Celebration of the new King: Lagi El Nagi!

As Ayero listens intently to Altair’s words, she can’t help but feel as if she recognized his voice from somewhere. This piqued her interest, leaving the woman to ponder about how she should approach this. Initially nervous about dancing with a mysterious man, Ayero found Altair rather pleasant and a look of relief crossed her face when he told her that he was a shepherd. It was somewhat of a comfort to know that this man came from simple origins as well and was not some sort of nobleman looking to brag about his lineage or wealth while looking down on her. Or, at least that’s how she imagined most nobility to be.

It took Ayero a little while to get into the proper steps, but eventually the woman found herself comfortable enough to speak. She chuckled at his words good naturedly; had this setting been different, perhaps at a pub or on the streets, Altair would likely receive a scoff and a cold shoulder if not a few sassy words. ”I was born and raised in the mountains of Reim. I’ve been traveling as well, I’ve recently come from Heliohapt. Have you ever been?” She offers a small smile as he leads her through the motions of the dance. Things were going smoothly until Ayero messed up one of her steps, accidentally stepping on Altair’s toes with the heel of her shoe. She immediately flushes in embarrassment, bringing her hands up to cover her red face. ”By Ilah, I’m sorry! Are you alright? I didn’t break them, did I?” She gives him an apologetic look, hoping that she hadn’t caused the man much harm.

”A-are you sure? I certainly enjoyed our dance, but—“ She’s cut off by a sudden familiar voice, laced with uncharacteristic panic. Head turning toward the source of the noise, her mouth opens in surprise at seeing that the outburst was caused by none other than Yakuroro, magician of Imuchakk. ”Yakuroro?” Disbelief is clear in her voice, never having heard the blue magician sound so…afraid? Surely something must be wrong, for him to call the newly crowned King a demon and to challenge him to a coliseum match. She suddenly feels very naked without her scimitar at her side, wondering if it was her place to do anything. As her eyes slid over to the King to see his reaction, she catches sight of Lady Soushui at his side. Her gaze softens a bit in hope, figuring that the magician woman might be able to take care of this situation.

Lagi had a calm demeanor when the shouts of demon started to come from that man. He had no idea what came over him, perhaps he had too much to drink?

“Pftt…..hahahahahahaha” Lagi actually chuckled when he thought of that, a patron of the party who clearly went past his limit. Clearly that man has had enough to drink, please continue to enjoy the party. ” Lagi would say with a strong and natural voice in order to simmer down those who were somewhat disgruntled by the outburst of the blue haired giant. That was something that stuck a small cord as Lagi rubbed his head, it was a rather strange thing to say. “Black birds?” Lady Soushui apologized for that man’s behavior; does this mean that they came together? “Lady Soushui, it displeases me to see a beautiful woman such as yourself so distraught over your date. Have me if you will, it would be an honor to accompany you for the rest of the night. “ Lagi would say with a charming smile. This was his party; he was going to handle things accordingly. Such outbursts weren’t to be taken seriously when everybody is drinking the best wine in Reim, simply because it’s the best wine. In the middle of trying to comfort Lady Soushui, Zadi arrived.

Lagi had a big smile on his face, it’s been a while since he seen his good friend. Lagi gave Zadi a hug, then he looked at the boutique of flowers. “For me? Thank you….. it’s been a while…. Since we were split up. A lot happened, but I guess we can catch up later buddy! Oh, this is Lady Soushui, an ambassador of Kou. Lady Soushui, this Zadi Medmar. The king of light, and my best friend.” Lagi was actually starting to feel like his old self again with Zadi here, but that genuine smile when away again when zadi mentioned those black birds again. They felt like Rukh?” there is something that you can see that I can’t? I don’t understand….” Lagi would say as he looked around himself. However he had a feeling as to what the cause would be. Lagi looked at balek that rested on his wrist for a quick moment, was his metal vessel creating birds? “Zadi, it is really great to see you. But I can’t be of help, there is nothing I could explain when I hardly understand the situation myself. Also, that man left Lady Soushui behind in an uncourteous manner, his behavior is hardly adequate when you consider that he acted this way…..unprovoked….. I don’t understand why we should be obligated to comfort him. Why don’t you stay talk with me and Lady Soushui for a while?”

As Liber watched over the women he knew from a distance and listened in on surrounding conversations, he found himself moving closer to King Lagi thinking that the more delicate information and more important individuals could be found in his company. The fanalis assassin could sadly not overhear most of what Lady Soushui and Lagi discussed and none of the surrounding nobles or diplomats had anything of interest to say. Thankfully, his eyes followed Ayero and Ariella to find that they were both in good company for the most part. He had to admit that Ari had appeared distraught at one point, but when the familiar individual Azix approached her and took her away from the people who seemed to be causing her strife, things seemed to improve for the woman. Liber had a debt to pay to her even if she didn't think so, it was good that he was not forced to act towards repaying it here lest he cause a scene.

On the other hand, while Ayero didn't seem to mind the man who had asked her for a dance, Liber's keen eyes could tell that she appeared to be very unsure of herself in this setting. The dress was beautiful on her, but Liber didn't think that the look of a princess suited the woman. She was a warrior and was in her element on the battlefield where no enemy was too great a wall to surpass. Or at least that had been the impression Liber had gotten. Apparently dancing was one such wall that could not be climbed, at least not without mistakes as his maroon eyes watched her suffer the embarrassment of stepping on her partner.

Stifling a laugh, Liber let his eyes turn away from the girls for now deeming that they were both safe with their current escorts. Instead, the moved to scan the crowd just in time to spot Yakuroro talking to a white haired stranger. The fanalis watched the Imuchakk curiously not realizing that he was going to be attending the ball. Perhaps he could learn more if he spoke to the magician about why he was here. According to what Liber knew, Yakuroro was against the assimilation of Reim into Kou and so his presence was likely not to support the new King as was the mission of most the party goers. To his surprise, Yakuroro turned around and then panicked for some reason or another before crying madness. Was this part of some strange plan? Liber hadly saw Yakuroro as the type to lose himself in terror. What could possible strike fear into a magician as strong as he?

Concerned with what had happened, Liber edged his way along the outside of the crowd to intercept Yakuroro before he could reach the exit.

the dance was going well.  They were talking about their travels, when Ayero brought up Heliohapt.  She asked if he had ever been.  Altair hesitated.  Should he tell her yes?  Then again, why not?  True, he had been pretty active as the Sovereign in Heliohapt, but then, there was no way she would know it was him anyways.  right?  Altair was spared an answer when Ayero stepped hard on his left big toe.  "Ouch..."  Altair stifled a yelp.  He smiled and assured her that it was ok, patting her on the shoulder.  "It's fine, I'm fine.  You're still learning.  I have a feeling that if you were anyone else I might not have any toes left!  Hahaha!"  He hoped that his laughing would make her feel better.

They danced until the end of the song, and Altair asked her for another.  He figured she must still feel bad about stepping on his toes since she initially looked like she wanted to decline.  He was about to say something to that effect when the whole room was interrupted by shouting.  Altair turned with Ayero to see a familiar face, Yakuroro, shouting about black birds, and then challenging the king himself to a duel in the Coliseum.  This was the first time since he had met the man that he looked genuinely afraid.  This troubled Altiar.  Yakuroro always seemed to have his head on his shoulders, so seeing him like this was indeed surprising and a little unsettling.  Another thing was that Ayero recognized him as well.  Altair couldn't help but wonder how they knew each other.  He stopped himself from looking at her surprised, and instead put on a more serious face.  "Ayero, i'm very sorry to say this but something has come up that i must attend to.  I very much enjoyed our dance.  Maybe we will meet again someday."  Altair smiled, maybe a little weakly, and turned to leave.  He was genuinely sorry to do this to Ayero, but the situation required his attention.  He would follow Yakuroro, but as he stopped to talk to some others, Altair found himself unable to get any closer due to the crowd of people. Luckily, he was a good enough listener to hear what was being said.

Yakuroro would not truly be quite as fast as Zadi suggested. Being as large as he was, people moved out of the way when he came walking, but the ballroom was crowded and he still had to wait for people to shift to the side slowing him down enough for the magician to catch up. Just before the Imuchakk was stopped he spotted Liber moving towards him, but the fanalis seemed to give pause as Zadi called out. Yaku turned and looked to Zadi before looking around at all the people nearby. His face furled into an expression of frustration as he couldn't very well let the discussion be overheard lest the people here think him any more mad than they already did.

"Come with me."

Yakuroro reached for Zadi's wrist and dragged him off to the side and out through a doorway that led onto a balcony. With some privacy established, Yakuroro would let go of Zadi's wrist and rub his eyes as he tried to think of where to start. "I'm surprised you don't know by now." The Imuchakk had known of black Rukh for many years and while he didn't know much about it, he did know that trouble seemed to follow those who bore it. "To be honest, I don't know a whole lot about the Black Rukh, but I've seen it enough times to know that it is something to be weary of. Those who possess it seem to hold a darkness within them. The last time I encountered Black Rukh was in Heliohapt. It had consumed a man and turned him into a great demon. A large black monster that was attacking everyone around it. Suspicious men also seemed rather interested in getting their hands on the black abomination and when we finally defeated it, the black rukh all flew towards another man in the distance who flew off before I could confront them."

Yakuroro's hands were clenched tightly into fists as he recalled the horrible day, but he fought through the trauma and continued. "When the beast dissipated into Black Rukh, it left behind a...husk. A crumbling body of what once was the man who it had been born from. It's power was great, I'm not sure I could have defeated it without the help of an Imuchakk warrior present and the might of my Djinn...If King Lagi possesses the Black Rukh now and he did not when you knew him before, then perhaps he is no longer the friend you once knew."

Unfortunately, Yakuroro would not have left the ball room just yet, nor would he have recognized Altair's new look.

((Sorry Altiar, you posted while I was posting and now I can't think of a way to fit you in since Yaku wouldn't recognize you. If you edit your post to say you follow Zadi and I, I don't mind if you overhear everything Yaku just said.))

Liber gave pause as he noticed someone else approach Yakuroro and instead decided to linger in the crowd. Just what was going on? Liber wanted to find out and he had a hunch that Yakuroro would have the answered. As the Fanalis watched the Imuchakk drag the Human out onto a balcony, Liber followed them inconspicuously and leaned against the wall next to the door. He could overhear most of what was being said and found himself somewhat taken aback from it all. The talk of black...rukh? and monsters being born from it was troubling enough. But to hear that King Lagi possessed this trait? Liber was beginning to worry that there was more behind Kou's occupation of Reim than mere conquest. What did all of this mean for Reim's future?

Jahangir watched with delight, he imagined most people just thought he was some wealthy kid from Heliohapt, so besides from the girls he subtly rejected through the night he was all on his lonesome. He had spotted Zadi his trusted Second In command as he walked towards Lagi his benefactor. Jahangir watched as they conversed about a couple of rich officials bowing to Lagi in the process.

He was the popular one tonight as he should be, it being his coronation and all. Soon a large Imuchakk man appeared alongside a beautiful, yet oddly unattractive woman. There was something about the rich, powerful important stuck up girls that made them distasteful. The Imuchakk man took a look at King Lagi and began screaming awfully loud about "Black Birds of Evil". He had Jahangirs attention now, Jahangir laid low while listening to the scene.

He picked up that Zadi himself didnt know what these "Black Birds" where, it sounded like Rukh, however Jahan would never know. He couldn't even see Rukh, however he knew of its existence. Its hard to be a prominent guild master in this world without doing some research on magic. He would have been considered incompetent by his peers and subordinates. After the exchange happened and the Blue haired man challenged the king he began to walk off. Zadi began apologizing on his friends behalf and conversing with the king before running after the giant.

He would definitely have to investigate this later, as well as meet this Imuchakk and speak to Zadi.

Ariella nodded as Azix abandoned her for a moment, shuffling awkwardly in place until a warm, familiar hand spun her around and led her into the next dance. She grinned up at Adius as she followed his lead, only slightly tipsy from her drinks.

“So, I see mother and father have found you already. Am I going to be carrying you out?”

Ari snickered and shook her head.

“No, I have a couple of friends around for that, if it is necessary. Surprised to see you here. Mother and Father drag you away from the Academy for diplomatic duties?”

Adius nodded and dipped her down before smoothly bringing her back up. Some of the onlookers that were unaware they were siblings were making adoring noises at their graceful movements on the dance floor. Hours of forced practice tended to make you sure footed with your partner. At the sounds of shouts near the throne, they both glanced over but did not stop dancing. At the shout of little black birds, Adius let out a low chuckle.

“It seems someone has discovered the king’s deep dark secret of black rukh. Though, I must say I was rather surprised myself to see them fluttering about. Dangerous times to be known to have black rukh, after what happened in Heliohapt.”

Ari arched a brow, not having been fully informed as to the situation there, on a magical front. Just that the country had suffered some devastation.

“Ah yes, it seems there was a plethora of black rukh there around the time everything went to hell. Quite suspicious that the new King of Reim has the same, fairly rare type of magical assistance as the ones responsible for leveling half of the capital of Heliohapt.”

Ari sighed. She hated politics and would prefer if everyone left her out of the discussions. But she knew that if too many people drew the connection her brother had, Reim would be embroiled in war soon. And if Heliohapt asked for assistance, Magnostadt would jump at the chance to fight back the Reim and Kou armies, out of retribution and hatred. Why could things not be simple? She looked over to her parents and rolled her eyes. Poor Garret appeared to be in over his head with the pair of magicians from Magnostadt. He had the look of someone probing for information and her mother had caught the glimmer. She was toying with him, if the look on Evelyn’s face was any indication.

“As much as I hate to say this, we should go rescue that poor man from mother and father…”

---

Evelyn played a politician’s wife with the perfection that came with decades of practice. Adamus had risen to Admiral through a combination of political know-how and his rather dangerous reputation on the battlefield. It was how they had met the first time, she had been helping to heal soldiers who were embroiled in a dispute with a local nomadic tribe over land. Adamus had been ruthless on the field, and even more ruthless that night. They were perfect for each other, or so everyone said, and she made a perfect companion as he rose through the ranks. The questions of the blue magician had seemed innocent enough, if not for the odd one or two thrown into the fray. That and the look in his eyes told her that he was looking for information. About what, she had no clue, but she very much enjoyed testing the mettle of those in the political field. She nudged her husband subtly, who squeezed her hand in acknowledgement. They were of the same mind. Adamus spoke with a friendly, almost boastful tone.

“Each has their place, finesse and power. Eve, here, is much better with the finer details, while I tend to be a bit more extravagant. We work well together. In fact, we have a unique combination called Living Flames. Her magic seeks out anything with any form of life, directing the fire in that direction, to consume everything in its path. It is quite extraordinary to see. Of course, I still tend to prefer working alone, but when necessary, I will work with others.”

Adam kept his eyes on the questioning magician, trying to figure out what it was the man was searching for. It was obvious that he had suspicions about something, either that or he was just a very naïve, curious fellow.

“Would you like to see a display, sir? No coronation is complete without fireworks. That is something Kou tends to bring to a celebration, right? Fireworks? Or do they think solely of destruction and expansion? Forgive me, my manners are not what they used to be. Oh look, it is the children, dear. Adius, Ella, do join us. I just offered to show this nice fellow here some of my work!”

It took every ounce of Ari’s willpower to keep from covering her face with her palm. Was her parents’ sole purposes in life to make a scene?

Garret spoke with Adamus, exchanging information here and there, and discussing magic and its uses. When Garret had asked about his preference between finesse and power, the man confirmed that his abilities were more in alignment with power than finesse. It further fit the bill of the issue he had been researching into. Garret paled slightly when Adamus explained this, and paled further when Garret imagined the level of destruction that the combination Adamus and his wife had with each other.

It was at this point that there was an outburst from a large blue haired man, calling out about some sort of Demon, followed by shouts of 'black birds'. Garret swirled his head and his hand made a movement for his boot, betraying to those who were watching him that there was something within it. Garret paused, poised to unleash his full force all at once. This readiness was only apparent for a moment, but it was likely that the two who were now at his back would have caught that difference. The difference in his poise from fumbling with politics was replaced with what seemed to be a solid confidence from a man who had fought quite a few battles.

There was no immediate action that occurred, and even though the guards seemed agitated at the outburst and made a move for their weapons, it ended with a challenge to the King from the Imuchakk man. The guards, who were prepared to bring the full brunt of their force down on the Imuchakk, stood down when the Imuchakk didn't make any further movements towards the King. The Imuchakk began moving away, and the King asked the guards to forgive the man as he had too much to drink. Carmen, the Reim operative that now lead the cells for the Remano region, walked and followed the Imuchakk, stopping occasionally here and there to enjoy the party but eventually making her way within earshot of the Magician's conversation, much like Liber had. Garret sighed, turning back to Evelyn and Adamus. What they made of what they possibly saw, Garret knew not. The movements he made, and the vibe he held could have meant anything; a Noble with intensive training? A military man, a mercenary or simply a magician that had seen a fair share of the world? What was it, exactly, that the man was? Garret's introduction was that of a Noble and a Magician. Yet that didn't quite explain who the man was.

It was from this point onward that a switch seemed to have been flipped. The paleness that was on his face moments before was gone. A small amount of adrenaline from the thought that he was going to have to fight had brought blood back to the man's face. There was a waiting, ready feeling that came from the Magician, and it seemed that the outburst had given cause for the man to stretch his awareness outward and take in the entire atmosphere of the room. The same kind of air of a man who was seeking out any hidden dangers creeping around. Being slightly unfocused on the conversation, Garret tuned back in when Adamus suggested that he display his abilities through fireworks. More specifically, when he asked if Kou tends to bring such objects in a celebration. Garret almost smiled, thinking back to his country, until Adamus threw a barbed comment Garret's way.

Garret gritted his teeth. The second time. That's the second time. While it was true that Kou had made a move to invade Magnostadt not too long back, and that it was an attack that ended in failure, it did not sit well with Garret that they would continually take it out on him while he spoke to them. It was his first instinct to leverage his position to threaten them, even if it was a veiled threat. Instead, the outburst from the Imuchakk man had cooled him off from the overall political setting their conversation had previously held. That cooling period allowed Garret to think it through, and realize that any threat he gave would reveal that he was more than what he seemed on the surface. Instead, he simply shook his head. "It is alright, I forgive you. I understand it takes considerable willpower to overcome misgivings, as well as overcoming the pain of having lost close ones in battle... I hardly know much about such large scale destruction, however. I'm a Magician first, a Merchant second and only most recently a Noble. I've never participated or read much into any such large scale battles."

Though it may have been wiser for the man to leave it out, he couldn't help but return an insult of his own back to the two by implying that their willpower was weak. Accepting the apology would normally give the man a perceived 'higher ground', as the one who apologized admitted wrong doing, though this kind of action often showed as arrogance more-so than an actual high ground. Garret's last comment was to solidify how he viewed himself and what his standing within the country was. Normally, if spoken from a person who was used to political waters, this very discussion would have the potential to dig deep into their opponent. A mixture between the earlier outburst, however, and Garret's own ineptness at political maneuvering had worked in tandem to provide a less than perfect deliverance of the insult. While the implications were certainly still there, they were delivered in a shallow manner. The arrow, whether it struck or not, would not be able to strike deeply.

Yet there was still a certain confidence about the Blue Magician that stood out. He had one foot in the Political pool while having the other in his work as an Intelligence Operative that was a Battle Specialist. "As much as I do enjoy fireworks, and as long as it has been since I've seen some, I do not believe that this would be the best place to show them off, right? After all, with that outburst wouldn't the guards be checking even closer for any further issues? I'm definitely interested in seeing your work, though I believe it would be best to do so outside of the ball." This last part was said without any attempt to hide genuine feelings or prick either Evelyn or Adamus. Garret had a genuine desire to see what kind of spells Adamus could cast, yet simultaneously did not believe it wise to do so in the middle of the ball after such an event took place.

That was a short-lived conversation, Zadi left just as fast as he came. Then again, it wasn’t too different from how it was before. Lagi risked his life for his friend, regardless of the physical and mental trauma, and grief towards the fact that his pet got hurt. Then Zadi left, just as easily, almost as soon as he got what he wanted. “Was our friendship always that one sided?” Lagi would say to himself as Zadi walked away to find the man who insulted Lagi to counsel him. The words of being called a demon, an abomination or a freak, it angered him. It wasn’t displayed in lagi’s face or his posture because he trained himself to keep up with appearances. The meeting with the council and the signing itself, it molded his personality to adjust when dealing with or being around politicians, all up to the point that it made Lagi feel like every move he made was a gimmick. Every move he made was a move that made it seem that Lagi was walking on thin egg shells,  but how else was you supposed to be successful if you lacked the ability to stay cool? Time stood still during that brief moment, Lagi realized that he abandoned bits of his ego as soon as he took the throne. Lagi regretted nothing, but he actually thought for once that he could have a little bit of his personal life aside from his eternal battle from being the puppet king.

“So I guess this means I’m not like most?”  Lagi would say as he chugged most of his wine down and snapped his fingers at a nearby servant. “Please, more…” The servant noticed that it was the king that beckoned for him and filled up his wine. Lagi was over it, Zadi was free to do whatever he wanted as usual. Lagi had a country to run, and most of the people that he found himself close to would most likely turn themselves against him. There was probably no one he could trust, not like mattered anyway. After the servant poured Lagi a drink, Lagi smiled and proceeded to walk around and greet the visitors.  It was a fake smile, but it was necessary to hide those true feelings. He wanted to reach the point where those old wounds wouldn’t even bother him anymore, but it seems that Lagi wasn’t there yet. Lagi was somewhat approachable to say the least, but it might be too awkward for anyone after that blue haired giant made a scene.

Lady Soushui would bow her head in thanks for King Lagi's offer to be her escort for the evening and hid her discomfort over the black rukh he possessed. "That would be most gentlemanly of you, thank you King Lagi." When he head rose again she gave a bright smile and moved to stand by the King's side as she looked out over the dance floor. When Zadi approached and promptly left, she remained silent as to not interrupt the reunion between the two. But his swift departure made the woman huff and narrow her eyes slightly, "The rudeness...It is good we found each other pleasing as company, lest fate would have us both be left alone this night..." As Lagi downed a vessel of wine, Lady Soushui moved to wrap one of her arms around his free limb and pressed her body against his with shameless boldness.

Her breasts would stress against her dress as they brush into his arm from the motion and there she would remain lest he insisted otherwise. Lady Soushui tried to look openly friendly so as not to suggest her presence was to deter other guests from speaking to the king. For now she was content to simply be there next to him. When Lagi snapped his fingers and demanded more drink, Lady Soushui squeezed his arm gently and commented on his statement, "Why, you're a King. Of course you aren't like most men. There is a caliber of greatness that carries. Perhaps lesser men and women are intimidated?"

Tahl blinked as Liber kept his gaze away from him. He tossed a thought aside of him ignoring him when he noticed his gaze stayed entrapped upon the Fanalis woman. He grinned and shrugged his shoulders before turning away to enjoy himself with the rest of the gathering.

Stepping over to the large table covered in foods of all sorts, he licked over his lips and swallowed the flowing drool that welled up in his throat. He carefully plucked at an odd fruit; chewing it delicately. The taste was sour, but also held a bit of sweetness to it. He squinted his eyes down and finished it off, trying not to seem so rude in such a stuffy place. He continued to gorge himself on different items until he felt satisfied; relieving himself some with a mix of a belch and sigh.

Picking up a glass of wine and giving it delicate sips, he turned his eyes away from the table of food and back to the crowd. He spotted the Fanalis woman Liber was gazing over dancing with someone only to see them part ways. He followed the man until he exited the large ballroom following behind a blue haired man, one whom Tahl figured to be part of the Imuchakk, and a white haired man who had an odd air about him. Tahl gave a light shrug with his shoulders as he paraded through, finally making his way over to Ariella and another male that seemed to be in deep conversation with whom he assumed to be her parents.
Giving her a light wave as he approached her he smiled,"Hey there Ariella! Nice to see a friendly face."

She doesn’t exactly feel relieved when Altair assures her that he’s alright, still caught in the embarrassment of stepping on her dance partner. She does appreciate how he tries to make her feel better by injecting some humor into the situation, though the blush still persists on her cheeks. However, the red flush begins to subside and she sobers up considerably after witnessing Yakuroro’s confusing outburst. Even more baffling was Altair’s reaction as he quickly said his goodbye and departed into the crowd after the blue giant. ”Ah, yes. It was lovely to meet you, Altair.” She nearly stutters out a proper farewell, eyes narrowing in suspicion as they lingered on the man for several moments. Something about this situation didn’t sit right with her, but she was completely out of her element and she decided to stick with the safe route until she could approach Yakuroro outside of the event.

She shuffles back over to Ariella, plucking a glass of wine from a passing server as she does so. She was relieved to see that the young King didn’t react with hostility to Yakuroro’s challenge, wondering if the Imuchakk did partake in the drink. It was good drink, she notes as she tilts her head back slightly to drain half of the glass. Making her way to the yellow magician’s side, Ayero offers the woman a small smile before noticing the blonde man at her other side out of the corner of her eye. Was this a boyfriend, perhaps? Ari had good taste.

She can’t help but overhear the talk of politics between Ari’s parents and the man that had approached them earlier, but couldn’t make much of it. She brings the glass to her lips once more as Tahl approaches them, greeting Ariella by name.

The little pink-haired girl skipped through the throngs of people, grinning as she watched a tall Imuchakk cry demon and take attention on to himself. As the focus was on the Imuchakk magician crying out to challenge the King, she tugged at the sleeve of a servant.

“Mister, my daddy said he needs a drink. Do you have a drink?”

The servant rolled his eyes and hurriedly handed her a full glass. He was far too busy to play baby sitter to some brat. Hoping her father might give her a sound spanking, he rushed off to dump off old glasses and restock his tray. He did not notice the little girl weaving through the crowd and handing the glass to one of the diplomats from Balbadd. The dark color of the wine hid the added contents of the drink.

“Mister, here you go, from the pretty lady from Kou!”

The Minister of Affairs for Balbadd did not even glance at the girl, relieving the girl of the glass and draining half of it in one swallow.

“Ah, a fine vintage, I shall have to order some, dear!”

His wife, decked out to the point of falling over in gold, ignored his comments, too busy chatting up one of the diplomats from Heliohapt, exchanging gossip. It was not until her husband made a choking sound that she turned to look at him. His throat was swollen enough to be noticeable, even with his extensive girth, and she rushed over, trying to figure out how to help the obese man. His throat continued to swell and his face took on a sickly purple-black appearance from lack of oxygen as he collapsed to the ground. His wife gave a soft cry, but between the commotions caused by the Imuchakk man, the music, and the general noise of the festivities, only a few people nearby heard her.

The servant from earlier came rushing over with two others, dragging the man out of the ball room to a private sitting room and calling for someone with medical experience. This was not their first large event and it was common for those in attendance to overindulge, so it was not until a nurse bustled in and tried to awaken the man to no avail that they began to worry. Unseen at the door was a little girl that smiled when the nurse gave a flabbergasted look to the diplomat’s wife and said the Minister was dead. The next second the girl was gone, as though she had never been there to begin with.

Well, intimidation is the right word. I’m a young guy who just so happened to rise up pretty quickly. I try not to let it get to my head though; a position in power is not to be taken for granted. I wouldn’t  set myself to be all that interesting, I just decided to take a gamble that paid off.  What about you? Do you have a thing for “Bigger men?” Lagi would say with a sly smile, he wondered about Lady Soushui’s preferences. “As for fate my fair lady, I am not one for its mechanical discrepancies’. If the night may be reserved for the two of us, it is nothing more than up to chance, the chance that I fit the bill as to what your ideals of a man should be, a chance as to the kind of man you think I could be. “ Lagi would then take a sip of his wine and chuckle a little. “Confusing sayings really do bring out the best in a good drink like this. What about you Lady Soushui?  I know nothing more of you other than your relation to kou, shall fate have you molded into a beauty of mystery,  or is it by chance that you turned out this way. As you are, taking and breaking the hearts of men who look upon you at a glance, the crushed hopes…” Lagi would then move closer to Lady Soushui’s ear. “When they see you with the king…”

As Azix walked away from the conversation with his uncle, two servants drug a rather obese diplomat passed him in the hallway towards a private room. Eager to turn his mind from the conversation with Illidan and curious what had happened, Azix followed them in. The servants called for medical attention as he slipped in the doorway. Standing off to the side, a nurse came bursting through the door behind him and rushed to the ill man.

Out of the corner of his eye, Azix swore he saw a small figure standing in the doorway, but his attention was turned towards the nurse as she proclaimed the diplomat dead. Azix was stunned, a death at the coronation ceremony was certainly an ominous sign for the future of the King's rule. He stepped closer to get a better look and felt the familiar tapping of his God's Necklace against his chest.

With his fingers wrapped around the cross-shaped pendant of the God's Necklace, Azix knelt before the obese man. A trickle of magoi activated the healing power of the necklace as he directed it towards the diplomat. A brilliant white light would fill the room, dazzling all who saw the sight. When everyone's vision returned to normal, the diplomat would be revived, albeit disoriented.

Giving the man a moment to recover himself, Azix would then lean forward, "Good sir, what is the last thing you remember? We almost lost you." Remembering the small figure that he thought he saw at the door, Azix turned his head to look again. There were people crowding around to see what had happened, but no one as short as he thought. That tiny fact bugged him, but he set it aside and focused on the diplomat.

[285/300 magoi]

Spoiler:

Ari grinned as Ayero came back over and wrapped an arm around her waist.

“Ah, Ayero. You are just in time, my father is offering to go make fireworks outside for everyone.”

“Silly Ari, I think this beauty would be much happier back on the dance floor!”

Ari rolled her eyes at her brother before turning to introduce them.

“Ayero, I would like you to meet the soon-to-be Professor Adius Negri, my brother. Adius, this is my friend Ayero. And you can only steal her away if you promise to play nice! No tails!”

She gave her brother a friendly glare as he laughed and offered a hand to Ayero. If she would accept, he would lead her onto the dance floor, his steps confident and his eyes glued to her face. Ari could almost commend him for not sneaking a glance at the halfling woman’s impressive chest. Adius wrapped a hand around the red-haired woman’s waist, guiding her through the steps slowly. Once he was certain she had the very basics down, he would discreetly look around before pulling a small wand out of his sleeve and murmured something quietly. Very slowly, the pair would raise a couple of inches into the air, not enough to draw any attention from most people, but just enough to try and show off for the half-Fanalis woman.

“And Ari exaggerates, I am quite charming, I assure you. I have to be, to distract people from her shenanigans.”

He chuckled and glanced fondly at his little sister as he twirled Ayero mid air

---

Ari glanced between Garret and her father with an arched brow. She knew the look on her father’s face, he was making a judgment call. Waving Tahl over with a smile, she listened to the conversation.

Adam gave a chuckle, shaking his head.

“I would never dream of casting anything in here. Could not risk setting the pretty decorations ablaze, I believe Evie might just hurt me for that.”

Evelyn rolled her eyes at her husband before scoffing and wandering off to speak with a woman from Heliohapt, completely ignoring her daughter’s presence at this point. She was here to foster connections, not watch her husband play politics or her daughter disappoint her once again. Adam let his wife wander away, engaged in his talk with Garret. He had misjudged his intial perception of the man, there was a backbone there after all.

“I would be happy to display some of my more decorative spells for you, Iatsu. I sincerely apologize for my earlier barbs, part of the political ground you may one day understand. Give before they can, or you might find yourself on unequal footing. But perhaps we should take this discussion outside to the balcony, where we can liven up the party a bit?”

He would nod to an unoccupied balcony, not wanting to infringe on the commotion the Imuchakk man had made. He had heard the accusations but it did not matter, he could see the black rukh quite easily.

“Will you join us, Ella? You always did love to watch fire in the sky with the stars.”

Ari paused for a moment, looking around for Azix as she caught her bearings. Those were the closest to kind words she had received from her father in several years and she did not know what to make of them. When she saw Azix head towards the opposite end of the room, she frowned and looked at her father.

“I will be out in a moment, I wish to find Marquis Niraj for a moment, see if he would like to watch your wonderful display as well. Tahl, would you like to see some pretty fireworks, too? My father puts on a very entertaining show!”

The diplomat from Balbadd raised up, groggy and immediately grasped at his throat, stunned to find it was back to its normal rolls, no longer swollen and cutting off his air. His wife threw her arms around him, sobbing in relief as she pushed Azix aside to get to her husband. The man looked like he was having trouble breathing under both his weight and that of his wife and her gold combined. The nurse gently moved the wife back to give him some room to breathe.

The wife promptly threw herself at Azix, tears streaming down her face.

“Oh my goodness, thank you so much, kind sir. You have saved my beloved husband.”

The diplomat still looked a bit dazed as he looked from his wife to Azix. Everything seemed to slowly be coming into better focus and he gave Azix a grateful look.

“I thank you, sir, for saving my life. All I remember was listening to my wife talking to someone and then being handed a drink. The wine was fabulous, a wonderful vintage with the perfect balance of tart and sweet. But I suppose there was something in it I was allergic to. I always swell up when I accidentally eat a nut. Mayhap there was something nutty used to make the wine. What an interesting idea. Nuts in wine. It really was a glorious flavor.”

His attention to the wine let everyone in the room know where his attention had been focused, no mention of who had given the wine was given. His wife, seeming satisfied that her ‘beloved’ husband was fine, left the room, mentioning finding the ladies room to freshen herself. The diplomat looked at Azix with a sharp eye.

“Say, you are from Kou. Do you know any pretty women? One of them sent me the wine. I would very much like to know what was in the wine, it really was fabulous.”

---

The commotion of the diplomat being brought back from the dead made the little girl pout. She hated when those she killed did not stay dead. Fate struck to give her another opportunity as a woman covered in gold left the room in search of a place to freshen up. The little girl waited around a corner before following her with a skip in her step, the diplomat’s wife leading her to a rather posh and upscale sitting room that was nearly deserted, thanks to being so far from the main events. This would do just as nicely.

Yakuroro sighed in responsed to Zadi's questioning and brought his fingers up to rub his eyes. The Imuchakk could understand Zadi's desire for more information. Yakuroro shared that sentiment and felt like there was still very much that he still did not know. But this meant that Yaku did not have the answers to Zadi's questions.

"Unfortunately, I only arrived on the scene just as the monster of black rukh formed. I did not see the man it had come from before the shift, nor did I see what events led to it. From what I understand, there was a tournament going on and he was a competitor, but beyond that I don't know much. There was a lot going on that day and after felling the demon I was quick to leave the scene. As for the men, one was trying to make contact but we stopped him before he could. The other, like I said before, took all the black rukh that made up the monster's form and flew off."

This discussion left Yakuroro oblivious to the diplomat's death and subsequent revival, but it didn't really matter much. There would not have been anything Yakuroro could have done to prevent the tragedy or assassin in saving him.

"I understand your desire to prevent a similar fate from befalling anyone. Especially if King Lagi was once your friend. However, I have seen nothing good come from those possessed by the Black Rukh in all my time traveling the world. It is possible the friend you knew is still inside of him somewhere, or that he was never tainted in the first placed despite being surrounded by the ill-fated birds of darkness. But I can't take that chance."

Yakuroro would place a hand on Zadi's shoulder before leaning in to whisper and ensure no one else would be able to hear his next words.

"If Kou remains in control of Reim, it's only a matter of time before war breaks out in the world. The masters Lagi serves will use him as a scapegoat if civil war breaks out, or as a weapon if Reim is stable long enough to launch a military campaign against the rest of the world. Either way, he is a dangerous element. I am going to do everything I can to remove Kou's clutches from Reim and that includes removing Lagi from power. Even if...I must end his life."

Even Zadi would be able to tell that Yakuroro struggled to say the last part. He had never directly or knowingly killed someone before. Yakuroro generally avoided the loss of life whenever possible. But his fear of Black Rukh and his refusal to accept a Kou controlled Reim was pushing Yakuroro to extremes. He would not kill Lagi if he didn't have to, but he needed Zadi to know how important the situation in Reim was and he needed him to know that the thought was indeed crossed Yakuroro's mind.


A light giggle escaped the Kouen woman's lips and she rolled her eyes at Lagi's words, "My taste in men is irrelevant, your grace. You are a king and I am an ambassador. It is improper for you to be suggesting there is anything more here than a gentleman escorting a woman left by her date." Lady Soushui then reaches into her bosom retrieving her wand, but as it holds the inherent look of a pipe it would not look particularly conspicuous. The most suspect thing perhaps would be how this act could possibly draw Lagi's attention to her breasts for a brief moment.

Bringing the pipe to her lips, Lady Soushui reached into her sleeve and produced a small device which held a flint and lit the bowl before taking in a drag of aromatic smoke. The woman exhaled upwards sending a plume of smoke into the air and then smiled as she brought the pipe from her slips to speak further, "I am simply an woman who has a duty to her country. There is nothing mysterious about me in the least~ I water crops and ensure the lands granted to me remain profitable and bountiful. On occasion I work as a diplomat in service to the emperor. What more is there to tell?"

Garret paused when the man apologized a second time. It caught him off-guard, and the man gave him what seemed to be friendly advice. The sudden shift in the direction of the conversation played with Garret's emotions. The initial suspicions, the seemingly well-based motivations and the possible machinations of the woman had all conspired to work in tandem, painting a picture of destruction and hatred. The 360 in attitude had left Garret wondering how much was smoke and mirrors, and where Adamus really stood on the matter.

The way he spoke made it seem genuine, yet Garret was not yet sure that this cleared him of any suspicions. After all, many a skilled manipulator could lie with practiced ease. Some of his training required him to learn some of the skills for it, in order to retain a clear cover-story for some of his undercover missions. Yet Garret was nowhere near the level of those who had been swimming in the political waters for a great deal of time. With that being said, a voice of doubt began to grow within Garret's mind. What if Magnostadt had nothing to do with this? Who, or what, could have possibly caused such destruction? Are there enemies out there that none of us know of? The idea of another group of individuals, unknown at that, was a stronger fear than that which those from Magnostadt had. The unknown had limitless possibilities, and Garret quickly clamped down upon that as it would be a mental exercise of futility to imagine the strength of such an opponent.

He simply nodded to Adamus, partially lost in thought and partially at a loss of words to respond with. It was at that point that Ariella refused the Magician's invitation, mentioning that she was going to go look for Marquis Azix. Garret briefly wondered what kind of relationship the two had, though perhaps the woman was just catching up with a fellow member of the 'Stargazer something or another' group. He couldn't quite recall the name it was given. The last time Garret knew the two of them met was on the treasure hunt about a month or so ago. Shaking his head, he refocused his attention on his conversation with Adamus while maintaining situational awareness of the area around himself. He would follow Adamus to the balcony in order to view the fireworks that he had so generously offered to show.

Lagi caught himself looking at Lady Soushui with small blush as she reached in her succulent breasts to retrieve her pipe. His gaze was one second too long and strategically coughed and took a sip of his wine in order to feign the actual object of his attention for those moments. Even as a king, Lagi brought it upon himself to maintain a status quo, but a young mind and hormones seem to get the best of him from time to time. ”Well excuse my rudeness Lady Soushui, I dint mean to offend you with that careless statement of mine. “ Lagi didn’t think anything of her smoking; this was in fact the first time that he experienced the aroma that came from a pipe. Alcohol was one thing, but the pipe itself was a whole other monster. Lagi raised his eyebrow when Soushui mentioned lands, and the fact that she was proficient in maintaining them. “That’s actually interesting Lady Soushui, It seems that you take much care into agriculture. Since being a diplomat is nothing more than an occasional thing, one can only assume that politics such as keeping your eye on the king wouldn’t be all the more entertaining in comparison to your current passion. This of course is only an assumption that you are passionate about your lands and the produce that’s grown from it.” Lagi would take a momentary pause and sip from his wine. He was starting to feel a bit nice now. “ At the very least, you’re not as mysterious when someone experiences a taste of your interests. Women of integrity is hard to find, the buildup of character always starts with something that you have a passion for, at least to my opinion.

Tahl gave the woman who noticed him a slight bow of his head before turning his full attention to Ariella. He opened his mouth to speak up to her, but stopped himself when he noticed the conversation going on back and forth with a male whom he didn't know. He awaited until they were finished speaking and watched as they turned away. His attention was brought back to Ariella when she spoke of fireworks.

His eyes sparkled and his smile grew wide against his face. The thoughts of seeing such a spectable caused him to shiver with anticipation.
"Of course I'd love to see some fireworks!,"He announced with a bit of pride,"But where are you going? Aren't you going to see them as well?"