"sorry I'm late." A man dressed in worn-out monk garbs said, rubbing the back of his head as he entered through the door. there was a sense of sincerity in his voice, that wasn't really reflected on his calm yet playful facial-expression. On the other side of the door there where two guards who looked rather annoyed, but the man paid neither of them any attention as he closed the door in front of them. Without saying anything else, the man casually swung the heavy looking book he had been carrying on his back over and let it drop softly on the ground against a nearby wall. He then turned to the group. "My name is Marcus Thanis." He stated with the emphasis on his last name and then paused. As if his last name was supposed to mean something to these people. "I am the keeper of the great library of this fine city, and the master of all the knowledge it contains."

For a man living in the capital, It may be embarrassing to be late in a group of people who had come from all over the country, or perhaps even further. Sure, some may argue that 'the closer you live, the easier it is to underestimate the time spent travelling.' but, not only is that a poor excuse, and In Marcus his case, it may be true, but it really had become a bad habit of his he had developed in the last few years. Of the few appointments he had to keep, he probably had not been on time for a single one. Yet, there was no sign of him trying to change it in any way.

Eyrie

Eyrie Goldmoon dismounted her small pony and strode confidently toward the guards at the gate of the palace. Her shop was on the other side of the capitol city, but when she's received the letter from the king she couldn't let herself delay. This was the opportunity she had been waiting years for. Her father had once had his brief shining moment of glory when he was asked to make a ceremonial sword for the king's coronation. The result had been strong and beautiful, and had awed many who attended the grand event. However, her father had never once been summoned to the castle. Eyrie loved her father, but there was still a part of her that was jealous of her father's skill with crafting weapons and armor. So, when she's received the letter she could think only that the king wished to commission some enchanted item from her, something apparently so important that the job must be given in person. She smiled lightly to herself as she held out the letter with the rune for the guards to examine. They looked at it, then at her, the one raising his eyebrow, but then he said simply, "Follow me." With that, the two guards walked into the castle, Eyrie close behind. They walked through the main throne room, up a flight of stairs and through an open door into a large chamber. Eyrie was quite taken aback by the sight within. There were many other people here, people who were so out of place in the room that it was obvious this was not what she'd thought it would be. She dropped her hands, staring at all of the strangers gathered on one end of the room, while the King, Queen, Lord General, and another beautiful woman stood on the other end. She didn't know what to do and her confusion was making her angry, her light smile fading into a disappointed scowl as she leaned against the wall right next to the door, staring at all of the other people gathered there. What would the king want with so many odd fellows?

Sebastian

Sebastian wandered towards the gate of the castle, his eyes staring up at the large beautifully crafted and strong building, following it's lines as if he were looking for something. The guards there, looked at each other, bewildered, then back at the odd looking man approaching. Sebastian paid them no heed, simply attempting to walk past them towards the castle. The taller guard said, "Hey!", and they both placed their spears in his way, but to their astonishment the young man walked right through their spears, and as he passed them a small piece of paper with a rune on it seemed to fall out from under his cloak onto the ground behind him. The young man didn't even pause for a moment, simply walking straight through the door to the castle and heading upstairs, almost as if he already knew which way to go. He arrived at the door to the room and walked in straight for the window on the far side of the room. His eyes clamped onto those gathered in the room, roaming from one to another, a curious smile on his lips as his head turned rapidly from one to another, apparently enamored by all of the people. However, as he walked across the room he passed right through several of the others gathered there, a red haired young man, a young girl with a large hammer, and a man holding a large book. He sat down on the windowsill at the far end of the room, saying nothing. However, when he saw the brooding form of a man in full armor, dark and devilish, he broke out into a wide grin, his remarkably clean teeth showing as he simply stared at the brooding man and grinned.

"...And finally Marianne Delacroix, with whom we are all familiar."Lady Ophelia said, introducing her to the rest of the mages.
"It's an honor to have you with us again, Lady Delacroix." Queen Aria said, smiling.
Giggling quietly, she returned the Queen's smile.
"Ze 'onor is all mine, Queen Aria." she said as she bowed her head slightly toward the Royal Court. Her black hair cascading over her shoulder as she did.

Curiosity getting the better of her, she turned in her seat to examine the other occupants in the room. Her dark-brown eyes slowly scanning, she gave each person a few seconds of her attention in an attempt to pinpoint their School of Magic. She had arrived before a few of the other mages and sadly missed their introduction. But, she had the feeling she would get to know the others some time very soon.

Eyes first falling on a young girl with a rather large hammer falling asleep at the far end of the table she tapped on her chin with a finger. She felt she knew the young mage from somewhere but couldn't place exactly how she knew her. Shrugging absently, she continued. [Fiona]

Turning next to the troublesome mage with the two ghastly guards, she immediately determined him to be a Necromancer. The mage dismissed his two guards. Already he was causing issues with the Royal Court seeming to have gotten into a disagreement with Lady Ophelia. [Damien]

Next was the blind Mage who spoke with an accent she wasn't familiar with. It was hard for her to understand what he was exactly saying. He seemed to have an obsession with touching and feeling things. Taking note as he leaned against a wall, she would have to remember to avoid him. Or at least give him a few meters distance. [Khor]

Standing in a spot that held a clear view of the entire room and the exit was another young woman. Her clothing was unlike anything Marianne had ever seen. The women didn't seem to speak much, then again not many of them did. [Elzbeth]

Eying a rather nervous looking and fidgeting woman with her hair tied up in a bun, she took note of her plain appearance. This wild cast of characters appeared to have each come from drastically different backgrounds. Everyone seemed to be anxious and quiet, save for a few of the other Mages. What exactly was going on? Each of the Mages appeared to be from different schools of Magic. What exactly is the Royal Court up to? [Mia]

Turning next to a 'feathered-man' whose eyes were firmly trained on the ground, her eyes couldn't help but brighten and she smiled in awe. The man picking feathers from his body seemed to be Druid. His body also unlike anything she had seen before, she grew excited. He seemed incredibly interesting to her. Though he seemed to be trying his best to just ignore all of them. [Rai]

A man in worn and ragged looking garments then barged into the room, a rather large book slung over his back. He expressed his concern for being late and introduced himself as the keeper of the grand library of the city. He seemed rather clumsy/silly/goofy man, she couldn't help but giggle at him. Yet he appeared to be knowledgeable at the same time. Those of high intellect usually did have a certain level of klutz and clutter about them. [Marcus]

Finally, following closely after one another, two others entered the room. A rather confused and angry woman came in, immediately taking a spot against the wall to scowl at them all. [Eyrie] After her, a happy and ephemeral man walked straight to the nearest window. Passing right through solid objects and other people in the room as he walked, he perched on the windowsill as he continued to smile disturbingly in silence. His teeth white and gleaming. [Sebastian]

Frowning, she turned straight forward to face the king and placed her hands on the table. Looking at the large map once again, she decided that she was patient enough up until this point and cleared her throat.
"Ahem. Je m'excuse. Your Ma-jes-ty? If I may 'ave per-mission to speak?"
She quickly looked around the room once more before continuing.
"I am sure zis question is up-on every-one's mind. But, why 'ave you gathered mages from nearly every school 'ere?"
Tapping a finger on the large map on the table, she pressed on. Her eyes staring hard at the King.
"Does zis 'ave any-zing to do wis zis map? I 'ave 'eard rumors regard-ing ze state of ze Kingdom from ze rest of ze Delacroix family...
She paused, looking to the other members of the Royal Court
"What I 'ave 'eard is very dark. C'est tres mal. Does zis gather-ing 'ave any-thing to do wis zat? Why 'ave you gathered us 'ere?" she asked again.
Her brow heavy with concern. Exactly what was going on that was so grave that the king needed to secretly gather mages from the various different Schools?

The King and Queen had watched quietly as the last few remaining guests entered the room. They were introduced by Lady Ophelia as Eyrie Goldmoon and "The Broken Man". The King smiled lightly at Eyrie and nodded his acknowledgment, addressing her shortly. "I have heard that you are an exceptional enchantress. Your father made me one of the best swords I've ever had the pleasure of welding. It was supposed to be ceremonial, but it's still quite a bit stronger and more durable than most of my other swords." (Eyrie blushed slightly, partly embarrassed at having been singled out, partly pleased that the king had heard of her, and partly angry that he had more praise for her father's work than her own.) When Sebastian was introduced as "The Broken Man", the queen gave a small involuntary gasp and the King looked slightly pale, turning to Lady Ophelia. "Are you sure he is... safe?" Lady Ophelia looked at Sebastian for a long moment, then turned back to the King, leaning in closely and speaking softly in his ear. "Yes, your majesty. I believe that while he is certainly a broken and strange man, he is unlikely to cause any harm here. I have added an extra spell to his rune, suppressing any... accidental mishaps that may occur because of his presence here. I must admit, he is a bit of a wildcard, but I believe we can curb his potential towards our own ends."

When Marianne Delacroix asked her questions, the King's attention turned back to her and he stood from his seat, addressing them all. "Very well then, Lady Ophelia and I shall explain the purpose of this meeting." He pointed down to the map, his finger moving from black marker to black marker. "These markers represent rumors, tales, stories and reports of dark dealings, corruption, heinous acts, dangerous criminal activity, and suspicious or mysterious circumstances all over our fair land of Pantos. Now of course, we cannot assume that all of them are connected. Many of them many simply be rumor and tales with no real facts or evidence to support them, while others may be isolated incidents. However, the nature of the tales and stories are so varied and disturbing that we also cannot assume that they are unconnected." He looked over to Lady Ophelia, who stepped forward next to the king and spoke in a strong voice. "These occurrences are far too numerous for this to be coincidence. Something is happening in Pantos, something has taken hold of our kingdom and is hiding in the shadows. I know almost nothing about this force that is behind it, save that it is malevolent. It's influence is strong and dark, giving it's nature away, but not it's form. All I can tell you is that it's influence is spreading quickly, and unless something is done I fear that these stories and tales that hide in the shadows will soon burst into the daylight and all of a sudden, no one anywhere will be ignorant of them because the horrors that we've heard of will be in plain sight, everywhere, for all to see, but it will be too late to do anything about it. That, is where you come in." Lady Ophelia's eyes glistened with steel and passion as she spoke, looking each of those gathered in the face.

The King spoke again, Ophelia's urgency and passion emboldening him. "We cannot allow whatever is behind these strange happenings to grow any stronger, so we have devised a plan to both crush it's influence and root it out. You are all powerful magic users, Lady Ophelia has assured me of this and I trust in her sense of a person's magical ability implicitly. I have gathered you here today in order to employ you in my service, directly under the command of Lady Ophelia, to investigate these tales, rumors and reports, resolving them to the best of your ability, and to discover the form or identity of the force behind them." The King's voice had grown very serious and full of authority, brooking no argument from any of them. "I realize that it may be inconvenient for you all to leave your lives behind in the pursuit if this quest, but I assure you that your families will be well taken care of while you are away, and you also have my personal assurance that should you be successful, you each will receive a reward befitting of your services to the crown and to the kingdom of Pantos, in addition to your status as heroes and saviors of the realm." He turned to his wife for a moment, who smiled lightly and handed him a small ornate velvet bag. He pulled the string on the bag and poured out several small golden amulets. The amulets were in the shape of a noble stallion with a crescent moon behind it. The symbol of the royal house of Pantos was similar, a stallion with a blazing sun, this symbol represented covert agents of the crown, working in secret. It was the symbol of the spy network of the King of Pantos. "Furthermore, these will serve as your badge of office, to be shown only in great need. Anyone who recognizes this symbol will be obliged to help you, but be warned, for if you make your quest known too often, our enemy, whatever or whoever it is, may catch wind of it." He looked at Lady Ophelia, who made a simple gesture towards the amulets, which then floated off of the table and levitated towards the magic users, one amulet per magic user, dropping into their hands or around their necks.

The King gestured towards Lord General Feyne and said, "The General has given orders that, should you request aid from the local garrisons or keeps of the kingdom, you should be granted any such aid as you request. However, do not show your badges to any soldier except those of the highest rank in the area if you have any choice in the matter, for we are unsure which of our soldiers we can trust." Lord General Feyne stepped forward, a serious look on his face and anger blazing in his eyes, though it did not show on his face. "We have reason to believe that many of our own soldiers have turned spy for whatever force is causing these happenings. Many soldiers of varying rank have either participated in or failed to report or correct the happenings, too many for it to be coincidence. Therefore, though it shames me to say, you shall have to be even more careful while dealing with the soldiers of the crown. Those who remain loyal will help you, and those who do not will be outed, but you must still be vigilant. Your mission shall largely be secret, which is why there is no one else in this room besides the King and Queen, myself and Lady Ophelia. We have no reason to suspect our royal guard at this time, but we cannot stress enough the importance of the secrecy of your mission, at least as far as tying it to yourself. Should a rumor begin of your activities, our spies will do all they can to quash it, but you must make sure that there is no reason to suspect that you are the groups that have begun to fight back against these happenings."

The queen spoke briefly then, her voice soft and gentle, but her eyes meeting each of theirs, conveying a strength of will and sense of determination. "We cannot force you to comply with this most urgent request for aid, but bear in mind that this evil, whatever it's form, it will continue to spread, to your homes, your loved ones, everyone and everything you care for. Would you really risk that for the sake of staying out of it?"

Damien couldn’t help but chuckle at the fear, or at very least caution, evident in the two leaders’ eyes. Was the leadership really so disjointed that one had no idea what the other planned? Evidently the General had not expected his presence, while the two rulers seemed quite afraid of the raven-cloaked man. It was hilarious to see these individuals so worked up over people one of their own had brought before them. Shaking his head slowly, he continued to wait for an actual explanation as to why they were here, though he already had his suspicions. He wasn’t blind nor deaf in his travels after all, and the last few months had been interesting to put mildly.

'That accent though.' He himself spoke a number of languages, and Damien was sure he had no where close to as heavy as an accent as the raven-haired lady did in any of them. It was an idle thought, but one that he entertained since it was somewhat amusing to hear amidst all the other mundane sensations. There wasn't any one that was visually striking amongst the group save maybe for the General given his large size, but Damien had seen bigger and badder. And while the accent wasn't something he'd never heard before, it was quite unusual anywhere in Central Pantos; maybe at the edges of the kingdom or in its neighboring countries.

As suspected, the reason the dozen of them had been called was due to the influx in criminal or “evil” activities throughout the kingdom. He was no hero or valiant knight, so he hadn’t really cared to deal with the problems even if he had noticed them. Whispered conversations in taverns, idiots who thought he was a noble of some sort due to his retinue of two, malicious acts in the shadows of alleys, and most importantly, the tormented cries of the recently deceased. To someone who travelled as far and wide, and as constantly as Damien did, it would have been much odder for him to not notice something was amiss.

Grabbing the small ornate amulet out of the air, he opened his palm to look at the pieces. While interesting, he quickly pocketed the piece and pushed aside the thoughts of how easily this “authority” could be abused. He’d save that for later, after this situation lost his interest, when the mystery and curtains had been stripped away and the plot at hand revealed. He cared little for the rewards and titles the two would bestow on the others, he didn’t give a damn about saving their nation from ruin, and he was confident he’d survive if whatever was lurking about did rise up. Like the General had so helpfully pointed out, Necromancers were considered some of the vilest magic users around. It wouldn’t have surprised him if some had already aligned themselves against Pantos. Of course, he kept that all to himself and kept quiet as he listened to the four give their spiel.

Perhaps it was a bit inappropriate but Damien chuckled once more at the queen’s urgent plea. He knew it earned him no points amongst those here, but her message just struck a certain spot with the Necromancer that caused him to feel utterly nothing despite the emotion and purpose behind her words. He felt no need to answer the four though, since he’d taken their amulet hadn’t he? He’d do their dirty work for them for as long as it fancied him to do so, and if they didn’t understand that then maybe the Lady Ophelia should have watched him for a bit longer.

A few hours passed within the room with Khor merely staring at the nothingness of it all. He noticed two more figures entering the room; the magical nausea increased within the vicinity. Just when Khor thought that whatever they were called for would be explain, another figure entered the room. She was a woman... with a strange accent. In fact, if Khor had an accent contest, this woman would win first prize. The summoner rolled his eyes as if they were of any use whilst he continued to examine the things around him with his hands.

Suddenly, the monarchs began to speak. Finally! The dilly-dollying was driving him insane from all the waiting. He could have been back into the Aether or into the forest so he could shackle more and more creatures to his side... but no, he just had to be called for some idiotic meeting. Of course, he had never ventured too far from the forest where he resides in... Civilization was getting too chaotic for Khor's taste. Besides, Khor knew he could protect his territory; he was more than capable of doing so. It's quite ironic that the ones who were powerful enough to hold their own never stayed too long in a 'civilized' location, most of these powerful mages ventured outside, and lived elsewhere. This would mean that all of them in this room, aside from the monarchs and their lackeys, held not a single shred of obligation to help this blasted kingdom. Rewards? Khor didn't them. Title? What would a title do in the harsh world of the forest? No. Khor didn't find any value in any of those rewards, in fact, he felt annoyed that the monarchs were even offering it to them, as if they were desperate for titles and rewards. They were mages, and that status alone is reward enough.

"Yer gettin' willy-nilly, aren't you, Chair-boy? It been sometime when a crown-head be beggin' for help-- askin' help from some 'lil o' strangers." Khor mumbled, his eyes wildly rolling around. "Did 'cha lose yer precious 'wee mages to the point where ye be havin' no other choice but to ask total strangers fer help? Can't that magical lamp help ye no more?" Khor chuckled, pointing at the source of such oozing magical energies (Ophelia).

Khor lowered his hand as he chuckled softly, his eyes focusing on the monarchs as if he could see.

"Lil' old me ain't gotta fight-- because of ye be threatin' my land when 'dis shadows be rampagin'. 'Dat ain't nice. 'Im more than capable of defendin' mah own territory, ya hear, magic lamp? But then again, when ye chair-sitters would be losin' yer lands, where would ye be goin'? To the forests? Hah! No." Khor mumbled on and on without a care for the world. "I'm only gonna be fightin' because I don't want none of ya to set foot on my hood."

The summoner laughed lightly, then he cleared his throat. "Still... Ye be worried of your men who might betray ya, crown-kid. But, ye called for complete strangers, who be havin' no obligation to yer kingdom, to help ya. What then be the difference between them and us? The world that be outside of your chair, Chair-boy, is dark. Ye might have failed to see 'dat. It be time to get up and see beyond yer kingdom, rather than lettin' your lackeys and lassies do the dirty deed fer ya." Khor tilted his head as he grabbed the amulet; his nimble fingers running through the prized jewel of authority.

Mia awaited the reason for their calling as more odd manner of people joined in the room. She was observing them all at great length when Lady Ophelia and the king began the meeting, discussing their concerns. The more that was said, the deeper Mia’s frown got. She caught the medallion in her palm and ran a thumb over it before placing it in her bag, looking back up to listen once more. She nodded as they seemed to finish speaking for the moment and cleared her throat. ”Can my… reward? Be the recovery of my family?” she asked quietly, hanging on whatever would be said. It had panged her heart when they said all of their families would be well taken care of, considering she didn’t even know if hers was alive.

Her gaze drifted to the summoner when he spoke, finding him rather brash, odd, and annoying at this point. So, he was fighting, good for him, what was all the nonsense before about? Just to let everyone know he was selfish as they come? Well, she supposed that would be useful along the way to know. She shouldn’t trust him because he’d be looking out for only himself. And how stupid to suggest the king go out and defend himself. Even if he did, he’d lose. Everyone needed help sometimes. She just frowned at the man before sighing and shaking her head, looking back to their leaders in hopes for an answer to her question. She knew she should be asking more about their quest, exactly where they'd be going, what all they'd have to do, but in her mind, she'd do just about anything to see her brothers' faces again.

Rowen
Rowen watched the amulet float toward her. She thought of the villagers below her home and her mother's promise to them. When her mother had died Rowen too had promised the villagers that she would do as she could to watch out for them. That very day she had warned them of a fire. The fire happened, but it was put out much quicker than it may have if she had not been there. Would someone watch out for her villager while she was gone? She had no family left except those lovely people in the small village that traded her food for her expertly tanned furs.

She had known coming here would take her away from them for a while, but that had been a feeling not a vision. The difference minute enough that she didn't always trust her feelings as well as her visions. Rowen's fingers wrapped around the amulet. She would go for the memory of her mother's wishes and the villagers she had sworn to protect. "I will do as requested." Rowen gave them a bow as her mother had taught her, her mother who had once worked for the crown long before Rowen had been born, and therefore knew their rules of decorum.

The others in the room took their amulets for various reasons, but the Lady had chosen well they would all take the amulet. Rowen's heart went out to the Water Mage Mia. The girl's loss was apparent in her face as she asked those before them for her boon. Rowen wondered what her boon would be. She had no use for titles, or things, she was content. Maybe her boon could be used for the villagers, she would ask some other time when she had a better idea of what do do with it.

Elzbeth
Elzbeth didn't take the amulet at first. She was an outsider. From a different land far from here. Her family and loved ones long gone. Her place for the last ten years had been as a wanderer, this was responsibility. Something Elzbeth had been happy to avoid for a long time. Yet she looked at the worried and beseeching faces before her and knew that if they lost a war against this unseen force Elzbeth would not have a home anymore. Odd that she suddenly thought the land she had traveled aimlessly for the last ten years as home, but it was home. More than the one she had left had ever been.

The boon was of great incentive too for Elzbeth. Maybe she could request a piece of land and a house. Maybe she could leave the traveling life behind her after this last adventure. There was something desirable about this that Elzbeth had never realized before. She could truly make a home in this country.

"You have my flames to light the dark." Elzbeth said dipping her head to allow the amulet settle around her neck. It's weight felt heavier to Elzbeth than it actually was. Could she work with this misfit crew? Their differences would be hard to overcome, that she was sure of, but they had a common goal. That was unlike any group she had ever traveled with before. The groups before had joined together by chance alone and had nothing holding them together. This would be different, she hoped

Marianne watched with a curious expression as the amulet floated towards her. Still listening intently to the Royal Court's words, she held out both of her cupped hands to accept the amulet. Running her fingers over its design, she admired the object with a sense of wonder. This would be their symbol, bestowed upon them by the Crown as covert agents. Slipping the amulet over her wrist, she slid her sleeve over it to conceal it. Staring at the wood of the table in front of her, her thoughts began to trail off.

This was it. This was her chance to prove herself to the Crown and to the Delacroix family. As her chest swelled with excitement, a bright smile crept across her face. With this, she can finally fulfill her dream of nobly serving her country and add to the wonderful, colorful history of the Delacroix's. Eyes glistening, she looked up at the Royal Court momentarily before looking around the room. The other mages had accepted their amulets to varying degrees. It appeared that not many of the other mages held a favorable or any sort of opinion at all, some even responding rather negatively towards the Court's words. Frowning, she didn't quite understand why they didn't seem to share her enthusiasm.

Well, each of them were entitled to their own opinion. They had their reasons, she had her's. These other mages would eventually become her companions and comrades, though. Her heart nearly breaking when one of the mages requested the safe recovery of her family as payment for the completion of their assignment. Marianne didn't know what she would do if she lost her two older brothers and parents. Her heart went out to the mage.

Unable to contain her emotion much longer, she slammed her palms on the wooden table loudly and leaned in closely towards the court. Her eyes were practically sparkling. She was eager to prove herself to her family, Crown, and country. The feelings of Pride, valor, honor, and courage surging through her spirit. It showed too, her body becoming electrically charged. Little arcs of static electricity crackled over her and jumped to anything close enough. Comedically adding to her rather manic expression, her black hair even started to become frizzy.

"My blade remains for ze Crown and Country! 'Ow soon can we start? When can we leave?"