Hero

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

"Pandemonium is what happened." Lorenzo replied sorely, running a hand through his hair. "Boy oh boy, what are we going to do...?"

Karolina looked at both Wesley and Grant and shook her head. "There is a revolt going on here in Stigma. I'm sure you've noticed more people in the streets than usual." She spoke gently, pulling Nadeline to her. "The people are against the council, they do not wish for Reia to be dethroned. In order to save face, they have decided to use Nadeline as a token to Dalmasca. In exchange Dalmasca and Rozarria will join forces, and together we will declare war on Archadia." She hugged Nadeline tightly. "Whether or not Reia returns, war is inevitable, whether it be between nations...or between our own people."

To say Grant was shocked was an understatement. "That's one way to get rid of Nadeline." He found himself murmuring, though it made him think. "Wonder what they would have in store for me, then. Damn." He looked at Lorenzo. "And what about you, Emperor? You want to just sit around and let this happen?"

"You tell me what to do." The blonde man replied as-a-matter-of-factly. "This entire situation is shit. Our hands are tied, any action we take is a huge risk--either we upset the council, the people, either way we gain an enemy. And you can bet our dear sister is off somewhere laughing at the whole situation." He then paused, looking at Grant. "As to what Reia has in store for you, little brother...the council wants you as Emperor. The council is against Reia. Do the math, you know what's going to happen."

"Either I become Emperor or Reia strips me of my title as punishment for treason. Fantastic." Grant huffed, clearly annoyed. "Where the hell IS Reia?"

Karolina helped Nadeline to her feet, though she remained silent. "We don't know. We only know she and Aloa were spotted leaving the city on foot." Karolina said.

---

Thirty six ninja?! Emiri's jaw dropped slightly, though she quickly closed it. It looked like Reia had he power of numbers on her side. Great. Yet one more person lay behind the scenes. She wondered what kind of person Lola and Michel's boss could be. Lola was crazy, but Michel was sane enough, so who knew? "Then they got the Esper? More people to worry about." She said slowly, though she crossed her arms. "I wonder what their true goal is? I mean, we know Lola is working for Reia, but if they were after the Esper, then they must be seeking power as well."

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Damn it all! Of course Nadeline was right, but to do so now?! There was just too much left to chance, what in the world was she thinking? "That may be true, but...I can't let her do this. Wesley, you must help me to convince her otherwise." Grant urged him, beckoning him to follow. He started to lead him back to the throne room. "Reia is up to something, I just know it. If Nadeline tries to take the throne, no doubt she'll claim treason or--or something. My sister is not one to back down without reason. The fact that she isn't here means she is up to something--come, let us go to the throne room, I am sure she is there."

---

It looked like Emiri had missed her chance to square off with Lola. She actually found herself rather disappointed. She had wanted to show her exactly what she was capable of...alas, it was not to be. And Michel...she had met him in Archades, she recalled. He was very polite, handsome too. Obviously he was playing two different sides, though she did not think much of it. Just another thing to worry about, as always. That list just kept on growing, it hardly seemed to ever lessen. "Did you get to fight her? Are they strong?" Emiri asked Savayna.

---

"My sweet daughter, I understand your intentions, but...Rozarria is in a state of chaos right now." Lorenzo tried to explain the current situation to Nadeline. "The people do not wish to dethrone Reia. They want her to stay as Empress...and have revolted as a result."

"A revolt? But that's..."

"Reia has fled Stigma, making it look like the Council has taken care of her." Karolina said. "Your father is acting as Emperor at the moment, but the people are not happy about Reia's disappearance. It's likely that when she does return, she will be able to reclaim the throne, citing it to be the will of the people."

Nadeline was shocked to hear this. It was as Aloa said to Wesley, Reia may have been power hungry, but she treated her people well. They didn't know any better...everything Reia did, she did it for Rozarria, and as such was seen as a symbol of strength. She was manipulating them, in a sense, and she did it well. "But the council exists because of the people! They wish only for Rozarria's prosperity, they do what they must because Reia is unfit for the throne! Father, I know now what I must do, I will take the throne, claim my birthright and rule as the next Empress of Rozarria. Reia cannot return to the throne!"

Lorenzo and Karolina looked at one another. No doubt they probably agreed with Nadeline, but now things were complicated. "The council...does not wish for you to ascend." Karolina informed her rather reluctantly. "They fear you...they fear they will not be able to control you. They wanted someone they could easily manipulate. The only way for you to ascend...Grant, Lorenzo, and Reia would have to be dead.."

What?! "That...that cannot be!" Nadeline exclaimed, clearly upset. "I...They cannot strip me of my birthright! If I so have the reason, I can succeed them! Father, you did not even want to rule! Reia is unfit! The only two who can are myself and Grant! The council...they cannot deny me my birthright!"

It didn't end there, much to Nadeline's dismay. "Furthermore, they...want to offer you as a token of peace to Dalmasca, to unify our countries with you marrying a member of their royalty. By allying ourselves with them, we will join our forces and declare war on Archadia." And that much hit the final nail on the coffin. She looked at her parents, clearly in shock. They would never allow her to do that, so why were they doing this to her? It was too much to take in. Nadeline slowly sank to her knees, alarming Karolina, and she rushed to her daughter.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

The three were the only ones left in Reia's office. Funny, considering it was full of assassins last time she visited. Still, it looked like Jaakuna was back to his usual, mischevious self. Emiri winked at Jaakuna and stood up. "So long as you're with me, I don't see why not." She told him at his question of wandering the castle. "There isn't too much to see, but if you want a look around, we can." She told him.

---

For the first time in what seemed like ages, Grant's jaw dropped. He was in complete shock. The group thought Jaakuna had lost it, but as it would turn out, Nadeline was the one who was losing her mind. What the hell was she thinking? They didn't know what was going on, did she think she could take advantage of the confusion and dethrone his sister? Reia wasn't going down without a fight, the fact that she wasn't in Stigma definitely foretold she was up to something, Lorenzo and Karolina were concerned about something--no, no, he was not going to let her. He put his hand on his forehead, trying to calm himself down. He looked at Wesley, and almost wanted to hit him. The fact that he told him warranted that the prince was not an idiot. He wondered if he even objected to Nadeline's plan, whatever it was.

After a moment of inward struggling, Grant found the will to speak. "Why in the world would she do such a thing?" He asked, somewhat exasperated.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Grant raised an eyebrow at Wesley, though he complied, as always. Emiri watched the two leave, wondering what happened. Maybe Wesley was choosing to stay with Nadeline. It wouldn't come as much of a surprise. He could be asking him something about her. Grant followed Wesley, though he felt like he already knew what he would say. Once they were out of earshot from the rest of the group, he couldn't help but speak, "This wouldn't happen to be about Nadeline's true intentions, would it?" He asked. "I know she's opposed to returning to Archadia, but if there's one thing I know it's that she is stubborn. She never would let us go unless there was a reason."

"If that's all, you'll have to excuse me, I need to return to Lorenzo. Best of luck to you all." Vlyn said, grinning, and with that he too left. Emiri let out a small sigh, though she thought about Vlyn's words carefully. Hamut definitely was strong when it came to magic, so maybe he did find a way to separate Simon's soul from his body. She wouldn't say it was out of the question, she had seen his power first hand. She wondered if Vlyn had noticed the oddities, but if he didn't say anything, it must have meant it was normal, right? She wanted to think so. She looked at Jaakuna, who seemed satisfied with Vlyn's answers. She gave him a small, reassuring smile.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Savayna expressed her desire to just leave already, but Jaakuna still had some things to ask. Emiri was just relieved that it really was him, but something in her gut felt bothered. She wasn't really sure why, but she felt like she needed to keep a close eye on Jaakuna. As Jaakuna spoke to Vlyn, she looked at the door rather wistfully. She half expected Nadeline to waltz in and say she was just joking, but she knew it wouldn't happen. Still, at least Jaakuna was okay. She would just...let Nadeline do her thing. Grant was not as accepting as Emiri, though he blamed his own brother. Something fishy was going on with Nadeline, but for once he just couldn't read her. He didn't stop looking at Wesley, and was more than sure he knew something.

Vlyn scratched his head as he thought carefully. "Well, I do know this. Whenever we--Hume, Viera, anyone, really--are on the verge of death, that is when our connection from our souls to our bodies is weakest. Technically anyone with strong enough magic could take the soul away from the body at that time...provided they actually knew how to do it." He responded to the blonde. "The technicalities are neither here nor there. Most Humes aren't even aware that souls can even be separated from their bodies. If you want to return the soul to the body, just take it there. Treat it as you would an Esper, and it should return to its body...provided said body still exists." He paused, shaking his head. "The very act of ripping a soul from a body...that act is worse than murder where I come from. I hope that answers your questions."

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

"Lucky you, then. Alright, let's see here..." The male Viera would wink at Jaakuna reassuringly, and he would step forward as well. He would then raise one of his index fingers, and it would glow green. He would trace a symbol into the air, and once done his ears would give off a faint glow. Emiri watched him rather nervously, and she swore she saw Jaakuna's tattoo glow darkly, though it happened so quickly she wondered if her own eyes were deceiving her. Vlyn grinned, though he took Jaakuna's arm and studied the symbol. He put one finger on it, and this would cause Jaakuna some pain. Vlyn remained silent, though he did raise an eyebrow. "Interesting." He would state and then look at Nadeline. "Who does this soul claim to be?"

"The previous Emperor of Archadia." She informed him.

Vlyn fell silent. Grant immediately felt somewhat worried: Vlyn could never shut up if his life had depended on it, so why was he silent all of a sudden? Emiri noticed that as well, and she watched the male viera anxiously. For the slightest second, she could swear that his eyes turned black. That was the same that had happened with Jaakuna's father, wasn't it? To her relief, however, Vlyn released Jaakuna's arm, giving them a nod. "It did worry me that you'd say a dead Emperor was this soul...and yet it doesn't lie."

"You are certain of this?" Emiri asked him worriedly.

"Yes. I am."

A swarm of relief swept the room, most visible in Emiri herself. Nadeline remained expressionless, though she did stand. "There you have it. If you'll excuse me, I have some matters to attend to. I wish you all luck." She spoke, almost somewhat coldly, and it was with much regret that Emiri watched her leave. Grant felt a whole lot better about this now, though he too watched Nadeline's exit. She was probably going to find out what was going on with Lorenzo and Karolina, as if she needed another reason to remain behind. But he was sure that whatever it was, she could handle it. He then looked at Wesley.

RWBY - Haze

I posted, even if its short ;-;

RWBY - Haze

Fighting with someone had never gone so...smoothly. It was not something Aurelia was used to at all. Then again, last time she had fought with someone, they kept trying to boss her around to do this and that and whatnot. It's not that she has difficulty following orders, as she could say she was very good at following directions, but when someone tries to tell you what to do without really knowing what they were doing...well...things usually ended in disaster. But not this time. Aurelia was more than ecstatic to fight, really. Once they switched, Aurelia took Rampion with both hands and swung, sending the monster flying backwards. Of course she was well aware it would return with a vengance. As she watched the Beowolf come at her, Rampion's head clicked and warped into its cannon. The Grim creature was probably inches away when she blasted it to smithereens. Perhaps it was overkill. Perhaps she was just showing who was the hunter and who was the hunted. She blasted another one from a distance, and it was then she noticed she was having way too much fun.

As she and Nevin were back to back once more, he let her know there was an Alpha nearby, That was perfect, really. Once that one went down, the rest would follow suit. She nodded, taking Rampion and aiming it at the Alpha. She fired off three shots, each one with a different element. First fire, then water, and lastly, electricity. Once she concluded her third shot, Rampion went back to its usual staff self, and she gripped it, readying herself for the next attack.

RWBY - Haze

I'll try to post today, sorry about that >_<

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

The palace was as traditional as they came. Once they reached the inside, they would see several pillars lining the halls. Each one channeled water through them, and once in a while some water magicite would pass through and shimmer in the waters. They would also notice when Emiri would get close to one, the pillar would glow brilliantly. Nadeline watched one as it faded, and she decided to play tour guide. "These pillars channel the water from the sea around the capital. They power the mechanisms throughout the city, including the walkway we just crossed. It isn't uncommon to get magicite surging through them." She explained, looking at Emiri.

"As a result, the water itself is magical, in a sense. Anytime they sense a great amount of Mist, they would glow as such." Nadeline continued, pointing to one Emiri passed by. "It used to be a defense system, so to speak. Rozarrians are very much studious in the fields on magic, and my ancestors were blessed with a high potency for casting magic. The pillars would always be brilliant, but if they faded, they knew an outsider was around. These days, however, not everyone has a talent for magic. So while they're always lit, they only shine when someone with a lot of power passes by." She then looked at Jaakuna, who would walk by one and it would glow as well. "With the Dawn Shard's Mist within you, the pillars sense it. Emiri's power also makes them go crazy, so normally she isn't allowed to be around them for too long."

She concluded their tour as the entered the throne room. Once there, they would see both Karolina and Vlyn before Lorenzo. Their voices were rather hushed, their topic being one of great importance. However, as the group got closer, Karolina would see the approach, and the three would fall silent. "Welcome home, sweetheart." Karolina greeted Nadeline warmly. "And to you all as well."

Grant and Emiri would bow to Lorenzo. Nadeline still stood, though she looked at Vlyn. "Forgive me for my haste, Mother, Father, but I require Vlyn's talents. May I borrow him for just a moment?"

Lorenzo nodded, his face a much more serious than usual. "Of course. Whatever business you have, you should take it to the Empress's--my office." He said, rather glum at that. He let out a long sigh.

Nadeline looked at Karolina, but her mother shook her head. "Rozarria has fallen on dark times. Please, do what you must, but your father and I have something very important to discuss." She urged them quietly.

Vlyn let out a sigh as long as Lorenzo's, though he beckoned the group to follow. Both Karolina and Lorenzo offered the group an apologetic look, though they continued their discussion once they left. The trip to the royal office was rather short, and once they had arrived, Vlyn invited the group to sit. He himself sat on Reia's desk, looking at each person individually before addressing them as a whole.

"So, what can I do for you, Highness?" Vlyn asked.

"I ask that you assist them." Nadeline replied quietly. "It is rather urgent. I would have asked Aloa, but she is not here."

Vlyn's ear twitched slightly, and he looked at the group. "Oh boy. Something along the lines of what she helped you with last time, huh?" He hesitated for a moment. "I won't lie, I'm not as...the noise of the outside world has occupied my ears for some time. As such, I'm more disconnected from the spirits. It happens to everyone who abandons the Wood, really." He explained, though he realized something.. "Aloa is extraordinarily talented, even now as her spirit is clouded, she can still outmatch most Viera that are still in the Wood. It's what you'd expect from a former tribe leader, right?"

Emiri was surprised. She had no idea Aloa was so important to the viera community. Though it did explain a lot. "We just need an identity confirmed is all." She told Vlyn.

"Easy enough, I think I can still do that much." He hopped off the desk. "Alright, who's the lucky person?"