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The situation was not calming down, that much was obvious. Snaera seemed bent on killing her, even though she didn't give her much of a chance to defend herself. This princess didn't seem to know much of anything, and there wasn't much she could do about it with a gun pointed right at her. Luna was defending her, but that didn't seem to be helping, though it did make her feel better to know that her sister trusted her. "Look, I didn't kill anyone," she said, hoping to try and calm things down.

She figured her attempts were futile, but she had to try. Though, being a witch did have some perks in her case, especially because of one thing she could do, and it helped that she could prepare herself before that gun went off. Without even thinking about the consequences, she targeted Snaera. If she pulled that trigger, she would be in for a surprise, since there wasn't much else she could do, and she'd prefer to not harm those she did care about.

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Lyra pulled her gaze away from Asha the Magykal to look back at Emperor Taj, the ruler of the Big Wild Land Over the Ocean, as he spoke to her. She glanced over at Prince Myrus for a moment, her lips thinning at the sad, broken expression on his face, before she reluctantly returned her attention to the Emperor. Her heart went out to Myrus, but at the same time, she couldn't just ignore the Emperor's question or the dark aura that seemed to overshadow this sacred place. They were both just too important to ignore. She nodded her head slightly in response. "I believe so. I mean, I don't exactly know what it is that you speak of; however, I do feel this uncomfortable, yet oddly familiar, aura coming from the queen's casket. The two must be related, I imagine," she explained, looking to the Emperor for confirmation.

Though she was conversing with Emperor Taj, Myrus had never truly left her thoughts, or her heart. With that in mind, her gaze went back to the young prince when he desperately asked his question again. Her heart clenched inside her chest. She had a bad feeling that he wasn't ready for the answer he would receive. Her intuition was soon proven correct when Asha dropped the bombshell of a lifetime for poor Myrus. His mother, Queen Meliscente, truly had been murdered. Lyra instinctively rushed forward as the prince crumpled to the ground, but of course, she was once again beat to the punch, this time though by Asha. She stopped short, as Asha clearly had it handled.

Lyra looked away with a sadness to her green/blue eyes. Her heart truly hurt for Myrus's plight. One thing was certain. She would be here for him if he ever needed her comfort, guidance, or simply her friendship. She glanced around the interior of the crypt as she slowly and reluctantly turned back to face Emperor Taj. Yet, as she did so, something else caught her eye. Off in the far corner of the crypt, her perceptive gaze caught sight of a dull glow coming from within a partially cracked open chest. Her pale brows furrowed slightly. She carefully slipped the book that she was still holding into her satchel so that she would have her hands free. She then walked across the room, her eyes trained on the dull glow as she weaved in and out of the different caskets. She stopped before the small chest, which was laid on top of a table tucked away in the far corner of the crypt. She wiped away the dust that had collected over time before carefully opening the chest the rest of the way. It's hinges creaked dully as she opened it to reveal a smooth and oval shaped egg of sorts that gave off a slight glow in the darkness of the crypt. Her breath left her as she found herself in a state awe at the sight of the beautiful object. She delicately, and almost reverently, picked it up from where it was rested in old linen and satin.

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Malekith paused midstride at Fleur's comment. He turned back around to face her as he masterfully feigned a look of hurt at her words. "You think too poorly of me if you think I would actually harm our little protégés," he replied almost solemnly. "I assure you that I will see to it that they are properly satiated." With one last frown in her direction, he then turned back on his heels and continued on down the hallway as before. With his back to Fleur, the solemn expression soon faded away, as if it had never even happened. Now, back to the matter at hand. Children. Quite frankly, he would be perfectly satisfied if they simply disappeared altogether, or dropped dead, either one would work for him. They were just too needy for his tastes. Personally, he had a preference for those from mid-adolescence up to their early to mid-twenties. They were old enough to prove challenging but still naïve. Nevertheless, he would find some way to moderately satisfy himself in his required dealings with those loathsome creatures that were children. For one, he found that children's minds were still more or less a blank slate, thus they were easy to manipulate into one day doing his bidding. He could start them young, he supposed.

He took a few turns through the halls before he found himself standing outside what functioned as both the children's classroom and playroom. The muffled chatter and giggles of little girls reached his ears from beyond the closed door. He lifted his hand and knocked on the door. "It's Malekith," he declared his presence. Being one of the few warlocks meant he was pretty well-known around here. He heard shuffling inside before the door was opened a few moments later to reveal a young, fresh-faced woman.

"Malekith, please do come in," she stated in a slightly flustered manner, but otherwise opened the door wider for him to enter. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your presence?" Malekith stepped into the decently sized room and looked around for a moment. There was another, slightly older, woman also in the room along with five or six young female children. When his gaze went back to the woman who had answered the door, he noted that there was a light rose tint to her cheeks. He tended to have that effect on women.

"I was just checking in to see how things were going with the children," he responded. A small look of disappointment flitted across the woman's features, to which he smoothly added, "But, of course, seeing a face like yours certainly never hurts either." The corners of the woman's lips curled into a smile, and she blushed once more. The corners of Malekith's lips similarly curled up into a charming smile that only served to deepen the woman's blush. He then turned his attention back to the matter at hand.

"So, is everyone doing alright in here?" he asked, raising his voice slightly. "Everyone's happy and having fun?" He suddenly felt a small tug on his pants leg. He looked down to see a little girl who couldn't be much older than five gazing up at him with her big blue eyes.

"Are you a boy?" she questioned in her tiny little voice. "I thought this place was just for girls." Malekith's brows rose slightly, and he glanced over at the two babysitters, before looking down at the toddler again. He let out a small sigh before squatting down to where he was closer to eyelevel with the little girl.

"Well, yes, I am a boy, but you see, I am a special kind of boy. I'm like a witch but rarer. I'm what's called a warlock," he explained.

"Does that mean you can do Magyk?!" the little girl suddenly exclaimed excitedly as she started bouncing on her feet. Malekith's eyes widened slightly at the girl's reaction but otherwise nodded his head in reply.

"Here, let me show," he stated as he stood back up. He cleared his throat in an attempt to garner the attention of the other children. "Do watch children." His gaze met the babysitters' once they had corralled up the children to watch the Magyk show. A smirk came to his features before he cast the spell. Now, bare in mind, that he was intending to create a small ball of Darke energy in his hand, but well, that's not quite what happened. He didn't manage to contain the brunt of his power, so instead of creating a simple display, his Darke Magyk shot out to burn a considerably large hole in the ceiling.

A collective gasp went through the room, before all of the little girls suddenly erupted into cheers at the "incredible" display. Malekith's gaze came back down and looked over at the babysitters to find that they were thoroughly less amused. "I meant to do that," he interjected.

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The novelty of the situation wore off when it became apparent this Snaera would not back down. Violence was truly despicable, yet she couldn’t help but feel a tug of sympathy for the grief-blinded girl. Bell’s brow twitched as she chewed the corner of her lip.

“I think it would be wise to accept the little princess’s offer, Snaera,” Bell said from the crowd of her coven, “I do not know much about the politics of these lands, but imagine the murder of sweetest Valda in her own throne room, and in front of so many witnesses would not do much good for the relations between your two kingdoms. Some might consider it enough for further bloodshed.” She stepped forward slightly, though did not pass in front of Jadis, “Is it worth it? Even if Valda was guilty, and of that I sincerely doubt, killing her won’t bring your father back; it will just cause more grief."

After a moment, she shook her head, "I know the grief of loss is hard to bear, but it just doesn’t make sense to pin it all on Valda because of a shared modus operandi; that’s no grounds for an execution.”

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"I don't understand," Queen Meliscente said wordlessly, yet she had already begun to slip away. With each second that passed, she grew a little older, a little more worn. A fogginess had developed in her once clear eyes and her mind had started to wither away. "You were like a daughter to me, Esren..." Queen Meliscente said softly. "I loved you..."

"That's just it, isn't it?" Nera mused, sitting at Meliscente's bedside. "You loved me. Past tense," she said harshly. The emerald stone in her hand, once disguised as a hairpin, began to slow at a lesser rate. The vivid changes in Queen Meliscente's appearance began to slow down in their appearance as well. "I never was more than a replacement for Valda - the child you only began to value once she was stolen from you."

Queen Meliscente attempted to sit up, but Nera forced her back down cruelly. It didn't take much strength to accomplish. Queen Meliscente had become exceedingly advanced in years already. "Although you may be convinced of that, search your feelings, Esren - that isn't true," Queen Meliscente urged, her voice frail and fleeting.

"I have searched my feelings," Nera said. "Did you not wonder where I had gone when I fled the Castle?" She paused for a moment, noticing Queen Meliscente's silence. "I thought not. For a while, I wanted nothing but vengeance on you and your house - on this dreadful society that perpetuates pain and suffering...But I forgave you, I truly did."

"I once dreamed of poisoning you, learning the art of Physik and disguising myself as your nurse," Nera admitted, brushing Queen Meliscente's hair out of her face. "But if there is one thing the Badlands taught me - there is only one thing that could truly bring a smile to my face. Your death is not enough to satisfy my anger, my Queen."

"No, I will not rest until the entire Castle has fallen into chaos, until brother turns upon brother in deadly combat - until the moat runs scarlet. All I truly desire, my Queen, is a seat from which to watch your world burn - just as you watched mine."

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@jdh97@BlueSky44@Nallore: Snaera had the gun cocked and aimed at Valda, not moving a muscle. Her eyes turned towards Luna as she spoke, considering her words. The message did not strike Snaera as genuine - just a ploy to lure a member of royalty into a trap. Yet her anger with the Castle and their rulers prevented Snaera from warning Luna. She hardly cared for Valda's pitiful plea of I didn't do it and to be lectured by a peasant, a witch no less?! It offended Snaera's sensibilities. Peter sighed a bit - she may appear as cool as ice, but Snaera's temper was like fire.

"Execution it is, then," Snaera said coolly. She was aiming for Valda's heart and she pulled the trigger, only for her aim to be a little low and to the left. Her bullet hit Valda in the stomach, yet Snaera let out a gasp and fell backwards, bleeding heavily from her own stomach. "You - you witch!" Snaera cried out. Valda's injury transference had been successful.

@LadyRunic: It just isn't a good day for Rhys' Magyk. His spells fail, but it truthfully doesn't matter. The protections on Wizard Tower are providing a lovely distraction, along with chatter about the day's festivities. As for Ernie, he doesn't even need to be transfixed, just staring at Rhys with shock. "Did you become a necromancer, Rhys? Did you give someone over to the Other?" Ernie asked, lowering his voice. Many who dabbled in Darke Magyk ultimately ended up giving over an innocent soul to the Other. The poor individual was consumed and the necromancer's power increased tenfold.

@KazAlkemi: "A former apprentice of mine was an ExtraOrdinary Wizard at one time," Pye said wistfully. "I had to share him with that awful woman - Marcia Overstrand. Overbearing may have been a better surname for her..." he mused, chuckling at his own joke. The ghost looked over at Wizard Tower for another moment, before returning his attention to Cuyler. "But the quarrel between Alchemie and Magyk can be set aside for only a seldom few things...The danger that your ExtraOrdinary Wizard will face begins with her apprentice, set in motion by the бесконачни каменци." Marcellus gave Cuyler a cryptic smile, before he slowly faded away and vanished from sight.

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Arya patiently waited for Atkin to finish his small rant, though with each point he raised, she had an argument to counter it by. She often had to remind herself that her apprentice was new to Magyk and the customs of wizards - many things that she thought of without explanation were entirely foreign to him. And while her father had been a failure of a Sub-Wizard, she still had been raised in the culture of Magyk. "The Queste was not intended to be such a fearsome fate. Hotep-Ra was betrayed by his best friend, a wizard known as Tertius Fume, who would Cause apprentices to Draw and embark on the Queste. They would be escorted away by the Questing Guard and in the process, be drained of their Magyk and then killed," Arya explained with a grimace.

"Yet it was a binding Magykal contract and no one knew that Fume had been Causing apprentices to meet such a gruesome end until Septimus Heap returned from the Queste alive," Rowland explained wearily. Even though none of his apprentices had been at risk for the Draw, the Queste still filled his heart with dread.

Arya then gave Atkin a bit of a smile. "Once Valda has been crowned Queen of the Castle, I will return here and see what can be done about the Questing Pot. But for now, please do exercise reasonable precaution, Atkin. The Draw is only done by tradition once the apprenticeship has been completed - and I fear that since the pot has been replenished, a Gathering will be called shortly."

"Now, as Atkin so eloquently mentioned, we have to be at the Palace shortly. Rowland, if you could do us the honor of joining us, I am sure Princess Valda would be delighted," Arya offered.

Rowland chuckled a bit. "I am not sure it is Princess Valda who wants me there," he said, his eyes twinkling. Arya rolled her eyes at the old man, before beckoning to Rowland and Atkin to follow her out of Wizard Tower. Yule could handle things in their absence - she was confident of that.

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"Да ли желиш, Медеа?" Marya asked her twin, speaking her native tongue to the other silver haired girl. It had once bothered Nera that the Magniskys insisted on speaking that language, but she had come to understand it after a time. It was their ancestral tongue, a language their family had been speaking for centuries - and as the Magniskys claimed, before the Castle had even been founded.

"Bilo bi zabavno. Mogli bismo dobiti novu knjigu ili dva dok smo izašli," Medea replied softly. Marya nodded before turning to Nera. "We're in," she said with a large grin.

"Excellent," Nera replied. "Now, go and get changed. Meet us at the entrance in five minutes. Oh, and girls - do try to not show off. Today is about blending in until the opportune moment," Nera advised. The twins nodded almost simultaneously and in the blink of an eye, there was a gust of wind and they were gone. They had a rare talent, even as witches went - one that Nera knew could be used to their advantage if needed.

With this task sorted, she went upstairs and withdrew to her own room, changing into a soft lilac gown she had picked up on her travels.

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"You have a gifted eye," Emperor Taj commented softly, gazing at the treasure Lyra had found. "Not many would spot a dragon egg," he explained, giving her a bit of a smile. Yet the brief bit of merriment faded away as he returned to more serious subjects. "You said that you had felt this before - if I may ask, under what circumstances?" he asked.

Asha continued to rub Myrus' back soothingly. He was barely holding it together, trembling on the ground and sobbing. He hated talk of his mother's death for precisely this reason - the dread that someone may have taken her life before it was her time. Had it been natural, that would be one matter - yet this only raised more questions and pain, possibilities that he did not wish to contemplate at such a young age. He would have rather been married for political alliance than have to deal with the reality that his mother had been murdered.

"We do not speak that tongue either, Prince Myrus," Asha said with a small grin. "You see, many fortnights ago, we found a strange visitor to our country - a woman with fiery hair and eyes that screamed madness," Asha began.

"Why are you telling me this?" Myrus asked. "What does this have to do with my mother?!" he snapped, his temper flaring.

"We believe that your mother was killed by the Тиме Стоне - an ancient power that may predate existence itself," Emperor Taj said, kneeling down next to the prince. "From what we understand, it has the power to alter what we call Време простор - a concept where time and space are one entity in themselves," he explained. "It pulled the stranger through time to our country - and we believe somehow caused your mother to die before it was her time."

There was silence for a moment.

"Why her?" Myrus finally asked, his voice small and broken.

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He rose an eyebrow as he listened to the Alchemist talk briefly about his past and committed his rival’s name to memory. Whatever this danger was it was not to be taken lightly, for as he said, their public quarrel was set aside for a few things. This seemed to be one of them.
Cuyler’s face screwed up at the foreign words and was about to question the frustrating creature but he was growing more transparent and then was completely gone, vanished from Cuyler’s sight.
”Are you fucking serious!?” Cuyler yelled into the empty space.
People walking on the street in front of his table stopped abruptly to stare at his little outburst. Ignoring them all, Cuyler grabbed his satchel and shoved a few things into it, including his present to Ayra. He scanned the sky for the position of the sun and glared at that as well. It was nearly time for the coronation and Cuyler had wanted to be a little nicer dressed than he was currently but his priorities had effectively switched thanks to his unwanted visitor.
”Thia, find Arya,” he instructed. She too had been staring after his sudden change and seemed to be ready for whatever her companion threw at her. She slipped under Cuyler’s table and bounded through the crowd, slipping around people much easier than he would have been able to.
He grabbed the bag of coin that had been made from this morning, pulled out two and then set the rest into his satchel. Throwing it over his shoulder, he moved swiftly up the street to Halvor’s table and tossed the coin at him.
”Take what you want from the jewels on my table to sell but bring my wood carvings back to my room at the Hefring.” Before Halvor could wipe the shock from his face and begin hounding Cuyler with questions he pushed back into the crowd and moved up the street to the Wizards Tower. He hoped he would be able to intercept their travels to the castle from there. Arya needed to hear this information now and with the Wizard Tower on lockdown, it was needed now rather than after the coronation.
He chanted the words the ghost, who was perhaps Marcellus Pye like Cuyler thought, over and over in his head so he wouldn’t forget how it sounded and finally broke into a run through the Castle streets.
His running wasn’t quite graceful and he stumbled many times and nearly bulldozed a few people when they walked out of nearby shops. A memory flooded him then, hitting him harder than he expected and stumbled to a near stop. He continued to walk quickly, catching his breath as the memory took its course.
His father was standing over top of him, a fire roared behind him, making it look like the man was glowing. Noise filled Cuyler’s ears and heard the crackling of fire mixed with his father’s hearty laugh.
”You were never good on land my boy, your legs were meant for the sea,” his father stated, finally helping the tiny Cuyler to his feet. The boy was bleeding from several places due to his rough fall but paid no mind as he gazed up at the man. His father looked down at him with pure affection on his face. ”We could never get you to walk but as soon as I put you on the boat for travel, we couldn’t get you to stop walking.” He laughed again and shook his head. He took the boy’s hand and guided him back to a small house where the wailing of a babe had started up.
The memory faded and Cuyler was sucked back into reality. He was nearly upon the Wizard’s tower and he sprinted the last few blocks. He couldn’t save his family all those years ago but he would be damned if he didn’t do what he could to protect Ayra.

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Luna looked towards Princess Snaera, while Valda said that she didn't do it she truly didn't think that Valda could do it, and Bell one of her sister's witch friends spoke up. She was really hoping that her little bit of information that she tried to give to Snaera would come through to her. But it seemed that it went on deaf ears, looking directly at Peter she was really and truthfully hoping that he would be able to talk some sense into the hardheaded foreign princess. But it didn't seeing Snaera cocking the gun, before Luna could step in front of her Snaera pulled the trigger.

Luna quickly turned around seeing Valda had been shot, then she heard Snaera screaming out in pain as well when she turned her head she noticed that there was now blood soaking through Snaera's dress. To her it was a complete disaster, her sister was accused of murder and then being shot by the Eastern SnowPlains princess. Luna quickly went to her sister's side looking at her with a concerned look in her eyes and then looked. Luna looked directly at the Witches that were there, as well as the Eastern SnowPlains delegation, she didn't want either one of them to die. "Please, if either of you have healing abilities please help both Snaera and Valda!" Luna yelled, looking back at her older sister. "It's going to be okay Valda." Luna said softly, hoping that she would be alright.

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This was just a fine situation wasn't it? Here was poor Ernie, a pleasent lad now many years over and putting himself in potential danger. But for all that Rhys had hardened himself, he did see the wisdom in recruiting Ernie's aid. The Ordinary Wizard could go where Rhys could not without perhaps being recognized at the worst. Studying the shorter Wizard, the Rogue Wizard gave a slight chuckle. "I should have. It would have made my life easier." There was a slight note of regret in Rhys voice that was so unlike the harden criminal he was. "But no, I have not." The unspoke yet however hung in the air as The green flecked black eyes looked at the other wizard.

How best to approach this? Threats? They were surrounded by people who would come to Ernie's aid. Tilting his handsome face, Rhys let a small smirk touch the corners of his lips. Best to persuade Ernie that this was all Erik's fault. That the man had twisted him into what he was, and play on that very true fact. "Why don't you ask the real question you want to ask?" Goaded the Rogue. "How is it I'm here and alive? What happened all those years ago?" Giving a boyish grin Rhys leaned against a wall casually. "I'll tell you, but not for free. I've come for information Ernie. I have a lad I'm trying to cure for purely selfish reasons and nothing I've tried has worked." It was a partial truth, he had also come for a chance to snatch the ExtraOrdinary Wizards- Former, Future, and Current- and strip them of their power and life. Raising a handsome brow at his former friend, he unwillingly remembered all the nights he had stayed up late studying to try and get Blaise to chose him as the ExtraOrdinary Wizard Apprentice. Of the sharp jabs he had used to drive folk away as Erik, his old mentor, drove home his weaknesses and ineptitude that he would never be what he so desired.

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Valda was perfectly fine, the bullet hadn't injured her at all, but she did want to get help for Snaera, even if she was the one who had just pulled the trigger against her. "Help her, I am perfectly fine," Valda said, standing up. "I apologize Princess, but you left me no other choice. You threatened my life, and you would not listen to reason when we tried to get you to see the truth. I am truly sorry," Valda said, a hint of sadness in her voice.

Snaera hadn't really left her a choice at all. She had flat out said that she was going to execute her, passing judgement upon her without any physical proof that she had done any wrong. To defend herself, she did the only thing she could think of, especially because she had a moment to prepare herself, and that was to give the injury to someone else. She only had a second to think of a target, and she was the only one she could think of in that moment, especially considering she was the one person in the room who she did not like at all. She still wasn't too sure about Wylie, but she liked him better than Snaera.

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Fleur whisked herself around the room, pretending like she was at the party. All eyes on her, of course. She debated changing her hair but decided against it. It was already perfection, why mess with it?

It was then she heard a distant crash and felt a small tremor. It seemed Mal was with the kids. She smiled, thinking of all the mischief he was currently getting into. It pleased her, but she worried for their safety. She knew Malekith wouldn't do anything to harm his reputation presently, but it was hard to combat the belief that at any moment, he could betray her.

Nera would see to that. She trusted Nera wholeheartedly and trust was not often given in her line of work. Fleur checked herself out one last time before she picked up a small knife and sheathed it on her thigh. One could never be too careful, of course. She made her way downstairs to await the others, thinking of all the delicious things they were about to do. This would truly be the most memorable event.

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Lyra's eyes fluttered slightly as she pulled her entranced gaze away from the precious object in her hands to look over at Emperor Taj. Her eyes widened slightly and a small breath left her parted lips when he stated that the "object" was in fact a real dragon egg. Her pale blonde brows furrowed as she looked back down at it. What is something so precious doing down here of all places? Surely, such a relic should be treated with more respect than to be simply left to collect dust, she thought to herself, her head tilting to the side as she reverently caressed the smooth surface of the egg. I wonder if you're still alive in there, just waiting for the right moment to hatch.

Emperor Taj's voice penetrated her thoughts as he inquired about her earlier statements. "Yes, of course," she replied, nodding her head. She gently placed the dragon egg back in the linen and satin lined chest before turning to face Emperor Taj fully. She laced her hands in front of herself before speaking. "I vaguely remember feeling that same aura years ago when I was just a little girl back in the Land of Long Nights. There was this stranger who came into town who only seemed to be able to speak a very old dialect. I remember feeling that aura reverberating off that person," she explained, looking up at him.

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Malekith gave the two women a dashing, lopsided grin that was sure to melt their hearts. He chuckled lightly. "An honest mistake, really. It's easy to underestimate one's own power," he stated, seemingly playing off his blunder with a practiced ease. "My sincerest apologies for making a mess of things. It was not my intention to do so. Nonetheless, no one was hurt and the children are appeased. And that is what truly matters, is it not?" His carefully, and yet so eloquently, placed words appeared to have its intended effect as the women's features softened once more. They nodded their heads in seeming agreement of his words. A smile lit up the features of the younger of the two women as she looked over fondly at the children, who were still cheering happily at Malekith's Magykal display. He gave the children a playful, overly exaggerated bow as they already eagerly requested an encore.

As he straightened back up, his gaze locked once more with the two women. His charsimatic display after all was more for their benefit than for that of the children. He wanted to remain in the women's good graces, and by default Fleur's. "I am afraid it will have to wait until another time, children," he replied to the children's pleas, much to their disappointment. He looked back over to the two women and gave them one last charming smile before inclining his head in farewell. He then pivoted on his heels and exited the room, closing the door softly behind him. He promptly headed down the hall to the privacy of his own room. He made a mental checklist of what he would need. Other than a change of clothes and the weapons he always kept on his person, not much else came to mind in way of provisions. With a sharp intellect and Darke Magyk at one's fingertips, one need not for much else.

Malekith made quick work of removing his weapons and changing into more suitable attire. Though he had a fondness for his black leather, it just wasn't quite right for the occasion. It would only serve to make him stand out more, and not in a good way. He settled for a black and burgundy ensemble that he felt was striking yet still didn't make him stand out too much. He replaced his weapons as a precautionary step. Hopefully the guards wouldn't check for weapons, but in case they did, he already had a contingency plan for that. He straightened his collar as he looked himself over in the mirror. Looking good as always, he thought to himself. He then turned and left his room to meet back up with Fleur and Nera.

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Atkin appreciated the impromptu history lesson. He really did. It made things make a bit more sense as far as they went towards why things were the way they were, although he was still pissed that they just went along with the barbaric practice all the way up until now, but right then and there his anger and interest in the topic at hand had been pushed to the rear of his mind by the panic of not having nearly enough time to get ready for the pre-ceremonial preparations. It was frustrating, there was still more that he had to say, but he would just have to work out in his more articulated ways to say them while they were busy with the everything else they had to do that day.

"'Scuse me, gotta get changed." Atkin left the rest of the wizards where they were without so much as waiting for a reply, let alone any kind of permission to leave. He didn't have much time to get ready, so he decided the first empty room would do well enough for him to change quickly and make it back to Arya so that they'd be able to make it to the castle on time. But considering the circumstance, Rowland would probably tagging along as well, which Atkin wasn't too sure about. On one hand, he could probably learn a lot from the ex-ExtraOrdinary Wizard. But he didn't want to hang around an old geezer the whole day.

However, when the Apprentice entered the Tower, he was greeted with Chaos. Wizards, apprentices and sub-wizards running around everywhere, panicking, trying to figure out what they should do, crying and more. Did none of them know why the tower had been put on lock down? Was that just something Arya could do at a moment's notice. It was difficult for Atkin to hear himself think over the noise, but in the distance, he was pretty sure he heard something explode. Unfortunately, he didn't have the time, authority or know-how of how to settle the situation, hopefully when they returned later, Arya and Rowland would be able to calm everyone back down again.

So he slipped through the crowd, looking for somewhere, anywhere that would let him get dressed in peace. First he tried the bathrooms: no dice, people were in fetal positions, pissing/shitting themselves, vomiting, and so forth. He thought about checking the women's bathrooms, but decided the risk wasn't worth it. Maybe one of the labs? Nope. But he did find out what exploded. Needless to say, it'd take hours to clean everything up. With each room filled with panicking wizards, the more frustrated he got. It was like the Winter Solstice was conspiring to ruin everything for him today. First the Grula-Grula, then the Queste bullshit, and now he couldn't even get dressed.

Eventually, his list of places to try narrowed down to a simple broom closet. He flung the door open and found it almost entirely empty to his brief relief. And then he saw who was actually inside. It was like watching two toads trying to eat each other mouth first. There was an elderly couple (a generous estimate would put them into their late 70s at best) who had decided that now was the perfect time to express their love for one another. Maybe there were decades of missing context that would have it make sense for why they'd hide away in the closet while doing this, but Atkin really didn't care. By the time they'd notice that he'd even seen them, he'd already slammed the door back in their face.

Fed up with the whole situation, Atkin gagged silently at the images he'd need to spend years completely scrubbing away from his mind as he marched over towards the Moving Staircase. He had wasted way more time looking for an alternate room than if he had just headed straight to his room and back. He shouldered through a few wizards to step onto the staircase and immediately commanded it to move to the 20th floor. Fuck everyone else and where they were going now, it was probably stupid and would end with their hair turning blue.

By the time Atkin had stepped into the main room, and began to unrobe he had devolved to the point of muttering to himself about how dumb everyone was, and what good wizards were if one thing going wrong was enough to make them collectively lose their shit. It was the same way with the bookstore, they were more helpless than toddlers. When some know-nothing outsider could handle their problems better than them, it really seemed like the whole apprentice selection progress was in dire need of rework.

Now dressed and slightly cooled, Atkin glanced towards the Pyramid Library. Arya did tell him to go get a Safe Charm, and now was a perfect time to try snagging one. A moment's consideration later, he decided not to. Doing as she said would be a tacit admission that he was afraid, which was the exact wrong thing to do when dealing with someone threatening you. Displaying fear said that you could be controlled, and wouldn't take the risks involved with fighting back. He wasn't afraid of this Queste, and he wasn't afraid of whoever was trying to get him. From an outside perspective, he was probably foolishly endangering himself, but he did that all the time, and he wasn't about to stop anytime soon.

One trip down the Moving Staircase later, he was almost running when he got back outside the Tower to rejoin his teacher and her teacher.

"AlrightI'mreadylet'sgetgoing."

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Despite the fact Bell’s face was scrunched up like a dry autumn leaf and now facing away from the blood, there was still a smile on her lips. Clever Valda. She swallowed hard, fighting back the sting of bile climbing her throat. It was a shame it had to come to such cleverness at all.

She merged back into the crowd of her sisters, ashamed her attempt at reason failed. Obviously, Bell wanted to help Snaera, a victim of senseless emotions, but there was a bigger picture to consider here. It was a decision too big for Bell, lest she be dragged into political machinations. She wanted no part of that world. Jadis would lead them as best she could. Bell was no leader.

Perhaps there was a moral to be learned from all this; maybe it's best to avoid shooting somebody in their own home.

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@KazAlkemi Cuyler makes it to Wizard Tower without any problems. He’ll run into Rowland, Arya, and Atkin outside. Arya will give him a bit of a stressed smile.

@LadyRunic Ernie seems to think Rhys has gone mad. “Right, you do that…Is there a potion you’re supposed to be taking or something?” Nothing really helpful here. And to make matters worse, a trio of younglings walks into the alleyway, giggling and chatting amongst themselves. Not really the most private place anymore.

@mnkee@FantasyChic Medea and Marya are talking to each other in an ancient tongue, every so often appearing in another location of the room followed by a gust of wind. They’re both dressed in plain dresses, with their silver hair braided back. They could have been the children of Northern Traders. Nera is waiting with them as well for Malekith and Fleur. They’ll want to leave soon and head to the Castle. They can go by road or they can take the Port barge.

@mnkee Taj seems incredibly interested in the stranger Lyra met. He’ll ask her if she’s ever encountered that person again or if they just came on through. Asha and Myrus are talking in soft tones, with Myrus sobbing and nodding his head every so often.

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"Oh no," Valda said softly when Snaera fell. She fell backwards, hitting the ground due to blood loss. She watched Snaera go down, and she started feeling sorry for what she had done, but she hadn't meant to severely harm anyone, it was entirely in self-defense, Snaera was the one who had pulled the gun and fired it. This was going to spell trouble for her, the death of the Princess of the Snow Plains or wherever she was from. Valda was hoping that she didn't die, and would be perfectly fine.

Her hopes of that went away very quickly as Peter Wylie attempted to heal her with Magyk. His attempts fail, and Snaera ends up dying on the floor of the Throne Room. Valda starts panicking slightly, unsure of what to do in this situation, she never thought that she might actually end up killing someone like that. "This is further evidence for the need of the Young Army," Puck said as he looked at the group. She was starting to agree with that even more than she did before, and wished that they could have avoided this entire situation.

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Luna turned her attention towards Peter and Saenara seeing the Princess falling to the ground, her eyes going wide when she saw the woman die right then and there in front of everyone. It was certainly going to be a nightmare with the Eastern SnowPlains, they now lost their princess as well. Looking towards her sister, she knew that it was in self-defense if she knew or even liked magyk she'd most likely would have done the same thing if she was accused of murdering her mother and the Eastern SnowPlains king.

Luna slowly approached Peter and knelt down to the princess then her attention turned towards him. "Is there anything that we can do?" Luna asked staring at the wizard, biting her lower lip and turned towards the rest of the delegation that she was assigned to. Feeling completely responsible for everything that had happened. Luna looked back towards Puck for a moment, hearing his comment but decided against lashing out at him for his remark. Luna didn't want the situation to become any worse then it had already become, a part of her wished that she was dealing with Myrus's delegation right now.

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The tall and dark wizard stiffened at Erinie's words. Noting the trio with a sour twist of his mouth, Rhys decided he would have to call this meeting short and risk filled. It wouldn't do to kill four victims in such close proximity to the locked down Wizard's Tower after all. A flash of anger rose through the rogue wizard's face as he gritted his teeth in only partly a show. "So of course you think I'm mad. What with a whore for a mother who was probably drugged up to her eyes in potions, from what Erik spewed." Well he could remember the wizard's scathing comments and harsh words. The very reason Rhys had ended his former mentor's life.

"I risked enough coming out of hiding to this place with some bastard trying to kill me to help a boy, and this is what I get met with." The taller man turned away with a long sigh, as if he was exhausted by his efforts. Running a hand through his thick locks the taller wizard shook his head slowly in sorrow. It was true, if the guards got their hands on him and connected him to the murder of Erik he would probably die. "Just forget you've seen me Ernie, if only for the boy's sake. I can't help him if whatever killed Erik gets to me." No he wouldn't be able to help the boy if he died by his own hand, not that he ever would. Moving back towards the street, Rhys let his steps be slow and solemn. Rushing would only get attention he didn't want or need. Plus it wouldn't let the shorter wizard catch up or speak if he was going to. But this was a problem. That Ernie had seen him, and knew he was alive. This was not the plan. Resolving to pay a visit to Fleur and ask for a few deaths in return for her asking price- and hoping it he could lower it.

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Fleur entered with gracefulness as she swept over the room. So far, things have been going to plan. She saw the two witches who would be accompanying them. A bit much, in her opinion, but they could handle the task at hand. Now, it was important for them to discuss matters before they left.

She would wait for Nera and Malekith to enter the room. "I must say, we clean up rather well. Now, on to the end goal. First, we must decide how we get to the castle. I suggest the road, but the barge is there as well. It would be too much to teleport or fly or use other magical means. Plus, if we wish to blend in, it may be important to look like the average citizen.

Now, for what we do when we get there. I believe a visit to the princess is in order. First, we maintain our cover. Then we can strike. I would ask that Mal accompany me for the duration. Nera, I trust you to handle things on your own. Just in case things go south, we meet at the point Nera mentioned and we can escape. If you are in trouble, send up a signal and we will find you and help if we can.

I don't plan for things to go wrong, but we are entering into a situation we know little information of. However, I trust you both to handle this."

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Cuyler came to a sliding hault, nearly falling but maintained his footing as he came to a stop in front of Ayra. Thia had just moved on from barking at Arya to sitting beside Rowland, looking up at him with an expected expression on her face. Despite the seriousness of the moment she still expected to be petted. Cuyler’s focus remained on Ayra. Her face was stressed but his own face slipped into a boyish smile as he was re-acquainted with his friend; however, the expression didn’t remain and Cuyler jumped into his reason for being suddenly there.
”Arya, Rowland. After you left a ghost appeared to me with a, warning of sorts,” he said to Rowland before looking at Arya. ”You’re in danger, along with your apprentice. Something about бесконачни каменци being set into motion.” Cuyler had looked to Atkin when he mentioned him and then back to Ayra. Marcellus Pye’s words and smug smile of his notation on Cuyler’s feelings for Ayra suddenly invaded his thoughts. It was the worst possible moment for this and after calling Thia back to his side he refocused on the moment.
”He was dressed in Alchemist robes,” he added, feeling that would cement the gravity of the situation.

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They were already riding the timer too close for his liking, but it seemed that the day had yet more annoyances in store before they could even get to the castle to prepare for the Coronation. Not even during the ceremony proper. They hadn't even had the chance to prepare for the damn thing. Were people just going to stop them every single step of the way now? He'd gotten somewhat accustomed to people just coming up and asking for favors from Arya because she was the ExtraOrdinary Wizard, but this was getting ridiculous.

On top of being one more annoyance in a day chock full of annoyances, Atkin really didn't like the way he was looking at Arya. The apprentice wasn't going to say anything, because he seemed to already be familiar with her and the old man, but Atkin decided he'd keep an eye on this guy. Make sure he didn't do anything unsavory.

"Another one?" he asked incredulously. Being stopped from making their way to the tower was aggravating enough, but it being another warning of grave danger drove him up a wall. Just how awful was this day going to get before the midway point? "Do you think this is another warning about the Queste or whatever, or is this about something else entirely? I have no idea what the beskochaki kamentsi is," he asked, turning towards his master, face now firmly embedded within his palm.

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Lyra's brows furrowed slightly as she pondered Emperor Taj's question for a moment. She thought back on that memory, that moment in time. So many years had gone by since then that it was but a faint memory. In fact, she couldn't even picture in her mind with any hint of clarity what the individual had even looked like. The dark aura that the individual had given off, what Emperor Taj had described as being the remnants of the Тиме Стоне, however was another matter. She couldn't so easily forget the uniquely uncomfortable sensation that it elicited it.

She shook her head with a frown. "I do not recall ever encountering that individual again in all the years since then. I truly wish I had more information to give you, but it happened so long ago that the details are blurry to me now," she replied apologetically as her hand absentmindedly stroked the smooth surface of the dragon egg once more. She glanced back over at Myrus and Asha, seemingly checking up on them, before relucantly returning her attention to Emperor Taj.

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Malekith strode over, a picture of sophistication he might add, to the small assembling party of witches and misfits. "Ladies," he greeted as he gave them a slight courteous bow. He nodded his head in greeting to each woman in turn, before his gaze purposefully lingered on Fleur. His dark blue and black flecked gaze unabashedly took in her every inch and curve. She looked as beautiful as ever in her gown. It was a shame really that this was more or less just a business trip. Oh, what fun they could have together. The corner of his lips pulled up into a devilish smirk at the thought. He subsequently had to pry his mind out of the gutter, no matter how much it pained him to do so, as they began discussing their plans for the night. It struck him once more as rather irksome that they were making plans at the very last minute. It starkly contrasted his rather meticulous nature after all. Well, he supposed that he would just have to pick up the loose ends and get the women back on track.

He crossed his arms over his chest as he listened closely and went over the details in his mind with a fine tooth comb. He nodded his head in seeming agreement. However, he felt that it was still too broad of a plan. Winging it just wasn't going to cut it if they wanted things to go without a hitch. They needed to get the fine details sorted out now rather than later. He wasn't about to risk his life because they wanted to go in all half-cocked. "How do we plan on introducing ourselves? We can't very well go in with our actual names lest we blow our cover," he inquired, purposefully making it sound more like a suggestion rather than a demand. "And as far as a signal goes, perhaps we should establish something beforehand. Maybe we could use a Call spell, or Send."

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@BlueSky44@Nallore: Peter nodded his head, looking at the princesses with pity. He knew what had to be done, for the sake of avoiding a bloody conflict. No matter who was to blame, certain things had to be held up for the sake of appearances. He did not wish to see his native land go to war with the Eastern SnowPlains. A conflict on that scale would spill over into the other regions and he doubted that the Land of Long Nights would protest having their neighboring kingdom destroyed. "We must lead Empress Astris to believe that a different tragedy befell Princess Snaera," Peter Wylie said softly.

Puck glanced up, barely suppressing a grin. "And I know just the group of people we can say are responsible for such a brutal execution - those who have more anger with the Queeling than any other in this land," Puck prefaced. "The Port Witch Coven."

Wylie nodded in agreement. "If I can return to the Eastern SnowPlains with the head of a Port Witch, then I do not think there would need to be further bloodshed."

@LadyRunic: Ernie stared at Rhys with confusion. "I hope you find whatever it is you're looking for..." he called out, letting the rogue wizard blend into the crowd. Rhys had hardly managed to go a few feet before he'd stumble quite literally into a hysterical woman. She was going on and on to anyone that would listen that the ExtraOrdinary Apprentice had been eaten by a ferocious beast in the cloak shop and that that was why Wizard Tower was shutdown! It wasn't true by any means but rumors had a way of spreading and many were taking her words at face value, lamenting the loss of such a talented young man - and of course, whispering excitedly about how Arya would just have to pick their children this time.

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Arya's eyes flashed with recognition, though for once, Rowland did not understand the words that had been said. "The бесконачни каменци?" Rowland repeated, noticing that Arya was seemingly familiar with them. Her green eyes darted over to Atkin as understanding came over her. It wasn't a happy conclusion she had come to, but it explained how the Queste had been renewed. She had been told the бесконачни каменци were just legends, bedtime stories her mother had charmed her with when she was small. She ignored Cuyler's subtle jab at Alchemie, though Rowland accepted it at face value with a nod.

"We can discuss this once we have arrived at the Palace," Arya said, pulling out one of her belt charms. She held it in her hand and concentrated, casting Transport on the entire group. A moment later, they blinked into existence on the Palace grounds. "The бесконачни каменци are an old legend that only those who study Alchemie still believe to be true - all written records of it are in a lost language. If they are truly coming to this land...Then not only the Castle is in grave danger, but the world in its entirety," Arya warned.

"They are of a power beyond Magyk - and I now fear responsible for the filling of the Questing Pot, Atkin," Arya added, guiding them to the Palace gates and knocking. A guard appeared and looked at Arya with surprise. "You were expected earlier, ExtraOrdinary Wizard."

"Yes, a matter of grave importance to all who inhabit the Castle arose," Arya stated bluntly. "Cuyler, if you would be so kind, please stay with Atkin while Rowland and I ensure the security of the Palace," Arya instructed, before giving Cuyler a lingering smile. She paused for a moment before she and her mentor left the two and the wolf on the Palace steps, the shimmering purple air of pure Magyk surrounding Arya and Rowland as they set to work.

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Marya and Medea both snickered slightly at the suggestions for travel. The twins almost exclusively went by land. It was difficult to tell them apart at times, especially given that they always dressed identically and kept to themselves. "Biće vek pre nego što stignemo tamo po stopi koju putuju..." Marya muttered to her sister. Medea nodded in agreement, barely able to hold back a laugh. "Mislim da to podcenjuje koliko su sporo sve!" Medea added.

Nera raised an eyebrow at the twins, before nodding at Fleur. She had a feeling the twins wouldn't like this but she saw little point in walking to the Castle, especially as the barge would be faster. "The barge. We really must leave now or we will be late," Nera pointed out. "As far as cover names...Any simple name will do. I once knew an Esren Carlan, if you would like to use that name, Fleur. Malekith - perhaps Petroc Heap. He was nice enough, his family moved away. And then I can take the name of Emmie Heap. The twins - "

"We already have cover names," Medea interjected. "Sally and Sarah Starke," Marya added.

Nera nodded. "Those aliases will do." (Please get your characters on the port barge this round...)

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As Lyra ran her hands over the dragon egg, it would seem to move slightly. It could have easily been her imagination or simply a stray wind, but it happened all the same. Should she hold the egg to her ear and listen, there will be complete silence. There's no further movement from within the shell. Emperor Taj nodded, a bit disappointed that Lyra didn't remember more but it was entirely understandable. The mind could only remember so much. After a certain point, it was unfair to expect anyone to remember every detail about an event that had happened - especially if it happened when they were small.

"Thank you, fair Lyra," Taj said, bowing his head slightly. "I believe the coronation ceremony will begin shortly..." They had roughly half an hour in which to have themselves be made presentable and ready for the big day. Myrus looked up with shock, not aware of how quickly time had gone by. He had been supposed to meet with the ExtraOrdinary Wizard and her apprentice ages ago in order to go over final details. "Blast, we're going to be late!" Myrus shouted, cursing uncharacteristically as he dried his eyes. "S-sorry...that was rude of me..." he mumbled, apologizing for his language.

Asha chuckled a bit at Myrus. "There is no offense to be had, Prince Myrus," she reassured him. "Go on. Let's head to your sister's ceremony. I would like to wish her good luck before it begins."