Investigating the Assassinations [Private/Plot]

Adamus offered Azix a weak smile when the man attempted to salvage his actions, telling Ariella that he had helped them. While sending Carmen for help had, indeed, helped the lightning mage, the look on his daughter’s face clearly showed she had heard his confession. He had never seen her so angry, practically able to see the lightning she was aligned with dancing in her golden hues. When Garret went to leave the room, he noticed Azix turned his back to offer them privacy but did not leave. When he looked down at their entwined hands, he saw that Ella’s knuckles were white, she was gripping the other magician’s fingers so tightly.

Ariella refused to release Azix hand and when Garret suggested leaving her and Adamus alone, her grip became almost painful. Right now, Azix was her tether to reality. Ari called out to Garret before he left, shaking her head at his words.

“Do not leave. You all need to hear… what happened.”

She took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts as her mind still raced to filter through all of the information since her captivity. With a soft sigh, she slumped slightly, tugging Azix closer as she began explaining.

“A few weeks ago, I approached King Lagi about investigating the assassinations. I wanted to know what had happened to my mother. He gave me permission to look into them, and also offered the resources at his disposal. I immediately made arrangements to ensure I would not endanger those closest to me… to us…” She gave Azix a sad smile, letting him know she was referring to the Grumptoes, unsure of how much he had revealed to Garret about the children. “Once all of that was settled, I began looking for anyone that would be able to assist me in the investigation. Father insisted on being involved, and we managed to stumble across Carmen. Se provided information on some of the better-known assassins and we began looking into things.”

She paused, the potion was still working its wonders in healing her, but simply the topic was enough to give her reason to pause, let alone her knitting injuries. The longer without the fever, the more clearly she could remember what had happened.

“I decided to shadow the Council members, since they had been a previous target. First was Wei Tenji. That was when we were able to narrow down who the assassins were. Lilly was there… she.. oh god, she had painted a classroom in blood, the walls, the floors, even on the ceiling, there was blood everywhere. I… I froze. I could not believe someone so young, so small… could… that she could possibly be a killer. She attacked me and I did not know what to do. She broke my borg, and managed to get a few decent cuts in on me before I got out of the classroom. After that, I resolved to get stronger, to be more decisive in my actions. I could not let her put all those children at risk!”

She ran a thumb over Azix’ knuckles, keeping herself as calm as possible, trying to order her thoughts more clearly for the men in the room.

“Not long after that, a friend came to me in need of a healer, her friend had broken his leg in a cave. I went with her and discovered Jahan, a boy that owned a shop I had met once before, with a broken leg. And… he had discovered a dungeon! After healing him, I thought about how I needed… more… I needed more power, more skill, to be able to deal with Lilly and Father, so I followed Jahan into the dungeon. It taught me a lot… but, it did not give me what I needed, I guess. I continued my investigation, keeping my father in the dark about the dangers. I did not want him interfering and if I failed, I did not want to disappoint him again. I tried to keep Carmen up to date, even though I did not fully trust her. And then shit hit the fan.”

This was the part she would struggle with the most, detailing her confinement. She took another deep breath, ashamed of herself for falling into enemy hands so easily.

“I was shadowing Elric, we went to visit the port towns. On the way back from Portsmouth, I kept falling asleep. I had not been sleeping much, so I did not think anything of it. As we neared Remano, I passed out again and when I woke up, I was tied to a chair, stripped of all my weapons, my wand, everything magical at my disposal. It was then I found out what had happened to mother. She… she had followed Lilly into the hidden passage, thought she was a lost child. And Lilly… she… oh, fuck, she killed her and it was horrible. They made me watch, every second of it. And then, then everything got… crazy. Elric kept putting up illusions and my mind, it was fuzzy… hazy. Something was not right. But he showed me… he showed me visions of myself, killing people. Killing my family, my friends, the children. Everyone I held dear to me. They tried to convince me that I was the one responsible for everything. And through it all, they kept me restrained and defenseless. I drifted in and out of consciousness. And then one day, I woke up, and I was on the floor… free! And Lilly was there and I remembered my resolution. I would not let her endanger anyone, ever again.”

She looked to Adamus, her teary eyes sparking with anger.

“That was what you walked in on, Father. That was what you were going to KILL me over! You believed HIM… over your own daughter! I was so weak, I was crawling on the floor, dragging myself to try and end that threat and your immediate reaction was to kill me! I was at his mercy for I don’t even know how long, but more than a few minutes, so I had an excuse to be broken and confused. You walked in and… HOW COULD YOU?!?!? I know I am a disappointment to the family, but I did not think you so eager to be rid of me!”

She was panting in anger, those years of feeling like she would never accomplish anything, that she would always disappoint, would be the black sheep of the Negri family, crashing in. Some part of her mind recognized that the set-up Elric had in place had made the situation look dire and her father’s reaction had been in the heat of the moment, but the hurt would not be ignored.

“I may one day find it in me to forgive you, but I will never forget that you were about to kill me. I want you to leave. Now. I cannot stand the thought that my own father was about to take my life.”

---

Adamus’ face was a flurry of emotions through the tale and the words at the end made his throat lock up. She was right. He had almost killed her. He did not know how to handle that, how to process he had nearly taken her life. If it had not been for the other two men in the room, he would have succeeded. Hanging his head in shame, he accepted her berating words. Glancing to Azix and Garret, he would offer quiet words.

“I thank you two for coming when you did. You both saved my daughter’s life. Ella… I… Saying I am sorry is not enough. But one day, I hope you might be able to forgive. I… I am sorry.”

With those words, he brushed past Garret to leave the room, leaning against the wall outside to gather himself. It would not do for anyone to see him break down in tears.


[1354/3000]

Azix was about to follow Garret's advice when Ariella tugged on his hand and objected. The orange magician moved closer to the yellow magician to comfort her as she told her version of the story. He removed his cloak and wrapped it over Ariella. Azix made a mental note to thank Carmen for doing her part to assist Ariella. Having to hear what she witnessed both at the school and during her captivity sent shivers up his spine. He arched a brow to learn that she too had went through a dungeon. Azix saved his questions until she was finished and averted his eyes when she rebuked her father for his poor judgement in the warehouse.

When Adamus thanked the two magicians for their help, Azix gave a slight nod as he watched the man leave the room. After he had left, Azix turned to Ariella and shook his head. "It sounds like you've been through a lot. You don't have to worry about Elric anymore. Between your father and I, he is definitely dead. Your dad burned everything down, he was pissed at Elric. Unfortunately, we didn't see Lilly."

Sitting down on the table next to Ariella, Azix raised her fingers to his lips and placed a soft kiss on them. "So, a dungeon? What was it like? Did anyone else go? Who obtained the power of the Djinn? He gestured to Garret, "With Garret's help I was able to conquer the dungeon in Imuchakk. Cimeies gave me his power. It was a strange one, a couple rooms were filled with a swampy landscape. Garret kissed a Little Dude there too." He hoped the Spymaster didn't mind Azix making a joke at his expense. He just hoped a laugh would make Ariella feel better.

A curious thought struck him, "You said Carmen provided you information on the assassins. What other possibilities were there?"

---

Meanwhile, outside of the room, the young woman who worked the front desk approached Adamus. "Um...sir, is everything okay in there? Should I call for help? For Azix to appear out of the blue, after he was supposed to be in Imuchakk, with a wounded woman in his arms, it worried her. Usually the Marquis spared a friendly greeting at least.

Before he had an opportunity to leave, Ariella had stopped both the men from taking the exit. The blue magician listened to Ariella explain what she had been doing since they had left, paying particular attention to the details of his organization's involvement in the matter. When she had chastised Adamus, he winced inwardly while keeping a dead expression on his face. The red magician walked by as Garret frowned, a thought slowly revolving. Why was it only Carmen helping? Shouldn't there have been more assistance from HQ for something like this? He remembered his fears he had explained to Azix on the way here, now that Sato was loose in Reim. He wanted to ask Ariella if she had noted anything strange with her interactions with Carmen, and began walking up towards the two from behind Azix.

When Azix mentioned that Garret kissed a 'little dude' there, he cleared his throat and drummed his fingers on his sword, Desceld. "Careful with your context. She might misunderstand you."

He turned to Ariella while pulling out his shield. "This is what he meant. He calls these sprites 'Little Dudes'." He sent magoi through the shield and the three sprites began to form; Antha, Vix and Shel. When they appeared, they looked at Garret in confusion. Antha began exploring the room, looking around and taking in new sights. Vix approached Ariella, sitting besides her and putting an arm around her as she stared down Azix, amusement in her eyes. Shel, on the other hand, pretended not to see any of them in the room and sat down in a chair while sneaking peaks towards the group. Garret sighed. "I have a feeling they are going to be a handful."

Azix then mentioned Carmen talking about assassins, and that was something that Garret was slightly curious about as well.


OOC:
Magoi/Stamina: 165/300

Item/Ability used:

Adamus gave a gruff smile to the woman that approached, shaking his head.

“Things are better now. Just a young girl in trouble. The Marquis is seeing to her injuries, but thank you. When they come out, would you be so kind as to pass this note on to them?”

If she agreed, he would write down the inn he was staying at with an invitation that if anyone needed assistance or had questions, they could find him there. With the note written, he would stride out of the building, needing time alone to grieve for his wife and for his own actions.

---

Ariella listened to Azix, smiling when he brushed a kiss over fingers. It helped to center her, to remind her that she was not still caught in a nightmare. Even in her dreams, nothing felt real and her mind was unable to replicate the warmth the other magician brought to her chest. She felt a sigh of relief at knowing Elric was definitely dead, though news of Lilly not being there worried her. Hopefully without her father to give instructions, the tiny psychopath would cease to be an immediate worry. When he asked about the other possibilities of assassins, she filled them in on the other groups known to operate around Reim, and explained that it did not take long to exclude them as suspects due to their lack of focus in the political arena, aside from the Brotherhood of Ash.

Curling against Azix under his cloak, she warmed herself against the man, trying not to notice the dirt and blood covering her. She knew it would probably make the man uncomfortable, but she needed him to anchor her to reality. Even with the poison out of her system, her mind was arguing with itself on what had been true and what was simply illusion. At the knowledge that he had conquered his own dungeon, she smiled brightly, a giggle escaping her lips at hearing that Garret had kissed what Azix called a “Little Dude.” The idea of Garret kissing a small man made her chuckle, which grew into a laugh tinged with a bit of madness, but mostly just overwhelming amusement.  Calming her chuckles, she looked up to Azix before glancing over at Garret as the man pulled out his shield. To her amazement, from the shield sprouted three winged creatures with very humanoid figures. When one of them put their arm around her, she felt a wave of concern from the creature before she was enveloped in a warm sensation, any lingering effects of the poison fading completely. Her amazement turned to awe at the sensation and she couldn’t resist leaning forward to kiss Vex’ cheek with a smile. It seemed one of the sprites was curious, her wings beating rapidly as she wandered the room and Ari felt an aura of playfulness and joy emitting from the creature. The one that had taken a seat had a sad, mournful look on her face and seemed uninterested in everything, pretending to ignore the room.

She finally tore her gaze from the creatures and looked to Garret with a gentle, genuine smile. Her gratitude shone through her golden hues and her tone would broker no argument as to the man’s accomplishments.

“My thanks for keeping him safe, Garret. And to these “little dudes” as well, if they helped. It seems I owe you much thanks this day… you kept my… you kept Azix alive and well, you stopped my father, you protected me, and then you saved us all from Elric’s spell. You have my eternal gratitude. I can only hope to be able to repay the favor one day.”

She turned her face up to Azix with the same grateful smile.

“And thank you, my dear, for coming to my rescue. I should have been more careful. You delivered me from my own mind. You destroyed Elric and that alone is enough to guarantee that you will never have to worry about betrayal… at least not from me. Your memory kept some part of me anchored in reality, and then you came in to save the day, even if it was not on a white horse.”

She chuckled at the reference, shaking her head as she looked around the room once more, warmth spreading through her chest to know that everyone present had some hand in saving her, even the sprites. Without them, who knew if Azix would have made it out of the dungeon alive to be able to come save her. She ran her fingers through Vix’ hair idly, finding the sensation soothing.

“Seriously, thank you… everyone. I fear I would have died in that room, a victim of my own madness and my father’s ‘responsibility’ and rashness.”

At the question about her own dungeon experience, she gave a soft groan and covered her face in exasperation. The memories of Gremory almost seemed to be from a different lifetime, after the illusions and nightmares Elric had inflicted on her. Her voice was full of child-like wonder as she talked about her adventure, though, and the thoughts of Elric were shoved back in her mind.

“My dungeon experience was… interesting. Jahan, the boy that owned the shop, was infuriatingly impulsive. He had no idea how to fight with anyone and was not too keen on examining a situation before reacting to it. He just burst in, without a care or thought in the world, no consideration for what might happen to him… or to me. The first room was like a cave system, with lizard-like people there, mining stuff. I managed to keep Jahan from killing them before we knew if they were a threat, but they sent us on the correct part. We had to solve a riddle to get to the next room. Surprisingly, he knew the correct response to pass the test. I inadvertently gave the correct response, just because I was lost in thought. But, we got to move on. In the next room, the gravity was all… wonky, we went up some stairs and then were upside down! I got to fight a werewolf! Jahan helped, after hiding behind me at first. And then we got to see mermaids! They weren’t very nice, though, they turned into weird shade-like creatures. There was a glorious looking city and we walked on water… and then we had to face our own past and possible futures, which was slightly terrifying. But it did help me find my resolve to deal with Lilly, which was good, I suppose. I got a necklace from that room, it is really nifty; it’s a locket that shows loved ones I am thinking about. It showed me you a lot, before Elric took it from me.”

She gave Azix a warm smile, wondering where her belongings were, she would hate to lose that necklace. But that worry was for another time.

“Meeting the djinn was… awe-inspiring and terrifying. His name was Gremory. We had to fight a giant half-dragon… thing… his name was Leo. Jahan almost got us killed in that fight. Running in without consulting me, dividing us with no strategy. I lost my borg but was spared any injury, thank goodness. When the fight was over, the djinn, he… he ended up with Jahan, but first, he offered himself to me. I almost accepted his offer, but, then I thought about it.”

She tightened her grip on Azix’ hand, laying a kiss on it before she looked up to him.

“I don’t want to lead. It is not my strong point, and it was not something I wanted for myself. I told him no, because I already had a leader that I supported, that I wanted to become stronger for. Your ideals, what you want for this world… they are much more than I could ever hope to provide for people. But you… you can! And I would much rather help you achieve that dream, in any way I can. If you will accept me helping you, anyhow. I know you had to rescue me, but I will get stronger, I won’t be a burden to your dreams, I swear it. I want to do anything I can to support you and see your dream through to its completion. I believe that you can achieve that, and I want to be there to see it when you do. I know you have Garret as your ally and friend, but one more couldn’t hurt, right?”

She had a hopeful look on her face, knowing that the day’s events were not a strong argument for her, but after this, she would be more careful. She would do whatever it took, train as much as she had to, to help him see his dream through. She only hoped he would not try to hide her away to protect her, that he would let her be at his side, to deter what he did not see coming and to clear the path for the road he was trying to lay out. The schools and the Opportunity Initiative alone were enough to prove to her that he had the drive to accomplish his goals. If she could make things go a bit more smoothly for him, then she would.

“I have diplomacy skills that could be beneficial to you, a name that could help you obtain allies, and skills that don’t leave me defenseless, most of the time. I have been working really hard with my father and Sleuthy to be able to defend myself, and you, if need be. I can take care of the little things so you can focus on the big things. I know I can be an asset to you, if you let me. Or, if you prefer, I could just be at your side and make sure you aren’t lonely. Just… let me help you, please?”

She knew she sounded desperate at this point, but she did not care. Part of trust and companionship came the knowledge that occasionally you might look foolish.

[Household Word Count: 3000+/3000]

Gilda, the receptionist nodded and accepted the note, glad to hear everything was better. Before she could inquire further, Adamus turned and walked out of Opportunity Hall, leaving her staring between the Heat magician and the closed door. With a shrug of her shoulders, she went back to her desk, setting aside the note for now and went back to work.

---

Azix gave Garret an apologetic look mixed with a smirk, hoping he understood by Ariella's reaction, the purpose of his comment. He was surprised to learn that Jahan was a possibility, but as Ariella explained how the man had interacted with the dungeon, it was easy to understand why he was removed from the potential targets. Still, with obtaining the power of a Djinn, Jahan would have to be watched. He noted the other possibilities as well, wondering if he could do anything to keep them from interfering with Reim.

When Ariella was finished with her story, Azix smiled at her warmly, "Certainly you can join us. I would be honored to have your assistance. Oh, I almost forgot." The mention of the jewelry she had received in the dungeon, reminded Azix of his gift for her. The orange magician pulled it out of a pocket and handed it to her. "This is for you."

Garret paid close attention to the recollections of Ariella and, as time went on, considered the topics she discussed. During this time the three sprites, which were moving about and existing within the room disappeared, as if they were never there in the first place. There was mention of a variety of assassin groups, which Garret was slightly familiar with though had never come in contact with personally, asides from The Brotherhood of Ash. Though he did not know it at the time, that group was the group which had approached The Contractor in order to brief them on the situation back during the invasion on Remano.

When Ariella thanked him, he simply nodded his head in response. There was still much she wished to share so he had held back his own words. Moments later it began to get more and more personal between Azix and Ariella, and Garret shifted in place, uncomfortable. When Azix presented her the necklace, Garret felt it was time to intervene, otherwise he would be standing there watching what seemed to be an intimate moment between the two. He cleared his throat. "Well then, I hope you do not mind, but I believe now it would be appropriate for me to give the two of you some time together. Alone." He bowed slightly to the two, and turned to make his way to the door. Pausing, briefly, Garret recalled what he had wanted to say earlier. "Ah, Ariella, there is no need to count favors owed. We are friends, and allies, and as such we will continue to work together and support each other without reserve." Though he called her a friend, the truth of their relationship was slightly more complex than that. The two did not have that close of a rapport together, yet their fates had been interwoven closely due to a variety of situations, the crux of which was the Light Magician himself.

Garret opened the door, and took a step out before pausing again. Turning his head over his shoulder, he spoke to Ariella and, albeit on a different level due to what he was implying, Azix. "And feel free to use my fake or real name. I have a feeling it won't matter too much, soon enough." He closed the door behind him, and began walking to the exit before Yua stopped him in the waiting area.

"Hey, chief, the guy that was on the carpet with us left a message for everyone with the receptionist. Wanna check it out?" She retained her happy-go-lucky personality, and Garret closed his eyes while sighing. She lead the blue magician over to the receptionist, and Garret inquired as to what was left behind. Once they had obtained the information, copying it down on his own sheet of paper, Garret would make his way to the streets of Remano. He wasn't going to return to work just quite yet....

-exit-

Ariella gave Garret a nod of acknowledgement at his statement about being friends and allies, though she was not sure she would count him as friend, just yet. Still, she did trust him, and he had proven worthy of that trust in saving her life and keeping Azix alive.

“Thank you again, Gar-… Iatsu. For everything.”

When Azix said he would accept her assistance in his journey, warmth spread through her chest and when he presented her with a necklace, her breath caught in her throat. It was a gorgeous pewter pendant in the shape of a heart cradled by hands and topped with a crown. In the middle was a deep purple gem that matched her hair. As she tugged aside her hair to let him hook it around her neck, she heard something tickle in her mind.

“You wish to be stronger, to aide him… I will help.”

Afraid she was slipping back in to madness, she looked around as she felt the necklace warm against her throat. Running her fingers over the pendant, she felt something on the back in the shape of a circle. She frowned for a moment in confusion, Garret speaking about leaving them alone only barely registering and she gave an idle nod. It seemed perhaps she would have some help in growing to be more helpful to the person she had chosen to follow. Or so she hoped, because the other option was that all of Elric’s tinkering had broken her mind.

Turning her face up to Azix, she cupped his face in her hand. She was about to try and kiss him before she felt the dried blood on her face and she scrunched her nose.

“I hate to ask, but can we go somewhere that has a bath… and maybe a fire… and just possibly some cuddles?”

She gave him a half-teasing, half-hopeful look, finally becoming aware of how dirty she felt. Being tied up with no access to a wash room and then being tortured, mentally and physically, made her want to scrub her entire body in boiling water to rinse away everything that had happened.

Household Vessel:

Azix nodded to Garret when the Spymaster excused himself, "Thanks for your help. We should all get together again when things settle down. It would be best to plan for the future, considering the circumstances." Azix was talking not only about the assassin, but the news of the Kou military's arrival and Sato.

Once Iatsu had left, Azix would smile at Ariella's request, "Certainly, let us take a carpet ride. This time I promise not to take you on a date." He'd laugh, referecing the previous jobs they had done under moonlight.

He would lead her out of the room and exchange some words with Gilda. Afterwards, he went outside to where his magic carpet was still laying. The bags of gold were also laying there, strangely untouched even after being unguarded. They would then head to Azix's house where Ariella could refresh and relax.

[exit]

When Lilly wandered into the room Father had reserved for them at an inn, she found a strange man there. His pink hair made her miss her own fluffy pink hair that was now a silver color.

The Contractor gave her a friendly smile, tipping his hat as she entered.

“The infamous Lilly! I am so pleased to make your acquaintance!”

The girl looked cautious of him but she was not reaching for weapons.

“Lilly, I have something to propose. Your Father has… left you. His plans were foiled by a group of magicians and they made him pay for it. As a result, he will not be returning to you. However, I would like to take care of you… what do you say?”

Lilly shrugged at the offer. Her attachment to anyone was tenuous at best, even learning her Father was no longer around did not particularly bother her. She just wanted to play and told the weird man as much.

“Do you have fun toys? I like to play with people!”

The Contractor chuckled and nodded, pulling a small, dark object from under his cloak. It appeared to be a dagger similar to her own custom-made blade, but this was pure black, seeming to absorb the light around it. In the middle of the blade, she could see a small circular symbol.

“I think you will like this toy much more than your current one. It makes playing with people much more fun!”

Lilly’s eyes sparkled as she reached out to take the blade, her playful, sadistic smile crossing her lips as she handled the dark metal vessel. A new Dark King Candidate was born.

-Exit-