The Big Picture[Plot/Lagi]

There would be no rest for Lagi El Nagi amidst the turbulent times brought down upon Reim. The morning after his midnight meeting with The Contractor, the Imuchakk that had long been a thorn in the Kings side decided to pay him a visit. In the early hours of the day, Yakuroro approached the palace only to be received by concerned guards with spears at the ready. The Imuchakk could hardly blame the men for being on guard and simply smiled courteously at them as he spread empty palms showing them that he was unarmed. "The King still accepts appointments from the public, does he not? I'm just here to talk." Yaku said without a single drop of hostility in his tone. The guards let Yakuroro pass, but not without an entourage of soldiers to escort him to the palace door.

Once inside, Yakuroro was handed over to another security team and taken to the reception desk where he was told to fill out a simple form.

Name: Yakuroro
Race: Imuchakk
Country: Reim
Reason: To discuss flowers and rivers.

Yakuroro falsely identified himself as being from Reim since the country was open about taking in citizens. There would be no way to prove it a lie. But the reason he gave would seem most odd to the receptionist. The Imuchakk had come to speak of plants and water? It was a strange pretense on which to meet the King, but even stranger still...it was the honest truth. Yakuroro planned to speak with King Lagi about these seemingly trivial subjects for a very important reason. Alas, one could hardly tell such motivations from simply looking at the innocently dumb smile that was on the Imuchakk's face.

When the paper work was done and handed over, Yakuroro allowed the palace guards to pat him down. They would find no hidden weapons nor any magic tools and Marax's Metal Vessel was hardly even noticed during the check. The ring was already hidden by the magician's long sleeves and its magic circle was obscured by a mist pattern engraved upon the ring. With the check completed, there was nothing else to do but wait for when King Lagi was ready to receive him. As he was brought to the waiting room it seemed as though Yakuroro was the first applicant of the day looking to meet with Lagi El Nagi. Hopefully that meant it would be a short wait.

Lagi received the next audience request and noticed Yakuroro’s name. “…..” Did Yakuroro take him for a fool? Did this man really come here to speak about flowers and other trivial matters unrelated to the rebellion? This was turning out to be worse and worse for Lagi, the image of the contractor taking his Djinn away from him was the only  on his mind. Lagi truly felt like he was surrounded by people that were out to get him.” What shall we do sire?”  One of Lagi’s advisors, Hidan, looked at the king with some concern on his face.  He personally didn’t want the Imuchakk anywhere near his king. However, Lagi decided to see him anyway. “ Send him in…”

Yakuroro would have been brought to the throne room and taken to the center of the area. The guards were on the ready and Lagi’s personal guard would stand tall and firm. However, one of the most notable things in the room was the Look on Lagis face. It was a mixture of sadness, confusion, and disbelief. Even though he did his best to hide it, there was definitely something that was bothering Lagi. On top of that, he was so upset that he wasn’t even drinking alcohol. “ Yakuroro,  we’ve been running into each other a lot now. You asked for an audience, I have inclined myself as the king of reim to end an ear to the voice of the people.   However, I wasn’t expecting to see you here to inquire about flowers and rivers.

When the escort came for him, Yakuroro was seated uncomfortably in a chair that was clearly made for humans and not Imuchakk. After making a lighthearted joke that they needed bigger chairs, the magician stood and allowed the guards to take him deeper into the palace. The Imuchakk gave them no further trouble as he was led to the throne room, but his unwavering smile might have made them uneasy considering the tense situation. By all rights, Yakuroro should have no reason to visit the palace in the mind of most people. At least no peaceful, good intentioned, reason.

Arriving in the large throne room, Yakuroro stepped gracefully towards the middle of the room where he was instructed to stand. Since the moment he had entered the throne room, Yakuroro's attention had been on Lagi's rukh. The black advent of depravity no longer hung around him like a stagnant air. Yakuroro didn't know why, but it was a boon all the same. Perhaps there was hope that words might reach the young King after all.

The large blue haired magician made no comments until Lagi spoke. The Imuchakk blinked and cocked his head to the side while keeping his smile ever plastered upon his face. "Inquire?" A sudden flash of mischief would be reflected in the magician's eyes although none but Lagi would be able to see it. "You seem to misunderstand. I'm here to discuss the subject. True, I might pose questions, but the importance of this meeting is for you and I to come to a mutual understanding." Yakuroro said truthfully before clenching his left hand into a fist and muttering under his breath. "Dwell in my body...Marax."


Light clad the Imuchakk's body and wrapped him in his djinn equip before any of the guards could act on his suspicious whispering. Now that he had transformed before their very eyes however, they were sure to tack action against the sudden threat against their King. Prepared for this, Yakuroro immediately made use of Marx Replication to create twenty clones of himself gathered around the King Vessel in all directions. But these clones were just a shroud to cover Yakuroro's real actions as he performed Marx Vanish amidst the copies.

The clones would make no efforts to fight back and would be destroyed from a single attack from even the weakest of Lagi's guards. But it wouldn't matter even if they destroyed every last one. By the time the clones were defeated, Yakuroro would already be floating just above Lagi invisible and unseen. "I'll be borrowing your King." Yakuroro would say as he reached down to pluck Lagi up into the air by his collar only to wrap the King in a single large arm. "I'll bring him back, promise~" The Imuchakk would muse before ascending into the air at top speed only to cleave his way through the throne room ceiling as well.

Assuming Lagi struggled, he would have to fight against the djinn equipped Imuchakk's arm wrapped around his torso in a manner that limited the movement of his arms. But such resistance wouldn't be needed. It would only take a couple seconds for Yakuroro to fly to the top of a tower on the palace rooftop that was impossible to access without using ropes or scaffolding from the outside. There, he would gently set Lagi down and step away from him only to discard his Djinn Equip.

The power of the Djinn broke away from Yakuroro's body and he immediately took a crosslegged seat. "Sorry about that, I needed to be sure we were able to speak in private. Please, take a seat." Yakuroro said gesturing in front of him.

Magoi: 230/300

Spoiler:

There was actually something to discuss other than Yakuroro’s constant meddling. As a matter of fact, Lagi kind of got used to having Yakuroro around and telling people whatever he was telling them. Even if it turned out to be bad publicity, it was still publicity. Lagi couldn’t really pick up on the sense of mischief that Yakuroro was up to, but this was a man that sounded against him for a while. As of now, this man wanted a neutral understanding?” I’m pretty sure that I understand quite well Yakuroro……” Suddenly, Yakuroro turned into some kind of demon like knight of some sort.
The majority of the royal registered Yakuroro as an immediate threat and went to attack, but was soon swarmed by clones of the man. “Protect the King!” Everyone was striking out gallantly against the illusions, not fully being aware of what kind of sorcery this was in the first place. “ Dammit…. Or-“ Lagi was about to synchronize with Orie to use some of her abilities, and snap his way out of this mess with the power of his ruler gem. However, Snap shockwave would have been too dangerous. Lagi would be in danger of hitting his own guards, the only thing that he could do at this moment was believe in their ability to protect him.

That was of course, until Lagi was taken away from Yakuroro in his djinn equip. Even though Yakuroro’s words of returning the king seemed sincere, Hidan wasn’t buying it. “ King Lagi!!!!!” He called out to the young king, practically cursing himself of not realizing the potential of the Imuchakk and guarding Lagi better. “The rebels?! Call everyone, we need to find him NOW!”



Meanwhile……

Lagi didn’t struggle too much, he figured that he would be too much important alive than dead if this was some sort of plot. If Yakuroro really did want to talk, Lagi would figure that he wouldn’t be dying so soon. After starting the Contractor in the face yesterday, what’s this to him at all? Once Lagi was released into the tower and Yakuroro asked him to take a seat, Lagi grunted before sitting down. “ First the contractor and now you? Is this destined for me to be the worst week? What is it that you really want Yakuroro? I’m not going to make any threats, but I’ll have you know that it kind of seems like you spat in my face after I allowed you to step into the castle, regardless of what the guards think about you. “ Lagi was curious as to what Yakuroro was even seeing now. “ You look so damm comfortable around me right now. Oh…..oh…. so you noticed huh?” Lagi was referring to his Rukh, how could something so complex change overnight? It would confuse most magicians.

((Your rukh would still be black. Until something happens plot wise to reverse depravity that is. Might want to talk to staff about that since canon-wise it's supposed to be impossible to change back after falling into depravity fully. I just wrote that it wasn't present because nothing about what you posted suggested that the rukh would be excited and clearly visible. But don't worry, part of my intent with this thread is to help Lagi return to white rukh.))

Yakuroro's eyes narrowed right away at the mention of the contractor, but he would not interrupt Lagi despite wanting to ask just who that was. Instead, Yakuroro waited patiently and listened to what the young king had to say. He spoke of destiny and a flutter of black rukh danced around Lagi's head in response to his spiteful reference to fate. Yakuroro's body tensed, but he did not act on the fears held within. The Imuchakk knew more about the black rukh now than he ever did and this dulled the sense of terror the black rukh filled him with. For now anyways, thankfully they were small in number and not nearly as rampant in Lagi's presence as before.

When Lagi had said his peace, Yakuroro shook his head at the reference to some kind of change. "Hmm? Noticed what?...Well, that can wait for later. I'll answer both your first two questions even though one wasn't for me." The Imuchakk's voice was soft and calm unlike Lagi would have ever heard it. The impeccable mask of friendliness on the magician's voice spoke of good intentions as he went on, "It is destined to be the kind of week you make for yourself. Fate might put us in hard spots due to the actions of other people. But how you live through those times is up to you. Destiny can only set the stage, it's up to us to decide what role we wish to play...That brings me to what it is I want. I've decided on the role I'm going to play...have you?"

The Imuchakk then gave pause to let his words sink in. They were somewhat cryptic, but simple enough that a child could understand the gist of what he was trying to say. Once it looked like Lagi had ample time to think, Yakuroro continued. "What do you know of flowers, King Lagi? They are simple life not fit to be called "creatures" by most men, but they are no less alive than any beast. All flowers start as a seed. They rest in the soil until sprouting at which point the earth around them gives all they need to live. Eventually the flowers grow and bud, blossoming for a time before wilting and returning to the earth that spawned them...But while the flower may die, it spreads seeds during its lifetime which grow to become new flowers. Do you understand why I am telling you all this?"

Yakuroro's words were intricately tied into his prior call for Lagi to step down from his throne as well as a direct reference to his fate. But all would likely not be clear just yet. Yakuroro wanted to see how Lagi handled this coded message first before explaining it. There was also the matter of rivers to discuss before all could be revealed...

My role huh? "Lagi was somewhat amused as to what Yakuroro was going to say. He didn’t know what this man had in store, but Lagi had his own set of ideals that he was going to follow through wholeheartedly. As for the flower comment, Lagi had a specific answer as to what these flowers mean. “Let me make a guess, the flowers that are here now would serve as the current human generation of today. The seeds are supposed to count for all of the children that come from the flowers, that are supposed to bloom and blossom into a new field. A repeated cycle, with us leaving the next generation something to look back on and something to look forward to.”


Lagi kind of figured that he hit the mark somewhat, but there was no telling if it was true yet. He would play Yakuroro’s game for now.

Yakuroro gave a bemused smile and reached up to scratch his head, "Well, that interpretation isn't wrong. It was a good response, but I'm looking at it from a slightly different angle. No matter, I'll go more into that shortly..." The Imuchakk appreciated the insight into Lagi's perception. While Yakuroro had developed an image of the El Nagi King based on his actions as a ruler, this was the first time they were truly speaking to one another as fellow men. It cast the young King in a different light and this response in particular showed that Lagi was capable of thinking on a larger scale. Seeing the flower analogy to be representative of an optimistic look at humanity was a good sign that there was more beneath Lagi's crown than a despot.

Encouraged that this talk might have been worth the while after all, Yakuroro moved on to the next subject. He would return to the flowers later to explain his own view, but first there was more to be said. "But first, let us talk of rivers now. Each one has a flow. A current that moves ever forward and over time it possesses the power to erode even stone. People can dam them or create irrigation paths to change a river's flow, but the water never stops moving. Even the droplets that come to rest in a pond or a field of crops do not remain there for long in the grand scheme of things. It returns to the sky or becomes part of a plant which in turn becomes part of a person." Yakuroro let his eyes fall closed for a brief second and when he opened them again there was a greater weight behind his gaze. The Imuchakk now looking at Lagi with the eyes of a King Vessel rather than the deceptive friendly mask. "What do you think would happen if droplets of water had strong wills of their own though? What happens if one decides to go against the flow? One droplet going against the might of an entire river might not be terrible, but say there were many or that the one droplet had the force of a thousand. What do you think would happen?"

You know, this is kind of related to the invoking word for the djinn I used to have named Balek. Do you know what it was? It was rebel; the droplets that were going against the flow might even be a rebellion against fate itself. When such a thing happens, a lot of bad things can happen if enough black rukh is cultivated all at once, that’s what Ariella told me. I guess the same could happen in reverse, if a lot of white rukh is gathered in one place. “

Lagi had an idea perhaps, but he wanted to see the big picture that Yakuroro was trying to make him see. “ The river, the current flow of things, it can definitely be described as an idealistic flow of life. It’s always changing and one might not like the way it moves. If what I said is true, I could assume that you are about to say that these droplets that are causing the flow is caused by me? Or are you saying that I am the droplet?“ This time, Lagi was going to ask some questions of his own. He was playing along, but he didn’t like to be toyed with a lot.

"Used to?" It was news to Yakuroro that Lagi had lost his djinn although that explained why the King hadn't used its power to stop the Imuchakk from bringing him here. "Nevermind, go on." Yakuroro was curious about that but it was a question for later much like his inquiries about the contractor. Yakuroro listened intently as Lagi spoke about his djinn and found it to sound rather...different from the two Djinn Yakuroro had encountered. Marax and Gremory had themes unlike this supposed Balek. "Rebel" was an odd way to invoke a djinn's power even if it was one that had somehow fallen into depravity. Would the djinn not still have its old embodied aspects? Or had rebelliousness been the Djinn's calling since the start? While Lagi called it a Djinn, based on the rumors of its black monstrous form and this information, Yakuroro was beginning to think that Balek wasn't a djinn at all. At least not the same kind as Marax. No, it was sounding more similar to the abomination Yaku fought in Heliohapt.

"I've seen first hand what happens when a great quantity of black rukh gather. A third of Heliohapt's capital was obliterated in mere minutes. It is not a tragedy I would like to see repeated..."

Then came the response to Yakuroro's riddle about rivers. He let out a full laugh that bellowed from his belly when Lagi was done replying. Holding up a hand, Yakuroro gave his apologies for the rudeness of breaking out into laughter, "Bwahahahahahaaa!...Sorry, I apologize for my lack of manners. It's just that I didn't think you would take this question to be so figuratively. Forget about linking the droplet to a person for now. Lets approach this literally and without analogies. That's what the flower talk was for. What do you think about the river and the droplet were it just that. A river and a droplet."

A third of Heliohapt's capital?!” This was news to Lagi, he didn’t know that Black Rukh could be so destructive. How could such a thing be cultivated in his own home. There was a saying that went like this, “Don’t shit where you eat” Black Rukh was defiantly breaking out that philosophy in full force. Lagi wasn’t necessarily taking it offensively for Yakuroro to laugh at him; he was rather and cool and calm for the majority of the time. “ When you put it that way, I guess black Rukh is a bit unhealthy for my country if simply having it could risk its destruction. That’s one thing that I don’t want. “

Lagi felt like he had nothing to lose, and maybe this information could be better in Yakuroro’s hands. “You know, maybe that incident in Heliohapt and the contractor is related. I lost my djinn yesterday, or better yet, it was taken back. I wasn’t much of a model citizen when it came to being a user of a dark Djinn, there was hardly a flutter of black rukh around me. Perhaps it’s because I realized that I never really hated my old man at all, and I found something important to me and the clan’s future. It made me hopeful, that fate wasn’t as bad as I thought it to be. ”

Lagi was going off topic but he made sure to stay on track. “ This is a bit unrelated but maybe it’ll open your eyes a bit more to the dark metal vessels, the requirements of having one. I was not supposed to take this vessel and do good with it. I was supposed to reject my Fate and then make others reject theirs. That vessel was not given to me to lead people down a path of peace and happiness; it was given to me to spread Depravity across this globe. The contractor seems to be pulling some strings, the gathering of black king candidates, accumulating black rukh to the point of self-destruction for the things you are fighting for. Its bitter sweet, I have no doubt my mind that this man has something to do with this. He was thrilled when I took the throne, but I didn’t end up doing what he wanted. I’m sure there’s a point to you kidnapping me temporarily.

At Lagi's comment about Black rukh being truly dangerous for his country, Yakuroro closed his eyes and shook his head slowly before giving a brief response. "I can't say that I know the conditions required for such devastation to take place. The true nature of black rukh remains elusive to me, but I can't imagine it not being connected..." Yaku didn't want Lagi to believe that even the slightest manifestation of black rukh could lead to his countries downfall. While the Imuchakk himself had held similar fears not too long ago, recent revelations from speaking with Gremory gave him a bigger view of the world. Black rukh was a dangerous tool, but the ones responsible for using that tool in Heliohapt were likely the real threat to be wary of.

Yakuroro was expecting Lagi to respond to his question about rivers, but Lagi seemed to think that there were more important things to discuss. Deciding it was pointless to interrupt the young king, the magician remained quiet and listened to what Lagi had to say. The name "Contractor" came up again and Lagi's experience seemed to validify what Gremory had told Yakuroro in the dungeon. Yakuroro no longer thought this man to be a demon, but rather a victim unknowingly thrust amidst the larger plot of another. While he did not feel this gave Lagi the right to sit on the throne, he did not see any signs of lying reflected in the El Nagi heir's eyes as he testified. The information about the contractor was a great boon born from this conversation and Yakuroro felt as though it gave him a more substantial lead on who was truly behind the advent of black rukh across the world. The Imuchakk was already fearful of what schemes were playing out elsewhere. Did the contractor's machinations extend to Balbadd, Magnostadt, and Kou as well? If spreading depravity all over the world was really the Contractor's goal, then even Yakuroro's homeland of Imuchakk was not safe.

When Lagi brought up why Yakuroro had "kidnapped" him, Yaku held up a hand and shook his head again, "I just wanted to talk as we are doing right now. The point of the subjects, flowers and rivers, was to learn how you think and what kind of person you are. Before today, we were still very much strangers, you and I. Despite how many times we've clashed in the past. I was inside the last dungeon to touch Reim, Gremory. There, the djinn told me that black rukh was caused by a rejection of ones own fate and that it stoked negative emotions and was a powerful tool for starting wars. This opened my eyes enough to see that you were not a monster simply because you had black rukh. The real enemy is likely the one who gave you your djinn. Gremory told me that he knew of no djinn corrupted by depravity, which means this Contractor is either forcing the state upon Djinn or he has found a way to make power very similar to a Djinn. Either way, it is dangerous to let the man roam freely." The Imuchakk's voice held a warning tone as he spoke of the Contractor and his gaze held steady on Lagi in hopes of discerning whether or not he agreed.

But as much of a benefit this talk had been, it was straying from what Yakuroro had planned to talk about. "I thank you for telling me what you knew about the Contractor. But unless you know where he can be found, there is a more pressing matter we can address now. The seed I spoke of before was an analogy for you and your fate. When you are born, you have no power. The world around you determines how much you are nurtured and your growth to blossom is dependant on our surroundings. But this is only the beginning. That situation, much like the flower, will wilt in time and pass. It is then that countless doors to a new future will open up before you. Based on what you've told me, I'd say you are at that crossroads in your life. Each seed you've created is the fruit of your own efforts and no one elses. Much like the flower, you needed the world to reach this point, but the results of your labors are your own. When those seeds spread and take root, you will have moved fate forward."

Realizing that he was becoming somewhat cryptic once more, Yakuroro simplified things down, "In other words, fate has brought you to a turning point. But where you decide to go from here is entirely your decision and no one can be blamed for the outcome. Not even fate itself. Whether or not we linger on the past or look forward is up to us. The true meaning of fate isn't to blindly accept the way the world is. But to accept what happened to you and move forward to create a tomorrow you can be proud of. Do you understand?"

“….” Lagi was silent at first, weighing the blue haired magicians words and figuring out the correct response as to what he would say to them. “I call a spade a spade Yakuroro, you are right. As a matter of fact, I hope you are right. All I wanted was some kind of control over my destiny,  I wanted something genuine that defined me, not to be a product of anyone else. Reflected upon my own goals and dreams, I wanted to achieve that, and I wanted that  ideal to be shared, not forced. “ Lagi would then go into the seeds that he set. “ Reim is going into a new direction, self-sufficiency through the use of  unique and amazingly gifted animals in order to improve our lifestyles. They were never made to take jobs,  it was for the sake of cooperating them in order for everyone to lead better lives.  That was always my intention,  along with my love for animals.  People misunderstand me, I think I am always misunderstood, but I guess that is a product of fate in itself. “

Lagi would then target a more serious matter, his kingship. “ Last time I spoke to you, it was about a legitimate heir. Would fate have it that way? For a heir to simply exist and take over for the sake of having me off?  If fate is the natural occurrences of like that we live through, wouldn’t it meant that my seat on the throne was also fate?  Was this all a bet on the future for me to become a man deserving to sit on this throne someday? While surrounded by people unwilling to watch me grow and become that man?  I could have said no that day, the Kou emperors son could have took the throne for himself and we would be having a different conversation. The numerous amount of decisions have led us here,    but the more I think about black rukh and the contractor, a question arises for you Yakuroro.”  Lagi had a stern tone in his voice when he asked this question. “AS a dark king candidate, my rukh was changed to black after being swallowed by despair, I gained a dark power, and the ability to manipulate and govern my own fate.   I was off the record, an uncounted anomaly in the face of fate that nothing could determine through precognition. Is this the product of being a king candidate, or is this the product of dark rukh? I personally don’t believe that it’s evil, being able to control your fate like that, not if you can use it to create a miracle.  Defying the fate of unfair deaths to a family ,a family, destruction of  a city, a change to continue to live grow, love each other their culture.  My honest desires color me white, my passion and love.  And yet, my defiance is so misunderstood that it could only be labeled as black,  when I love myself, my family, my friends, my people, and reim. Maybe this is the crossroads, am I asking for too much?”

It was confusing, Lagi was trying to grasp something here, but he didn’t know. There was a look of confusion on his face . “If it is a product of black rukh, I no longer desire a power that can hurt my country.  If it’s a product of being a king candidate, I need to be a candidate once more.  I desire a power to create a miracle, that’s not governed by the backlash of fate.

Yakuroro was unsure of what exactly it was that Lagi was asking, but he was confident that the answer this young human sought was not held by any one person. Even were he to consult a magician a thousand times more wise than Yakuroro, none could tell him exactly how to live his life in order to achieve a certain outcome. Lagi himself would have to find that answer by walking forward through life despite whatever challenges might present themselves. But one thing was clear. While Lagi had good intentions, his vision was too narrow. "I think that in order to answer all your questions, first we much talk about what you mentioned before...being misunderstood. I'm not sure if you realize this, but that misunderstanding is born out of your own misunderstanding of others. You wanted the animals you love to make people's lives better, a noble cause. But you did not consider the people themselves or the impact it could have on them as individuals. So long as the beast is doing a job better than humans can, they will steal jobs from them. Why would a construction guild hire the same 10 men when they have giant apes able to do the work of several humans? Yes, some workers are still needed for skilled labor, but they would only need to hire four or five to get the job done since animals handle the heavy lifting. It isn't wrong to help people, but introducing these beasts into the workforce primarily helps the rich. Those who own land and can afford to hire other people. It will not truly improve the lives of those who live at the bottom of the pyramid unless the beasts are so efficient that no one ever need work a day in their lives again. Even if you could achieve such a utopia, that kind of world would likely have its own problems and burdens."

Yakuroro hoped to give Lagi a glimpse of a view that stretched beyond his intentions. "When you take a step back, it becomes easier to see the good and bad behind things even when at first glance, they might seem to be purely one or the other." As he spoke, Yakuroro used his hands to represent good and bad. He brought his hands together at first and clasped his fingers in such a way that it was somewhat difficult to tell which hand each finger belonged to before pulling the hands apart so that it was obviously clear. "I won't say that your decision to use those animals was wrong. But it achieves the opposite of your hopes which means you were not looking at the big picture. The same could be said of your concerns over an heir."

"The important part is not that a blood successor to the late Emperor be found. Nor would it be for the sake of having you removed from the throne. Anyone fitting legal justification would do. A nobleman. A general. The point is that Reim's governance is rightfully inherited by someone as dictated by the countries laws themselves. There are some among the people who will never be satisfied with your rule no matter how many great things you do. The same goes for if I took the throne. A country's leader should bring its people together, not tear them apart because they can't agree on whether or not he deserves to lead them. Fate may have led you to sit upon a throne at one point in your life, but this does not mean you are fated to be there. As I said before, it is your own will and the actions of those around you that created that scenario. Even your actions taken with your rukh stained black are a part of the great flow that is fate. You never needed that power to manipulate your own fate in the first place. That power comes from here."

Yakuroro reached out and placed he tip of his finger over Lagi's heart.

"All you need to wield that power is the will and the decision to move forward. If it is the 'you' of right now, then surely you can see that the evil of black rukh had nothing to do with the power you gained and the fate you made for yourself." While Yakuroro had no knowledge of this himself, the words would likely resonate with Lagi in regards to his father. When Lagi accepted the black rukh's power it was on the drive to gain vengeance upon his own flesh and blood. Had he succumbed to its influence then father and son would never have been able to reconcile and the acceptance Lagi now enjoyed from Roak would have been replaced with a bloody corpse that could give him neither acceptance nor hatred. Only silence and regret.

"As a magician, I've learned that there is always more to things than we initially believe."

((Sorry for the late post. Tried to make it of good quality to make up for the wait!))

“My ….heart?” Lagi was a bit stunned for the moment,  he wouldn’t have guessed that Yakuroro  made sense with his words. “You have a point; I had my chance to kill my father when we fought.  But then I realized something, I wasn’t as mad as I thought I was, I felt that it was pointless to kill him. Your own flesh and blood,  I wanted to believe that there was a chance that I could reconcile with him in the back of my head.  I always had that thought,  and then I realized that the black rukh was never really in control of me.  Everything was based off of my choices and free will,  the temptation of destruction and carnage was replaced with wine and women. I never had the kind of desire to kill my father, but I would think that there is no going back if  I did. I’m glad I didn’t, even if we still wouldn’t have gotten along, I don’t regret my choice.”

Lagi would then mull over the words of the magician. “You are right; I guess that fate is all led up to interpretation. There are bright sides and down sides to my methods, there would always be some kind of backlash from the manta’s and the ravenous smashers. They won’t accept it, but it helps with progression. As for the proper heir, if that time ever does come and they desire the throne,  I will uphold my promise to the people of Reim. They will never see me again.  Well, I’m accepting of that outcome as well. However, this war is going to happen. The Kou emperor does not believe in diplomacy, we would have to fend them off forcefully if we are ever going to gain back our independence from Kou occupancy.  When that happens, what will you do?“

"I won't let that happen." Yakuroro said in regards to the Kou invasion. "I'm going to do everything I can to slow down Kou's invasion. Kou believes they can take Reim because the people are conflicted. For better or worse, you rule has caused a large change Reim's stability. One reason why this talk is so important is that you are the lynchpin at the center of all this. That promise you mentioned is actually the only one I'd advise you to break." Yakuroro made a grunt of effort as he got to his feet and stretched. "The people of Reim would not be any better off if they shunned you into obscurity. What they really need is your helping hand." As Yakuroro said this, he offered his hand to help Lagi to his feet in a symbolic gesture.

"If I could ask you anything, it would be that you continue to fight for Reim. Just leave the ruling to someone else. Ideally, the people would rule themselves. The first thing I would do after a rightful ruler was put into place is convince them to officially declare an end to the empire. Even if I had to use underhanded means, I would try to ensure that Reim adopts of governance similar to the democracy found in Balbadd. My dream for Reim's future is a united republic where representatives from each region within Reim send delegates to participate in a senate. A forum where people from all walks of life have a say. Merchants, farmers, architects, historians, all the people who truly represent what its like to live in Reim. I believe that they are the ones who should hold the reins and lead this country."

The Imuchakk was looking out over Remano. The view was absolutely stunning here from the top of the King's palace. His eyes were distant, looking at the future he dreamt of rather than the city that was actually there before him. "That way the people can decide the fate of their country rather than any one "king" doing so for them. I hope that you will come to share this dream in time, o' Lagi El Nagi, King of Beasts and Willpower." Yakuroro then turned to look at Lagi directly in the eyes with a large grin on his face, hopeful for the future. "I'll try to buy time by interfering in Kou's invasion. It'll be up to you to unify the people. If you still think you can do so as their King, I can't stop you. But what Reim needs right now is not a King. It is hope."

Lagi would start to get up as well; it seemed that Yakuroro has made his point come across. “ Hope is what I strive for, and I’m going to reinforce that hope by beating Decimus the immortal. Once the people of Reim see that I am a man that’s on par with a legend, they would be more inclined to believe in me.  I can promise you this; I will continue to give Reim the hope that it needs.  “  A screeching sound of a dragon could be heard outside, Lagi shifted over to the window. “ Looks like word got out to my new friend. I’m pretty sure that old man is scolding me right now. “ By old man, Lagi was talking about Draconis. He must have caught wind that the king was taken and proceeded to help with the search. Since Lagi has been with Draconis for a while, Draconis probably knows Lagi’s smell.  Lagi would then turn back over to Yakuroro and hold out his hand.

“If you truly are a person that I can count on in Reim’s time of need, then there is no need for us to have any kind of ill feelings towards each other. Let’s start over….and work together. We got off on the wrong foot, but I’m sure that we could actually become friends. “ Lagi truly did mean this, he wanted to try to get along with Yakuroro. He was in charge of the workforce program in Azix’s absence; he was also a friend of Zadi.  If he’s  a friend of Zadi, he shouldn’t be that bad.


OOC:  We could end it here. It was a pleasure RPing with you Yakuroro, and i seriously hope that you could find a place that could make you happy. Thanks for everything...

((We were on the roof, there are no windows. I'll exit here, sorry for the delay again. Good luck with everything.))

Yakuroro honestly wasn't sure how much of his ideals had been passed on to settle within Lagi's heart, but he had planted what seeds he could. Whether or not they took root was up to the El Nagi king. The Imuchakk was not yet convinced that Lagi had been reformed but at the very least, it seemed as though he were willing to take steps in the right direction. Yakuroro accepted the offered hand and shook it with a gentle grip careful of his Imuchakk strength. "Indeed, there is no reason to be at each others throats when our goals are aligned. But this might be the last time we meet. Once peace has returned to Reim, my travels will likely take me elsewhere in the world." Yakuroro admitted. The nature of his life was that of a wanderer and fate always seemed to lead him to where ever he was needed most.

"Farewell, Lagi."

With that, Yakuroro let go of Lagi's hand and turned to face the edge of the tower before stepping off as if to drop to his doom. However before the Imuchakk would land he reached down for the magic carpet around his waist which had appeared up till now to be nothing more than a sash typing his robes shut. The carpet unfurled and caught Yakuroro's fall allowing him to defy gravity and ascend into a speedy flight that would carry him into the city.