Brendon Stratos's Story

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Brendon Stratos

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The floating empire of Priscilla was tranquil, almost a quiet little eden away from the restless kingdoms below. Its beautiful vistas stretched over the snowy peaks of Staggered Falls, casting the mountain’s mottled granite in its permanent shadow. Brendon always found the history of their empire’s formation intriguing. He’d frequently draw comparisons whilst travelling to the other kingdoms as a child, citing the lack of efficiency, the fragmented nature of a different populace. Poverty, grime, conflict, everything seemed so vastly exacerbated in contrast. Why didn’t other simply adopt their ways?

Priscilla was an astounding jewel, one of the five man-made wonders of the world. It transcended the imaginations of common individuals because it was the calumniation of hundreds of years of work. If Brendon were asked to describe it, he would describe it as delicate, maybe weightless even. The capital’s architects had a wondrous knack for extravagance and optical illusions. As a tourist entering the city for the first time however, it was all too easy to become lost amongst the glittering towers. Often he’d be the one to have to remind them of the balance between form and functionality, but at the same time he loved their originality.

The city below never ceased to rest. They couldn’t afford to as a self-sufficient nation whose isolation hindered their ability to export and import. His people were hardy, yet just about everyone was an important cog in the machine. Like his father, and his father before him, Brendon shared the belief that everything in life needed a purpose. Should it not exist already, they only needed to imbue their own purpose within it. He represented those principles admirably as the newest air king.

Staring out over balustrade of his office balcony, Brendon reflected on his troubled thoughts. A bad wind was forming in the distance, almost like the dark sign of a coming storm. Such anxiety rarely, if ever, showed on the air king’s snow bitten expression, but he allowed himself to frown then if only because of his office’s promise of privacy. He couldn’t explain the sensation, others would call it a gut feeling he guessed. Whatever it was, there was no point in getting wrapped up in it yet.

Shifting his gaze back to the warm interior of his workplace, Brendon anticipated the call to business ahead of time and answered just as his assistant stopped outside of the closed entrance.

“On my way,” he said.

“Sire,” came a muffled reply.

Collecting a few items and papers, Brendon moved from his desk to the doors. “Are the others gathered? It’s time for our weekly meeting.”

“Yes Sire,” answered James as the air king seemingly passed through the closed doors like a ghost. It was both an awful habit and testament to his abilities as an air king. “Though you should really amend that habit of yours…”

“Good, let’s not keep them waiting,” Brendon said.

---

James hurried to the meeting room’s doors ahead of him in an effort to alert its members and prevent Brendon from walking through another wall unannounced. The assistant wasn’t the only one aware of his frustrating tendency to pass through walls. Appearing on cue, Brendon strode through the entrance properly this time and nodded courteously to the others before taking his seat at the head of the table.

“Excuse my tardiness. It’s nice to see you all,” Brendon smiled, “So, how is everything?”

---

Marie Jansen

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Thrust. Defend. Attack.

Her movements were impeccable as they danced their circle of death. Not a second was wasted as she span about and directed her fifth strike in a vicious cross swing. The force behind it caught her opponent off guard and he stumbled away breathlessly. He was slowing now; she could read it in his body lines and heaving shoulders. An angry curse escaped his lips, voicing his frustration at having the initiative so swiftly stolen from him. Marie wasn’t even sweating. Fighting came to her so naturally that it the berserker made it seem like she was born for it.

She closed in for the final blow, plunging her sword forwards with blinding ferocity. In response, the man threw his sword forwards in desperation, hoping to redirect the course of her blade. It didn’t work. Marie’s arm moved in time to bypass his guard as she landed the would-be killing blow.

“I yield!” he cried, seconds from death.

Marie’s sword stopped inches from cutting his jugular before smoothly retreating into her sheath. She stepped back and bowed, duel completed. Her opponent did likewise, though it was clear that the thrilling effects of their contest had yet to wear off. “Nice work. I’ve never been so afraid in my life, and that was just duel,” he smirked, rolling his shoulders reflexively. “You should be training me instead.”

She smiled and nodded at the compliment, or at least she interpreted it as much. The slavers never taught her the art of speech as a gladiator, what was the point when most of them would die in a week or so? Of course Siya had taken some liberties in teaching her, but teaching Marie a new language was like trying to teach an old dog new tricks. The only words she truly understood were ‘kill’ and ‘fight’. She was getting better though, albeit slowly.

“No good,” she said, pointing at herself as an unlikely candidate for teaching. She wasn’t patient or understanding like Siya, or knowledgeable like Seth.

Misinterpreting her words as slander, the old knight laughed and sheathed his own weapon. “Indeed, someone of my age can't keep up with someone of your caliber. We'll resume training tomorrow shall we?” he chuckled before striding off. Marie quizzically watched the tall man leave before shrugging. Such was the nature of most of her interactions with Siya’s people.

The double doors at the back of the throne room opened as Siya shoved them aside and he hurriedly entered the room. Behind the black throne was his protector Seth whom always stood in the very same spot every time. Just like always, the tall protector dwarfed Siya's size and he did not move even as the young King strode in very late. His face took on a heated blush as he flicked his gaze to the intimidating looking man who stood over his left shoulder.

"Sorry, Seth," Siya muttered, forgoing the formality since they were not in the presence of any nobles... yet. Siya didn't exactly dislike the nobles, but he didn't like them either. It was a bit of an annoyance to keep the formalities and Siya had slipped up more than once because of his personality to treat everyone exactly the same in respect.

He adjusted his clothing one last time and finally seated himself upon the throne that was far too large for his small frame. Even though he was an adult, Siya still looked much like a young child, at least in the eyes of the nobles. He fidgeted as he sat there, always nervous before the double doors were opened at the far end by his servants.

As the doors opened, a tall man dressed in very fine clothing burst through, throwing the doors wider than the servants were pulling them opened. The man was a familiar noble to Siya, one of which that he really didn't like all that much. The young fire King's fidgeting stopped immediately and he straightened in his seat as the man entered.

"Late, again my Lord Siya," the noble said, his voice curdling with irritation.

"My apologies, Duke."

"Unfortunately your constant 'apologies' aren't working anymore, my Lord," the Duke came to a halt just at the foot of the dais. The man did not bow to Siya like custom called for, instead he glowered up at the youth from his spot, flicking his gaze over to Seth for a mere moment before returning his eyes to Siya.

"What would you have me do, Duke of Everal?" Siya asked calmly, leaning against the arm of his throne, his face expressionless as he watched the larger man before him.

"It's been talked much about lately that perhaps, my Lord you should consider someone else better suited for that throne. You're still young, too young we believe, for such a task. Also, regarding your... history. There's the matter of your not being of Royal blood."

Siya cringed inwardly. Of course they would bring that up. It really wasn't the first time he'd heard it, but it still cut deeply to have it said aloud. The other half of the problem was that the Duke and the other nobles had no clue as to the real reason why Siya was on the throne and not someone else.

"Perhaps, instead, you should bring those that believe this to me and we should all convene to discuss the... problems that you speak of. I feel that it is entirely fair that I hear from all of you rather than just yourself, Duke," inwardly Siya shook, but his calm face remained and his voice never showed that his adrenaline had just kicked in.

The Duke stared at Siya for a long while before giving a slight grin in response. He quickly submitted a short bow to Siya before turning on his heel to leave, "Very wise. I'll see what the other nobles say, my Lord. I'll return again in a few days to convene with you."

Siya let out a sigh as soon as the Duke was out of ear shot. His eyes dropped to the stone floor beneath him, a solemn look on his youthful features. Well, at least he wouldn't have to deal with that immediately. He pushed it aside and returned his attention to the next set of visitors that walked through his double doors.

---

Siya stretched his body that had been sitting in the throne for a few hours. The muscles were stiff from not moving too much, the only thing about his open court that he didn't care for. If he could move around more then it would make it much better. The double doors at the end of the long hall closed, the last of the crowd leaving through it. Turning, Siya offered his protector a small smile.

"Care to join me in the training yard? I would ask Marie again, but I tend to fear for my life at times when I spar with her," the young King laughed lightly as he stood from his seat and started for the back door, "I suppose that's a good thing from her. She's a fine fighter. There's nothing to worry with you and her around," the last statement was more for himself than for Seth. It was a nice reminder to know who he could truly trust and put his life to.

He opened the door that he'd entered through earlier and started down the hall of his palace. The training grounds were not far from the throne room and he was eager to get started in practice. Taking a sharp left, he walked through an archway and into the training ground where many of his soldiers were. They were men that Siya probably would never use in his entire life time, especially since none of them knew of his real purpose. However, it was really for show that kept them. To keep in good standing with others who actually had power to dethrone him.

Walking over to one of the weapon racks, Siya pulled a sword from it and held it in his hands lightly. The weight was just right for him as he curled his fingers around the hilt. With a small smile he turned to Seth and lifted the blade in invitation, "Would you care to spar with me?"



The moment he received the summons for the meeting that his Lord was holding, Kanan wasted no time. He had been in the garden of their palace, wandering among the plants and other things on the large rock that floated in the air. It had been very early, and thus his duties had not started yet which gave him some free time to himself for a little while. Not that he did much, he was an early riser to begin with. The only thing he really knew was protecting the Air King. Not that that entailed much either, but it was better than dying.

Kanan stood in the meeting room, awaiting his Lord to enter, the others gathering around as well. He was positioned at the back of the room, not too far from where the King would be seated, but far enough to not really be noticed by the other attendees. As he stood there, he heard a faint sound somewhere in the room, something akin to light, steady breathing. His one eye searched the room, but found nothing, so he tried his best to ignore it as it wasn't giving off any threatening vibes or anything.

“Excuse my tardiness. It’s nice to see you all. So, how is everything?”

The King entered the room quickly, the doors thrown opened by a scurrying servant before hand, and making his way to his seat. The air protector was slightly relieved that his King had not decided to walk through the wall this time. Kanan had to give everything he had to not drop down to one knee and bow to the man. Even so, he did bow at the waist, his hand coming up in an old fashion that people rarely used anyone. Or so he was told anyway. He couldn't help it though.

Then, as the meeting went underway, the soft breathing he'd heard earlier suddenly grew louder and without warning the snoring sound (as he'd recognized it then) startled the guests. With a call of 'earthquake' completing the startled masons, they quickly cleared the room and Kanan watched in a bit of confusion. With a lifted eyebrow he glanced towards his King to see what Lord Brendon would do. Kanan was fairly sure he knew who the culprit was, and also figured that Brendon did as well.



His fist knocked lightly on the door to the room that he was told his Queen had been given for her sleeping quarters. However, as he waited for her answer, none came. An eyebrow lifted as the earth protector waited not so patiently. Well... what an inconvenience. Seemed the girl wasn't there. Last he'd heard since returning not but an hour ago, was that she'd burst from the dining area where the nobles were. They had been holding a party for her, but she apparently didn't take too kindly to them.

"How... troublesome," he muttered to himself. Hebi turned on his heel and started down the hallway. He would have to interrogate some of the servants to see where she'd gone to. He rolled his eyes, and here he was trying to be a good protector for once and deliver to her some pressing news. His lips twitched ever so slightly as he rounded a corner. He wondered who would be next to know about what happened to the water King once he found his Queen.

He hummed to himself in wonderment as he moved swiftly down the hall. Perhaps he would run into Eugene. He hadn't seen the man in months. Hebi's lips curled into a smile as he worked his way down the hall. Oh the fun he could have with the man. It was always entertaining to watch as the other earth protector grew ever so angry with him.

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Brendon Stratos

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The meeting had barely progressed when a loud snort interrupted their conversation. A heavy breathe reverberated across the tables and walls of the interior and rattled the side carts which held a collection of finger foods. For Brendon, he recognized it immediately, it was an all too familiar sound he’d come tolerate over the years. For the others however, the alien spectacle was generating quite the negative response. Numerous officials were gazing around in alarm, uncertain of how to react to the growing trembles.

His lips pinched into the form of a frown as he drummed his fingers against his arm rest. Directing all of his ire at the table, or more precisely the whimsical creature resting beneath it, he was about to put a stop to it when a second, louder snore shook the fabric of the building.

"It's an earthquake!!" exclaimed a tradesmen, jumping out of his chair in panic.

“Mister Kaynes! Please! Calm dow-” Brendon started, rising from his seat. His efforts were lost on the terrified executives as they fled the room in rapid succession, leaving only a handful of people remaining.

“Shall I fetch the others, sire?” James asked, raising an eyebrow. The few board members still lingering all wore similar expressions, being well accustomed to the fae’s peculiar habits.

Brendon sighed wearily, giving a slight shake of his head in response. “No, it’s fine. We’ll reschedule. I should have known better than to organize a meeting here,” he said, “If you could calm down our guests before further confusion ensues, that would be of great assistance however. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some children to discipline.”

Standing up, Brendon stamped his foot on the carpet, simultaneously opening a hole beneath himself and his protectors. All three of them passed through the flooring like apparitions, the room below opening up to another meeting room. Five storey’s should suffice, he mused. The scenery continued to change as they plunged through the building, quickly approaching terminal velocity in speed.

Their worlds came to a sudden halt on the building’s third level, in a storage room. Brendon was first to land, smoothly touching down on one foot before looking up to watch the trajectory of his protectors. If he was concerned for their safeties it certainly didn’t show on the young king’s features as he allowed his protectors to plummet to their apparent deaths. In fact, not a thing was done to cushion the falls of either Kanan or Aeraki as they tumbled down.

---

Eugene Van Goff

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“You look dissatisfied. Has it been that long for you?” came a snide remark as Bephat stormed out of the dining room, leaving a cloud of disreputable murmurs in the wake of her exit. The earthbound protector was condescending as ever as he appeared before his charge, towering over her rather more slender form. A recent addition to her entourage of protectors, Eugene was a dangerous mystery in the eyes of the nobles. In fact, he was more of an unknown factor to them then he was to the younger woman for she certainly hadn’t embarked on her journeys with any companion. Therefore, it was his sudden introduction upon her return which had a tendency for creating disturbances, not that he had a choice in such matters.

“You are the Queen of Domirae Terra, surely you won’t let such impertinence go unpunished?” Eugene said, walking dutifully alongside the newly appointed heir. They passed rows of gleaming white colonnades on their way to who knows where, though he had a decent idea of their general heading. The comment, made in passing judgment, was ironic almost. What could Eugene possibly know about leadership and nations as an isolated guardian deity? Then again, who else knew what the proud Lare had experience during his infinitely long lifetime.

Nonetheless this empire was still strange to him, still different. In a matter of days he’d transitioned from the great wilderness to warm and comfy ballroom interiors. The customs, traditions, and nuances which had always been vaguely represented by Bephat were suddenly multiplied a thousand fold. Observing her troubled expression, he decided against issuing further incitements for he would almost certainly have to pay for the consequences later.

Their footsteps echoed in the empty hallways, leaving the faded sounds of the welcoming dinner behind them. It was at that point that the duo virtually ran into Hebi as the gangly protector intersected their pathway. In Eugene’s defense, the senior protector was a slippery adversary and exceedingly prone to trouble. Their first meeting had ended on less than agreeable terms, but that wasn’t the only reason he distrusted the snake of a man. Despite Bephat’s insistence that Hebi had been a long standing protector of her family, there was something inherently corruptive about the man’s personality.

“Hebi,” Eugene sniffed, studying the man’s posture for signs almost. Though he made no immediate move to attack or defend, the Lare was evidently cautious around the first protector. “Rare of you to be moving about with purpose. What’s your business?”

---

---

The cool male voice greeted her not a minute after she had left the dining hall. “You look dissatisfied. Has it been that long for you?” She shot him a look underneath her long lashes but didn't say anything, save for pursing her lips in a disapproving manner. Eugene. She did not know him as well as she would've hoped after traveling with him for a time. He mostly stayed out of her way but was never short on those snide comments when he did speak. It didn't annoy her as much as it just put a barrier between them.

He was always nearby somewhere--in fact, he had this habit of masking his presence from her. She, admittedly, had forgotten he was even outside the hall up until he had just spoken. But it seemed he wasn't done with his little droll of comments. He had that half-smirk on his face, the superior kind.

“You are the Queen of Domirae Terra, surely you won’t let such impertinence go unpunished?” She pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head.

"It isn't exactly on my mind to be dishing out punishments when I have only been home for a few days." In truth, it was frustrating how much she forgot. Part of her didn't care, she didn't like the formalities the royals enforced. But she was the Queen now and she had to do her brother justice. She wasn't exactly sure why he hadn't been home to greet her and this whole situaition had put her in an awkward place. She certainly wasn't looking her best to Eugene as compared to what she had appeared like when they were out on the road.

Maybe it was because she felt rather trapped here--without options, closed in. At least he was following her without question. She just had to put up with his sarcasm and snarkiness. As they were just about to cross into another hallway, they ran straight into another person. She looked up with a frown, pausing as her eyes met with the form of Hebi. She literally had not seen hide nor hair of him since she had arrived. What had he been doing? Perhaps just taking care of some of her meetings for her, he knew the system by now.

Eugene wasn't as reassured, however, and she heard the suspicion laced in his voice as he questioned the man. "Hebi. Rare of you to be moving about with purpose. What’s your business?" She took a deep breath and eyed the other protector.

"Settle down, Eugene, I'm sure he's just tending to matters. Though I am curious as to why you've been gone more often than not? I had thought you would be here to greet me upon my return." She questioned lightly. She had not seen him much in her childhood at all but was certain he had been the last one around her brother. She could feel that her primary protector did not trust ths man at all. But what reason did he have? Hebi had faithfully served her family for years.

She managed a lightly friendly smile towards Hebi as she awaited his response. She was sure the reason he had for being around was more than likely to take care of what had just transpired. Word probably traveled fast after all.

---

---

The peacefully sleeping fae was totally unaware of when the floor ceased to be beneath her body. Indeed, she fell all five stories without a single twitch, following the downwards procession by her king and other companion. It was as her body was moments away from hitting the ground, however, that something caused her to awake. To be more specific, it was the pen-brush that was jostled from her sleepy grip. Very few things could awake her when she was in her slumber but her body instinctively always knew when she was separated from her drawing utensil.

The pressure and rush of the air as she fell caused the instrument to fall out of her hands and as soon as it did so, her eyes snapped open. "Huh, what?" The fae girl blinked hazily, suddenly taking notice to the fact that she was rapidly approaching ground. Not a moment too soon, her wings fluttered, halting her descent right before she collided with the hard marble. She hovered above the ground, hair swishing about as she looked for her delicate instrument.

She saw it lying a few feet away and glided over to it, landing as she bent to pick it up. She nuzzled it to her cheek with a yawn, glancing over at the others. Oh, was this a storage room or something? Was that a... broom? Oh yeah, stuff like that was in storage spaces... Then what was that large file cabinet doing over there? All these conflicting objects were making her head spin.
"Good afternoon to you too, my King!" She said in an overly chipper voice and without further ado, promptly fell asleep whilst standing.

“Very well. Hit me, if you can.”

Siya watched as he folded his arms behind his back and just stood there. An eyebrow lifted as he watched his protector for a long moment, a bit of a faint blush dusting his cheeks. How was he supposed to go against that? The young King cleared his throat lightly. Perhaps deciding to spar with Seth had been not the brightest of all his ideas... Even so, it was sure to be entertaining in the least, or so he hoped.

With a grin he nodded to the large man and settled into what he'd adopted as his 'stance', a loose one that he used mostly with Marie when they sparred. It seemed to work for the most part. Taking a slow breath, he found his balance and then lunged forward at Seth, the sword coming up and to the side in an arc like fashion.

It might have even hit the target, had Seth been an ordinary person. As it was, he was no longer present in the vicinity of Siya's aim, having launched himself backwards as soon as the young king committed to the strike. A simple leap carried him an effortless ten feet, hands still neatly folded behind his back. The echo of a smile yet remained, and he raised a red eyebrow, as if to question why he'd not yet been struck.

"Not bad. If your aim was to hit a straw dummy. Again."

Siya's chest constricted, his eyes widening in shock. Since when... how... what in the world just happened? His eyes found Seth, standing far away from him than he had been a moment ago. The insult did not go unheard, and this time Siya's porcelain features turned several shades red, both in embarrasment and anger. Though it wasn't really, true anger, more like frustration at having been made fun of. An eyebrow came down, his lips curling into a slight grin.

"Fine," he replied. A sort of 'challenge accepted' tone in his voice and he rushed forward, dealing out several swings instead of just one this time. One aimed at Seth's head, another at his left arm, the third at his right leg and then coming back up again.

Where before the protector had made his dodge large, this time, he played a maddening game of inches, allowing each strike to simply whistle by, mere hairsbreadths from their intended points of contact. The king's spirit was appreciated, but an honest assessment of Siya's strengths and weaknesses was necessary if he was to progress any further than a gifted amateur.

And he would, if his guardian had anything to do with it. The last hit, Seth bent backwards under, the passage of air stirring the locks of his hair that rested on his forehead, producing a whistle and nearly clipping the end of his nose. Whipping back up with little discernible effort, he nodded. "Better. But you are not reading me as I am reading you." He took another leap, this one to the left, landing with deceptive lightness and pivoting on the spot to face Siya. "Even as you are beginning your strike, you must anticipate your foe's defense. You are fast, but some will always be faster. Your strength is not mean, but many will be stronger. You must be smarter than all of them."

To exemplify the point clearly, Seth shifted his weight, leaning heavily on his right foot, as someone who bore a sheild in the corresponding hand might have to. "Now. How do you strike someone who stands like this? Show me."

Again, frustratingly so, Siya missed him everytime. Maybe because Seth was dodging them so closely the young King was afraid of actually hurting the man. However, he had a nagging feeling that Seth was doing it on purpose. Both brows furrowed as he turned, following the protector's leap to the left. Siya hummed to himself lightly as he gauged the taller man. A little bit more would do to help him figure out what it was that nagged him so.

"A sheild bearer, hu," Siya commented lightly. Seth seemed to know quite a bit about fighting. Then again, Siya didn't really know all that much about Seth to begin with. It wasn't like he'd asked the man about his past, nor had he fought against him before. It was pure whim that led to their sparring right then. Siya turned the sword in his hand, flipping it around as he thought about it for a second. Obviously it would be smart to swipe against the side of the shield, push it out and away from the body and then come back across to cut along the exposed torso right after.

With the plan thought up nearly instantaneously, Siya lunged forward, the sword held on his left, point down. When he was in range, he sliced the blade out to the side as if taking on a sheild. Stopping the weapon from going completely out to his right side, he quickly readjusted and slashed back towards the left.

The king's plan was a good one, and so Seth did not move, merely taking a half-step back as the imaginary metal disc was thrown out, as someone might to had it happened in truth. The slash aimed for his abdomen, however, he caught in motion, just before it would have hit his body. The weapon was sharp, and the Eldritch wathed with something between satisfaction and disinterest as the very end of the last finger on that hand was sliced off. "Hm," he murmured. That had been designed to illustrate something, and in fact, the small digit seemed to morph as it disconnected from the rest of him, and by the time it hit the dirt, it was a finger-shaped piece of metal.

Releasing the blade, the protector flexed his hand, applying a bit of his magic and watching the end grow back with the same apathy. As soon as it was back in working order, he glanced down at his monarch. "Much better."

When Seth blantantly caught the blade, Siya about had a heart attack. Even more so when the small appendage was promptly cut off. The young King was stunned into silence and the moment the protector released the weapon, Siya dropped it. His hands reached out to take Seth's, to stop the bleeding and call for help quickly. However, as his heart slowed and his mind began working again, he noted that there was no blood to stop.

Looking down, the finger was nothing but solid metal. His eyes widened and he returned his red gaze back to the hand that Seth flexed before him, "You... Seth..." his voice was breathless as he watched in amazement as the finger grew back without any problems. This time he did take Seth's hand and examined the finger intensely.

"Seth... what are you? You're... not human, hu?"

The protector tilted his head to one side, his expression perfectly neutral. "No," he replied simply. "I am your shield, Your Majesty."

Siya's head spun, his mind whirling around the answer. Seth wasn't human. If he wasn't human... than what was he? However, the young King was fairly certain that if asked, the protector would not say. That meant Siya had some digging to do.

"Doesn't matter," he said, trying to stem his overwhelming curiousity for more knowledge. He lifted his gaze, "As long as you're here," he turned and retrieved the sword to replace it, "Though... I suppose that makes you one hell of a protector, doesn't it Seth?" He said, sparing a glance over his shoulder with a wide grin, "Does this make you... indestructible?" Siya asked, feeling giddy at the thought.

There may have been a faint trace of amusement on Seth's face, but it vanished quickly, replaced with passivity and a deadpan. "It makes me one kind of hell for your enemies, Sire. I do believe that is the relevant part." It was difficult to tell, but the statement just might have qualified as a joke.

Siya's smile faded quickly. His red gaze shimmering as he watched the protector closely. He wasn't sure if the man was entirely serious or not. It was damned hard to tell. But the expression was one he'd seen before and it meant he wasn't getting much out of the man. Siya's lips pulled into a fainter smile and he replaced the sword, "I'm off to the study. If you need me, I'll be there," he said and started out of the practice area. He had a lot of books to read, a lot of history to go through.




Why was he falling?

He hadn't done anything. Had he? Kanan was utterly confused when the floor beneath him disappeared. His body experienced what gravity felt like in one pull and had his stomach wrenched up towards his throat. Kanan watched as the ground beneath him grew steadily closer and wondered for a brief moment if he were going to die just then. Of course the thought was brushed aside as he realized he was still far too indebted to allow himself to be killed so easily. Or rather... so humiliatingly.

A handful of metal that was on his body disappeared, shimmering into nothing but blue flakes of a sort. They disappeared into his body and he swiped his hand before him. His one pale blue eye widening slightly as he thought that he'd been just a tad too late. The burst of air underneath him was similar to that of his tornado styled magic, but on a much smaller scale. It buffetted his body and slowed his fall somewhat.

Even so, Kanan hit the floor rather hard and sprawled forward for a moment before he was able to regain himself. With a bit of a groan that he did his best to hid, he pulled himself into his customary position. Down on one knee with his fist against the floor and the other arm resting over the top of the knee that he wasn't kneeling on. His head bowed forward and he did not raise it to look at his King. At the back of his mind, he wondered if he was responsible for the situation in anyway.

If he'd known that Aeraki had been sleeping under the table, he would have certainly woke her and made her leave. However, he'd had no knowledge of her whereabouts and therefore, could not have done anything about the incident. He ground his teeth together quietly, slowly easing his frustration outwards without letting either of them know.

"My Lord," Kanan stated softly, but Aeraki -who had landed next to him quite softly- interrupted him.

"Good afternoon to you too, my King!"

Aeraki then fell right back asleep as she was standing there. Kanan felt his chest clench, his pale blue eye widening slightly. Surely this time Lord Brendon would spare Kanan from yet another fall...



Hebi's lips twisted into a grin as he found both Eugene and his Queen Bephat coming towards him. He stopped his walking and crossed his arms over his chest. He waiting until the two were in better hearing range so that he would not need to raise his voice too much. Hebi's gaze flicked up and down Eugene's body before he answered the man's taunting.

"Well well, if it isn't Eugene. It's been so long, I'd forgotten how simply testy you are. Though, it never really was your strong suite to keep your tongue still. Oh... well I guess I'm not very good at it either. Makes for more fun, I suppose," Hebi raised a hand as if to silence anything that Eugene might have retorted back, "Now now, don't let your ego get in the way, dear Eugene. Wouldn't want to show that nasty side of yourself would you? Especially not in front of our lovely Queen."

"Enough of that. We can go over your mannerism's later. But right now," Hebi turned his gaze down to the petite woman who was his new Queen, "My Lady. The Water King is dead."

---

Brendon Stratos

---

They both touched down using their particular fashions, Aeraki nonchalant and Kanan obedient, like two polar opposites. He’d known his protector for a good portion of his lifetime, and each of them fulfilled a different role. Glancing over, he smiled as Kanan lifted himself to one knee, bowing respectfully to his king’s presence despite having just been thrown through a building. His father had always told him that loyalty could never be bought; only earned. Brendon countered by saying there’s no such thing as loyalty to begin with. They found Kanan washed up against the shore over a decade ago, dehydrated and near dead. In return for saving him, his father had asked the man to pledge his loyalty in protection the next air king, a decision he still questions to this day.

"My Lord," he stated, quickly rebounding from the five storey plummet. Aeraki arrived shortly afterwards, having miraculously woken in time to adjust her trajectory into something non-lethal. She yawned tiredly before taking in her strange new surroundings.

"Good afternoon to you too, my King!" she announced brightly upon spotting him, at which point she instantly went comatose. For most people, such behavior would be a cause for major concern. Aeraki wasn’t some sleep deprived workaholic however. Contrary to this, Brendon was certain that he’d never once seen the fae flustered ever.

“No need to bow Kanan. If you want to revere me help me reign in Aeraki’s behavior. That meeting was a disaster,” Brendon remarked, resting an arm on his hips. “I guess there’s no chance of awaking her again. Although, at least this time she’s not causing the building to shake.”

Facing his other protector, the king motioned the young man to stand with a hand gesture. “I brought both of you here for a reason, but for the time being I’ll just have to be content with informing one of you,” he said, quickly becoming serious. Suddenly the reason they’d been dropped into a secluded storage room made a lot of sense.

“I was going to discuss this in the meeting before we were interrupted,” he paused, raising an eyebrow at Aeraki’s sleeping form, “But from now on, you two need to be alert. Which I know will be impossible for some of you.”

The king produced a notepad before summoning a pen to his fingers. “The water king is dead,” he said whilst scribbling down a few words on the sticky note, “The orb is missing and their entire empire is in uproar. Currently we haven’t the slightest inclination on who did it. Rest assured though, everyone’s going to be pointing their swords at each other, but we have to be ahead of them. There’s a chance that someone will target me or the other kingdoms because we can only assume their goal is the orbs. So, for the time being, I want you two to investigate the murder.”

He ripped off the top note which read ‘Water king dead, be on alert’, and then attached the parchment to the slumbering fae’s forehead. “That’s it for now. You already know how I expect you to conduct yourselves.”

---

Eugene Van Goff

---

"Well well, if it isn't Eugene. It's been so long, I'd forgotten how simply testy you are. Though, it never really was your strong suite to keep your tongue still. Oh... well I guess I'm not very good at it either. Makes for more fun, I suppose. Now, now, don't let your ego get in the way, dear Eugene. Wouldn't want to show that nasty side of yourself would you? Especially not in front of our lovely Queen."

Eugene’s growl was audible across the corridor as Hebi delivered his usual introduction. The Lare’s hands had formed into tight fists of fury and it was fortunate that Bephat was within the vicinity for he would’ve surely lashed out otherwise. Hebi had an unbearable talent for disrespect, always provoking, goading and prodding upon first sight. He was a pest, and just like the pompous nobleman in the dining room, a culmination of this society’s sins. Eugene had always assumed that his behavior was a pitiful man’s attempt to gain attention.

Try as he might to dissect the poisonous man’s thinking, such was a task of inevitably doom to failure. Instead he settled for his usual answer to impudence. “Not long enough,” Eugene retorted, “Speak plainly wretch or I’ll rip out that tongue you’re so fond of flaunting.”

"Enough of that. We can go over your mannerism's later. But right now…My Lady. The Water King is dead."

His eyes narrowed at the statement, uncertain at first about whether or not to take the man seriously. No, even Hebi had limits, personnel or whether they be imposed by his responsibilities. This was far too important to joke about. “How did you receive this news?” Eugene interrogated, still not entirely trusting the other protector, “The death of a nation’s king doesn’t just go unnoticed by the rest of the world. How did you come across the information so quickly? We haven’t heard anything about this.”

Eugene’s gaze switched between the two of them, analyzing Bephat’s face for her response.

---

---

The young Queen watched the exchange between the two men with only mild amounts of interest. In truth, she felt like their petty squabbles were akin to discussing politics with the other nobles. Far too many insults being thrown around with little or no productivity. She hid her annoyance at both parties--it was more imperative to hear what Hebi had to say than get involved in their fight. That could wait for later. Her other protector removed his attentions from Eugene, settling his eyes on her with a somewhat... thoughtful expression.

"My Lady. The Water King is dead." Her breath hitched in her throat at the news.

"... What?" She crossed her arms over her chest, her mind calculating fast. If the King was dead, then that would mean... Even as untrained as she was in the royal ways, she was aware if there was no King to keep everything together then things would be completely thrown out of balance. It was surprising that there hadn't been any backlashes already, all things considered. Did this mean the death was relatively new? And if so, how long ago had it occurred?

Eugene was quicker on the uptake, immediately taking a suspicious tone as he addressed Hebi. “How did you receive this news? The death of a nation’s king doesn’t just go unnoticed by the rest of the world. How did you come across the information so quickly? We haven’t heard anything about this.” She nodded in agreement. He had managed to mention the first thoughts that had popped into her head as well. The woman eyed Hebi closely from underneath her lashes, awaiting his response.

Hebi turned slightly, tilting his head just enough for his long black hair to slip off to the side and reveal his sickly green eyes. He looked at Eugene with a stand-offish side glance, the corners of his lips curling upwards in a smirk.

"Wouldn't you like to know," he muttered coldly. Hebi laughed then, reaching up and running his hands through his hair before returning his attention to them both, "Of course you haven't heard anything about it yet. I just told you. Does it really matter how I found out? The important part is that he's dead. Oh, and the orb is missing too."

Bephat blinked several times, staring at Hebi in a somewhat confused manner. "Excuse me, what the fuck?" She paused, wrinkling her nose. She cleared her throat, trying her best to keep her accent down. Best not to appear too unladylike. She was absolutely certain Eugene remembered that one time... in the small desert town. Things had not ended well. "And the orb--you are certain it is gone?" She asked tentatively.

"Yes," he leaned forward, coming close to his Queen's face while giving a small smile towards her, "Would I lie?"

She took a step backwards, unsure of what to say. She did not know Hebi--he was only a man she had heard about from her brother. A man who had served her family for years. But she had never known him as a person. Part of her felt like it was wrong to question him like this--he had been faithful to the household. But on the other hand... the way he was acting was dodgy. As if he was hiding something.

"That remains to be seen," She stated calmly--more calmly than she felt at the moment. "And my brother? What news of him?"

Hebi pulled away, straightening. His lips turned down from their smirk and he stared at her. His hands fell to his sides and he watched her calmly for a moment before answering her, "Your brother I have not seen in ages, my Lady. Do you really think that should be your top priority though? With the worlds balance in danger, are you going to go gallivanting after your brother when you should be doing your job here?" He paused for a second, letting the words sink in, "My apologies, my Lady. I did not mean to speak ill of you, I just worry about the safety of this world and everything else--"

Bephat didn't want to hear the rest of his words, she was already trembling with rage. How dare he suggest that her brother was not a priority? She was thrust on the throne in his absence--she was not meant to stay here! She drew back her hand and slapped him across his cheek--and this wasn't any maidenly slap either. Her palm left a definite red mark on his pale skin and it took a lot for her not to slap him again.

"You should know never to take that tone with me ever Hebi." She glared at him firmly. "My brother is the only family I have left in this world and it is not gallivanting to want to locate him. I am fully aware of my duties and would not abandon my post as Queen."

The slap stung, knocking his head off to the side and making his neck pull the muscle quite a bit. It was going to be a bit painful later on, that was for sure. Slowly he turned back to her, reached up and brushed the corner of his lips with the cuff of his jacket. His gaze settled back on her, another grin spreading.

"I did apologize. I was just worried that your love for your brother was going to blind you to the duties of what you're supposed to be doing. Going after him now would be the worst thing you could do. I suggest you leave that out of your mind for the present and start making preparations for letting the other Kings know about this situation. Or would you rather let everything fall apart for one little boy?"

Was he trying to get buried alive? If that punishment wasn't legal, she would damn well make it legal in the next ten seconds. Just a little unfortunate accident caused by a tree... that suddenly uprooted all on its own. Accidentally. She raised her hand again, ready to slap that ridiculous smirk off his face.

Eugene's fist intervened, catching her by the wrist a second before impact. "Don't," he growled, the hatred radiating off him.

The protector then proceeded to punch Hebi square in the face. "Let me."

Well, he hadn't been expecting Eugene to step in, but with the protectors short fuse involved anyway, it was sure to happen sooner or later. He was knocked backwards, taking the hit full on. Hebi crashed into one of the decorative tables behind him, knocking over a few vases and the like. He reached up, covering his nose that was now bleeding. Proceeding to wipe the blood away and shaking his hand, he glowered at Eugene.

"In front of the lady... my how we've sunk," he taunted, "Perhaps we should take this outside instead, hu? My Lady, I suggest you ready a few notes to send to the other Kings. The sooner they know the better. Who knows, you could be doing them a great service by letting them know someone is out there for their orbs. As well as yours... not that it's really yours," he grinned.

She had to keep her mouth shut. She had to keep her mouth shut. She was trying to be a proper lady, she had to be a good Queen. That meant leaving her old lifestyle behind... The rough and tumble one... There had been quite a number of instances Eugene had had to drag her away from fights with multiple people. Even though she knew full well that he probably wanted to jump in as well. But one of them had to be the dignified one. Tsk.

She was literally trembling, using every ounce of her willpower not to pounce on the protector and show him a thing or two about this "orb" business. How could this man have survived in the court this long? How could her brother have even tolerated him? She had never been this annoyed at any one person before. She had to leave the scene. Before she exploded.. well, more than she already had.

Without another word but a flick of her cloak, the feathers of which hitting Hebi, she turned on her heel and walked down an adjoining hallway. Oh she'd send notes to the other kingdoms alright. Right after she found a place to calm down. She made no attempts to restrain Eugene. If he wanted to take Hebi up on that offer--well, she'd just pretend she had no idea. After all, she technically hadn't seen a thing.

---

---

Aeraki snorted when the note was plastered on her forehead. It did little to wake her, in fact... it just made her slump over a bit and release such a tremendous snore that it caused the brooms to rattle and fall over their stands. For the untrained in the fae's ways, this surely would've raised several points of concern. But fortunately, at least for the Air King, this wasn't a point of alarm.

She giggled in her sleep, drooling openly as she dreamed of new paints and a brand new canvas for her to sketch life on. Her left hand moved about in her sleep and began to spill out droplets of the multi-colored liquid she used in her pictures. The paint fell onto the surface of a wooden table and she began to sleep-draw a picture of a rather balloon-chubby dragon that was trying to eat Kanan. The dragon didn't breathe fire though--no, it blew balloons. Thousands upon thousands of balloons. It had short, pudgy arms that barely did anything at all and little, miniscule wings that weren't even remotely noticeable.

Whether it was a chain reaction from her mana responding to her paint brush or maybe it was due to the sheer presence of the King. Either way, the bubble dragon began to take shape, its tubby belly coming out from the surface first. It gave a cute little chirp, apparently a sleeping Aeraki could not equip her paintings with the proper audio commands. And then it settled its beady empty eyes... on Kanan.

Aeraki was none-the-wiser to what was going on and continued to paint it into existence. The dragon took a deep breath and aimed its balloon fire at him, the objects coming out from its mouth at speeds that may have just rivaled the King's--if some marks slower, that is.

Well, apparently it was training time.

“No need to bow Kanan. If you want to revere me help me reign in Aeraki’s behavior. That meeting was a disaster. I guess there’s no chance of awaking her again. Although, at least this time she’s not causing the building to shake.”

Kanan lifted himself up off the floor and stood straight before his King once the man had gestured for him to do so. He flicked his eye over to look at Aeraki for a brief moment before suppressing his sigh of annoyance. The girl was a problem to say the least, but Kanan never spoke it aloud. She had been the source of his getting into trouble with their new King nine times out of ten. The other few times were her own damned fault, but mostly he ended up being brought into the picture one way or another.

“I brought both of you here for a reason, but for the time being I’ll just have to be content with informing one of you. I was going to discuss this in the meeting before we were interrupted. But from now on, you two need to be alert. Which I know will be impossible for some of you.”

This time Kanan did sigh, his head bowing forward slightly as he knew exactly what Lord Brendon meant. Aeraki was the least 'alert' person on the planet. At least, that's how the air protector viewed her. An explosion could go off right next to her and she wouldn't care. He'd always wondered how she'd become a protector, especially since her view towards the job was far less than exemplary.

“The water king is dead. The orb is missing and their entire empire is in uproar. Currently we haven’t the slightest inclination on who did it. Rest assured though, everyone’s going to be pointing their swords at each other, but we have to be ahead of them. There’s a chance that someone will target me or the other kingdoms because we can only assume their goal is the orbs. So, for the time being, I want you two to investigate the murder.”

This snapped Kanan's attention straight to him. He felt a hard lump at the back of his throat and he was immeditaly on alert. Every sense in his body seemed to have been turned on and he could feel the cold presence of everything in the storage room. It came with his being a child soldier. Kanan had learned to feel the presence of others, and given enough time with being around some people, he could tell who it was. Aeraki he could feel right next to him without having to look at her.

Kanan watched as their King wrote on a pad that he'd produced : ‘Water king dead, be on alert’, and then attached the parchment to the girls forehead. An pale eyebrow lifted as the air protector watched. He wondered briefly if she would even understand the implications that were written on that little note.

“That’s it for now. You already know how I expect you to conduct yourselves.”

Kanan bowed to his King, "My Lord," he stated simply, having nothing else to say or comment on the situation. Even if he did, he wouldn't speak his mind unless asked to, or if he thought that it really needed to be said. Just as Kanan was preparing to leave the secluded room, he heard Aeraki giggle.

At that particular moment, he had curiosity running through him, but in actuality he probably should have just left the room without waiting to see what she was laughing about. Her pen was beginning to draw on the table, and soon an adorable little dragon had begun popping out of the table. He watched it with a faint blush for a few moments, at least until it started spouting random circular objects at him.

With a kind of half startled half shocked noise from his mouth, Kanan shied away and quickly took the handle of the door. Shoving it opened, he whirled around quickly and shut it tightly, hearing a loud popping issuing from the other side. With a heaved sigh, he closed his eye, shoulders sagging slightly. She was hopeless... absolutely hopeless.



"Well, as much fun as this has been, dear Eugene," Hebi stated, still wiping blood from his upper lip and nose, "I must take my leave. With our dear Lady sending those notes out, we should prepare for just about anything. You never know what Lord Brendon or Lord Siya will do with that information."

He pushed himself off the table and straightened his clothes, his sickly green gaze never leaving Eugene's. As much fun as it was to torment the man before him, Hebi knew his limits. The man was much stronger than himself, and Hebi wasn't one for odds that were stacked against him. Give him the upper hand, well... that's a different matter entirely.

Hebi's grin hardly vanished as he turned on his heel and headed down the hallway, ignoring the other protector completely. He had better things to do than have a nice sparring match with Eugene at that moment. As he walked away and when there was no one around him, his smile faded to an awful scowl. The uppity bitch had certainly known where to prod. He would have to be very careful around her when she asked him specific questions.

Hebi hadn't really wanted to taunt her so much, but it kept her from pressing him further about the situation about her brother. So long as he wasn't around for the time being, that made things easier. Fool thy ally... fool thy enemy. Well... sort of, Hebi grinned at the thought.



"You had best see what Her Majesty has to say, Sire."

Siya nodded and proceeded to open the note. He was already shaken by the news from Seth's servant. The Water King was dead? How? When, exactly? What did that mean for the rest of them? His fingers shook ever so slightly as he opened the document. Inside were only a few words, and much the same as what he'd just heard.

"Lady Bephat... she's sitting on the throne?" He said aloud, but brushed it aside. It was unimportant right then, "No matter, she says the same as your information," he said and folded the paper, tucking it into his clothes for safe keeping. With a shake of his head he sighed heavily, one hand reaching up and clenching the black cloth over his chest and heart. Just off to the left, deep inside his chest was the fire orb, pulsing it's power through him, though he couldn't feel it.

"I'll write to her, informing her that I wish to hold an audience with her," then he remembered that the following day was when he was supposed to meet with the nobles. Damn. With a heavy sigh and a roll of his eyes, he turned to face the dead tree, arms crossed over his chest, "I'll tell her that we'll see her in a few days. We have to deal with those damned nobles tomorrow first. What a bother," his breath released out of his chest and he let his arms fall to his sides.

"Thank you, Seth," he said and made his way out of the garden area. His thoughts roamed between what Seth had told him when they were alone, and the fact that the Water King was dead. The latter taking more precedence than the former of course. When he reached his study, he quickly sat and jotted out the response he had in mind. Attaching it to a messenger bird he sent it out his window and watched it fly out of his palace. Siya turned away and leaned against the window, deep in thought. He had a bad feeling about the coming days.

---

---

The following day / Morning

"Marie!" Siya's voice echoed down the hall as he hurriedly tried to find his other protector. He was rushing down the hallway, searching for her frantically. The meeting with the nobles was about to start and he wanted her there with him. She rarely attended such things, but he thought it was for the best seeing as she was not from their country. The more she was exposed to their language and the like, the more she could understand. At least, that's what Siya figured.

"Marie!!" He shouted, moving quickly down the hall. Then his halted in his steps completely. Of course! How could he have forgotten. Slamming the palm of his hand into his forehead he whirled around on his heel and headed for the training grounds. She was almost always there. He slid to a stop, leaning against the archway as he looked out into the area where his soldiers were practicing. With a beaming smile he spotted her and began to beckon her to come with him.

"Marie, hurry. Come with me."

Once the girl was in tow, Siya hurried down the hall to the council room that was hardly ever used. He opened the double doors and allowed her in before moving to take his seat. The last thing he wanted was to be late... again. With a heaved sigh of relief that he'd made it just in time, he relaxed himself in the chair and waited for the nobles to arrive.

---

Crystal blue orbs examined the shining, swirling blue stone in his hand. The round stone was warm in his hand, pulsing even. It was reacting to him. That was a good sign. Lifting it, he positioned the orb in just the same spot as to where the sun was shining. The golden light illuminated the blue orb between his fingers. After a moment, he slowly retracted his hand and pressed the orb to his chest.

At first the hard stone did nothing but rest against his clothes, the pressure sustained against his breast. Then something did happen, and the orb began to sink into him. His eyes closed, a deep breath filling his lungs as the orb passed through his skin and settled deep into his body near his heart. Finally... he'd been longing to find them. The orbs that belonged to him.

Opening his eyes, he reached out and flexed his hand experimentally. With a thought, water began to collect around his finger tips and swirl in little spirals around his wrist and hand. A slim smile crossed his features and he released the power, the water falling from his fingers. Looking over to his right and just a bit behind him, he watched the being known as Tarean.

"Get ready. Start where ever pleases you."

---

The meeting had progressed deeply. Well... rather it was getting into a heated discussion rather than a civil one. Some of the nobles made their standing rather clear that they disliked Siya entirely. Others seemed not to mind him so long as he didn't come crashing down on them with his power. There were only two that were keen on sticking up for the young King.

As the meeting deepened, it soon became apparent that Siya was never going to get a word in edge wise, and so he'd settled back against his chair with his head resting against his hand that was propped against the arm of the chair. As he sat there, he began to feel a little strange. He put it off as fatigue from the very boring and taxing meeting he was currently in the middle of. However, as the conversation carried on, his chest started to hurt a bit, giving him much discomfort.

He closed his eyes for a moment, a frown on his lips as he sat there, trying his best to ignore it. Even so, whatever it was, grew in intensity steadily. He could feel his body getting hotter, and a dull ache pulsing through his chest that increased as well. Breathing soon became difficult, coming in short pants of air. His eyes opened and he could barely focus on the table before him.

"My Lord?"

"Your Highness?"

Several voices echoed towards him. Siya couldn't tell who was speaking, but in order to keep his sudden condition under wraps, he flipped his hand outwards at them, feigning anger, "Enough," he panted, "I'm ending this meeting. We'll reconvene another time," his voice held a finality tone to it and he hoped it was enough to get them to leave. He kept his position as the group stood and ambled out of the room, whispering to each other. Siya hardly cared as he was struggling to keep his appearances.

Once the double doors closed, he fell forward, clutching his chest with one hand whilst the other slammed against the table before him. The orb, which he could never feel before, was burning in his chest. It was acting weird, almost as if it were reacting to some unknown element. Siya pushed away from the table and got to his feet. Turning, he started to make his way from the council room. He only got a few steps away before he collapsed onto the floor. It felt as if he were burning alive. Everything spun around him and he could do nothing but curl into a ball on the floor. Completely at the mercy of his own charge, he clenched his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Make it...stop...please," he muttered, though even he wasn't entirely sure if the words had slipped out of his mouth. Soon after he fell unconscious from it.

---

Brendon Stratos

---

“Charming,” he breathed as the whimsical fairy proceeded to terrorize Kanan with yet another figment, a balloon breathing dragon on this particular occasion. Being the sole focus of her harmless antagonism, his other protector was non-too-pleased by the fact and promptly fled the room in the desperate bid to escape her machinations, offering an incredulous look as he did so. Brendon imagined it wasn’t the last he’d see of that look. Kanan wasn’t the first or last person to question the purpose of Aeraki, noting that her presence within the kingdom was an oddity itself. Some theorized that even Aeraki had a purpose within the Air King’s plans, in fact that was the only logical conclusion if one considered Brendon’s pragmatism.

Following Kanan’s example, Brendon left the room afterwards, leaving the slumbering fae to her musings once more. Ditching the drowsy giggles, there was a slight twinge as he worked the door knob, twisting the handle down before pushing the door out. Brendon wrote off the feeling as trivial as he started down a hallway, cheerfully waving to one of the executives still scampering down the staircase. The aging man, a trade delegate by the name of Foyster blinked in disbelief at Brendon’s appearance. It seemed they’d only just managed to work their way down to the third floor. Expectantly, James appeared shortly afterwards. Huffing breathlessly, his adjutant’s lips twisted into a slight pout upon noticing him.

“If you were going to fetch them yourself, you should’ve just told me,” he chastised, lamenting the wasted effort.

“Oh no no, I had other matters to attend to. They went that way,” Brendon gestured, indicating the next flight of stairs down.

James signed deeply. “Can you at least open the floor up for me, sire?”

“And risk frightening them again?” Brendon replied, showing clear concern which seemed not entirely genuine, “If an earthquake was enough to make them jumpy, I’d tremble to see what a ghost does. Quickly now James, you’ll never catch them at this rate.”

Visibly resisting the urge to groan, his assistant quickly vanished once more to pursue the startled officials. Brendon started in the opposite direction, heading up to return to his office. The distractions were a welcome relief, but he still had work to attend to. Facilitating trade routes, reviewing his spy network, deciding his response to the inevitable to the outcries and a whole list of proposed legislations just as examples.

Abruptly, a sharp pain lanced through his chest cavity. Brendon had made it no more than half way when his limbs gave out, staggering as the pain overwhelmed his senses and forced him to reach out to the railings for support. He didn’t scream, but his brown eyes grew dark before he fell to his knees.

“What…in the heavens?!” he gasped, retching almost to regain his lost breath. The uncomfortable ache had been so sudden that he couldn’t prepare for it. His mind raced to find a solution, even recounting his past steps in the hope of discovering a hint of treachery. When he couldn’t think of any he hissed out another curse, slowly sliding down the wall he leaned against. “If it’s the orb you want, I won’t let you have it!”

Brendon’s power activated on instinct as he reached into himself and drew out the orb. White and perfectly round, it glowed like a pearl in his palm as he prepared to drop it into the abyss which had opened within the staircase. Then the pain was gone, subsiding like a bad dream in the aftermath.

---

Marie Jansen

---

"Marie!!"

Recognizing his voice, the berserker dropped whatever she was doing and immediately bowed down. She had in fact been schooling another knight in the art of war when the King came running, but that hardly prevented her swift response. Her opponent was a fraction slower in noticing his highnesses’ entry and subsequently fumbled in his attempt to properly acknowledge Siya. Unlike many of her fellow gladiators, Siya’s knights had a propensity for ignorance and most ended up being poor game for her skills.

"Marie, hurry. Come with me," Siya said upon sighting her. The kings fair features materialized under an archway as he spectated their activities.

She tilted her head slightly as if not entirely comprehending his demands initially. Siya rarely, if ever, requested her personally unless the matter was of utmost importance. On those rare occasions she was called, it was usually to drag her along to some function or lesson which didn’t involve fighting. Siya had made great pains to accommodate her peculiarities over their short time together. However, if it was important enough to warrant her attention, she wouldn’t question her savior’s judgment.

She was swiftly led to a well-lit conference room, designated so because of its warm interior and long table surrounded by furnished seating. Marie had never seen one of these prior to coming here, though she had visited smaller variations intended for housing a one, maybe two people. The very idea of these elders resolving disputes verbally was alien to her. If they were back in the gladiatorial arena most fighters killed to resolve conflicts. Perhaps this was his wisdom, she couldn’t say. There was a vague feeling of not belonging as she stood to the right side of Siya, ears strained in a vain attempt to understand the complicated phrases spoken at regular intervals. Not that she’d ever think of voicing such trivial concerns to her master.

Gauging Siya’s expression however, the results were mixed and somewhat confusing. All traces of his prior enthusiasm had dissipated and he almost seemed dissatisfied at something. Had she done something to anger him? Upon closer inspection she noticed the king looked paler than usual.

“Your highness, are you oka-” she inquired before being cut off.

"Your Highness?" One of the other men asked.

"Enough. I'm ending this meeting. We'll reconvene another time," Siya stated, apparently fed up. The others nodded and followed his command as they exited the premises.

Abruptly, he doubled over. Fear seized Marie like a vice as she watched him tumble from his seat, rooted by terror. As she regained her ability to move, the berzerker emitted a cry for help, unsheathing her weapons almost simultaneously as she did so.

“Guards!” she screamed again, rushing forwards to receive him. It was all she could do to fend off the impending blood lust that risked taking over her senses.

"Make it...stop...please."

The cold hard floor met his response first. Had he passed out just moments before? A soft groan filled his ears, and then other noises followed. Ah, right. He'd just been in a meeting with the nobles, during that meeting he'd felt his orb go haywire. It had burned in his chest and he'd felt like he was being cooked alive. What a terrible feeling. Even so, it was gone right then, that much he was thankful for.

Cracking his eyes opened, he looked upon the face of his foreign protector, Marie. She had her weapons drawn and looked as if she were about to rip apart anyone that drew near them. He really had to work on getting her settled down more. Well, maybe not... it's what made her a good protector he supposed.

Slowly sitting up, he pressed the palm of his hand to his forehead, "I'm alright," he told her trying to calm her. He hoped it worked, though he didn't think it did. His voice hardly held the usual confidence he had. He groaned again, this time in annoyance.

"Go find Seth," he ordered Marie and began to stand on his own. He stumbled slightly, dizzy from having fallen over. His hands shook too, the normal response to passing out. Leaning forward he grabbed the back of the chair he'd been sitting in moments before. Well, there goes the meeting... not like it was going good anyway he thought.

Taking a deep breath he stared at the floor, an eyebrow curling downwards as he thought back to the sudden attack. His orb had reacted to something, what that was though, he couldn't put his finger on. What he did know, though, was that no one was attacking his castle. It was something else entirely and he didn't like the feeling that it gave him. Maybe it had something to do with the Water King's death? His heart froze for a mere moment at the thought. One hand snaked upwards and clenched the cloth of his black robes tightly, just over his orb.

Whatever it was, it wasn't good. Siya concluded that he would have to rely on Seth's spy network more so than he wished. He would have to confide in the protector as well. He bit his bottom lip thoughtfully. He hoped that with Seth's abilities, things could be figured out rather quickly. Hopefully...





Kanan moved swiftly through the hallway. His one good eye shifting from one side to the other. Lord Brendon's orders to investigate the death of the Water King still rung in his head. The first thought was to go there himself, but then he would have to leave Brendon's side for a time and he didn't trust Aeraki enough to do her job. If someone was out to kill the King's, then Kanan preferred very much to stay as close to his King as possible.

After all, the girl had just slept through a meeting, slept standing up when Brendon had dropped them through the floor to the basement and even drew a damned dragon in her sleep. A dragon that had launched colorful balloons at Kanan no less. His lips frowned and he moved down the hall at a brisker pace, feeling a bit embarrassed and frustrated at the situation. Did the fae take anything seriously? Probably not.

In his hasty retreat from the basement room, Kanan then realized that he'd gone the wrong direction. He'd originally wished to get up to the library and he had unknowingly taken the wrong hallway. He stopped, halting completely and sighed lightly. Running a hand through his hair, he turned and started back the way he'd come. Luckily enough, though, the stairs to another section of the palace were not to far behind him and a few detours would get him where he wanted to be.

It was several minutes later, but Kanan had finally gotten back on track, all that was left was descending another flight of stairs and then right down the hallway to the room he wanted. However, as he came down the stairs, Kanan found a peculiar sight. He noted the man sitting down in an awkward position on the stairs, but after a closer look, he realized it was Lord Brendon.

Immediately he was on edge. Something had happened and as he dropped down several stairs to get to his King's side, he also noted that Brendon had withdrawn his own orb. Kanan unsheathed his sword and with a bit of concentration, several pieces of metal on his person disappeared into a flash of blue particles that sunk into his body. A couple of chains that had hung from his neck and two rings around his fingers disappeared into the blue mass.

"My lord?" He asked softly, albeit urgently. He was about ready to start tearing through anything that moved close to them.

---

Brendon Stratos

---

Brendon turned the glowing orb within his palm, carefully inspecting its smooth textures for any sign or cause for his pain. Whatever had just occurred certainly wasn’t ordinary, and after a few staggering seconds of careful observation, he resigned to resolve the matter later. Though dependant on their power, it was almost always frightening to realize how little he and his predecessors understood of the orb and its origins. Who created them? What was the extent of their power? And how did the orbs interact so instinctually with one another? For all of his invested efforts, and he had certainly invested a great deal into researching them, Brendon had come up with frustratingly few satisfying answers to his long list of queries surrounding the orbs.

"My lord?"

The questioning tone punctured his air of solitude, and Brendon’s head snapped up in response. Fortunately, the voice belonged to that of his protector, Kanan, and the tension in his shoulders eased, even if only a little. Bounding down the steps to reach him, the young man appeared armed and confusion, mixed with concern, radiated beneath the ruffled locks of white hair as the protector regarded their environment. His eyes scanned the stairwell in their vigilance, on the look-out for potential danger. Brendon had to resist the urge to chastise him right there and then, reminding himself it wasn’t an entirely unexpected reaction given the strange circumstances with which he’d been found in.

“Strange relics, aren’t they?” Brendon replied casually, taking the orb and depositing it under his armpits for the time being. Exposing the orb briefly was worth the risk if it meant he could avoid another…episode. “I’m always keen to learn more about them in the hopes that we may better utilize their power.”

The comment was intentionally offhanded and meant to prevent his protector from pressing the issue. Despite being perfectly aware of what the situation appeared like, Brendon was also certain he had the orb’s affects firmly under control for the time being. “Though I suppose if nothing else, they do serve as excellent bowling balls,” he smirked, “You’ve returned rather quickly after I told you to be on the lookout for suspicious activity Mister Thiyer, do you have something new to report to me already?”

---

Marie Jansen

---

Even if she were to be deprived of all her keen senses then, Marie would’ve still been able to tell his lordship was experiencing great pain. Siya struggled to stand on his own as his body shook from the effects of whatever ailed him. Her mind struggled at first, riding the line between panic and outrage as she tried to comprehend the danger, first bending close to check for wounds before drawing back to secure the meeting area. There were no physical wounds, at least none she could detect, but Marie knew that killing methods outside of magic and weapons existed. During her imprisonment, a few gladiators had even specialized in such understated skills, poison. She watched helpless first as he stumbled then groaned from the effort of lifting his own weight up to the back of his chair.

"I'm alright, he stated, unconvincingly. Marie shook her head stubbornly at first, refusing to stand down even if it meant denying his will. Though Siya looked as if he was fine, the sudden weakness was the perfect chance for others to strike, and Marie would never allow such danger to befall upon the fire king. Neither was he in the right state of mind to make such a call.

Siya seemed to pick up on what she doing, and after a second groan, prompted her to seek out the aid of another. "Go find Seth," he said, this time ordering her to fulfill her duty. Marie’s stern features furrowed in resistance, glancing doubtfully at Siya for the briefest of seconds before finally acquiescing to his command. Realizing she couldn’t help provide a cure if it was poison, she nodded slowly and then all but kicked down the doors in her haste to find the senior guardian.

“Protect King Ukomo, no matter what!” she hissed, threatening retribution to a squadron of guards located outside. Too busy worrying over the king’s welfare to think off enlist their assistance in locating Seth, she continued forwards without pause. Then again, she didn't really need the assistance either, she was perfectly capable of pinpointing the adviser's location provided he was still on premises. One of the first things she’d noticed about Seth was his uniquely metallic scent, and she was able to detect that strange aroma now somewhere within the arenas. Breathing out, Marie proceeded to run through the winding corridors at speeds which would’ve made even infamously agile air king jealous.

She appeared finally as a group of trainees dispersed from the tall, red head, her entrance punctured by the shattering of glass as she burst through a window.

“Seth! Please help! King Ukomo is hurt!”

He was seated on the floor against the back of the chair that had been his during the meeting. Only a few elite guards stood in the room, their hands on their weapons as they eyed the area. They had come after Sagi had left to go retrieve Seth and Marie. The young King didn't say anything to them as they stood guard.

His legs were pulled up near his chest as he sat there, eyes closed and head in his hands. Siya felt tired, shaky too. The orb wasn't hurting him, but the feeling of it still lingered, making him grimace slightly every so often. Finally, reaching down his hand clenched the fabric of his black robes while the other continued to hold his head. Hurry back.

The urgency in Seth's steps was tempered by experience, and the knowledge that his help would be of the same value whether it reached the King immediately or almost immediately. It was unbecoming to worry overmuch, and he did not make a habit of it, though certainly some concern was warranted by the present circumstances. In the end, it was perhaps only a minute or two from the moment Sagi had shown up on the practice grounds that the three walked back into the meeting room, Seth in the lead.

He immediately registered the details of the situation, noting that though Siya appeared uncomfortable, he did not seem to be in particularly egregious distress, though from the body language of all those present, it was clear that this may not have been the case previously. Frowning slightly, Seth moved to the king's side, kneeling before the young man's chair. Though the gesture was one of deference, he seemed to lose none of his consummate dignity for making it, a balance which was rather hard to strike in the learning but had become as second nature to him.

"Sire? What ails you?" His tone was even, lacking even the barest trace of panic, but all the same, it would be evident at least to Siya that the inquiry was genuine. Seth never spoke without a purpose.

"Seth," he answered with an obvious sigh of relief at the sight of his protectors back at his side. Glancing up towards the guards, he waved his hand at them to leave the room. When the door closed and it was just them, only then did Siya fully explain the situation.

"Something happened to the orb. I've never felt it before, and yet during the meeting it was like it was burning me alive. I couldn't contain it... I think I may have lost consciousness," he added a bit unsure of that fact, "In any case. I'm worried as to what it may mean. Any ideas, Seth?"

The guardian allowed none of it to pass from his mind to his face, but the news was a source of perturbation. He'd not heard of such a phenomenon before, and as he'd served every single monarch since the days of the realm's founding, that was quite the oddity. Pursing his lips, he gave the matter some thought, connecting what few dots he had available to him. The orbs were not of this plane, but another, just as he was. They were all connected to one another, and he had a conjecture on that, but he was not sure that now was the time to reveal it.

He suspected that the dead King's orb had fallen into ill possession, and that the other orbs were reacting to this. But he was not certain that they would do so, nor what kind of being would be malicious enough to cause such a thing. Mere excessive ambition or morally-questionable traits would not do it-- he'd served people with dispositions of this kind.

For now, he would leave it, and remain more conservative in his speech. "I think," he pronounced slowly, "that you should consider confirming that this event was not isolated, Sire. I believe that if your orb reacted thusly, those belonging to the Earthen and Air monarchs would have as well. Whatever the problem is, I suspect that it will fall to all three of you to solve it."

Reassuring as always, Siya thought to himself. He watched Seth closely as he answered the King's question, enjoying the soothing voice of his protector that always seemed to calm him no matter the situation. Of course the youth had also thought along similar lines, that the other two orb holders might have had a reaction as well. Which brought him to his next point of conversation.

"As I thought," he answered with a nod. Taking a deep breath he felt his shaking was reduced quite a bit, "Well then, as to my next request. We'll be departing to visit Lady Bephat tomorrow. I'll send a messenger bird ahead of us to inform her. From there we'll visit the Lord Brendon."

Seth nodded simply, rising from his crouch and regaining any trace of his composure that he might have lost earlier. "Of course, Sire," he replied quietly, inclining himself forward in a slight bow. "Please allow me to take care of the preparations. For the moment, I believe it would be best if you took some rest in preparation for the journey." Turning to Marie and Sagi, he addressed them next. "Marie, would you be so kind as to see to it that his majesty does not overtax himself between now and then?" Siya wasn't always the most receptive to the idea of allowing other people to handle things for him, but Seth did not want him trying to accomplish everything himself when whatever had befallen him might happen again.

"And Sagi, if you are not averse to the suggestion, it may be worthwhile to search the archives for information on this phenomenon." Seth had read everything there was to read in that library over his lifetime, but perhaps a set of fresh eyes with a purpose would find something that he did not remember. His powers of recall were considerable, but they certainly were not perfect.

"I'm alright," Siya tried to raise his voice to be heard over Seth's commanding tone to the other protector. However, that failed and he frowned slightly. With Marie under orders to make sure he didn't do too much, he figured the best thing for right then was to go to his chambers and sleep. Maybe I should eat too, he thought to himself wearily. Seth was much more stubborn than Siya ever could be, something he was learning rather quickly too. Not to mention that there was that tiny bit of intimidation from the tall, broad shouldered protector. Siya was rather small compared to him.

He blushed slightly as he sat there. The red haired protector was only doing his job, making sure that the young King was safe. Pushing himself up to his feet, he used the back of the heavy chair to steady himself, "I guess I will retire to my chambers, then. Something to eat would be most welcome. If it puts you all at ease, I'll rest there," he said softly, "Thank you Seth. Marie," he called her name and gestured towards the door as he made to leave the council room.



“Strange relics, aren’t they? I’m always keen to learn more about them in the hopes that we may better utilize their power.”


Kanan watched his lord very carefully, an eyebrow lifting from underneath the eyepatch he wore. He didn't say anything as the Lord of Air put the orb underneath his arm and continued to make an offhanded remark. The young protector, on the other hand, was far from convinced.

“Though I suppose if nothing else, they do serve as excellent bowling balls. You’ve returned rather quickly after I told you to be on the lookout for suspicious activity Mister Thiyer, do you have something new to report to me already?”

Gah! He had a moment of panic as Lord Brendon faced him fully, his words questioning why exactly Kanan was before him again so soon. He sheathed his sword whilst doing his best to keep his panic from his features.

"My Lord," he started slowly, "I was on my way to research old alliances and possible enemies of the Water King. If I may, my Lord," he paused for a moment, "Send Aeraki to the water kingdom. I would much rather stay by your side. I would feel... better if you had someone here to protect you," he swallowed dryly.

Fairly sure that his words would be taken quite the wrong way, he couldn't help but express his worry anyway, rare as it was for him to do so. Something about this entire situation seemed off to him, and he felt it much better for him to remain by Lord Brendon than to be away from him. Sure Aeraki was strong in her own way, but she didn't take her duties all that seriously, at least that's what Kanan thought anyway.

Even so, should Brendon order him to go to the water kingdom instead, he would follow that order without fail or question. It had been worth a try to offer his suggestion, though.



His face still hurt from where Eugene had struck him the other day. It was sure to swell and bruise. Even so, Hebi smirked at the thought of having gotten under the other protectors skin once again. As he moved down the hallway, he reached into his pocket and produced a glowing green orb. It swirled in a mixture of green's and a bit of black as well. The orb he'd taken from the brother and held onto all this time.

He thought about giving it to Bephat upon seeing her, but then thought better of it. Hebi would hold onto it until she finally came to get it from him, if she thought to get it from him. As he stared at it in the empty hall, the colors swirled together, mashing into each other and looking rather violent. He halted in his steps. The earth protector's lips pulled into a frown as he watched the orb intently.

Something was happening with it, it was reacting to something. What that was, though... Hebi had no idea. Humming softly to himself in curiosity, he pocketed the orb once again and continued on his rounds through the halls. The crafty protector avoided everyone as he went, but at the same time he knew exactly where most everyone was at. It was a specialty of his. All the while he thought about the strange phenomena that had just occurred, the Lady Bephat and the death of the Water King.

---

Brendon Stratos

---

Sitting quietly, alone, Brendon’s calm gaze examined the lengthy contents of a new trade agreement and it’s many, numerous attachments as he sat hunched over his work desk. The document however was transitory, a distraction in light of more immediate concerns such as the potential threat on his life and the orb. Not moments ago he’d received a rather belated letter from the recently appointed earth queen, kindly informing him of the water king’s death and further raising his concerns. The timing of her promotion couldn’t have been mere coincidence, especially after the disappearance of her brother, and organizing a meeting with all three remaining rulers seemed like an especially obvious trap. He’d likely delay his meeting them then, until he could find evidence which proved their innocence, and made a mental note to send a letter later with false reasons for his declining her summons.

Much like your typical office room, its appearance was as much a statement of power as it was indication of to level of strife was currently ongoing within the city. Centered within the modest expanse of open space was a broad, wooden glazed table inscribed with an assortment of cupboards. Bronze handles, likely mined from rich mineral veins beneath the city, provided the necessary access to the numerous compartments. In addition, filing cabinets amongst bookshelves lined the walls not already inhabited by windows, barely masking the grand vista of Priscilla that was afforded by the east balcony.

After his brief reunion with Kanan, Brendon had left the protector without immediate response. The man’s intentions were earnest (at least phrased in the way it was), but Brendon had other plans, though in the end he would partially fulfilled the man’s request. Kanan would just have to settle for getting half of what he wanted. He understood the man’s reservations, but as a protector, he had duties to perform elsewhere. To act not just a brainless guard dog of the air king, but as his eyes and ears.

And thus, that lead the young king to his next decision, to send both of his protectors to the water kingdom. That and Aeraki’s less than reliable (or rather, non-existent) track record for being able to focus on anything other than painting. He thought their contrasting personalities rather suited to each other and chuckled at whatever high jinks the whimsical fairy would no doubt formulate for the staunch protector. Fortunately, Kanan would follow almost whatever order he’d give. Aeraki on the other hand may not be so agreeable.

It came as no surprise to the king then when he heard a growing commotion from outside his balcony. A few shouts where swiftly followed by a lithe shadow as the unusual protector appeared as though she could read his mind, unbidden and hovering beyond the edge of his suite. For one so rarely irritated, she looked awfully angry and her fluttering wings easily carried her short form over the lip of his office porch, enabling her to touch down practically noiselessly before making her approach. Perhaps he should’ve been scared, for the girl looked sufficiently upset with her brows furrowed, the occasions for which were so few and far between he might as well have been witnessing the birth of a new star, but oddly, he reacted uncannily, not even bothering to look up from his work.

“Hello my dear,” he greeted, waving off a few guardsmen who’d burst through his doors the same time she’d entered, “This is a rare occurrence indeed. You seem troubled, what may I do for you?”

---

Eugene Van Goff

---

“I think you should consider a different career,” Eugene remarked unhelpfully as a rather exhausted looking Bephat materialized beyond her doorway. The man’s arms unfolded as he shifted his considerably bulk off the wall he’d been waiting against and stepped in besides her. Unproductive as he may have seemed, Eugene couldn’t do a whole lot else to be honest, confined to essentially a lifetime of guardianship.

“Perhaps acting? Anything but interior decoration. I hate what you’ve done with the place,” he commented further, mocking the red embroidery of their guests and her supposed efforts with a cursory gaze. From his point of view, the organic architecture of Bephat’s empire, Domirae Terra, tended to clash horribly with the harsher designs of the fire kingdom. “On a somewhat related note however, are you entirely sure this attack wasn’t perpetrated by one or possibly all the kings you have arranged a meeting with? It seems only plausible that one of the others would have an agenda, and given knowledge of the orbs isn’t widespread; few others would advocate such anarchy. Except Hebi probably.”