The Fate of Reim

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

50/250

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[95/250 magoi]

Spoiler:

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

-Exit

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

Garret repressed the urge to smack his face with his palm and drag it across. His arm twitched as the El Nagi explained how the seat of the throne welcomed his posterior. He followed that up by giving orders out to the guards, which Garret did not mind, until he told them that General Hei Lu would be needed for their meeting to discuss the terms of the El Nagi man's rule.

Asisiak wasn't allowing Garret to move freely, but she no longer held a tight reign upon him. Garret cleared his throat, speaking to the guards. "No, General Hei Lu will not be needed to speak. Send word to your head of the Treasury to request 'Lieutenant Acius' for a diplomacy meeting, and ask him to send word to bring official documents for creating terms of treaty, as well as terms of proxy ruling. He will know what to do." The General was a military man, and likely did not have the needed documents nor expertise required for delicate treaty and terms/conditions of surrender. Garret further revealed, to those that could make the connection, that Kou already had a few of the Reim officials under their control; even some in high positions.

He turned to Lagi and spoke. "I will have to think carefully on your offer. But for now, we should retire until everything can be prepared." He paused, and then recalled something. "Ah, I nearly forgot. In the heat of the moment, I had only a small time to think. You introduced the clan you were from, but not your name. I am known as Garret Kires. I will be working with you to hammer out the details of your rule with the assistance of a man I trust a great deal in. He should be here by the end of the week."

Garret swept the thought of the offer that the El Nagi had made under his mental bed. He would have to think closely on what the man meant, as he saw the black Rukh float about him while he discussed the removal of fate from his life. Garret would excuse himself from the room, Asisiak following him closely behind ensuring he did not escape from his duties to her...

-exit-

With both the Emperor and the Usurper dead, fate had been sealed. The weight of that sunk into the guards and they made their choice, choosing to accept the El Nagi and through him, the rule of Kou. Azix felt the stain of Zhi's blood on his hands, a betrayal that had been colder than a butter pecan sundae. Hopefully, the new Emperor would prove a better choice than the former. The Contractor's clap rung throughout the chamber, resonating uncomfortably within Azix. Had he hindered or helped the mysterious magician's plans?

His expectations of the El Nagi were tarnished by the man's arrogant first words as the new proxy ruler. Thankfully, Garret took control of the situation shortly afterwards, issuing orders to involve Lieutenant Acius with the transitioning of government. Azix had a great deal of respect for Acius, it would be preferable having him handle the finer details than a Remano General.

Azix shook his head at the El Nagi's offer, "I appreciate the offer, but I would prefer to change the world with my own power. So far the challenges that fate presented me were hurdles that could be overcome with my own power." In truth, the black Rukh that had surrounded him when he wore the strange armor, as well as during his speech concerned him. What exactly would he be giving up to obtain that kind of power?

After Garret mentioned that they hadn't been introduce, Azix nodded, "My name is Xenos. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other soon." He gave a small bow and followed behind Asisiak, his thoughts on the consequences of this night and how they would ripple through time. What would the Fate of Reim be now?

[exit]