The Fate of Reim

Zhi nodded his appreciation to the man, keeping an eye on the mole out of suspicion. A mole could only be trusted so far. If they would betray one person, they might betray more. As he and the Contractor followed the man, he turned to make sure the Contractor was keeping a sharp eye out for enemies, which he was. The paths the mole was taking them through seemed to be far away from the hostile eyes and swords of the Remano guard, but he knew once they approached the steps of the Palace, there would be battles to be fought. The man leading them froze, three guards approaching at a cross street and he held up a hand to order his group to stop. Assuming they all remained silent, the guards would pass without noticing them. He cast a sharp look to the fox girl, hoping Rin would keep her silent. It would be best to leave her somewhere before entering the Palace. He would not risk her interfering with his plans again and the Remano guards were not likely to harm the small female.

The Palace stairs were visible at last, but the mole explained there was one more major intersection to make it through before taking an alley to the service entrance that was most likely to be the least guarded. As they approached the final major intersection of roads, a group of four guards could be seen keeping a close eye on all traffic in the area. He turned to his group with a serious look. “Let us try to disable them as quietly as possible, no need to draw unwanted attention if we can avoid it.”

---Front Lines---

Asisiak watched as a light arrow streaked across the night to take out one of the elite soldiers. Her men were making quick work of the prisoner soldiers, the inexperienced men like children compared to her battle-hardened group. The remaining elite soldier used his magic tool, creating a massive fist of force that slammed into the three Imuchakk closest to him. The man to her left used the distraction to use his spear, throwing it with deadly accuracy at the elite, striking him in the chest and killing him. Their efforts had drawn the attention of the General Hei Lu and he let out a slightly manic laugh that boomed across the chaos. His eyes met Asisiak and the massive woman moved forward, intent on taking out the man as she readied her spear. She was not prepared to have two more carpets with three men each fly over and drop down in front of her troops.

“Human ally, help my men take out these soldiers. Defend Reim. I have chosen my target!”

She used her spear to jab one of the elite soldiers in her way, and General Hei Lu shoved another into the fray of Imuchakk, leaving only four for Lagi and her men to dispatch with. Sword met spear and the true battle for Reim’s Inner City began.

Garret looked ahead and sighed. Guards were the last things he had wanted to deal with. Looking to their mole, Garret brought the man to the side and began to whisper to him so that none of the others could hear. "Listen, we are going to need a diversion. This is what I need you to do. Go back around these buildings here, and approach the guards. Let them know you saw some Kou invaders in that direction." A smile crept across the man's face as he nodded in understanding.


At the same time Garret took the man to the side, Rin approached Zhi. "I think it would be best if I stayed behind and kept our friend here out of trouble." She smiled to Zhi, acting formally once again. The woman likely had something planned, but the real question was whether it would be more beneficial for the would-be conqueror to have the two troublemakers come along or to have them stay behind.


When Garret came back to the group, the head treasurer was gone. "Alright, lets watch and wait." Garret kept an eye on the four guards. A moment later, from the opposite side of the street, their friend the treasurer made his way running towards the guards, hands out with his palms showing he wasn't armed.

"Guards! Guards! Trouble!" When the man approached them, he began to explain that there were three to four men who were in Kou uniform that were sneaking about when he attempted to get to the palace from his office at the Treasury. The directions the man provided were opposite that which the group had come, in hopes of being able to send a few, if not all, of the soldiers on their way.


"Azix, try not to damage any of the clothing from any that stay behind. I have an idea." The guards looked to be around the same height as Azix and Garret, and the two of them would fit well in a uniform. That is, if any were left after their mole did his job.

Azix noticed Garret pull the mole off to the side as Rin approached Zhi. She had lost the teasing manner of before, speaking in more a formal tone, albeit with a sly smile on her face. Azix narrowed his eyes when he overheard her suggest them leaving Kinala behind with Rin. He preferred being able to keep a close eye on her, but after thinking about it, both of them would probably safer out here than inside the palace.

When Garret joined the group again, Azix raised an eyebrow at the fact that the mole wasn't with him, but waited like he asked. A moment later, the orange magician spotted the mole heading to the guards from the opposite street. Azix smirked, a distraction was the easiest way to avoid attention. He thought the mole played a convincing role, but it had yet to be seen how effective it was.

"I can't remember ever damaging anyone's clothing before." He gave The Contractor a knowing look. When Zafar and Azix confronted the Contractor, there had been a mishap where one of his beams had hit the strange red-haired man, burning his clothes. Azix guessed Garret planned on using the uniforms as a disguise if any stayed. He happened to agree that it would be best to avoid damaging the uniforms, so he planned on using focused head-shots.

Lagi simply nodded his head in response to the instructions that was given to him by Asisiak. He didn’t want to waste any more energy and he continued to keep a mental note on the amount of stamina that he had left. Lagi definitely felt like he was half the man he was before the battle started, and it’s not due to personality and the gauge of strength. He wouldn’t be able to go all out completely, and Lagi hoped the army would be able to pick up the slack if that was to happen. As for the attacks, Lagi held on to his bow steadily as Orie entered into a defensive state of the host. Anything within her reach of three meters from Lagi would be met with the most aggressive of attacks that orie had to offer. For two of the four enemies that lag and Asisak’s men was supposed to handle, Orie generated two scorpion tails that reached over at c rank speed to the men and pierced their stomachs at C rank strength. While this was going on, Lagi used that monstrous display as a distraction as he took aim at one of the men that was still alive and fired off a light arrow from his bow.

90/250

Spoiler:

Zhi was becoming impatient, though it would be nearly impossible to tell that just to look at him. While the mole went to distract the guards, all of them initially went to follow, but two decided to remain behind, unwilling to leaving the area unguarded. They would be able to hear if there were trouble, they hoped, so they stayed behind. He had heard Garret’s comment and agreed with the tactic, nodding to the magicians when the two guards came wandering back towards, still unaware of their presence. For a moment, he turned to Garret with an arched brow.

“I don’t suppose he gave you the key to this entrance we are supposed to be using?”

Brushing the thought aside, he kept an eye on the guards. With a small grin, he activated the magic tool in his hand, causing a very small blizzard in the opposite direction of where the mole had led the other guards. The guards would appear confused and approach the oddly localized burst of snow they could see at the intersection nearby. Going to investigate, their backs would be to the bastard son’s group, offering up a distraction.



The Imuchakk soldiers would quickly deal with the remaining riff raff of prisoners and soldiers that Lagi had left before turning to their leader. Asisiak seemed to be sparring with the General from Zou and enjoying herself. As she fought, her men began spreading out to keep the Zou soldiers from being able to box her in, clearing away the prisoners with swipes of spears and blades and punching anything that stood in their way. Lagi would have a perfect view as Asisiak finally stopped toying with the General and slid her spear between his ribs.

As the General spit up blood, she calmly looked to the Reim soldiers and arched a brow, her voice strong enough to raise above what remained of the battle of the prisoners and her men.

“I came to make a treaty and I have assisted you in clearing out these scum from your city. Now, where do I need to go to find the Emperor of this land?”

The Reim General would step forward and offer a nod of respect to the woman. While they would have been able to handle the Zou troops in their own time, the disappearance of the Fanalis Corp had left them a bit short on their reinforcements. The arrival of the Imuchakk, while slightly suspicious in timing, had sped the process along. He pointed to the Palace of Kings and explained to her where to go. She agreed to leave behind several of her men to help them search out and destroy the remaining Zou troops that were on the flying carpets before looking to Lagi.

“Human ally, do you wish to accompany me to the Emperor?”

If he agreed, they would begin walking towards the Palace of Kings, Asisiak retaining a handful of men that were unwilling to risk their leader going anywhere unattended. If he chose to remain behind, he would be expected to help out with the rest of the Zou troops under the direction of the Reim General.

Using the magic induced mini-blizzard as a distraction, Azix used swift, quiet strides to get within twenty meters of the remaining guards. With their backs turned towards the orange magician, he called to the Rukh in hushed tones. Black and orange Rukh flickered to his command, lending light and strength magoi to combine into shadow magic, specifically a spell called Kage Youshiki. A mass of shadows appeared in front of him, hurtling towards the guard's feet where it expanded into a fifteen meter diameter seal. Two large, shadowy hands grew from the seal and slammed into the back of each guard's head.

As an added measure, Azix stepped between the two guards and slashed both their necks in two strikes to finish them off with his Deviant. If everything went according to plan, he would drag one of the guard's bodies into some bushes to hide them after removing the uniform. After disposing of the body, he would change into the disguise, hoping it would allow them an easier time inside the palace. If Garret instructed Azix further on any other plans, he would follow those instructions.

Garret raised an eyebrow to Zhi's remark. "I am a Kou operative. No lock is too tough to pick." He had, once in the past, used his spells in order to activate the tumblers of a lock at one point in time. By having the ability to control the speed and direction of water, Garret would easily be able to open any lock with one of his spells that manipulated said water. So far, his plan was somewhat successful, but they had lost a small asset during that time.

If Azix had successfully handled the opponents, Garret would follow his lead and drag the bodies off to the side, making sure to also disguise himself in their attire. He searched the both of them for any keys, pocketing what he found, and made sure to also take their weapons. "Azix, get some blood and dust on your uniform. Make it look like it got there naturally." Garret would do the same for himself. It was a disguise, of sorts, to fit Garret's plan. When they returned to Zhi and The Contractor (though Garret still did not know this was what he called himself), Garret explained the plan.

Garret first shoed Rin away, who was holding Kinala, so that they were a decent distance away from each other. Whispering to the two, Garret began. "Let's get our back-stories correct, in case we get caught. You two are here to discuss terms of surrender with Claudius Augusta. You refuse to speak to anyone else. You want to end the bloodshed as soon as possible. To make this believable, Azix should hold onto your magical tool and any visible weapons you may have. He'll have to stand close to you so you can get them if you need to. If you've got no issues with this back-up plan, let's get going. Otherwise, I'll follow your orders."

If Garret had the keys, he would open the way for them and go through the seemingly least used hallways he could recall from blueprints. There weren't secret passages that he knew of, but he had a grasp of the right direction to take. If there were no keys, Garret would simply use Water Manipulation Technique in order to finesse the lock open and make his way into the Palace. He would hide his wand back up his sleeve as he finished the spell.



OOC:

130/250 OR 120/250 Magoi/Stamina available.

Abilities used:

“Well, I been hanging out with you for quite some time. I guess I’ll stick with you till the end.”Lagi would say briefly as he indicated that he was going to follow her to the palace of the kings. However Lagi also had some ulterior motives as well. Somehow, he could shift the situation over to a way that he can take advantage of it. Maybe there was treasure that he could steal, or a document of some sort? To make things more simple, Lagi could be revered as a war hero to Reim, which increases the trust that the people would have in him. With this he could start his own army or something. Also, the relations that he has with the Imuchakk people and how he assisted them would be a good card to play in the future

90/250

Zhi listened to the plan for a moment, looking to the Contractor for guidance on the decision. The Contractor hummed for a moment, eyeing Azix up and down as though judging something before giving a slight nod, still keeping an eye out for other possible guards. Zhi would turn to Rin, tilting his head to the side for a moment.

“I would appreciate it if you would keep the girl here. I do not wish her to disrupt the plan once more. As for the plan, I find it agreeable. It would be the most expeditious way into the palace.”

Zhi began handing his items over to Azix calmly, still unaware that his troops were in the process of being demolished and his General destroyed by Asisiak. As he was handing his items over to Azix, the mole would return, panting heavily and pause only long enough to toss a ring of keys to Garret before running back the way he had come and dashing down another alley way. Once Zhi had completed disarming himself, he nodded to Garret to lead the way, the Contractor waving his staff around, an illusion forming around to make him appear as another guard.

Zhi would follow Garret and Azix into the palace, Garret using the keys the mole had provided. Once inside the building, he looked around and then nodded to Garret again, indicating that he should lead the way to the Emporer.



Asisiak and her men wandered through the streets, taking out the stray soldiers they found on the way to the palace. Asisiak would turn to Lagi in the small amount of “quiet” time in between brawls to ask him questions.

“So, human ally, why do you seek to protect this city? Is it your home? Or are you simply a warrior, craving the taste of blood and battle?”

Her spear cut through another foe as her men dealt with a small group nearby before rejoining them. The Palace came into view ahead and Asisiak’s tall stature allowed her only the briefest glimpse of a small group of Reim soldiers escorting a man into the building, her brow furrowing. As yet, she had not seen any of the soldiers take hostages, so she was suspicious but continued forward. As she approached the main entrance to the Palace, four guards stepped forward to stop her, swords drawn.

“Calm, allies. I was sent by your Commander. I am here to discuss treaty with the Emperor. Let me pass, now that the invading forces as nearly gone.”

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.
.
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.