Gadez Paladice
The monk offered a nod to Nyla as she introduced herself, he couldn't help but notice that there was something abit more exotic about her. Were she from a distant region of Aurelia or elsewhere? Was it her accent or her appearance which made him draw that conclusion, he couldn't quite pinpoint.
"I wear many hats indeed, yet I don't allow that to go to my head." He softly said in an amused manner. "Pleased to meet one such as yourself, Nyla. As for what drew me to Dawnhaven? Would revenge be the wrong answer? Well, or perhaps I should say justice? It depends from whose eyes you see things. But I knew the moment that Dawnhaven was made that I had to go. Because this is the only place in this world that can make my wish come true." He said and offered a mysterious looking smile, his eyes shimmering from the nearby fireplace light.
'The third kingdom...'It was then a man rudely was heard, it was a bard. Ofcourse it had to be a bard. The blonde cringed in his entire body, as if struck by lightning. How he hated bards.
'These damnable illusionists and their made up tales and songs, the real world isn't as kind as the ones in your fairytales! Wait… I recognize this poisonous tune. It's that wretched performer who saw it fit to make camp just outside the circus grounds to snatch up coins while enthralling the crowds. Aldrick Corveaux. The famous performer.' Gadez gathered his thoughts, he didn't want to be subjected to his music, but at this moment it seemed unavoidable unless he went up there and broke the man's instrument or legs. Neither would sit well with the populace which seemed quite joyous over his music.
People had the right to chose their own path, even if that path was knee-deep in poison. Like the alcohol served, bards tunes would gradually seduce, enthrall and poison peoples minds until they would simply become a spectator for their own life and live in a world of dreams. Rather than set out and make that dream a reality. It did strike the monk that Aldrick had changed, not with his music but with his appearance. The blight had a way to bring out the best and worst in people. For the case of the bard. He thought this was the best. Though if he would have been able to pick, he would have chosen to make him a mute and unable to play those songs of his. But who was he to question the fate of things. Who was he indeed?
His thoughts were then interrupted by another rude man, this one seemed to be intoxicated and saw it fit to try his luck with a whitehaired young lady in the inn. Had it not been for what seemed to be a female guard or mercenary stepping in to deal with the man, he would have done it himself. Thinking of it. This was likely for the best. He wouldn't have been as gentle. It wasn't that he lacked tact when he needed to, but to send a clear signal. The guardswoman then made a remark to a kissing booth.
"Afraid you'd miss the opening hours? Lest you'd be shy? But good to know that my words are heard and memorable." He softly said towards Daphne and made a wink, the blonde man chuckled and turned his attention back to Nyla.
"Ahh.. disappointed? Well… I could show you more than a kissing booth, however you might become snake-charmed yourself and get more lost than that bard enthralled by his own tune." He chuckled again in an amused manner, then moving closer to Nyla.
"However your lips say one thing, but your eyes say another… I saw how your eyes gazed upon that boy. They say the eyes are a depiction of ones soul and heart. As long as you'd follow whichever path your heart so choses, you'll never be wrong, neither regret it." He said softly as he reached out to try touch Nyla's cheek, but withdrew before coming into touch with it.
"I've been subjected to a sweet melody all my life, yet I've warded myself well against it. No matter how loud the tune may play, it's rhythm is not the same as my heart." He said in an even softer tone, then his facial expression changed completely into a more jovial and jesting one with his head tilting to the side and his eyes closing.
"As for puppetry, allow me to teach you the important steps." The man said in an enthusiastic tone, then he changed to a more soft and smooth one, speaking abit quietly to Nyla. Gadez took out one of the puppet heads he had carved out of the wood at Aelios temple during the blizzard.
"First you need to hold firmly, grip the head. Then you slightly slide up the fabric covering up your point of entry. Move your hand under the cloth and use your middle finger. Trace about til you find a narrow crevice, move the tip of your finger around to make sure you are at the right place. This particular one has been marked by a little decal at the top to assist in making certain you are where you need to be. See this here? If it is too tight for your finger, you may require something to widen the gap. If it on the other hand feels too loose, you may easily fit two fingers. Upon repeated use, the hole may gap a bit more as a result. And wood also tend to swell when subjected to moisture for an extended period of time. But unto the rest... You press the rest of your finger in as deep as you can go. Use your other fingers to reach into the folds at the sides." The blue eyed menace explained and showed how his fingers slipped into the cloth folds that were the puppets arms, one finger each becoming an arm.
"Then you move your middle finger creatively and the whole thing suddenly comes alive. Flap the other fingers and the arms will move. Ofcourse it must be accompanied with sounds to make it believable, but you can manage such no doubt." He kept smiling in a playful manner.
"If you want to create a moment of intensity, simply vibrate and it will look like its shaking. In exhaltation, fear or anger. Got everything so far? Sometimes you also have to press down on the head, as it may try poke out too much through the cloth. Make sure everything is held firmly in place. You may of course have all manner of wood when doing this, I specifically had mine tended to in the temple, during the recent blizzard." He added and tapped his own cheek with his hand, drumming on it with his fingers.
"When you are not using these wooden heads, it may be good to place them in a chest, or shelf. Whichever one you prefer." The sly warrior-monk turned puppeteer smirked and looked Nyla's face over.
"But I'd best get to assemble to puppet-theatre." He nodded at the long and firm wood he carried. "Do feel free to continue to converse as I assemble it." He added and then began to construct the thing. It took abit of time, but the man had all the tools he needed to put it together. It didn't need to be looking fancy. He attached some linen cloths to act as curtains.
Sometime later...He had finished, it was looking more like the home for a beggar than a theatre. But it would have to do. The man soon quickly arranged the puppets with their respective linen cloth. Then lastly he took a piece of linen and cut two holes into it, making himself a makeshift eye-mask. He looked more a bandit than a puppeteer no doubt. Gadez then moved over to the doorway of the inn.
"Ladies, gentlemen, children of any ages, the first act of the puppetry show shall begin shortly within the Eye of the Beholder! Come and let your young hear a tale of kings and queens, of war and peace, of love and deception! Set into a world not too different from our own! A moments respite in the everyday struggle of what we call life!" He made his butlerlike bow, which was something he also did at his time in the circus. After having made his announcement he went over to set up his wooden structure and sit behind the curtains, slipping his hands into the puppets he had made. Then he waited for some people to gather before he began the act.
"Welcome all, far and wide, from north to south, east to west. Leave to me... the rest."The curtains would slowly begin to part and a single puppet would begin to take it's stage, it was a blonde prince-like figure.
"A long time ago, in a far away kingdom, in an age where the sun shone upon the world. There was a kingdom called Nova, in this kingdom were a king and queen and their son, a prince with golden hair. His name was Lauric.
The prince was a young man, even younger than our own prince Flynn. His family had ruled the kingdom of the stars for as far as there had been books and tales, they had in times past fought against another kingdom which worshipped something called 'The orb of night'. Both kingdoms were fierce enemies, but a past war had wreaked havoc on them both, causing them to sue for peace. However this were events of the past, and Lauric grew tired of his sheltered life in his parents castle, of their rules, their constant attempts to shape him... so he set out in secrecy!
He wanted adventure and to be more than just raised to be a king, and during his journey the prince came upon... let's hear some guesses? What did he come across? ""A sword!" A boy cried out in the audience listening to the tale, who was soon shushed by his mother.
"Ah, the prince already had a sword! It was something else!" Gadez said in a playful tone.
"Maybe a girl?" A young girl asked with a shy expression on her face as she spoke up.
"That's right, he came across a girl! He fell madly in love! Love is when two people like oneanother so much to the point they are willing to abandon all other senses for that very thing. The prince and the girl met in secrecy, unaware of the king and queens knowledge! Oh they would have been so angry and disappointed if they knew!" The puppeteer said in a raised voice, moving the puppet to make it seem like it was tip-toeing and hiding on the stage, the girl puppet moving in to snuggle with him.
"There was a fight?!" The young boy asked loudly, followed by shushes by his mother, and pinching him in the ear.
"Now now, let's not get too far ahead!" The masked storyteller proceeded.
"But one day the girl had a secret to tell the prince, can anyone guess what it were?" Gadez peeked his masked head through the curtain to look at the puppets with a look of disapproval.
"She made a baby?!" Another girl squeeked out and jumped in her mother's lap before being passed over to her father who held her down to stop her from jumping.
"Indeed! She did! But the prince didn't know! The girl had kept it a secret from him for many years! For she was worried the prince would take the child back to the mean old king and queen. The prince was furious, he wanted to take the child to his parents and the castle even if the child didn't want to. Prince Lauric came to their home with soldiers, but before they could find the child the home was burning! It was on fire! The mother and child had both disappeared! Lauric returned to his home alone.
The young mother had survived the blazing inferno, but her child was nowhere to be found. She had planned to take him to the other kingdom, to the people who worshipped the orb of night!" Gadez had the two puppets move in two different directions.
"But it had been too late. The child of prince Lauric, the gilded child was gone. His royal destiny died that day. Both Lauric and the girl returned to their own homes. Angry with each other. Unable to forgive oneanother. The prince was so upset about it all, that he married a mean wicked witch. And the girl ended up marrying a mean old badger. Many years passed and then the skies turned dark! Much like how our sky is dark, it wasn't always like this. It was once bright and the skies were blue." He softly said, as if trying to explain things to the children listening.
"The dark skies had also made some people change into what some might call monsters. They could have fur, wings, many eyes… or just one. Or they could have blue skin, two heads or perhaps even legs of a spider. They were feared for how they looked, and some of them were dangerous, especially when other people would chase them with swords! But… they were still human underneath it all. Just like all of you. Just different. A blessing or a curse? We all have them. If you think about it. You have things you are good at, and things you are bad at. No one is perfect, and that is beautiful is it not? For the ones who struggle against hardship can still make it through, and all the more impressive it is if the road is difficult." He spoke to the audience as if trying to have them make up their own mind about it all.
"Now back to the tale! In the years that followed, The prince, Lauric, had become a king, and had gotten...guess what?" Gadez said in a teasing manner, waiting for replies.
"A new sword!" The boy in the audience chimed in.
"A baby!" One of the girls called out.
"That's right! A new prince had been born Ruddy was his name, his hair as golden as his father, he was in alot of ways just like his father. But the other kingdom had also gotten a child, it was a princess called Maise, and this time they were put together! They didn't even know or love each other, but for a single reason... anyone know what the reason were?" Gadez pressed the two puppets together, with their arms folded and facing away from each other.
"To save the world." He said aloud, the both puppets shook as he said it as if they were scared.
"A prophecy was uttered. It was said that if a child was born of both kingdoms then the terrible dark skies would go away but a sacrifice was to be needed. A sacrifice is when someone gives up their own life to save others, a generally selfless act. Ruddy and Maise were not given a choice in their role, they were chosen to sacrifice their own happiness for the fate of the world. However... unbeknownst to both of them. There was a jester in the deck of cards. A jester who would set up a play, and tell them of the future! But this…" Gadez said as he allowed the puppets to fall down on the little theatre he had put up, then he stood up.
"But this part of the first act cannot be told by mere puppets alone, it requires something special, something more genuine, something more real. So I shall call up two people from the audience here to aid in the second part of this act. And whose better to play it! Than our very own…" He smiled softly as his eyes wandered about for someone specific.
"Our very own brave Prince, Flynn Astaros of Aurelia! No! Of Dawnhaven! Come up upon the stage of tales untold!" He held out his arm, his palm facing upwards but outstretched.
"Give him some support, no need to by shy, your highness! The children wish to behold their saviour in this particular act!" Gadez made another butlerlike bow, his blonde hair falling over his eyes as his mouth shaped a sinister smile.
'The time has come... gilded child. But can you discern the truth from the lies?' His memory went back to the chessboard of the inn, the white king piece standing amidst the pawns. The memory of a music box heard long ago echoing in his mind, it's tune slow and sorrowful. The two porcelain figures dancing together. The blue eyed woman. Then the monastery. The circus. The girl. The fire. Always the flame.
'Each prince needs a princess...' Gadez eyes set momentarily on Nyla, his plan was devious. Wicked. Vile. But boy did he love it.
