King Osirus
Knights of Osirus
King of Alyssus[/u][/i]
Slayer of Shade, Imprisoner of Innocence
Posts: 48
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Post by King Osirus on Sept 2, 2007 19:43:26 GMT -8
The moon was high in the obsidian sky, waning as it slowly made its travel across the heavens. A few stars were shimmering here and there, but due to the brilliant light of the moon, they were dimmed. The moon cast a great illuminating shadow over the courtyard below, both lighting up the cracked marble face of the fountain and at the same time, creating deep, dark shadows on the cobblestone. The sky was void of clouds, naked and free of white. It was nights like these that rejuvenated the King Osirus. With a cold breeze playing with the dead leaves on the ground and forcing the trees that surrounded the courtyard to sing their noisy quartet, all else was quiet.
The wind pulled a wavy lock of hair across his pale lips as they twisted into a gleeful smile as he closed his eyes, long lashes kissing his white cheeks. Nocens Atrum, the Lord of Darkness, could drink of full of the night and shadows here. Even the fountain of Lumen, albeit destroyed, would not bother him in his moment of joy. With Osirus constantly working and preparing for wars and battlements, it wasn't often Nocens Atrum was able to drink of the night and have a moment alone with the hallow king. Fall was coming quickly, the wind smelled of death and hibernation. Soon, this courtyard would be full with snow, an even more beautiful season.
"We will have the first of the Four Swords soon," Osirus said, his voice deep and dark. He slowly opened his eyes, staring blankly at the moon. It was as if he were talking directly to the moon, to Nocens Atrum. "I trust in Israfel Deu Ausgard. He will bring me the sword safely and out of the reach of those meddling Order members...." He said again, his hands in his lap. His long dark nails shimmered in the night as he stood perfectly straight, his long emerald cape sprawled about his shoulders. "Once we have the first sword in our hands, it will be easier to track the others down." "No, Israfel will not let me down. He is not lazy like General Latties or hapless like Lourette. Besides," the King's lips split into a snake-like smile. "He fears the Blood Chamber as does any Knight. Nikanoru will not let him go unpunished if he does not bring the sword to me."
The King then slowly stood, still looking at the moon. His long hair trailed down his back, his arms at his sides now. "We will send them on a mission soon enough. If Latties does not comply, then it will be easily decided who will run the Knights. I know exactly where to send him to test him." The King paused for a moment, then blinked, looking down at the marble bench in which he had been sitting moments before. "I will not fail you. We will get the swords soon enough," Osirus said. He then brought a hand up and moved his hair from his shoulders. He walked to an overgrown rose bush and plucked the rose, examining it for a moment. He brought it to his nose and breathed deeply of its scent, not even realizing the blood trickling from his finger.
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Eltana Remarque
Knights of Osirus
Director of the Blood Chamber
"As the world burns down around you, you will sit there and realize your weakness."
Posts: 43
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Post by Eltana Remarque on Sept 6, 2007 12:29:19 GMT -8
Considering the time of night, the castle was almost completely deserted. The servants and officials had all departed for their homes, and those who resided within the castle were sound asleep. A few people were wandering the halls or burning the midnight oil, but even they were preparing to call it quits. Even the terrifying Blood Chamber was silent; for some captives had passed out from the pain of the wounds inflicted upon them, while others succumbed to them and passed away. Save for the few people scattered in the confines of the massive castle, it was mostly abandoned.
One person, however, was wide awake and traversing the castle--Lord Eltana Remarque. This actually wasn't very surprising, because he was more of a night person; he was usually only seen wandering about in public passed eight in the evening. The night, to Eltana, was one of the few things in the world he could identify with--like him, it was beautiful and magnificent, but at the same time dark and unsettling. The night sky captivated many with its wondrousness, and also plagued mankind with thoughts of what horrifying creatures could be lurking in the dark shadow it cast over the land.
Eltana was casually strolling down a path somewhere in the courtyard, the heels of his high-heeled boots clicking against the cobblestone pavement with every step he took. Clasped in his right hand was a violet parasol lined with black silks. He held it over his head, casting a shadow over his lovely countenance. The girlish umbrella was very unnecessary, yes, but he always loved parasols--so he usually took one with him whenever he went out, whether it was necessary or not. It was also symbolic to his status as a member of the elite, and amplified his appearance, as well.
As he walked down the path, he couldn't help but wonder why he was visiting the castle--especially at such an hour, because mostly everyone would be asleep. Ah, yes--the courtyard; or, more specifically, the roses. The castle's courtyard was considered rather grim and unfriendly by the public, but was renowned for its beautiful flora. Eltana adored all things pretty and beautiful, so obviously the flowers had a great appeal to him. Being a castle frequent, he saw them rather often, but that wasn't enough; he yearned to see them again.
The weapons dealer finally reached a long series of rose bushes. An abundance of blood red flowers was laid out before him, beckoning him to come and pluck one of them. Eltana headed over to one of the rose bushes and slowly knelt down, still holding the parasol above his head. He gently cradled one of the flowers in a soft hand, meticulously avoiding the thorns. After all, he didn't want anything pricking his lovely skin! As he basked in the beauty of the rose, he caught a glimpse of a rather imposing figure in the corner of his eye--King Osirus himself.
"Lovely, aren't they?" he addressed the king in a casual tone, his voice smooth and silky as always; apparently, he had no anxiety over conversing with the feared Dark King himself. Eltana didn't even glance over at the ruler of Alyssus; he returned his gaze to the flower shortly after catching a glimpse of him.
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King Osirus
Knights of Osirus
King of Alyssus[/u][/i]
Slayer of Shade, Imprisoner of Innocence
Posts: 48
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Post by King Osirus on Sept 6, 2007 20:12:56 GMT -8
"Hmm, quite," the King replied in a rather nonchalant tone. He smiled as he twisted the rose in his fingers, watching the moon cast meticulous shadows over the crimson petals. He then held one up against the moon, admiring the lovely shadow it created against the flower. It was then his eyes found the trail of blood dripping down his fingers. He glanced at it curiously for a moment, then dropped his arm.
"Yes, the roses here are quite lovely. Even in the presence of darkness, its resilience is outstanding. You know, there is a myth about roses," the King paused for a moment to consider his audience, then chuckled lightly as he reached up and flung a long lock of hair from his shoulders.
"In which I'm sure you know. The legend of why roses are red, like the color of blood. I find myself quite amused that some call it the Devil's Flower. Its not devilish at all. If you believe in such things, I think that Lumen sought its beauty and found it too grand to be allowed so easily destroyed, thus giving it thorns and the color of blood; to ward off any who would want to destroy such a peaceful thing..." The King lowered his eyes to his bleeding hand for a moment and saw, as usual, it had already healed. His capability to heal so quickly had always been a necessity for a King who was disliked by so many. Thanks to Nocen Atrum, Osirus feared very little, including bodily harm. It was only after this story did he turn to look at Eltana. Osirus was constantly amazed at the man's beauty. He very much like a rose; his radiance unmatched by many and yet, he was covered in thorns. Osirus then walked back to his previous rest upon the crumbling marble bench.
"Tell me, Eltana, what brings such a being as yourself unto my audience? Surely, its not a coincidence that we both simply find a fleeting comfort by the night?" Osirus asked, moving his heavy emerald cape from his lap. His long wavy black hair trailed down his shoulders and chest as he placed his hands in his lap, his back to Eltana.
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Eltana Remarque
Knights of Osirus
Director of the Blood Chamber
"As the world burns down around you, you will sit there and realize your weakness."
Posts: 43
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Post by Eltana Remarque on Sept 7, 2007 10:11:13 GMT -8
A smile crept onto his pure white lips as the king began to share his views on the legend of the roses, otherwise known as the Devil's Flower. Because he was adored many types of flora and fauna--especially roses, that particular tale was one he was very familiar with. The flower's beauty was meant to deceive, to lull the masses into a false sense of security and tranquility; in truth, it was actually the very incarnation of evil itself--its thorns granted those foolish enough to be ensnared by its loveliness their comeuppance. The Devil's Flower, as the name hinted, was not to be trusted--it's appearance betrayed its true nature. Very much like himself, in a way.
After King Osirus gave his opinion about Lumen and the rose, Eltana returned his attention back to the flower currently clasped between two of his long fingers. He plucked it ever so delicately from the rose bush, bright amber hues tracing over every blood red petal, basking in its glorious beauty. The effeminate weapons dealer stood and lowered his parasol, leaning it against a nearby pillar. As usual, his hair was stunningly lovely; a mass of silky black, stringy curls with the pleasant fragrance of strawberries. Entwined within his hair was a violet ribbon; the exact same shade as his parasol, lined with black silks and decorated with designs of golden vines and leaves. He began braiding the rose into a small crevice between the ribbon's two long strands.
Eltana couldn't help but chuckle inwardly as Osirus inquired as to his actual reason for wandering around the castle at such a late hour. Indeed, he had anticipated an audience with the king at some point during the night. It wasn't a secret that the Dark King spent a good deal of time in the courtyard, especially during the evening. There were a few other reasons he decided to pay the castle a little visit: being surrounded by so many beautiful roses, and a far more important reason that, unfortunately, couldn't be met. Should he reveal his intention to donate the Saevio Sword? Perhaps. The original plan was to reveal it at the upcoming ball, but that would draw far too much attention; while he was supportive of the rumors and legends surrounding the swords, he didn't want the common vermin to know they actually existed. The chances were that they would eventually come to know, but he would remain firm and steadfast in his efforts to prevent that.
"Perhaps not. A number of reasons have drawn me to this castle, actually--one of which being an audience with you, as you correctly guessed. Another would definitely be these lovely roses of yours," he stated in a soft and rather uninterested tone, his luminous orbs resting on the equally bright moon above. Eltana remained at the rose bush, his hands now clasped behind his back. "I had a rather unpleasant encounter with one of your men the other day, my liege--a Sergeant Major General Israfel Deu Ausgard, to be precise. It seems that he has a great desire to procure another one of the Four Swords for you; commendable of a lapdog, but I do not believe assaulting me for information was necessary; nor was threatening to quote-on-quote 'bury them in my pretty little throat.' Wouldn't you agree?"
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King Osirus
Knights of Osirus
King of Alyssus[/u][/i]
Slayer of Shade, Imprisoner of Innocence
Posts: 48
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Post by King Osirus on Sept 7, 2007 11:34:38 GMT -8
The King let out a gentle chuckle, like an elder would laugh at the tale of a young and boisterous boy.
"Mmm, indeed. Israfel Deu Ausgard...son and blood traitor to the King," The King ran a hand along the soft fabric of his cape for a moment, a smile still lingering on his face.
"It is quite unfortunate the boy does not know the pecking order around here. He's got quite a temper and a burning desire to wipe his name free of the blood traitor label," Osirus muttered. He then placed his long fingers on the naked back of the marble bench next to him, his dark nails clicking lightly on the smooth surface.
"If you wish a seat, one is offered here, my dear Eltana," the King said, then placed his hand back in his lap.
"Israfel has been trying to find his way into my likes ever since he became a squire after his brother and father were killed for defending the Shade. Cowardice or either...a plan for revenge, I know it not. But he is more or less one of my most devoted Knights. He's actually considerably better behaved than the General Latties. Latties might not have known you to be a man with your immense beauty and taken you for a woman. He's quite a charmer I hear." Osirus chuckled lightly. He sat a proper as a King should, with his hands in his lap, cradling the rose.
"I can only assume he asked you of the locations of the swords...We will soon have Cruor sword. I find it to our advantage that we let Israfel intercept this sword. If I am correct, if it is as I predict, we will most likely have troubles with the Order. And if that's the case, the sword will react to blood. It will call out to Israfel, calling him with his uncontrollable anger and thus, we will be able to see how well he is able to wield it," Osirus said.
"Eltana," he glanced over his shoulder at his fellow. "You know as well as I do Nocens Atrum had four arms in which to hold each sword. I will only be able to handle one, so if I am to get rid of the Order of Lumen, I will need men who can handle the other swords along my side. The swords are incredibly powerful...and deadly for a human to wield...It will be a test to see if I will be able to rely on my Knights to be able to handle the swords without falling to their curse..." Osirus said, returning his gaze to the moon.
"I have been thinking...perhaps we should let the Order of Lumen join us in this next celebration. Their General surely knows about the power of the swords...so why not invite them to join us..." Osirus chuckled lightly and dropped his gaze from the moon to the rose in his hand.
"I feel we should show them why they must fear the Knights and these swords..." His hand closed in on the rose and suddenly, crushed the flower. "What do you think?"
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Eltana Remarque
Knights of Osirus
Director of the Blood Chamber
"As the world burns down around you, you will sit there and realize your weakness."
Posts: 43
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Post by Eltana Remarque on Sept 7, 2007 12:49:29 GMT -8
Eltana listened intently as the king began to elaborate upon the history of the troublesome sergeant. The details of Israfel's temper and that he unfortunately didn't know his place amongst the ranks didn't interest him. Why should he care about the temperament of a soon-to-be-dead knight, anyway? What did catch his attention, however, was that his brother and father fought to defend the Shade. The Shade: he knew quite a lot about them, and was very learned in their ways. Even though it had been ages since he'd seen one, Eltana remembered a good deal about them.
"While I can't say much about my dear grass man, it is obvious to me that he is by no means a coward. Courageous enough to thrash me in the presence of several other influential nobles, tenacious enough to threaten me with death. Quite admirable, though very stupid. Vengeance must be on his mind, at least that's what I believe," he said as he turned away from the abundant rose bushes, heading over to the bench on which King Osirus was sitting and taking a seat next to him. Eltana clasped his hands on his lap and stared off at another set of rose bushes, those bright eyes of his glistening in the darkness of the night.
"Picture, if you will, this world of ours as a play or some sort of story. The knight turning against his "villainous" king is a prominent theme in many fables and myths, as I'm sure you know. The protagonist in such works is usually a young, strong-willed buffoon with a strong sense of courage and bravery--all qualities that our grass man seems to possess. He fits the role of the youthful hero perfectly. Needless to say, if my theory is correct, he will rebel in time. Something that should be taken into consideration, even though the real world is definitely different than those in fantasy novels," proposed Eltana, his gaze still resting on the exuberant flowers nearby.
"But let us not dwell on such a fanciful concept. Indeed, Nocens Atrum had four arms in which to wield the swords; and, unfortunately, that is something your worship lacks. What I am concerned about is the Knights to whom the three swords you do not wield would be entrusted: such powerful instruments would undoubtedly fill the most submissive and unquestioning knight with ambition--or, more specifically, the ambition of usurping your throne. It's highly probable that the Cruor Sword would amplify our violent grass man's anger and channel it into pure strength. But who's to say that he wouldn't use that newfound power against you?" he questioned, now turning his piercing gaze directly to King Osirus.
Now that they were so deeply involved in a discussion of the swords, Eltana decided that it would be best to reveal his intentions about the Saevio Sword. He put on that strange parody of a smile he was so well-known for before continuing: "The Order of Lumen should attend our next celebration, and they will certainly learn to fear you and the swords you possess. And note that I said "swords", for you are now in possession of the Saevio Sword, as well. I acquired it recently, and am presenting it to you as a gift. After all, I certainly couldn't wield the thing."
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King Osirus
Knights of Osirus
King of Alyssus[/u][/i]
Slayer of Shade, Imprisoner of Innocence
Posts: 48
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Post by King Osirus on Sept 7, 2007 13:32:06 GMT -8
The King turned his head to look at Eltana as he spoke. The entire time Eltana replied to his own wonderments, the King had a calm and serene smile on his face. It was this man, Eltana, the King had quite a dubious amount of respect for. He was endowed with both knowledge and a unique sense in which the King was thinking. It wasn't often he could find someone other than his dear adviser Nikanoru that could understand him quite so well. The King blinked slowly as Eltana's words filled his head, securing ideas in which he had been thinking. After Eltana finished speaking about both the sword in which he pleased to present and his Sergeant General, Osirus returned his gaze to his hand as he glanced at the crushed rose petals in his hand.
"The Saevio Sword, hnn? Excellent. Two swords, simply handed to me without so much as a peep from the Order. This will surely speed things up with finding the other two," Osirus glanced back at Eltana and nodded.
"You are providing me a very valuable weapon, one in which without it, would not complete the puzzle in which I've lived to complete. So, I hear you out. But I believe we can...manipulate that young Sergeant, can we not? You believe its vengeance, I believe we can break him of it," Osirus said, a note of excitement in his voice.
"I have never truly appreciated the Blood Chamber's true abilities before. It was simply a place for torture and a place in which my daughter was forbidden. But I think...we could form young Israfel into a perfect candidate for handling the sword. Nikanoru is well suited to torture...perhaps with a little...help," Osirus held up the hand in which the rose had been crushed in. He opened is palm and focused on the rose for a moment before glancing at Eltana, a darker smile on his face, his eyes glistening in the moonlight.
"Eltana, Nocens Atrum can do more than present me with the knowledge of the swords," he said before looking back at the rose. The crushed slowly lifted itself, as if it were tied by a string and being manipulated to stand straight. Once the rose was erect, the King took a breath and gently blew against the petals. The flower seemed to shiver in response, the crushed petals slowly rejuvenating. But as they became beautiful and healthy once more, Eltana could notice a change. The crimson petals were now turning into a velvety black color. The thorns of the rose became inverted, twisting so that now they faced up.
"We can easily break whatever spirit he has. He would be a prime candidate. Latties will be next, as with Lieutenant Lourette. But they have a much more difficult spirit to break and will require...time. But I think that we could provide you with a little...entertainment value in which young Israfel had taken from you during the opera, no?" Osirus glanced back at Eltana.
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Eltana Remarque
Knights of Osirus
Director of the Blood Chamber
"As the world burns down around you, you will sit there and realize your weakness."
Posts: 43
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Post by Eltana Remarque on Sept 7, 2007 14:34:02 GMT -8
A very strange light filled his eyes as soon as King Osirus began to speak of the Blood Chamber, a glint far more abnormal than the one he usually had. Many rumors surrounded that horrible place, so obviously he had taken a great interest in it. Moreover, he knew the director's personality and sadistic tendencies like the back as his hand, so he suspected that most of the gossip surrounding the place was, in fact, true. Eltana and Nikanoru had a few meetings in the past, each gaining an understanding and respect for the other. The prospect of Israfel being formed into a primary candidate in the nightmarish chamber greatly intrigued him.
Eltana observed in silence as Osirus used the power granted to him by the Dark God to manipulate and rejuvenate the rose. Being well versed in sorcery and mysticism, this didn't surprise him. In fact, he had seen many magical performances and attacks over the course of his life. But he did comprehend what Osirus was trying to get across: they would break the boy and mold the remains to their liking. They would create a new Israfel, one superior to the original; one that would serve Osirus without question. The mere thought of it enthralled the girlish weapons dealer beyond words.
"Indeed, it would be an easy task to shatter our grass man's youthful and burning spirit. This was actually done before, and proved to be quite successful: from what I've heard from Nikanoru, the Blood Chamber left a lasting mark on General Laties Luhma. The pitiful general broke down into insanity near the end of the trip, despite his efforts to control himself and ignore the horrors surrounding him. His tirade involved him murdering not only one of the captives Nikanoru was torturing, but also causing the untimely death of a soldier," explained Eltana. Despite the fact that Nikanoru "agreed" to keep Laties' actions a secret, he apparently had no qualms over telling Eltana for some reason.
"And yes, it would certainly take more time to break the rabbit woman and Laties. Although his metaphorical trek into the inferno left a lasting impression, Laties still has yet to actually break. This brings to mind a problem with knights and underlings in general: there seem to be two kinds, those with moral decency and those who lack it. The former are troublesome crybabies, and the latter cannot be trusted and would stab you in the back if it meant power. Such is the problem with humanity: they're all a bunch of egotistical, incompetent twits beyond any redemption," he observed, his gaze returning to the dark sky above and the luminous moon.
The mentioning of the "entertainment value" of the process of turning Israfel into a proper candidate caused him to smile wickedly. "Of course. Why, the melodious voice of even the most talented opera singer would pale in comparison to watching my grass man slowly but surely break into little pieces."
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King Osirus
Knights of Osirus
King of Alyssus[/u][/i]
Slayer of Shade, Imprisoner of Innocence
Posts: 48
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Post by King Osirus on Sept 7, 2007 15:29:42 GMT -8
"The former are troublesome crybabies, and the latter cannot be trusted and would stab you in the back if it meant power. Such is the problem with humanity: they're all a bunch of egotistical, incompetent twits beyond any redemption." Osirus smirked at this comment and nodded several times in agreement.
"Ah, the ultimate truth of humanity. Its not simply as Lumen wishes it; peace and tranquility. What the fair Goddess seems to forget, as with her beloved followers is that all beasts and humans alike were created from conflict, thus, they thrive in conflict. Its the normal waltz of life. Live, conflict, and die. Its the natural order of things, as it is that he with the most power will strive over those who cannot find the power within themselves to confide in that side of humanity," Osirus said before handing the inverted black rose to Eltana.
"And Laties has already had a run in with Lord Nikanoru, now? Well, this will only make breaking him easier. The thing with General Laties, Lieutenant Lourette, and Sergeant Israfel is that they seemed to have formed a rather close bond with each other. Strange, isn't it? To Israfel, he is manipulated and overrun by his higher ups, and yet, he can still find it in his heart to oblige to their friendship...thus, we have a slight problem," Osirus said, pulling a lock of stray hair behind his ear.
"After the banquet...we will send Laties and Lourette on a raid to the back water villages past the Gurella Desert. It'll give us enough time to deal with Israfel," Osirus said. He let out a deep, threatening laugh rise from his chest, closing his eyes for a moment.
"Eltana...tell me, do you know of the location of the other swords as well? You have been endowed with great knowledge and I wish to partake in it. The sooner we have the swords, the sooner we can end the Order of Lumen and this kingdom will be under my control completely..."
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Eltana Remarque
Knights of Osirus
Director of the Blood Chamber
"As the world burns down around you, you will sit there and realize your weakness."
Posts: 43
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Post by Eltana Remarque on Sept 7, 2007 16:39:06 GMT -8
Eltana accepted the rose from the king with his delicate hand. Luminous amber hues traced over each petal of the rose, noting the many noticeable differences between the flower transformed by the power of Nocens Atrum and the roses growing on the bushes. While he favored the normal roses over this one because of their blood red color, he did find the appearance of the distorted rose rather pleasing. In all truth, it was probably more like him than the regular roses--twisted, warped, unnatural. Something about it was just... off. He slowly twirled it in his fingers for a few moments, surveying the rose with slight fascination.
"I couldn't agree with you more, my liege. The Goddess, in my opinion, embodies what people desire humanity to be: good and benevolent down at the core, radiating an aura of warmth and kindness. Lumens represents nothing more than a dream that is beyond this world's reach, something unattainable in this age or any yet to come. On the other hand, Nocens Atrum stands for what the world and its inhabitants truly are: wicked, sadistic things only out for themselves. While people may act "kind" at times, their actions are still selfish; for their deeds are meant to ensure a safe environment for themselves and reciprocation of good will. No matter how many people believe the contrary, Alyssus and the universe itself is and always will be inclined toward darkness."
"Yes, the strong bond of friendship between those three will certainly prove to be a problem. Revisiting the story theory I presented earlier, this is also a prominent theme: friendship conquering all. A childish concept, true, but it should also be taken into consideration. The ideal thing to do would be to separate them; sending them to the villages beyond Gurella would be a splendid way to sever the ties that bind them, as you said," commented Eltana. Indeed, it would be best to separate the three military brutes. One by one they would be broken down, unable to build each other up because of the great distance between them.
A small frown formed on his soft features as Osirus brought up the location of the two remaining swords. He had anticipated that question, though he hoped it wouldn't come up. Eltana knew the exact locations of the last swords: the Dolus Sword was in the possession of a traveler whose name he had written down on some documents in his home; and the Odium Sword was hidden away deep below the Nocens Atrum Temple, protected by a multitude of traps and creatures. He had hoped the temple would be Israfel's demise, but Osirus' suggestion seemed far better. Eltana stood from the ruined bench and headed toward the series of rose bushes. He stood with his back to King Osirus, hands once again clasped behind his back.
"Unfortunately, I do not know much about the current locations of the final swords. The Dolus Sword, according to legend, is in the possession of a traveler; from what my sources have gathered, this person is being pursued by forces of the Order of Lumens. I'm sorry to say that they will most likely possess this blade before we can intercept them, which is why we need to quickly acquire the Odium Sword. All I know about the Odium Sword's location is that it is somewhere in the Shade territory," explained Eltana in the usual icy, feminine tone. He knew much more than that, yes, but he didn't intend on pouring out information to Osirus. The revelation of more information depended on the results of Osirus' plan with Israfel and the others.
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King Osirus
Knights of Osirus
King of Alyssus[/u][/i]
Slayer of Shade, Imprisoner of Innocence
Posts: 48
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Post by King Osirus on Sept 7, 2007 16:59:30 GMT -8
The King glanced at Eltana for a moment, his lips twisting in a slight smirk as Eltana seemed to grow tense about revealing information to the King. It still seemed Eltana was apprehensive for whatever reason in letting the King gain information. Osirus stared at Eltana's back for a moment, his eyes tracing out the gentle male lines of Eltana's body before staring in front of him.
"Hmm. I see. The swords ever wish to elude me. This traveler, however, must be found before the Order. If they were to know of its secrets and destroy the sword...the other four would become useless and my ideals would not be realized," Osirus said, more to himself than informing Eltana. He brought a hand up to lay his fingers against his lips for a moment in thought.
"I'll have to have Nikanoru address this problem..." He said after a moment of silence. He glanced up again at Eltana, dropping his had only to extend it out towards Eltana elegantly.
"Tell me Eltana...being a mere weapons dealer must lead an exciting life for you...but why have you never considered joining my court? You are well endowed with knowledge and clearly have a remarkable desire to see this world in its true form as I do..." Osirus asked.
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Eltana Remarque
Knights of Osirus
Director of the Blood Chamber
"As the world burns down around you, you will sit there and realize your weakness."
Posts: 43
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Post by Eltana Remarque on Sept 7, 2007 17:23:57 GMT -8
At last, the question he had dreaded for quite some time came from King Osirus' mouth: why had he not aligned himself with the king's court? The exact reasons he wouldn't share with him, or anyone for that matter. Perhaps he would join later on, but he had to keep his distance until the time was right. Besides, if this war were to play out like an actual tale, the Knights of Osirus would inevitably fall before the Order of Lumens; the light would wash away the darkness, though he hated to think of it. And if that were the case, he wanted to have the possibility of joining the Order open. That, and a few more important reasons...
And he also suspected that Osirus knew he was withholding some information, but didn't know exactly how much. Osirus was a very intelligent and observant man, so he knew it wouldn't be wise to underestimate him. Unfortunately for him, this couldn't be avoided: he certainly couldn't pour out everything he knew to Osirus, so he would have to endure the sense of suspicion for now.
"My liege," he began, still facing the series of rose bushes; "while joining your esteemed court would be a great honor, I'm afraid I cannot do that--at least as of current. As I'm sure you know, I am a very busy man: not only am I overseeing the construction of weapons for your kingdom, but I'm also leading a search for the two remaining legendary swords. When I'm not doing that, I'm researching new types of weapons and updating my inventory. And in all honesty, remaining unaligned offers me more freedom. It is probable that I will join your court in time, but at the moment it is not an option for me."
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King Osirus
Knights of Osirus
King of Alyssus[/u][/i]
Slayer of Shade, Imprisoner of Innocence
Posts: 48
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Post by King Osirus on Sept 7, 2007 17:56:12 GMT -8
Osirus didn't reply to this. In fact, it was almost as if he had simply disappeared; that's how heavy the silence was. Osirus at last moved, even if it was to simply shift his weight, it was a loud noise in the darkness. The look on Osirus' face made it blatantly clear Eltana's answer had not sufficed him. But Eltana had his back to him. Instead, he replaced his angered face with a slightly bored looking expression as he leaned forward to place his elbow on his knee, breaking his Kingly posture. He reached down to grab a dead leaf and to absentmindedly examine it.
"I see," he said after a long time. Sitting up, he held the dead leaf in his hand for a moment, the stem locked between his fingers so that the light wind would not take his play thing from him. "Becoming an underling of Osirus does have a rather nasty stigma, doesn't it?" He seemed to chuckle at this before crushing the leaf in his hand, turning it into a flaky powder. "A stigma the beautiful Eltana cannot have mar his reputation," the King muttered with a slightly sour note. He chuckled lightly and stood, his long cape trailing the cobblestones underneath.
"I will not force you to reveal anything that you would not want me to know. Nocens Atrum knows the truth and he will tell me either way. But I thank you for your enjoyable audience tonight. I'm afraid, however, I should retire to bed now. I have much to discuss with Lord Nikanoru in the morning," he said, walking away from the rose bushes. Just before reaching the iron wrought gates, he turned to glance at Eltana once more. "You should rest as well. It takes a lot of energy being a rose, wouldn't you agree?" He then nodded once and pushed open the gates, leaving Eltana with the roses, bathed in moonlight.
::King Osirus Fin::
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Eltana Remarque
Knights of Osirus
Director of the Blood Chamber
"As the world burns down around you, you will sit there and realize your weakness."
Posts: 43
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Post by Eltana Remarque on Sept 7, 2007 18:29:59 GMT -8
A frown quickly formed on his soft face as the silence that followed his reply became increasingly uncomfortable. Not exactly a wise decision to deny the ruler of Alyssus something he wanted, and he knew that, but it was a necessary mistake on his part. He was more partial to the Knights of Osirus than the Order of Lumen, but his allegiance was to the stronger of the two. If he were to permanently Allin himself with the Knights of Osirus, the Order would pick up on it and turning over to their side wouldn't be an option in the future.
Eltana knew very well that Osirus' chuckles betrayed what he actually felt. The silence gave it away: he was angry and displeased with the weapons dealer's decision. Nevertheless, he wouldn't budge, even for the king himself. He could sense hostility in Osirus' voice as he addressed him and finally departed from the courtyard. Hopefully the Dark King would eventually calm himself and let the denial pass; though, knowing Osirus, it'd probably take a long time if it would ever happen.
The lovely aristocrat let out a soft sigh and brushed a loose strand of hair from his pure white visage. He gently tucked the distorted flower given to him by the king into a pocket of his dress, then headed over to where he placed his parasol. Opening the girlish umbrella, he once again lost himself in thought. What if he were to align himself with Osirus now? He would be in frequent contact with Nikanoru, which was something he couldn't allow. Even if he rarely saw the bastardly advisor, his secret would undoubtedly slip at one point. And more importantly, he would either have to cease his experiments or share the results with Osirus.
Eltana shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it any longer. It was late, and someone as stunningly lovely as he needed a good amount of beauty sleep. "It matters not. Osirus knows I am a valuable asset, so he won't make a move against me for this disappointment; besides, I still have the Saevio Sword. I suppose I'll deliver it to him sometime this week. He may have Nocens Atrum to reveal information about the swords, but that is not of my concern--the legendary swords aren't important to me. After all, I can't use them. I must remain in waiting until the proper time comes."
With the end of his soliloquy, Eltana casually strolled out of the courtyard.
-exit Eltana-
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