Like Father, Like Son [Epic Quest - Azix Niraj]

Garret waited in Azix's living room. Not too long ago he had gotten back from Adamus' and was sporting a new staff. The object was valuable, he had no doubt, both emotionally to the man and materialistically. Snapping his attention towards an individual who just entered, Garret looked towards Azix as he approached the blue magician. In the sign language they had used so often before, Garret communicated with Azix. "So, it is agreed and set up, then, yes? I will be a guard at the meeting, in full armor so as to keep my appearance hidden..." The magician paused, and looked around before turning back to Azix. "I can't believe we're about to do this. I hope you're ready, it will no doubt be dangerous."

Any sort of outing, Garret felt, that was made alongside the Emperor would be one that would be dangerous. Not simply because he was a paranoid man, but because he was right to be paranoid; there were people out to get him.

---

After losing any potential followers in side alleys and the like, Garret worked his way through the city. Once he made it to a predetermined abandoned building between the residential and military/official districts, Garret changed his outfit. The magician wanted to further obfuscate his personage, keeping information at odds with each other. He now wore a Reim Soldier's standard gear, and made his way towards the barracks for the Reim soldiers and, more specifically, the person guards that were under the direction of a General loyal directly to Lagi.

When Garret arrived, he quickly changed into the full armor equipment of those men. A heavy weight he was not used to carrying. They worked a bit on how to walk within it, and what kind of etiquette would be expected of a guard; shut up, watch for trouble, and listen to the King. Nodding, Garret checked to make sure everything was nearby. They didn't have time to make him armor specific to the mission, so he would have to be somewhat unconventional as an armored mage.

Garret arrived ahead of King Lagi and the other officials, as a guard would, and scouted out the interior. He recalled his last visit in this section, and then recalled the maps he had seen after the ball. He was well prepared for any situation, and knew an escape route or two that could be used if it became necessary. Garret stood behind the King's seat at a comfortable distance of two meters so as not to hover over anyone at the table while protecting his 'charge'. It would be plenty distance for him to react in time to an opponent, should one appear, and dispatch any targets.

As Garret's fingers flitted through the air, Azix observed the motions and connected them to memorized meanings. Azix gave a short nod and began signing back, 'Everyone has been instructed on their roles. Now all that is left is performing them.' Azix gave a nervous smile, 'I know what you mean, but this is our best shot. You go on ahead, I'll wait ten minutes before I leave so we aren't seen together. Good luck.'

---

Azix entered the ballroom to find most of the guests had already arrived. He approached the larger table at the head of the room, stealing subtle glances at the positions of the guards along the way. He took a seat that was open next to Roark and turned to the man with a polite smile. "Nice to see you again, councilor. How have you been? Lagi, it is good to see you as well." While he spoke, Azix made sure his gaze wandered further down the table to stare at Ariella and Yoshi with a dejected look on his face. "Congratulations on your engagement."

Azix noticed a guard in full armor standing nearby from the corner of his vision. He assumed it was Garret, but Azix kept the recognition from his face. It seemed that the last guests had now filtered in and he hoped that the food would be arriving soon.

The Emperor stood as everyone found their seats, his eyes shooting to glare at the presence of his nephew. He was attending as a guest of the King, so he could not object to the Marquis being present. He cleared his throat to draw everyone’s attention.

“I want to thank you all for gathering. Tomorrow, we shall be celebrating the wedding of my daughter to the King of Reim, Lagi El Nagi. Before we commence with the meal, Yoshiro will go through the rehearsal portion.”

He waved to the Prince before taking a seat, casually sipping at some Reim wine. Yoshiro squeezed Ariella’s hand, giving her a fond smile as he stood.

“As my father said, thank you all for coming. Now for the formalities. The seating will be exactly like this tomorrow, though there will be many more guards. After the wedding ceremony, you will be led to this room and expected to take your seats. Once all of the most important guests have been seated, the less important guests will be allowed to enter. Everyone will be going through a weapons check and expected to turn over any wands, blades, or magic tools.”

Glancing down the table, he gave Azix a small glare, arching his brow challengingly at the man before continuing to address the rest of the guests.

“The King will have his own guards, much like now, to protect him and the Princess Ruki. Once all guests have taken their seats, the doors will be secured to ensure there will be no one sneaking in. King Lagi will give a small speech. After this, a meal will be served, followed by a ball. Rooms will be made available within the Palace to all present for the ceremony. As you are all aware, this is a highly controversial alliance, so all necessary precautions will be taken to make sure everyone is safe. If you wish to return home at the end of the evening, the Reim military will be providing armed escorts. I believe this covers everything, let us move on to the food, shall we?”

There was a round of polite applause before the meal was served and quiet conversations broke out across all those attending, Yoshiro leaning forward to speak to his sister.

“So, my lovely sister…are you prepared for married life?”

Ruki gave a disarming grin, raising her third glass of wine to her brother.

“Of course, dear brother. Tomorrow, I shall be a queen. And how long will it be before I can call Ariella sister? You do intend to make an honest woman of her, I assume?”

Yoshiro blushed a bright red at his sister’s comment before squeezing Ariella’s hand.

“Let us focus on one wedding at a time, sister. I would not want to overshadow your big day, after all. I am certain Ariella would make an even prettier bride than you, when that day comes.”

He ignored the kick to his leg, instead standing and drawing Ariella up with him to lead her to the dance floor. It was too dangerous to leave her at the table with Ruki’s snark. The bards began playing a slow, romantic song and he twirled his date in his arms across the floor.

Ruki bit her tongue on the vile words rising, now was not the time to be squabbling with her brother. His seeming infatuation with Ariella grated on her nerves and she squeezed Lagi’s hand as she turned to vent her frustration on the one available target, her cousin.

“So, cousin, I am surprised they allowed you back in the Palace after you struck Yoshiro. Is one pathetic girl really worth losing your hand or head for? I mean, look at her, she certainly seemed to move on from you quickly enough. I wonder what she did to bring Yoshiro to heel so quickly. Tell me, what talents does she keep hidden in the bedroom?”

The Emperor shot his daughter a disproving look. To humiliate Azix was one thing, but she was making Yoshiro’s date look undeserving of his son in the meantime. He suddenly thought of a fitting punishment to Ruki for not taming her tongue while still making his nephew uncomfortable.

“You two need to mature past this childhood squabbling. Nephew, take Ruki for a dance while I discuss the newly forged alliance with King Lagi.”

Ruki huffed, about to refuse her father when the Emperor shot her a dark, threatening look. With a disdainful look, she pushed her chair back and stood, waiting for her cousin to lead her to the ballroom floor to join Yoshiro and Ariella in a slow dance.

“Come, cousin. Perhaps, if you are lucky, you can pry Ariella from my brother for a pity dance.”

The Emperor would move over to begin speaking with Lagi about the terms of the alliance, ever one to use a social event for political purposes.

Ariella gave Yoshiro a doting look as he spoke about the security measures and schedule for the next day, able to keep up her act until he mentioned something about her making a pretty bride. Her foot slipped to kick him in the shin, but he covered it up by dragging her onto the ballroom floor. The music and distance from the table kept her from hearing Ruki’s venomous words and she played the part of an enamored belle. She allowed Yoshiro to lead her in a slow dance across the floor, his hand pressed against her back and making her want to stiffen as she slid a discreet glance to Azix.

Yoshiro caught her chin with his finger to turn her face back towards him in a seemingly loving touch, though it was really to keep from making those around think she was still pining after the Marquis. She let her weight rest against Yoshiro’s chest, appearing to the world as though she was a young woman in love, her attention focused solely on the man in her arms. When Yoshiro looked up with a small frown, she followed his gaze, arching a brow at seeing Ruki impatiently tapping her foot while staring at Azix. Ari rose on her toes to whisper into Yoshiro’s ear, her face an almost seductive mask.

“What is she doing, Yoshiro? Having her in the middle of this is not the plan.”

Her date shrugged, keeping a smitten look on his face, his hand straying dangerously close to her bottom as they twirled to the music the bard’s provided. Ari barely kept from growling, the flush rising on her cheeks making her look more enamored with the Prince though it was a result of anger at having to allow his touch so close to an inappropriate area. She kept her voice at a bare whisper that would not pass further than their bodies.

“Don’t take too many liberties, Prince. It would do no good to trigger his response sooner than planned.”

Azix, taking care of things as usual I see. I hope you are doing well. I think the last time I asked for you…. I was naked. I didn’t need to get drunk for that, shocked?. Where were you anyway? It was my big fight the least you could do is show up…. Unless you was expecting me to lose….” Lagi would say this teasingly, not too sure why Azix didn’t come. This guy practically sheltered him as king for the entire run, he would think that Azix would want to show up to his big match as well. “Ow…. Ruki?” Lagi didn’t really know why Ruki squeezed his hand, it must be because of her small exchange with Azix.

Is family always like that? He wasn’t like that with his family. At least not anymore, he managed to get along with everyone on friendly terms. If anything, it was mostly an outsider complex that he developed if anything. “…” When Ruki and Azix left, Lagi turned to the emperor. “So, Mr….. hmm… I don’t think we are quite yet on the first name basis yet. So Emperor Kou, was there something in particular you wanted to discuss with the terms of our alliance?

Azix drank a sip of wine as he listened to Lagi's response and nearly choked when the King mentioned being in his 'Lagi suit'. The orange magician gave a soft chuckle, "Oh, I was there alright. Your ass was tanner than my face." The Marquis shook his head, "Your fight was impressive and to think, you had tamed a dragon."

The rehearsal finally started with the Emperor and Yoshiro explaining the procedure for the real wedding tomorrow. Both men managed to include a sharp glare in Azix's direction during their speeches, which were shared back in kind. Food was served shortly after, which Azix took small bites of while stealing fleeting glances of Ari.

As conversation passed around the table, it didn't take long before Ruki began dipping her toes in the mind butter. Azix sent a venomous glare down the table at the exchange between the siblings and watched Yoshiro lead Ari to the dance floor. While the Marquis' gaze lingered on the Prince, dancing with Ariella, Ruki set her targets on him. Azix shot her an angry look and opened his mouth to retort when the Emperor demanded he dance with Ruki.

Azix grimaced at the thought, but wouldn't deny the Emperor. If the man was satisfied with Azix's humiliation, it would make things easier. "As you wish, my Lord." The words were respectful, but the tone held a hint of disdain. Azix stood up and walked over to Ruki to lead her to the dance floor. When she made a snarky comment, Azix quickly moved his foot in front of Ruki's to trip her. If she stumbled, he would catch her and steady her, just wanting to shake her off balance without infuriating the Emperor.

He slipped his arm around Ruki's waist, leading her into a dance, though Azix's distaste for even touching the woman was clear in his movements. While he mechanically twirled the Princess around, Azix's gaze seemed to never leave Ari and Yoshi. However, he would scan the room every now and then - to check the position of the guards or how distracted the Emperor was. Every time he noticed the Prince caress Ariella, Azix's expression would fill with a mix of rage and envy. The orange magician would also become more conscious of the fact that his wand and metal vessel were close at hand.

Garret watched the reaction from Azix, nodding to his instructions. He did not want others to know he was with the Marquis either, as it would tip the Emperor off to be even more cautious. When Azix gave him the word of good luck, Garret nodded one last time and acknowledged the light magician's words. Understood. Be prepared for a hard fight. I'll try my best to be ready myself. I expect it to be a tough one. He moved off quickly.

---

One by one the participants of the 'mock' dinner party, the rehearsal, entered into the room. Garret kept a close eye on those who entered, but otherwise stood extremely still. His Buoyant Strength kept him from straining himself to move in the armor. As the group became seated, Garret's eyes moved over to the Emperor; he had never before been so close to the man before. He allowed his gaze to go over as many members at the table that he could without moving his neck. For now, he would have to focus most of his efforts on keeping watch for anyone approaching King Lagi.

He heard snippets of conversation, here and there, but did not strain overly much to listen in on what was being said. The conversation itself was not important to the blue magician; all that mattered was that moment in time when all pathways converged onto one point. That moment in time where Azix's plan would be executed. Until then, he would wait to act.

OOC:

Abilities used:

Spoiler:

The Emperor gave Lagi an interested look before turning his eyes to watch his children, his eyes darting between the two.

“I have heard about the creatures you tame. I am particularly interested in the Manta. We have a lot of mountains that make transport difficult. Would your creatures be able to handle that type of terrain? And these Boufer cows, I hear they perform miracles in fertilization. Would you consider trading some of these to us? We, of course, would not expect them for free. Perhaps you would like to send some tamers over to Kou to see about taming some of the rare species there?”

He smirked when he saw Ruki intentionally step on Azix’ feet several times, she was far too graceful for it to be accidental. Yoshiro and his date seemed to be engrossed with each other and he could see the rage on his nephew’s face. Good, let the boy remember his place. The Negri girl was far too valuable as a political asset to be wasted on his nephew. No mind was paid to the guards, they were simply a constant presence as they scanned the room, something he was used to.

Yoshiro tightened his grip on Ariella, shooting a furtive glance at Azix. The entire atmosphere was very relaxed, aside from Ruki’s snipping remarks that never seemed to stop. Now was as good a time as ever. He dipped his head to murmur against Ariella’s ear so no one could hear.

“I believe it is now or never, Ariella. Play your part well and you will never have to feel my touch again.”

“Get it over with, my Prince, before I lose my nerve.”

Yoshiro took her words to heart, knowing she struggled to act like a besotted belle. Turning them so Azix had a perfect view, he slid his hand down to Ariella’s rump and captured her lips in a kiss. He ignored the punishing bite to his lip, hiding the wince and praying she played along. After a brief second, he felt her return the kiss and knew the act was successful when he heard his father clapping and laughing at the table.

Ruki froze as she saw Yoshiro kiss Ariella. She had been half convinced they were just acting, but the display they were putting on banished any doubts she had. Covering her mouth as she laughed, she looked to Azix.

“Well, they certainly aren’t being subtle, are they?”

Yoshiro waited, not even truly paying attention to the kiss he was sharing with Ariella. It was Azix’ turn in this sadistic scene they were putting on.

Azix glared when Ruki stepped on on his foot and a false smile crept on his face. "You certainly are clumsy today. I'd hate for you to fall flat on your face." He spoke in a hushed tone, low enough for only her to hear.

His gaze wandered back to the Prince and caught Yoshi's furtive glance. Azix narrowed his eyes as he watched his cousin pull Ari into a kiss, while he fondled her backside. An icy chill shot through Azix's spine and his hands fell away from Ruki. The orange magician walked forward, an aura of rage coming from him with every step. With a shake of his wrist, the pendant slid down into the palm of his hand and he clenched it in an iron fist.

As Azix cut through the crowd to get to Yoshiro, he noticed a guard on either side moving to intercept him. He ignored them and managed to get within striking range of Yoshi before the two Stoic Lieutenants grabbed Azix by the wrist and shoulder on either side, pushing Azix to his knees. The orange magician let out a howl of anger, "Curse you! How could you steal a woman from your own cousin? Are you so afraid of me that you have your dogs restrain me?"

Azix's face twisted in range and he slowly muttered under his breath. "O' Djinn of Plague and Pestilence, create a catalyst of change that infects corruption. Lend me the power to purify the world anew. Spread, Cimeies!"

[310/330]

Spoiler:

Garret continued his vigilance over the table as the Kou Emperor began to talk details of a trade agreement with King Lagi. The Magician kept an ear out for the signal of the start of the operation, but otherwise his attentions were on the room in general. To make a convincing act of who he was, the man would have to periodically scan the room for any sort of danger that approached King Lagi. The Bouyant Strength continued to assist the battle-hardened magician, but the man was not familiar enough with the technique itself to continue to hold onto it during the stress of battle. Thankfully he wouldn't have to worry too much about it, at first.

It was only a small amount of time that passed from the beginning of the dance that Azix executed the start of the operation; he spoke out the words of his Djinn equip power. Garret turned to look on towards him; he did not want to appear overly informed by immediately rushing to King Lagi's side. His hand grasped his wand tighter, and when he saw the transformation from Azix he immediately rushed over to King Lagi. "My leige! You must leave this room at once! Come, it's too dangerous here!" Garret would be the first of a total of three armored guards to come to the King's side and attempt to escort him out of the ball room. He made certain that nobody else approached the King while escorting him, threatening harm to any who attempted to do so in a similar manner as the other two personal guards that accompanied him.

If the group managed to make it to the hallways unmolested, Garret would turn to the King and nod to him. "I must return to retrieve your bride, Sire. You should seek safety amongst a larger number of guards as soon as possible."

Lagi would cough lightly when the emperor started to inquire about all of these things. “That should be no problem if we train the Ravenous Manta even further to handle the terrain quite skillfully. I’m sure that my beats would be able to manage. As for doing business involving the Boufer cows and the Pentax, there is no problem with that whatsoever, its just that the means of travel when it comes to these creatures would take a while if we are travelling all the way to the Kou empire. If this is to happen right away if you used a ship or a caravan , you can purchase the heard and tag them along if you have any members of your army that also fit the requisite. Then again, there is the diet of these animals that you have to take into account especially the pentax diet, when it comes to long voyages.”

Lagi would sip some wine and continue. “ when the ambassadors of the business portion of our two council’s died, I felt as if there a gap that had to be refilled financially, so decided to use what I’m good at to pursue these ventures and better the lives of others. As for the rare species, I think I’ll take you up on th-“

Before Lagi could finish, there was a ruckus between Azix. It looked like he was screaming at Yoshino for something. “ Lagi sipped his wine as he looked at his guard who urged him to leave.” Fine…… I’ll go….” Lagi was then escorted out of the room.

Ariella hid the sigh of relief when Yoshiro stopped kissing her to turn to Azix. The look on her lover’s face broke her heart but it was not time to drop the act yet, so instead she put a hand on Yoshiro’s arm to pretend to try and pull him away.

“Yoshi, let the guards deal with it…”

When Azix began chanting his djinn equip, she took a few steps back, her eyes darting around. Most would mistake it for fear but she was simply cataloguing everyone’s positions. Ruki might have posed a problem, but a guard stepped forward to drag her away from the two men. That only left two guards that were rushing to the Emperor, wanting to whisk him away from any possible danger.

With a subtle movement, her fingers gripped the tip of the handle of her wand, ready to whip it into her hand in a moment’s notice.

The Emperor immediately shot to his feet when Azix began yelling, refusing to allow the guards to usher him from the room. He was outraged at the behavior Azix was displaying. He had been lenient before, allowing him to keep his hand after striking his son, but this was unforgivable. He was about to demand his head when Yoshiro’s voice rang out through the room with an authority he had not expected from the Prince.

“Guards, release him. It is obvious he will not let this go and I will not have someone else do my dirty work. You wish to challenge me, cousin? Very well. Then do not complain when I split you from navel to nose.”

Yoshiro calmly slid his katana free from its sheath, pointing it to Azix’ face with a cold look. When Azix began muttering his djinn equip, Yoshiro smirked.

“Magic, cousin? I suppose I should respond in kind. Djinn of Heat and Ice, spread the fog of war and lend me your strength to defeat my enemies. Mist, Seere!”

The guards had wide eyes as the Prince’s katana seemed to freeze over, a mist raising from it as the dry ice twined up his arm. They stepped away from Azix, fear striking them as they herded anyone they could capture from the center of the room.

Ruki twisted her arm away from the guards, glaring at her brother. She could not believe that he had managed to conquer a dungeon without telling anyone, not even her. When the guards became more insistent, she shot them a glare, standing back from the fray but refusing to retreat. If they were going to make their move now, she wanted to be here to see it. And if she had a chance, she would move ahead with her own plan.

The Emperor stood and looked between the two men. So his son had obtained a metal vessel. It seemed fitting that he would use such a powerful weapon to strike down the son of a traitor. He approved. He waved his two guards back, nodding to Yoshiro.

“Watch as my son shows you why Kou will always be superior. Do not leave him alive, Yoshiro. I want his line destroyed, I was foolish to leave him alive after his father’s treachery.”

He remained in his place, his hand on his own weapon as he watched his son.

A sickly green haze swirled around Azix as he Djinn Equipped and faded to reveal an altered appearance. His black hair had grown longer, down past his shoulder-blades, while a third eye appeared between his brows. His chest, shoulders, legs, and wrists were armored with a snakeskin design. Around his waist he wore a plated leather belt, chains with sickles hung from it. Azix held the silver sword of Cimeies in his right hand and stared up the point of Yoshiro's katana with a venomous look.

Azix lifted his sword to push Yoshi's katana out of his face and stood up. Taking a step back, he gripped the hilt of his blade with both hands, lifting it over his right shoulder before sending it in a downward diagonal slash across Yoshi's chest. Azix expected his cousin to clash against it, knew he would. When that eventual meeting of blades occured, the orange magician would fly back several feet and raised his blade above his head. Azix would meet Yoshi's gaze as he started to run forward and give him a wink.

Just as he got in range to strike Yoshiro, Azix began to swing his blade downward before he spun on his heel to face the Emperor, expecting his cousin to do the same. Azix kicked off the ground and flew forward with his blade aimed toward the Emperor's heart, hoping to pierce it. He didn't expect that outcome though, there were still guards in the room. The guards were Garret's job however and Azix trusted the blue magician to pull off his part of the mission. Even without the guards, the Emperor was still a battle-experienced warrior who would probably still be a struggle for two King Candidates. So, Azix had to count on Yoshiro, the cousin who had just kissed Ariella.

[300/330]

Used:

There was a commotion going on when Garret entered the room once more, just as he had expected. What he did not expect was the second man, Yoshiro, having a metal vessel. A chill crawled up Garret's spine, but he let go of it for now. Buoyant Strength would no longer serve him as he clumsily ran towards the combat in the ridiculously unwieldy armor. He noted that there were other guards running forward as well; these were the men who were moving to protect the Emperor. Azix moved to aim in at the emperor, and Garret noted the guards immediately moving to intercept the man. Just eight in all... The security detail is small, but I suppose that is to be expected under the circumstances.

The only thing that would allow them to do so was the fact that they were closer to the Emperor than the others. The speed of the two King Candidates made covering ground incredibly simple. Garret began his work, first striking at the two foes furthest ahead with a pair of magic blades; Blade Burst. He leveled his new staff forward and two balls of ice formed, shooting forward and striking at the back of the knees of two of the Emperor's guards. That garnered the attention of those four guards, and even the notice of the guards from what should be Ariella's side of the room. There were some from that side that were running towards the Emperor to save him, as well. Reclassifying the threats, the remaining guard's on Garret's side decided to use their manpower in order to help the Emperor by working to stop another threat from approaching their leader from another direction. The two that had fallen to the ground stood up and made their way to also intercept Garret.

Garret did not allow things to simply go by easily. Two creatures, made of plague magic, shot forth from Garret's hands. This insidious power flowed from Garret's gauntlets like a stream of black mist, forming into the shape of a serpent. These snake-shaped plagued clouds hissed forward, winding through the enemies and striking the two guards that were approaching closest to him, abruptly causing them to slow down as the pain of the plague caused a red irritation of skin to appear in the form of the snake constricting around their bodies. Garret was dashing forward at this time, and a second incantation was called out as an Ice Fist shot forward to strike one of the original opponents that was attempting to encircle the blue magician. That guard's blade clashed against Garret's spell, and the fist of ice was cleanly split in twain.

Garret's actions had garnered a healthy degree of respect for the danger he brought to the table from the remaining guards. These soldiers determined him to be an opponent important enough to focus their full attention on. The guards had encircled him now, and were ready to begin an assault on the Magician. Garret looked around himself, the metal helmet impairing his vision, and silently cursed the thing in his mind. Even so, there are two Metal Vessel users within this room. The Emperor does not stand a chance... He knew first hand what the power of a simple attack could do from the blade Azix wielded, and had no doubt that Yoshiro's blade had an equally devastating effect. With him holding off the guards on this side, and hopefully Ariella holding off the guards on the other, their strike force wouldn't be defeated by the numbers of an elite group. I suppose I'm in a pinch, though. The magician quickly looked at the distance between himself, the Emperor, and Garret's allies.


OOC:
Magoi/Stamina: 230/350

Abilities Used:

Ari watched as chaos broke loose, taking her wand in hand the moment the guards began to move, using Electric Wall to paralyze the guards on the opposite side of Azix from Garret. The four men dropped to the ground without the use of their legs. When the fell to the floor, Ari cast Thorny Overgrowth, the guards too busy hacking at the vines growing around them to bother interfering with Azix and Yoshiro. She glanced to Garret and the four guards surrounding him. As much as she wanted to assist her lover, she was more help keeping Garret free to move around.

Hoping his borg would protect him, she carefully directed the rukh to form Buzzing Muscles centered on where he was standing, the spell large enough to encompass the guards without interfering with Azix and Yoshiro. She would not have anything distract the two King Candidates from their task.

[Magoi 210/300]

Abilities Used:

While the guards were engaged with Ariella and Garret, Ruki watched from the background, her hand slipping into her kimono to retrieve her dagger. She moved carefully through the dance of spells around her to approach the two men.

The Emperor let out a booming laugh when he saw Yoshiro and Azix cross blades, arching a brow.

”Not one, but TWO metal vessel wielders in the family? We are truly blessed. Now, Yoshiro, kill him and take his vessel for your own.”

He was not expecting when the two men turned to him, but he reacted instinctually, drawing his blade to block Azix’ first strike. By blocking the strike from his nephew, he was unable to parry Yoshiro’s incoming strike. Instead, the blade dug into his leg in a jab, dry ice spreading around the wound and keeping it from bleeding while slowing his movement speed in the limb. With an angry sneer, the Emperor brought his blade across to intercept Yoshiro’s next slash, the kiss of metal hissing through the room.

”INSOLENT CHILD, DO NOT THINK YOU CAN BEST ME!”

His attention was drawn to Ruki, smirking when she raised her dagger high over her head and drove it into Yoshiro’s shoulder. Not allowing his guard to drop even when Yoshiro winced in pain and spun an angry look to his sister, the Emperor turned to Azix to slash at his nephew’s torso in a vicious strike.

His sword parried to the side, Azix used his Djnn Equip to fly back a few feet. He noticed a trail of ice around a gash to the Emperor's leg. Azix let out a deep breath and flew forward once more with his blade held low. As he closed the gap, Azix caught a blur of motion from the corner of his eye. A hiss of pain soon followed, but the orange magician's attention was on the arc of his Uncle's blade.

A sickly green mist coiled around Azix's blade as he swung his blade upwards. The two swords clashed with a ringing of steel, that reverberated up Azix's arms. As the blades connected, the green mist traveled along the Emperor's sword and up his arm. The Pestilent Touch of Cimeies would quickly spread on contact, a minor irritation compared to the true potential of the Djinn's power, however an irritation nonetheless.

Azix twisted his blade and sent a slash to sever his Uncle's sword hand at the wrist.

[290/330]

Used:

Just as the four soldiers began to encircle him a spell blew off in front of his face. The Magician blinked the sudden bright light away from his eyes as his Borg flared up and defended against the attack, though its power diminished greatly due to the spell. Garret knew that the spell was likely from his ally, Ariella, and that it was used as a means to help him out. He took the good with the bad when the flash of light cleared out and the remaining soldiers were on the ground, their legs paralyzed.

The magician re-invested his magoi into Blade Burst, once more summoning a pair of ice spheres which shot forward towards two of the prone men, the ones who had been hit in the back of the knees prior. They were beginning to sit up, and Garret believed they would be ready to defend themselves had he waited any longer. The two spheres of ice turned into blades which shot forward between their paralyzed legs, digging into their body and releasing them from their lives.

Garret concentrated, casting Ice Fist once more. The hand quickly crystallized and made a fist, slamming down towards one of the men who had been infected by the plague snake.  The burning of his flesh being eaten as he lived was only made slightly less painful with his legs being paralyzed, but it was still too much as he attempted to raise his blade and intercept the fist. His blade made it just in time, and he pressed back on the downward force, but the strength behind his attack was not enough and the fist crushed the man's ribs.

Turning towards the last remaining soldier, Garret thrust both of his arms out to the man and two more black snakes formed, constricting the man who was already in pain from the prior spell. The guard's flesh would soon fall prey to the destructive consumption of the plague.

With his foes defeated, Garret turned to Azix's battle. The clunky armor reminded him of how thankful he was that his part in the battle was, for the most part, over. The turning around in it was somewhat awkward, yet the Magician did so in time to see Azix move towards the Emperor, as well as the frozen limb that looked to keep the man from moving.

A moment passed, and Garret saw movement from behind Azix and his cousin, Yoshiro; Ruki had stabbed the Emperor's son, her brother, which immediately brought up several questions to his mind. Double agent? What's her goal? There was hardly any time for thought, however, as the next few moments would prove critical to the end of their current mission.


OOC:
Magoi/Stamina: 170/350

Abilities Used:

Ari watched as Garret’s guards were destroyed, her own in a bloody mess on the ground. The guards dealt with, she refocused her attention on her lover and the Prince, her eyes widening as she saw Ruki bury her dagger in Yoshiro’s shoulder. It was a smooth motion when she whipped her Chained Death free of the sash around her waist. Yelling out, Ari’s voice range with anger and power.

“Hey bitch, I don’t think so!”

With extreme focus, she used Get Over Here to wrap the chain of her dagger around Ruki’s waist and drag the Princess close, the dagger burying into one of Ruki’s kidneys. She had been through too much to allow Ruki’s betrayal to cost this mission. The wound would not be fatal, but it would certainly be painful.

[Magoi 180/300]

Ability Used:

The Emperor’s eyes widened at the coiling mist around his arm, wincing at the stinging pains that were beginning to spread. He raised his blade to try and parry the incoming swing, but the pain made him too slow and only made the blade slide down his arm rather than across his wrist. With a cry of fury, he used his other hand to grab his blade, using a backhanded slash to try and cut at his son.

Yoshiro recovered from the blade being driven into his shoulder, too focused on his task to let the pain stop him. His blade met his father’s, parrying it to the side before twisting the blade to cut along his father’s other arm, dry ice spreading in a fog up the Emperor’s arm. He did not have time to look back when Ruki cried out behind him.

Ruki was furious when she was dragged from the fray by Ari’s chain only to have a blade buried into her lower back. Twisting in a furious display of power, she pulled her other dagger free, trying to slash at the lightning magician only to meet with the mystical borg, grinning when it shattered under the strike. She raised her hand to try and slide her first dagger across Ariella’s neck.

[Damage to Emperor: 1 A from Azix, 1 A from Yoshiro, needs a total of 2 Omega to take out
Damage to Ruki: 1 C from Ariella, need a total of Omega to take out]

What had once seemed an impossible feat was now possible. By some strange twist of fate, Azix was given the chance to finish what his father had started. When the Emperor went for a backhanded slash towards Yoshi, Azix took the opportunity to jab his blade into the man's stomach, twisting it violently. He then pulled his sword free only to bury it in the man's chest, wanting to finish the man while he was slow and distracted. While he heard a feminine cry and Ari's shouted words, Azix ignored them, his entire focus centered on accomplishing a life-long desire. To the orange magician, everything seemed to hinge on the these few seconds. Two countries' futures would be forever changed if Yoshi and Azix succeeded.

[280/330]

Spoiler:

The battle before him continued to rage on as both the Emperor and Princess Ruki fought against Ariella, Azix and Yoshiro. The helmet continued to impare his vision, though it wasn't so bad as for him to be unable to determine what the flow of battle was. The Emperor was in an increasingly fragile position, and his life was soon to be removed, yet the man continued to fight as if he had a chance at victory. Garret was impressed at his tenacity, but he knew that Azix was not the type to fold under that alone. The scales of power were tipped in his favor.

Ariella's attack shot forward at that moment, and Garret watched as she pulled Ruki from the fray and into melee range. Cursing under his breath, he strained to call forth the serpents of plague once more. Two Plague Snakes flew out and towards Ruki just as Ariella's Borg was struck. The twin snakes would slither across Ruki's skin, constricting against her body and begin their plagued consumption of her flesh. The red marks from their efforts would appear almost immediately if they struck right, but what was more important to the magician was that the woman was about to strike at Ariella once more. He shot forth a Jet Stream towards her chest, in the hopes that the strike would knock her away from Ariella...


OOC:
Magoi/Stamina: 110/350

Abilities Used:

Ariella grunted as her borg was shattered but grateful for the sudden splash of water that knocked Ruki away from her before she could taste the Princess’ dagger first hand. Giving Garret a grateful nod, she turned her attention back to the spiteful Princess, smirking at the hate she found in Ruki’s eyes. At her neck, her household vessel glowed dimly, a tiny sprite appearing as she cast Melting Cimej. The sprite moved towards the Princess, fluttering and dodging the wild strikes from the woman to rest upon Ruki’s nose, infecting the woman with its liquefying plague.

Ari panted before casting Grappling Vine at Ruki’s feet, ensuring the woman’s legs were incapacitated while the various plagues ate away at her. She spared a glance at her lover and the Prince, eager to see if their fight was done before walking over to the ensnared Princess and slashing her dagger across Ruki's neck.

[Magoi 110/300]

Abilities Used:

When the Emperor went to try and weakly intercept Azix’ jab to his gut, Yoshiro took the opportunity to drive his blade into his father’s side, more of the dry ice rolling across the wound. When Azix’ blade buried into the Emperor’s torso, the leader of Kou snarled and growled through the blood bubbling to his lips. He had no hope of blocking the blade as it sunk deep into his chest, finding a home in his heart. There was a look of utter betrayal on his face as he fell to the ground in a pool of blood, boils covering his skin.

Yoshiro looked to his cousin with a disbelieving look, unable to fully grasp that he had helped to finally end the reign of terror his father was spreading across the world. The wound to his shoulder was bleeding profusely, but it was not fatal and could wait as he looked around for the traitorous sister that had inflicted it. What he saw shocked him, the Princess bound to the ground with a vine her face beginning to melt away as Ariella stood over her.

The hate did not fade from Ruki’s eyes even as the light left them, her hand raising to her throat in a desperate attempt to stop the flow of blood. She had taken a gamble to ensure she would not be caught in the shadow of her family, to try and take the throne for herself, but she had failed and it had cost her everything, even her life. She collapsed in a puddle, the effects of both Garret and Ariella’s plagues still eating away at her body, the room taking on a stench from the rotting bodies of the Emperor and his daughter.

Yoshiro looked back to Azix with an arched brow, saying the first thing that came to mind.

“Remind me never to piss off you or your friends, cousin. You all are dangerously powerful.”



[Emperor: 3 A from Azix, 2 A from Yoshiro - DECEASED
Ruki: 1 Omega - Deceased]