Kayla chuckled at Neon's response. "Well, I can't stay away from your charm." She joked, casting a glance at the familiar looking daeva that had been trailing behind Neon. She had seen him somewhere before... Where was it? It didn't take long for Kayla to place him. They had met him at Malum's castle. His presence gave her cause to be wary, but if Neon wasn't trying to fry him with her breath, she wasn't going to try either.

Turning back to Neon, Kayla explained her return in all seriousness. "When the human ambassadors came and petitioned for seraphim support in a war against the daeva, I was appointed to make my case for the Council of Elements. We are... reluctant to go to war. Our school of magic is centered around the balance of the elements, much like the three races of the land. My training with the Guardians is ongoing, but preventing war and bloodshed is a far more important duty... besides, the Guardians do not need me to be physically present." She explained. "I'm already skilled in my own magic, and my training as a Guardian is more... philosophical than technical."

She followed Neon towards the Council chambers, ready to offer her voice to the dragonness if need be. "The Council like to think they value logic and reason, that they make decisions based on the intelligent choice, but anyone who's had to deal with them know many of them have brittle egos. I'd advise you to keep your temper in check, but I know you could just as easily hold back the tide if asked... so let's just try not to do too much damage, eh?

Giving Cadogan one last encouraging smile, as if The Great Inventor needed one, Chii had stepped forward to meet the first test. Sent flying by the first machine's attempt to pierce Cadogan's armour, Chii picked herself up from the ground and, after brushing some loose bits of areana dirt from her hair, had trotted back to the judges. The second test made Chii frown slightly... not being inclined to such a machine, but going through with things nonetheless... partly because she trusted Cadogan and partly the tiny dragoness wanted to show all the seraphim there that she wasn't afraid, and that yes, Cadogan, a human, could do as well as they in these games, if not better. At the end of the test(s), Chii gave Cadogan another smile and hugged The Great Inventor briefly. "Good work,: Chii said as she gave the man a 'thumbs up' something Chii had seen humans do on many occasions to signal something good or for a good outcome of some event. "What do we do until the next round?" Chii asked, glancing around the now less crowded arean. "Do you want something to drink... or maybe something to eat?" Glancing again up at Cadogan, Chii offered another small smile; then returned to scanning the stands, trying to pick out Torva and the others.

Cadogan had been pacing around rather nervously during the armor test - not that he doubted his own craftsmanship, but there might have been a miscalculation somewhere... As the tests rolled by the white haired man seemed less and less nervous. He answered to the little dragoness' brief hug and returned the thumbs up as well. He was noticeably flustered by the whole ordeal - and the success of his own handiwork. The Great Inventor coughed a bit nervously and managed a sheepish smile. "Not gonna lie, I won't be able to stomach any food before this whole thing is over... I think I'll just make the final preparations on the Walker and... hmm... Umh..." He coughed a few times in an attempt to hide his nervousness. "...You did pretty good there, li'll miss." He managed to say before ruffling Chii's hair and walking up to the War Walker to make some last minute adjustments.

Cadogan was deep in his own thoughts and making the last minute adjustments to the War Walker - it had taken him a good while by now and the final event was about to start - as a seraphin approached him. The white haired man turned to face the other contestant and adjusted the rose shaped hairpin of his. He took a moment to gather his thoughts and smiled overtly politely. "I thank you for your compliment, good sir. You haven't done half bad yourself if I may say so. Then again..." He made a little mocking bow. "I wonder what you folks will end up doing if I by some miracle manage to beat you in this fine contest? Hmm?" Cadogan lifted his hands apologetically, as if he had just thrown around a horrible and totally undeserved insult. "I jest ofcourse, it's not like the half of my lifetime I have spent on my craft could contend with you folks." Though the smile and tone of the Great Inventor were still very polite the glare he gave to the other contestant was rather icy - if a look could kill the seraphim would be very much dead by now. "You spoke of parting ways, good sir - that we should do, yes." He pointed at the dormant War Walker with his thumb. "You have seen my entry, now, please leave. I still have work to do." For the last sentence all the feigned politeness was gone from the white haired man's voice as he glanced at Chii. "Chii, would you be kind and escort this gentleman back to his workbench?" He turned on his heels and continued with his work.

After what had felt like an eternity Cadogan's turn came up. He activated the War Walker and with few commands brought it in front of the judges. The Walker stood 18 feet tall, the rune etched copper and steel plates that surrounded it's inner workings gave it the appearance of the knights of old. It's massive arms alone could easily crush a man, or even most of the former creations of the Great Inventor. "Ladies, gentlemen, judges. I hereby present to you the pinnacle of my art." Cadogan spoke clearly and in a more 'professional' manner than usually. "This device - for a lack of a better term War Walker - offers best of both worlds." He smiled and opened two hatches to reveal the clockwork mechanisms under the protective plates. He went to very great detail about the clockwork mechanism's workings and what exactly everything did inside the metallic contraption. He ended his explanation on the mechanisms with. "As you can see, the finest mechanical craftsmanship available." The Great Inventor closed the hatches and ordered the Walker to bring out it's weapons while he explained the workings of the runes - which were quite intricate and provided excellent defensive capabilities without hampering the already large device's movement any further.

The Walker's left arm locked in to position and opened up to reveal two long barrels and a large six chambered cylinder under the shoulder plating. Upon closer inspection the Walker had two similar cylinders attached to it's back and a third arm between them - obviously for reloading purposes. Cadogan coughed politely. "Here we have the first armaments - a relatively small caliber artillery with rifled barrels and custom made munitions. These guns have an effective range of one and a half miles." The white haired man pulled out one of the metal cased munitions from the cylinder and nodded his head approvingly "I can assure you that these six shots alone would be enough to kill anything that moves. Please, allow me to demonstrate."

A large stone block - several meters wide and tall - was pulled to the arena and Cadogan coughed politely. "Now, I'd like to politely ask you all to both cover your heads and take a good look at this." With a few orders the War Walker turned it's weapon towards the stone block - it didn't move it's feet due to the large ball joint that allowed it to turn it's upper body without moving it's lower body - and shot at the block twice. As the smoke cleared the block had two holes on it - the shots had drilled their way roughly half way through the stone. "You are perhaps wondering 'what's the big idea? those shots didn't even penetrate the block' Well to you I say this. There's more! Reload explosive rounds!" With the order the War Walker's third arm removed the first cylinder and switched it with one from it's back. "Now, there will be some flying rubble so I'd like to kindly ask that the safety of the crowd is ensured." The Great Inventor waited politely for the ready signal before spreading his arms "Open fire!"

The shots were followed by a deafening explosion and a massive cloud of dust and debris. It took a moment for Cadogan to find his bearings - his ears were still ringing as the smoke began to clear. In the place of the boulder was now just pile of rubble and dust. "Ok, that wen't better than expected..." He muttered under his breath before shaking his head and brushing dust from his shirt. "Now, that's not quite all! The War Walker also comes equipped with close quarters combat weapons." With command the walker hid the cannon back to it's arm and with a loud snap a long blade - at least 6 feet in lenght - folded out from it's right arm. The blade was also covered in runes - mostly to increase it's durability. As the Great Inventor went over the runes with the judges a large block of wood was brought out - it was nearly as tall as the War Walker and nearly as wide as well.

Thus far everything had gone as planned, no misfires, no jams, everything had gone smoothly. Cadogan mumbled a quick prayer before giving the next order. The War Walker turned on it's feet and readied it's blade while closing towards the block of wood. The blade swung in a horizontal motion and cut the wooden block in half. The Walker continued it's spin on the ball joint and when it finally came to a halt the bolts and springs holding the blade in place broke under the pressure.

That had been something Cadogan hadn't taken in to account nor the fact that the second set of springs could shoot out the blade when the bolts would break. There had been no chance for him to react. The white haired man glanced to the side to check that the judges were alright - he sighed in relief to notice that they indeed were. It hurt to move his arm, it hurt to breathe... He came to the conclusion that the blade had hit him - at least he was still in one piece... He was still alive. His head was pounding, he glanced to the side and nearly threw up. The blade had scraped along the ground, obviously it had altered the flight path just enough... I'm still alive, by the gods I'm still alive... Please don't disqualify me... please don't disqualify me... It was a miracle that the blade hadn't taken his arm from such a close distance - somehow it had slammed just under his shoulder and brought him down with it. Cadogan's eyes were wide as tea trays as he stared at the blade that was still slightly vibrating from the impact. "...I... I..." He tried to speak. "...I... I... c-c-could..." It hurt to speak, it hurt to think, it hurt to move. "...U-use... s-some...." His eyes were getting blurry, he wasn't sure if it was tears or if he was losing conciousness - perhaps both. "A-assistance..."

“Oooh, tha’ ain’t too bad,” Garran mused as he rubbed his chin with one gloved hand, keeping the other firmly wrapped around Fiora’s shoulders to keep her close to him in this massive crowd. Using a combination of both his size and probably his miasmic stench of alcohol and seawater which had been ground deeply into his body, the pair had managed to gain entry to the Inventor’s games, and Garran was not at all surprised to see Cadogen standing on the stage, although he did look a bit…out of his mind. He seemed to be discussing something with another fellow contestant, but the fake smile and cold glare were completely at ends with the normal, kindly Cadogen Feraldo that the pirate knew back in Dumont when he visited. Then again, the man must have been under intense stress…at least as much as the time Garran commanded a pirate fleet against a navy task force… “YAAAAARGH! GO GIT ‘EM CAD’GEN!” Garran shouted, pumping his ham-like fist in the air as he smiled wildly. Getting into the spirit of things, Garran lifted Fiora up, noticing that she was having difficulty seeing past all the wings, and placed her on his broad shoulder. “’Ows th’ view up thar, lass?” he asked jokingly as he beamed up at her.

As the inventions churned out one by one, Garran was alternately surprised, disappointed and downright confused as each device fulfilled its sometimes ambiguous purpose. At one particular lull in the entertainment, he had visited the food stands and purchased enough to feed a small army…all of which he consumed between him and Fiora…mostly himself though. When it came to Cadogen’s turn, Garran found himself one of the few ones cheering, and he did it quite enthusiastically, clapping his arms loudly, waving around a half eaten drumstick and almost forcing Fiora to topple off as he shouted until the guards forced him into silence. What the inventor brought out was…was…Garran was struck speechless as a giant machine of war walked into view of the audience. “W’ll I’ll be th’ sun’f a light shittin’ dove…” he muttered as it shambled onto the stage. The toothpick he had been chewing on fell out of his mouth as his single eye followed its movements. All the technical information Cadogen spewed out, Garran couldn’t make heads or tails of…but its combat abilities the pirate could appreciate. He could see legions of these things making his future raids on towns a little bit harder…A wide grin appeared over his face. Then again, he always did enjoy a good scrap every now and again.

At first, everything went swimmingly as its overwhelming firepower made Garran reconsider his previous statement. It wouldn’t be a scrap. It would be a slaughter if these things were put into production. When its arm swung out into a giant knife, Garran knew that he would really have to reconsider. After it cut the wooden block in twain, it seemed everything was going well, and Garran was about to let out a whoop of excitement, but was cut short with a deafening crack and groan of metal, followed by a hideous scraping noise. Instantly, Garran reacted, pulling Fiora down and shielding her with the bulk of his body, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her tighter. When he looked back up, he saw the blade lodged under Cadogan’s arm pit, his face pale as a ghost and frozen in terror and shock. The whole crowd was quiet. His legs shook. “Shite…” Garran cursed as he released Fiora from his death grip. Breaking into a sprint, Garran used his bulk to shove spectators out of the way and vaulted onto the stage, grabbing Cadogen’s shoulder to steady him. “Oi, d’n’t ye think tha’s a li’le dangerous, Cad’gen?” Garran joked as he pulled the inventor away from the blade. As he first tried to set him down, he could feel his knees buckling, so the pirate captain draped him over his arm like an oversized toy. “Oi, old man…say something…”

The seraphim competitor laughed crudely at Cadogan's display, even as the rebounding blade nearly split Cadogan like it had the block. Perhaps it was some small bit of xenophobia directed at the inventor, or perhaps it was his competitive spirit deflating at the scope of Cadogan's invention, but the seraphim that had approached him earlier was not feeling terribly empathetic. In fact, as the current leader in the competition, the human's rise in the ranks was indeed troubling. He had not long before presented to the judges a magical device capable of gathering ambient energies out of the air to maintain flight, albeit slow, for an almost unlimited duration. Although, like many other devices, it required an initial charge of the runes to work, it was the first of any magical device to recharge ITSELF. He truly believed it could revolutionize magical devices, but many revolutionary ideas had come and gone over the years, and even a great idea is doomed to fail without funding. It was for that reason that he had hedged his bets with this particular competition....

Once the dust had cleared and Cadogan properly treated for his injuries, the judges took council to tally scores and determine the winner. It was a scant ten minutes, but from the stands it felt like an eternity. Torva held Hagumi's hand nervously as he hurriedly finished his ale without even realizing it. Even as the judging concluded and the announcer stood up to announce the top 10 contenders, Torva couldn't help but worry that the war-walker's single flaw had ruined the great inventor's chances at winning.

And yet somehow, through all of the drama, successes... and failures... it came down to Cadogan and one other competitor for the final 2 spots. “In second place, with 210 points....”

A hushed silence fell across the stadium as the announcer paused for dramatic effect. It had been a great many years since a non-seraphim had placed in the top 5 of the competition, let alone won, and yet there before them stood, or rather wobbled, a man who may very well have broken that trend. Finally, breaking the silence, the announcer shouted with all the energy he could muster. “Cadogan Feraldo!”

Cheers erupted for Cadogan from the patches of Seraphim that had come to root for Cadogan in the latter half of the competition. All across the arena fans shouted congrats and well-meaning praise. “You'll get em next year!” some yelled. Others booed the judges for what they felt was an unfair ruling. Their shouts were ultimately drowned out by the cheers of others, though, as the judges announced the winner of the competition, narrowly beating out Cadogan by 10 points, another newcomer and their new seraphim champion Alonzo Lightfeather.

Drowned out by the noise of the crowd, Torva could only grit his teeth and clench his fists to keep from lashing out. He was so close! He felt as if they had lost a major battle, having been swept up in the fervor. Glancing over at Hagumi in defeat, his frustration obvious, he was completely oblivious to the fervor taking place beyond the stands at the judge's table, a number of seraphim circled around with a handful of guards and what looked like spectators from the crowd. Slowly but surely, though, more and more seraphim in the crowd began to take notice, and the cheering began to transform into murmurs as the announcer himself sprinted from the center of the arena to the judge's table. “Ladies and gentleman, I ask that you please stay in your seats. It seems as if the judges have a last-minute ruling in regards to the final competition!” the announcer stated, lowing the magical item from his throat to discuss something with the judges in private.

After an uncomfortable few moments, the announcer returned to the center of the arena with a hurried walk, tension in his step as he moved. “I, uh... it seems there will be a change in the ruling. Upon further examination, it was discovered that one of our competitors brought in fully charged mana crystals and used them to power their device. While magical materials are not inherently banned from the competition, that fact must be disclosed to the judges during the evaluation phase. They have provided an updated score to reflect this new information.”

Clearing his throat, the announcer took a moment to straighten his back and flex his wings, making sure to return to the presentable state he had taken prior to the post-competition flurry of activity. “Based on the updated scores, we have a new winner. That winner is... Cadogan Feraldo! After over ten years of dominance, the seraphim have once again been bested by another race. Congratulations to Cadogan and humanity for an excellent showing!”

The arena broke out into utter chaos. Cheers, shocked expressions, defeated moans and a flurry of feathers engulfed the crowd at the unexpected news. Although more than a few seraphim were disgruntled at the news, the vast majority were simply thrilled to have been part of such an exciting competition. Many of the other competitors banded together to hoist Cadogan into the air, offering their admiration and contratulations at a job well done.

The rest of the night was a blur of celebration. Much of the crowd lingered to meet their new champion, and it was not until many hours later that the arena had finally cleared and the cleanup began. The entire party at the arena was invited to join in Cadogan's victory at a private banquet with members of high society, contractors, and a member of the council of the righteous. Many deals and drinks later, as the candles burned low and the last of the barrels of ale had been tapped, the party returned to the mansion to inform the others. There was Neon along with Kayla and Mokk, mulling over strategy for tomorrow's meeting with the council. Their attempts earlier in the day had proved somewhat fruitful, but Neon knew well enough that the words of a politician one day didn't always translate to action the next. Of course they broke into cheers at the news, and even as eyes weighed heavily the party resumed. Looming over the celebration, though, was the imminent reality of tomorrow's council vote. In less than 24 hours, they would know if all their efforts would yield results, or if it had all been for naught.

Sunrise. The sun was rising in the morning sky. Birds were chirping cheerfully as the morning hustle and bustle had yet to begin. Neon was pantsless.

Much like the night before, the morning was a blur to the dragonness as she prepared for the council vote, only instead of drinking it was preening and pruning. Servants scuttled around her in a flurry as they prepared the party for a formal meeting with the council. Although the vote would be relatively short, most of the internal debate happening now as they prepared, it would still have all the pomp and circumstance of a full delegation. Among the party, only Neon, Hagumi, Kayla, and Itzal had been granted council, leaving the rest to wait outside the chamber for the results.

The grand chamber must have been five or six stories high and perfectly round along the edges. It was meant to represent a pillar of justice, one of many in the world. The floor was made of various metals and stone imported from all across Czarina, combined in a mosaic of the continent. Around the mosaic was a phrase in a much older dialect of Seraphim. Roughly translated, it said “I could see, yet I was blind to my faults. I could hear, yet I was deaf to my own words. I could touch, yet I did not feel the suffering of my kin.”

On the opposite end of the main doors into the chamber stood a series of imposing looking pedestals on which the council members sat. Each was equally high, save for the centermost where the high councellor sat and directed the proceedings. Although the chamber was so large there was no echo. It was lit via an enchanted crystal on the roof that dispersed all sunlight evenly to the room, casting no shadows. A large number of enchantments contained the discussion completely to the smooth walls of the chamber, protecting absolutely those inside from outside interference. Every precaution had been taken to ensure that the Council of the Righteous were free to render judgment and decide the future of the seraphim people without fear of their innermost thoughts being scrutinized.

However, even in these perfect halls things can go amiss. Although the council had gathered, and the party stood before them, they were unable to render a decision, as councellor Vates had yet to arrive. Although he could be occasionally tardy in his old age, it was extremely unusual for him to be missing at such an important gathering. Word had been sent to his office with no reply, and a dispatch had been ordered to check the library and his quarters. Neon counted the seconds as time passes. She hated quite a few things, but chief among them was formal attire, politicians, and excessive politeness, and at the moment she was surrounded by all three. “We apologize once again for Lord Vates' tardiness,” Ardal said, glancing towards the door in anticipation of his arrival.

“Oh, it is most certainly nothing worth apologizing for,” Neon said as politely as possible, “For such an esteemed council such as this, I'm certain he has more pressing matters with which to attend, and we appreciate any time you have already spared in this matter.”

Internally, Neon wanted to vomit, and she could feel the booze from the night before churning in her stomach. The corset she was made to wear made it slightly difficult to breathe, and she felt exposed without her shadows surrounding her, although at least whatever barriers had been placed on the room kept the faint taunting of voices at bay. Hold it in, she thought. Just another hour at most and I can get some fresh air. Just don't puke in the chamber. Behind her, the doors crashed open, as a sweaty and panicked seraphim messenger stumble into the room. “Council! Lord Vates has been murdered, and from the wounds it looks like by a daeva!”

And then Neon vomited.

Outside of the council building, Garran sat with the rest of the usual group, on top of a section of his mine which had lost its prongs during one scuffle or another. His captain's jacket had been repaired and it was draped majestically on his back, its long sleeves dragging along the ground as its faded golden highlights shimmered with a dull shine. The rusty chain of the weapon was nervously gripped over his shoulder as his worn leather boot tapped repeatedly on the ground, accompanied by the occassional roll of the cigar in his mouth. To be honest, Garran had no stake in this matter. The war between humans, daeva and seraphims put nothing he had at risk. In fact, he could probably have profited greatly from this conflict by enacting a mercenary contract with a kingdom and ferrying arms to and fro. Being a pirate captain with his own small fleet of ships, it would ahve let him live a comfortable life. And yet here he was, waiting anxiously for the results of a conflict he had nothing to do with.

The truth of the matter, however, was that Garran had a self-imposed stake in this conflict. After commanding the evacuation of Dumont and Boaz, he saw what a small conflict could cause to the common people, or rather, he had always known, but had finally witnessed first hand. Even as a pirate, he had refrained from port sieges, blockades and the like for fear of harming the common people. Now, with the Human Kingdom having mobilised for war, he expected many grieving families from both sides of the conflict. With a sudden crunch, he chewed through the cigar, the lit end falling to the ground without him even noticing. He couldn't allow this war to escalate. "Wh'ts takin' so long," he muttered mostly to himself as he spat out the remains of his cigar, taking a new one out of one of his pockets. Of course, the pounding hangover from yesterday's celebrations didn't help. "I t'ought ye said meetin's lasted 'n hour tops," he shot in an accusing tone towards Caelum, who stood impassively next to him. Compared to the seraphim, Garran looked like a fidgety child. "Usually yes," Caelum replied, stroking one of his yellowed wings, "but never has it been about an impending war, pirate."
The answer didn't seem to satisfy Garran as he stood up and lifted the sea mine with it. "H'w long d'es 't take t' say yes 'r no!" he hissed loudly as his grip tightened on his weapon, the chains shaking and whining under the intense pressure. "There are several factors and factions in play here, Garran, each with their own vested interest," Caelum answered as he stared into space "nothing is ever black and white, merely varying shades of grey."

Hearing huffing an dpanting behind them, the two turned around to see a rather hurried looking seraphim rushing towards them. "Out of my way!" he shouted as he pushed past Garran and Caelum, before disappearing into the depths of the council building. "I w'nder wha' tha' was about..." Garran pondered.

"That was... surprising." Itzal mused at the sudden change in the judge's ruling. "The first year Ruby competed, they checked her inventions for hours because there was no way a young girl could have beaten experienced men. To think they're willing to give it to a human now..." Underneath his backhanded compliment, however, he was smiling. Cadogan had managed to win and it seemed symbolic after all they had been through.

The night had been a blur of drinking and celebration, but Itzal held fast to his rule of not getting drunk. Unlike Neon, he believed in having a clear head when dealing with the Council, even if a hangover was preferable to the headache those old farts would cause. He peeled away from the party eventually, making his way back to his mansion and finding himself nursing one last cup of honeyed wine in front of Zilla's grave.

"I promised you I'd return after I got justice for you, and that I'd take care of Ruby... I'm sorry I only managed half of that promise." He murmured to himself. "The other end of the bargain will have to wait until this whole mess gets cleaned up... I hope you understand."

---

Itzal awoke in the morning in the same place, having fallen asleep in front of his wife's grave. A blanket had been placed over him in the night, no doubt Ruby's doing. She had grown into an upstanding young woman, all without his help. Perhaps because he wasn't there to blind him.

"You're awake, I see." His daughter's voice rang out as he detected the scent of mushroom soup and freshly baked bread. She always did like it when they had that for breakfast, and no doubt had prepared specially for today. "Breakfast?"

"Only if you'll eat with me." Itzal replied, chuckling, patting the floor beside him. It seemed surreal, that he was here mainly to convince the Seraphim not to go to war, yet had the time to share a meal like this with his daughter. Time passed mostly in silence as they ate, until Ruby broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Will you be leaving again?"

"Yes." Itzal replied, sighing sadly. "There's something dangerous looming in the dark and I can't ignore it. My companions have grown on me in that regard, it seems."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "I haven't seen you in six years. I do not wish to wait another six to eat with you again."

Itzal laughed, more to reassure himself and his daughter, ruffling her hair as he finished the last of the bread. "You won't have to. I'll find my way back sooner this time. I promise."

---

Unfortunately, it seemed things were taking a turn for the worse. Itzal was trying his best not to let his worry show when he saw the telltale signs of a very drunk and annoyed Neon walking up to the Council chambers. She was queen of the daeva, but he had travelled with her long enough to know she had little love for things like manners and diplomacy. Not to mention the fact that the only other two of their group with him weren't much use either. He had nothing but respect for Kayla and Hagumi, but he wasn't sure they'd be able to fend off the hyenas if things turned nasty.

Then someone announced Lord Vates was assassinated. Apparently by a daeva. "Of course he was." He drawled, loudly for the chamber to hear. "Exactly the day when the Queen of the Daeva is supposed to meet with the Council." He wasn't about to accuse the Council of being incompetent, but if someone could just assassinate a council member in their own capital...

"Honestly, this assassin gives a bad name to hired swords." Itzal continued. He wasn't in his armour and Ruby had insisted he not bear any weapons into the Council chambers, but it seemed like whoever was out to get them was at least smart enough not to engage them directly. Well, if the assassin was going to make a move, Itzal didn't need his daggers to fend them off. He turned to the man who had announced the news.

"How do you know it was caused by a daeva? Claws and fangs are no different whether they come from a daeva or a simple beast." Itzal challenged, and the messenger seemed lost for words. "Are your men really that incompetent that they just assume a daeva did this?" Hagumi and Kayla would no doubt wish he was staying silent and not insulting the Council right now, but he was buying them time. Neon was right there and had just vomited, thanks to the corset and alcohol. It wasn't difficult to see how one might simply call for their arrest.

"Well, I suppose this is going to put a halt to any negotiations or discussion that was going to happen, why don't we all just go find out what happened to our dear Lord Vates?" Itzal suggested.

---

Kayla had spent the night thinking of how to get the Council to side with them. She had been discussing strategy and debating the next best course of action, but of course someone had gone and assassinated a Council member with the intention of blaming the daeva for it. Even if the assassin was really a daeva, they could have been hired by anyone. If the assassin was smart, he'd make sure the evidence pointed to Neon and their whole party as the conspirators. He might even get himself caught and admit he was hired by Neon himself.

She was thankful then that Itzal was here. For all of his blunt insults and disregard for propriety, the man was familiar with these things. No doubt he would be able to help them get out of this with some trick up his sleeve. Though she knew just as well how much he was wanted by Justica. He had recounted the story of his escapade and how be earned Justica's favour, but getting involved like this might expose his deception. If that came to light, everything else they said and did here in Adalrich would come into question as well.

It also didn't help that Fiora and Garran had trashed her biological father's home. That had been smoothed over but no doubt it would still cast their party in a bad light for now. Getting to the bottom of the murder would be their best course of action, but Kayla didn't like the feeling that they were simply waiting for the noose to tighten around their necks. Whoever did this must be enjoying the show right now, watching them squirm.

"What my colleague says has merit, blunt as he was." Kayla spoke up. "Lord Vates getting assassinated by a daeva the moment we arrived in the capital seems rather... fortuitous."

---

Fiora was rather enjoying how protective Garran was of her, even if he was almost crushing her to death doing it. Cadogan was fine, the judges were biased and then reconsidered... All in all things turned out great. It was all a haze afterward, getting to the party and drinks going around, which at this point Fiora decided she was going to end up permanently smelling like a brewery if she spent too much time around Garran.

She was mistaken as a serving girl a few times, and being approached a lot more, but thankfully the guests at this party were a little more well-mannered and a polite word of rejection (and a few threatening glares from Garran) dissuaded the men. Not so much for the women, whom seemed to think Garran was more of a bodyguard than lover, or alternatively hinted they were more than happy to entertain both of them at once. Eventually, though, Fiora made her way over to Garran and giggled, repeating the propositions to him.

"Well, all that flirting was fun, but tiring. I'll be returning to the mansion early." Fiora announced, before leaning to Garran. "You know where my room is, if you're not too drunk later... maybe you'll want to bring one of those ladies along?" She put her agility to good use and disappeared before the pirate could react, but not before offering him a delicious view of her retreating rear swaying with her movements.

"For fucks sake Garran I'm 35... You call me old one more time I swear I'm going to..." Cadogan had mumbled through gritted teeth before momentarily losing his conciousness. When he came to his wound had been bound - not that it did much since he wasn't able to move the arm or really even feel it. He had been in pain and even more pale than before from the loss of blood.

When he heard of the second place verdict the Great Inventor had taken it surprisingly well - no annoyed tantrums, no wails of disappointment, he had simply fallen silent and just shaken his head slightly - as if he didn't care anymore. When the decision was overruled the white haired man had straightened his back, wiped something from the side of his eye and bowed to the audience in a very dignified manner.

Admittedly he had been in bit of a shock - from both the fact that he had actually won and that he had just lost the use of his arm - the latter did not quite bother him that much, because he had already made plans to rectify the situation. When the rest of the competitors hoisted him to the air he had actually enjoyed himself. He had proven that the title of the Great Inventor had been well earned.

Cadogan hadn't been on a very cheery mood during the celebrations - though he had ingested a really formidable amount of alcohol for someone of his side and had participated in the festivities to the fullest with the others there had just been something about him that had been very un-Cadogan-ish. He had retired relatively early - roughly two hours before sunrise - to the rented workshop of his to make his new plan happen.

What the Great Inventor had in mind could be considered sheer madness to perform on your own, especially when you are absolutely wasted from celebrating your recent victory - still he was very much determined to get it done. Still he had been even more drunk when he had done some of his greatest inventions - or upgrades to other inventions, but whatever - so he wasn't going to let a few bottles of brandy stop him.

When Cadogan began his work he had to admit to himself that working with only one arm would be the part that was by far the most difficult one. Still he continued onward and after several hours he had managed to create a downsized version of the arm of the War Walker - it possessed much more humanlike articulation and all that.

The white haired man smiled slightly as he examined the new arm he had made - he silently admitted that he wasn't skilled enough to properly apply it without dying of blood loss. Cadogan sighed as he glanced at his left arm that still wasn't moving properly. "I'll just ask Garran to cut the damn thing off and maybe Chii could help me with the new arm... that would be nice since she's a good healer and all that..."

He hadn't managed to get any sleep and the hangover just made it worse - as did the still not moving, but really aching arm of his. Cadogan had made his way towards the council building and had spotted Garran there - who in Cadogan's opinion was suffering from a hangover as well, which actually came as a bit of a surprise to the white haired man.

The Great Inventor smiled in a very tired manner as he lifted his right hand "Mornin'." He mumbled and yawned. Cadogan had alteast managed to find himself some fresh clothes and he was obviously carrying something quite heavy in a bag on his back. "So this is going to be the big day we hear if things are going to go smooth or not?" He tilted his head slightly and lowered the bag on the ground. "You want a drink?" Cadogan inquired politely as he pulled a bottle of wine from the bag before closing it again.

Lazarus had kept his promise and whether they knew it or not the victor, or at least his friends had their celebration from his purse. To be completely honest it did not bother the bounty hunter that much, yet he was still rather surprised how expensive their "little" parties ended up being. He had followed people around and made sure whatever they had was paid before hand, and possibly he had paid too much for some cases, or not nearly enough in some cases. He did not cease to wonder how much some of them could drink down and eat up, yet he had seen things that were even more weird than that.

---

The next day of his life did not dawn too brightly. Someone had gone and done what had been requested from him. It had not been a solid day before Vlad had found someone else to do his bidding, or possibly had gone and done it himself. He could thank this information on the guards that found him, and how not shut could they keep their mouths upon the discovery. That did not really matter to Lazarus, if a bride of a councilman would earn him enough to purchase a small house, an assassin of this sort would possibly earn him enough to purchase a mansion made out of smaller mansions. No, maybe not that much, but decent amount enough.

To those thoughts Lazarus arrived to the Council building. He could spot the large pirate from far already, Garran was his name, he had observed him already last night. Just before him the Great Inventor Cadogan had arrived to the scene, which figures since apparently they were at the very least travelling together. There was someone else there too, but Lazarus did not recognize the man, high chances were that he had never seen him before.

The bounty hunter shrugs and walks past them, he could hear Cadogan offer Garran a drink and he shook his head lightly, once again wondering just how much these people could drink in such relatively short time period. He stops before the doors and looks up at the building, letting out a hollow chuckle before muttering to himself."Yes, I know, no need to remind me. Usually would I not be interested in such trivial matters for nothing but the reward that's in it. But this time it could have been us, the killer not the victim."

It had been an interesting evening. Neon had given him a half-assed invitation to a get together with the rest of the cure-party which consisted more or less of, "You can come if you really want to", which he declined. The idea of seeing Torva again set his imagination ablaze. All that came to mind was the excitement of continuing a duel from months ago that was left unfinished. As tempting as the thought was there was too much going on to simply spoil it all for a chance of fighting. There was also the matter of an ice-cold angel that held no sympathy toward him enough to freeze his very blood before allowing him near Torva again.
The other interest he had in the group was the smallest of them. Chii. She was an enigma to him that was full of potential. A tiny, stubborn healer with a hidden savagery.

Mokk felt.. unwelcome in the city. There was a serious tension in the air as he meandered the street. War with humanity was already looming over the daevan kingdom. The democratic processes of the council seemed like they could be sway. But he had a lucid feeling that the war was coming nonetheless and that the sides were already chosen. It could become a war of the fairer races against the bestial and any dissenters who think they're right. If peace with the seraphim was not won here then things would get very messy very quickly. Not unlike they did with Malum.
Though Mokk did enjoy comforts this one he could not afford - a bed that was his size. Seraphim didn't grow this big without some serious alchemical and magical enhancement and he'd never seen one crazy enough to try it and run the risk of losing their flight so there wasn't any inn with a bed fair enough for him to rest without feeling like a giant among dwarves. He settled upon a clean stable with a bed of straw to rest for the evening. It wasn't so different from his usual options. When you've slept in the cell of a blood pit you learn to be grateful for the luxuries that come to you.

The crocodile must have been much more tired than he realized because when he awoke he found himself being gawked at by far too many eyes. He blinked a few times as the blurriness faded from his view to find a crowd forming before him that was calm until he sat up. The crowd started to murmur which grew louder and louder until it was directed at him. There was a human instigating the crowd. "Are you going to let this monster get away with murder?!" With all the cries amongst the crowd it seemed the human was succeeding.
A seraphim amongst the crowd curted his wings in the air as he raised an accusing finger at him. "I saw him with the dragoness! They must all be in league to dismantle the council!"
"It's a pre-emptive strike!" Another shouted inaccurately. Mokk could only recall real pre-emptive strikes. Were this like the ones he'd be a part of in the distant past then this crowd would have been butchered by now. Even weaponless he could slaughter an abundance of these imbeciles before they could subdue or slay him, magic or not. That must've been exactly what the human wanted. Yet cold-blooded and cruel. the lizard didn't have a death wish. Though hard to fathom in his selfish head he knew this event was beyond him. For what was likely one of the first times in his life he chose mercy in the hopes the golden law would be applied.
The shouting and raging crowd surged forward and pulled him from the stable pen, hauling him out into a courtyard. They stood proudly around him as he knelt upon the ground. Vicious arguing took place while they decided his fate. And to think, he had no idea what they were doing.

It had been a whirlwind of a day Hagumi would reflect later, when she would have time and a clear head to think with. Hagumi had sat in the stands, holding Torva by one hand tightly, awaiting the results of the competition. She knew there was a look of disbelief on her face when Cardogan came in second. In spite of being a seraphim and feeling a pull towards her kinsman, Hagumi had wanted her friend, Cardogan, to win.

Then everything had turned around. The apparent winner was found to have cheated and his results were omitted. Cardogan won, and Hagumi was happy for him. She was also thrilled for Chii. Hagumi would give Tora a spontaneous embrace, wrapping him in a cocoon of arms and feathery wings. Hagumi would gather herself and pull away, all the while knowing many eyes were on here, disapprovingly so. There followed the after party filled with a great deal of food, drink, all of which were amazing, and even Hagumi had a bit to much to drink.

The morning would dawn bright ad clear, and along with it came a slight headache for Hagumi. Somehow she managed to get through the hectic morning routine, although the blur of activity seemed less so to Hagumi then it did so some of the others. After a horridly eaten breakfast, the flurry of getting dressed followed, Hagumi wearing a flowing robe of a white silk like material, trimming of purple at the neck, cuffs, waist and hem, her family crest displayed at the center of the robe’s neck-line. After some more last minute things such as earring, necklaces and perfume it was off to the meeting with the council of The Righteous.

What Hagumi was expecting was not the news that a senior member of the council had been murdered. At the news, Hagumi’s hand flew to her mouth, the look on her face was one of a deeper shock then even she had felt when Cardogan had won the competition. Hagumi looked at Torva; then at Neon who had just thrown up. Hagumi would glance at Torva again before her gaze turned to the council, finding herself a loss for words at the moment. Why had the murder happened/ Was it tied in somehow with the reason for their meeting? Who would replace the slain member and how would that affect the forthcoming decision(s).