Shadows in the Sand - A Tale of Ara [1x1 IC]

[Emperor Nat]

While an acolyte rushes to attend Messiata, the gate-guard leads Adronis back into the large keep and through the many long stone hallways back up to the Bishop's office.

He knocks at the door.

"Milord? The mage is back, Milord..."

A clatter comes from the other side of the door, followed by some muffled shouts. After a minute or so, the Bishop opened the door slightly. He frowned, looking at Adronis with an odd mix of annoyance and panic across his weary features.

"Back soon. Forget something, did you? Or..." he frowned. "...I was warned about your portals. None within the keep's walls, you hear me? Last thing we need is mages popping up and scaring the men. But you look like you have something to say, so come in."

The Bishop opened the door and sat behind his desk; revealing that there was also a young woman in the room with him. She was pretty, slightly ruffled-looking, and wearing the clothes of an acolyte.

"I'll leave you alone, milord. You can sign the rest of the paperwork later."

She smiled, bowed and left. The Bishop looked to Adronis, scowling.

"Come on then. Out with it, what did Messiata say? Are we in the clear?"

[Zukien]

Adronis just listened to the harsh words from the Bishop, not sure as to what was truly happening behind the closed door of his office. Just because a person is a holy figure, does not mean they are not corrupt. This Church seemed to be a prime example of such a saying.

He walked in and sat down. "OF course, I will not put portals in the keep. But this is an urgent matter." He cut straight to the point. "Messiata had a task for me, to locate and dispose of a certain priest in her village who was preaching against her," he paused, sighing. "I talked to him, telling him it would not be wise to cross Messiata, but he insisted that he wanted to continue preaching." He left out that the priest was part of the adversary Church, he would keep that to himself. "The priest informed me he had obtained intelligence that the Blackguard will be moving against us."

The look on the Bishop's face as he said these last words were exactly what Adronis expected. Fear, worry, doubt. All of the feelings that came with such news were stamped on the face of the highest member of the Church of Four Spirits at that moment.

"If you wish to address this immediately, I suggest we get prepared for invasion. The Blackguard do not relent until all have been destroyed in their path."

[Emperor Nat]

The Bishop took in the news for a moment, scratching his brow. He let out a long, heavy sigh.

"Alright, this is what we're going to do." he said after a few minutes of quiet reflection. "We're going to deal with Messiata first. No reason to make a bad situation worse by pitting her against us. I'll send someone to fetch her, we can deal with the traitors quickly and get it over with. We're none too close to the coast, so this fortress should be safe for the time being. I doubt they'd be able to move an army here from the sea in less than a week; not unless they were prepared to march day and night... which I don't doubt is within the Blackguard's power to do so. So, once Messiata is appeased I am going to send a message to the Council and to our stations on the border letting them know what's coming."

He stands up, walks over to a small wooden cabinet and takes out a large bottle of port.

"Once that's done, I'll oversee things here in the company of the garrison and as many cult prostitutes as the Council will send me. And as soon as the Blackguard reaches the walls, I'll take out a dagger and prostrate myself before the spirits."

The Bishop sits down, taking a large swig from the bottle.

"Here's to the massacre." he murmurs as he drinks. "...As for you... after Messiata is gone, go where you please. Try to warn our troops, if you can."

He suddenly thinks of something and chuckles grimly.

"You've a reputation for being a talker, you know. Someone who doesn't like war. So maybe you could convince Lady Nyx not to slaughter our people like dogs."

[Zukien]

Adronis watched the Bishop's words and movements become more radical and sarcastic. He stood up after the "speech" was finished.

"Well then, I suppose matters fall into the hands of someone else. Me." He concluded, slamming the door on his way out. He stormed through the halls of the Church, unsure of what to do. He then had an idea. It could work...No...Maybe... he debated in his mind, before setting off to his room.

Opening the door, he picked up his pace, revealing a large book bound with hard leather from a chest by his bed. Opening it up, he fanned through the yellow old pages, then stopped. Scratching his chin, he set the book down on the bed, reading it over. "I see..." he said, turning back around and the book floating back into the chest where it belonged. The top of the chest and the door slammed in unison on Adronis' way out of the room.

He hurried downstairs, finding Messiata, who was ready to convene with the court. He quickly walked up to her. "Lady Messiata," he commented to her. "I must speak to you. Urgently." He knew this was a harsh plan, a ludicrous idea, but he had to tell her of the Blackguard and ask for her aid. It was the only way to have a chance of saving many lives, including her village's people. He saw the guilty men lined up, ready for punishment.

With a few steps, he interrupted the beginning of the hearings. "We will hold this trial later! There has been urgent news!" he exclaimed, turning heel and taking Messiata by the wrist, semi-dragging her into another adjacent room.

"I must talk to you."

[Emperor Nat]

The court stops in its tracks, confused at quite what was happening. They knew better than to argue however, and so the presiding officer quickly called for a break and the prisoners were once more put in chains and marched away to one of the more unpleasant parts of the fortress' basement.

Messiata frowns as she is pulled into the private chamber.

"Dear mage, surely this can wait? You were the one who brought me here, it seems odd that you deny me justice for my people now. I had thought you immune to my charms, but perhaps I was wrong and you were merely trying to resist... though I believe our tryst can wait for later, do you not think? Or..."

She studied Adronis' face for a moment, then sighed. She pulled a chair out from a nearby table, presumably used for private dinners, and sat upon it. She was unused to being manhandled, and even moreso to being told what she ought to be doing at any one moment. But just this once she would entertain the notion of behaving herself.

"No, you really do have something to say to me. So speak; although I hate to leave those men unpunished they will not die in their cells so quickly that I am unable to watch."

[Zukien]

"They will have justice dealt to them in due time." He paced in front of Messiata, unsure of how to begin his words to her.

"The priest in your Village, Martin..." He trailed off, picking his words carefully. "He spoke with me about a plan his church has. Do not blame him for these actions, as he is only a messenger of the Church's concepts." He sighed, stroking his beard. "Messiata, the Blackguard has been summoned to destroy the Church of Four Spririts. They indeed are a force to be reckoned with, and the Arch-Bishop here wants nothing to do with it."

He stopped in the mid of the room, his blue eyes flashing. "I refuse to watch the massacre unfold without doing something about it. However," he hummed for a moment, closing his eyes, then reopening them. "I will need the assistance from your people to stop them." He made his proposition, knowing it was a lot to ask. "Messiata," he continued. "It is much to ask of you after the tragics events that have taken place, but your people are in danger too. The Blackguard will kill all who have been or are a part of an allegiance with this Church."

He groaned slightly, placing his fingers on the bridge of his nose and looking down, his eyes shut. "I have the blood of your people flowing through my veins. I have seen brutal acts committed against people who never deserved it; and I cannot watch more happen." He waited for Messiata's response, expecting a big rebuttle including rage and accusations.

[Emperor Nat]

"Blackguard... that word is familiar. I've heard it whispered on the winds, as well as on the lips of the traders who pass through our town occasionally. Little more than rumour I'm sure, but - if the stories they tell are true, then it seems that we do indeed have a problem."

Messiata took a moment to ponder, then smiled.

"Of the few pieces of news I've gleaned of the Blackguard, the majority have been about their commander. I'm not sure how often you go to the mainland, dear mage... but do you know if she is as her reputations presents her? Because if so... she is a woman after my own heart, clearly."

Messiata laughs lightly. She stands, and places her hand on Adronis' shoulder.

"I will stand with you. My people do not need any more war... and against my better judgement I trust you, mage. Perhaps it is because we are, however far removed, kin of sorts... or perhaps I just like your face. So. I will... and I can hardly believe that I'm about to say this... but I will submit to your orders when they come. At least for the moment."

Messiata pulls close to Adronis, kissing his cheek lightly before moving away again. Adronis can sense something amiss... it seems odd that she would agree so quickly. Especially if, as she says, she has heard enough about the Blackguard to know their commander. Lady Nyx has coined a saying over the years 'Those who know nothing else of her, know that they should fear her' - and so those willing to stand against her are few and far between.

"If you'll excuse me, then. I believe I have a trial to get back to." she waves idly, walking back into the other chamber.

[Zukien]

Realizing that the Elven women had more knowledge than most would on the Blackguard, Adronis raised an eyebrow as she left. Impervious to her flirtaciousness, he simply shrugged. With her blessing, he moved out of the side room and out front of the Church's tower onto the sands.

It is time to begin our defenses. He thought, knowing this would take a lot of power and time.

He sat on the soft ground, the particles of sand wrapping around his body in a spiral. His energy was manifesting into the air. He closed his eyes, focusing. He planned on defending the tower with a magical arsenal of his own. He figured, at the rate the Blackguard moved, he had maybe a week to get things in order before the army descended upon them.

His focus grew, the energy around him expanding into a large circle, causing the sand to spiral very quickly. His breathing was calm, deep gushes of air filled his lungs through his nose, and were exhaled through his mouth.

He continued this for another hour, the sun beginning to set. There was no time for rest. After the hour was up, he opened his eyes and stood up. The sand stopped circling and he had his hands clapped together. An aura formed around the mage and his hair lifted off of his head.

"Irijak cuhn yorothil quamin!" He yelled, slamming his palms on the ground. A trembling sound was heard, then there was nothing.

Nothing, but an invisible wall that had been formed around the Church. This wall was the first line of defense, impenetrable to melee attacks and could only be brought down by those with knowledge of spell counterings. This also rendered the tower invisible from the outside, the only way to know it being there was to know the precise location of the Church. Adronis knew the Blackguard were not stupid by any means, so this was only a slight defensive measure.

He panted slightly, the wall enchantment taking a lot of energy from him. He wiped the sweat from his brow and sat back down, attempting to accumulate more energy in order to summon what he needed in case the wall was penetrated...elementals.

[Emperor Nat]

As Adronis lay on the ground, panting, he heard something from back inside the keep. It was at first a roar of victory. Then, shortly following it, a series of hideous cracking sounds which sounded with such force that he wasn't entirely sure that a wall hadn't just collapsed. This was followed by a second roar; this time one of indignation. But he had little time to waste thinking about it.

Elementals were one of the most dangerous and highly valued magical incantations practised by modern mages, and most reach master-level within their academy before gathering the necessary knowledge and skill to summon them. The magic involved was dangerous, and if performed poorly could leave a rift open for much more malevolent beasts; daemons. Elementals in themselves are not sentient, rather being puppets of sorts made from whatever primal element their caller invoked, but should their creation go awry daemonic forces are remarkably quick to take control. And a malicious spirit with a body made of flame is something that one ought to avoid as a matter of course.

Yet, it was possible. All Adronis needed was a strong enough conduit - an object, or better yet a person, of such magical potency that they were able to call magic itself to become a living creature. Where he would find one is anyone's guess.