Re: Harmonious Adventures: Diplomacy is Magic! (Iammelon/Eteru RP) [Retcon]]

Fri Aug 23, 2019 11:12 pm

The Agents were certainly amused that Aarushi had used a similar tactic to their own to get the Cardinal to do as they wanted. But while they noted this as the case, the lead agent continued by explaining that she would be spending a long while here on Instabull for work, and though that would be the official cover she was in reality going to be staying under the care of the Agents for a while. She would get to live if she complied, and start her life anew in service to nobility. The alternative to that was of course going home in chains, so it was strongly suggested she took their offer of redemption and training to become an agent of a special group of Zantine Nobility. After all, they were agents themselves, and they enjoyed their work. They'd equally enjoy the work of handling a refusal. On the spell, they kept at it, not expecting any quick breakthroughs but diligently continuing their work.

Leonious smiled at her being awake once more and speaking, but then shook his head and spoke calmly, "Slow down, you've been through a lot. Been out for a couple of days. There was something in you that got dispelled when you came to the palace, and it messed you up. But don't worry, you're safe now. You are in good hands." With that however, a guard came in to inform him of both pieces of news. That got a frown out of the Prince, who wondered how they were going to proceed. As for Caldera, she took the news more poorly. As far as she was concerned that was proof the Blue Cardinal was working with the Violet, but they would not oppose the excommunication, they'd let it happen. She would simply direct her agents to take the White Cardinal underground for now, it was quite hard to find somebody in Instabull when they didn't want to be found, and of course it would be easy to write that off as the Cardinal escaping to avoid prosecution. After all, the Zantines and Equusalem were friends, so of course the Zantine Empire would try to bring the corrupt Cardinal to justice. It would also serve as a continued excuse to keep the Orange Cardinal on the planet, in the apparent search for the White. She see opportunity in this however, and decided to contact Eusebios about inquiring as to who the White Cardinal's replacement may be. And, of course, if they could try and work things to get somebody of their own into the Cardinal's position now that it was open.

Petros was enjoying the battle, true to his word. Rather impressed by the Paresusl's ability, and wondering if the tales from the north about their powerful beacons for guidance were perhaps more true than he had expected. Still, he was not stalling, and when he noted the Paresusl's powerful link, he had to get more serious himself. His form turned to spiritual mass as he suddenly jolted in the pathway of the ball of flame. As he re-materialized, he focused his power and turned one of his hands into a absorbing void, focusing his strength into absorbing and removing the great flame, stopping it from reaching the shuttle and the men inside. This took a good deal more focus from him, and so while he did it, he was clearly a bit burnt out. That was when Chione acted, using a prepared spell she had kept ready since the battle began on the War Master's spirit. Great blue spiritual chains suddenly burst from rifts in reality, latching onto the Zantine's form. He cut one and then two with his gauntlets, before his arms became the target of restraint. Soon, chains wrapped around his arms, legs, chest, head, and even neck. The roar of anger from Petros was equal to a Banshee's scream, and subjecting one's self to it for too long might drive a person mad or knock them unconscious with shock alone. Chione was ready for that too however, and little mystical runes of protection appeared around the strike team's ears, shielding them from the rage of the War Master. His armor was charring, burning away under the pressure of the chains of banishment holding him down.

As for Ilunaelistianya, the syringe that struck here was more than a simple thing to resist. It contained an extremely powerful sedative and hallucinatory agent, the potency of which could effect even mighty Dragons. If one wasn't knocked out cold within seconds, their world would distort, senses dampened, and the conscious mind made drowsy and sluggish. It also had the additional effect of making one rather suggestible, but that was thankfully not relevant to Ilunaelistianya's situation. For while she may have dropped, a portable shield generator was thrown in front of her to protect her from further harm, as Matros came over to haul the drugged Paresusl out of the hanger and away from harm's reach. Her attackers meanwhile had been protected by Petros. Noting the situation, they decided they may perhaps wish to leave now. They decided to secure their escape by first targeting Caelistianya with a strange orb. When all three of them focused their power into it, it acted as a channeling device for psionic power, and it attempted unleash a mental assault on the remaining sister, one that would attempt to trap her within her own mind for a limited degree of time, paralyzing her if successful. After this, they got into the shuttle. The rock wall that appeared to be blocking the way suddenly just slid to the side, revealing it was in fact just a extremely well disguised hanger bay door, and the shuttle moved to leave. The Dragoness, who was still dueling with Azdergin, looked to the shuttle, and flared up in anger. She was being left behind, with whatever was supposed to be her means of escape not utilized. Needless to say, she was furious, but could not do anything about it due to Azdergin keeping up his attack.

Lazlo drowsily looked up at the Sapphire Dragon, blinking a few times before poking his Taurus companion, and speaking, "Hey Malcros, it's a Dragon. I'm seeing a Dragon! Heh, I didn't think I would start hallucinating after only missing two nights sleep! I.... aaaagh, I'm tired." The Boethan then collapsed, thankfully caught by his friend instead of hitting the floor.
Hoisting Lazlo up, Malcros sighed and shook his head, looking to Viintaasvrii and noddimg, "Nice to meet you too. Sorry for Lazlo, he's been busy at work, and hasn't slept in three days. He said two, but that's a lie, it was three. Anyways, I'm Malcros, the one who keeps the rodent in check and keeps him from starving himself to death. You're a Dragon, nice to meet you. Guess you must be the one helping us out with whatever mission we're doing. Actually, speaking of that, what are we doing?"
That got a chuckle out of Director Oilania, who wasn't expecting this mess, and she spoke with amusement, "I think you two need to grab some sleep before that. I'll inform you of the mission later. For now, I think all of us can take a break for now. The mission will take some patience to undertake. This strike force isn't on the same time limit as others, we're going to do this right. Which means I'll explain the mission when Lazlo can muster the effort to stay awake." The Boethan's snoring punctuated the Director's point.

Sat Aug 24, 2019 6:14 pm

The White Cardinal in her arrogance refused despite that she was basically betrayed. In her eyes she did no wrong. She would rather go in chains than partake in such silliness such as 'redemption'. As this went down the researchers on the spell would reach an alarming development. The delicate spell stopped being active. To as expected will cause the Orange Cardinal to collapse as her organs shut down one by one. To add to the building tension all lines to Eusebios household were dead. Well, all except for one. To which is pick up by a strange, feminine voice whimsically singing a morbid parody of a child poem, then the line cuts off as well. Around the same time the palace cameras would catch plumes of smoke arising in the ditance where Eusebios residence resides.

Menaal understandably did not took all the news well. Feeling overwhelmed by the events and utterly confused by it all. Doesn't understand any of it. She had no clue that Aarushi held such a dark side and certinally does not remember her doing anything to her. Which to the others would suggest that Aarushi tampered with Menaal memories. The former cardinal composure broke as she broke out into sobs.

Caelistianya mane became a dead red as the battle rage on. The ground below her has now turned into a cloud of plasma that she still continues to fight well on thanks to her Snniynna side. With the runes and her general hardiness she manage to stand against the wall of sound that Petros sent at them. The psionic orb was a partial success on hitting her. Unable to fully effect her due to the state of existence her behaving strangely. From a scientific standpoint this can be amounted to Caelistianya putting so much energy into her that the laws that supposedly govern reality is not behaving as they should. She stumble a bit, visibly straining against the assault but not tied down. "Shame, flying out into my domain. If only you had stayed and taken me out..." The hanger was suddenly bathe in orange light as a massive coronal mass ejection storm by, plowing into the shuttle. So close in fact that if it were only a few inches closer it would have sheer off the hangar bay doors and ejected them all into a certain fiery death. "...you would've won." She spoke in pity as she finally manage to shrug off the effects of the spell. Taking a deep breath she gave a glance over to how Azdergin was faring in his duel. Till the spirit was banished she would have to put more faith in Azdergin victory. The solar princess would then turn to the bound spirit. Her mane still billowing behind her. "Petros Belisaricuras, it's has been a great honor to clash blades with you. As a reward of attaining my deepest respect I'll answer your question earlier. Your brethren would have certainly enjoy and perhaps expected that I were to aid them. After all, in distant past I fell in love with a Zantine. Even had a proper Zantine wedding on Instabull." She gave a ghost of a smile in brief nostalgia. "But alas, this war is not the age old conflict between you and the Anubites. It's between Excave and Omnipo. Omnipo is the one I point my blade against." The blade in her hand shimmer away. Looking at the chains that bound the spirit she would go to say one last thing before he is gone. "Petros Belisaricuras. In another time, another place, I'm certain we would've been great friends."

Viintaasvrii gave a chuckle to brush the apology away. "No worry at all Malcros, I can actually relate to Lazlo work ethic." He can't even count the number of times he driven himself into extreme sleep deprivation from either work or constant fighting. "Your guess is correct. They assigned me to be the tank of the group." Listening to Director Oilania he mentally agreed with her. It's never a good idea to go into a high risk operation with no rest. At least not at the start. "I'm in agreement. Let's all get some rest before we head out. May very well be the last good rest in awhile." With this settled, Viintaasvrii will take his leave back into the shuttle he came upon. Making his way back to Rezenary room where he would then step inside.

Sat Aug 24, 2019 11:15 pm

The Agents looked to eachother, and shrugged. Seems she would serve as a different tool. This was punctuated by one of them drawing a stun gun, and firing at the White Cardinal in order to make her much easier to transport. It was decided she could be put in custody, and they'd find a use for her later. For the Orange Cardinal, it was once again quite fortunate that she was where she was at the time. The researchers, watching the line and knowing what happened to Menaal, had already been quite ready for this to happen, and already had counter measures in place to make sure she didn't die on them. The Orange Cardinal would be very quickly attended to by medical units on standby, and the Psionics Experts could get to work using the experience gleamed from Menaal's failings to try and rescue the Orange Cardinal from certain death. They were unsure if it would work, but they had to try. As for Caldera, once the flames were reported to her, she crossed her arms and grunted. It was time to play hardball, it seemed. They would redouble the guards on the Imperial palace, and quickly send out men towards Eusebios residence to investigate and try to see if there was anybody they could save. This was done more publicly, as a statement of Imperial will to try and save their noble compatriots. Caldera stayed behind to prepare some statements for the people of Spursepolis. If Eusebios was dead, and through him his family, somebody needed to take up the position of rallying the Zantine population of the planet.

While the game of politics and chaos was being played by Caldera and her opponent, Leonious down in the medbay stayed with Menaal. He hugged her as she cried, doing his best to console her. Ultimately he was rather confused about everything going on as well, given that Caldera didn't really let him in on the loop. The Psionics Experts decided to, for now, postpone trying to restore Menaal's memories, lest the Prince beat them for their insensitivity.

The shuttle, and its occupants, really had thought themselves safe. So it came as a shock that they had instead been sent to an even more certain and firey doom as they left the asteroid station. Metal burned, flesh melted, and the flame of the occupants was absorbed into the star's greater whole. All except for one. One masked man had realized what Caelistianya was doing, and had in time prepared a small portable, one-time teleportation device. He didn't have the time, or care, to tell his peers, and so when he left them to their fates, it was his name they cursed as their bodies burned. He appeared back in the hanger, but seemed uninterested in fighting, simply standing there with his hands up. Little did he expect that he was not getting out of this himself even despite that miraculous escape. As for Azdergin, he was winning his duel. The Dragoness was on the backfoot, and soon he had her pinned, and she gave up lest he tear out her throat.

Petros, held down by the chains, ceased his roar as he listened to Caelistianya speak. He emitted a dark chuckle, speaking with a tone of nostalgia and longing for better times, "A wedding on Instabull... That is not something to value lightly. It was a pleasure I hoped for, and never attained. A good memory... As for the war, I know all too well who is the enemy. Omnipo kept me from seeing my people one last time, intended to use me as a tool I'm sure... But you should not be saying your goodbyes. I am not a tool so easily used, or broken! My mission here is not yet finished! The Empire needs a Warmaster!" Suddenly, tugging his head to the side to look at the masked man, and straining the chains in the process, he stared with hatred, and spoke with quite the same tone, "It is time, cur! Time for you and all your treacherous, bleak ilk to give me what I am owed! The contract you never knew you signed when you brought me back! The payment is due."

The Masked Man stepped back in worry, as he felt something wrong with himself. All the scientists around the room, the ones who had not gotten aboard the single shuttle that had been burnt to a crisp, felt the same, clutching at their hearts suddenly. The only Omnipo-aligned person in the room who didn't feel suddenly ill was the Dragoness, who just looked very confused while pinned to the floor. And then, suddenly, the light from all their eyes was gone, blue wisps emerging from them and being absorbed into Petros. Similar wisps came from behind, from where the shuttle had met its end. The spirit was suddenly reinvigorated by the dozens it had just consumed, and the chains shattered under the pressure of what they now held. Chione was shocked, falling to the ground in bewilderment as well as exhaustion. This had taken plenty out of her as is, and it seemed to have been undone. Petros dropped to the ground and looked to Caelistianya, speaking more calmly, "And so, I gain my temporary reprieve. Now then, Northerner. You have proven yourself quite well, both in strength of power and in heart. You will do quite nicely. That friendship may yet come." Suddenly he rushed forward at Caelistianya, solely focused on her now, reaching out his hand. On contact, she'd feel the full concentration of his power attempting to breach her mind and body, his spirit directly going at hers in a seeming attempt to find shelter in her body and mind; possession. Although, not a normal sort, this was no attempt to override Caelistianya, instead simply to get into her mind.

Malcros sighed and had to agree with the point, and so Director Oilania would lead him towards their bunks in the base. They waved Viin goodbye for now, with Malcros dangling Lazlo's hand around to simulate him waving, and then let him get to his business. Back in the ship, Rezenary was still there lying upon the bed, though now more properly rested. Her drowsy eyes looked up to notice Viintaasvrii, and that got her to smile and her eyes to light up, "Hey, welcome back. Uhm, so how did it go? This is probably goodbye, but I really do want to thank you. I have a new perspective on life after you... pumped all that knowledge into me." She giggled, rather happy as could be noted by her ears being perked up.

Sun Aug 25, 2019 12:32 am

Eusebios palace was on fire. Firefighters could be seen combating the blaze while the police have it closed off to the public. When the police see the Imperials they let them through, notifying them that they have not manage to get deep into the palace yet so help would be appreciated. The firefighters have cleared some paths for them to go down but are warned that the structure is unsafe due to the extensive fire damage. Along with that they report that some of their first respondents have gone missing in there as well. As this goes on the Orange Cardinal condition worsen too quickly for the medics too handle. Try as they might their efforts were greeted with the sound of her heart flatlineing.

Menaal was touched by the comfort given by the prince. Hugging him back in fear that she will fall a part. It felt as she has woken up in a nightmare that she can never awake from. The sharp contrast of the days before and now were so jarring that perhaps she was in a nightmare. But deep down she can feel that this is reality, and she can never run from it. For the shadows will be waiting for her when she hides.

Caelistianya gave a smoldering glare to the masked man. Due to her honor she can't hurt one who surrendered. Even if they were lying. Her attention snap back to the spirit when he seemly got a second wind. Seeing the chains fading away and the spirit rushing her she had instantly form a kugelblitz in her hand but was too slow. Petros grazing her breastplate was enough contact for him to enter her. In the split second she made a judgement. Normally most intrusions into her don't end well. But her intuition and the fact that he is not brute forcing his way in told her that there's more to this than she seem. So instead she open her mental ward. Letting him into a room full miniature stars stretching into eternity. "To treat me so wantonly. Though given the nature of this scenario I will let it pass." The sound of Caelistianya voice, more softer than before, would pull his attention to the other person in the room with him. It was Caelistianya, only she was in a dress and her aurora-like mane softly flow down her back. Her hands held behind her back as she stood with a formal posture. Unlike before her features too were softer, even bearing a small smile.

Viintaasvrii gave a smile as he came in. Shutting the door behind him with a sultry expression visible on his face. "On the contrary, Director Oilania has trusted me with privileged of having you as a partner." He sweetly spoke as he came over to the bed. "I of course, accepted it. Taking responsibility of sculpting you to perfection in soul, mind, and in body." Standing before Rezenary he cup her face with his hands and lean forward. Giving her a passionate kiss. His serpentine tounge wrestling with her own. Wringing it as if he was drinking her saliva. His right hand lowered to rub the back of her neck as well to deepen the kiss. The other fell to rest on her shoulder to give it a squeeze. After a minute of the intense make-out session he broke the kiss with a satisfied gasp.A string of saliva temporarily strung out between their mouths. "Besides, I've already begun to sculpt your body. It would have been very rude of me if I had left you behind. I always take responsibility for my actions" Viintaasvrii huskily spoke to Rezenary. His passion clear as day in his voice. Rezenary can tell that he genuinely likes her.

Sun Aug 25, 2019 1:22 am

The Imperials had come prepared, with equipment for the fires, they felt they were ready. So they moved in to help, going for those open paths to start searching, carefully in order to avoid causing further damage that could cause trouble for them, but they still had to go at a decent pace if they wanted to help any survivors. They went in armed, just in case however. Meanwhile, the loss of the Orange Cardinal was a great shame to the Zantines. They would do their best to try and revive her, try to restart the heart, but they were aware this would be unlikely. The attempt was still made, but the preparations for the death were made as well.

The Prince meanwhile was all too aware of the reality of the situation. He wondered why it all had to come to this, why his life always had to be complicated. But he wasn't the type of person to back down. Right now, he was focused on trying to help Menaal feel safe, at least in this moment. Caldera and the guards could worry about the nightmare for now.

The form Petros took was different to the figure he was outside. No longer was he the visage of the great armored Warmaster, instead he was now just a man. His eyes burned no longer, just now a calm brown, and his black hair was rather messy, a truly terrible case of helmet-hair. He was even wearing rather casual clothes, just a shirt, long pants, and some shoes. He looked around him, gazing at the stars for a while, before looking to Caelistianya with a smile of his own. His voice was calm, but no longer in the supernatural way it was when he was the imposing spirit. Now it was more the voice of somebody just casually speaking with a friend, "I do apologize for the breaking and entering, but it's quite necessary. I mentioned it out there, but my goal is not yet finished. And this is only a temporary reprieve. The power will fade, and then the Anubite's spell will take its toll, then I will be no more. Yet I cannot allow that, not yet. There are things I must do, or at least get somebody else to do. Those are my obligations to the Empire, as its Warmaster. And, as I have learned, its last Warmaster. The title never passed. I am distressed to know that my death was not taken so well. Still, the passing of the title is important, as are other goals. The Empire's survival is paramount, and not just for petty nationalism, even if I will admit that it factors into my biases. So I need somebody to take my spot. Hopefully that's not too sudden of a proposal. Oh, and I need to crash in your head, for a while if possible. The temporary power I have left is lost much faster when I have to focus on maintaining my spiritual form. Having a body to rest in quite helps."

Rezenary was elated to hear the good news, as being partners of course meant she could spend more time with Viintaasvrii, and through that be partners in more than one way. The kiss simply further brightened her mood, and she returned the passion. When it broke, she was still smiling, and made a slight nod, "I can safely say you ruined me for any other person, so it would be quite the disservice to leave me before you even finish your work. There's so much I have to learn from you, I'm sure. Mind and body. But I don't mind which you choose to teach first, as I'm sure you are already quite aware." She pressed up closer against him to emphasize her point, her eyes making it rather clear what she was after. But she was honest in that she didn't mind which. Viintaasvrii was somebody she was already looking up to for more than his body, even if she liked that a lot, but she really did see a great teacher in him. And she was a very faithful student.

Sun Aug 25, 2019 1:46 am

Menaal was becoming relaxed the more she was held in the prince arms. In the meantime the Orang Cardinal was miraculously saved at the last second. Unfortunately the good news can’t be said for the manor, the imperials finding what were left of the first responders and family members of the palace. Slaughtered like animals with one connecting trait. Their soul marks were cut off from their outter thighs.

“No need to worry, I’ll take you within me to help you.” Caelistianya accepted the proposal. Understanding the blight that plagues Petros.

“I’m glad. My, have I made you that needy already?” He purrs as the hand that was on her shoulder slid down her chest. Resting on her breast to give them a squeeze. Feeling the diamond hard nipple through Rezenary clothing. Fondling her tit. He curve his next forward once more. Delivering a line of butterfly kisses on her neck. Specifically one spot where a small bite mark was visible from when he had clam her. His other hand found its place on her lower back as he lean his weight forward. Pushing himself on top of Rezenary who found herself on her back on more. Straddling her breeding worthy hips he sat up. Both hands were now playing with Rezenary breasts through the shirt. Softly squeezing then and tweaking her nipples. “Luckily for us my teammates require some rest before we head out. Giving us few more hours of getting to know eachother better.” He exclaims happily.

Sun Aug 25, 2019 2:13 am

With Menaal relaxing, Leonious could relax more himself. He didn't intend to make any moves here, ultimately more concerned with keeping her calm. Meanwhile, Caldera was annoyed that the Imperial responders were finding nothing. She would have them collect the bodies however, bring them up to get proper burials and autopsies. The connecting trait implied a serial killer, so it was important to understand how they operated. Meanwhile, the revival of the Orange Cardinal was a surprise, but a welcome one. They knew it would take a while to treat her, like it had taken a while to treat Menaal, but they knew better now. And, since these were Caldera's agents, it was going to be a bit more than what Leonious had ordered. They would revive the Orange Cardinal, but they would do a little tampering as well while she was comatose. They intended to alter her memories and mind to make her personally loyal to Caldera, and induct the Cardinal into the ranks of the Princess's agents. After all, better the Princess than the corrupted Violet Cardinal. So they got to work on this project, and worked carefully. They weren't in a rush, after all.

Petros smiled, a bit amused, "Well, that was easier than expected. Thought I would need to do a little more convincing. Of course, I do hope you realize the full extent of that. I don't intend to deceive, so I'll be honest. I will try and assist you as best I can while you help me, but while I am in here my spirit will fade, and you will find that it somewhat shall nestle itself in your mind if you let me stay. It will influence you, potentially change you somewhat. Nothing extreme, but that will be the residual effects of letting me in. I want to be honest with getting your help for my tasks. If you still choose to do so, I will be most grateful. Who knows, maybe you could make a fitting replacement for Warmaster! Doubt that however, since that would mean swearing loyalty to the Zantine Empire, and you seem to have other obligations. Thankfully, just helping me find somebody else to fit shouldn't be as much of a violation."

Rezenary was quite eager for this second round, so his initial question got an excited nod of admittance. He got a more canid purr out of her from his work, and she gleefully smiled back at the prospect of more time. Then she took on a more wicked look, "Oooh, so you'll have lots of time to teach me then? Quite the honor... But let's settle what we both want before worrying about the clock!" With that, she got more active, bursting upwards to grab Vii and pull him back down to the bed with her, and all the wicked intentions that would follow now that she knew they had time to spare. In the distance, Nulka got the distinct sense she would need to invest in noise-blocking earbuds in the near future, and get better locks. Hopefully this time, the Watrike thought, they'd stay in the bedroom.

Sun Aug 25, 2019 4:30 pm

Orange Cardinal recovery is taking longer than expected.

Charred corpses could be found as the imperials sweep through the burning mansion. So disfigured that it was hard to tell whether they died by natural causes or something else.

Menaal continues to appreciate the support.

"After awhile you grow to learn how to see earnest in people. See the same eyes in different people." She spoke in a poetic manner. An air of wisdom could be felt around her instead of the imposing weight of a star taken shape. "That, and honestly I'm not concern of your influence. We Paresusl, are more complex than the kin of Hoshizora. So I let you inside but for a word of advice. I'm like a star in more ways than one. Stay to far and you'll freeze, come to close and you'll burn, to look directly at me will blind you, it's only when at a distance will you be able to bathe in my light in comfort." The stellar mare look to the twinkling stars around her. "I would not be so hasty to dismiss that, it's a likely possibility. Equusalem have been falling a part for quite some time. Even as we speak I can feel my ilk be snuffed out by the black beasts threatening to overrun the Equusalem." Despite her cryptic words she turn to give a smile to the former Warmaster. "I have helped the Zantine Empire before, so it's not a surprise for me to keep doing so."

"Ah ah~" Viintaasvrii chuckle as he lift a hand to snatch her forearm that attempted to drag him forward. Other hand continue to tenderly massage her mound of flesh. "I did spoil you too much. Taught you too much about passion and not enough of how to channel it." He turn his hand a bit. His tongue poke out to run across the surface of her palm. Giving ticklish licks upon it. "Passion can be powerful. But so very easy to cloud your judgment. It needs to be tempered and used as a precise instrument." Sapphire eyes fell on Rezenary panting face. "Did I jump on you the first time we met? No. I took my time, delicately breaking your defenses down one by one. Never pushing you, never going too fast, always in control of my passion. Let me teach you a few tricks on how to control it." As if a predator pouncing on its prey he descended. Ensuring a hour of hot, steamy sex. Only this time around he introduced her to the world of orgasm denial. At the end he was sitting against the post of the bed with Rezenary tired form on his lap. Not as tired as before but safe to say the constant denial of orgasm broke her mind a few times.

Sun Aug 25, 2019 7:16 pm

Work with the Orange Cardinal continued, and Caldera would have to wait for any updates. In the meanwhile, attention was put on the rescue team. One thing they searched for was the cause of the fire itself. Trying to determine if there was magic involved, both on the palace itself and the bodies. It was important to build some theories as to how this happened and, more importantly now, potentially prepare some defenses for it, as Caldera wanted to be ready in case a “mysterious fire” found its way to her own palace. But one thing was for sure, they would not be retreating from Spursepolis.

Petros continued to appear amused, gesturing around, “Yes, given the landscape around, I can see there is quite a bit of Star to you, lady Firemane. Still, I’ll take that advice, but I do suggest not dismissing mind so quickly. There are many complex things in this universe, and some are born from uncomplicated things.” Then he raised an eyebrow, more concerned and disbelieving, “That is a problematic thing to hear. Lands north and south are entering the flame, it is not a good tell. Still, that aligns with what the Empire must be prepared for. So, perhaps you can serve as my replacement! Though I’ll still remain skeptical, and keep my eyes open. But…” He took on a bigger smile, “I have a good feeling about this. I’ll make a Zantine Warmaster out of you yet, Paresusl. Once I get comfortable in here, at least. I wonder if I can make a bed out of Star…”

Rezenary learned plenty in this particular firsthand lesson, mind freshly broken and remade, absorbing the teachings quite well. By the end of it, she was smiling widely while laying in Viin’s lap, and then an idea came to the Anubite. An idea she was sure she would have to pursue, using what she had just learned. But it would take some more to properly move forward, and so it was time to use the rest of this free time. She looked up to the Dragon, blissfully smiling before speaking, “Just as glorious as last time… But, I want to train my mind. And I was thinking, why not train my mind in the way of the mind? So to say, could you teach me about mental magics? They’ve been an interest of mine for a while.” Her tail was wagging a bit with some excitement at the process of learning more.

Sun Aug 25, 2019 9:04 pm

Way in one of the back rooms in the palace they heard the sound of a struggle. Through a collapsed hallway they could see a bloodied Eusebios fighting someone behind the rubble. It features obscured by the heavy smoke. Despite his wounds he manage to keep up a good fight with his one-handed axe of Arcalite. Parrying what seems to be a butcher knife. His grunts were drown out by the maniacal giggling that rand through the fog. "O child of sun, you seem a bit overdone~" The figure manage to find a opening in his guard. Sending a harsh kick that sent him crashing into a wall. The Imperials would see the figure go out of sight as it enter through the hall into the room.

"Entering the flame indeed. Consume by the fires of war in which I believe something beautiful will arise from the ashes. A vision I had entrusted to the next generations." The solar mare said with a hint of pride. "Mmm? Making a Warmaster out of me? Won't be the first time I was tasked with a great honor. Once upon a time the region that is Equusalem used to be unified under a Zantine client state Imperium Solem. I governed over this realm as its Empress-Protector." Her gaze became distant in thought. "With how the waves are moving. Equusalem will crumble and factions will arise in the ensuring power vacuum. If the empire wishes it, I would not mind being brought back out of obscurity to help our brethren."

Viintaasvrii had a wonderful time in playing with the Anubite. Resting against the post his tail was loosely wrap around her plump waist. The bed was a mess of course, covers long shoved off the bed and sheets somewhat drench in love nectar. His hands were currently tenderly massaging Rezenary neck and shoulders. Enjoying rubbing his hands over her glazed fur. Sometimes one hand would hitch upward to briefly rub her cheek. "Mmm?" He hums in interest to Rezenary question. He does want to begin teaching Rezenary on the arcane and with how exhausted Lazlo looked, they have a good few hours to do some teaching. "Magic of the mind, is something I believe is where everyone should begin to achieve spiritual awakening." The once sultry tone shift to his sagely mannerism. His once bedroom eyes now soft and seemly very old. "Make no mistake. Enlightenment is a destructive process. It has nothing to do with becoming better or being happier. Enlightenment is the crumbling away of untruth. It’s seeing through the facade of pretense. It’s the complete eradication of everything we imagined to be true." The once roving hands now came up to cup her head. Out of the corner of her vision he would see a wispy blue aura coming off of them. "I have seen many years. In a time such as that, oceans swell and die away. Deserts become green farmlands. Mountains are ground to dust and valleys, and new mountains are born in fire. The earth itself flows like water, great ranges of land spinning and colliding, and the stars themselves spin and reel into new shapes. It is the great dance, Rezenary. One I will happily show you in time Rezenary. But like all stories, we must start at the beginning." Rezenary would feel soft static crackling between his palm and her cheek. Before she could react, she would feel a shudder running through her frame. Something hot and ancient infuse itself with her spirit, wrapping her in hot flames that would make her cry out in fear and ecstasy. At first she could feel horrified by the power but it would fade to exhilaration as though a flaming flower has been bloomed in her soul as...

~ Deep, deep within the abyss of time. The molten world of Yolpraav is where this story begins. ~

The first thing Rezenary would feel is the heat. The second would that she would find herself on some hard, hot ground that does not seem to cause any discomfort. Opening her eyes she would be greeted with a scenery of an alien land. Sprawling black plains of obsidian sprawl out before her. The heavenly sky above red with the Ethersea. Despite tasting sulfur on the stiff breeze she could breathe just fine. Wingbeats broke the silence as she would feel the ground shake as the large body of Viintaasvrii dragon form landing beside her. He was hard to see in such low lighting but his scales caught the red starlight above. Giving him a appearance akin to the black dragons of Heord. "Welcome my student, to the birthplace of Dovah. Yolpraav. It's here we'll make our jaunt down memory lane. I won't show everything at once of course, rather these will be sessions for you to reflect and learn from." He explained to his new pupil with a smile.

Sun Aug 25, 2019 9:48 pm

The Imperial Force rushed forward to try and get through as they saw the duel going on, moving quickly because they were rather sure the mysterious figure was the one who had killed everyone else, and they were clearly merciless. So the front members of the team moved the rubble, and the back ones prepared their weapons. Blades and heavy pistols drawn, they finally rushed forward to try and follow the figure. The objective was of course to save Eusebios, get him out of there. Thus, scaring the figure off was the goal rather than engaging.

Petros seemed very interested to hear that, and the suggestion clearly did seem of note to him. He put a hand to his chin, nodding after consideration, "Yes, that sounds like quite a good idea. Stabilization in the north would be essential. I am quite sure the Empire would be more than happy to see you return to prominence to bring Equusalem out of the chaos. The recreation of this Imperium Solem sounds like a good idea for doing just that, and of course if you are willing to be the Empire's governor for the region that would be even better. Besides, having an Empress-Protector as Warmaster would do quite well for preparing the Empire. Yes, this sounds like a good course of action. Of course, we will have to prepare. If Equusalem is to crumble, at least one of these emerging factions will have to side with the Empire. If somebody like yourself were to take leadership of it, with the Emperor's blessing, I am sure that would give the faction in question a great deal of legitimacy, and go a long way to seeing the recreation of the Imperium Solem, and returning the region of space into the Imperial fold. And if the Empire has the North, I believe that can give it the energy it needs to cast off Omnipo in this damnable war."

Rezenary was very surprised to be taken from rather messy bedroom to this whole different planet so suddenly. She certainly wasn't expecting the teaching to take place somewhere entirely different, but she composed herself. Heat was usual to her, she was from a desert world after all, so it did not disturb her as much, though the hot ground being so normal was odd. She wondered if this was a mental projection instead of a real transportation, with all the oddities like the air being suitable for breathing. Rezenary left that thought to wander as Viintaasvrii returned, and she smiled back to him. Nodding her head in understanding, she spoke with a tinge of excitement, "Of course! Can't learn everything at once anyways, takes time. So this is Yolpraav... Where do we begin? How do we begin, for that matter?"

Mon Aug 26, 2019 12:36 am

The room was billowing out smoke, making any form of visibility impossible. With infrared they could see an outline of the figure in the hot smoke who seem to stop and turn around. In a span of a second it crosses the distance to bury the butcher knife deep into a Imperial guard chest.

She gave a small nod in agreement with a smile.

“Mhmm. Yolpraav as it was so long ago. To give an exact timetable is unfortunately impossible in a literal. This will be a common element throughout this journey as you grow to truly understand ‘time’. To start, I'm sure you know the basics for the theory of relativity which states that time and space are not as constant as everyday life would suggest. It’s suggested that the only true constant is the speed of light, meant that time can run faster or slower depending on how high you are, and how fast you are travelling. This is the bone dry version devised by Hoshizora scientists. The true answer is much more grand but alas, that’s for another date.” Viintaasvrii strode by Rezenary, his tail snatching her up by the waist to lift her up to his head. To which he drop her in his feather like mane. When she gets her bearings, she would find herself with a better viewpoint of the volcanic landscape before them. When felt like she settled in he quickened his strides across the ashen land. “For a small philosophical exercise till we reach our destination. As well for me to gauge what you know. How ingrained is Sound in the universe?” He inquired to Rezenary.

Mon Aug 26, 2019 12:56 am

The Guards did indeed come in with infrared vision prepared in order to deal with the smoke, now that they knew there was an enemy lurking within. But they were not super soldiers, and so that first guard couldn't do much to stop the knife from piercing deep into his armor and flesh, yelping in pain. The other guards wasted no time in opening fire with their pistol, firing wildly to try and hit this speedy figure. The ones in the front prepared their blades, charging forward to face them.

Petros looked around a bit, and then nodded, "Well, good we have an objective to look into then. But to get started with that, we need to get to Instabull, inform the Emperor or at least some Imperial officials. I know how to handle Zantines, so it won't be a trouble once we get there. The issue is getting there, which I shall leave to you. Your team mates have need of you. I will be in your mind if you wish to speak. Just remember, we need to get to the Imperial Capital, and move with the Emperor's blessings." With that, he started to fade. He was still smiling however, very happy this had gone so well, waving her off, letting her return to the waking world.

In that living world, she'd find Chione was poking the side of her head for signs of activity, clearly worried about the fact their enemy's spirit had just flew itself into her body. Azdergin was keeping the old Ezeri Dragoness pinned, though was keeping a careful eye on other events, while his captive just seemed very annoyed with the state of events. Matros meanwhile was tending to Ilunaelistianya, in her drugged state. He was making sure to constantly remind her that she was safe and could trust him, since he was worried the drug might be messing with her memories or making her see vivid and dark hallucinations. It wasn't, thankfully, just making her very drowsy, numb, and suggestible, but otherwise she was safe and could recover. He was doing his best with a first aid kit to dampen the drug's effect, so she would be ready to move unassisted sooner.

Rezenary did find it strange that the concept of time was so important to the field of mental magics, but she wasn't going to question that. Instead she simply nodded along to show she was listening, interrupted by a small yelp of surprise as she was suddenly moved via tail. It didn't take her long however to get comfortable atop the Dragon, happy to be riding him in a different manner than before. The Anubite gauged the question, thinking on it, before giving her honest answer, "Sound, as far as I can tell, is rather ingrained. Its the way we process many things, like voice or little other things people do. Yet even the inanimate makes sounds, as do spirits, so it is not just for life. It seems to be a way of communication of the being for all of the universe. Making sounds that echo through the universe, perhaps for eternity. Though it's a bit hard to hear sound in space."

Mon Aug 26, 2019 2:08 am

Maniacal laughter rang out as the figure fought against all the bladesmen. They could see with the infrared that there shots were hitting the figure yet it was not going down. The cackling broke into a screech as something gold slash across its back. From behind they could see the prince managing to get a clean hit on the figure back. Despite the fact that the figure remained standing. As the duel went on they notice the floor would become more dirtied with black mud. A substance that seem to be coming out of the figure wounds. All the while the figure was singing in a whimsical manner. “Mary had a little lamb. Her father shot it dead. Now it goes to school with her, Between two hunks of bread.~” She then laughs as she parry away another swing from the prince. “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the kings horses and all the kings men. Had scrambled eggs for breakfast again.” The figure shudder from having a volley of bullets slam into its chest. Only for her to chuckle and spit more black mud on the floor. ”Hey diddle diddle, The cat did a piddle, All over the bedside clock. The little dog laughed to see such fun. When the cat died of electric shock!” Noticing that she was being boxed in she darts to the side. Taking advantage of an opening to slip back into the hallway and run into the thick smoke. With the figure seemingly escaped, Eusebios collapsed on one knee as an adrenaline dump hit him. With how bad the air is he needs medical treatment right away.

“Not to worry. I have passages that can lead me to Instabull fairly easily.” She said with a smile as the mindscape faded. Coming back to the land of the living she would first notice that she was cooled down. Sol Invictus was off, standing in a melted crater, and her mane was its usual aurora colors. Feeling being prodded she glance over to the Anubite. “You know, I can’t but help but feel that’s the gesture your kind do to mist old things.” She lightly joke, showing that she was still in control. Looking over to Azdergin she gave a soft smile at her teammate. “A well earned victory. You fought well Azdergin.”

Viintaasvrii gave a smile, pleased to have such a bright student. “You possess a bright mind Rezenary. Sounds whether they be music or vibrations are important blocks in the universe. Today scientists would call cosmic vibrations as quantum string but back in this time period we did not work with such a structured system that is science. When I was born, we were raised from the lenses of mystery.” In the horizon, Rezenary could see a large mountain coming into view. “There’s music everywhere. In the planets, stars, and even the void between galaxies has it own music. It’s in that mountain before us where I and my egg siblings first learned about Tonal Architecture. The magecraft to shape the world with our voice. To give a sense of how difficult this was for us, let’s talk about music theory. In an alien legend about those who observed the tones of the hammers of the blacksmiths striking at their work, and how each hammer with its unique size would yield a distinct tone. Larger hammers yielded lower tones when struck, and smaller hammers a higher pitch. This led the aliens to explore the world of music theory.”

“Music theory is a very complex subject so complex that it is still all just theory, with no way to directly observe any of our ideas and prove them outright. A study of Tonal Architecture should first take notes from the world of musical theory. In the world of modern music, we have forced a false system over the basis of a natural one. Our musical scales are artificial, and fail under scrutiny because they do not work out mathematically. we have created the so-called even temperament, which relies on notes that do not exist and attempts to impose them over a system of perfect harmonic absolutes. When in reality, music is a series of harmonic degrees, fractions of the whole, that add up to create perfect harmonies that our false musical scales can't fathom. The harmonic series consists of perfect fractions of the base frequency. But to our modern ears, trained in the false music of the tempered scale, these notes sound harsh, alien, and wrong. But every sound that can be made is nothing more than these harmonic values resonating above the base frequency.”

“Tonal architecture is approachable in much the same manner. To understand tonal architecture, one has to understand the base frequency, the note, if you will, at which the world resonates. If we use the illustration of a string, When a string on a lyre is plucked, it produces a certain note. If we should stop that string at its midpoint, the frequency of that note it produces is precisely 1/2. To our ears, we observe that note as being 1 octave higher. If we divide the string such that vibrating portion is 2/3 the length of the full string, the note is a perfect fifth, or the dominant degree, and if we play 3/4 we have the perfect third, or mediant degree, and so forth in mathematic perfection. Remember that the world is music. The Thu'um (The Tounge Of Dovah) is the proof of this most recent to our memories, due to recent events. And the Thu'um is the perfect example of Tonal Architecture in its perfect simplicity. The Dragon Tongue is harmonious with the universe, and resonates with it. To understand this, it is like humming precisely the same note to which a string on your lyre is tuned. When you do this, the string will vibrate even though you did not pluck it. So the Thu'um can cause to vibrate any of the strings of the universe, giving the master of the Thu'um mastery over all things. From a scientific view this could be viewed as plucking the quantum strings.”

“But using the illustration of the Lyre, the string becomes louder if you pluck it, and by understanding its nature, you can even change the note that it sings. This was the mastery of the later generation. (I was a bit rebellious in my youth to bother learning) first to vibrate the sing to learn its tone, then to pluck it to make it sing louder, then to manipulate it to sing a new note of their own choosing. Not retuning, or forcing the string to play an unnatural note, but working within the constraints of its natural music to bring the mediant tone, for example, and render it as the basal tone. ( if you play the guitar, you might understand this basic concept as string harmonics. You can play the third, fifth, and octave of any string without fretting it by isolating it in its harmonic positions. But the astute observer will also notice these harmonic notes are never quite the same as the fretted note, the frets rely on even temperament, the harmonic notes are the true frequencies in the harmonic series of the note's base frequency. Theoretically, you could play an endless progression of the harmonic series by simply reducing the size of the fraction, but in reality the strings are imperfect and lack strong enough overtones to make these tones clearly enough to hear.”

“But the true mastery of the our later generation
arises out of harmony, forming multiple notes that resonate together perfectly. There is the perfect chord, the harmonic progression of the base frequency which signifies completeness, perfection, and resolution. But These chords requires other chords to achieve its desired effect. And here I must, for a time, speak as a musician. The root is resolution, but you do not know resolution until you first build tension. You do not know the root is indeed the root until you first play the dominant chord. But the other degrees also serve their own function, to build tension, create suspense, sadness, or happiness, and to present a problem that demands resolution. The universe is far more than single notes resounding in a chaotic fashion, it is music. The spheres are a grand symphony, and the Tonal Architect fashions himself as the director.It is only through understanding the music and its complexities that he can achieve his desired effect.”

“To give a mundane equivalent to Tonal architecture. The most peaceful and serene music I’ve heard in a long while is the Zëøailr of eastern Instabull. This is a special form of yodelling that is polyphonic in nature, meaning it consists of multiple voices singing musical lines that are not parallel to or dependent on each other. They are, however, arranged in such a way as to produce a slowly evolving harmonic structure that progresses through various stages of chordal tension and discord until finally resolving to the root. The effect is the most satisfying and peaceful sound in the world, but it only has this effect because it has first created tension. Merely harmonizing in the base chord, or even following a simple chord progression, would not have this effect.”

“Tonal Architecture is just this, on a scale grander than anyone has ever replicated before or after. You could say that the future generation made music like Zëøailr, which is so perfect, so complex, and so satisfying, while everyone else is playing experimental Jazz. You've just got disorder and chaos, trying to discover how to create something new but doomed to failure, because mastery of music comes from the realization that music is the master. So in conclusion Rezenary, I will teach you about how sing our tongue. With it you shall sing the song of the universe. Those who hear it will become inspired, be pacified, or even be bent to your will.”

Mon Aug 26, 2019 3:38 pm

The Guards were concerned by the unnatural endurance and stamina of the figure, but did not backdown. The singing was disturbing, and implicating some extra darkness, which made them fight harder for their own survival. When the figure dashed away, the guards kept firing as they fled before moving to secure Eusebios. Two of them trained as field medics picked him up, doing their best to keep him alive and able to avoid exerting any more energy. The rest of the guards assumed two protective groups, one in the front and one in the back, with the carried Eusebios in the middle. They moved to get out of the collapsed building from here, rushing out so they could give him proper medical attention in safety. After all, staying down here gave the dangerous figure a chance to come back and finish the job.

Chione chuckled and smiled, happy to see that she wasn't totally out of action, "Well, just had to make sure you were alright. Still, I can feel your spirit remains in control. Petros still seems to be in there, but just resting. Guessing then you've imprisoned him. That'll be fine, it takes him out of action. I'll still being keeping an eye out, just in case." She then went over to see if she could help Matros, and get the tech specialist to calm down now that the danger was gone.

Meanwhile, Azdergin smiled with pride, nodding his head, "As did you, solar one. We have gained quite the victory here, is that not right Azulraitras?" With a smirk he threw a look at the defeated Dragoness, who simply made an annoyed puff of fire from her snout and refused to give him more gloating tools, staying silent. The Warrior Drake then looked around, considering this, "Hm, well we have won. A shame none of the agents of that shadow branch survived, nobody to interrogate. And their gear was quite smashed up. We should gather what's left that we can, and then return to the ship. We must report back to the Union about our success in neutralizing all three of the targets. One capture, one spiritual absorption, and one with no survivors. I'll handle Azulraitras, the rest of you just grab what we can, and then we can go back to our waiting ship."

But as the Dragon was finishing, a sound on their comm units beeped, and then Yoniria's voice came through, "No need! Thanks to them opening up a nice hole, we'll just use that!" The secondary hanger's door was then used by the Union vessel to land, its doors opening. Yoniria was at the ramp and waved with a smile on her face, indicating for them to get what they needed and then get aboard. Azdergin, as he said he would, handled dragging Azulraitras Ezeri into the ship. The Dragoness was clearly not enthused at the prospect, but it was also clear that she preferred this to the fate of everyone else she had worked with. Life was a blessing after all. Matros and Chione took the time to get Ilunaelistianya aboard the ship, so she could be comfortably laid down in a bed.

Rezenary reflexively searched for some pen and paper to start taking notes, but of course was disappointed when she remembered she was not in a physical plane and so couldn't do it anyways even if she had remembered to bring her notepad. So instead she sat tight, perked up her ears, and just listened. Her only motions were nodding along, to show she was getting it, and her wagging tail, due to natural excitement about this history of music theory. It was a lot of information to take in, but Rezenary listened closely the whole time, staying interested. Tonal Architecture and how it played into the Thu'um was interesting to her, and she was seeing now how sound connected with the magics she had wanted to learn about. She stifled her Anubite bias as the Zëøailr was brought up, instead understanding the point of the comparison. At the end though, her tail wagging sped up, excitement peaking. Learning that tongue was, to her, a true opportunity, for a few reasons, and she gleefully clapped her hands together, "Oh! That sounds amazing! Though I can see why this will take multiple sessions. Your tongue seems to have a fair bit of complexity to it, but I will do my best to get the sounds and music of it down right! So are we going to that mountain for me to learn the same way you did?"

Tue Aug 27, 2019 12:40 am

Eusebios was worse to wear but not in critical condition. First priority was ensuring he does not die of smoke inhalation. Exiting the burning mansion no one have seem to notice anyone suspicious leaving the building. The suspected murder must have came into the manor by a overlooked passageway such as the sewers or something else.

Caelistianya was happy that the mission was being wrapped up nicely. It could’ve easily turned out worse so she took the results they got. With a relieved smile she went to help the others in getting her sister aboard. She suppressed a grin knowing her sister won’t take her defeat well. Especially in the manner she was taken out. In the end she knows her sister will be grateful that she came out only a bit drowsy. Death can easily come on the field of battle. Sniffing out lives in a heartbeat. Pushing those grim thoughts aside she headed into the lounge after putting her sister to bed.

He enjoyed how attentive Rezenary was being to his lecture. Typically the young tend to tune out his ramblings. While being a Anubite certainly plays a part of her attention span, most seem to get lost when he goes deep into explanations. What do they call it these days, lore dumps? Ah it does feel as if he had disconnected from society for a bit too long. Looking ahead he can’t help but internally chuckle. In his youth he would have laughed if anyone told him that he was going to be a lonely hermit atop a mountain. Than proceed to beat them up. He was aggressive, prideful, arrogant, and like the old, overdone stereotype was a bit greedy. Rezenary question lure him out of his introspection of the past. Giving a humm in affirmation, “The mountain we move towards is Yolstrunmahhil, Canterlot Mountain in modern times. I along with my eggkin made a den within the heart of the inactive volcano. Overtime it became a budding community for hundreds of Dovah. It was in Yolstrunmahhil that I learned about our tongue and use it to shape the world around us. You’ll see the fruit of this in a bit.” Traveling across the obsidian plain they reached the side of the mountain. To which they find a grand, simplistic stone doors before them. Continuing moving he did not move to open it rather they simply phase right through. Giving Rezenary the definite evidence that this is a mental projection of some kind. Inside she was greeted by a surreal, chaotic sight. Obsidian shaped in abnormal ways with great statutes of dragon heads seemly emerging out of them. Sweeping spires arc over them like archways. Dozens of small holes can be seen around the place, tunnels that lead deeper into the volcano. Beside the unnatural formations there is some structures of unique design built into some of the spires. “It’s noted that we did not have much of an aesthetic taste back then.” He wryly joke as he began to stroll downwards.

Tue Aug 27, 2019 1:06 am

The Imperial Guard force first made sure they got Eusebios in the treatment of a doctor, and ensure his safety. Second they informed the authorities around to lock down the area if possible, so the figure did not escape. They also included the advice that, if anybody else was to go down there, they go down with a large armed escort. The guard leader quickly informed Caldera of the situation, so the Princess could factor all of this into her plans. What was important, as the Princess felt, was to keep Eusebios alive, and to make sure everyone noted that it was the Lasacris family guard who had gone down to heroically save him. That would be important for what came later as the chaos mounted. In the meanwhile, the Imperial Guard offered to act as escorts for any teams going down to save more people.

Besides the strike force and one grumpy Dragoness being brought aboard, some computers that had survived the battle as well as the body of the masked man who hadn't been turned to ash, and simply had his lifeforce sucked out, were taken into the ship. They were to be studied later. Right now, the ship simply departed. They sent out a ping to the Union Navy to come around later and blow the facility up, so it couldn't be taken over again. The mission had been successful however, and that is what counted. Yoniria had reported this back to Union Command, and a short while into the ship's journey home they got a response. A hologram of Director Tulgrin appeared in the lounge where all were gathered, including the drowsy mare of the night. The Watrike was smiling, proud of them, "Well done! The mission was quite the success. A shame you were unable to capture any of those agents, but we got something good all the same. One very old Dragoness with lots of information. It will be interesting extracting that from her. In the meanwhile, your ship will be returning to base. We will have another mission prepared for your team in due time, but you will have a few days of rest first. We are not in the business of overexerting our best assets after all. See you back at base soon." With that, the director's hologram and transmission shut off.

Matros yawned loudly, a bit sleepy, although not nearly as much as Ilunaelistianya was. He spoke calmly, though he too had a tint of pride in his voice, "Well, it all went pretty good. Seems they're not letting us off the hook just yet, but at least we got some time to rest. Any of ya'll fancy a round of drinks? You know, for celebration! Wait, do Anubites drink?" He threw a cautious glance to Chione at this, and she shook her head, although with grace instead of irritation.
The one who did agree was Azdergin, the Dragon seeming amused by the offer, "I'd challenge you to a drinking contest for that, but of all the people here I'd suspect you are the least likely to survive such a contest with me, Human. Then again, there are few who can last against a Dragon, thanks to our sheer size. But I will partake all the same. How about you, Caelistianya? Want to come along, or do you have other plans for what to do with your freetime? Tending to your sister would be understandable."

It was a bit jarring to Rezenary to just phase through the mountain like that, but it was indeed good confirmation that this was all just a projection. Now she could safely assure herself that it was not her fault she could not take notes. The history related to the mountain was interesting, as it held some parallels with their kin on Heord and how they acted. Although the differences were rather notable when they came into the strange land of head statues, in such a chaotic pattern. That was quite different to how it was on Heord. And as they were strolling, she decided to comment on such, "Interesting that it had its name changed. I'm guessing Canterlot mountain was an Equidae name change, fits their style, or at least the style they let the Cuthians give them. Bloody puns... Anyways! In a Heord sense you'd have been a Mountain Dragon! Although, notably, your kind seem to have a fair bit less... taste than Heordals. Given that Mountain Dragons of that world were masterful architects who used their magic to craft mountain castles and great complexes. Still, even with the difference, there are similarities in function, with all of this made for Dragons. Actually, did you make castles?" She was getting into an Anubite phase with this comparison of similar cultures, and the glint any who had found themselves on the receiving end of an Anubite interrogation would know was present in her eyes.

Tue Aug 27, 2019 1:55 am

Safe to say the authorities went to put the surrounding districts on lockdown. Every able bodied officer are on high alert as they sweep the blocks around the mansion complex. Search parties are also called in to scour the sewers for any lead on the suspect. Help from the imperial guard was appreciated and accepted. Eusebios meanwhile is showing a quick recovery from the whole ordeal. The only remaining wounds were largely mental ones yet he still seem determined to continue being productive and not waste time laying around feeling sorry for himself.

Caelistianya took note of the time frame before the next mission. Using a special passage she could visit Instabull and have a meeting with the emperor without anyone noticing. For now however she’ll take the time to relax. Her body was sore from the fighting and a round of drinks sounded nice. “Hah, my sister would detest me if I were to coddle her.” Given there were no injuries there were no need to fret over it. Standing up she went over to the bar counter. “Scoot over boys, you got a challenger.” She exclaimed with a smile.

He let out a laugh at the mention of the Cuthians. “Indeed. The proper Equusalemite name is Devagiri. Alas the Cuthian rendition became more popular and marketable so the common name is as addressed.”He explained as he went down one of the tunnels. The walls glowing orange from the heat flowing throughout the tunnel. Alongside the walls she could see primitive carvings by Dovah that mainly depicted each other. “Heh it would be accurate to compare me to a mountain dragon at this age. However where we are right now, are at a time where we are very young, very primal. Stars I believe it’s forty something years that I came to learn the dragon tongue. It will take decades more for us to refine our talents. For now, we are the equivalent to cavemen who just invented fire for the first time.” He gestured to the carvings on the walls beside them. “Even proper language is still far off. Till then we bluntly just shout at each other. In fact you can ever hear my younger self down the tunnel.” True enough she could hear the boisterous shouting of Viintaasvrii echoing up the passageway along with other shouting in the background.

Tue Aug 27, 2019 2:18 am

The Guards thus went to work assisting the officers as best they could wherever they were requested. Though a few stuck with Eusebios to keep an eye on his condition, and once he seemed fairly recovered one told him that Caldera had offered him the guest room in the Imperial Palace to stay in for the time being for resting, and of course to use the place as a groundbase to launch straight back into work whenever he was so ready to do so. Caldera, in private thoughts, had extended that offer mostly so they could continue to work together. Plus by now she was used to guests, given that they had Menaal around for a while, even if that was mainly Leonious's ward.

Matros and Azdergin both smiled at the Solar Mare's enthusiasm, pleased to see her willing to join the celebration. This was their plan for spending the time as the ship returned to base, and the more the merrier. The bar was handled by an automated bar tender, one programmed with the ability to mix a variety of drinks if so desired, or simply give over standard brands of the drinks they had aboard. For the battle of Drinks, rum was decided on. Matros was quite certain he couldn't last as long as the other two in doing rounds, but he went for as long as he could, after all this was a celebration! No reason not to enjoy himself. Azdergin happily partook in the rare occasion of a Dragon taking drinks. Most Heordal Dragons did not drink unless they were Island Dragons, and even then they mostly drank fermented draconut juice. Azdergin was the exception, and he took fun in letting loose. Chione meanwhile stood off to the side, simply drinking water. She wasn't going to be involved, but because she was staying sober she took the role of making sure nobody did anything dangerous. But she wasn't going to be a spoil sport, and was just happy to be there to celebrate the team's victories.

As one might expect of such a celebration, by the end of it the ship's supply of drink had run quite low. Matros was passed out on a couch, the same boat Ilunaelistianya had been in when they first started this journey. Azdergin was still going strong, even despite all he had consumed. He wasn't completely unaffected, and clearly had a buzz, but he looked to Caelistianya to gauge how well she had taken the festivities, and of course then decide which of them was the better challenger. Still, Chione eventually called out, "Alright, we're approaching the base. I'll handle taking Matros to his bunk. Yoniria, get Ilunaelistianya to one. I trust the two of you can still walk. I'll see the rest of you in the morning, as I am very much tired." The ship touched down, and they were back in the base. The director was not there to greet them, off on other business, so they truly did have this time to themselves. Well, the ones who were still awake, at least.

Rezenary made note of the different name, and how it had fallen out of fashion. It seemed the Cuthians had finally found another culture that appreciated their work. Still, now she was looking around at the tunnels, understanding what he meant about this being primitive. They were just crafting eachother, since that's what they knew and what was likely close at the time. This trip down memory lane was fascinating, and she seemed interested by the distant shouting. Still, she did wonder a few things, "So, on this trip, we're going to watch your own learning of the way of the voice? Hehe, still, it's funny, imagining you as a caveman Dragon. Seeing it will be amusing as well, I do reckon. So very inexperienced compared to now. Guess it's similar to me, in a fashion."

Tue Aug 27, 2019 3:56 am

Given the lack of a ready residency, Eusebios gracefully accepted the offer. Once settled in he divulged on what he knows. The attacker was the Pink Cardinal sent by Aarushi to wipe out his dynasty because they pose the greatest threat. The Mundaslistianya family posses the legibility to reenact several reforms on a galactic level. Paving the way to the former Zantine client state that once held dominion over Equusalem. Imperium Solem.

Caelistianya was not a heavy drinker by any means. Hell she hardly drank alcohol at all. Mostly drinking fine wine every now and then. But she can appreciate a fine drink that sat warmly within the pit of her stomach. That much was evident as the night went on, Matros already fallen and the supply running low. Despite the differences in side Caelistianya was in a similar state as her dragon comrade. Her composure could be mostly amounted to her Eoamhnna qualities. Whose bodies are built like a mountain and sturdy as one. For the Paresusl their constitution is many times greater than Eoamhnna. However it’s to be noted that while she has a buzz, she is a lot more loose. Chugging down a glass of alcohol with vigor, not caring that she was somewhat spilling on her mesh shirt. “Ah! Next round!” She exclaimed merrily as she slammed her glass down on the counter. Her ears perk up as she heard Chione behind. “Have a good rest friends. I’ll be here to drink Azdergin under the table!” One thing for sure, Caelistianya is much more lively while drinking.

That drew out a chuckle from the dragon. “We’re not here on this trip for me in particular. Rather to show you the first word walls carved by Akuin herself. By the modern day they don’t exist anymore. The mountain is largely overrun by crystal growth by now. While on the subject on word walls and Dovah speak. What you felt before coming here was me imparting my life history onto you. A book sort to speak, residing within you but not yet read. It’ll serve as a way for you to recollect the information I teach you better and have an innate better understanding in grasping them.” He explains as they came out into a large cavern. The moment they entered Rezenary would notice two things. One, lounging in the middle of the cavern was a beautiful Dragoness that can be no one else but Akuin. Akuin appears as a smooth skinned dragon with white skin with a metallic sheen to it. Crystals layer her body, and her stomach glows softly with a plethora of colours and shades. Her eyes are as blue as the sky, and her claws are as dark as night. When she spreads her wings one can see the very universe within them, glittering like stars and planets with the swirls of the cosmos.

The second, the stark comparison of what’s around her in the room. Very young dragons, barely a fraction of a size as Akuin, were either wrestling each other in the lava pits or to the side rutting like animals. The raw, primal lust on display truly runs home just how young the Dovah were. Rezenary could see a lesbian pair only meters away giving oral sex to one another. On the other side she could see young Viintaasvrii plowing into a Dragoness below him in a much more rough manner than what Viintaasvrii does in modern times. Mortal species just don’t have the same durability as dragons do. “Looking back I always wondered how she handled our shenanigans. Perhaps she thought we were cute, like puppies who only know how to bark and hump everything that moves.” He muses as he looks to Akuin at the center of the room before walking to a side of the room. Where rectangler slabs of stone could be seen on the wall. There were three of them, each a hundred meters long and placed a top of eachother with a space between. All of it were covered in what looks to be scratches but much more refined and looking like an actual writing system. “This is where Akuin teaches us, when she could get one of us to sit still long enough to listen that is. He shared an inside joke to Rezenary. After all this was all personal to him as he rarely let anyone take a stroll through his memories. Thus it felt special to bring Rezenary here, to his place of birth.

Tue Aug 27, 2019 5:05 pm

Caldera found it interesting that the Pink Cardinal seems to have become Aarushi's attack dog, likely because of the implication on morale it would inflict upon the populace. She did seem to be powered up as well, given her ability to fight. But more interesting was this legal ability to enact a reform of that level. Now the Princess understood why the Mundaslistianya family was so important and influential, as well as a target. Caldera assured Eusebios that they would keep him alive, since by the looks of things the return of the Imperium Solem might be required in the coming times. But she would not decide when, that was his choice. In the meanwhile, she had to focus on arranging the pieces they had left to their best advantage. For instance, she decided to ask Eusebios about the White Cardinal, who they had in custody on Instabull, and what they thought they should do with her. Since right now the idea was to simply bring her back to Equusalem, but that would almost certainly allow Aarushi to get to her again. Since she didn't know about the Orange Cardinal's current situation, she didn't mention it, as that was currently an unknown thing to the Princess. But she was sure it would become relevant later.

Chione was certainly amused by that, but she simply waved them goodbye as she lugged Matros off. Similarly, Yoniria waved them goodbye before tending to the Paresusl that wasn't in the drinking competition. That left just Caelistianya and Azdergin, prompting a grin from the warrior Drake, "A bold claim! Of course, in this current state, I wouldn't fit under the table anyways, so it's quite impossible. But, I am a sporting sort, so I will make it possible. Now, let me try to remember, haven't done this in a hundred years or so, so I am a bit rusty. Let's try this..." He began to transform, changing his form into something resembling a more bulky and hard-scaled Watrike. His Dragon Armor fell to the side, not transforming with him. Instead, one of its compartments opened up to give him a basic set of clothes to wear, which the transformed Dragon quickly got into. With this done, he turned back to Caelistianya and smirked again, "Now it's fair. Let's continue!" He dived into the drinks once more, at this point just asking for bottles outright instead of bothering with glasses. And, by the looks of it, he was challenging his competitor to do the same. Which would lead to a spiral of drunkenness.

Rezenary was fascinated by the image of Akuin, who was impressive. Particularly in comparison to the rather primitive and simple Dragons around her, which Rezenary generally tried to avoid watching. It was rude to look at such things, after all. The comparison to young and wild puppies was certainly accurate, as far as the Anubite could tell. She managed to avert her eyes to get a look at the writing system, which she very quickly got to trying to figure out. It was not lost on her however that this was a personal moment being shared with her, and she did feel honored to have the trust to be here. As such she chuckled at the little inside joke, as one look around could show why it was difficult to keep them in place, and then responded, "So are we going to be sitting in for such a lesson from your memories? Or will you teach me it yourself? I'd be fine either way! Although I can't say I recognize the writing system, it does bear resemblance to Heordal Old Draconic. Funny how these similarities emerge! Guess it just comes out of how Dragons view the universe."

Tue Aug 27, 2019 7:23 pm

Eusebios theorize from how Aarushi is moving the pieces across the board. She must be in the process on building towards a emergency session to proclaim putting Protocol Midnight Armory into effect. Bestowing upon herself emergency administrative powers when most of the council is vacant. With later political maneuvering she may reorganize Equusalem into a state to suite her agenda. With that in mind it is wise to just have the White Cardinal be in political asylum away from Aarushi eyes given her refusal to be of worth.

Plainly put, at this point she new she was smashed. The menu on the wall was a puddle of colors. Strange shadow objects forming in her double vision. Caelistianya could also began to hear hear auditory hallucinations around her. "i'm nbot donge yebt frioend." She took another swig from her bottle. Not realizing that she was drinking absolutely nothing. Could Paresusl get alcohol poisoning? She never heard of such a thing, not that she could think about that in her current state. "You dragons theink you'rpe sjo tough witeh your...scales and...stuff." She fails to throw a proper taunt to her friend direction. But with a second wind she tries again. "Strutting armound wiyth your bulk. i wagaer you're veqor ycompensating for something!"

Rezenary would find that the power infused into her being helps her understand script better and faster than she normally would. One section on the lower left tablet seem to depict the alphabet to which she would memorize easily after reading through it a few times. Now knowing the runes she would find the rest of the scripts easier to understand. "That is is, perhaps you could reflect on that at a later date." He he spoke in a sagely manner as he sat on his hunches, His tail moving upward to lift Rezenary off his head to gently set her down before the word wall. "A bit of both, mostly it would be me mostly teaching you. Now, where to begin." He thoughtfully spoke as his eyes scan the text. Deciding which would be a good tune for her to learn and something she had requested to know about. "Ah here we are, second row in the middle." The script as said location was philosophical thesis on how tone is connected to emotions. "This will be a good start to teach you on how to influence the minds of others. In general this asks the question and proceeds to solve it. There’s nothing in a sequence of notes themselves that creates the rich emotional associations we have with music so why does music trigger profound emotional experiences?." His gaze shift down to Rezenary.

"Music can influence your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Powerful psychological effects that can improve your health and well-being. To understand this you will understand the Thu'um that you'll learn from this lesson. After all to know is not enough. You must understand a song. That's why it takes many of us at this time decades to master a single tune. (Longer for me due to being disinterested at the time.) In the words of Akuinr, you become the tune. Become one with it." Next to the thesis she could see other scripts began to glow white. Ethereal like flames frame the runes. 'KAAN', 'DREM', 'OV', and 'GOL', 'HAH', 'DOV'. Benath the two sets of words was a paragraph going over the philosophical meaning behind the two tunes. "The first one. Akuin's Peace is the song of pacification. Soothes those of wild intent, who then lose their desire to fight or flee. It's a great tune, helped me diffuse a lot of potential fights, hunting down food, and stop entire armies in my early years. Looking forward I know having this in your arsenal will be greatly beneficial." Life with Viintaasvrii always seem the shrink the mortality rate in those around him much to his dismay.

The battlefield is a chaotic place, no place for those who can't defend themselves. That was one of the things he had to accept, he can't be anywhere at once and protect everyone. It goes back to his thought process on why he accepted to teach Rezenary. Tossing aside those depressing thoughts he went on to the next one. "Lastly, Bend Will. Bends the very stones to your will. As it gains vibration, animals, people and even dragons must do your bidding. Very versatile song with what you can do with it. Whether it be for interrogation, upheaval of the political climate, tame large fauna as mounts to ride, or even sowing discord into the enemy ranks by turning half of them against each other. Now to let you know, time is different in our joined mindscape. Take as long as you need to meditate, ponder, and achieve understanding in these songs. Once you are done, let me know and I'll give you a trail." He spoke happily as he gives Rezenary a warm smile. Confident in Rezenary learning ability to at least get the basic understanding down.

Tue Aug 27, 2019 9:13 pm

The concept of such was worrisome, given that they knew the Blue Cardinal was already in Aarushi's pocket, and the Pink Cardinal was her attack dog. So three Cardinals in total to give the Violet Cardinal those emergency powers. Even with the Yellow Cardinal, and later potentially Orange Cardinal, on their own side, they were still outnumbered, and Aarushi almost certainly had plenty in place to keep her plans moving along anyways. So Caldera agreed to simply keep the White Cardinal in that secret custody for now, so she couldn't end up being more political capital for Aarushi. In the meanwhile, Caldera supposed what they could try and do was use Eusebios's family ability to enact reforms to perhaps try and grind Equusalem into a state of political deadlock, to give the Zantines more time to prepare.

Her drinking partner wasn't much in a better spot, with by now Azdergin openly stumbling a bit as his ability to maintain balance was compromised. He wasn't getting any auditory issues just yet, but his motor functions had taken the fall instead. So he was practically holding on the counter to keep straight as he looked right back at Caelistianya, or at least one of the three Caelistianyas he was seeing, to make his retort, "Baahhh, yur just jellous! I'm packin plenty downs under! Ya need proof? I'lls show ya just how muuch I got!" Moving closer to Caelistianya, and almost tripping twice on the way over, he gestured down towards his nether regions rather inappropriately, slapping the area and laughing, continuing to boast, "Probubly more thans you ever had seen before! Unless youz are admitting defeat!" While he was clearly confident, it was pretty clear by now he should also stop drinking at this point, if he were in the right state of mind to notice at least.

Rezenary was surprised to suddenly be infused with understanding, but that did indeed make it much easier to comprehend now that she could. Her archivist mind went straight to work comparing the tablet to the words, and she was piecing it together rather rapidly. This was the sort of thing she had been trained for back home after all, so she was qualified for this. She had understood that music had its own effect on people, making them happy or sad or agitated, so she could see the application of such in effecting the minds of others with some extra refinement and targeting. Rezenary was no musician, so she could tell it would take some work to get the tune down, but she was elated to know she had plenty of time to get it right. Nodding to Viin, she got to work getting it down.

As she tried to get it down, Viin would hear constantly Rezenary's audible attempts at pronouncing the words that were glowing correctly, "Khaan, drem, oov" followed by "Kaa, dem, ov", "kaan, drem, ov", and more. Each was both just her trying to figure out how to say it right, but also the tone in which she spoke it, all indicating to her own internal thoughts about lining up the tunes correctly. She experimented with humming, loudly singing, moderately singing, and then of course whether she spoke it in a calm tone, a serious tone, or just a neutral one. Finally she nodded to herself, "Gol, hav, dov... Alright, I think I've got a good idea! Let's get to testing it out!"

Tue Aug 27, 2019 11:10 pm

Eusebios agrees with that notion. Citing that there are planets who still hold hidden ties or sympathies to the late Imperium Solem. The Planet-State of Hayrappa is one such political power that can help kickstart the movement to attract other members. King Rama X have held negative opinions towards the Harmonious Council for quite awhile. There's a good chance that he'll give them support.

Caelistianya gave a undigified snort as she held back a drunken laugh. "Hah! The noly time yobu can sgive fa mtare a orgasm gis when yoku pull out your exprsse cadr!" Spitting fire she too had to grip onto the counter with a hand to keep her on the seat. Her flush was entirely flush with her coat a bit drench due to spilling her drinks. "ii bett yvou can't get eeven mre off!" She dared in a sultry manner. A grin in refusal to admit defeat even now.

Smiling he gave a nod in understanding. He look to the room where most dovah have went to sleep in there dens. Some still wondering about the cave floor. Near them was a red dragoness strolling by in a seemly irritated mood. Roughly twelve feet in height on all four limbs. "Ah she'll do." He exclaim as a blue aura briefly outline the dragoness body. She then appears to split into two, her mirror copy phasing out of her original. What separate the two was that the copy had no shadow. "I'll pit you against a memory echo of Enkii. Big gloryhound, she tends to be restless most nights due to her unbalanced hormone levels." He dryly joke as the Fake Enkii stop in her tracks. Her snout up in the air as a unfamiliar scent in the air caught her attention. "In a few seconds she will take note of you and considering her preference, will find you worthy of quenching her fire. Thus she will charge you. The goal is simply to stop that and make her submit to you. Remember, you don't need to vocalize the syllables. This is not a shonen holoanime. Just exhale and sing from within. The vibrations from the song can't be heard in by mundane means. In fact when you met me I used a song to melt the tree down." He stated in a simple manner as Enkii turn her gaze towards the due. Her eyes falling on the Anubite. The fact that Enkii never seen anything like her was overpowered by her desire for pleasure. "Rrrrrr" Turning her body to face the Anubite she would sink to the ground, bunching her muscles before propelling herself forward with the intention of knocking Rezenary down onto her back.

Wed Aug 28, 2019 12:15 am

Caldera liked the news of that, and decided that this was a good time to collect allies. As such, she would leave Leonious here in the palace to keep an eye on things and watch over Menaal, and she would go out to visit these sympathizers. After all, no better way than to return an old client state than with the personal attention of the Imperial Family. This King Rama X would be a good first visit, since if he joined up then they could start a cascade effect, shortening the process.

Azdergin's pride wasn't about to let that stand, and so while one hand remained balancing on the counter, the other arm meanwhile went around to pull Caelistianya closer by the waist, so he could stare into her eyes better and make the point more clearly, "I'd say that were a chullenge, but chalanges are suppoosed to be tough! Haha! I'll do moore than that!" He then closed in, finally getting that balancing hand off the counter to go behind her head, and pull them into a kiss. But he wasn't going to just stop there, and that was why he pulled her back towards the now-open couch behind them. Luckily for all that may have passed by, somebody had closed the shuttle's doors, and nobody else was aboard.

~And so, fade to black...~~

Rezenary found it interesting her first trial would be a Dragoness, but she nodded in readiness for it all the same. She looked over this Enkii for a moment, and understanding the danger made the Anubite sigh. These Dragons at this point in time really were just practical cavemen, or adolescent puppies really. And, as an Anubite, she had to be disappointed that curiosity of the unknown was overwhelmed for it. Still, it was good of training as anything, and Rezenary was very happy to hear she didn't need to actually vocalize it. Instead, she just had to sing from within, much easier. She steeled herself as the Dragoness charged, and exhaled to sing Akuin's Peace from within, and pacify the oncoming creature, singing the tune in her mind and soul, and of course body as it vibrated out. After a bit of that, she tried to use the vibrations from Akuin's Peace to carry over into Bend Will, as if carrying over into a chorus, in order to make the Dragoness sit down.