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year 5, quarter 3
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The cat's eyes narrowed in smug challenge, daring the hound to do something stupid, and oh boy, did it deliver. It lunged straight for her with nary a thought for the arm on the other end of its chain, all teeth and fury. Snickering, she leapt straight up, leaving the dog to collide with the crates behind her, before rubbing salt in the wound by using the back of its head as a launch pad to spring into a sprint.
"Catch me if you can, fido!" She mewled, breaking out across the cavern floor, numerous bystanders dodging out of the way or being wiped out by the trail of chaos 'Rufus' was now leaving. Some of the guards went into combative stances, expecting a much greater threat given the commotion, and it wasn't long till half the place's inhabitants were on her tail, or at least on their guard-dogs's.
Perfect.
She shot a glance at the cart she had came from. Matteus was dismounting with the armor and beginning to make his ascent to the teleporter. It seemed she needed to buy more time. No problem. She broke off, leading the train of people and a dog away from the eyeshot of the pad, managing to scramble into a small tunnel that was only big enough for her and Rufus. "That as fast as you can go, buddy?" She taunted over her shoulder. "Makes sense, I guess. Clearly do more standing around than anything here."
As soon as she emerged, there was a guard waiting, bent over to catch her. Not an issue. He made to try and scoop her up, but she simply jumped through the hoop his arms formed in the process and shot out behind him. That was long enough for the canine to come barging out after her, knocking the poor guard flat as he did. Several more, armed with spears, stepped into her path. Honestly, it took all this to stop a meager little housecat? Sherlotta smirked to herself, heading straight for them. One jabbed their spear downwards, seemingly hoping to spook her long enough for someone to grab her, but she simply ran up the weapon and bounced onto the guard's head, then off again onto a thin ledge that ran along the wall.
She could hear guards screeching and the dog barking as they followed along beneath her. She took the opportunity to check for her would-be companions' progress. It seemed they were already approaching the destination, which meant it was time to lose this party. Reaching the end of the ledge, the cat gracefully dropped onto a pile of crates and other wares, closely followed by the baying of her canine enemy, who clumsily threw himself up onto them as well, knocking several aside in the process. However, something struck her as odd... There were only a couple of guards behind them now, and they weren't making an active attempt to subdue either of the animals. Where had the others?
"Crap!" She hissed, almost skidding to a halt as she realized they had decided to actually coordinate and shepherded them into a dead end. That was careless of her... She had gotten so absorbed in the fun of it all that she had forgotten that they held the home field advantage. Before she could course-correct, they had closed off any exit points she could take. Sherlotta didn't have time to dawdle, or those two would inevitably proceed without her. Their net of armored bodies was tightening, and the hound was out for blood. Think...
The cat noted a large tarp of some kind in the corner. Ugh, this would be a stretch, but it was better than nothing...
She bolted one last time, scampering beneath the mass of cloth. She could hear people muttering about how they'd 'got it now' and such. But she still had one last trick... She calmed herself, and transformed, the process invisible beneath the heap of fabric. Just in time, one of the guards tore back the tarp, only to be met with the face of a very scared looking young girl.
"W-Wait!" She yelped, shying away from them. "P-Please! Don't hurt me! I was forced to come here! He said he'd hurt me if I didn't, o-or if I got caught, and when all the noise started up I got scared and hid here..."
Her tail was graciously hidden, giving them at least a moment's pause. Rufus seemed less taken by the whole act, but she disregarded him for now. The soldiers were confused. It didn't matter what their reaction was, she had the pause she needed. With a mischievous glint in her eyes, her palm slammed into the closest guard's metal chestplate, a thunder magicite primed within it. Sparks erupted and conducted through his plating, causing him to spasm and scream. She'd been careful not to kill him, however. Seizing the mere seconds she had, the now-girl lunged out and drew the disabled guard's sword from its scabbard as she passed, leaving him to collapse to the floor. She didn't do it often, but she was a Clavat: She'd learnt how to use a sword before she could even write.
"Out of my way!" She yelled, swinging towards one of the other soldiers. They scrambled to attention, blocking the attack easily, but Sherlotta had been aiming for that. It allowed her to slip past with ease. She discarded the weapon and began running, rounding a corner so she could transform once more to regain the advantage of mobility.
She was finally on the home straight, but she'd have to push it. The teleporter was glowing, warming up to perform its task. Drawing on every ounce of energy she had left, the feline bounded towards the destination, making a final pounce when she felt she would miss it. "Incoming!" She cried as she landed directly on Matteus' head, claws scrambling for grip in his hair.
The cargo bay was in chaos. Boxes were smashed. Guards toppled over. Crates leaking. This was, without a doubt, the absolute worst day for any single employee of the World Sight guard.
It was for this reason that no one noticed the odd, lanky man waddling a suit of armor awkwardly towards the teleportation pad. The guards and workers were far too preoccupied with damage control to realize that the man didn't work there. They didn't wonder why on earth he was moving forward so slowly with a suit of armor meant for one of the guards. Instead, they tried to block off the route for the cat, tried to reign in the dog, and tried to clean up smashed boxes while weeping for the jobs they might not keep in the morning.
In fact, no one noticed the stowaways until the teleporter hummed with activated magic and the cat dashed forward, leaping at the man's head. By then, it was too late. They had only a second to lament their failure before the light overtook them and they were gone.
The teleporter leads to a worker's wing inside of the tower. There's a rather sparse hallway, dimly lit by torches with various rooms containing offices and private libraries branching off of it. There's a hustle inside as workers and scholars go about their nightly readings. A few glance in the direction of the armor and cat, but do nothing but mutter a few words before shaking their heads and continuing on.
Down the hall, a group of four or five workers mill about and loudly complain about having to use the teleporter now that the tower doors are sealed by magic. They hope that the mages can figure out a way to open them soon because going through the underground takes far too long. Meanwhile, a passing scholar mutters to himself about the artifacts at the top, wondering what a "worthy hero" could mean.
After a few minutes, a guard clanks past -- heavily armored but for his head. As he pauses to glance at the odd man with the armor and a cat, his eyes sharpen. "I don't recognize you," he says. "And you're not wearing any identification. Tell me, what's your name and rank? I'll have to report you."
OOC: ((If only Mateus wants to answer this since he's the only one outside of armor and not a cat, that would be acceptable. Unless the others feel like acting here.))
The light was beginning to consume Mateus. He held the armor a little tighter as the effects of the teleport began to work on him. Although he knew that the girl could most likely not escape the armor without help, he didn't want her to be separated by any devious tricks that might have been implemented into the magic such as separating people and product or transporting trespassers to the outside of the tower. At least that's what he would have done to keep questioning eyes and thieving hands out one of his strongholds, but he did not hold confidence in the guard's abilities to implement this.
But he was not home free just yet. As he thought he'd escaped the cat, the beast had pounced upon his nape. What a monstrous creature that tormented him! Mateus let out a howl as its claws tried to seemingly rip his hair from the root. He tried to shake the beast free without letting go of the armor twisting and turning his head causing him to strain his neck muscles. Before he could really do anything though, the light had finally overtook the ragged motley crew and transported them beyond the entrance way.
When they came to a hallway, Mateus' yowls echoed down the corridor causing a few heads to turn and then turn back to what they were doing. He dropped the armor and began frantically slapping at the cat hoping it would let go. What this foul creature needed with the power stored here was beyond Mateus; it was already a master at vexation and chaos. Before he could really get a grip on the cat, the small group was approached by one of the guards.
Somehow in his uniform, the guard was a couple of inches taller than even Mateus. This gave him some pause for it was uncommon for him to be overtaken in height. Still he knew he had to think fast or the ruse would be done, "I'm...I am... new. An apprentice caravan dealer." Matt gave a uneasy smile at the guard hoping to break through to the man's sense of trust. "As for identification, well, you see," Matt patted his chest as though he was surprised to find none hung from the frock he wore. "It must have fallen off in the madness downstairs."
Matt smiled perhaps he could kill two birds with one stone. "I'm," what had that demon upon his head called him, "Matt." It caused him to grimace as the defamation of his beautiful name escaped his lips. He worked with the grimace though and cast his eyes downwards away from the guard ashamedly. "You see, when this cat perched upon my head upset one of the guard dogs down below I thought it best to make sure this valuable armor was not in destruction's path. I only thought of my cargo's safe passage not of my own. Then the beast decided that it was not content being dog meal and claimed a spot with me, an unwilling host. It's claws are buried deep in my scalp and I can't seem to shake it. Any help with its removal would be much appreciated" Mateus then cast his bashful smile back towards the guard.
Hopefully the guards here were as stupid as some of the ones that had been under his employ at one point. He also knew that if there was one way to work people it was to play to their sense of pride. Mateus bowed his head softly and continued his yarn, "And you and your men do such important work here. I would not have my failures of not delivering this armor safely cause you worry or grief when much larger things worthy of you station should occupy your thoughts. Please tell me where I can deposit this so as not to worry anyone here with it." Mateus placed his arms around the armor once again hoping that his words had worked on the guard. If not well, he'd figure something out. He always did.
He looks the man over again. A strange, lanky man in an ill-fitted uniform with a cat firmly attached to his head. He had scratch marks all over his scalp and forehead -- some of which are bleeding, and his hair is a mess of tangles and frizz from the cat's claws. Still, he lets this strange man, Matt, keep talking. The man paused before telling his name and then winced as though it physically pained him say it aloud. The man said that after some kind of chaos below, he'd thought only to transport a common set of armor up the teleporter, and he'd done so all with a cat on his head. "It's claws are buried deep in my scalp and I can't seem to shake it," he said, as calm as though they were discussing the matter over tea instead of under the claws of a feral animal. "Any help with its removal would be much appreciated."
Matt smirked to himself before glancing away. He looked almost smug with his tilted head and not-so-hidden smile, and the guard could think of nothing else to do but stare as the man bowed his head and continued about "important work" that was "worthy of his station." When the man had finally finished, the soldier blinked back at him for nearly twenty seconds before squeezing tight at the bridge of his nose.
He'd never heard a worse series of lies in his life.
"You-" he starts, but can't bring himself to finish. He lets out a short breath before continuing. "Are you trying to get to the top of the tower?" His eyes are wary as he looks them over. Almost tired. "I was told to look out for someone like you. Heroes of light or something like that? The High Mage said to keep alert for odd people sneaking in. Said they'd come in groups, probably." His eyes sweep over them again before they narrow on the suit of armor. "In here?" he asks but raps on the metal with his knuckles before he can get an answer. With his suspicions confirmed, he gives a long sigh.
"Come with me." He gestures for them to follow, waiting until they're able to do so before walking off. "There's someone who'd probably want to meet you." He leads them down three hallways and up a flight of stairs before speaking again. "The High Mage. She doesn't see eye to eye with the Crystal Guard. She's done research, you see. Thinks that only a heart of pure good or chaos could take the power up ahead, and he suspects that good hearts should be coming through. Of course, the Guard put up a fuss anyway, but the High Mage thinks they're only worth his time if they can get inside anyway. I guess you did." Another three flights of stairs, down two more halls, and he stops outside a heavy pair of oak doors. He looks at them before glancing at Matt and frowning. "You'll have to take care of your, uh, problem yourself," he says, gesturing to his scalp. "I'm allergic to cats."
With that, he pushes in the doors to a cramped and cozy office space. A fireplace crackles invitingly in the corner and sheds a flickering light upon walls of bookshelves filled with worn and dusty tomes. Behind a mahogany table, an old woman stands with her hands behind her back, eyeing a shard of glass that glows blue at her touch. When the door opens, she jumps and looks up to face them, eyes wide before she quickly flits over to meet them. Her voice breaks as she and the guard exchange words, and she her voice comes so fast and so shrill that she sounds more like a parrot than a woman. When the soldier tells her what he's found, she freezes before turning to look at them as though she's seen them for the first time.
"You...?" she says before waving her hand at the soldier. "Well leave us alone then! What are you doing still standing there!" She rushes at him, waving her hands until he's left and the doors have closed behind him. Then she turns back to the remaining guests, clicking ehr tongue thoughtfully. "The three of you...?" she says before shaking her head. "Yes, yes! The tomes have foretold your arrival! The souls of harmony! Here to save the crystal from the hands of chaos! Of course, of course!"
She hurried behind her desk, but doesn't sit down as she turns to face them. Instead, she leans forward on the desk, eyeing them closely. "Unless you're chaos in disguise..." she says, and her eyes narrow. "Tell me. Why should I trust you with the crystal's power? I'm holding the fate of the world in my hands, and I won't entrust it to just any stranger with a cat stuck to his head!"
[attr="class","nalyrics"]Pretending to be strong saying I'm not afraid of anything
[attr="class","nabody"]Yeul knew not for how long she’d been holding in her breath, but it sure did feel like it was for an eternity as she pushed the hot air out of her lungs.
From the chaos that she could barely see to the soldier’s interrogation, Yeul was uneasy throughout it all. Getting shaken up by Mateus carrying her had also left her adrenaline pumping excessively, which only pained her new bruises from the armor’s sturdy sides even more.
But, now, things were looking up. Mateus, or she could say “Matt”, had not successfully sneaked the trio in, but instead had accidentally done even better. They were getting lead straight to the end, or so the guard they’d encountered said. Yeul also had the opportunity to finally step out of her disguise, and she was more than happy to do so.
“Now I should be less burdensome.” She told to Mateus with a respectful dip of her head as they followed the guard. “…I should thank you before anything. Without you, I doubt I could’ve gotten this far.”
In an attempt to repay her debt to Mateus, Yeul reached towards the cat still situated atop his head. With an extended palm, she whispered to it in her already quaint voice, “It’s all right now. Did the dog hurt you? You can trust me…”
The odd trio was escorted into a study where an old woman was present. For someone of her age, Yeul was surprised to find the elder woman was filled with considerable spunk, as evidenced by how she rushed the escort out with such ferocity.
Yeul merely stood in place as the woman told of how the tomes had foreseen their coming, her arms locked at her sides and her face, as always, that of a disinterested child. Yeul kept her eyes locked with the excited High Mage, though she felt her thoughts begin to drift. Why, exactly, had Caius called her here? She was no hero, he was. A “Soul of Harmony”? Yes, such a title would’ve fit for her, but it was a double-edged blade. Yeul was harmonious, but to the point she’d never pick up a weapon. The only meat she’d consumed in this world was that of an animal another hand had slaughtered. So…why?
The High Mage finished her speech by leaving an opening for the trio to answer her question: Why should I trust you with the Crystal’s power?
Yeul did not turn towards her comrades to check if they’d want to answer first, and even if they did, she continued speaking, not even acknowledging them. “High Mage, my name is Paddra Nsu-Yeul. I come from a world I barely remember, but there I was entrusted with a task: seeing the future. Though my title means little in this realm, I was called The Seeress, blessed by the deities to give my people warning of the oncoming days.”
She gently bowed her head to the elder woman before fully removing her headdress. The dark, silk veil before her face fell away and her long hair, still slightly damp from pickle juice, fell down her back. “I was called here by the voice of someone important to me. He must know that there is something important I must do here, something only I can do…”
Her eyes fell to the floor, and she pondered. He had said something about her visions. Something terrible…and yet, here she was.
Yeul raised her eyes back towards the gaze of the High Mage. “I have yet to have any visions of the future in this world. I know not why; my memories are nearly nonexistent of my previous world. However, perhaps I could provide a vision for this world…? I know not if it’ll work, but I am willing to try. If this world is in trouble, I’ll gladly assist it with my limited skills in any way I can.”
Mateus lips thinned as the soldier called him out on his buff. So, perhaps this guard had a little more brain to him than he had thought. After the display downstairs he was surprised any guard in this place had any sense. To be fair would Mateus have listened to the words of some worn down vagabond trying to worm their way into one of his strongholds? Still this was a problem. Mateus' mind raced with the thoughts of the different punishments the soldiers of this tower might doll out. He felt the most likely course would have them thrown in a dungeon and forgotten about left to waste away, a problem simply quelled. He doubted they would be executed. In his experience it was much too costly, the cleanup was terrible, and if the prisoner was not of note or infamy the impact was lessened on the spectators.
But it seemed that fate had other plans for Mateus that night. As he rapped the armor proving that the girl hid within, the guard talked of their coming as though he had been waiting for this. Mateus sat the suite of armor down as the guard allowed them a moment before they were to be led elsewhere. He hadn't noticed how sore his arms and back had gotten from the strain of the weight, but now he relished the chance to work his fingers into his aching muscles. He raised his hands to remove the cat from its perch but stopped before his hands got too close. He assumed the foul nature feline would once again lay waste to his scalp if it wasn't she who decided to move. Mateus couldn't bare the horror of losing any more hair.
Sighing he began to help the girl out of the suite of armor. With the guard knowing about her, Mateus' plan of depositing her to fend for herself in some side room had been thrown to the wayside. As she emerged and stood, Mateus was struck by the height difference. In the caravan he had been sitting or crouching and hadn't paid much mind to the girl save her youthful voice, but now towering above her he couldn't help but to note her youth. What would possess such a young maiden to make this journey? What power did she want from the crystal? For some reason he had a hard time imagining the demonic voice that rocked his mind with visions of the tower doing the same to her. Not that it mattered though; he had no intention of allowing her to claim it.
As he began to follow the guard, Mateus was taken aback as the girl expressed her gratitude. The idea of being thanked for doing what must be done was still as foreign as the land he was in. He turned to look down at her once more. He had been making a habit of this "helping" of people recently. First saving the girl on the mountain and now passing this girl by the guards. Still hadn't the former given him the chance to relearn powers lost to him even if of a different variety than he was used to. Perhaps this could play itself out in a similar manner if he played his cards right. Still he didn't need a child following him around in adoration."Speak no more of it," Mateus addressed her before allowing the guard to take them to the high mage.
The woman they were introduced to gave no signs of grandeur or being the High Mage of any school of magic. Still Mateus knew magic unlike brute strength could hide in any form. Instead of arcane runes and ominous sterility, the room they were ushered into seemed lived in and inviting. Even though he didn't realize it at first, the fire in the corner was the first source of warmth he had felt since leaving his inn room bed that morning. Still there was a much more important issue at hand than his leisure at the moment according to their very unwelcoming host. He had almost forgotten that it was the car upon his head instead of a very heavy crown until the shrill woman screeched about it.
A soul of harmony? Mateus found himself confused by her prophetic speech. Were he, a child, and a cat really foretold about in ages long gone by in a world not his own. She then prattled about them actually perhaps beings of chaos and an uneasiness settled over him. He was a agent of no force save his own but an uneasiness settled over him at the idea. It was much the same feeling he had felt when meeting the fair haired man at the opera. A feeling of deja vu. Still a question was posed to him, but before he could shake the feeling the girl had begun to answer first.
Mateus cocked his head as he listened to the revelations brought forth by this Paddra. So she too was not native to this world and a seer at that. Mateus' brows furrowed at the thought. He would never have allowed that gods to determine his fate or the fate of his world. Still, the idea of being to see his enemies actions before they happened was of much interest. She could be of use to him. He let the girl finish before interjecting his thoughts waiting to see if she lay bare any other gifts or powers she might have.
When it seemed she had finished presenting her case, Mateus cleared his throat. He highly doubted that this woman would fall for any falsities since he hadn't even fooled the guard, but he chose his words carefully. He was too close to the fabled crystal now to falter. "If truth is being laid bare," he began casting his glance to the young maiden now face fully visible and then to the old mage, "then my truth I shall tell. I too do not hail from this world. Although my visage now would cast doubt, I am Emperor Mateus of Palamacia. I have no doubt that name strikes no chord with you as it has not with the many others I've crossed paths with." He paused for a moment letting his reveal take effect on the listeners before continuing.
"As for my want for the crystal, well, you only look beyond your stone walls. Chaos is already afoot. Monsters run amok, dragons destroy the lands, thieves and cowards lie at every turn waiting for their prey." Mateus thought back to his own mugging as he had begun his ascent up Mt. Hotan. With a dramatic wave of his hand at a window that wasn't there Mateus continued, "And what is harmony but not a reactionary movement to the natural state of chaos. A voice too called to me. One promising power. Power that would be used to bring about order. Power to help this lawless land unify. And just now this girl has claimed her intent on protecting this land as well, a true soul of harmony if i may be so bold. Now for this creature perched on my scalp, her intentions are still unbeknownst to me, perhaps she will enlighten us all," With those words Mateus was done speaking with the old woman and gestured to the cat. That's exactly what this world needed unification under one rule, and who better to do so than he?
It seemed something important was happening. They had teleported successfully, and now someone as talking to them. That all seemed very urgent, but Sherlotta was currently in cat form, and about as unassuming as one could be, apart from being stuck to Matteus' head. Thus, she saw no reason to engage the guard at this point in time. Besides, there was something far more intriguing to her - Namely, this man's hair.
He looked like a wanderer, and acted like a pretentious snob, but wow, he had good hair. Fascinatingly good hair. Her claws had retracted, leaving her simply balancing on the man's head, occasionally pawing at a strand. Seriously, Sherlotta had to hand it to him - This stuff was silky.
Her attention was finally regained by a most gruesome smell to her nostrils. The scent of musty old tomes. An excess of them. No sane person kept that many old heaps of paper around them. No good one, at least... So it was to her surprise when she looked around to find what was actually quite a welcoming study, with fire lit and bathed in candlelight, a far-cry from Larkecius' laboratory, which might as well have been a sacrificial altar with its myriad tables, inscrutable instruments and cold stone floors.
The cat shook its head of the memories. She was finally free of that place. Well. She thought, at least. She wanted to believe she was. Her ear twitched when she heard a familiar, soft voice chime and she looked down from her perch - Oh, so Yeul had decided to come out of hiding... When?
She was polite and well-mannered, to the point where it was quite jarring to hear her speak at a level of volume meant for conversation, rather than the hushed tones they had exchanged in while in the back of the caravan. A seer? An honest-to-goodness individual with the power of foresight, and a child at that. A cruel burden to place on one so young, though - She found, glancing at her paw - Not a situation she was entirely unfamiliar with.
With Matteus' entry to the conversation, enlightenment dawned on Sherlotta like a wave. She looked down at his face, cocking a brow. "Wait, you're an emperor? Like, one of those kings who wanted a fancier title? Jeez, that explains so much..." She sighed, shaking her head. Matteus had already outed her as more than their pet cat, and the woman appeared to know beforehand anyway, citing 'you three'. Pretty sharp of her.
What piqued the cat's interest, however, was not the woman's inanely prophetic ramblings, nor her references to her stupid books, but the stone of blue on her desk. Sherlotta's eyes were fixated on it like it was prey, staying locked on to it even as the energetic scholar weaved her way around.
She needed to know.
The cat jumped down from the 'emperor's' head without a word, and transformed as she hit the floor, standing up with an intensely focused glare. She seemed to ponder the crystal's presence for a moment. A chip though it was, she could certainly feel it. It resonated. No time for questions, needed answers. It'd be faster this way anyhow.
The now white-haired girl snatched the gem from the table of the high mage without so much as a thank you and took it to the corner of the room, studying it. It looked the same. It felt the same. The gentle hum of its light was the same. She held it aloft, taking a few steps back till it was at eye level, willing it to float or do something her crystals would normally do at her behest.
She needed to know if it was the same. If it was her core. If it was, something had clearly gone disastrously wrong. If it wasn't the same, she wanted to know what it was. If, like the core, it was sentient. Knowing of all fates and times, or if it was just a vaguely glow-y hunk of rock. More or less, she needed to know if she should care about all this.
While she waited on a reaction from the crystal, she turned her head back to the others. "Oh, who, me? I'm no one. Sorta. I'm here because I'm worried this crystal might be mine."
The woman's eyes close in thought as Yeul speaks. She nods along, humming quietly to herself without interrupting. Only when she finishes her tale does the mage open her eyes again to look back at her with an expression of equal parts sadness and understanding. "I sense great compassion from you," she says, nodding again as though agreeing with herself. "Your light shines strong." As she finishes, the man clears his throat and she glances at him with a sternly. That sharp edge doesn't leave her, and in fact, grows colder the more he speaks.
The man is an Emperor. He seeks to strike down chaos with order -- to unite the world under a more lawful rule. The woman's eyes are skeptical as he finishes. "You were promised power...?" she says slowly. "The crystal isn't about power, but about protection! It's not to be used that way. But your intentions do appear noble..." She trails off, apparently in thought, before being snapped from it suddenly by a sarcastic quip, a flash of movement, and a swiping hand. The woman stiffens and slaps her palms on her desk as the feline girl dashes into the corner, prize in hand. The mage's eyes narrow.
"The crystal belongs to no one." Her eyes dart between the self-claimed emperor before locking on the cat girl again. "It was spawned from the planet itself and was once used by the Dragoon of Light, one of four great warriors who brought the world from the brink of ruin hundreds of years ago. It's a sacred artifact and it belongs to no one. But if it's awoken now then it means the world's in danger, and should its power fall into the wrong hands..." She lets out a long breath before shaking her head.
"We need someone of pure heart to claim it. It could be a dangerous and grueling task so I'd rather not send someone alone, but..." She points at the young Seer. "You. I'm more than convinced that you can be trusted with the task, but the ones you came with." She eyes them sharply. "I'm not about to let you through without another test. If you want that crystal, then you'll have to prove your strength of heart. Hold on a second." She waddles over to a glass-covered curio cabinet, opens it with a wave of her hand, and rifles through the contents. On every shelf, there's a new dusty curiosity, but after a moment, she pulls out a hand mirror set into tarnished brass. She touches three points along the top until the glass set inside glows the same blue as the stolen shard. Then she sets it on the desk between her and the would-be warriors.
"If you're serious about claiming that crystal, then you'll need to face yourself. That glass is taken from a sacred mountain cave where knights once went to reflect and purify their own hearts. Look within it, and you will be faced with your own darkness. What you've done. What you've intended. Your claims for the future. In that cave, the magic is so strong that it's said that a man's darkness can become manifest and attack, but you won't have to worry about that now. Instead, it will merely reflect your darkness to you and you alone. If any of you can face that darkness without faltering, then I will let you pass."
Her eyes sharpen on them again. "But you must be willing to take that risk. If your heart falters, the weight of it all might be enough to cripple you."
[attr="class","nalyrics"]Pretending to be strong saying I'm not afraid of anything
[attr="class","nabody"]Yeul clasped her hands behind her back as she listened to Mateus. He was an emperor? Well, that certainly put her title to shame.
Matues was apparently here to gather the crystal in order to gain power, or so the voice he heard had told him. The emperor of the place known as Palamacia wished to unify the world around them, so he said. Yeul let herself ponder as he talked, especially on the subject of the voice he’d heard. The one she’d heard in her dreams had been Caius…so who spoke to Emperor Mateus? Someone close to him as well?
After Mateus, the cat decided to act. She leaped from her perch of Mateus’ head of hair and landed upon the ground as a young girl. Yeul had only witnessed a glimpse of her human form, but that had been back when she was stuck in the armor with low visibility. Now, she could see her clearly – the girl looked around her own age, though much taller. Her cat tail remained, and the bow in her hair resembled the one around her neck from her cat form.
The cat-girl made a beeline for the crystal, and snatched it without any hesitation at all. She made no attempt to steal it though, and instead simply looked it over.
The High Mage was not amused. After hearing what they each had to say, she decided one last test was in order. While she trusted Yeul, it was evident she did not trust the Emperor or the cat-girl. The High Mages pulled out an old, beautiful mirror from her array of oddities and presented it to the trio. She told them they’d have to “face themselves”, which Yeul bowed her head at.
“I’ll go first.” She said, stepping forward. “Even if you trust me by my words, I find it unfair to withhold the mirror’s judgement while my companions must face it.”
As the Seeress approached the mirror, she felt her pulse quicken. Not because she knew what she’d see, but because she did not know. Cautiously, she peered into the glass, and witnessed herself stare right back.
At first, it was just that, a reflection. But as she continued to lock eyes with herself, she noticed wisps of black smoke begin to appear. Yeul glanced down towards herself, but no smoke rose from her own person, only the one in the mirror. Glancing back again, it seemed the Seeress in the mirror was beginning to slightly distort; her body shook, and her features rippled. The real Yeul let out a quiet gasp as she saw more figures, all of herself, begin to from around the main one. Each of their mouths began to move, and at first, she could not hear what they’d say. But with each new Yeul and each new puff of distorted smoke, Yeul began to hear them.
“He can’t leave.”
“He’s not allowed to leave.”
“He’ll die here with me.”
“I don’t want to be alone.”
“Caius…”
“I want…to stay.”
“We’ll be together…That’s all I want.”
Yeul stepped away, but she still heard the voices. Her voice. She stared at the ground and squeezed her hands together. The voices continued on, pleading for their Guardian and…something else…
Yeul looked back at the mirror. The many figures of herself were so warped now that she could barely make them out any longer. Smoke filled every inch of the mirror, until it was impossible for Yeul to even see her own reflection.
“I want to stay with him…even if he doesn’t want to stay with me.”
With a blink of an eye, the darkness in the mirror was gone. Only Yeul’s face was there, a disturbed expression on her face. Hesitantly reaching up to her face, Yeul felt her mirrored expression perfectly matched her own.
Attempting her best to return to her stoicism, Yeul retreated back away from the mirror, where she stood prior. It was obvious to everyone but herself that a single tear had fell from her eye and dropped to the floor below.
Mateus felt the lump of weight leave his head as the girl claimed the shard that had been floating at the desk. On the one hand, he applauded her gusto; to claim what one wanted was a trait he admired. On the other, did she really think it would be so easy to claim the crystal? Mateus didn't think that it would just be lying in a study guarded by one easily dispatched old woman. All the same it seemed that the woman didn't trust him or the once cat girl. She was to test them to see if they were ready for yet another trial before he could claim the crystal. Mateus wondered how many more hoops he would have to jump through. How tiresome it was that he couldn't just kill them all for it.
Mateus rolled his eyes as Yeul decided she too would subject herself to the challenge. What another waste of time and the her acting as though she were doing them a favor of camaraderie sickened him. Mateus checked his nails all torn and chipped as the girl stared into the more. She turned to see if anyone else was watching what she was watching as though he cared what inner turmoil she was facing. The only thing that caught his attention was that she had begun to cry as she stepped away. So perhaps the innocent one wasn't so pure after all?
After she was finished Mateus approached the mirror. He gave the withered old woman a smile before he picked the looking glass up as if to say this would be no trial at all. He examined that exterior of the mirror before peering in. Aside from the blue glow ebbing from it, he could not find anything descriptive about it. He lifted it up to his face and paid attention to not else.
At first all he saw was his own disheveled appearance. His hair was in knots and badly frayed. His face was dirtied and still slimy with a few scrapes still visible from the fish he had been forced to hide in. Mateus began running a hand through the damage, but before he could do much the mirror began to lose its blue hue and began to glow purple as his face melted away and a different face began to twist into the frame.
His father was staring back at him. Mateus grimaced as the man stared back at him. If this was the mirror's sad attempt at trying to make him feel bad for murdering the man, it would have to do better. What he had done was from necessity. As a king he was inept and as so called father he was even less adept. Mateus touched his cheek as he remembered all the slaps that had knocked him to the grown as a child. No the man had to be dealt with and Mateus held no remorse in him for what needed to be done.
The face melted away as the mirror began showing him a swirling storm of sand. In the eye of the storm lay a woman who the mirror began to zoom in on. The fair maiden was unconscious, her long blonde hair flayed out almost disappearing into the color of the sand. Purple stained her eyes and lips as her shallow breaths caused her lips to tremble and unbeknownst to him Mateus' as well. It'd been so many years since he had last seen his mother.
Mateus' free hand formed into a fist that he struck the desk with. Her exile had been a necessity, but he had thought the woman that raised him more able then to find her end at the whims of the elements. If only she had understood. If only she hadn't tried to stop the pact between him and the devil. He had promised her salvation and protection. Hadn't he already proven that by getting rid of his father? Airu had dissented though and dissent, even from his birther, was treason. How was he to be faulted now?Hadn't he shown all his mercy and compassion for her though allowing her exile rather than execution. A thought flickered to his mind. Had he felt any compassion since?
Mateus was done with mirror as it once again showed his reflection, but something was off. It showed him with all his makeup and jewels and finery. A vision of perfection if he had ever seen one but something began to change. The skin began to bubble and crack in his reflection. It bled as it began to flake away revealing a sickening green and black skin beneath as his nose caved in. The eyes began to sink into his and yellow like pus obliterating the pupil. His teeth and hair rapidly fell out being replaced with sharp fangs and snake like tendrils from his head. A demonic vision of himself was now staring back at Mateus.
Mateus tried to calm his breath as he felt himself beginning to pant. His had shook violently but he was able to to still see the terror before him. He patted his face to make sure his had not gone the way of the mirror's image. He had almost calmed himself before he noticed that it wasn't just an image like the other two. A hand had appeared in the mirror as well patting at the demon's face as well. It wasn't a vision any more. It was showing a reflection.
"No," he growled as he continued to test the theory. Every move he made the demon mimicked in sync. Mateus retched as the demon's image grew more putrid. Was this the price he would one day pay for his actions? He looked more frightening than the devil he had forged a covenant with. That same thought provoked him though. Hadn't he lost all his demonic powers? He couldn't even project a simple fire spell let alone summon the forces of Hell like he once had. No his power was his own now albeit not as earth shattering. He was his own master once more and he would not be bound by his past.
Mateus threw the mirror onto the desk where it bounced but did not shatter. He gave the High Mage a long stare before walking away from the desk. The words he had told many others in this world now echoed back to him as he found himself lost in thought. His fate was his decide and not at the whim of destiny or gods.
