....."He asked her. She was acting too much like them for him to ignore it. Kuvira would see something in his eyes that he normally never had: The Look of Betrayal.


This woman wasn't the Kuvira Yaro knew three years ago.


This woman was someone else.


This 'Queen' was an insult to the Kuvira he once knew.


Yaro would turn towards Maeve, Holding his searing arm, and his wounded ribs. "Hey, Maeve.....Can I talk to you.....?"He asked. In all honesty, he was hoping to find out what had happened in the last few years. Obviously, something happened he wasn't aware of, and he aimed to find out.

 

[Trombone Geek]

Maeve knew her place, but she also knew that Kuvira would regret her decisions. While she didn't manage to catch the punch, her leg shot out to block Kuvira's kick. "It was an accident, Kuvira." she said. "It was a mistake anyone could make, and it was the dragon's choice in the first place. They say the beasts have a way with Fate; for all we know, it wasn't anywhere near his fault."


When Kuvira dropped to her knees, Maeve gently plucked the eggs from her hand, placing them carefully back in the bag. "There is nothing I can do, Kuvira. But I have one comment.. You acted unreasonably in your attack on Yaro." Her voice was kind, yet also scolding, almost like a mother. "Yaro is--was--on our side.. After this, I'm not sure."


Maeve turned back to face Yaro as he spoke, listening quietly to his insults towards Kuvira. When he asked to speak with her, Maeve paused.


"I will return momentarily, Kuvira," Maeve said, and went to help Yaro up. "Thank you for controlling yourself," she murmured as she took his uninjured arm and lifted him to his feet, moving to a second entrance into the cavern where she stopped, and sighed. "What do you want, Yaro?"

[QUOTE="Robyn Banks]

OOC: I didn't even take the dragons out the bag yet.

Kuvira sat up to hear what he had to saw about whatever he wanted about dragons until he brushed his hand the dragon egg and marking himself with it. He screamed in pain as the marks burned him. She listened to Maeve murmured only to know that Maeve was right. She was pissed. She approached Yaro only to immediately punch him hard hard enough to almost breaking his nose."you fool what have you done! I have given you a second chance and this is what you do?" She said furious. "I almost died for those eggs and you decide that you can claim one for yourself?!" She kicked him in the guts to make sure he stampled over himself "and what do you want me to think? that it was by accident! You disgust me!" She took our her eggs from her bag whispering to herself. Falling to her knees on the ground. "No.no.no. this can't be. I went too far to get this." She looked up at Maeve with sorrow in her eyes. "Please Maeve is there something you can do? Anything! I can't just let him be claimed like that!"
​

[/QUOTE]
Maeve hadn't expected for Kuvira to react quite as violently, but she knew her place and didn't move to stop her, or to protect Yaro.

Yaro was on ground, in searing pain already, and getting beaten on by Kuvira did nothing but infuriate him. Maeve would see Yaro was about to cast a retaliatory spell......before closing his hand, and biting back his rage, obviously not trying to give Kuvira more ammunition against him. ".....I was wrong......You're not as bad as King Thornton......You're worse than the Wilting Rose...."Yaro would say, holding his stomach, as he bit back the urge to attack her. "So is that how it is now?.......The end justifies the means........is that what has happened to my homeland since I have been away....? If so, then you have the same reasoning as both the King and the Assassins....."He asked her. She was acting too much like them for him to ignore it. Kuvira would see something in his eyes that he normally never had: The Look of Betrayal.
This woman wasn't the Kuvira Yaro knew three years ago.


This woman was someone else.


This 'Queen' was an insult to the Kuvira he once knew.


Yaro would turn towards Maeve, Holding his searing arm, and his wounded ribs. "Hey, Maeve.....Can I talk to you.....?"He asked. In all honesty, he was hoping to find out what had happened in the last few years. Obviously, something happened he wasn't aware of, and he aimed to find out.

 

[Andraus]

Yaro leaned back on the rock he was on, holding his arm. "The truth.....I'm not going to be able to understand Kuvira's actions, unless I know what happened while I was gone.....I leave, half of my family gets killed, and all of a sudden we're a war against the Rose Kingdom, which I am not gonna lie to you, our odds are a dice-roll, especially if the Wilting Rose will do what I think they're going to do......"He said, leaning back. "You've always been straight-forward with me, Maeve, and no matter what I've done, you've always supported my Decision. I respect you and trust you above everyone else, and that of right now includes that 'Queen' in there."He said, trying his best not to hide the venom in his voice. "So I am asking you, as a friend, to help me understand......What the hell happened while I was gone?"He asked.


This was a typical Yaro act, the Yaro Maeve always knew: He didn't hate Kuvira, he didn't even want anything bad to happen to her. Being hateful and holding grudges was never Yaro's thing. He wanted to understand, he wanted to see her point of view, and he wanted to help her. Despite her treating him like a common criminal, he wanted to help Kuvira. He may have been Naive, Idealistic, and somwhat irrational, but Yaro still had his honest heart.





@Trombone Geek

 

[Spacing Out]

Kuvira knelt on the down still not meeting anyone in the eye. She was frustrated with the world,with herself. She clenched her fists, rising up. She went into a nearby tent. Not waiting on Maeve to arrive back or to even look anyone in the eyes. She felt weak and not in control of anything anymore. She clenched herself almost like giving herself comfort before sinking to the ground. She took deep breaths,looking around to calm herself down. She realized it was the first time for her being alone for a while trying to stop her eyes from swelling up with tears. "Alone is what I need, alone protects me." she repeated to herself, almost as reassurance. She was in a dream she wouldn't wake up from. She wasn't a human being anymore, she was a monster. She took a heavy sigh trying to calm herself down, though she trembled clinging tighter. "Pain, you can feel it but you don't have to fear! Heartbreak, loss, death. Its good. Its all good." Kuvira turned to see who was speaking as her eyes widened to see her father. "No you're dead. I killed you." She said aloud. "Yes you have, but I'm still in your head." He said sitting beside her. " Don't worry when work is overwhelming, its nice to remeber you're going to die one day. Not by your own daughter of course but its nice." She remained silent before he started to speak once again. "If I were you I would've killed him first time he crossed my path. How dare he even compare you to those heathen but of course he was one of them." She looked at him before loosing her death grip. "That's the problem. I hated you. For what you've done to me, to my mother. So why do you think I would want to be you." He smirked getting up. But the things is. You are just like me." She grabbed the nearest thing before throwing it at him. "I will never be like you!" In the instant he was gone. Realizing she was alone to begin with. Was she going insane? She got up before moving towards the commander. " I need 100 men to look out with me to see if we could do some possible damage." He nodded before commanding a couple of men to go along with her. She needed a break from everyone even if it meant putting herself in danger.

 

[Enuky]

Cecile's blue eyes sparkled with hope when Lance finally seemed to take an interest in her idea. She was too naive to consider distrusting the king. As such, the princess immediately agreed to Lance's 'plan' with a nod. It was in that moment that Lance noticed the unusual coldness about the girl and to Cecile's surprise pulled her forward into his arms.


The princess did not answer any more of his questions from that point forward. She simply let out an exasperated sigh and closed her eyes for a brief moment. She appreciated his warm touch more than he knew. She chose not to speak or protest lest the King let her go prematurely. She could tell by Lance's frigid composure that he was not entirely comfortable with holding her like this, but the princess found it comforting and felt safe there. He did not know how she trusted him.


The moment was cut short, however; as the king suddenly swept Cecile away, and the next thing Cecile knew a sword was at his throat. To both of their surprises, it was Dante who emerged as their assailiant. Cecile stumbled slightly back in shock and fear. How could Dante do this?!


It was then the situation escalated in a way Cecile could not have anticipated. Cecile lacked the agility to react first to the situation, and in a matter of seconds Lance had removed her from the conflict and placed her safely at the edge of the meadow. The girl could only watch while Lance pleaded with the demonic elf to stop, but it was to no avail as the elf prepared to attack once again. The hairs on Cecile's neck stood as she watched and expected the worst for poor King Lance. He had no weapons or obviois means to protect himself. Hesitantly Cecile grabbed for her staff and meakly attempted a spell, but then Dante's attention turned to Cecile. With the demon focused on her Cecile knew she stood no chance against it and tried to make a dash into the woods as Dante sprinted after her.


Cecile stumbled aback as Lance pounced at Dante and shoved her to the ground. She couldn't believe the ferocity that Lance displayed in an effort to protect her. She watched in horror as the beast came out of him and ended the life of the half elf without hesitation.


Cecile shuddered at the gory sight beforeher as the wolfish Lance took off towards the woods as if in a daze. She waited patiently for him; it didn't feel right to just leave him. He had just killed his comrade and worse he had just killed his comrade for her.





Finallly Lance slowly made his way back. He had a sickly look on his face, and Cecile felt horrible for him. She also felt slightly fearful of lance; he had barely been able to control himself.


Her eyes widened as he neared her. She had a scared look on her face and her eyes were welled with tears. "I'm sorry", she said. She felt partially to blame. Why did Dante have to attack her? Everything had taken place in seconds.


She then took a cautious step towards Lance. Her timid demeanor was enough to see that she was frightened of him; he was a werewolf after all. However, the girl bravely reached a hand out to touch his face. Her soft hands quivered slightly as they stroked his cheek. Her hands dropped to his waist and she wrapped her arms gently around him. Now the two stood there in her silent embrace. She had no words to console him with and decided that perhaps silence was what he most needed.


@Trombone Geek

 

[Trombone Geek]

"Kuvira has been though a lot, Yaro. The stress of running a country is bad enough, without the fact that Kuvira isn't even sixteen yet and has killed her own father. She most likely feels betrayed, despite it all being an accident, and she doesn't cope with that well. She's not truly bad.." Maeve insisted, but she sighed again anyways. "I'm sorry she attacked you.. She's just throwing herself into her work and not giving herself a chance to relax or anything. I'm worried, but she won't listen to me when I tell her to stop and take some time for herself."


She cast a glance back to where Kuvira should've been, but the queen had left. "We should head back, Yaro. Would you like for me to heal your wounds?"


Lance turned and took in Cecile's terrified expression, and his gaze immediately dropped to the ground in shame. "Don't apologize. You did nothing wrong," he said softly, reaching out to wipe Cecile's tears away. His touch was hesitant, and Lance looked ready to bolt again at any moment, somewhat like a skittish horse.


When Cecile hugged him, Lance stiffened again, but this time he was quick to relax. He laid his head on her shoulder, blocking his sight of the mess in the clearing. "Can you.. stay here with me? Just.. for a while." Lance knew he wouldn't make it through the night without reliving Dante's death, and right now Cecile was his only comfort. He decided he was going to take as much of this moment as he could, and hold onto it tightly throughout his nightmares. His plot to manipulate the princess was completely removed from his mind, and even if he remembered, he knew now he just didn't have the heart.

 

[Andraus]

Yaro would sit up, before rubbing his arm. "Nah, I'm good....I've had worse than that since I left......way worse."He said, almost as a whisper to himself, before looking up. Near the edge of the camp, a small smoke-stack was growing, and the sound of combat could be heard. "What the hell.....?"Yaro would quickly get up, and run. Despite having been previously beaten by Kuvira, he looked like his wounds hadn't really affected him.......Whether that was personal endurance or something else was up for debate as of now.


The Camp itself was under attack by a large raid of Demon Thralls. These poor beings were human soldiers that were corrupted by Demon Magic. Driven slowly by hatred and rage, they were not even truly alive anymore. They were most likely guided by a Demon Lord, who had yet to be seen, most likely guiding the thralls to cause damage and be killed. One of the Thralls would pick up a Soldier, before tossing him on the ground. Before it could land the final blow however, The Demon thrall would see a dwarven sword sticking through it's stomach.


Yaro's Sword.


Taking a hold of the handle with both hands, Yaro would using the blade as a conduit, conducting magic. It would appear, to the average person, that the demon simply.....exploded from the inside. Yaro would twirl his blade, before taking a deep breath. He would then help the soldier up. "Get as many people as you can! Have those that can use shields or shielding magic on the front, and KEEP the thralls at a distance!"Yaro ordered. The soldier, seeing no reason NOT to listen to the person that just saved his life, ran off to get the rest.


Yaro would simply walk next to Maeve, clenching his fist. "Just like old times, eh Maeve?....."He said, as he would cast his magic on his legs. He would then begin running through the group of demons, performing quick strikes amongst them. Yaro was using his own speed, capitalized by his use of magic, to avoid any damage from the Demon's. It was obvious that this was a trained skill, rather than a natural talent. His eye's looked like they were focused completely on the task at hand, The way he moved on the battle field almost made it seem like he was dancing. He would have his blade around one of the demon's necks, before shooting a cocky smirk over towards Maeve, as he used an explosion of magic to send him flying back and......decapitate it.


He was using his inertia to kill them, while getting himself out of harms way. The way he fought wasn't typical either, as He took on each individual Thrall one at a time. It wasn't one vs many, it was one vs one repeated many times. It was as if he was comfortable fighting entire battles himself.


Just what the hell, and where the hell, did he learn that while he was gone? Though Yaro seemed to be holding his own, it was clear that this battle had only just begun.





@Trombone Geek

 

[Enuky]

The princess did as she was told and continued holding the prince. Her small frame leaned into his chest while he rested his head upon her shoulder. She enjoyed his warmth. The girl began to gently rub the kings back. It was peaceful now in the forest until the sound of a nearby disturbance came into earshot. It was the sound of King Lance's camp being attacked.


Cecile pulled slightly away to meet Lance's eyes while still keeping her arms around him. She gave him a look of uncertainty, "what is that?" She asked him. She then turned her attention to the direction of the sound. The two could not see the camp from where they stood, but the sound of combat could be heard from afar.


Cecile wondered if it could be rose armies attacking. She stayed close to Lance and nestled back into his arms. "I suppose that means you'd like for me to leave now", she added as the source of the sound became evident. The princess had no interest in inserting herself into a battle; she was exhausted by the events of the past day. However, she expected the king would feel differently about ignoring the cause.

 

[Enuky]

From alone in his castle the new king pondered how to handle the Yunakai attacks. His forces were busily invading the highlands and hiding themselves, but Thornton still felt as though enough was not being done. He knew that combat would not be enough to secure his lands. Since the death of his father Thornton had assumed many of the responsibilities of the late king. He had not been formally declared king yet, but there was not time for the forces to await the return of old King Thornton to lead them. Now Thornton awaited the arrival of Sir Vohan, commander of the Emerald Thorns. They were meeting to discuss a proposed "attack" on the Yunakai nation.


Commander Vohan arrived and the personalities of the two men instantly clashed. Thornton was soft-spoken and hesitant, but the commander was confident and gruff. The commander wasted no time and dominated the meeting. "Make no mistake about it, Prince Thornton; the King always knew we would eventually face attack for the cure", he began. His tone was harsh and the thirty-seven year-old carried a cold expression at all times. The man was mostly bald but his long beard and what was left of his hair were a blended mix of brown and gray. His eyes were gray in color and he always appeared to be deep in thought. Thornton nodded and the commanded continued, "as such, we have taken special measures in preparation for this day. We have a secret operation planned that has long awaited its need", he said.


The young Thornton's eyes widened slightly, "Oh? and what might that special operation be?" he asked. When the commanded turned and looked into his eyes Thornton instantly avoided his gaze.


"Rats, young Thornton. Rats", was all that the commander said in return. He then took in a deep breath and began to laugh while Thornton looked on in confusion. After laughing for a long moment he was finally able to regain his statue like composure. He said, "Deep in the dungeons of the palace we have been collecting rats... infected rats. If we can bring these rats to Yunakai's capital the witch will have no choice but to return. There will be a massive outbreak of the plague. Within days, she will have a sick capital city on her hands", he chuckled again knowing that the Yunakai nation would never anticipate such a move on the Rose Kingdom's part.


"And just how will we get the rats to the Yunakai nation?" Thornton asked.


"We will secure the rats into barrels and have one of our men deliver the 'package'", Vohan said. "He will release the rats in the center of Yunakai's capital city".


"Well then", said Thornton. He paused in thought before saying, "Release the rats".


"It will be done", said Vohon. He then bowed to the prince and left to carry out his bidding. From then on the commander made haste. He and two Emerald Thorn knights lit torches and made their way deep into the tomb like dungeons. The trio wore masks to hopefully prevent the spread of infection to themselves. The knights were followed by several servants of the castle who also wore masks and carried barrels and shovels. Finally, at the lowest level of the dungeons they were greeted with the foulest of smells. The entire level was being used for the rats which were held captive in cages. The rats had been fed human flesh of those who had died of the plague and were bred and raised among the disease. Many of the rats were even dead. The servants then began to collect the rats as best they could with the shovels and discard them into the barrels, piling as many in as could fit. Hundreds of rats were collected to fill four large barrels. The group then began their climb to the top of the dungeons and to fresh air.


Then the Emerald Thorns took control of the situation and dismissed the servants. A band of twelve Emerald Thorns joined in a circle. They were standing in the palace courtyard. At the center of the circle stood Sir Edwin and a horse and carriage. The special forces were about to perform a massive teleportation spell to transfer him and the carriage directly to the center of Yunakai's capital. Hidden inside the carriage among barrels of wine were the barrels of infected rats.


The wizards joined hands and began to chant a spell together. The circle around Edwin began to emit a powerful blue glow. His horse neighed and scampered nervously as a wall of magic encircled them. Once they were completely encircled they vanished into thin air and reappeared in the Kingdom of Yunakai. Edwin then began to steer the carriage and at four strategic locations released the living rats from each barrel. The first barrel was opened outside of the Yunakai produce markets and the second in a cluster of subject homes. The third and fourth barrel were both emptied in villages closest to the Yunakai palace. Finally, Edwin discarded any dead rats into the river banks along the sides of the kingdom capital.


Once he completed his dirty work he cast his own teleportation spell and returned to the Rose Kingdom just as quickly as he had came. However, he abandoned the horse and the buggy because alone he could not transport so much for such a great distance by use of magic.


The mission was successful, and within the next several days there would be a series of severe plague breakouts in the Yunakai nation.

 

[Trombone Geek]

((I apologize in advance for short or messy posts. I left my chrome book at school on Friday and I'm stuck with a belligerent tablet.))


Maeve nodded, rising calmly to her feet until the battle's noises reached her ears. "We need to hurry," Maeve said, pointing out the obvious. She took off, following Yaro, but quickly began to speed ahead in her lynx form. She tore her way through the camp and immediately began taking down various demons.


"Just like old times," Maeve agreed, although she didn't say much more. She continued to wipe out the demons, creating a path towards Kuvira's tent.


When she finally reached the queen's tent, Kuvira was gone. Cursing mentally, Maeve sniffed the air, and took off once more, this time into the woods in the direction of the Galica Pass. As she ran, Maeve could hear the fighting more easily. She burst out of a bush, reverting to her human form and stabbing her dagger into the eye of a demon before casting a quick Frenzy spell, causing it to attack its buddies instead. There was a brief moment of peace as the thralls fought amongst themselves.


Making her way to Kuvira's side, Maeve bowed her head. "It's my job to protect you, and I have not done so as I should have. I apologize." She kept an eye on the demons as she awaited Kuvira's response.


Lance relaxed in Cecile's embrace, but soon she pulled away slightly to look up at him. It was then he realized something was wrong; there was the sound of clashing steel and battle cries much too intense for combat.


Lance knew he had a duty to return and protect the camp, but he also knew that if he saw another dead body, human or otherwise, he would lose it. Either way, Lance was useless.


"If you want to leave, you may, but at the moment I'm quite useless," Lance responded. He mentioned his mental vulnerability indirectly; he still had some pride, after all.

 

[Enuky]

The princess remained close to Lance and chose not to let go of him. His response concerned her. Was he in shock? She wondered. The effects of grief were so variable from person to person that Cecile could not be sure. She was sure though that for the prince to neglect his duties meant that it was no exaggeration to call himself "useless". She took a quick glance around the meadow; it probably wasn't safe for them to remain out in the open as they were. She decided it would be best to get him away from there.


In a quick and unexpected movement Cecile grasped at her staff from behind her and swept it over Lance's head. "Minisimo", she said aloud and gestured the sapphire head of her staff in Lance's direction. The king then began to shrink until he reached a fairy-like size that was small enough for Cecile to hold in her hands. She held him in her right hand and stroked his head with her left index finger, "try to stay calm", she said before stuffing him into her sporran with her Kuvira doll. She then flew away into the night on her broomstick.


From her sporran Lance could not see anything, but it wasn't long before they landed again. They were outside the waterfall that lead into the royal passage to the Rose Kingdom. Cecile chose to bring him there because there was also a small quarter for the royal family to use built into the entryway. The waterfall was frozen solid and Cecile cast a heat spell to melt the entrance for them and then another spell to replace the ice. There was an opening in the side of the tunnel system leading to a cavern furnished into a temporary living space. A straw cot laid in the middle of the room and there was a fire place surrounded by a few piles of firewood. The sound of water dripping through the cave could be heard about them.


Cecile finally retrieved the king from her sporran and placed him before the fireplace. "Ignitus", she said, lighting the fire with her staff. The inside of the cave was unbearably cold, but with a small fire it began to warm up.


She sat close to the fire next to Lance. The war would just have to wait, at least until morning. "Hopefully, that spell will wear off soon", Cecile murmured to the fairy Lance. Her use of magic had improved with his grandmother's help, and she was not sure how her spell would last. She was no longer focused on maintaining the spell like she had been during their flight, and so she hoped he would return to his normal size soon.

 

[Trombone Geek]

Lance frowned when Cecile began casting a spell, although a look of confusion swept his face as he began to shrink. He watched Cecile as she carefully picked him up and placed him in one of the pouches at her side. Blind, all Lance could do was wait until Cecile let him out again. He trusted her.


As Cecile flew, Lance noticed he wasn't in the bag alone. There was a doll, it seemed, though it was difficult to tell. He reached out to touch it, and his eyes widened somewhat. There were needles stuck in various places, stabbed into the fabric. A voodoo doll?


Eventually, Lance felt movement again, meaning they were back on the ground. There was a pause, the sound of breaking ice, and more walking; then another pause, and more magic hummed in the air.


Finally, Cecile reached in and picked Lance up. She set him in front of the fireplace. One word from the princess, and suddenly there was a bright, cheery fire lighting the room and warming it.


"Hopefully," Lance agreed, slightly annoyed when he realized he now had to look up at the princess. "You've.. improved. A lot. Did you meet someone while in Valpurnia?" Lance asked.


After a small while, Lance began to grow back into his normal height, and for that he was grateful. But, as if on cue, the memories of the events in the clearing returned. "No way to escape it all.. Not permanently," Lance muttered sourly.


While he wouldn't admit it, Lance was extremely grateful towards Cecile for taking him away from the battle. He knew his father would've scolded him like there was no tomorrow.. So would Dante, he thought sadly, and he frowned. Only a year ago, Bathelon had been hit hard by the plague. A few months ago, Varudian had fallen deathly ill. Barely a week ago, Lance had received that letter telling of his father's death. Then, he'd discovered the truth behind Varudian's monthly disappearances, and the secret flowing in his blood. And after all of that, Dante'd been possessed and he'd killed her.


You would've killed her anyways. Besides.. after the first taste, it's addicting. Lance didn't want to admit that to himself, but he could feel it. The growing hunger for more killing that he knew would become a constant in his life.


"I feel old already," Lance grumbled, letting himself fall back until he was laying on the stone floor. "All of this, happening so quickly.. Things that should happen with years between them instead come after days. Won't be surprised if I die young, at this rate," he added, trying to lighten the mood a bit, mostly for himself.

 

[Spacing Out]

Kuvira turned to see the sight of battle. She immediately took command of the situation. "Unsheathe your wands! Light and water magic is the best way to defeat demons so use it effectively!" She took out her own from the pocket of her dress before exclaiming the words. "Attack!" She watched as the army of men fling out beams of light at the demons. Before she could charge herself into battle, she was joined by maeve. That's fine as soon as we drag these demons to hell. We can move on. Just stay close to me for whatever happens." She then started to make her way into the fight with great haste. The sooner they won this battle the better.

She used her hands for majority of the spells she casted, especially when manipulated water. Though as she found her mind seemed to be elsewhere she knew the rose kingdom was planning dirty and whether she liked out or not. She must've been holding back to too longer. She had a bigger army, more land to cover. She had to end this war once and for all and she knew exactly how to do. It though it wouldn't be something she would be proud of. She had to tend to this first.​

 

[Andraus]

@Robyn Banks @Trombone Geek


Yaro jumped into the field, and something began to....happen. Yaro was holding a large keg on his back, and sloushing it over the demons, using his speed to avoid attacks. Soon, a large group of demons were gathered, sloushed by the liquid, before Yaro would drop the barrel in front of Maeve and Kuvira, and they'd realize what this was: Lamp and Candle oil. Yaro would stand in front of the Demon's, before snapping his fingers, as a bright flame would appear. A smile would appear on his face, as he watched them run over towards him.


"You shall be cleansed!"





Yaro would then walk into the flames of the burning demons, before holding out his arms, as he placed his sword in the sheath. He would then slam his fists together, as they would light up. It was clear he was using the bright flames as his primary weapon. Though one of the most common elements to control, It appeared Yaro perfected this as an art. Yaro would then run into the field, surrounded by fire, as he began using hand-to-hand combat techniques to beat the demons back.


Yaro was not expecting, however, to witness a soldier being cut down in front of him.


As soon as Yaro saw this, he attacked the demon, and ran over, to try and help. Maeve and Kuvira could see a look of pure terror on his face, and hear the words. "No.....not again.....not again!"He said, his body going rigid. He was trying to heal the Soldier, but it would be in vein. The soldier would die in front of him. He was grieving this person's demise, and was acting as if this event particularly affected him then.....something changed. His body went relaxed, as he would close his eyes. Soon, coming from him would be an increase magical energy.....Though it was Different. It was being transformed, shaped by the strongest energy mortals could accurately control.


Anger





Yaro would open his eyes, but they would be different.....it was as if he wasn't even the same person. Walking towards the demon now, he would lift up his arms, and throw them down, as a cascade of fire would shoot out from his body, incinerating nearby Demon's. He would then grab one Demon's head, and force it to it's knee's. "These were friends......Innocent people you are killing!"





The Demon would just cackle, seeing into Yaro's mind and heart. "It's funny how so many die while around you.....Maia, Dorian, Aveline, Krem.......You're just a magnet for death, aren't you?"The Demon taunted, but felt a hand on his helmet.





Yaro would simply hold the Demon there, before he began uttering something. It was a Forbidden Curse! " There Exists Purgatory in Hell and Fields of fire on Earth, Fire discriminates not against good or evil as it burns and purifies with ferocious mercy. All must die and return to bone, for the Gods have forsaken mankind. The world of the Decadent will fall, and the Trumpets must blare and bring the moment of Judgement......Level 7 Forbidden art.....Immolation."He said, twisting his grip as he watched the Demon burn from the inside. It was not only the Demon's body burning, but also it's black soul......It was being erased from existence.


To be completely erased was a fate worse than death. It appears that Yaro was not completely untouched by the horrors of this world.

 

[Spacing Out]

Kuvira stood back to see a group of demons gather around them. She lifted up her wand "expelleim Tr-" she was interrupted when Yaro set a barrel in front of them. She jumped in shock before turning back to where he was. Not knowing if she was grateful or agitated by it. Soon he watched him do his work before a soldier died. Seeing the anger in his eyes. She stepped back to make sure she wasn't in the havoc. As soon as he recited the first few words she knew for a fact what spell he was trying. One of the forbidden curse. She watched as the demons were erased as well as the other demons. In fear they started to retreat into the night, while some men took the advantage and attacked them.


Kuvira slowly walked up to Yaro not saying a word of gratitude or apology. She placed a hand on his shoulder before looking him in the eye. "This was done by the wilting rose and them alone. The rose kingdom isn't familiar enough in magic to summon them." She turned to Maeve before nodding. "I need to go to Valpurnia and negotiate with Lanister tonight. Immediately. Yaro will you take me there?" She asked in her softest tone, something she haven't used in a while. "I'm sorry that I don't have a gentle heart. I'm sorry that I'm not that girl you knew three years ago. That girl has died a long time ago. I'm not the queen, you want but I'm the queen they need. I have to sort this out before the rose kingdom plans a fatal attack. Please take me."
​

 

[Enuky]

#confused

 

[Andraus]

@Enuky K @Robyn Banks @Trombone Geek : What are you confused about, Enuky? )


Yaro looked towards her, for a moment the hate would intensify.....Before hearing her words. Soon, it would begin fading, before leaving his eyes the natural shade of red. Yaro would soon look more.....exhausted. Obviously, the magic he used took a huge chunk of his energy, both physically and mentally. Yaro would place a hand over Kuvira's, taking a moment before speaking. "....This is what I am afraid you'll become, Kuvira....a monster, that would sacrifice so many, to expedite the fall of your enemies....for your sake as well as mine, don't become that, Kuvira....Don't become like me."He said. Though in truth, he had plenty of justification for his action, the fact of what Yaro just did was enough to hit him with Guilt. Yaro was NEVER the one to allow emotions like anger to get the better of him, but it was clear this wasn't the first time he had lost control of his emotions, and it wouldn't be the last. The names spoken, as Maeve would know, were the members of his party. They were long-time friends who all had the same drive towards adventure, and they left together to find fame and fortune.


Only Yaro made it back home, making it clear what had happened to the rest. What had happened had obviously deeply scarred Yaro, and the fact that he also lost close family to political backlash did little more than fuel his rage. Anger and Pain were powerful tools that could be used......but they could easily be turned into hatred and rage, or worse, suffering and wrath.


Yaro would move Kuvira's hand gently, before turning towards her. "I'll need to move ahead.....If I know Lanister, he'll be at the city capitol. My master was always a better planner than anything. "He said, revealing one detail that would stick: Lanister was Yaro's former instructor. If so, he was one of two people that could possibly match Lanister. "Maeve, I'll need you to stay with Kuvira, keep eachother safe. I'll head into the city under guise, and see if I can't arrange a meeting. "He said, placing on his silver mask, and moving his cloak over his head, before vanishing into the dark.





Lanister was in the throne room with Princess Thornton, expressing his concern over the 'solution'. "With all due respect, your majesty, Your solution may have been too rash.....If they're smart, then by now, they'll already be considering a truce between the kingdom, and I know Kuvira: She may be a lot of things, but stupid is not one of them. "Lanister said, pacing lightly. "The Plague already WAS a problem that was healing, we may have just made it worse, My lord."

 

[Enuky]

It was in the very moment that Kuvira finished her statement and was staring into Yaro's eyes that a brightly colored lightning bolt appeared in the sky. One could see that the direction the bolt traveled was from the ground to the sky; it was not a natural bolt of lightning. Indeed, it was a flash warning signal to the Rose Kingdom armies scattered about the mountainside: Kuvira's armies had been discovered! Now reinforcements and Emerald Thorn units would be heading into the direction of the Yunakai camp.


Battlecries of Rose Armies could be heard in the distant forests, however; it would be a struggle to see them in their dark colored armor and Black Watch tartan kilts. "Yunakai!" A gruff man's voice called out before a storm of about fifty Rose soldiers charged over the hillside and towards the Yunakai group. From farther in the distance, flaming arrows came flying through the air towards them. The men carried themselves with their swords drawn and immediately began striking at the Yunakai soldiers.


In the castle Prince Thornton stood with Lanister. He had just informed Lanister about the success of the rat operation, but Lanister did not appear as confident in the soundness of the plan as Thornton. The prince sighed and ruffled his scruffy, red hair, "Commander Vohon suggested this plan. He knows what's best", he tried to reassure the Wilting Rose leader.


"We desperately need for Queen Kuvira's forces to retreat. Her mages outnumber our special forces", he said. It sounded as though he might have been convincing himself. "She will leave if her kingdom needs her, surely", added the king.


. . .


Cecile nestled as best she could into the straw cot. Dawn would arrive in just a few short hours, and she was exausted. She listened to the Prince's inquiry about her trip to The City of Magic and she smiled. "Wouldn't you like to know", she said playfully to him, deciding not to tell him about her encounter with the exiled Bathelon queen. The old witch had given Cecile a quick lesson on fundamentals, and with proper fundamentals Cecile had much better control of her magic despite being at a low skill level.


The princess yawned and felt herself drifting to sleep. All she could do was mutter a few incoherent sentences in response to the prince's complaints as she fought the sleep. However, soon the sleep took over and soft snores could barely be heard coming from the sleeping princess.

 

[Enuky]

@Andraus Nuky understand now.


@.@

 

[Spacing Out]

Kuvira was shocked as he started to disappear without her. "What are you doing? How am I suppose to negotiate with him if I'm not even present! Yaro stop trying to be the heroic figure and let me do my job!" As he left ,a flash of light appear. An alarm that they were present - that they were here. Her men look stunned as her anger filled her. She turned to her men. "When this is done we will claim the Throne! We will pillage each town and Rape them for what they have. Every woman and child will not be safe. If they want to awaken a dragon, they will burn with the flames!" She said before calling her archers. "Archers fire at will!" She commanded she turned to the rest of the men as arrows went flying. "Divide and Surround the soldiers. I want no survivors but save your energy there will be more men to execute!" She exclaimed, the men did as they were told attacking with all their might.

​

 

[Trombone Geek]

Lance was acutely aware of how Cecile's breathing slowed as she drifted into sleep. He felt much more relaxed, then, and rose to his feet, looking to the entrance of the tunnel. The king was tempted to explore further. He cast another glance back at Cecile, to make sure she was truly asleep, before slipping out of his shoes and padding silently on the stone, and out of the room. However, instead of heading further down the tunnel as he had planned, he found himself turning towards the waterfall. When Cecile had unfrozen and refrozen it, she had left a small gap between the stone and the water.


Slipping between the gap, Lance looked up at the night sky. The moon, while not entirely full, still pulled at him. Tearing his gaze away, Lance continued down the thin path leading up to the waterfall until he reached the ground level with the river. He was quick to disappear into the forest.


Lance didn't exactly realize where he was going until he saw the crumpled heap of Dante's dead body at the edge of the clearing. He sword had never once cut anyone, and so it shone brightly, reflecting the moon's bright light.


"A memento.." Lance murmured as he walked towards the blade, grasping the blade with both hands and stumbling as he lifted it, not because it was heavy, but because it was lighter than he expected.


Leaning it on his shoulder to help balance the weight, Lance began to turn back to the cave Cecile had taken him to. He felt much more relaxed as he walked, especially with bare feet. Everything was calm; so calm, Lance expected disaster at any moment. Luckily enough, the king arrived back at the cave easily.


The path up to the waterfall was a struggle this time, although being barefoot helped him keep his feet against the slickness of the ice. He managed, though, and slipped back behind the waterfall, and into the room. Settling the large sword in the corner, Lance slid down against the wall and sat next the it. It wasn't long before he fell asleep, exhausted from the day's events and his small adventure.


Maeve was quick to dart away from the battle when she realized what Yaro was doing. She was amazed that the boy who'd once been so caring and kind was so quick to use a forbidden art, but she understood.


"I will go, but the 10 squads who accompanied us will stay," Maeve began, but Yaro had spoken up. Maeve listened quietly, at first, until he mentioned his plan of leaving to the Rose Kingdom alone.


"You can't go alone! You idiot, they might kill you, if they catch you, and the Wilting Rose isn't stupid!" Maeve insisted, but he was already gone.


As Kuvira turned to address her soldiers, Maeve frowned. "I wouldn't suggest harming women or children, unless the woman happens to be a soldier, which is nigh impossible," Maeve suggested quietly from Kuvira's side.


"When are you planning to awaken your dragons?" Maeve asked. She knew it wasn't the best idea to mention the sensitive subject so soon after Yaro had been claimed, but she had to know so she could prepare.

 

[Enuky]

(OOC: @Trombone Geek Indeed, disaster is about to strike xD )


The Rose Kingdom knights fought with all their might too, but it was a suicide mission for them really. They relied on brute force and speed to begin lashing out at as many of Kuvira's men possible. Some men shot arrows and others fought with their swords. Although it was easily apparent that the Rose Kingdom knights would be outmatched by Kuvira's forces the true purpose behind the attack was unforeseeable. As Kuvira's forces focused there attention on the Rose Knights a slew of rocky boulders hurled through the air and towards Kuvira's forces. A band of a dozen Emerald Thorns were attacking from behind! The Rose Knights were only used as a scapegoat to distract Kuvira and her forces.


Now the battlefield was becoming ugly as more rocks were slung through the air at high speed. The Rose Armies were also particularly skilled in navigating themselves through the mountain terrain; it was their homeland. It made them agile and difficult to strike. The sun was beginning to peep over the mountainside and with it more Rose Knights would be scouting the forests.


Commander Vohon accompanied by Sir Edwin and a unit of Emerald Thorns hurriedly made their way through the secret passageway. They decided to utilize the mountain tunnel system for the protection of the land. Although the passage was designed to evacuate the royal family when needed, the Emerald Thorns would use it temporarily as a base for the special forces. The entire trip from the entrance to the cave into the Rose Kingdom took several hours to cross, but finally at daybreak the men were nearing the end.


It was then that the knights began to notice a faint smell of smoke lingering in the tunnels. This put them on high guard and they made their way with incredible stealth. Then they came across the source of the smell.


Commander Vohon, in a rare occasion, appeared truly shocked by the sight before him and he snapped, "Spy?! Treason?!" All that Vohon saw was a sleeping Rose Knight with the Bathelon King. "Seize them!" he commanded and all at once the unit of Emerald Thorns flooded the room and surrounded King Lance and Cecile. First they subdued Lance with a powerful binding spell that prevented any movement from him while they shackled his arms and legs. They collected his sword.


Cecile was like usual incapable of swiftness and slowly began to wake up, she grumbled slightly about the noise when suddenly she was snatched up by the front of her armor. "Traitor!" an angry voice scolded at her. It was Sir Edwin, but not a moment after he said that his face became white as a ghost when he realized it was the princess. In his surprise he dropped the girl hard on her back.


The princess yelped in pain; she was definitely awake now. Commander Vohon did not seem moved by who she was. "Seize her too!" he said and the knights did as they were told, only they required no spells to capture the princess. It was easy for them to chain the girl. The knights confiscated her broomstick and staff and the commander and Sir Edwin began the task of leading the two through the passage. Edwin carried their belongings.


Cecile's back was sore from being handled in such a rough way but she still had the will to protest. "This is unbelievable! I am the princess! Release me!"


Commander Vohon would only laugh at her. "You are an exiled princess, and you are not permitted on Rose territory", he said. Although Vohon had no sympathy for Cecile, he also had no idea what to do with the princess. He could not make any decisions regarding her treatment without the king there to make the final calls.

 

[Trombone Geek]

The back of Lance's neck prickled, and he awoke with a strange amount of alertness. As soon as his eyes opened, they were drawn to the tunnel entrance. He could barely hear the soft footsteps of soldiers, but as soon as they peeked into the doorway he let loose a low, rumbling growl. When the commander snapped out and the soldiers surrounded them, Lance tried to make his way to block Cecile from them, but as soon as he got up he fell back to the ground, bound by a binding spell.


As they were led throughout the tunnel, Lance was only glad they had missed the Wolfsbane potion and Cecile's royal crest hidden in a secret pocket on the hem of his shirt. He listened quietly to the commander and Cecile's conversation, growling when he mentioned the word 'exiled.'


"She was only exiled because we found her. Your stupid, pathetic king has no right to rule, if he's too incompetent to rescue his own daughter!" Lance snapped, and his shaking became more evident with the loud rattling of his chains, and it could be seen in his shoulders. They might mistake it for fear, but if they knew anything about the Crowsmith family, they would know it was rage. And unlike the cold, freezing calm most of Lance's line possessed, this anger ran hotter than the depths of the earth. It was truly dangerous.. or, it would be, if Lance wasn't chained up like he was.


"Hurt a hair on her head on anyone's orders, I don't care whose they are, and I'll kill each and every one of you," Lance added, and after that he remained silent, taking deep breaths in a vain attempt to calm himself. The urge to elbow one of the guards next to him in order to vent his anger was running strong.


As soon as the Emerald Thorns burst into the opening, the Wyrthriel descended upon them. They had been ordered by Maeve to remain in hiding, in case there was something up the Rose Kingdom's sleeve, and the forces of Yunakai would be grateful. Members who were specialized in crowd-control or defensive techniques cast shields against the rocks or diverted their path into some unfortunate Rose Kingdom soldier, although they weren't all caught. A few fire mages danced through the Emerald Thorn ranks, spreading their orange, yellow, and even white doom throughout their ranks. Eventually, however, each of the 'firedancers' (the name unique to melee-based casters who used fire) retreated, and immediately the Yunakai forces pushed away from them, clearing a larger circle of room.


There were only seven firedancers out of the ten squads accompanying the armies, but they were still dangerous, proof being their sudden chanting and the magic humming around them. Other members of Wyrthriel were quick to defend them.


As the chanting ceased, a pillar of flame descended from the sky, and flowed into a humanoid form made entirely of fire. The firedancers had summoned a shadow of the legendary being Ifritt; while only slightly bigger than the average human, he was still practically the incarnation of destruction and chaos. He, too, descended upon the Emerald Thorn forces, trying to push the experts in combat back.

 

[Andraus]

"Yes Lord, but if anyone else discovered what had been done, it would turn the rest of the kingdom's against us. We cannot risk such animosity against them. If possible, when a truce is made, bargain with the cure crystals. We have a stockpile in Valpurina, but I- "Lanister would stop, before turning behind him. He stayed silent for a moment, before sighing heavily. "It's been a long time, hasn't it.....Yaro?"He asked.


There would be no quick answer, but a figure would step out of the shadows, slowly taking off the silver mask he wore. On his cloak on his back was his houses symbol, branding him a noble of Yunakai. "Not long Enough......Master Lanister. "He said, before looking towards the appraoching guards. He placed his hand on his sword, ready to fight back.





"Enough! Leave him. "Lanister said, looking at the guards. When they backed away, Lanister went to stand by the King. "What business do you have here, Yaro?"He asked, curious as to what would bring his former apprentice out of hiding.





"I come on behalf of my Queen, Lady Kuvira. "Yaro said, and placed his sword back in it's hilt. He would pull his hood off his head, before looking around him. "Your Demon Attacks, subterfuge, and ambushing has lead her to consider a.....Proposal. She wishes me to bring her to Valpurina to negotiate with you."He said to him.





Lanister would look towards Thornton, before looking back. "Why would she want to make peace with the Monarchy now? Hasn't she-"He started speaking.





Yaro would hold up a hand, preventing Lanister from Continuing. "She made it clear she is only dealing with you, Lanister, as she spoke of you by name.....Whether or not you bring them along as Delegates, is entirely up to you. "Yaro said. He was trying to avoid any more fallout than was necessary.





Lanister considered this for a moment, pressing a finger to his chin, before looking up. "Prince Thornton and Lady Cecile will accompany me as advisers to these Negotiations.....If so, take them to the nearest Moongate, and we shall discuss terms. "Lanister said. Lanister said this as a way to end conflict, with no further casualties on either side. "As we know not where King Thornton is, Prince Thornton shall act as speaker for the Rose Monarchy. "


Yaro bowed his head. "I shall relay your decision at once, to the Queen......For what it's worth, Master, it's good to see you again. "Yaro said, before vanishing into the shadows again.





Lanister would bow his head in return. "Likewise....my apprentice. "He said, before looking towards Thornton. "Find Cecile, and bring her here. She knows the city better than you, and can help you navigate it. When it is time, I'll take you both to Valpurina myself....."He said to Thornton. " I'll take you to Cecile's estate there, where she lives. It will most likely be the most comfortable to you. "He said, not realizing that it would be odd for a woman to own property, even a noble.


(@Enuky K )