The Fate of Reim

Due to Zygus’s injuries, Lagi left Zygus behind in a safe place throughout the streets of Reim. However, there was a special whistling tune that Lagi does that Zygus would recognize almost immediately. The bird would quickly come to rescue its owner if it was to hear that, and the exceptional hearing that the bird contained would be more than enough.  So for now, it was just Zygus and Orie. Orie was doing most of the work; she pretty much indulged at the fact that Lagi was finally using her for battle. Alter that, there was a little bit of small talk, it was more geared towards Lagi’s reasons for fighting . “Besides the fact that this place is my home, I’m going to be a great king someday. The people of Reim was being subdued by the brotherhood of ash, but these are my people. I wasn’t going to allow them  to be held down by some unknown force. Maybe acknowledgement, maybe a hidden opportunity will arise.” Lagi would say briefly as he walked. “A combination of selfishness that transpires to selflessness with equal gain for all that I involve myself with positively.  It’s not exactly the most honorable and impressive answer, but it’s my own way of life that I continue to follow without changing who I am. Regardless, the wheels of my fate will spin forever, whether in my favor or not. ”

This was an honest answer that Lagi gave; it also foreshadowed the unknown destiny that laid ahead of Lagi. After that small speech, something interesting happened. The reim soldiers were escorting a man into the premises, but he was unfamiliar. Upon arriving to the soldiers, Asisiak did her thing as orie retracted and lagi remained silent.

Garret lead the group through the hallways, choosing speed over the avoidance of guards. While it was true that they didn't want to run into guards per-se, at the same time Zhi had mentioned several times how important it was to get to the chamber as soon as possible. Not having information on the status of the fighting outside only stressed that importance.

The whole operation grated, if just slightly, on Garret's nerves. If it was successful, it would be a miracle. Again, he wondered how Acius would feel about this, having not been a part of it. Garret continued with his brisk pace, relaying the sense of urgency while making it less suspicious than a full-out run.

He put aside such thoughts for now, working his way towards the throne room. If they came across any guards, Garret would make a quick explanation in a hurried voice, stressing how there was little time left to get there. As a parting bit of words, he would warn them about the fox girl, telling them that there was a unique Zou-tribe assassin, a fox girl, from the enemy camp that would pose as an ally, and that they should be careful of her. She had already tried to come at them once.


-----


After the group had left, Rin waited a few minutes before setting Kinala down on the ground. She turned her back on the child and began humming. Secretly, from the corner of her eye, she watched the girl for any signs of movement. If Kinala decided to dart, she would follow her secretly. Her bad side had kicked in ever since she realized how soft Zhi was. Rin wanted to tease the small one.

Azix watched as Garret whispered to Zhi and The Contractor, wondering what the blue magician had planned. The Usurper seemed to listen intently before looking up to The Contractor for instruction. The Contractor on the other hand appeared to be judging Azix for a moment before he nodded.

Zhi ordered Rin to stay with Kinala outside, while the rest of the group went inside. Azix was a little surprised to see that he was laxing his guard around the fox-tailed girl, but they didn't have any other options. The Usurper announced his agreement with Garret's plan and started to hand Azix his magical tool and weapon. The orange magician raised a brow and accepted Zhi's magical tool, holding it under his arm as he put any other items where they would fit within the guard uniform.

After Garret obtained the keys from the panting mole and The Contractor formed an illusion around himself to look like another guard, the group made their way inside. Azix took up the rear while Garret led the party through the palace. Any guards they came across, Garret acted natural with a sense of urgency expected in such a crisis, explaining that they were escorting Zhi to talk terms with the Emperor.

While they walked, Azix acted as natural as he could while memorizing the paths they took and stealing glances to absorb the layout when he could. So far it had been too easy to get inside, which didn't bother him as much as the idea of getting out if things went south. Therefore, he put his mind to learning the layout as best as he could, in hopes that it would help if they escaped. If Garret spoke or gave any signals for further plans, Azix would follow his orders.

[170/250 magoi] (OOC: Forgot to update it earlier)

The guard at the front of the Palace nodded to a man at his side, who scribbled out something on a scrap of paper before attaching it to the leg of a hawk and releasing the bird. The guards waited while still on guard. Asisiak looked less patient, but held her tongue. Time passed and the hawk returned, the keeper nodding at the guard that had stopped the group.

“The Commander confirms your story. I offer my thanks and an escort to the Throne Room.”

Asisiak, her four guards, and Lagi were finally allowed entrance, two guards leading them to the entrance of the Throne Room, where two other guards stood with weapons at the ready.

“These people came from the Front Lines. The Imuchakk wants to talk treaty with the Emperor. The Commander said they helped to contain the invasion force. She is to be allowed entrance.”

The guards nodded and opened the doors to reveal the Throne Room. Asisiak went first, her men following and leaving Lagi to bring up the rear. Once they were all inside, the door was closed behind them. The Emperor sat on his throne, looking agitated and edgy. The conflict and battle all around had him worried and the absence of the Fanalis Corp was making him even more distraught. Two guards stood at his feet in front of the throne, weapons held high, eyes turned forward. Asisiak would step forward boldly, her voice strong and sure.

“Great Emperor, I am Asisiak, leader of the Imuchakk. We had come to discuss a treaty and found your city in chaos. My men, myself and this human assisted your city in trying to help restore order. I understand this is a time of great strife, however, my request is of the utmost importance.”

As she spoke, the doors behind them would open once more, three Reim guards leading in a fourth man with white hair, dressed in the robes of the Zou Empire.




As Zhi’s group moved through the halls, Zhi kept his head held high, refusing to act the part of a defeated man, retaining an air of dignity even though he was being “escorted” to the Emperor. He felt naked without any weapons or tools at his disposal, aside from the sound amplification device sewn into his clothing. It was odd seeing the Contractor appearing like a guard to help escort him, but it was not the oddest thing he had seen from the man. As they approached the doors to the Throne Room, two guards with spears stood at the ready, apprehensive at the approach of the group, but relaxing slightly when they noted the Reim uniforms and the apparently unarmed Zhi.

“State your business!”

The Contractor stepped forward, his voice masked to hide his identity.

“This man is responsible for the invasion and would like to discuss terms of surrender with the Emperor. As you see, he is unarmed, but please, check him again in case we missed something.”

The guard that had spoken nodded to the other one, who moved forward to search the white haired bastard, thoroughly checking his robes and even his hair for any possible hidden weapon. While the tool sewn into Zhi’s clothing made him pause, he assumed it a decoration and resumed the search. Once assured Zhi was unarmed, he gave a nod of confirmation to the first guard. They moved closer together, whispering amongst themselves about whether to allow them in while the group of Imuchakk were still inside. The Contractor raised his voice.

“You did hear me correctly, did you not? Do you not think the Emperor would not want to have the prisoner immediately taken before him to discuss terms of surrender after the travesty that has befallen our great city?”

The guards thought on that for a moment before begrudgingly pulling the doors open once again. The initial view the group would see as they moved into the Throne Room would be the group of Imuchakk and the oddly placed human at the back of the group. As the doors shut behind them, the Contractor would sweep forward around Asisiak’s group and bow respectfully to the Emperor, waving a hand behind him to Zhi.

“Your magnificence, sir. We have brought you the traitorous venom that has seeped into our city. He wishes to discuss terms of surrender with you.”

The Emperor would raise a brow at this information, peeking curiously around Asisiak to try and see Zhi. Looking to the Imuchakk, his voice would bellow out across the room.

“Your timing is both good and bad, Imuchakk leader. As you see, I have other business that must take priority. Please wait to the side. Guards, approach with the prisoner!”

Asisiak would glare at the men that had interrupted her proceedings, eyes widening as she recognized them as the group she had seen taking a side entrance into the Palace. When she tried to speak up, the Emperor held up a hand to silence her and wave Zhi’s group forward. The Contractor would hide a smirk as he nodded Garret and Azix forward with the bastard son. He took note of the suspicion in Asisiak’s eyes and could not keep from grinning, though the Emperor would assume it was a smile of pride from bringing in the invader. Once Zhi had been brought to the front, the Contractor would drop the illusion of being a guard, appearing to grow slightly in size, his voice returning to normal as it rang out through the secured room.

The story better check out, do you think that we were risking our lives outside for nothing? “Lagi would say with a small grunt as the grip on his weapon was even tighter. Even though he was in friendly territory, he couldn’t help but wonder if this was it? Enemies started to appear out of the woodwork these days, and Lagi felt a little naked without Zygus around. Who knows how long it would take for the bird to come when he called for it. “I just have to be even more alert due to the fact that one of my partners aren’t around. “Lagi would think to himself as he entered the throne room with Asisiak and her people. Lagi remained silent as Asisiak did her thing; he scooped out the place for anything unusual. However, he immediately took aim at man who was wearing the robes of the zou empire. Lagi’s eyes was filled with rage, this man had the nerve to show up in the throne room. “What’s he doing here? And if I don’t like your answer….” Lagi could care less about politics; there were only winners and losers in war. Since the Reim forces were winning, they could call all of the shots. However, the words prisoner clicked with him and Lagi lowered his bow. “Tch…. A plea for your life after you oppressed my people?”

Lagi was disgusted, but he stayed silent to hear what the prisoner had to say for himself. However, something more interesting happened. One of the guards appeared to change dramatically; it was almost as if it was an illusion. “What the? What kind of magic is this?” Lagi was a bit jumpy and timid, but he had a few cards left to play. He looked at the two that are named garret and Azix and merely granted at their appearance. Their mere posture didn’t say that they were from Reim, the people of Reim would be more vengeful at a time like this. “Whats going on here?!”

They had made their way quickly towards the throne room, being stopped only on the occasion that they had reached the doors themselves. The guards asked them to state their business, and Garret was about to speak up when the third member of their group had suddenly taken on that role. The man played subterfuge well enough to get them past, for which Garret was grateful.

As they walked in, they saw a group of Imuchakk with a human in their ranks, which worried Garret slightly. Was this going to turn into a complication?

His worries were soon confirmed as the ally to Zhi suddenly revealed their presence.

Garret only had a moments notice from the ally of Zhi to be made aware of the impending attack. He quickly moved to draw Kuroi Shimo, his wand, from his sleeve and into his left hand as he pointed it towards Lagi and the group he was with. Garret drew upon the moisture in the air surrounding them and four orbs appeared right next to each other. Garret had charged up and cast Jet Stream, and the four orbs turned into a 1 meter diameter beam of water which had coalesced about each other and slammed forward, cutting everything in their path.

Garret had aimed it in hopes of hitting as many of these unknown variables as he could within his blast, using the moment of surprise to the best advantage he could. "ACE!" Garret called out, to Azix, as he equipped his Hex Gauntlet on his right hand. He would move in front of Azix in order to help shield him from attacks.


-----

Rin watched Kinala from the corner of her eyes, but noted that the child still hadn't moved. Hmmm. Maybe there won't be any fun after all? There was a certain level of disappointment that the woman felt, but she did not let that deter her vigilance. While she wouldn't attempt to stop Kinala from making her move, she would definitely keep an eye on her and attempt to follow her discretely should she try to run away.



OOC:

100/250 Magoi/Stamina

Items Used:

Abilities Used:

Azix stood to the side of Zhi as they approached a pair of guards at the throne room doors. The Contractor's quick words gained them entry and the group made their way inside. A group of Imuchakk and a human stood before the Emperor, appearing to be discussing matters. At the sight of Zhi's group, the Emperor dismissed the Imuchakk leader for the moment. Azix hid the surprise of learning that such an important figurehead to Imuchakk was in Remano during the 'invasion'.

The human with the Imuchakk made some curious comments, but the oddest one was that Zhi had oppressed Remano's citizens. Had this human failed to see the actions of the current Emperor? Had the human never visited the slums to see the disregard and condition of those the nobility deemed 'lesser'? Such disregard for others was the reason why Azix wanted to change the world.

At the Contractor's signal, Azix pulled out his Staff of Refractions and immediately aimed it towards the Imuchakk's group. The human who thought Zhi oppressed Remano's people, was dead center in his aim. A Bright Beam, a ten meter wide beam of light, formed at the tip of his staff before being launched forward at ten meters per second. The beam would deal second degree burns to anything it touched.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Garret had reacted to, adding his own spells into the mix. With his gauntlet now on his arm, Garret stepped in front of Azix with a shout,their backs to the Emperor. Azix smiled hearing the code name and shouted back, "Let's do this, GARY!" Azix peeked around Garret, to gauge the situation and how the enemies reacted. Under his arm, he still carried the large magical tool that Zhi had handed him in case the Usurper needed it. For now it wasn't limiting his movement.

[150/250 magoi]

Spoiler:

((Lagi, they were not in the room before you, they came in after. Also, Zhi never spoke, it was The Contractor.))


The Contractor stood and watched as chaos erupted, grinning in glee. The Emperor ordered his guards forward to capture Azix and Garret, who were attacking Lagi. They approached Azix and Garret from behind, each of them coming in from an angle. When Asisiak attempted to interfere, the Contractor turned to her sharply with a ‘tsk’ sound and waved his staff. Everyone in the room, aside from Azix, Lagi and the Contractor was suddenly surrounded by an impenetrable bubble that lifted them off the ground. Zhi looked to the Contractor in confusion as he lifted up as the bubble absorbed Garret’s attack, lifting him as well. The Contractors rang out loudly to be heard above the shouts of disbelief, anger and confusion.

“I am afraid I cannot allow any of you to interfere. You see, those men are fighting for honor. One, to defend the honor of his country and homeland, his people. The other defending the honor of his ideals, trying to correct what he sees as a massive misdeed to the people of this country. It was be unfair and dishonorable to allow any of you to fight at that man’s side.”

Asisiak considered the words, angry that he had found a viable argument. Not much was more important to their tribe than strength and honor. She was unhappy with the predicament, however her men discovered that not even Imuchakk strength and spear could shatter the bubble. She considered activating her metal vessel, but for the moment was willing to play out a short period of this charade. It would be unwise to display her potential power if it were not necessary.

“You speak the truth, strange man. Very well. We shall not interfere.”

“Good, I shall allow no other interference. They must all play the game, for the fate of Reim hangs in the balance.”

Zhi looked over at Lagi’s shouted accusations, arching a brow, his tone coming out cold and belittling.

“You claim I am oppressing your people. Any more than the man sitting on that throne? He allows children to starve, humans to be sold into slavery, crime to run rampant in his streets. While he sits, on his throne of gold. I have done nothing but brought light to his injustice.” He then turned a cold stare to the Contractor. “What is the meaning of this? We had a contract!”

The Contractor ‘tsk’ed again, shaking his head. He floated about, free of a bubble but outside of the range of any stray attacks from Azix or Lagi.

“Our contract entailed that I would get you to the Throne Room, dear Zhi. Are we not there? Then our contract is fulfilled. The fate of you and your plans now rests between these two men. When they have settled their differences, we shall see how the tides of fate have shifted your destination. Perhaps you will gain an ally, or you may lose one. The possibilities are wide and varied, my dear Zhi. Time to play the game Wheel of Fate.”

He made the last comment with a pointed look at Lagi, able to detect the flutter of black rukh surrounding the man. It would be interesting to see if the pair would fight or talk. And who had the most potential to win.

There was an attack heading straight for Lagi and his current comrades. Two attacks to be exact, but one of them was canceled and separated due to the mysterious man’s interference. Sadly enough, Lagi’s eyes shifted over to the other man, due to the fact that it seemed that he was entering the fray and there was no kind of implication on what he was planning. The blast headed towards Lagi, but Orie was more than anything. Lagi was the host body, Symbiotic class technician’s work quite differently and they were stingy bout keeping the host body free from harm.  Orie generated four spiked tentacles immediately from Lagi’s body that was three meters in length and with. They were heading straight for the blast In order to intercept it at the equivalent c rank speed and strength. The clash and shockwave resulting made Lagi move back a little bit and made him drop his bow, looking back at the one opponent who wasn’t trapped in the bubble. After the clash, the tentacles retracted back inside of Lagi’s body.  “ Thanks Orie…I was distracted.” Since Lagi turned his head beforehand and paid attention to the contractor, the blast was in his peripheral vision at best, avoiding the chance to be blinded by the bright beam since it wasn’t looked at directly.

When the Zhi man spoke, Lagi merely growled in reply. “By doing what? What have you done for the people of Reim since you arrived? These people were entrapped in their own houses. They were kept against their will, and any attempts to speak out and question the brotherhood of ash was met with silence by violence.  They might be mercenaries, but you hired them. As a leader, even as an employer,   their actions that weren’t part of the program is something that you still necessitate to accept responsibility for! For the sake of your justice, you go as far as to become a monster in order to prove your point. Despite my falling out with my family, the El Nagi Clan was always a part of this nation, and this is a country you tried to trample on! The difference between you and the King of Reim is simple; your choices as a leader go by morals and your pathetic attempts to maintain relevance by reaching out with something as morally gray as self-righteousness. The choices that the king makes is based off of what is necessary, making this country strong. For the sake of my ambition, I will also do what is necessary. ” If there were limits to Lagi’s rage, perhaps it was now going to exceed that. Foreshadowing his own self-proclaimed kingship, Lagi finally spoke out to the man that previously attacked him. My bow was lowered and you still attacked me, an act of cowardliness.  Is that the actions of the just? Invader of my country…. False paragon…  here I come…

With that being said, Lagi’s dark metal vessel started to glow as if it knew what was about to happen next. If Lagi was going to protect his country, he would have to put in everything he had. “My fall from grace only fuels my rebellion! Balek, realize my ambition and shroud this world!”

Spoiler:

The appearance of the dark djinn equip takes on the form of a set of dark armor. The armor is much more slim than most, and the appearance itself reminds you of a ninja. The black helmet of the armor is  covered in black and grey designs, a small red gem resides in the middle of the forehead. The gauntlets also take on a black design, including the bracer. Lagi also gains a dark mist like cape that seems to be mostly transparent. The weapon of Balek is a gauntlet bracer on the right hand. The blade itself is a foot long and 9 inches, Being able to extend from the top or bottom of the bracers with just a flick of the wrist.

Moving  at 15 m/s im a 7 meter room, Lagi flew around to the side of Azix and brings up his right hand to stab Azix in the shoulder of where  he was holding his staff at A rank strength.

70/250

Abilities used

Spoiler:

Garret narrowed his eyes at the actions of The Contractor. Just as his spell had gone off in a surprise attack against the group of Imuchakk and the human, it was deflected by the interference of The Contractor. He looked towards The Contractor, and then at Zhi. Garret closed his eyes and calmed himself down. The bubble that had engulfed him seemed sturdy, and Garret recognized it would be futile to attempt to destroy it.

A recognition that was confirmed when the Imuchakk group were beating on their bubbles to no avail. Garret drummed his fingers on his leg, watching the events unfold and listening to the groups speak. He noted that his fears were well placed. Zhi is not a man to be trusted in a position of power. His ability to choose allies is lacking. His piercing gaze moved from Zhi. After having judged a man he hardly knew, he considered The Contractor for a brief moment. This man cannot be trusted either. His own designs take precedence over that of the people, and Kou itself. Though he has a great deal of pull with the Emperor, and that in itself is an issue.

Garret recalled the conversation where the man had heavily alluded to his connection with the Emperor being an integral reason for Zhi having command of the invading forces. He shook his head, once again wondering why Acius hadn't been consulted. Had Zhi's need for personal success caused the operations to have so many flaws within it? This man, too, placed his own personal goals above the good of the country.

Garret thought, once again, on their discussion before the current events had all transpired. What he said was still true; he would not die a simple death at the whims of their Emperor, but would be a part of the strong backbone that led the future of Kou to a greater age. He still believed that his path was the correct one.

Turning his inquisitive gaze to Asisiak, Garret spoke. "While we wait for this to be over, may I ask what brings the Imuchakk leader here?" If asked who he was, Garret would provide the name 'Garret'.

He looked at the ensuing fight. The man had a beast that had attempted to take on the brunt of a spell, however without the force of an ability backing the beasts' attempt, Garret wondered at the effectiveness of that. Shortly after, the man began a speech. Garret cared little for what was being said below, and would listen to what Asisiak would say while keeping an eye on what occurred.

Azix watched as the scene in the Throne Room changed before his eyes. Everyone in the room but the black-haired human from the Imuchakk group, the Contractor and Azix were now in a bubble. The Kou invasion force had been split in half, the fate of Zhi's ideals now in Azix's hands. The strangest thing was the black-haired human, four tentacles had moved to block the Bright Beam, receiving second degree burns in the process. The beam would continue to burn anything else in the way.

As the presumptuous human started speaking, Azix unsheathed his Deviant, holding it in his free hand. If it was up to him, Azix would need every tool available to him. Unfortunately, he couldn't draw on his strongest spell at the moment. Azix whispered commands to the Rukh, conjuring a Cloak of Shadows around him. He followed that up by creating a Distortion in front of him. The Cloak of Shadows camouflaged the orange magician as the Distortion absorbed the light in a five meter diameter around him. Hidden in the shadows, Lagi would be unable to tell where exactly Azix was.

When Lagi called Azix a coward, the orange magician snapped and started with a speech of his own.

"You said something about it being cruel to keep people locked in their homes...would you rather have thousands die in the streets amongst the chaos? You speak of the Emperor's actions as necessary? What is necessary about boys and girls barely eight years old starving? Why is the oppression of the people in the slums necessary? Why must they be prey to legal slavery? Why don't they have a chance to be equals in this world? Instead they are subject to oppression and injustices! You may call my actions cowardly, but my desire is to change the world, to make a better place for all, not just those in power! I will do what I must to protect the defenseless and the weak! If you have seen how emaciated the children in the slums are, then you should understand my fight! Invader of your country? HA! I have lived in this country and have done more for its people than the greedy men who run this country! The only way for evil to prevail is for good men to stand by and I DO NOT INTEND TO STAND BY!" While Azix spoke, he paced back and forth while inside the shadows. He also moved the shadows back and forth, while still hiding inside. His goal was to make Lagi guess where he was exactly, buying himself enough time to try to talk sense into the man. Zhi showed signs of delusion, but if he was on the throne, Azix may have a chance to fix the corruption of Reim. The fate of the Grumptoes and the others in the slums depended on Azix, he would not give in so easily.

[130/250 magoi]

Spoiler:

Asisiak turned with a scowl to Garret, considering ignoring him but finding herself at a loss for anything else to do. She grudgingly answered his question, explaining about the need for a treaty between the two countries in order to supplement their loss of men during an avalanche. She kept her attention on the fight happening below them, unsure of which of the two men she should hope would win. While her original intention had been to forge an agreement with the Emperor, the other man was of Kou. With Kou came the possibility of even greater resources. She cast another glance to the dark haired man in the bubble near her own, her spear tapping experimentally at the confines.

“And what is it you are doing here, member of the Kou nation? Does your country truly intend to invade this region?”

As the Imuchakk leader spoke with Garret, Zhi glared at the Contractor, the most recent development unexpected. While not prone to being angry, he was very nearly there. He knew he had no hope of taking Reim without the help of the mysterious figure, he simply did not have that much power. It appeared as though the Contractor had his own plans, however. Zhi stood deep in thought before an idea crept into his mind and he smirked, calling to the Emperor.

“Do you really think this is the only force coming for Reim? Does my great nation, the Kou Empire, with a mighty army and many forces, strike you as the type to send only 100 men and a single Commanding Officer to take an area as large as this?”

The Emperor considered Zhi’s words as he watched the fight below. It was true that it would be odd for Kou to send so few men and such an inexperienced Officer to take Reim, a city renowned for its technological developments and its famous Fanalis Corp. Could this man really just be a scouting party or a young officer trying to curry favor with the Emperor of Kou? Below them, the Kou magician interrupted the speech of the El Nagi clan member with a bubble of black and a speech of his own. The words rang out about the destitute conditions in many parts of the city and comments about the slave trade were bit out angrily.

He snorted at the speech, the man obviously did not understand that the only way to keep a region in order was to make sure the right people kept power. A portion of the masses might suffer for the greatness that was Reim, but what was that to him? They held no power and thus their conditions did not matter to him.

The Contractor watched the interaction of the two men with interest. The spell of darkness caught him by surprise for a moment, pleased with the man’s ingenuity. He seemed unimpressed with the actions of the man named Lagi, the words a blind following of another. At first, he had recognized the potential in the man, as he held a Dark Metal Vessel and Black Rukh fluttered about him contently. But this man was no leader, no King Candidate, he was simply too content to curry favor, to beg and plead his way into a position of power. This was not what he had been hoping for at all. He sighed in disappointment, but moved to a higher vantage point to keep an eye on the fight, landing on a support beam near the roof. He sat down, feet dangling over the air, mild amusement crossing his features as the fight played out below. He may have to consider doing something to make this interesting, to push the El Nagi man to his full potential. But he would wait to see for just this moment or two.

A  series of spells made Lagi’s efforts  on attacking the man futile. Not only did the man disappear, some kind of magic he used managed to make the area around him surrounded in complete darkness. The darkness itself covered 10 meters, but it wasn’t that much in comparison to the size of the room, which was 25 meters. He wasn’t too sure about this darkness, but lagi wondered just how well the man can see in it either? More or less it was a safe bet that his opponent would be unable to see in the darkness that well either if that was the case. It was a double edge sword that would affect both members of the party. Anyway, Lagi would fly back up diagonally after the miss, moving at 15 m/s and staying 5 meters  away from that prism in the span of one second. Lagi had to think pretty quick on what he had to  do in order to find this man.  The next second of moving at 15 m/s, Lagi came across one of  the glass chandeliers at the top of the throne room. It was a good decoration, but lagi wanted to try something with it.  Simultaneously, he kicked the glass chandelier for the momentum to shift forward towards where the prism was, as well as slicing the metal chain, when the momentum  when it fully extended.  Falling from the top of the celling, as well as only being 5 meters away from the prism, the chandelier would most likely hit the middle of the prism, along with the 25 meter fall and the added momentum from when Lagi swung it, It would of caused an intermediate amount of collateral damage through the spread of glass, maybe even more devastating if it was to fall directly on him. Actually hitting him wasn’t the plan though, this was just a makeshift  plan to counter his light magic. Light bounces off a reflective surface, so maybe the speed of glass in the prisms could disrupt his spells somehow, or even give lagi a chance to pinpoint the area of where this guy is and ram right into him. This  strategy was all based off  observation,  and since lagi stopped talking and the man would be effected by his own spell, he literally wouldn’t have seen it coming. He also wouldn’t be able to calculate the speed that lagi is moving due to the fact that his setup was right before lagi started moving, he wouldn’t be able to perceive it and get a good estimate.
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60/250

Abilities used

Spoiler:

Damage Taken from the last few posts  

Spoiler:

OOC REasoning

Spoiler:

While continuing to sustain Distortion, the spell that created a prism of darkness in a five meter diameter, Azix released his Cloak of Shadows. Immersed in the darkness, the camouflage was actually quite useless, seeing as Lagi wouldn't be able to see him anyway. Azix wasn't sure if Lagi had heard his speech and the excellent counters he had provided. If not, it proved to Azix that Lagi was just as delusional as Zhi had shown himself to be. It also revealed that the man wasn't interested in a battle of wits, but a battle of might. He continued walking around in the darkness, hoping his movement would help him avoid a surprise attack. He also would shift the shadows, to throw off his exact location. Was Azix in the center? If so, did that mean when the shadows would move to left, that Azix was walking in that direction? Or was Azix near the edge of the shadows?

Azix heard the rattling of chains above him and wondered what Lagi had planned. He continued walking in a zig-zag pattern when he heard the crash of something behind him. A quick glance proved futile, as he couldn't see in the darkness, but he could hear the crunch of glass beneath his step. Knowing that would be a good indicator for Lagi, Azix moved away from the glass-covered ground, keeping his shadows with him, one meter from the center. He would continue playing this game for as long as Lagi wanted, maybe the El Nagi would continue throwing things.

[125/250 magoi]

Abilities:

OOC Reasoning:

Garret watched the fight and saw the man who opposed Azix transform into something strange. The man's magoi completely enveloped him and focused into something... Solid. Soon, the man had a solid suit upon him, close to the skin, in a similar nature as the Kou empire's espionage agents wore. He raised an eyebrow, surprised to see somebody using such equipment.

While he watched he did, of course, pay close attention to the Imuchakk leader's words. He closed his eyes briefly, thinking carefully about his response. He would not be hasty in how much he revealed. With her explanation of the reason she was there, however, Garret believed there was an opportunity available. He opened his eyes, and spoke. "Though the 'emperor' of Reim is unaware, Kou has many different.. Types.. Of invasion forces." He paused in order to stress the idea that there are more ways to invade a country than through brute force. "It is true that in the event this force is unsuccessful, there would be more to come. This was not a spur of the moment decision."

Garret looked to Asisiak, gauging her reaction. He wanted to make sure she had a moment to consider his words; Kou was prepared to go on an offensive with Reim. This offensive could be through subterfuge and out-right warfare. Both would be devastating if she were caught in the middle of it, and Garret hoped that she would reconsider her ideas of attempting to cement a relationship with Reim. Garret based this hope on the fact that she would understand that if her people get caught up in this contest between the two countries, their already weakened peoples would be at an extreme disadvantage.

This alone, however, would not be enough to convince a ruler to step away from a decision. Especially not one who is the ruler of a race that prides itself in military accomplishment and feats of strength. After all was said and done, she still needed to secure assistance and resources for her people. A ruler beloved by their people is a ruler who holds their people in high regards. Garret would need to create a counter-proposal. In his previous position, he had a certain level of authority to provide bribes and the like to individuals who would be able to assist the Kou empire.

Seconds had passed since he mentioned the threat of Kou's invasion to Asisiak. The thought of his previous position reminded Garret of the missive he had received. Considering he had little else better to do, he opened the letter and read it. After reading the letter, he narrowed his eyes. A smile threatened to twitch on his face. He looked up to Asisiak. A strange twist of fate, likely backed by the hand of his foster-father Takahashi Sato who was the current Spymaster for Kou. He had been promoted to Spymaster of Reim, with all of the authority that entailed.

"Your people are in a tough spot. I am, however, in a position which I am able to provide help." Garret held up his new orders, showing that he held overall authority for operations within Reim until Reim was taken over and ruled by an individual of the Emperor's choosing.

"My family name is Takegawa, my given name Iatsu." Garret introduced himself, providing Asisiak his name as a sign of trust and willingness to work out a deal. He still did not know her name, and gave her an opportunity to respond to him. "I am not so ignorant that I believe warriors such as yours would back down just from the threat of a fight. You have your people to look out for. If you are willing to work together with Kou, I can guarantee you assistance and support for your people. That is, however, a limited time offer. Once the fight below is over with, I will no longer have full authority and you will have to request such an alliance from him in the event that we win. Anything we agree upon before that, however, will be honored." Garret nodded over to Zhi, denoting that the man who had been betrayed by a recent ally would be in charge of any negotiations she may have with Kou. Asisiak would not know from her full interactions with Zhi, but she may be able to pick up on a small amount of contempt that Garret held for the man.

"If we lose this fight here, however, this war will only be the beginning." Garret did not mention that her timing in whether or not she was willing to deal with him would greatly effect her standing with the negotiations. That much, he felt, would be apparent to a leader of a nation.

Garret watched as a chandelier crashed to the ground. He had missed that part of the fight during his attempts at negotiations, but no longer had the opportunity to watch the fight; he believed that his speech with the woman would become much more intense very shortly.

Asisiak arched an eyebrow at the man from Kou, her interest piqued, especially with the documentation he was trying to show her. She was not close enough to read it, but she recognized the seal as one of the Kou Empire. This man held a lot of weight with his words. But if the Emperor was the victor, and she was seen as swaying, she might be denied her plea for a treaty. She must think on this. As she pondered, she watched with a confounded look as the dark man tried to slam a chandelier into the bubble of darkness. Did the human not understand magic? His lack of direct attacks made her lose some of the respect she had built for the man. He was no warrior after all. Using cheap tactics against already cheap magician tactics was not liable to work. The best way to destroy a magician was with brutal force in any way possible.

“What assurance do I have of this, man from Kou? While your offer intrigues me, why should I risk an alliance with the Emperor of Reim to side with you?”

She knew the Kou Empire could offer enormous benefits, with its might and money. Reim was also a formidable ally. But if what he spoke was true, Kou would have Reim, one way or the other. The man informed her of his true name and she was slightly taken aback. Was this a sign of trust? Were his words true? From the words he spoke, Kou would have Reim and if she did not forge an alliance now, she may not receive one. The idea was troubling indeed, she did not wish to have to travel to Heliohapt to obtain a treaty, Reim was much closer.

The Contractor shifted back as Lagi flew up to the chandelier and threw it down to the dark bubble and he could not hide his reaction of covering his face with a gloved hand. The chandelier fell to the ground, doing nothing to the spell of darkness and the Contractor snorted. This was to be the harbinger of the black rukh? The Dark King Vessel? How could he have ever hoped this man might be useful to his plans? Rather than utilize the Dark Djinn, the man was having a bar fight in the Throne Room. He sighed in disappointment before flying around the destructive forces in the middle of the room to join Zhi and the Emperor, who was currently attempting to kill Zhi via death glares.

“You two should be more focused on your champions and less on each other. Why do you not offer encouragement to those that fight for you?”

The Emperor sneered in disgust, his face contorted with anger and hate.

“That man is no champion of mine, he is but a monster fighting on my behalf. No true El Nagi would resort to such dishonorable things as becoming a demon. I shall not encourage him while he fights as a demon.”

Zhi looked to the bubble of darkness, shrugging at the Contractor.

“The magician seems to be doing fine without encouragement. I simply felt the Emperor should know I am not the only one involved in this invasion, I am just a harbinger of things to come.”

The Contractor again gave a disappointed sigh. So many things had failed to meet his expectations. He noticed the Imuchakk leader speaking with the Kou magician and hummed softly. Perhaps that was the best route to go to ensure his own personal victory in this town.

While walking in the shadows, Azix had been listening intently. He had not been able to pick up on Lagi's location, but he did overhear Garret talking with Asisiak. Azix was impressed at Garret's quick thinking, yet surprised that his true name was offered as a token of trust. It was definitely the best card to play. It gave Azix an idea and he dropped Distortion, the light returning around himself so he was revealed.

Blinking at the sudden light, Azix searched left, right, forward, and behind for his opponent, finally looking up. To his astonishment, the El Nagi was hovering near the ceiling and looked completely different. Black Rukh flickered around the man and Azix grinned. The plan might have a chance of working.

Azix shouted up at the El Nagi, "Let us stop this game and resolve this in another way. We are here for the Emperor, you want to protect your people. I know a way that we get what we both want. If you allow us to kill the Emperor and you surrender to Kou, we will let you rule as a Proxy of the Kou Empire." He took a moment to let his words sink in. Azix was offering the man a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the chance to sit on the throne, even if he had to answer to Kou. At the very least, a Reim native would be the buffer between the citizens and Kou.

Staff clutched in hand, still on guard, Azix turned to Garret, "You have the authority to make that decision according to that document, right? Would you honor that agreement?"

As if by fate, the Emperor made a comment that Azix imagined would seal his doom. The Emperor sneered at the mention of Lagi being his Champion, calling him a monster. Azix could not resist a grin, 'Does the fool seal his fate by taunting the El Nagi?'

Azix pointed at the Emperor and looked up at Lagi, "Does this sound like a man who appreciates your valiant effort to defend your country? Should that not be you that sits on that throne?" Azix waited to see the El Nagi's reaction, hoping that either greed, pride, or a strange sense of justice would be tempted by the offer.

Garret listened to her question, realizing the legitimacy of her concerns. She wanted to know how he could assure her of his words; anyone could lie and then renege on a deal, especially an unwritten one. Her second question was, Garret felt, a probe. Hmm. She is attempting to obtain further details of our influence in Reim. Though the information I provided her would be enough to warn someone of crossing us, I believe she also wants a sense of security from political backlash from the Reim empire. Garret considered her request, and a sinking feeling began to pool at the bottom of his stomach. It was not a feeling he allowed himself to show upon his face, but the thought that began to take hold forced him to consider the collateral he had to offer.

He began with her second question. "Please consider for a moment the state that the Capital city of Reim is currently in. In a day's time, we were able to bring in a number of forces and infiltrate the palace into the throne room. If it weren't for the unexpected visitors, we would have already won. If we lose here, and you still join us, it will be unlikely for the Reim fleet to be able to mass a retaliation attack upon you. I cannot explain the details, but suffice to say they will be too occupied to do so. As for how I can assure you of our compliance..." Garret only had one thing to offer, and it was difficult for him to do so.

He had just spent three months in prison, and was finally free of the confines of that place. But there was no other choice.

"I offer myself as a hostage until a time that you could receive sufficient collateral and assurances without the need of myself. So, what do you say?" Garret looked at her, awaiting a response.

Just as Garret offered the alliance, Azix had dropped his cloak of shadows. Garret was intent on Asisiak's response, and he was unaware of the new development at first. If Asisiak was a fast thinker, and knew her answer after Garret offered himself as hostage, then she would likely be able to make good on that before he had an opportunity to potentially be in a stronger position.

Azix began speaking, and Garret looked down to the magician, noting that he had dropped his shadows. He provided the man an offer; his surrender for the seat on the throne, albeit in Kou's name. Garret's mind raced as he first thought Azix a fool for offering such a thing. Zhi, while not a legitimate heir, is the son of the Emperor. Once we win here, he will install himself upon the throne regardless of our intentions... His authority with the signet ring of the Emperor gives him substantial political pull... The thoughts took a fluid change in course, however, as Garret continued to think on that.

On the other hand, it would be much better to have a man from Reim rule Reim, rather than an invader. That, coupled with Zhi's lack of discipline in command, would make this man a better candidate for leadership... Garret nodded, having made his decision. He looked to Zhi briefly before turning back to Lagi. "You said before that you would do what is necessary. Only a firm conviction and a strong discipline could back these words. Zhi, the illegitimate prince of our Emperor, intends to abolish the Coliseum matches, alongside the current legal practice slavery. Can you match this? His good will towards the people cannot be refuted, however he lacks the firm conviction and strong discipline you seem to have." Garret paused, allowing Lagi to consider what he was saying.

"A ruler must do what is necessary, as you have said, but must also hold its people in high regard. Your ambition to be king? I believe your chance at proving yourself has come that much closer. If you will stand aside as we slay your current 'Emperor', we too will stand aside as you slay Zhi and take your place as the proper leader of your people." If Asisiak waited too long before choosing to reply to Garret's earlier offer, her chances of receiving a good deal would fluctuate considerably depending on Lagi's response.

Wow..i broke the 1 k limit here... i had allot to say

It seemed that everyone was looking down on him, but Lagi didn’t care. He was only making strategic choices about what he thought would work. Lagi was low on magi, and he really need somewhat of a refill. Even if it was only a slight bit, he would have liked some steam to magically come out so he could cast out a big attack or two. He never required anyone to care, so it didn’t matter to him.  Yet, something interesting started to come up  when the man began talking. “Hmm?” Lagi was somewhat intrigued as to what the man had to say, so he flew down to them at 15 m/s and took a passive stance, being only five meters away from them. His mist like cape fluttered, and the dark Rukh continued to whirl round him. “ This is the first time I took this form,   too bad I did it without practice, or else I could of entertained you a little more….. Paragon… “  In this form, Lagi honestly didn’t know what to do with himself.  He needed more practice with it, but that was another matter.   It was actually a pitch of the lifetime, which would give Lagi a chance to rule Reim.  They also set up some comparisons  for Zhi and what he was trying to achieve to be the emperor.

“Valiant effort? Did you honestly believe that I was doing this for the sake of the king? I only respect the king for being able to make decisions that would ultimately end like this in such a way because of his actions, but continuing to persevere. My own ambitions only  caters to the sake of others by mere happenstance,  my wants ends up being the lucrative arrangement that everyone can abide by. My actions against you was towards the fact that you injured me at a point when I was more willing to talk, besides the fact that I seen you as invaders.” Lagi made a small pose as he continued. “ Your problem is simple, you are attempting to lay a man of Zou on the throne of Reim. The coliseum matches are a historic tradition, where people put their honor and skills to the test, while putting their life on the line.  No single was ever coerced to fight there, unless they were prisoners of war or  death row convicts. Instead of doing life in jail, their success at the coliseum earns them their freedom. It’s a blood-soaked democracy, but it allows a form of justice, a sentence, entertainment,  and a prospect of fair game for all who step in. It's necessary to  avoid abolishing our identity as a kingdom, and the Coliseum is one of the ways that we handle things instead of meaninglessly taking lives.  ”

That was Lagi’s opinion about the coliseum. “The lone matter I agree with is the fact that slavery is wrong. It should not be made legal; merely those who realize a debt to others must repay it in some fashion. If it’s a debt to the city out of taxes, or a debt to the rich, it will be borne out in some fashion. Merely for the kids, they will be inserted into a small training program, where they will be trained into elite soldiers. Their service will gain their money for themselves and their family, gaining strength and position as they recognize their own worth and potential. Instead of having the destiny of being pathetic, frail, and helpless, they receive a chance! That is necessary, to abolish the simplistic acceptance of destiny that I was likewise a slave to.  “Lagi then makes a fist with his right hand. “ Instead of merely oppressing individuals of reim, I’ll be offering them a chance to take their fate into their own hands. This rural area will be for the strong, because their people will be solid. For those who are feeble in my country, they will be made strong, by forfeit.  I was once like you Paragon, but as you can witness from my current appearance, I made sacrifices. Slavery will not exist in Reim, because weakness will not exist in Reim.

After placing his hand down, Lagi had one final thing to pronounce to the two. “If I accept, this would imply the country surrenders to Zou. If I rule as a proxy, I’ll be nothing more than a straw man with no real say as Zou owns two kingdoms. I would be having my destiny as a human who turned his rear on his land for the sake of ruling it as a prevarication. Will killing the prince has no recoil from the king? I doubt it, hate and revenge runs through all human kind. I’m actually impressed and disgusted at the same time, sacrificing a man who trusted you. My rule of a stand in will only be until you pick who you would think is worthy of ruling someone else’s country.  What will happen then? Will you kill me too? “ Lagi then says this in a dark tone. “It must be easy to accept your fate… when you get to be the one to make all of the decisions…right?   Now that you know of my intentions as a ruler, do you still feel that way? Will you still give me Reim?”

They know of Lagi’s intentions and the difference of the rule that he would have as opposed to Zhi. Even so, will the duo allow it to end in such a manner? For Lagi, a man who has lost everything, and sacrificed much, along with people turning their back on him; he would be hard to read and hard to control. But this was his answer, and he wasn’t proving to impress anyone. Fate is stupid, and all Lagi wanted for the world was a chance to change it. To Lagi, that is what dark Rukh is, the ability to struggle to the utmost limits instead of lying down and dying. A necessary darkness that comes with suffering, but grants freedom. All that would be left for him to do after acquiring his own kingdom…. Is El Drago! It was either the two still accept lagi for who he is, what he is, and go on with the agreement. Or they could take it back, or another deal would hit the table by someone else..

50/250

Asisiak considered the Kou man’s words carefully. He certainly seemed sincere in his offer. And with the offer currently on the table to the other man, it was made quite apparent that he did indeed have the power to back up his treaty offer. She hummed in thought over it for another few seconds before giving him a nod.

“Very well. When this… farce is over with, you have an agreement, agent of Kou. I will take you into my care until such a time as I can examine your credentials and receive word of agreement from your Emperor. You have the support of the Imuchakk in the meantime to ensure victory.”

Below, she heard the El Nagi man offering a counter proposal, seeing the care he had put into outlining his ideas for Reim. She could not disagree about the importance of the Coliseum, her own people finding great honor in fighting and knowing Reim was of a similar mind. To close the Coliseum would be a travesty for the economy and disheartening to the people. But his agreement to end slavery piqued her interest. Much of Reim was built on slave labor and the slave trade was quite healthy. Did he understand the possible impact of abolishing that? Regardless, the ideal behind the statement was honest and true and she agreed.

Zhi and the Emperor stood, mouths open in disbelief at the offer. Zhi had not necessarily trusted the magicians, but the defense both had offered in this attempted claim of power had made him feel like they supported him. Now they were attempting to give his throne to a common man? What was this madness? The Emperor was in equal amounts of shock and anger, the monster defending him was considering this offer? He had no right to a throne, let alone the throne of Reim.

“Monsters should be used and then killed, and this is why. Traitor! Treacherous Swine! How dare you speak against me, I am your EMPEROR!”

The Contractor was taken aback by the offer, intrigued by where the men intended to take this. Though it had seemed to talk some sense into the Dark King Vessel, he was uncertain about how this might affect his own plans for the country. Glancing from the men on the floor to the occupants of the separate bubbles, he whistled a jaunty tune while he considered the different aspects of the offer. If that was how these men wished to play it, then maybe he should oblige. It was already quite apparent that the magicians had no intention of leaving his puppet on the throne regardless, so he had little to lose.

With a wave of his cane, the bubbles descended to the ground before giving off a small ‘pop’ as the bubbles burst. Everyone in the room was free, including Zhi, the Emperor, his guards and the Imuchakk. He floated to the top of the room, eager to see how this play would reach climax, almost wishing he had a snack to occupy him as the tensions in the room drove to a crescendo, ready to burst at any moment.

“Well, actors in the play of Fate. How shall this tale play out? Does El Nagi take the throne or does the Emperor return to the seat of power? Will the Kou infiltrators have their piece of the action? Will the Imuchakk have their treaty?”

The Emperor’s guards raised their weapons and backed toward their ruler, ready to defend against attacks, one facing Zhi and the other facing Lagi and the magician. The Imuchakk gave vicious grins, weapons at the ready while Asisiak stood and moved to Garret, grabbing the back of his shirt, ensuring he would not try to snake his way out of their agreement, then turned her attention to the center of the room, waiting for a decision between the two men.

Garret sat cross-legged within the bubble, listening to Lagi's words, judging what he said. The tension of the moment was upon him, and the excitement and adrenaline that was flowing through him due to the heated proposals almost threatened to cause Garret to speak in an impassioned voice. The man spoke and his charisma stirred Garret's beliefs.

It was at that point, however, that Lagi spoke a sentence that chilled Garret's blood. The heat of the moment was over as soon as he mentioned it being 'easy' to accept fate. Garret stood within the bubble, opening his eyes narrowly, his gaze fixated upon Lagi. A thin frown crossed his face. He recalled the time, in the past, when his uncle had violated him as a child. How his powerlessness had caused him to curse his life, even as he stabbed the sick man to death. The unforgiving training from his foster father, Takahashi Sato, and the constant teasing from Rin. The frustrations of being sabotaged by an incompetent member of their own nation. The torture and prison time he had endured. And yet this man claims this 'easy' to accept? He vaguely heard Asisiak speaking to him, and he absently nodded his head in agreement.

The bubbles around them were suddenly removed. When Garret landed, he bent his knees before slowly standing up in order to continue to face Lagi. The supposed 'ally' of the illegitimate son of their Emperor had some words of his own to say. Garret cared little for the man's machinations; the strength the citizens needed was a firm and caring hand, and Kou could create the reforms necessary to bring the people of the world together.

Asisiak stood by Garret's side, grabbing his shirt from behind, but that hardly registered in Garret's mind. The passion of his earlier feelings smoldered beyond a wall within his mind. A hard edge entered Garret's speech as he commented on what Lagi had said, and Garret heard himself as if listening through the ears of another.  "I would gauge only your care for the people. Your standings are certainly backed by an insight that could only be made by those who know their people..." Garret paused, carefully choosing his words.

"Yet you are missing another point, man of the El Nagi clan. You say you are concerned with agreeing to rule in the stead of Kou? Do you believe yourself to have the leverage in this proposition to lay claim to the throne otherwise? It is a forgone conclusion that the current Emperor will be disposed of." Garret referred to the fact that they now had the agreement of Asisiak, the leader of the Imuchakk, which removed an ally that Reim could make use of; even if Asisiak would not assist them in the war, Garret would be content that they do not support Reim. Added to that was the current state of the throne room, and the hidden state of many Reim officials who had already joined Kou's side, albeit secretly, left Lagi without many chips to put forward in this bid.

"Your facilitation of this will simply make the end results easier. Faster. The deal that is being offered to you is strictly ruling this continent on behalf of Kou. It's people will all be considered Kou citizens, with all of the rights that entails without any need to go through what would be the normal process. Specific legal rules and rights that you may want to allow them to have will be yours to decide as well, of course. Garret disliked explaining this to the man, but he could not fault him for being suspicious. Especially with the point he brought up with his offering of Zhi, which would seem cold-hearted to a man who did not know the way Zhi handled things, as well as the background of the man himself.

"You fear retaliation? Do you understand who this man is? He is the illegitimate son of the Emperor. He is a man who will sacrifice imprisoned humans in order to forward his agenda. He is a man who will allow all manners of disrespect to fall upon him without retaliation; a man without a backbone. He is a man who chooses allies poorly, and is unable to read the limits of the assistance they will provide him." Garret paused, for effect, as he recalled the moment when Zhi had asked them if they would lay their lives down for the Emperor, if they would simply die if they were told to die. Garret had warned the man then that his interests lay with strengthening the Empire, and all of his actions since had only shown Garret the shadow of a weak and ineffective ruler.

"Mr. El Nagi. This man is not fit to lead. His leadership will cause the decay of this country, and that is the bargaining tool you have on your side; my care for the people." Garret paused, making it apparent what his stance was on the matter of the man who everyone believed that Garret should trust.

Shaking his head, Garret continued "The Emperor, you say? He himself knew little of Zhi until a few weeks ago. Did you know the Emperor believes this man's existence to be a stain on his honor? You mention the Coliseum is a time-honored tradition of Reim, yes? We of Kou also value honor and tradition to a very great extent. Did you know that it is a time-honored tradition of Kou for an outsider to fight a Kou soldier in order to join our country? If anything, the Emperor would approve of your rule if you were to slay him."

Garret then nodded, confirming one of Lagi's fears. "We intend to tear down the walls of discrimination. The division of the people who constantly bicker and fight over land is something that should be ended. Will your people think you a traitor? At first, some may. It is your chance to prove yourself, however, as a wise and worthwhile ruler. You say it would be for your own benefit, but so long as that coincides with the creation of a better society then that would be enough. A ruler has the responsibility of leading their people to the future; if you could not do that much, then what kind of ruler would you be? If you cannot rule well, then it will only be a matter of time before you are killed; with or without my hand in the matter. However, if you ever grossly misuse your power, I will level all the resources at my disposal to your removal." Garret paused, allowing Lagi to consider his words.

By now, his adrenaline had died down, and the hard line left Garret's voice. The conversation was exhausting. "Choose, Mr. El Nagi. Will you duel a man of Kou, Zhi, and take your place as the ruler of this land? Or will you choose to continue to fight, delaying the inevitable?"

Lagi listened intently as the man continued to speak, he was also irritated that people tossed his name around lightly when they idnt introduce themselves. That was just plain rude, but Lagi didn’t care too much about that. The man brought some pretty good points, but Lagi wasn’t too keen on threats. “Heh? You must take me pretty lightly if you think you could send lackeys to do the job for you, you’re much better off coming to see me yourself if you had a problem. Anyway, I see you won Asisiak over. I guess position does mean a lot, a Zou man’s way with words against a Reim man’s way of action. The fact that we fought side by side together speaks volumes, I am a person you can count on. Oh well, looks like I have no other choice then. You have a deal…”Lagi would say as proceeded to move at 15 m/s towards Zhi with his hidden blade in hand, aiming straight for the chest of the man. “I’ll humor them for now; let’s see what happens after I kill this man? Lagi was sure that this man didn’t have anything too special about himself that Lagi needed to be aware of.

After having made the offer, Azix was content to stand by while Lagi and Garret hammered out the details. At first Lagi hesitated, which Azix could respect, if he hadn't, well that would have shown a different side of Lagi. The El Nagi presented his concerns for the safety of the Reim citizens as well as his own life, a valid concern. Yet, if Lagi could not handle the duties of a leader, then he shouldn't be on the throne anymore than the current Emperor. Azix hoped Lagi would step up to the task, they shared similar ideals wanting to give people a chance to prove their worth, rather than letting them rot in poverty without an opportunity. With Asisiak accepting the treaty between Imuchakk and Kou, it seemed Lagi was backed up in a corner.

When Lagi flew forward, Azix tensed for a moment thinking the El Nagi was going for him, but he flew past towards Zhi. Seeing that Lagi was currently accepting the deal, Azix turned his attention to the Emperor. "For the sins of letting those suffer, I sentence you to death."

Raising his staff, Azix conjured Kage Youshiki, a shadowy mass that formed before the point of his staff. The mass launched forward at 15 m/s and landed near the Emperor's feet, forming a 15 meter diameter seal, rimmed in purple light. Azix ignored the guards protecting the Emperor, instead directing fifteen tendrils towards the doomed ruler himself. The tendrils would pierce the man's body at 15 m/s, aiming at different points of his limbs. Azix was giving the guards a choice to protect their charge, to attack Azix, or to surrender to the inevitable.

In the back of his mind, Azix felt sorry for betraying Zhi's trust, the would-be Usurper was only trying to do what he thought was right. While Zhi would not have made a good leader, his heart was in the right place. He also hoped Garret wouldn't question Azix's loyalty for the betrayal.

[95/250 magoi]

Spoiler:

Asisiak loosened her grip on Garret when Lagi sped towards Zhi and lodged a blade in him. She nodded to her men to keep a sharp eye on the guards in case of interference. While she found the whole ordeal rather distasteful and dishonorable, it was a means to an end, with her end receiving aid for her people. She was willing to do anything for that, even watch as not one, but two men were killed in the name of a haphazard peace between these people.

Zhi was still in utter shock that the Contractor would do nothing as the others in the room made deals and did not have time to avoid the blade slicing into him. The Emperor beside him had a similar reaction as Azix’ attack struck home, even the guards baffled at the speed and shock of one of their own turning on the Emperor. With little other choice, they immediately dropped their weapons and bowed to Lagi, their apparent new ruler. Avenging the dead Emperor would not return a ruler to the throne and these men had ensured that at least one of Reim would sit on the throne.

The Contractor clapped slowly as the guards fell to the ground in a show of respect and acceptance of the deal. Having a Dark King Vessel on the throne being overseen by the magicians would ensure a balance would likely remain in the area, and as such, he was pleased with the outcome. He touched his cane to his top hat, his voice echoing out, “Pleasure doing business with you, gentleman and lady. You will be seeing more of me, I am sure.” With those last words, he waved his cane and a portal appeared behind him which he backed into, the portal closing around him quickly.



A cloaked man stood near a fallen soldier, tsking as people were scattering about in the chaos. He knelt beside the fallen soldier, a small orb glimmering in his hand, his lips whispering to the fallen man.

“Rise. It is not yet your time. You have not fulfilled your fate, soldier. Stand. Recover. Fight. Rise up and fulfill your destiny.”

The fallen soldier gave a sharp gasp as he was pulled back from the clutches of death. The cloaked man spread a dark cloak over the man, tucking the orb into the man’s pocket. The resurrection had been successful, but the soldier would still need much time to recover. As the man stood, he made sure to cover the soldiers face under the hood of the cloak, assisting him to a nearby building and helping him inside.

((You may now make as many posts as necessary to finish the thread to your satisfaction. Solomon's Proxy will not be posting again unless needed.))

Lagi looked down the dead body of Zhi as he dealt the A rank damage to him, it was a pity that such a kind man would have died. Was that the fate of all men of kindness? If that was the case, Lagi was happy that he turned when he did. It would have spared him a horrible death, or maybe he was preventing it for the time being? Lagi walked over to the throne of the Reim king and dusted it off with his hand. Afterwards, Lagi took his seat and discontinued his dark Djinn equip. “This chair welcomes my ass with such grace; it could only be the chair of a king.” Lagi would say as a dark laughter would be emitted from his vocal cords and echoed throughout the throne room. “ Guards, you may stand. This war is over, tell General Hei Lu about the updated situation and to greet the new king. We have a lot of cleaning up to do, and policies to arrange. I will also be having a meeting with the Zou representatives that he will have to attend, its mandatory. “Afterwards, Lagi would look at the two individuals as he relaxed his posture on the throne. “You guys went through the trouble; it would only be fair for a little bonus. You are strong, but what does it hurt to be a little stronger? I could point you in the right direction if you are interested in having a power like mine. Trust me, the feeling is exhilarating once you get used to it. But that’s only if you are strong enough to claim it for yourselves, destiny is a funny thing. As a result, I have no destiny. But in exchange, I’m left with possibilities. Are you willing to trade the one direction of your life for a limitless way-point?“ It was just a small gesture of appreciation, direction these two men to Basil would prove for an interesting turnabout. If they had the same potential for darkness that lurked within their hearth that Lagi did, they could give birth to another dark king.

-Exit

OOC: This is an open ended question that can be answered in any way that you want. You can say your peace and exit afterwards...and start the other thread