Fantasy The Calm After War (Always Open and Accepting)

[Birdsie]

"Oooooh... I don't know," he shrugged, pretending not to know himself. "The second one?! Really though, what do you say about this: dinner by candlelight, the bill's on me, and all round joie de vivre? Sounds good?"

Kylesar1

 

[Jeda Teq]

Ari Waesmor
Waesmor Manor​

"Motive," Ari said. "What is their motive?"
"Master, some small wolf just started attacking us. He knocked out our alpha......." The voice of his wolves came into his head. Ari sighed. "Deal with this Alison. You as well Mithras. I got a bit of a problem concerning my wolves who are out hunting. LET'S GO ARABELLE!!!" Ari would wait for Arabelle, then walked out of the house. They planned the walk in the forest together anyway, so why not now?
P Paint The Wind

​

Ari Waesmor
Forest​

"He didn't knock out the Alpha. I was just about to summon him to eat an intruder." He descended into the shadows of the trees in the forest. He wasn't even really looking for his wolves. "He's not that weak, nor your enemy that strong."
"Alright, wolves. Go ahead and kill the little bastard. Here's your alpha back."

In the forest, a magic circle appeared and out came the alpha. The armored wolf stalked toward the little one, while the last 4 stayed behind, though they weren't intending to let this be a one-on-one fight. That's not what the pack was about. The fire wolf stayed directly behind the Armored one, while Wind and Holy were off to the sides a bit. In other words, there would be no possible way for this child to dodge a magic attack if he chose to go airborne. He'd get destroyed the moment he tried to jump. The other option was to confront a much stronger armored wolf.
Jeda Teq
Safety Hammer (If Tyr is in the forest)

The child grinned from ear to ear seeing the wolves stop. He again pointed at the fire wolf shouting, "Bownza! Bownza" He raised both hands in front of him signing for the beasts to wait. "Matte matte" He turned his back to the pack and lightly jogged to where he dropped the stag and brought it back to them. "Bownza!" He gestured to the carcass then pointed at Stag. Confident he got his point across, that he wanted to fire wolf to cook the meat, Uriko stood with his hand on his hips with the widest of grins.

 

[Kylesar1]

The child grinned from ear to ear seeing the wolves stop. He again pointed at the fire wolf shouting, "Bownza! Bownza" He raised both hands in front of him signing for the beasts to wait. "Matte matte" He turned his back to the pack and lightly jogged to where he dropped the stag and brought it back to them. "Bownza!" He gestured to the carcass then pointed at Stag. Confident he got his point across, that he wanted to fire wolf to cook the meat, Uriko stood with his hand on his hips with the widest of grins.

Wolves
Forest​

"I suppose the puppy wants us to cook this meat," the Armored wolf said in the wolf language. "I don't know what the child is saying though. If he's a lycan, he should speak the wolven tongues."
"Maybe he's just not fluent yet." The Wind wolf stepped forward. "Master said to kill the boy......."
".......because we were attacked. This puppy is hardly a threat, and that kick didn't hurt at all. Just caught me off guard. Master just needed me elsewhere. No need to kill the child." The armored wolf was the alpha for a reason. He didn't want to kill one of his own unless the situation really called for it
"Should we capture the boy and bring him back to master?" This was the fire wolf now, annoyed if anything at the boy trying to use him as a stove.

"Can we decide quick? Master could call us back at any moment, and I don't want to be starving when that happens. The little boy threw a monkey wrench into our hunt." The holy wolf interjected his own point.

The Alpha sighed. "Just cook the stag so we can go. If the boy attacks again, we'll use lethal force on Master's orders." He didn't want this to turn into a bigger issue than it was.

The fire wolf stepped to the forefront and breathed pinkish white flames on the stag. The stag ignited and burned. All the wolves then started to walk away. When the flames burned out, the stag carcass would be thoroughly cooked.

"Should we report this to master?"
"I doubt he'll care, honestly. Let's just hope the little pup doesn't come after master, or he'll die and we'll be eating dog food for the next month for letting the bean live."

Ari Waesmor
O'Connor House​

While Ari waited for the kids to come and check the food, he decided to call someone he could talk to about the whole ordeal.

Ari tapped his communication crystal. "Oi, Q, I need to call in a favor."
Quincey Ailis D'Ambra, the spymaster for the king, and a subordinate he worked pretty closely with in his espionage and assassinations. An expert in psychological and stealth spells and projectile (thrown) weaponry, was a ninja, though he never really dressed nor acted like one. Q is who Ari got most his blacklists from. He was in his quarters when Ari called him. "Hey Ari. Long time, no see. What favor do you need?"
"My wife is having a little issue and I need to find someone who'll help me help her solve the issue."
A little pause and the rustling of paper. Q was looking through his documents on different people. "Have you tried transplants?"
"No dice, she doesn't want anyone dead. The blindness is one thing, but there's also nightmares."
"Huh........" More rustling as Q sifted through more documents. "Have you tried the soul restoration ritual?
""No deaths, Q."

Q sighed. "Since her body parts are actually gone instead of with you, I don't know much to do for her physical ailments short of using that as a condition to contract with another God. They either have to be restored with a transplant, or with god-tier healing power you'll only ever get from the gods themselves or by a soul restoration ritual. I can help her with her nightmares though."
Ari sighed. Contracting with yet another god? He didn't want to work for gods anymore. Sure, he was a fantastic mage, to the point where the gods couldn't ignore it, but it came with far too many conditions, rules, weapon restraints, and magic restraints. With a sigh, it became put on his list. If a god would give her back her eyesight, he'd work under them. Arabelle probably wouldn't go for it though.

"I've found someone, Ari, who can help you. A witch, but she's out right now. In 2 weeks, I need you to go meet her in Faylen." Ari sighed. Faylen. He's only been there a few times, and it's where he met Talindra. After they started getting serious, she moved out of Faylen and with him where he lived in Rivinia. That was a long-ass time ago and he hasn't even thought about Faylen since she died.

"Can do, Q. When I succeed in making her well, I'll call us even."
"Yea, yea. I do owe you quite a few favors. Good luck........."

The crystal flickered out

"Oooooh... I don't know," he shrugged, pretending not to know himself. "The second one?! Really though, what do you say about this: dinner by candlelight, the bill's on me, and all round joie de vivre? Sounds good?"

Kylesar1

Alison Foster
Waesmor Manor​

She looked for a second. Anyone else she would've destroyed on the spot. Mithras, however, she didn't hate. It was just a glaring issue of just meeting and the impression of trying to date someone on your first day on the job. "How about you catch me on an off day, then we'll talk about your date idea." Since Alison never took a day off, her words were more along the lines of 'I have no reason to take a day off to entertain you, but I won't deny you the time of day and the chance to change that.'
"Don't let my master find out you're trying this on your first day on the job. He normally wouldn't care, but stuff like this on the first day? He won't look at you in the way you would want him to. He'd send you on pointless errands just because he won't trust your mental capacity to protect."

 

[Birdsie]

"I'm just trying to get to know you," Mithras claimed, his smirk turning into sincere seriousness. "I won't neglect my duty because of a date. With years as a slave and being a half-elf, I learned that the hard way. I was fifteen at the time. Fell in love with a village girl. My master threw me into the dungeon for three days with no food and water, then lashed me forty-two times for discipline. I couldn't sleep for another one day because lying in bed was too painful for my bleeding back."

Mithras leaned his head back. "I'm glad Valerian's gone. Only a masochist can endure something like that."

Kylesar1

 

[Paint The Wind]

Arabelle had decided against following Tyr and went back inside, walking back into the kitchen. She stood back from Ari so she wouldn’t get in his way as he cooked. She was quiet, thinking about Tyr. She ran her hand through her hair and sighed heavily. She raised her head slightly. “Ari, are you alright?” She could feel tension in the air.

Kylesar1

 

[Jeda Teq]

The pointed ears on the boy's head twitched as they picked up the chatter of the wolves. It was a language that he had only heard in a recurring dream he would have. His head quickly swiveled around to see if there were any people around. When he realized it was the wolves talking he exclaimed and fell on his butt. A look of terror flashed on his face that was quickly washed away with curiosity. This was his first encounter with wolves of any sort.

The fire wolf approached the boy and his kill. Uriko got on his feet and moved out of the way. Wolf set the stag ablaze which ignited Uriko's passion to sing and dance. He clapped his hands and stomped his feet as the fire crackled and the smell of burning flesh filled the air. Before the wolves left Urko faced them then slammed his fist against chest, a bit harder than his small frame could handle, and said the only phrase he could recall from his dream in the wolf language, "It's....going... to be... oookay" He had no idea what these words mean and his pronunciation was terrible but he felt like it was fitting to say. After giving a deep bow he plopped down next to the blaze humming a song to himself.

Kylesar1

 

[Kylesar1]

The pointed ears on the boy's head twitched as they picked up the chatter of the wolves. It was a language that he had only heard in a recurring dream he would have. His head quickly swiveled around to see if there were any people around. When he realized it was the wolves talking he exclaimed and fell on his butt. A look of terror flashed on his face that was quickly washed away with curiosity. This was his first encounter with wolves of any sort.

The fire wolf approached the boy and his kill. Uriko got on his feet and moved out of the way. Wolf set the stag ablaze which ignited Uriko's passion to sing and dance. He clapped his hands and stomped his feet as the fire crackled and the smell of burning flesh filled the air. Before the wolves left Urko faced them then slammed his fist against chest, a bit harder than his small frame could handle, and said the only phrase he could recall from his dream in the wolf language, "It's....going... to be... oookay" He had no idea what these words mean and his pronunciation was terrible but he felt like it was fitting to say. After giving a deep bow he plopped down next to the blaze humming a song to himself.

Kylesar1

Wolves
Forest ​

The Alpha turned around. "Go ahead. I'll see what info, if any, I can get out of the child. Just kill one for me. Swift, you're the Alpha." Swift as the Wind, the wind wolf (fucking obviously) took the lead and they ran off

The alpha approached the child. He had little grasp of wolven tongues, which was crazy since he was a Lycan. "You have no littermates and no parents in sight. Where'd you come from?" Alpha wasn't expecting an intelligent response. If anything, he just hoped the child could understand the words

Arabelle had decided against following Tyr and went back inside, walking back into the kitchen. She stood back from Ari so she wouldn’t get in his way as he cooked. She was quiet, thinking about Tyr. She ran her hand through her hair and sighed heavily. She raised her head slightly. “Ari, are you alright?” She could feel tension in the air.

Kylesar1

Ari Waesmor
O'Connor House​

Ari checked the food to see that it was all done. Time to take it out and eat so they could do the time skip. "Nothing. We just have to go to Faylen in 2 weeks. I have a solution to your nightmares that don't involve someone dying. I also have a way to get you your sight back without someone dying either. I told you I had connections."

He pulled the muffins out of the oven and turned the eye to low so the soup could simmer and stay warm. "Any luck with Tyr? Or is he still acting uselessly emo?" Ari was far too focused drawing out his game plan to worry about Tyr. Maybe they needed one of their heated arguments that worked like therapy and got him back on track with the added bonus of Ari punching him in the face, all at the cost of getting punched in his own face.

"I'm just trying to get to know you," Mithras claimed, his smirk turning into sincere seriousness. "I won't neglect my duty because of a date. With years as a slave and being a half-elf, I learned that the hard way. I was fifteen at the time. Fell in love with a village girl. My master threw me into the dungeon for three days with no food and water, then lashed me forty-two times for discipline. I couldn't sleep for another one day because lying in bed was too painful for my bleeding back."

Mithras leaned his head back. "I'm glad Valerian's gone. Only a masochist can endure something like that."

Kylesar1

Alison Foster
Waesmor Manor ​

"My master was the only thing keeping me from going to King Valerian. He bought me while my slave caravan was on its way to Toron." Alison chuckled a bit. "Listening to your story, that was my cloud's silver lining. I mean, my slave days before then weren't much better, but at least I didn't have a mad king." Alison's time was effectively made up of a Slave Era and a Maid Era, with Ari turning the former into the latter.

Alison thought for a moment. Something he said made her backtrack. "I wasn't even allowed to leave the house in my slave days. If you were under Valerian, how'd you get access to village people?"

 

[Paint The Wind]

Wolves
Forest ​

The Alpha turned around. "Go ahead. I'll see what info, if any, I can get out of the child. Just kill one for me. Swift, you're the Alpha." Swift as the Wind, the wind wolf (fucking obviously) took the lead and they ran off

The alpha approached the child. He had little grasp of wolven tongues, which was crazy since he was a Lycan. "You have no littermates and no parents in sight. Where'd you come from?" Alpha wasn't expecting an intelligent response. If anything, he just hoped the child could understand the words

Ari Waesmor
O'Connor House​

Ari checked the food to see that it was all done. Time to take it out and eat so they could do the time skip. "Nothing. We just have to go to Faylen in 2 weeks. I have a solution to your nightmares that don't involve someone dying. I also have a way to get you your sight back without someone dying either. I told you I had connections."

He pulled the muffins out of the oven and turned the eye to low so the soup could simmer and stay warm. "Any luck with Tyr? Or is he still acting uselessly emo?" Ari was far too focused drawing out his game plan to worry about Tyr. Maybe they needed one of their heated arguments that worked like therapy and got him back on track with the added bonus of Ari punching him in the face, all at the cost of getting punched in his own face.

Alison Foster
Waesmor Manor ​

"My master was the only thing keeping me from going to King Valerian. He bought me while my slave caravan was on its way to Toron." Alison chuckled a bit. "Listening to your story, that was my cloud's silver lining. I mean, my slave days before then weren't much better, but at least I didn't have a mad king." Alison's time was effectively made up of a Slave Era and a Maid Era, with Ari turning the former into the latter.

Alison thought for a moment. Something he said made her backtrack. "I wasn't even allowed to leave the house in my slave days. If you were under Valerian, how'd you get access to village people?"

She smiled. “Thank you, Ari.” She sighed. “Tyr has something very wrong with him. He hasn’t told me what, and I won’t ask since it’s his business, but I’m really worried.” She sighed sadly. “He needs help that we can’t give him.”

 

[Birdsie]

"Black magic," he replied shamelessly, then continued without missing a beat. "I summoned a demon that day, hoping to bind it and force it to take my place in secret. The little bastard found some loophole and informed my master of my whereabouts and escape attempt. Since then, I wasn't allowed in the kitchen and all staff were forbidden from giving me salt, or letting me near knives."

Salt and daggers. Common ingredients in ritual. Salt, despite appearing as a rather normal substance, was a sufficient, if dull and common magical insulator. It was good to put around the bounds of complex magic circles to keep magical energy or lesser evil entities and energies from crossing the bounds. Knives on another hand can be used to spill blood. Blood, containing a part of the soul's magical energy in the form of life-force, is a good enhancer for almost any ritual, from mundane to complex - especially when a catalyst is needed, and the person the blood is taken from can act as that catalyst.

He did not specify where he learned the black magic to summon a demon. Summoning a demon at the age of fifteen, however, is an impressive deed. And binding it, even if clumsily, is even more. Just from this alone, one could read talent in the black arts in Mithras. And yet, he lost his smugness and his facial expression became indifferent and mediocre, maybe even jaded. Some would read this as sadness, or dissatisfaction.

"You seem to like Mr. Waesmor," Mithras noticed. He then said, in a very melancholic and weirdly wistful tone, barely even looking at Alison and more as if he was drifting away into another domain of consciousness, "do you think he's a good person?"

Kylesar1

 

[Ms. Sparrow]

Katherine Auscent
Location: Auscent Residence

Katherine let out a weary sigh at her forgetfulness. Sometimes raising a half-dragon wasn’t the easiest job in the world. It could be worse though. Ari and Arabelle raise demi-gods with uncontrollable dark and light powers. She was grateful Siegbert did not inherit her own magic, it’s probably make raising him him impossible.

“Right,” Katherine said slowly, as if she knew it wasn’t cold all along as she walked over and swung open the front door but stepped in front of it before Siegbert could slip out.

She turned to Siegbert. “No running off, okay? Stay by me and we’ll go into town more often alright?” Katherine’s tone was firm but gentle, he was such and adventurous curious boy, she had to keep a close eye on him.

Bakuyoshi

 

[Kylesar1]

She smiled. “Thank you, Ari.” She sighed. “Tyr has something very wrong with him. He hasn’t told me what, and I won’t ask since it’s his business, but I’m really worried.” She sighed sadly. “He needs help that we can’t give him.”

Ari Waesmor
O'Connor House
His business? What an idiot.......​

Ari scoffed. "I have no desire to help a man who's too cowardice to ask for or accept help when it's offered. As far as I'm concerned, right now, he wants to suffer. I have connections with people he doesn't even know exist. I've fought with this guy plenty of times, helped him with his problems, relationship or battle. Now he's acting like he's a lone wolf. With that attitude, he's a lost cause." This entire issue was the cause of the tension. Ari didn't even care anymore.

"We all got enough issues to be chasing after him and his issues when he doesn't want help, so screw it." Ari was actually pissed off at Tyr right now for all this. He then exhaled and calmed himself down as he removed himself from the subject. "Nala, go tell everyone breakfast is ready." His eyes glowed. "Misty, get Alison to come set the tables."

"As for you, lovely lady," He picked her up again. "I heard your stomach growling from outside. Time for you to eat."

"Black magic," he replied shamelessly, then continued without missing a beat. "I summoned a demon that day, hoping to bind it and force it to take my place in secret. The little bastard found some loophole and informed my master of my whereabouts and escape attempt. Since then, I wasn't allowed in the kitchen and all staff were forbidden from giving me salt, or letting me near knives."

Salt and daggers. Common ingredients in ritual. Salt, despite appearing as a rather normal substance, was a sufficient, if dull and common magical insulator. It was good to put around the bounds of complex magic circles to keep magical energy or lesser evil entities and energies from crossing the bounds. Knives on another hand can be used to spill blood. Blood, containing a part of the soul's magical energy in the form of life-force, is a good enhancer for almost any ritual, from mundane to complex - especially when a catalyst is needed, and the person the blood is taken from can act as that catalyst.

He did not specify where he learned the black magic to summon a demon. Summoning a demon at the age of fifteen, however, is an impressive deed. And binding it, even if clumsily, is even more. Just from this alone, one could read talent in the black arts in Mithras. And yet, he lost his smugness and his facial expression became indifferent and mediocre, maybe even jaded. Some would read this as sadness, or dissatisfaction.

"You seem to like Mr. Waesmor," Mithras noticed. He then said, in a very melancholic and weirdly wistful tone, barely even looking at Alison and more as if he was drifting away into another domain of consciousness, "do you think he's a good person?"

Kylesar1

Alison Foster
Waesmor Manor​

"A tricky one......" Alison had to think for a minute, breaking any visual contact with Mithras. "One could argue that he's the worst of the worst, being the Black Assassin and all. Plus, he used to be a slaver. Not exactly heaven material. However, it's hard to deny the goodness of a person giving you clothing that aren't literal rags, food that isn't weeks expired, and treatment that isn't subhuman. Nor was he showing me that all those just mentioned was simply letting my guard down so he could crush my trust."

She smiled as she closed her eyes and was lost in thought for a minute. "He's definitely not a saint, nor will he pretend to be, but he'll take care of you on his own free will, even if he'll bitch and complain about it in the process. You're on the team now, Mithras. Just see for yourself."

She finally looked back at him. "Also Mithras, As much as I love the position I'm in and the person I'm under, I'm giving you a chance, right? Not out of pity or filling some void either. You're genuinely an interesting fellow." If that was the reason he was asking the questions. With the side she showed when Theseus dropped by for an unwarranted visit, the term 'Ice Queen' wouldn't be too much of an exaggeration for her when it came to love and dating.

 

[Birdsie]

"I'm glad," Mithras replied, with a sincerely relieved voice. He looked as if a heavy weight fell off of his shoulder. "He sounds like the kind of person I can serve. When I first met him, I had my doubts whether I picked the right employer, but now I'm more confident."

Mithras smiled. "Thanks."

His wistfulness disappeared as quickly as it takes for a man flick their wrist. Mithras returned to the stern, dutiful look from earlier, but without looking like a royal guard standing motionless and stiff for several hours. "Say. One last question," Mithras pleaded curiously. "If you had one wish. One, undeniable, wish, that the universe had to fulfill no matter what... then what would you wish for? It can be anything. Solving world hunger. Saving all beings in the universe. Becoming all-powerful."

This time, Mithras was just hoping to get to know his future co-worker. What kind of person she is. It wasn't as much a question of philosophy, morality, or idealism, as it was just a friendly question of curiosity. Asking about each others' stories, beliefs, and hopes over a campfire was a very common form of exchange between paladins, so the drive to do so with others remained with Mithras for all these years, even in the form of 'what would you wish for, if you could?'

Kylesar1

 

[Jeda Teq]

Uriko gazed into the Alpha's eyes as he was spoken to. The words didn't make sense the boy at all, however instinctively he knew what was being asked of him. Speaking in his native language Uriko began, "I have a large family. Very large. Many brothers and sisters. I don't know where they are now. Probably still in the Janken Forest." He scratched his head wondering if the wolf understood his tribal speak. Agitated by the disturbance the fleas and lice rose to the surface of his hair and receded as quickly as they appeared.

"You undeestood quumen?" Wanting to lessen the language barrier he started to speak common. His eldest sister did tell him that Common was the language of the world. "I come, deep trees" He pointed in the direction where he had encountered the deer. "Me Explore Elf shelter. Then big light. Now me Here. Not in Janken trees. Where famuhlee be." In the direction he was pointing but the rubble of an old building that had been eroded and buried by time. It was a day and a half walk away.

Kylesar1

 

[Paint The Wind]

Ari Waesmor
O'Connor House
His business? What an idiot.......​

Ari scoffed. "I have no desire to help a man who's too cowardice to ask for or accept help when it's offered. As far as I'm concerned, right now, he wants to suffer. I have connections with people he doesn't even know exist. I've fought with this guy plenty of times, helped him with his problems, relationship or battle. Now he's acting like he's a lone wolf. With that attitude, he's a lost cause." This entire issue was the cause of the tension. Ari didn't even care anymore.

"We all got enough issues to be chasing after him and his issues when he doesn't want help, so screw it." Ari was actually pissed off at Tyr right now for all this. He then exhaled and calmed himself down as he removed himself from the subject. "Nala, go tell everyone breakfast is ready." His eyes glowed. "Misty, get Alison to come set the tables."

"As for you, lovely lady," He picked her up again. "I heard your stomach growling from outside. Time for you to eat."

Alison Foster
Waesmor Manor​

"A tricky one......" Alison had to think for a minute, breaking any visual contact with Mithras. "One could argue that he's the worst of the worst, being the Black Assassin and all. Plus, he used to be a slaver. Not exactly heaven material. However, it's hard to deny the goodness of a person giving you clothing that aren't literal rags, food that isn't weeks expired, and treatment that isn't subhuman. Nor was he showing me that all those just mentioned was simply letting my guard down so he could crush my trust."

She smiled as she closed her eyes and was lost in thought for a minute. "He's definitely not a saint, nor will he pretend to be, but he'll take care of you on his own free will, even if he'll bitch and complain about it in the process. You're on the team now, Mithras. Just see for yourself."

She finally looked back at him. "Also Mithras, As much as I love the position I'm in and the person I'm under, I'm giving you a chance, right? Not out of pity or filling some void either. You're genuinely an interesting fellow." If that was the reason he was asking the questions. With the side she showed when Theseus dropped by for an unwarranted visit, the term 'Ice Queen' wouldn't be too much of an exaggeration for her when it came to love and dating.

“He’s hurting, Ari. It’s his choice whether he wants to ask for help or not.” She sighed and squeaked when he picked her up. “I didn’t expect that!” She smiled. “I’m not very hungry,” she told him softly.

 

[Kylesar1]

“He’s hurting, Ari. It’s his choice whether he wants to ask for help or not.” She sighed and squeaked when he picked her up. “I didn’t expect that!” She smiled. “I’m not very hungry,” she told him softly.

Ari Waesmor
O'Connor House​

Ari sighed in return. "It's one thing to not want to ask for help. It's another thing to burden others with it. You don't always ask for help, but you don't expect me to chase you while you give me the cold shoulder either. That's what he's doing. Either he can sulk in silence, he can ask for help, or he can suck it up. I've spent more time with his kids this morning than he has." Ari didn't care if Tyr asked for help. Just stop leaving shit undone when it needed to get done. Bailey just got back from fierce diplomacy talks to keep the elves form going to war. As far as Ari was concerned, Tyr should be wiping Bailey's ass right now, not her worrying about him.

He looked at her seriously and proceeded to scold her. "You haven't eaten this morning nor last night, so you're eating some breakfast. I can't have you dying on me." He took her over to the table

"I'm glad," Mithras replied, with a sincerely relieved voice. He looked as if a heavy weight fell off of his shoulder. "He sounds like the kind of person I can serve. When I first met him, I had my doubts whether I picked the right employer, but now I'm more confident."

Mithras smiled. "Thanks."

His wistfulness disappeared as quickly as it takes for a man flick their wrist. Mithras returned to the stern, dutiful look from earlier, but without looking like a royal guard standing motionless and stiff for several hours. "Say. One last question," Mithras pleaded curiously. "If you had one wish. One, undeniable, wish, that the universe had to fulfill no matter what... then what would you wish for? It can be anything. Solving world hunger. Saving all beings in the universe. Becoming all-powerful."

This time, Mithras was just hoping to get to know his future co-worker. What kind of person she is. It wasn't as much a question of philosophy, morality, or idealism, as it was just a friendly question of curiosity. Asking about each others' stories, beliefs, and hopes over a campfire was a very common form of exchange between paladins, so the drive to do so with others remained with Mithras for all these years, even in the form of 'what would you wish for, if you could?'

Kylesar1

Alison Foster
Waesmor Manor​

"That the Gods leave us alone, because a god burned out Arabelle's eyes. A god possessed Valerian. A god possessed Alreos, even though he himself was a god. The gods brought in Holy and Dark magic, the only magic based off faith and not drawing out the Earth's properties. This spawned things like the Inquisition and the Witch Hunts, killing more innocents than guilty all in their name."

"We haven't needed them before. The only reason they're needed now is because their presence caused all this calamity. They're too weak mentally to possess as much power as they do. Why do you think Ari uses their power? Because they're too weak to use their own effectively. My master literally God-hops from contract to contract, and then ditches them when they're no longer useful to him. They think that they use Ari to get their work done, but Ari is the one in charge."

Alison finished cleaning and looked at Mithras. "The only god who's stayed completely away this entire time has been the Elder God. The literal only one. If my wish came true, both Holy and Dark magic would be gone, but we'd have insane technological advancement, and no wars all to take over some pointless piece of crap land with no value since it's all desert." She felt pretty strongly about this subject. She didn't like the gods that were constantly meddling in their affairs

Misty walked up to them. "Master needs some service to go set the tables for breakfast at the O'Connor's house. Mithras, you have to guard the house until they return. Plus, there's plenty of breakfast here too."

Alison smiled at Mithras. "I'll send someone to go do it." She barked out a few orders and a couple of maids left. "What would be your wish upon the universe?"

Nala​

Nala flew overhead until she saw both Tyr and Bailey, then landed. "Master said breakfast is ready! Get it while it's hot!" she yelled, then flew off.
FireMaiden
Safety Hammer

 

[Paint The Wind]

Ari Waesmor
O'Connor House​

Ari sighed in return. "It's one thing to not want to ask for help. It's another thing to burden others with it. You don't always ask for help, but you don't expect me to chase you while you give me the cold shoulder either. That's what he's doing. Either he can sulk in silence, he can ask for help, or he can suck it up. I've spent more time with his kids this morning than he has." Ari didn't care if Tyr asked for help. Just stop leaving shit undone when it needed to get done. Bailey just got back from fierce diplomacy talks to keep the elves form going to war. As far as Ari was concerned, Tyr should be wiping Bailey's ass right now, not her worrying about him.

He looked at her seriously and proceeded to scold her. "You haven't eaten this morning nor last night, so you're eating some breakfast. I can't have you dying on me." He took her over to the table

Alison Foster
Waesmor Manor​

"That the Gods leave us alone, because a god burned out Arabelle's eyes. A god possessed Valerian. A god possessed Alreos, even though he himself was a god. The gods brought in Holy and Dark magic, the only magic based off faith and not drawing out the Earth's properties. This spawned things like the Inquisition and the Witch Hunts, killing more innocents than guilty all in their name."

"We haven't needed them before. The only reason they're needed now is because their presence caused all this calamity. They're too weak mentally to possess as much power as they do. Why do you think Ari uses their power? Because they're too weak to use their own effectively. My master literally God-hops from contract to contract, and then ditches them when they're no longer useful to him. They think that they use Ari to get their work done, but Ari is the one in charge."

Alison finished cleaning and looked at Mithras. "The only god who's stayed completely away this entire time has been the Elder God. The literal only one. If my wish came true, both Holy and Dark magic would be gone, but we'd have insane technological advancement, and no wars all to take over some pointless piece of crap land with no value since it's all desert." She felt pretty strongly about this subject. She didn't like the gods that were constantly meddling in their affairs

Misty walked up to them. "Master needs some service to go set the tables for breakfast at the O'Connor's house. Mithras, you have to guard the house until they return. Plus, there's plenty of breakfast here too."

Alison smiled at Mithras. "I'll send someone to go do it." She barked out a few orders and a couple of maids left. "What would be your wish upon the universe?"

Nala​

Nala flew overhead until she saw both Tyr and Bailey, then landed. "Master said breakfast is ready! Get it while it's hot!" she yelled, then flew off.
FireMaiden
Safety Hammer

She sighed. “I don’t think that’s what he’s trying to do. And I’m just not hungry, honey. I’m fine,” he said softly. “I’m fine, reallt. I’m just not hungry.”

 

[Birdsie]

"I agree," Mithras nodded. "The Age of the Gods is over."

Mithras, honestly, didn't care for the loss of Black or Holy magic. Miracles, or curses. Same difference. It's just a way of getting an advantage; being the son of an elven sorceress, he might as well learn the arcane should he lose them, to make up for the gap. Even then, it's amazing he lasted so long with either without becoming either a fanatic crusader that goes around killing heretics or the other side of the scale; a maddened necromancer wanting to obtain immortality. Perhaps using both of them balances it out? Mithras' train of thoughts derailed when Alison asked him what he'd wish for.

"My wish?"

Mithras didn't answer. He had to think about it. "I don't have a wish like that. The closest thing that comes to mind was me wanting to have angel wings as a kid. Let me think..."

He, indeed, thought about it. Mithras spent several seconds in silent contemplation, with a blank, distant face expression. Soon, he looked up at Alison with a face that showed resolution. "Maybe meet my mother," he answered sincerely. "That's too selfish, though. I'd rather have it so that Amos and Alreos never existed. That way, none of this would have happened, and Gods wouldn't have to get involved. The world would be in balance. Speaking of which, I was always curious how King Valerian became possessed. Me and my ex-comrades used to make theories about it before I left the Order."

Kylesar1

 

[Bakuyoshi]

Siegberf let out a heavy sigh when his mother mentioned not walking away. "So close" He whispered. In truth with all the staying home he wanted to witness everything in one big shot. Alas it's only been little shots. And he has been praying for Katherine to forget so he could witness all of the outside world.

Ms. Sparrow

 

[Kylesar1]

"I agree," Mithras nodded. "The Age of the Gods is over."

Mithras, honestly, didn't care for the loss of Black or Holy magic. Miracles, or curses. Same difference. It's just a way of getting an advantage; being the son of an elven sorceress, he might as well learn the arcane should he lose them, to make up for the gap. Even then, it's amazing he lasted so long with either without becoming either a fanatic crusader that goes around killing heretics or the other side of the scale; a maddened necromancer wanting to obtain immortality. Perhaps using both of them balances it out? Mithras' train of thoughts derailed when Alison asked him what he'd wish for.

"My wish?"

Mithras didn't answer. He had to think about it. "I don't have a wish like that. The closest thing that comes to mind was me wanting to have angel wings as a kid. Let me think..."

He, indeed, thought about it. Mithras spent several seconds in silent contemplation, with a blank, distant face expression. Soon, he looked up at Alison with a face that showed resolution. "Maybe meet my mother," he answered sincerely. "That's too selfish, though. I'd rather have it so that Amos and Alreos never existed. That way, none of this would have happened, and Gods wouldn't have to get involved. The world would be in balance. Speaking of which, I was always curious how King Valerian became possessed. Me and my ex-comrades used to make theories about it before I left the Order."

Kylesar1

Alison Foster
Waesmor Manor ​

Alison took a seat. "That's a good question. There aren't many things we can do to find out though. Find someone who worked under Valerian who survived when Amos came. Look through the royal journals and scripts. Find Valerian and Khan's soul in the underworld and ask them ourselves....... Would there be a reason as to why you'd want to find that out?" Alison didn't see a reason to find out why.

She sighed. “I don’t think that’s what he’s trying to do. And I’m just not hungry, honey. I’m fine,” he said softly. “I’m fine, reallt. I’m just not hungry.”

Ari Waesmor
O'Connor House​

"You're not hungry because you're worried about Tyr. You have to eat something, Arabelle." Ari said worriedly. "You can't starve here. We have plans to draw for when we go to Faylen and I need your brain operating at full capacity."

Ari sat her in the seat and, after the maids set the table, started serving her food. "Just eat a little bit at least."

 

[Kylesar1]

Uriko gazed into the Alpha's eyes as he was spoken to. The words didn't make sense the boy at all, however instinctively he knew what was being asked of him. Speaking in his native language Uriko began, "I have a large family. Very large. Many brothers and sisters. I don't know where they are now. Probably still in the Janken Forest." He scratched his head wondering if the wolf understood his tribal speak. Agitated by the disturbance the fleas and lice rose to the surface of his hair and receded as quickly as they appeared.

"You undeestood quumen?" Wanting to lessen the language barrier he started to speak common. His eldest sister did tell him that Common was the language of the world. "I come, deep trees" He pointed in the direction where he had encountered the deer. "Me Explore Elf shelter. Then big light. Now me Here. Not in Janken trees. Where famuhlee be." In the direction he was pointing but the rubble of an old building that had been eroded and buried by time. It was a day and a half walk away.

Kylesar1

Alpha
Forest​

The Armored Wolf got a whiff of the child and turned his face sharply away. "This lack of hygiene is considered child abuse." Nasty, disgusting child. Master simply wouldn't stand for this. Not even wild wolves were this nasty. Whoever this child's parents were needed to get ripped to shreds, along with his siblings for allowing him to stay like this

There was a water source in this forest, a small pond. Maverick, the Armoured Wolf, would get this child clean no matter what. Maverick got in a fighting stance and growled. "You stink! Fleas and lice are unhealthy. Take a bath, child."

 

[Paint The Wind]

Alison Foster
Waesmor Manor ​

Alison took a seat. "That's a good question. There aren't many things we can do to find out though. Find someone who worked under Valerian who survived when Amos came. Look through the royal journals and scripts. Find Valerian and Khan's soul in the underworld and ask them ourselves....... Would there be a reason as to why you'd want to find that out?" Alison didn't see a reason to find out why.

Ari Waesmor
O'Connor House​

"You're not hungry because you're worried about Tyr. You have to eat something, Arabelle." Ari said worriedly. "You can't starve here. We have plans to draw for when we go to Faylen and I need your brain operating at full capacity."

Ari sat her in the seat and, after the maids set the table, started serving her food. "Just eat a little bit at least."

Arabelle sighed softly. “Fine,” she relented, and ate a little bit. She seemed to have entirely lost her appetite, and she was trembling. She was so worried about her best friend.

 

[Birdsie]

"Just curiosity. The odds for him being possessed were... astronomically low unless he gave his soul away for free," Mithras responded grimly. He thought about it for a moment, then justified what he said with a short speech on the resources at the king's calling.

"A king should have a court of enchanters at his disposal at any time, including mages specializing in abjuration. At least one of them would have known. Perhaps even a prophet or diviner would have foreseen it all happening, but there was nothing that I know of. It was just... sudden. Too sudden. Too undetected to happen. I have the feeling something bigger was at play all along, but I'm not sure. Maybe I'm just paranoid."

Mithras shrugged, clueless.

Kylesar1

 

[Kylesar1]

"Just curiosity. The odds for him being possessed were... astronomically low unless he gave his soul away for free," Mithras responded grimly. He thought about it for a moment, then justified what he said with a short speech on the resources at the king's calling.

"A king should have a court of enchanters at his disposal at any time, including mages specializing in abjuration. At least one of them would have known. Perhaps even a prophet or diviner would have foreseen it all happening, but there was nothing that I know of. It was just... sudden. Too sudden. Too undetected to happen. I have the feeling something bigger was at play all along, but I'm not sure. Maybe I'm just paranoid."

Mithras shrugged, clueless.

Kylesar1

Alison Foster
Waesmor Manor ​

In Mithras's theory, everything happened in one fell swoop. Amos pretty much went rogue, disregarding everything for that one moment, which of course seemed par for the course for a chaos God. Simple for a being that couldn't be defeated by human hands.
Alison had another theory though. One that seemed a bit more...... Patient. "There's also the possibility of the long game. In other words, Amos doing his thing outside the time limits of a seer being able to foresee it happening, which is only about a year or 2, unless you're one of those who make epic prophecies. There's the possibility that Valerian went to the throne as he was in the end. I mean, a God of chaos, a powerful man with ambitions to take the throne. The desire for mass non human genocide doesn't just suddenly become a thing, does it?" The problem could've started long before hell literally broke loose.

The problem with the theory was that there was no way Amos should have the smarts to plan that far ahead. A mind that great wouldn't have lost that easily to Alreos. What if Amos wasn't the one who made the plan though? "If something bigger was at play, it would tell us some things about the gods who mess around in human affairs. It's always been around, but Holy and Dark magic only got a surge in strength and usage recently after all this happened." Faith based magic got stronger with faith (fucking duh), not just individually, but en masse. The being they worship get stronger with it. Gods like Zeus and Hades are reaping the benefits that come from the en masse use of Holy and Dark magic that got kickstarted by Amos and Alreos.

Alison's theory assumed that the Gods are in cahoots and planned all this to happen from the beginning. Definitely a conspiracy theory, probably false, but one that could be explained with little to no holes in it.

 

[Birdsie]

"That's true," Mithras nodded, convinced by what Alison told him. "Assuming your theory is correct, then the Gods are the enemy. Or, at least, some of them. But that brings the question, who would manipulate Amos and Alreos into this? The two of them were at the top of the celestial hierarchy for thousands of years. Any clues?"

Mithras didn't like this at all. If such a plan was made by the Gods, it was a bad omen for all souls in the world. Gods, being the celestial beings who rule over many of the spirit realms, are the key to life after death. If they are dipping their fingers into life before death, they need to be stopped.

Kylesar1

 

[Kylesar1]

Arabelle sighed softly. “Fine,” she relented, and ate a little bit. She seemed to have entirely lost her appetite, and she was trembling. She was so worried about her best friend.

Ari Waesmor
O'Connor House​

"Oi, you're no help to Tyr if you're too hungry to operate. Step one to helping someone is to help yourself, Arabelle." Ari said with a sigh as he watched her half-ass attempting to eat her food. "You have issues of your own, Arabelle. Some of the same problems that Tyr does. You have to worry about yourself. Your own health first."

"That's true," Mithras nodded, convinced by what Alison told him. "Assuming your theory is correct, then the Gods are the enemy. Or, at least, some of them. But that brings the question, who would manipulate Amos and Alreos into this? The two of them were at the top of the celestial hierarchy for thousands of years. Any clues?"

Mithras didn't like this at all. If such a plan was made by the Gods, it was a bad omen for all souls in the world. Gods, being the celestial beings who rule over many of the spirit realms, are the key to life after death. If they are dipping their fingers into life before death, they need to be stopped.

Kylesar1

Alison Foster
Waesmor Manor
​

"That's where I hit a dead end," Alison shrugged. "However, only one, Amos, would have to be put up to it. Whoever took advantage of Amos didn't need to approach Alreos, because Alreos would have to confront him when he took over. I don't know who could've taken advantage of them though. I know nothing of the celestial hierarchy, who's on it and their modus operandi."

Alison and Mithras just uncovered what could be an insane revelation that could change the entire relationship between the Earth dwellers and the gods. Hopefully the things they discovered wouldn't be as severe as they think.

"I remember asking my master to recall his stories over coffee, specifically the one where he contracted with this goddess named Szelanya, who is the wind goddess who made him into the Shadow Rose. He mentioned a being named Raziel, who appeared while Ari was in Limbo and could kill Szelanya with a weapon called the Soul Reaver. This seems to suggest that these Gods are not in a good place right now. This event gave them plenty of added firepower to take Raziel on." But at the cost of throwing everything off balance. They're doing things at human expense, and that was a terrible thing. It'd piss off a lot of humans.

"All in all, we can get humanity out of the dark about this. It's very likely that Valerian sold his soul to Amos but Amos had to have motivation for wanting to destroy all non-humans anyways. I know he's a Chaos God, but still..........why not just start a war between humans and non-humans? Like the thing between the orcs and elves?" War was far more chaotic than killing any and every non-human. It would only be chaotic for a moment.........then what?