"We are an envoy sent on behalf of His Majesty, the Emperor Shimizu Takayama, of the Taiyou Empire of Greater Niihama, I am Prime Minister Yoko Kayabuki, this is Crown Princess Yukiko Takayama, and this is Director Seno Miyagi, head of the Science Division of the Ministry of Technology, and Culture. We have come to seek an audience with your king, and to demand answers as to why our people were attacked unprovoked."
Jarl Evan watched them all carefully, obviously distrustful about their intentions. For a moment he glanced back to his shield and spear, both of which were just a few feet behind him leaning against a rock. He turned and looked at the prime minister silently before Yukiko slid her cellphone into her pocket and warned him not to do anything stupid. The jarl had never seen a cellphone before, but he didn't trust Yukiko or any of the other Taiyou in the white robes, nor the devices they were carrying. Something about them was fishy, and the Norse petty chieftain had his own questions. "How do you know our language? Where is Omar?" he asked suddenly, never bothering to introduce himself. He turned his attention then to Seno Miyagi, recognizing him by his glasses. "And you, where is that medicine you promised?" Jarl Evan glared distrustfully at the science director before turning his attention back to Kamidake and his red orb staff. The petty chieftain stood there quietly, unthreateningly but also unafraid. He was stalling the Taiyou so that Ryan the Freeman and Rolind Skjalsson, his two younger brothers, could sneak away and escape. Ryan, Rolind, Evan and their other brother Erling Snake were all sons of Skjal the Merciless from the House of Norway, and so it was Evan's responsibility as a jarl and a brother to protect his kinsmen and his king.
Ryan and Rolind would listen quietly to Jarl Evan's conversation with the Taiyou, then creep away silently and forewarn any of the other Norsemen they came across throughout the cave tunnels. The word of Princess Yukiko's arrival spread quickly to the surface where the two dozen guards from the watchtower were already waiting. Meanwhile, another small group of guards led by Lord Ivan were escorting King Sigurd's prisoner Kraiger Nallesson in chains up to the the long stone stairway to the watchtower, where they would imprison him inside the tower's lightless dungeon. As news of the princess's arrival spread, other goings on would occur back at the Great Hall that would eventually effect the Norsemen's relationship with their Taiyou neighbors. King Sigurd had a great deal of issues to consider now as he looked around the animal skinned tent where the young Takao Eguchi was standing, somewhat frantic and confused by the Norse attack on the gateway.
But as Takao unleashed his own frustrations, King Sigurd remained silent, listening to everything while making his own mental decisions. It wasn't until Takao became too excited around the king that Bruce placed a hand on the hilt of his sword, causing the young man to instantly stop talking and take a seat. Suddenly the Taiyou researcher wasn't angry, he was afraid. Lord Bruce of Essex stood idly by though, awaiting orders as the news of Seno Miyagi's return reached the gates and the Norsemen began to gather in the great hall. King Sigurd would turn to look at Bruce once more before looking at Takao and smiling. "You will be going home soon my friend. Be sure to tell your people good things about me... Make sure he doesn't leave," King Sigurd smirked, patting Takao on the shoulder before turning and leaving the tent. "This is not good," Bruce of Essex shook his head with a sigh, waiting quietly by the tent entrance, as he was still sworn to accompany and protect Takao as his personal bodyguard against any of the other Norsemen who might've wished to kill him over the time he had been Sigurd's guest.
Brunnard the Blacksmith had also taken King Sigurd up on his offer and had gone to the great hall, where everyone waited for the king to take his throne again. Takao and Bruce would stare around each other in ackward silence, Takao tapping lightly on his own knees while staring at the ceiling as Bruce bit his own lip and lowered his head quietly just staring at him. But despite the humor, there were other forces at work in Iskjerne Bay that would soon disturb the silence. "Tap-tap-tap!" three slender arrows would suddenly bounce off the dome shaped walls of the tent. For although the tent was covered with multiple layers of animal furs, they had been weatherproofed and strengthened, and were reinforced by large megafauna bones which deflected the arrows with ease. Bruce and Takao were under attack. "What was that?" Takao asked quietly, looking up at the domed rooftop. Bruce of Essex would pick up his shield and unsheath his sword, turning to step outside and intending to investigate the matter when suddenly he was impaled right in front of Takao, a sharp steel sword protruding from Bruce's back shoulder before he was pushed back into the tent and the bloody blade was withdrawn from his body. Bruce stumbled and fell over at Takao's feet as a black knight entered the tent wearing full crusader-type body armor holding the bloody sword in both hands while looking at Takao Eguchi from behind a full-visored helmet.
