Hero Sura
Lightkeep

Hero watched and commanded his bustling kitchen rushed to make the meals of today's feast. This place, right here, the kitchen. He was raised here, and it felt nice and homely, even if it was hot and noisy. Today it was especially all of those things, as Sir Jaime had done well in a recent battle. Hero held no objections to holding a celebration for the Knight, though he did wish that it had coincided a bit better with his plans. He had to make and deliver Spoony her rolls, soon. They were about half-way through the Eel puree, something a bit new to Hero, but he was sure everyone would love it. Still, his workers hadn't prepared this dish much, and needed proper direction. So he spent a bit of time directing his subordinates directly.

Once there was a particularly easy or waiting heavy part of the dish, he began working on the rolls. When the rolls were finished, the hearth of course started by Hero's breath, Hero placed them on an unused platter, and began his trek for Spoony's workshop On his way there, he noticed a member of the Kingsguard and- of course. It was him, that guard from last night again. It seemed to two of them were talking, and far be it from Hero to interupt them. He simply tried to ignore the two of them, though his vision did linger on the younger of the two for a small bit.

"Now, now. It is unbecoming of a member of the Kingsguard to shirk his duty on a whim,"

Hearing these words made Cleo flinch. Of course he had to get caught. By Rouen no less. Cleo sighed and turned to him, crossing his arms."Oh come on, I was just taking a wee break, ya old Boggart. No harm in that now is there? Besides, there should be plenty of Kingsguard and Regular knights there for me to take a break." He said, frowning.

"Cleo Vauch, know that being a Kingsguard Knight means that you are expected to behave as your title states. However, if you continue to behave like a street urchin then know that you will continue to be treated like one. Do you understand boy?"

"I do behave as my title states, but I'm just a 'wee boy'" He said sarcastically. Being the newest, and if not mistaken, youngest Kingsguard, 'Wee boy' or "Small lad" had become a regular nickname for him from the Knights who were older and supposedly more skilled than Cleo was.
"There's no trouble at the party and I'm thirsty and a bit peckish. There is absolutely NO harm in leaving for a few quick minutes or an hour or so to fill the hunger in my belly, yeah?" He said, giving a sarcastic smile."And since I am NOT a street Urchin, I will not be tolerated being called as such." He retorted, frowning once again.
Out of the corner of his eye, Cleo saw that boy from earlier. The one who said he was the head chef or something. He shot a quick glare at him, to busy to actually make a comment to him.

Dark Lord's Castle

When he was sure everyone was listening, Lucifer decided to voice his opinion first. He knew full-well that everyone hear hated humans, and he was included in that hatred, but whether they liked it or not, they could not win this war - or any war, for that matter - without popular support.

"I know what you're all thinking. 'Has Lucifer finally gone mad? Does he not realise that humans hate us and we hate them? Does he really wish to spare mortal men and women?'"

"But I need you to think of just how bloody long we've been fighting this fight. We make a raid here, conquer a village there, kill, rape and plunder as we please." Or rather, how you please, he thought but did not say aloud.

"The long and short of it is - we are not making progress. We've devolved from an actually genuine threat to boogeymen and monsters, bedtime stories to scare little children. When was the last time we made a tactical manoeuvre that dealt long-term damage to the Kingdom? When was the last time we truly made the Lionfuries wet themselves out of fear? And the reason we aren't making waves is because of our cruelty and mindlessness, not in spite of it. Even in the Outlands, people who support us..." Or rather, people who support me, Lucifer thought once again "Hear only rumors of monsters that stalk the border, claiming prey if they get too close. That is not enough. I think we've forgotten the real reason we started this damn war - to put Master Alastor Daeva on the throne. But there are people in this room - you know who you are - who seem to be under the impression we are simply a rich bandit camp, raiding and looting without actually controlling anything."

Lucifer's volume never got much above average conversational tones, but there was a firmness in his voice that made him seem that littlest bit more authoritative.

"So what happens? We drive every half-decent warrior away from us. We don't make waves, we don't bring glory and there's money to be made in fighting us. Heck, the men who fight for Lionfury are seen as heroes! Instead, we get the drunks and the brutes, the kind of men who just want to have a fight. Our armies are weak, undisciplined and quite frankly pathetic. If it was for our more elite forces - our demons, our monsters and god-forbid, maybe even our Outlander Humans - we would be steamrolled over with nary a second thought."

"So yes. I get we - you, I should say - don't like Humans very much. They're just pathetic mortals, after all. But those "pathetic mortals" have been what's keeping us from claiming the throne. Every time we lose a battle, is it because the enemy stormed us with demons, crushed us with Leviathans or chewed us up with Behemoths? Do they seduce our men with Sirens and Succubi, drop us from the skies with Harpies or claw through us with Werewolves? No. They rout us with high morale and superior training. Because in the end, it's the common soldier who wins the war, not the elites. So even if we all went above and beyond, it's our rank-and-file who are slowing us down. Until now."

Lucifer took a deep breath. He could win them over - all he had to do was prove his point.

"A situation has arisen in Krowsgard, one that if handled correctly would earn us the respect of everyone in the city and its surrounding area. The locals are desperate and at their wits end, yet the King and his men have taken presumably the same stance you all have - why does it matter? What's to be won from helping these people? So no help comes. A matter that could be swept away with ease continues to fester like an untreated wound. That's our chance."

"It's a simple matter, but one that is of great import to the locals. We deal with it and they start thinking - perhaps these people can help us. They certainly were able to clear up something that the King himself couldn't or wouldn't. And they did it with little obvious gain. These are the people we should be fighting for, not the useless Lionfuries. Our actions will overrule Valorian's propaganda. And then word spreads - Alastor Daeva and his men are helping the common man. They are fighting for us, not for themselves. And then we become the ones who it is glorious to fight for. Good, honorable men and women will choose to support us, people with fervour and resolution, not the gutter-trash. Instead of being a glorified bandit troupe or a collection of lustful drunken looters, we become a true army. An uprising, a rebellion, whatever you want to call it. Maybe we shall even gain the name 'Freedom Fighters'"

"I'm not saying this will happen overnight - it may take some time for us to get a good foothold of support. But when it does, you will be thankful that we have real soldiers to fight for us. And maybe you don't like that. Maybe you like the drinking, the raping and the looting. But all warfare is based on deception - just because you look like an honorable, upstanding person doesn't necessarily mean you have to be one. And you can still go on raids against definitively hostile groups. A great general once said that the secret to winning a war is kindness to one's allies and sickening cruelty to one's enemies. Win over those who can be won over, crush the rest. I don't see how this is such an objectionable concept."

At this, Lucifer sat down, ready for any counter-arguments. He was not going to let this go. IF anyone wanted to fight his ideals, they would have to get through him first

Spoony

Spoony turned to see Hero approaching her with the sweet rolls. "Yay! You made them!" Spoony said with a smile as she grabbed the plate of Sweet rolls from him. Spoony had been busy that morning sharpening weapons and such for the soldiers who had returned from battle. She had quite the pile and work load. Yet she was also planning to go out and buy some more metal from the merchants today as well. She didn't plan on taking part of the festivities anyways. "Oh I finished up your weapon this morning, the weight should be much better now." Spoony added as she handed him the Knork of Power in return for the Sweet Rolls.

----------------------------------------------

Lance

Lance clenched his fist as he heard Lucifer talk. Cerby sat next to him chewing on their bone again. Though as he noticed his master was angry he started to growl at Lucifer. "Help those animals?! We may as well just join the Lionfurries!" Lance yelled, he hated humans, and saw no point in getting their help, however that was an idea came into his mind. Maybe they could be helpful. "Then again... If we go in and announce our selves as members of the Demon lord's house they will just scoff at us and turn away. We have too bad of a reputation as it is, they would never follow us. But if we go in under a new name, say a new religion and offer them a chance to join us we could get more support that way. Then at the last moment we can turn them into ghouls or vampires to make them more loyal and have them spread out to make others join." Lance added. He hated the idea of helping humans, but if they were atleast to be turned into monsters then he would tolerate them.

Rouen smiled.

"Well the young sprout has some spirit in him after all Excellent, it saddens me to admit but we could use more personality. It wouldnt bode well for a group such as to be stagnant. We could probably use a little bit of change," he chuckled.

"You'll make a fine knight if you can temper yourself. Kingsguard or not however, Ser Jaime and I as the senior knights are old enough to be your great grandfather. Most humans in the kingdom, including the king himself are but children to us."

"So when we call you boy don't take it personally, take it as a form of endearment. Do you understand. Boy?" he said.

Rouen pointed down the hall and whispered," The kitchens have a back entrance if you turn right down this corridor. You certainly arent the first knight to pull something lile this off. The carrot wine will give you a surprisngly good feeling but wont dull your wits. Perfect for events like these."

 Rouen winked and walked passed around him towards the feasting chamber, taking another sip from his flask.

As he walked into the chamber he said," And fix that accent, the language of the common folk isn't proper for your station."

"You'll make a fine knight if you can temper yourself. Kingsguard or not however, Ser Jaime and I as the senior knights are old enough to be your great grandfather. Most humans in the kingdom, including the king himself are but children to us."

"So when we call you boy don't take it personally, take it as a form of endearment. Do you understand. Boy?

Cleo sighed but nodded."Yeah Yeah, I guess I understand. But still don't like being called boy! I am a man." He said proudly, crossing his arms. In Cleo's mind, he was the manliest man that has ever lived. Of course, it wasn't that true, but he refused to believe otherwise. Why would he? He worked his ass off to get where he was.

," The kitchens have a back entrance if you turn right down this corridor. You certainly aren't the first knight to pull something like this off. The carrot wine will give you a surprisingly good feeling but wont dull your wits. Perfect for events like these."
Hearing this, Cleo smirked."Is that so? Great to know~!" He grinned and started making his way down the corridor. He might sneak in a few meals here and there, but what harm would that be? No harm at all, thats what. Besides, that head chef dude had to make a whole bunch of food, so its not like they'd miss a bread roll or two. Or ten.

" And fix that accent, the language of the common folk isn't proper for your station."

Cleo turned to him, walking backwards. He laughed."Fix my accent? Fuck that! This accent is what makes me, me!" He grinned."Besides, I can't simply stop talking this way, since I've always talked like this, yeah? So leave my accent alone, ya old Boggart." He smiled at Rouen and went to the kitchen.

LightKeep - Corridor outside the Kitchens

The young lady had risen with the sun this morning, reading and practicing before her handmaid had come to her room in the early afternoon with the intention to rouse her from her slumber, only to find her sitting in the window seat of her chambers reading an old tome. The young woman had been dressed in a pair of slacks and a light tunic she'd borrowed from her elder brother a few days ago to practice her sword skills in secret away from their father. As the door opened she hastily rolled down the sleeves of the white shirt to cover her arms, hiding the markings of the fey though the girl already knew and had been sworn to secrecy. Unlike her father and brothers she was not universally liked by the people, rumors spread about her daily, but few were founded in anything but the one thing she could never have her father know was that she really was fey-touched. She had come across the fey when she was younger, having been raised on demo hate but loving to watch the inhuman dance and frolic in their home forests while her brothers trained their dogs and hunted. The woman had stumbled across her really, and brought her to the Unseelie court where she was touched and cursed. She would have power, but she would never again be human and when the time came, she must do what the Unseelie Queen wished, or die slowly and painfully. Until then she wouldn't die and could do whateer she wished with her powers. Unfortunately, she had to hide them from her father and family - only her elder brother knew of them. The reason he wasn't crown prince was because he spoke against the demolition of the inhuman.

Now though, the young woman walked down the hallway toward where the feast was only beginning, dressed in a long red and black gown that fell to cover most of her body. The corset showed her curves and the sleeves hung long and loose enough that she could move them, but not enough for them to move on their own. Ahead of her she saw the youngest of the Kingsguard - a boy who should never have been allowed entrance - storm away from his superior and she made a mental note to make sure this one was either dead or permanently on away missions after she came into her throne. For now though, she would deal with the poor urchin boy. "Cleo, you are opposing duty without leave?" She asked the boy as she came upon him, stopping in such a way that he would not be able to step around her and her handmaid without shoving them in some manor in the process. Her long white hair was held half up with a black ribbon, a gift from her mother, and the rest was left to tumble over her shoulders and down her back in waves and curls. She looked a princess today, and was perfectly happy to act as she had been raised - as royalty, with dignity and authority though not without humor. "Perhaps you would be happier to dress in trousers like Ser Jaime and dance with some of the ladies handmaids. I am sure Serra here would not mind that at all." Viola smiled as she spoke, her silver eyes shining in amusement as her handmaid looked at her in shock. As far as the girl was officially aware, she had no way to defend herself if attacked and though it was not far to the feast, an angry outburst or defiance of the royal princess and gem of her fathers rule would end in nothing good for him.

@Otakuforreal@pure493

Cleo Vauch
Lightkeep Corridor outside of the Kitchen

"Cleo, you are opposing duty without leave?"

Cleo stopped dead in his tracks, coming face to face with the princess. He gulped and bowed to her."N-N-Not at all My Lady! I-I had just thought there were enough guards in the party to take care of any inconvenience, so that I may take a small break. Rouen told me about the corridor and I had thought maybe it would be ok to do so." He said, stuttering. The princess...Well, the princess scared Cleo, in honesty. There was just something about her that rubbed him the wrong way. And, if he was being honest, he didn't think the princess liked him that much either. She was very intimidating to Cleo, and Cleo had gone up against big burly men twice the princess's height.

"Perhaps you would be happier to dress in trousers like Ser Jaime and dance with some of the ladies handmaids. I am sure Serra here would not mind that at all"

"N-No! No, its perfectly alright..Not to refuse your offer so rudely, but I would only bring embarrassment to the lady here. I'm afraid my dancing skills are not the best, My lady." He said, not rising from his bow. Not only did he not know if it was appropriate to do so, but he didn't want to meet her stare.

Dark Lord's Castle

The Master stayed silent all the time. He had already given Lucifer his permission to go on that mission, so the boy only needed to get the approval of the rest of the council. Not that it mattered that much, but he was curious about the others' views.

Alastor liked hearing the human boy talk. He was passionate about his ideals and didn't seem to give up easily. Though the Master wondered how long it'd take for him to start a riot against him if he or his other men denied him the right to act as he pleased. This guy was someone they should keep an eye on. In his speech, he made it seem like he really wanted Alastor to win the war, but Alastor knew that it wasn't really him who the boy supported. He would go to any side that provided him with an alternative to the Lionfury's tyranny. Which meant that if another faction appeared, he might as well side with them. So "put Master Alastor Daeva on the throne", uh? The demon chuckled. That was kind of funny.

"Not all of us hate humans as much as you think." Yeah, it was more like an impossibility to relate to them. To blend into the crowd with them. And the unthinkable idea of kneeling before a mere human king... But not necessarily hate. At least, not the type of hate that a human would feel. "But how would a human feel about us?" The question was obviously directed at Lucifer rather than an hypothetical human collective. Lucifer always tried to sound as if he had really adapted to the demon lifestyle, but his Lord could feel how he still disagreed with their way of dealing with certain things. And since he wondered if the boy would really stay loyal to them, first he needed to know if he actually hated them. He wasn't expecting a friendship with him, but they needed to have something else in common, more than just a goal to achieve, or someday he could just wake up and realize that a bunch of demons aren't exactly his ideal partners for his mission. And Alastor wasn't so blind as not to see that Lucifer didn't get along with the others and that he didn't feel comfortable in his Master's presence. But not only that. There was something else that he had recently thought about.

That town of Krowsgard was closer to Trance than it was to Alastor's domains. If the King Valorian suspected by any chance that his enemy was making a move, he'll definitely feel very interested in resolving that matter first. And what would happen then? Alastor was sending three soldiers, but Valorian could send all his guards, since they'd still be close to the capital. And then there wouldn't be anything that Lucifer could do. He'd surely be he executed. And then Alastor would lose the only soldier who's not interested just in chopping the enemy's head. Plus the king would be getting all the glory that way. "Just tell me what makes you think that this matter will be easy to handle. I actually see a lot of potential danger."

Then he turned to face Lance and made a gesture towards him telling him to calm down. The last thing the Master wanted was to have one of his bloodthirsty warriors getting upset. Lucifer had been harsh with his words, and insulting a horde of sadistic demons when you're stuck in a room with them wasn't exactly the most intelligent move. If any of them suddenly attacked, Alastor wouldn't be able to control them on time before they killed the boy. "Lance, do you really think that they'd still be loyal to us after we deceive and betray them? They might as well turn to Lionfury seeking revenge of us." This was supposed to be a tactical movement, not an attempt to kill off the whole town. "Though we could definitely do what you suggest if things don't go as planned... What do you think, Zenith?" He leaned slightly towards his servant. "Wouldn't you enjoy having some beautiful monster bound to you?"

Hero Sura
Lightkeep

As the young ragamuffin knight shot Hero a menacing look, he simply rolled his eyes. The only reason Hero could see for that man getting into the Kingsgaurd was that he was a good fighter. He lacked the tact and silence to be a scout, and the intelligence, cunning, and charisma to be a spy. He probably wasn't even that loyal to the king.

Hero's thoughts were interrupted by Spoony's enthusiastic exclamations. He quickly regained his composure and nodded. Was there ever any doubt? Through sleet nor snow, he would keep a promise made to a friend. As he handed over the platter of sweet rolls, Spoony handed him his Knork. She was right, the weight was much better now. He gave her a slight grin, and waved to her goodbye. "Thanks. I'm gonna go grab a sheathe from my room, and then I have a lot of cooking to do." He explained. With that, he left.

After he went to his room and quickly grabbed a sheathe for his weapon, he tried to return to the kitchen. Unfortunately, there were three people blocking his path. That damn guard again, a handmaiden, and the princess herself. He bowed to the queen like the knight beside him, and greeted the princess with a simple "Hello." He then asked the handmaiden beside her, "Would you mind moving, ma'am?" He honestly just wanted to get back to his kithen. Hopefully this wouldn't evolve into an issue.

Rouen entered the grand chamber.

A cheer went off as the cork popped off a massive bottle of vintage wine. People shouted with glee and clanged mugs of ale in a frenzy of movement.

Music echoed through the room. A troupe of famed musicians played their instruments from a pedestal. A magician had conjured up a miniature sun above them, radiating light without heat. Around them people danced in a circle to the tune of their music.

Rouen eyed the colorful outfits people wore to the festivities. The shining lights from the conjured sun only made them look more prominent.

Around the dancing courtiers the high nobles of the kingdom sat at long tables. They conversed with each other and merrily drank wine, occasionally pointing and laughing at each other or the courtiers dancing in the center.

Amidst the celebrations few seemed aware of his presence. Wearing his dull blue brown garb it was a fact Rouen preferred.

As he passed by the laughing nobles he twitched an eyelid. His eyes narrowed and his mouth drooped into a frown.

He sighed and walked up to his own seat at the table shared by the King, his family, and the Kingsguard. His chair was the one furthest from the King's seat, an obvious indication of their current relationship.

He slid his flask into a pocket and picked up a goblet of wine. He took a sip and looked around the crowd for familiar faces.

Sam Spark

Lightkeep

Sam casually walked into the hall full of festivities. He left his armor back at his home, as he wasn't on 'duty' right now. He made sure to blend in with the crowd, as even though he wasn't planning on killing someone tonight, he didn't like to be in the spotlight. As he made his way past the royalties, he didn't saw anyone he knew personaly. It was no surprise to him though, he didn't have many connections except for the highest of the ranks, and they were his superiors.

Some of the Kingsguard knew him from the time that he came into the throne room, offering his services to the King. Many were surprised he even got into the highly secured hall without getting noticed. Many thought he was there to assassinate the King, that it was a lie to get closer to the man. However, the King seemed to be confinced pretty fast about his intentions. Maybe it had to do with the rumours that the King could sense people's heart, but Sam didn't thought too much about it. Everyone had the right to have their secrets, he thought.

He took one of the goblets of wine being carried around by one of the maidens, and leaned against the wall to one of the sides. There was another reason besides the festivities he was there. As one of the men who swore their service to the king, he needed to protect the King in case of danger. And who could be better for the job of finding assassins, then an assassin like himself. While drinking of his wine, he scanned the room for anyone acting out of the ordinary.

One lone face out of the many caught Rouen's eye.

It was Reaver, the personal moniker he gave to the King's personal lackey, Sam Spark. A man who dealt with wetwork and less scrupulous affairs.

"And one with an obvious taste for blood," he thought. He thought back to the reports his informants gave. The aftermaths of Reaver's missions were particularly brutal.

Rouen knew his presence wasn't anything out of the ordinary. The King always kept the man a hair's breath away, especially during events like these.

He smirked as he watched the man sipping on a goblet while leaning against the wall.

"In a party like this, dancing, socializing, and enjoying oneself is the norm. You my good friend are deviating from the norm quite clearly. I don't think you are nearly as good at hiding as you think you are," Rouen thought.

Rouen took another sip from his goblet as he continued to watch the lone man stand amidst the hundreds of other folks dancing and talking with each other.

LightKeep - Outside the Kitchens

Viola watched the boy bow as he stuttered his excuses, mumbling about how he thought everyone was safe; if only he knew how many enemies of the Lionfury family were dancing inside of the hall right at this moment. There may have been plenty of cheer and drinking an fun in good faith and celebration, but many of them were political enemies he would never be able to identify or understand regardless, since the nobles were very quiet with their threats and forthcoming with their smiles. "What about men like Sam? Perhaps our enemies have hired another of the Order to come after us. Your position is left unguarded, and few of the Kingsguard watch the festivities because mother and father have yet to arrive. I have Ser Jaime and Ser Rouen to watch over me, but what of my brothers? Jaime cannot be everyone and he cannot watch everyone - even if he is half demon." The girl scolded him as if he was a child even though she had just reached her ten-and-ninth name day a month before.

Viola was one to hate when another refused to accept their position, and was often quick to punish them when they simply cannot control themselves, and as the royal princess she could get away with it. With the arrival of Hero she nodded her head in greet when he bowed to her, and motioned for Serra to step out of the young mans way. "I anticipate something delightful for the feast; do not disappoint Hero." The handmaiden stepped back out of the way and curtsied, as she was the same status as the boy who worked at the castle, though raised from lower. She could understand Cleo's problem with adapting to castle life and noble traditions, but he needed to smarten up. "Perhaps we may give him lessons on edicate, My Lady. When the Majesty has no need of him." The princess smiled and clapped her hands together. "Excellent idea Serra! But for now, we should head to the festivities, we are expected to attend." With a look at Cleo that told him he had to follow, she headed straight toward the hall where other nobles were dancing and socializing.

---

Dark Lord's Castle - Strategy Meeting

Zenith stood, dressed in his dark robs, his wings tucked flush against his back just beneath the large cloak that spilled over his shoulders. With the hood lowered and hanging over his shoulders and his arm tucked behind his back there was little of his skin to be shown. Violet eyes danced as they flicked between those in the room, listening to and gauging their reactions though he wondered why he heard nothing from Empusa, the demon who inhabited the human boys body. From what Zenith was able to gather, the human boy was nothing but that - a mere human boy - who harbored a desire to help the humans as best as he could though he didn't know why this very war began in the first place. He blinked, staring at Lucifer as his speech ended and waited a moment while both Lance and the Dark Lord spoke, only one directing their attention toward the silent statue standing a comfortable distance from the Dark Lord, and yet still close enough that either of them could reach out and touch the other with little effort. His gaze flicked over to the dark lord, and beneath the collar of his shirt he gulped, quietly and almost impossible to notice though he kept the heat from his face while he reached his mind toward his master and spoke within it, so that none but them would hear his words.

It depends upon the beautiful monster, though I cannot say I would not use them while I have them. Vengeful monsters can be of use at times.

His mental voice was accompanied by a small twitch of his lips, the corner curling up for a moment before flicking back into the stoic line it had been before he was spoken too. "I am not human, my Lord. I cannot answer for them in how they may react to being turned into a monster, though it would seem to me that they would have nowhere to go. They may hate us for doing it to them, but they cannot turn to the Lionfury, for the human royalty is not fond of monsters. The Princess keeps her secret from her father well." The male licked his lips in a moment of pause, giving a moment to allow that to sink in before he looked upon his masters face again and allowed the corners of his mouth to turn up in a small grin when he spoke next. [color-darkorchid]"I am already bound to a monster my Lord. There is no other who can change that."[/color] With the question answer, Zenith was amused slightly though he didn't hum and the grin slipped from his lips as he looked over toward Lucifer again, watching him for a moment before delving into the boys mind to speak with the demon.

Empusa, you allow your puppet to run rampant too often. It is not welcome.

The male gave no hint to speaking within the boys mind to the others as his gaze came upon Lance, then Jaunte and Blake. Each had their own skills, and none had any reason to assist the humans as the darkness had long tainted them and mortals had held them down for too long. These are the ones who had come to them seeking their revenge, though they had earned the Dark Lords trust in time and come to form the Seven that worked for and with Alastor in his war against human suppression. "Do you remember the stories you were told as a child Lucifer? The tales of demonic cruelty toward the humans? The stories they would tell you when you asked why the war had begun in the first place. Why would you come to us when coddled by human means? We will not bend our knee to fragile human kings, or allow them to torment the inhuman. We have our allies among the fey, and nearly every inhuman being residing within the kingdom." Zenith paused, his violet gaze turning an icy silver as he stared directly at the small human boy, simply daring the demon inside of him to take control as he called her weak and fragile like her host.

"It is not out armies or allies that are weak. It's the conviction of some among us."

@Kafka Komedy@Neko Sensei@Otakuforreal@Cuccoruler@Amphibious Assualt@Welshdudette

Dark Lord's Castle

Lucifer didn't like that laugh Alastor gave. It sounded patronising to his ear, as if by being serious and determined he had somehow amused the Dark Lord. "Did I say something funny, sir? I didn't mean to." He failed to keep the irritation out of his voice

"How would a human feel about us, sir?" Lucifer inquired, confused slightly by the question. It was said rather pointedly, like the question was about Lucifer rather than any other human. Confusion swiftly gave way to irritation and he answered in quite a grumpy tone. "Poorly, at best. But it is not because we - you, I should say - are demons, but because you act in a way that is deplorable. Humans generalise the particular, and compare others to themselves. If, for example, a lone Amazon warrior wanders into a town, most people would generally assume she was a man-raping violent barbarian. People would be avoiding her on the streets. On the other hand, if that same Amazon wandered into a town where no-one knew what an Amazon was and acted perfectly amicable - showing generosity, kindness and affection - then the residents would assume that all Amazons were like that. Even though we know the differences, both biologically and culturally, in Amazonian culture, we naturally compare them to our own. Failing a live person to evaluate, we fall back on rumors and legends. How many rumors and stories of the 'evil demons beyond the Badlands' have sifted down to Trance? And you what? They are all bloody true"

He hissed the last line. He hated being surrounded by demons twenty-four seven. He hated the contempt he always got from the old warriors, he couldn't stand the Succubi constantly trying - and failing - to seduce him and he absolutely despised the sheer amount of dogs that seemed to be kicking about, each the prized pet of someone amongst the ranks. What would it take for him to get some normal people to talk to? His occasional trips to the Badland villages always felt like a holiday and they were always over too soon. A boy should not feel so uncomfortable in the presence of so-called allies.

"And why should it be a difficulty, My lord?" Lucifer's voice was getting firmer and angrier, yet not louder. "Two demon warriors and a highly-trained Outlander warrior, plus anyone we can recruit whilst there, versus fifty or so untrained schmucks with second rate weapons, whips and wild mutts. Valorian's men wouldn't dare object to us fighting against a criminal organisation. And we don't need to announce what side we're on until after the job is done. By the time the Kingsguard will have noticed we were even there, we will be halfway back to the Outlands. Even on the off chance that one of us was captured, we would be too valuable to kill, being part of the 'Dark Lord's' inner circle. They'd probably want to keep us around to point and laugh at. And anyway, if I was to be executed, I'm sure a 'mere mortal' like me can be easily replaced anyway." The bitterness in the boy's voice was unmistakable, with hints of longing sneaking their way in here or there.

"Or is it something else, sir? Do you really distrust me so much that I must take an armed guard not of my own choosing? Is it to protect me, or make sure I don't defect? Why would I side with a man who clearly has no interest in my and my people's well-being?" Now it was Lucifer's turn to talk pointedly - he clearly didn't just mean Lionfury, but Daeva as well.

Lucifer, calm down - this isn't helping anyone

Lucifer did not calm down - instead, he only got more irate "As for your question, Sir Morrow - yes, I do remember the old tales. I took a particular liking to the story of the Lamias, the snake-women who would find lonely travellers and take them back to their lairs to feed on their blood. I thought that they sucked them dry, but my very own demon informed me that no, they take one or two people, drain them until they were nearly dead, then allowed them to recover whilst keeping them fed and watered. It would be impractical, you see, for them to have one big meal then have to expend all their energy trying to find another feeding-slave. And I had the astounding luck of meeting one for myself. I didn't get the chance to ask many questions, however, I was a bit... tied up. And thanks to her, I can't even look at a simple snake without flinching anymore."

"I came here because there was a raised banner that promised to overthrow Lionfury and instill a new king on the throne - we need a shakeup in Trance and honestly, I thought that Alastor had the potential to be a very good king, if the company he kept was rather unrefined. But if that's not your intention - if you mean to destroy rather than control Trance, and I have seen much of the former and almost nothing of the latter - then I am afraid our desires do not match up. If that's the case, please tell me and I can be out of the castle by tonight.

Are you out of your mind, Lucifer? They'll kill you!

"If they are going to kill me, Empusa, they may as well get it over with." Lucifer said in something that was most certainly not a whisper.

Okay, you've clearly lost your mind and Zenith is acting like a bitch. Move over, it's my time to shine

There was no noise, no flash and no cries of pain. It looked like there had been no change at all. However, at once, Lucifer's body slackened and he kicked his feet up on the table, his hands going back to cradle his head from behind. He looked totally relaxed, as if the past five minutes hadn't just happened.

And then he started talking and you could immediately tell that lucifer wasn't talking anymore "I'm just going to put the kid on time out until he calms down. Damn, I forgot how good it felt to be the one in charge of all the movement!"

Getting a little more serious, Empusa turned to address Alastor "I don't mind you having the dogs in the meeting and all, but could you at least keep the third one on a leash like the other two are?" She winked at Zenith in case the message was lost.

Then she turned to Lance "Lance! Good to see ya! Cerby's been doing well, I see. How old is he now? I keep telling Lucifer to get a dog, but he doesn't like the idea for some reason. We should really catch up sometime soon, alright?"

And now she turned to Zenith, a mischievous glint in her eyes "And the dog himself! Still kissing ass instead of kicking it, I see. I couldn't help but notice you were being a massive pussy so I thought I'd come right out and tell you. You know, what you weren't doing to my Lucifer? But don't worry, I've come to expect that from a mindless bitch such as yourself! I just wanted to tell you that just because my human happens to be capable of independent thought, unlike yourself who gets lonely and desperate if separated from your master for all of five minutes, doesn't mean he's gone rampant. He just happens to have thoughts, opinions and an agenda which does not involving total subservience to his higher-ups. So the next time you have an issue with the way me and Lucifer run ourselves, keep it to yourself, got it? Back to you, Lucifer. You see this thing, Zenith? It's called 'trust'. Look it up sometime, okay?"

And just like that, Empusa had retreated back into Lucifer and the boy was once more in control f himself. His first action to celebrate was to sit bolt upright. He then rested his elbows on the table and double facepalmed. He didn't look up.

"I... would like to pretend that never happened. Where were we?"

Cleo Vauch
Corridor to the kitchen- Lightkeep

Seeing the look on the princess's face, Cleo sighed and followed her. His stomach still grumbled, wanting the delicious food the chefs had made for the party, but it seemed that he wouldn't get the chance to steal some of the delicious meal that he knew was just sitting there, waiting to be brought out and eaten by the people.
"My lady, as I know the Kingsguard surely must take a break and eat at some point, wouldn't it be wiser to let me eat now and not complain of it later? This way I could stand by and watch with out rest, and have strength in case someone should attack you or your family." Cleo said. Perhaps he'd be able to talk his way out of it and be able to eat after all."If I eat while someone attacks, then I risk being sick, and not be able to fulfill my duties as Kingsguard properly." He said with an air of confidence. He did have a way with words that usually got him what he wanted, when he wanted it, but then again..This lady wasn't just a mere commonsfolk, as were the people that usually did fall for such tricks. She was a princess, and most likely was more intelligent and well spoken than he was.

Lance

As Lucifer continued to talk about how important it was to get the human's trust Lance just got angrier and angrier. He would of thrown his chair at the boy if it weren't for Empusa finally coming out. He calmed down at this point as he found that he could stand Empusa much better than he could stand Lucifer. Lance didn't actually Empusa as a woman, infact he had no idea that Empusa was a even female in gender. However this moment of rest was shorter than he thought as he had no time to answer her questions.

"Empusa you really shouldn't let this brat have control all the time." Lance said as he ended up insulting Lucifer. Cerby was growling at Lucifer at this point too as he could sense his masters hatred for this man. After lance finished rubbing his eyes with his hands he sat up straight again. "Anyways, I do think that we need more troops, as much as I hate to admit it, the brat has a point about recruiting better troops from the humans." Lance said though it pained him to admit that Lucifer was right. "However I can't accept to them staying human, they either die and become undead troops, or we change them into something else, so long as we can be sure that they won't betray us. I suggest recruiting through a cult or a religion, either way we need them to join of their own will first, then we can change them, either into werewolves, vampires, ghouls, anything so long as it isn't human." Lance said as he put a hand down to calm Cerby who went back to chewing on his bone happily. Lance only hoped that they would listen to his plan.

Spoony

Spoony was about to leave to go and get her metal when she realized that she had completely forgotten, that she didn't have the coin for it, she had been on a bit of spending spree lately as she had bought herself not only a new hammer but also a new forge recently. Spoony decided that it may not be a bad idea to atleast try and enjoy the festivities. After eating one of the sweet rolls Spoony headed off to the dining hall.

She had made sure that she was clean and presentable before she headed off towards the dining chambers. She soon entered the room and started to walk around a bit aimlessly. She had seen the princess on her way in but had kept her distance. Spoony did not like the princess as she felt that the girl was too stuck up. Or atleast that was Spoonies impression of the woman. Spoony was certainly the youngest looking girl in the dining hall and it showed as she was also one of the shortest in the dining hall.

Rouen had sipped a bit more from his goblet of wine."Now that is fantastic quality, a bit spicy, I wonder if its a new southern import," he thought. He gulped the rest of it down. "Better than the usual grapepiss that is brought out."

He eyed the empty goblet. It took seconds before he realized his mistake. The world began to spin around the edges of his vision. He felt off-balance and put a hand down to stop himself from falling to the side. Suddenly he realized he couldn't feel his fingers. A creeping numbness spread throughout his entire body.

The voices of the nobles sitting on the tables across him began to blur together. The constant chattering gave him a headache. The cheer from the crowd that went up as the song ended only made it worse. He bit down on his tongue, and leaned forward.

"Damn it!" he thought. Something wasn't right and he had a strong idea of what happened. He whipped out his flask and sniffed the top. The mixture smelled sweet but there was a slightly putrid scent that lingered. It was a clear sign that it was long past its prime.

The medication rose in potency the longer it sat, and it obviously was sitting for a while. Whatever was in the wine probably intensified its effects ten fold. He wondered how long had it been since he had kept this batch of medication. Maybe it was a week or maybe months. He couldn't remember. The result of the numbing agent in the concoction. He mentally berated himself for his stupidity. You couldn't alter one part of your mind without affecting everything else. By dulling his emotions it dulled his memory. Now as a consequence he was about to lose his wits in front of the court.

Rouen leaned back and closed his eyes. His entire body was numb at this point. He focused his thoughts inward, trying not to faint onto the ground.

When he felt like he got a hold of himself he opened his eyes. His immediate attention was to look for water. It was the only thing that could dilute the concoction that was in him. His hand shook through silverware, goblets, and pitchers. When he realized there was none his attention turned to a small girl @Cuccoruleracross the table.

It took tremendous force of will for him to speak.

"You there! Serving Girl! Bring a pitcher of water!" he bellowed at her.

Dark Lord's Castle

Damn insolent human! How did he dare to speak to his Master in such a way? He was sure that nobody would dare to behave like that in King Valorian's presence. And yet, this kid was defying him and his men as if they deserved much less respect.

"So these stories are all 'bloody true'?" He wasn't trying to keep the irritation from showing on his usually calm and stoic face. "If they were true, you would be begging for mercy right now." All the lights and the fire suddenly disappeared and room went totally dark. Only the eyes of the demons glowed softly like those of wild beasts as they stared intently at the boy. If Lucifer didn't belong to Empusa, Alastor himself would have already taken his soul and disposed of the body that now seemed more like a prey than an ally. But luckily for him, Empusa came to save him.

Alastor sighed in exasperation, but leaned backwards on his seat, letting the shadows around him dissipate as he relaxed a bit. It seemed that she was angrier at Zenith than at him, and he simply blinked in surprise when he heard her call him a pussy, then a dog, then a bitch. And now that he thought about it, what in hell did Zenith mean with his reply to his previous question? And what's with that silly reaction he had when Alastor addressed him? Was he attempting to flirt with his master or what? Damn, things are definitely going out of hand... He thought as he facepalmed too.

Well, at least he had some time to think while the boy, or rather, the girl argued with Zenith. And, even if he wouldn't admit it, he felt bad for Lucifer. Damn, he reminded him so much of his younger self; a demon who grew up among the humans and could never fit. It must be the same for him, to be surrounded by those who hated him. And Alastor should've realized sooner.

"It's fine. It's not your fault." He told him as he got up and approached Lucifer, forcing him to look at him. "We all make mistakes. And I'm sure you made a mistake when you joined us. Leave if you want, I won't consider you a traitor. I won't send anyone to kill you." He wasn't expelling him, he just wanted to let him choose. "But if you stay, you better learn that there are times in which is better to simply shut up and obey, and not question your master. Just because I act with caution doesn't mean that I don't trust you."

The Lord decided it was best to leave Lucifer already, so he just went back to his seat again trying to focus again on this meeting that was starting to seem rather useless after so many issues. Now he had to convince Lance that his idea could work, but not for this case in particular. He had given his word that he would help that town, not enslave its people. "I'm sure we could do that the next time, just not now. King Valorian would get suspicious if a new religion started getting followers so close to the capital, and those people suddenly started to turn into monsters. We don't need to attract any more attention for a small issue like this one, and we need to make people trust in us for once, and not in a fake cult."

Hero Sura
Lightkeep

Hero nodded as the princess commanded him to supply the feast with his best food. He always did, so he had no idea why she felt the need to command him so. Must've been the royalty in her that pumped leadership and stubbornness in her blood. Still, she wasn't particularly mean to him or anything, she did get the cute handmaiden to move and allow him into his kitchen. And, she was dragging the man away from the kitchen. He was probably planning on stealing some fruit or wine. Sneak thief.

Once Hero had gotten back in the kitchen, he cracked his knuckles and got down to official business. The cooks were now pretty much done with the puree. It was time for the main dish, and one of Hero's favorites. The best roast in the land. He was a master at making this dish, and it never failed to impress. It was a recipe passed down the Sura line, the magnum opus of Hero's great grandfather, Naka Sura. With a grin on his face, he began cooking. "Alright. Get out all the spices, light the furnace, and grab the meat. We have express orders from the princess to not disappoint!"