"I think she's bored again." A woman whispered from her seat, gazing over at her queen who was gazing dully out a window in the throne room. "I think so too." The man across her replied shifting slightly. "Where do you think she'll go?" He asked, looking at the woman across from him. "Who knows…" The woman replied with a slight shrug. "there are so many places. I wonder what she'll bring back this time…" She wondered. A pair of mystic, otherworldly, golden eyes flicked over to the two servants sitting several feet away from the throne she sat in, one leg drawn over the other and she was leaning forward a bit. She wore a royal-blue, long sleeve, shirt with three buttons near the neck. She had on thin black pants and an open thigh short black silver frilled skirt and she wore a pair of light brown boots.
She was bored as they were saying, she wasn't sure she wanted to go anywhere though. That last world had been a mistake to go to, some ghost was killing people…along with a few others. Sachiko or something was the ghost's name; Lua had no plans of ever going there again. She let out a long sigh and brushed her long white hair over her shoulder, as it had fallen forward, as she leaned on the wide silver throne arm. Good heavens it shouldn't be possible to be this bored! Living for thousands of years though...boredom comes easy.
She stood from her throne, coming to her full, very tall, height and smoothed out her clothing which only slightly showed her perfect lovely hourglass shape and began to make her way through the large white marble throne room. She gazed at the walls and floor with a critical eye, making sure the changes were as they should be. There was a golden decoration on the walls with gems embedded into the wall matching with the gold. The deep crimson carpet looked to have been made recently…that wasn't necessary, she had asked for something finely crafted, not new. They didn't have to do all the extra work...at least it looked good.
The two servants stood quickly and bowed their heads to her as she passed, she waved a hand at them, silently informing them to carry out other duties as the throne room was fine the way it was. She kept walking, her destination was the library.
[~~~*~~~]
"Good evening Lady Lua, what are you looking for today?" Sulee asked behind the counter, leaning against it on her arms. "I'm not sure…training based things, skills getting better, beautiful, foreign, full of life and maybe...a monster of some sort." Lua said with a small shrug. "Hmm…well that is a lot to cover I hope you know." Sulee said rubbing her arm awkwardly. Why did Lady Lua ask for places like that? There was quite a lot. "It's fine," Lua said waving a pale hand. "I have time." She finished, laying her head on her hand as she waited.
Sulee sighed, nodding. "Okay, I'm warning you though, it's going to be a lot." She warned, turning to the back room and heading in to get what was needed. She came back out a few seconds later with a small box in her hands. "Here is all the basics, after your trip to Skyrim, I know to just give you these." Sulee handed her the box and watched her Lady head over to the sitting area to go through all she had been given. She'd have to call the kitchens to send up lunch and dinner, she hadn't been kidding when she said there was a lot.
[~~~*~~~]
As Lua read through the books for several hours, long past dinner time she couldn't decide where she wanted to go. There were just far too many places! They all sounded wonderful making it very hard. "Nope," She said sharply pushing away a book about a world that's power was based on necromancy. "Not even going to open that." She said, before looking at the pile. "Really?" She said in disbelief finding more books based around the power. "Shoo!" She hissed at the books shoving them away.
As the books fell from their pile, one slipped out from between two large ones and caught her eye. An eight pronged grey star rested on the cover, after a few seconds it turned to a rainbow colored star of the same design. "Hn...interesting." She gazed at it for a time then decided to quickly flick through the book to learn about what she was looking at.
An hour or so later she was asking Sulee for the main book the 'Secret Stones' came from, that was mentioned in the book. The next book she got was rather large and had the image of a blue glowing cube, it wasn't a perfect square as it had bumps and edges; though it was beautiful all the same. Even without being near the cube itself she could sense some kind of power...this was promising. She went back to the sitting area to read the large book; it took her around three hours to finish it and she was hooked on this place. She was going!
"How long will you be gone for my Lady?" Sulee asked just before Lua left. "Erm…" Lua herself wasn't sure. "I have no clue honestly." She said giving Sulee a sheepish look, making the woman sigh. "I'll be back when I'm back though!" She stated with a cheeky grin and took off. Sulee laughed softly to herself and shook her head at her queen's antics. She may be queen but she wasn't stuck up...nor did she have the expression that goes with 'having a stick up her butt'.
[~~~*~~~]
"...Again?" The male questioned "It's only been thirty years." The transport minder said as he gazed at his queen in surprise. "I get bored very easy, you know that." She said crossing her arms over her chest and tapping her boot covered foot. "I need to be doing something all the time." She stated, giving an annoyed expression to the transport minder.
The man sighed and waved toward the transport. "Alright then...you did tell your friends they were in charge before you came, right?" He asked, eyes narrowing, making Lua smile. "Yes Mr. Worry-Wart I did, now shoo, shoo." She playfully pushed him away, earning a snort and a chuckle. She pulled up the faded, glowing, blue-silver rimmed, screen for the transport.
"Welcome," The computerized voice asked as it turned on. "What is it you desire?" Several options came up, making Lua smile. Lua clicked all she needed to reach the place, then set in a specific location so as not to scare the living daylights out of any guards...or the queen of the area herself. Scaring the woman would not be a good way to start things off after all.
"Standby while preparations are being done, it shall be completed in 10...9...8…" As the voice counted down, the Transport Minder caught Lua's attention. "See you later Lady Lua," The Transport minder said gently. "You can handle pain and all but please avoid dying or losing limbs." He asked sincerely. She gave him a grin. "I promise nothing." She gave him a salute as the glowing white and blue rune circle appeared under her, then she was gone.
[~~~*~~~]
Everything was peacefully silent within the throne room of Aura Kingdom, as the Queen looked at a parchment that was given to her earlier that day. Her black hair was pulled into a long braid down her back, golden eyes skimming the words with boredom as her nails tapped against the armrest of her white chair. Her long light blue, trimmed white, dress fell down to her feet where blue heels were seen poking as her legs were crossed. A staff rested across her lap, the tip was shaped in that of a heart and it looked as though something was resided within the center. The staff itself was white and light blue, giving off a light blue glow that was barely noticeable yet if one were close enough, one would feel the power that radiated from the staff.
The Queen looked above her, staring at a blue glowing Cube that filled the room with warmth, despite the cold weather that had come in as winter closed upon them. The Cube wasn't a perfect square, it was jagged and bumps were here and there; though that was how the Cube was made. The sounds of something clicking against the dark blue marble floor caught the Queen's attention as she looked away from the paper's in her hand, seeing her husband walking in. "I thought you would be asleep by now, night is closing in." The man said, walking up the small flight of steps that lead to the chairs.
The woman smiled lovingly at him, her golden eyes lighting up with delight. "Is Marianne asleep?" The woman questioned, the man nodded as he leaned down to kiss her. "She is asleep Maria and so should you; the last few days have been rough with the power of demonic energy from Pandemonium running rampant." He warned and the woman, Maria, sighed. "I cannot Darius, I must stay awake until the problems are resolved, I got word from Rainmist Reach that demons have appeared again and are running amok." Maria stated as she showed him the parchment.
Darius scanned it before sighing heavily, rubbing his neck. "Shall I send Incediana and Alucard out tomorrow?" He asked, the duo having become quite the team ever since Incediana and Alucard confessed. "I would appreciate that." Maria confessed and Darius smiled before kissing her one last time. "Get to bed soon, I hate seeing you so run down." He admitted, receiving a nod from Maria, he left the throne room, the large white doors closing behind him.
Maria slumped in her chair a little, the dark blue cushion doing nothing to soothe her sore muscles; her gaze once again travelling to the cube as it glowed brighter and Maria's eyes narrowed and hardened. She straightened herself and lifted a hand, the cube lowering to float before her; closing her eyes she pressed her hand against the cube, a blue glow overcoming her as the power of Gaia rushed through her, allowing her to see everything that was happening within Terra.
Since having defeated Reinhardt and the demons less than ten years ago, she had been watching over Terra non-stop, making sure demons never rose to such power again. She had to make sure the people of Terra, her daughter and husband, her family, her friends were safe! She had to protect them at all costs...this even meant she would leave the castle to deal with problems herself. It was something the Eidolon's scolded her for; being almost thirty years old and still acting reckless.
As her friend, Commander Andre, had so 'lightly' put it though this usually resulted in Anya, Andre's own wife and a woman who was very much like a sister to Maria, to kick his ass for acting like that. 'I see...another power is coming here…' The Queen thought as she felt a shift in Gaian energy...it was faint...but it was there. Her Eidolon's; Sachi the cheery sylph, Saari the Champion of the Slain, and Quelkulan the miasmic serpent all appeared as they waited around the throne room.
Sachi was right beside her Queen, her teal eyes looking around as the shift in energy grew more noticeable. Saari was off to the far right, her long white hair held under a helmet as piercing blue eyes glance about with hostility. Who would dare enter the castle unannounced? Quelkulan was off to the far left, his long body staying off the ground as his giant wings flapped, yet no sound came from his position as he seemed to blend into the darkness of the walls as did Saari as the glow of the Cube dimmed. The four pillars that stood within the throne room, each having a smaller version of the cube dimmed their lights as well...in case this were a foe, the darkness would provide cover from the Eidolon's to protect their Queen.
[~~~*~~~]
Lua wasn't overly fond of the transport feeling, she couldn't describe it if she tried though...it was unpleasant. She felt what odd movement there was in the transport stop, the rune circle appeared under her, then she found herself facing a large gate with two guards in front of it that tensed upon her sudden appearance. One looked to be a woman with long red hair, matching red eyes wearing white armor with blue accents instead of the common gold one would expect; a large axe was held in her hands. A woman with long purple hair, wearing weird white armor with what looked like bladed wings was standing beside her...power radiated off the purple haired woman.
The other guard, who was male readied his sword and shield as he narrowed his eyes at her; his short, brown hair was unruly and his blue eyes were guarded. He was also wearing armor similar in design to the woman, except a red cape hung from his back; the sword he held seemed to glow a light blue color as energy sparked around him. Flames to his left caught her attention as she shifted her eyes, seeing a man appeared in the burst of fire; spiky white hair, red eyes, tanned skin all cloaked in white, red, and gold armor as a red scarf was wrapped around his neck. He lifted his hands, fire appearing as he readied himself should she be a foe.
"Who are you?!" The woman demanded, red eyes harsh as she tensed more, watching Lua for any suspicious movements. 'Perhaps I should have appeared further back…would have avoided scaring them…oops.' She thought sheepishly keeping her expression neutral. She lifted her hands slowly, making sure the guards and their…uh, companions, could see she had nothing. "I am not here as a foe I swear that to you, I have no weapons with me." She said, yet they stayed tense. "You can give me a look over if you wish, but I assure you I mean no harm to you, the queen or anyone else." She said calmly, keeping a soothing gentle tone, she kept her powers out of it; she wasn't going to force them to obey. She was here as a friend.
The two looked at one another before nodding, dismissing their companion's as the disappeared in a burst of sparks, the woman in a multitude of color and the male in fire-red sparks. "Anya will look you over, I shall watch to make sure nothing happens." The man said, teeth gritted as Anya put her axe away, but before she could move forward another powerful being appeared between the door right before the doors.
"Sachi!" Anya shouted startled, surprised to see the young Eidolon out of the castle. Sachi looked at them both before nodding. "Andre, Anya, return to your posts; our Queen has already sensed her arrival." Sachi said with a soothing tone, making the two guards relax before they sighed. "Alright, we shall open the gate," Andre said before fixing Lua with a narrowed gaze. "but the moment I hear even one single disturbance; you'll be answering to me, understand?" He questioned her harshly, his posture tensing again.
Lua cocked her head to the side, giving a tiny innocent grin. "Sure, I'm more than positive you'd enjoy that." She kept her tone neutral as she spoke, the hostility was expected but to such an extent? Perhaps she had come here at a bad time? If that was the case though all the more reason for her to be here.
As the large doors opened, Sachi motioned for Lua to follow her in which the woman did, the doors slowly closing behind them. Sachi lead Lua through the city, it was beautiful! White concrete ground, shops lined everywhere as did houses, gardens and fountains littered the city as well; lamps outlined the path's and everything was labeled as maps were throughout the city. Then again with how big it was there was no surprise, she noticed a large building off to the side, surrounded by willow trees and pillars; a cross was on the front as stained glass shown to all...a bit of power radiated from the building. A place of worship.
"I ask you forgive Anya's and Andre's hostility," Sachi began, catching Lua's attention. "there has been many problems arising lately and we are all on guard." She said, floating toward a large structure that was partially hidden by pillars and trees. "We have been getting attacked by demons lately and a rise in demonic energy has weakened our Queen, causing her great stress. Yet she had sent me to see you to her throne room; we felt your arrival as though it was a wave." She explained as they walked up a small flight of steps to the doors leading to the castle.
'Demons? I read something about them being here…I thought it was taken care of though. Or did I read wrong?' Lua thought following the Eidolon, making sure she didn't stray no matter how badly she longed to explore. The castle itself was large, pure white on the outside with what looked to be hardened oak doors that were well maintained, the lower floor windows were stained glass, yet it seemed the second and third floors were plain windows, yet all the lights were off signalling those within were asleep. Sachi knocked a few times before the doors opened silently and they walked in, the doors closing behind them.
The lobby of the castle was beautiful, six pillars on each side with a small Cube, like those Lua saw on the book, was upon each pillar emitting a faint blue glow. A staircase on either side curved to the second floor as another case above that curved to the third floor. To the left and right were hallways and upon looking, a door was at each end...though there was a wonderful scent coming from the right. If Lua had to guess...it was the kitchen. Before them, straight ahead was a large, long hallway where a red carpet lead from the center of the lobby all the way down to what Lua believed to be the throne room; though the red contrasted against the blue of the castle. The walls all reflected a blue, glowing light yet she could tell the floor was white marble but with the blue light coming from the small cubes the floor gave off a blue glow as well.
"Follow me." Sachi said gently, catching Lua's attention as she followed the Eidolon, she'd have to get decorating tips from the Queen later for her own palace. Maybe the servants could learn a thing or two from this place?
As they reached the end of the hallway, once again two large oak doors were before her and as Sachi knocked, they opened as they entered. In the throne room, it was equally as beautiful as the carpet extended only until the doors. In the center of the throne room stood a circular platform, a flower was inscribed upon it with runes lining the edges in a language that was lost in time but not to the Queen nor the Eidolon's. Behind the platform, up just three steps sat whom she knew was the Queen; whom was very beautiful, those books hadn't done her justice!
Her black, braided hair looked soft and shone with life as she was obviously still young, not yet reaching her thirties; as the white and blue dress fit her perfectly. The shoes that she barely saw were well polished and shone as the staff that was across the Queen's lap pulsed lightly with a blue glow. She noticed a small tiara upon the Queen's head as well as some other jewelry...yet she could tell the Queen had no taste for such gifts. She must wear them for formality when meeting new people.
"Hello new comer, and welcome to Aura Kingdom." The woman began before she stood and bowed respectfully. "My name is Maria, I am the Queen of Aura Kingdom and the Eidolons, one of whom just escorted you." Maria stated as Sachi floated over to her Queen, before she stood beside her, allowing her feet to touch the ground.
Looking up, Lua saw the Cube and she could feel the immense power from the cube. While it could very likely destroy and bring chaos currently it felt like a warm, pleasant embrace. Maria noticed her gaze and smiled warmly, gold eyes soft as she noticed this woman truly meant no harm. Suddenly the cubes on top the four pillars within glowed brighter, giving light to the area, these glowed more white than blue yet the shimmering of blue still reflected off the walls from the Cube floating above Maria. That's when Lua noticed the two Eidolon's that were off to the sides that were originally cloaked in darkness; she had felt their presence and had seen them, she understood their caution though.
"May I ask who you are?" Maria asked as she tilted her head slightly, eyes curious. "Firstly…how should I address you? Formal or non-formally?" Lua asked politely, Maria smiled. "Non-formal, I have no patience for formality." Maria responded with a chuckle at the end, her posture was friendly and her tone gentle, showing she was open to them being friendly.
"Well I have come from an…well a hidden world called Xophillya." Lua explained. "My name is Lua, I am the world's Queen. I got bored and decided to come here." She said with a minor shrug, smiling. Maria seemed surprised at what she had said...bored? "You were simply...bored?" Maria questioned, gold eyes curious as she tilted her head. "Well…" Lua started crossing her arms and looking up at the ceiling. "See, I've lived for a couple thousand years and have been through and done most everything…a human world has to offer, so I come to other worlds that are...more interesting. I don't have a whole lot of work to do for my people, as I fixed a lot of problems and got more shops and buildings made just a week after I took the throne." Lua explained, looking back at Maria.
"I mostly only get reports on how everything is going and being handled, of course there are requests for things now and again but it's rather rare, as I took care of most everything as soon as I started. So yes," She lifted her hands and gave a wide full shrug. "I go places when I'm bored. Also I'm not very fond of sleeping around when I'm bored, gets things complicated." She responded, yet this intrigued Maria as she chuckled and smiled a little.
"I see." Maria said as the platform Lua was standing on suddenly began glowing, the flower seemed to move upward almost ghostly yet a warmth spread through her body. Suddenly the glowing ceased and they heard doors outside the throne room open. "What I did just now was seeing how pure you are; as Queen of Eidolon's, it is my duty to make sure that Eidolon's find a proper Envoy. The reason I did this to you, despite the fact that you are not from Terra, nor Gaia, is because of the simple reason that you would not be allowed to leave Aura Kingdom without an Eidolon to guide you." Maria said as a small ball of fire came flying in before stopping beside Maria and a small brown and yellow dragon was beside her.
"The reason I check to see how pure one is, is because I have had to…'deal' with certain Envoy's...those that have turned to darkness." Maria said and Lua noticed the deep sadness within the golden eyes. "I have had to eradicate them, purifying their soul to allow them to go into the afterlife with nothing holding them back to keep them in the world of the living." She explained, before looking at the Eidolon's gathered. "As for the Eidolon's...if I can, I save their soul and purify it...other times, I've had to destroy them and use the Cube of Gaia to resurrect them...though I hate having to do such things." Maria stated, voice cracking a little...it physically pained her to do things of such nature.
Lua regarded her a moment not detecting falsehood in her words. Good thing she hadn't, she might have turned and called the transport to leave. Necromancy in any form was something she hated…resurrection sounded like a kinder word, more often than not it was the same thing, but here…that didn't seem to be the case. It was still too close for her liking though. "...So am I going to be bound to an Eidolon?" She questioned confused, deciding not to keep such dark thoughts for now. "I don't know very much about this world. I only learned basics before coming here." She explained.
Maria nodded in understanding. "Yes, you will be having an Eidolon while you are here, the binding is different than what most think though. Some think binding means sharing pain, emotions, thoughts...that's not how an Eidolon bond is though. For Eidolon's, they simply give their Envoy a key and upon accepting the key; the two are bound through a connection of friendship that forms the more they fight alongside one another." Maria explained as the small dragon beside her, Leonus, nodded.
Lua gazed at the dragon and nodded. 'So not at all like a power bound then…perhaps for the best. I doubt any Eidolon could go through the same things I can and still live even if I do.' She thought. "Okay, I have no problems with this. Well…just what about food for him? The books I read were not all too clear." She asked, a little concerned for the dragon.
Maria smiled and snapped her fingers, materializing in her hand was a small blue crystal that slowly grew bigger as it seemed to take on a different shape with each growth, before finally turning rainbow colored as the crystal stopped growing in size. "These are called Eidolon crystals, monsters here on Terra drop them and they can be used to feed the Eidolon. Eidolon's don't really consume food, they gain their energy from these crystals; that is all they will need." Maria said before she handed the crystal to Lenous, who devoured the crystal eagerly.
"As to bind to him, all he needs to do is give you his key." Maria said as Leonus flew toward Lua and in his outstretched claws was a small key that was gold in color with small dragon wings off to the side. "All you have to do is accept the bond and he will be bound to you." Maria said as the key began to glow. Lua nodded and gently took the key accepting the bond without having to say a word. She felt the change instantly and noted resistance in her powers. Well that was new. She forced her powers to open up to the bond which took a few minutes.
"That was odd…" She said touching her chest where her powers were coiling. "That hasn't happened before; I'm fine though don't worry, seems it worked." Lua said before rubbing her neck. "But ah...what do I do now? I don't know my way around this world and I work best with a guide. Also I read about classes, how would I go about picking one? What are all of them and the skills they come with?" She asked, before sighing. "Just basics will do. Like I said, I only learned some basics not a lot." Lua said holding an arm out to the small dragon which landed on her arm and got comfy. How… cute. He was like a large bird sitting like that.
Maria smiled softly and a small, miniature cube appeared before her; as Maria touched it she said a few words before the small cube took flying off, whizzing past Lua as it exited the castle. "I have that taken care of." Maria said softly before she stood and walked down the steps, standing before Lua. "I suggest getting some sleep, your guide will arrive tomorrow morning. He's been an Envoy for a few years and will teach you what you need to know." Maria said, motioning for Lua to follow her as they left the throne room.
"As for the battle class you will choose, I will have my mother see which would work best for you before I have the Blacksmith, Analisa, forge you a weapon suitable enough for an Envoy." Maria stated as they went up the stairs that were in the lobby, appearing on the second floor. They took a right down a hallway and Lua noticed it was just like the rest of the castle, white walls that shimmered with a blue glow due to the Cube's power surrounding the place. Each doors was made of hardened oak wood, being a dark brown color with a golden knob for each door.
Maria stopped before one of the doors and opened it, inside was a decently made room. A white bed with blue sheets, white fluffy pillows, a window was on the opposite wall of the door with a desk to the right of the window. Across from the bed, that was in the center of the room against the right wall, was a brown, decorated gold wardrobe with a small dresser beside it that had a mirror attached to it. She also noticed a door beside the dresser and, as the door was opened, noticed it was a small personal bathroom.
"This is where you'll stay while within Aura Kingdom," Maria commented with a smile, walking into the room with Lua. "I'll have my friend, Akane, wake you when breakfast comes around. After breakfast, that's when the guide should arrive and when I'll have my mother see which class would work best for you." Maria said before giggling.
"Usually, I'd have Andre choose a class for new Envoy's but as you're not of this world, my mother would be a better option when it comes to choosing." Maria explained before she headed to the door to leave. "I hope everything is to your liking, Lua." Maria said, looking at her with soft gold eyes. "It's fine." She replied with a smile. "In fact I don't need fancy rooms or anything, heck if you ever wanted to visit Xophillya you'd be surprised at how plain most of the rooms and homes are. We only went all out with the palace." Lua finished as she looked around the room.
Maria chuckled a little at her response. "Most of the rooms in the castle are like this, my mother stated a Queen should live like a Queen and went about decorating the entire castle." Maria finished, smile soft. After they exchanged a few more words, the two bid goodnight before parting ways as they went to bed; awaiting the sun's rays to awaken them. Before sleeping, Lua sent a message home to tell her friends she had arrived and would likely be away for a few months or maybe a year if things took a great deal of time. Once finished with the message and had sent it, she then lay down and went to sleep.
[~~~*~~~]
As the morning light from the sun enter Lua's room, an over-energetic knock came to her door followed by a muffled voice, asking if she was awake. "Depends greatly on what time it is." Lua mumbled in response burying her head under the pillows. In response to hearing a voice, the door suddenly opened even though Lua could've sworn it was locked last night. "So, you must be Lua." The voice of a female said, smiling brightly at her. The girl looked to be a little younger than Maria, probably by just a year or two; long straight white hair reached her waist with bright red eyes; she was wearing red armor that had black trimming yet it looked to be made of leather and was unrestricting.
A pair of short swords were at her hips; showing Lua this girl dual-wielded, the duelist class she believed was what the book said. "Rise and shine! Breakfast is being made as we speak and it is time for you to get up and start the day!" The woman cheered a little before walking over and slowly opening the blinds to the window. "Maria has informed me of what is going on and your guide has already arrived as well." The woman, whom Maria had told her last night was Akane, smiled brightly at her before going back to the door. "We expect to see you in the dining room within a few minutes." Akane said cheerily, before running off, disappearing down the hall.
"...I never did get the time." Lua said with a soft laugh resting an arm over her eyes. "Ah well, up I get." She stood from the bed pushing the blanket back then carefully redid the bed so it looked as it did before slept in it. She performed a minor cleaning spell on herself making a shower and change of clothes unneeded then headed for the door, it would be rather rude of her to not show up for breakfast after all. "Erm...wait…" She recalled how much taller she was than…well everyone here and quickly shrank. She went down a few feet before she stopped. She was likely around Maria's height now; much better.
As she entered the dining area, in which Leonus showed her the way, she noticed a lot of people were here that she was not expecting. Anya and Andre, the two she meet at the gate yesterday were there; enjoying some small chatter, a young girl sat in Anya's lap with short brown hair and red eyes. A man with slightly unruly black hair and bright blue eyes was sitting to the left of Maria, who sat near the end of the table. She also had a small girl sitting on her lap who had somewhat long black hair and bright blue eyes matching the man, she was wearing a small blue dress that shimmered like the Cube that was floating above them.
The white haired duelist who entered her room, Akane, sat next to the man and was currently chatting excitedly with a black haired woman who had forest green eyes. The woman had a bored expression on her face as she looked away from Akane to look at her food, doing her best to ignore the white haired woman next to her. A scythe was strapped to that back of her chair...dark magic radiated from the scythe yet the intentions were good...she summoned demon's though.
Others she didn't care to try and know everyone's name were along the table as well; when Maria saw her, she smiled and waved Lua over to take the seat next to her in which she did. "Did you sleep well last night?" Maria asked, smiling brightly at her, the little girl in her lap looked at Lua; eyes wide in awe. "I slept very well thank you." Lua said with a grin. "And you?" She asked cocking her head a bit. It was always good to be polite, her mother made sure she and her sister knew that before she passed away.
Maria smiled in return, golden eyes shining with happiness. "I slept well as well, thank you for asking." Maria replied, before looking up at the Cube. Unlike last night, the walls showed their natural white color, it seemed the blue glow of the Cube was restricted to just within its own confines, the light from the sun outside shown through the windows, giving them all the light they needed.
"Your guide is currently with his Eidolon, trying to get her to understand that he is helping you." Maria bit her lip, a habit of nervousness. "Muse can be a little...envious of others, I guess to put it lightly." She finished before the doors opened. "Sorry if I'm late, took a while to calm Muse down." A male's voice echoed as his footsteps echoed in the dining hall. "You're late Zaren!" Andre bellowed out suddenly, making some of the people at the table jump; even Maria. "Andre, shush!" Anya scolded him, glaring at him a little. "You don't want to upset Arianna or Marianne, do you?" She warned and he paled as he instantly silenced himself.
The man, Zaren, laughed at Anya's remark and her ability to keep Andre tame; his laughter light and hearty, making some of the others chuckle or smile in return. Zaren looked to be a decent man; spiked black hair, dark red eyes and slightly tan skin matched his red and white clothes, something Lua noticed was something a noble would wear. While it was noble dress and he did have the air of one… something about him nearly screamed 'No!' She couldn't tell what, perhaps he wasn't fond of having a title? Or his family had tried to push him to do things he was unwilling to. She'd find out in time, after all they'd be spending a lot of time together.
Maria smiled, shaking her head at Andre's antic's towards his templar's before she stood to formally greet Zaren. "Hello Zaren, it has been some time since you've last been within the walls of Aura Kingdom." Maria greeted, before humming. "Two years if I'm not mistaken, correct?" She questioned and Zaren smiled softly. "More like almost four years...but close enough." He replied as he made his way over to Lua's side of the table, before he bowed to Maria, showing his respect. "Though it is good to see the Queen again." He commented and Maria chuckled, always a gentleman. Zaren turned and locked eyes with Lua, his red clashing with her gold before a soft smile spread across his face.
"You must be Lady Lua, correct?" He questioned, reaching a hand out to shake. "Yes," She replied taking his hand. "A pleasure…I assure you." She said with a none too innocent smile. Zaren smirked at seeing her smile and her looks. She was rather beautiful in his eyes; long white hair, mystical other worldly golden eyes, fair skin wearing a royal blue, long sleeve shirt; black pants and an open thigh, short, black-silver, frilled skirt with light brown boots. Clothes fit for travel, he thought as he looked her outfit over. He smirked at her one last time before sitting down in the open seat beside her, leaning his head against his palm.
"Lua, I would like you to meet Zaren Akitash; he's been an Envoy for a few years so he knows a lot about what it means to be an Envoy." Maria said before she handed Marianne to the man, before leaning down to pick up the bag that was beside her chair. "Inside this bag are a lot of items you will need for the journey; things like potion's, Eidolon Crystals and a scroll to instantly teleport you back here to Aura Kingdom." Maria said as she handed the bag to Lua. "The scroll can be used as many times as you need, so you don't have to worry about anything happening to it. There's also a small pouch within that has some money that you may need, the Aura Kingdom symbol is etched onto the bag; show it in any Inn and you'll gain a room free of charge." She explained, her smile soft as she took Marianne back from Darius.
Lua was about to thank her for her kindness when a loud ringing sound emitted from her. "Really?" She said in disbelief flicking up a message screen. "Erm…sorry just give a second." She said to Maria then looked to the screen. "Something better be on fire you hear me?" She said sharply to one of her young friends. Of all the times to need to call her. "Um…I wish it was…" She said sheepishly. "Are you in the middle of something?" She asked wringing her hands. "I am but if it's important I need to know." Lua said waving a hand for her to speak. "Um…well…I'm not sure who to ask without getting laughed at…" She started concerning Lua instantly. "In regards to the month, what do I-" Lua quickly muted her before the words got out all the way as she realized what the poor girl was about to ask her.
She turned back to her...audience real quick. "Pardon me a moment this seems to be a private matter." She put up a privacy ward then began to tell the the young teen what she needed to buy for her…monthly problems. Lua cleared her throat as she sent the message screen away and pulled the ward down. "Sorry about that. Thank you for the supplies Maria." She said with a grateful nod. Maria chuckled a little, understanding the need for privacy...and also able to read lips, she had a good idea what it was about.
Looking over at Darius, his face was a little flushed as he kept it between his hands, his daughter poking his cheek trying to gain his attention. "You're welcome Lua, it's not a problem; I hate having my Envoy's unprepared for a journey and it's always nice to have them start off with something." Maria explained as she leaned back in her seat a little. The doors from the kitchen suddenly opened and Maria smiled as the waiter's came bringing food in. "Now let us enjoy the meal the chef's have prepared for us." She stated as the platter's were placed on the table.
Breakfast went by with a lot of chatter, excited exclaims and some squealing from the two little girls in the room as they ran around tagging one another. The Eidolon's joined in the chatter, sometimes getting into arguments with their brethren; Maria even had to calm the Dragon Tyrant, Alucard, down when he transformed into his dragon form; trying to provoke Quelkulan into fighting him. All she knows was it was about who was the better dragon...she didn't want to get between it until he transformed.
As breakfast neared it's end, Maria lowered the Cube a little, allowing it to float directly above her as she touched the surface. A ripple spread across the surface she touched as the Cube glowed, giving the dining room a blue tint before the glow receded as did the blue tint. "Calling your mother?" Akane questioned, tilting her head in which Maria nodded. "Yes, I believe now would be a good time for Astraea to see what weapon would best suit Lua." Maria commented when a gold flash happened behind her.
Looking behind Maria, even as the Queen turned, the Guardian Goddess, Astraea, appeared before their eyes; her long blonde hair fell well past her waist, bright blue eyes shining with life and happiness. She wore a white dress with gold and red accents, some of her hair was braided while she wore a headpiece that had wings to the sides. A lance and shield slowly faded away as she dropped to the ground; her white heeled boots clicking against the white marble floor.
"Hello everyone, how are you all?" Astraea questioned, receiving various greetings of 'doing well' or 'perfect'; some even bowed to her, even Maria herself. Astraea frowned at such formality. "Maria, how many times do I have to tell you?" She began, placing her hands on her hips. "You are my own daughter, there is no need for you to bow to me, nor should the rest of you; I am a friend and I am family. Formality with me is unneeded." Astraea stated as she folded her arms; giving a soft yet stern look to them all.
Lua had very rare occasions where she couldn't speak. Those times were: In fury that no words could describe and a great deal of shock. Right now it was shock. She could swear she was looking at angel and could honestly say even with all her years she'd never seen one before. She had no idea what to say to the lovely woman. Astraea seemed to notice Lua's lack of words and looked at her, a soft smile replacing her stern look as she walked over, standing before her.
"You must be Lua, I heard a great deal about you from Maria last night before slumber took her." Astraea said before she lifted Lua's chin up, getting a good look at her. "Yes...I see a gentle soul within, a fire that is unable to be dowsed," She commented, before closing her eyes, smile still in place. "...and I believe the bard would work better for you; you are a ruler as well, supporting others is what you do best." Astraea said before she opened her eyes and removed her hand.
"I believe she would make an excellent bard." Astraea said to Maria, turning to look at her daughter. "A bard, eh?" Maria questioned to herself, smiling a little. "B...bard?" Lua finally managed and quickly focused on Maria so as not to get her thoughts scattered by looking at the angel look alike. "They…are a healer type right?" She asked. The books had only given her so much info so she had to ask to be certain. "Yes, they are; supporting their allies from afar but they are also able to dish out some attacks so as to keep the enemy at bay. They aren't entirely helpless." Astraea stated before she snapped her head up and looked out the window.
"Mother?" Maria questioned, noticing her mother's reaction, yet she was also tense. "Did you feel that as well?" Maria asked Astraea, who nodded. "I did...an Envoy has been murdered." Astraea said and everyone noticed a flash of pain pass through Maria's eyes, right as a small crystal fell from the Cube, floating before Maria.
The crystal was red with what looked like a Chinese fan etched into it, gold swirls also decorated the crystal seeming to glow with warmth. Maria grabbed the crystal, face pained as though she felt what the Eidolon felt shortly before their death; tears slowly ran down her face as she clutched the crystal, it slowly transformed into a key. "Diao Chan?" Darius questioned and Maria nodded, head lowering in sadness. Everyone went silent, looking at one another with sad eyes, sometimes holding the others hand or whispering in the others ear. Something was definitely going on in Terra that needed fixing, that much was certain.
"...What happened?" The black haired woman, whom she heard Akane call Hiyami, questioned. "Diao Chan and her Envoy were fighting a horde of demons just south of Silent Ice Field, but they were surrounded when suddenly the demons all fused together and struck with power rivaling a Overlord." Maria explained and Hiyami flinched, hearing the venom behind Maria's words...talking about Overlords was a sensitive topic. "They were killed?" Zaren questioned, his voice somber as he looked at his hands; how many more had to die before the demons stopped? "Yes...I shall revive Diao Chan from her slumber tomorrow...for now, she needs to recover within the Cube." Maria said as she lifted the key toward the Cube, it slowly disappeared within the Cube, it glowed before the glow receded once more.
Lua gazed around the room at everyone easily noting the mood change; a death would bother anyone but considering who Maria was, it would strike her the most. Demons though…she had dealt with a few in her time, it was never a fun or easy fight. The word Overlord though…high rank clearly, with high ranks came great power as well. "Demons have been a problem for a while then?" She asked needing information to understand how she could help. "What can be done?" She asked, looking at Maria who sighed.
"Demons have been around since Terra was created and, centuries ago, they learned how to manipulate Envoy's to allow them access to Terra." Maria said as she lifted her head slightly. "Upon their manipulation, the Eidolon's who watched over Terra decided it was time to fight these demons and teamed with humans to be able to fight the demon's off. Since the beginning of time, we've been in constant battle with them." Maria said monotonously, and everyone noticed her eyes had changed to a blue color, but they were glazed over, almost like she was possessed but the bright glowing of the Cube made realization dawn on Astraea.
"The Cube is granting her that information." She mumbled, yet they all heard. "What can be done?" Zaren repeated Lua's question, unsure if Maria heard or not. Maria looked at them, her eyes shimmered the same way the Cube did, obviously showing she was not herself. "The only thing one can do is to battle them, send them back through whatever rift they came through and destroy the rift. An Eidolon is the only one who can close the rift but they need a human to be with them as to manifest in our world." She finished, voice still neutral.
Suddenly the glow faded and Maria's golden color came back but they were still glazed; she swayed in her chair and toppled to the side but Astraea caught her. "Maria?!" She exclaimed, worried for her daughter's health. Her face was flushed as her breathing was labored...and that's when they noticed the dark bags under her eyes...she had been losing sleep. Jeopardizing her health to make sure the rest of Terra would be fine...she certainly was one hell of a Queen.
Lua frowned, she understood the desire to keep one's people safe. She did but one could not push this far…no human could anyway. Xophillya didn't need to sleep if they didn't want to, they also didn't need food or drink; it was mostly for pleasure that they partook of it. "I think we can all agree that Maria needs to rest for a while. As for the demons… is there no way to seal them off? A door can be opened and closed yes, destroyed also yes but as you've said doors come again. The best way to keep more away is to make a seal that can't be opened easily or at all once placed." Lua knew a few seals like that but she'd rather not use them, it'd likely freak them all out if she did. To keep demons away though? Maybe it would be worth it.
Astraea was silent before she gave a heavy sigh and stood, Maria in her arms; when Saari came over. Astraea handed Maria to Saari and Saari left before she looked at them all, she seemed hesitant to speak. "The only way to seal the demon's of Pandemonium is to use Gaia's blood as the seal." Astraea stated and Akane's eyes widened. "Gaia's blood? How is that possible? Gaia's a planet, not a person." She responded, earning a smack upside her head from Hiyami, who told her to shush. Astraea shook her head, telling Akane she was mistaken. "Gaia is named after the first Eidolon that ever existed, Gaia the Mistress of Eidolons...Maria is a direct descendant of Gaia, despite being my daughter." Astraea said as she crossed her arms and sat down in the chair Maria once occupied.
"What do you mean Goddess Astraea?" Andre questioned, blue eyes curious. "What I mean...is Gaia is the only one who can seal the demons away-!" Astraea was interrupted as Akane stood once again. "Then let's go find her!" She exclaimed but Astraea sighed. "But she's dead...been dead for centuries. That's how the demon's found their way unto Terra in the first place, her seal on their door had weakened so much that they were able to slowly break it open. But without her blood, we are unable to seal the doors again." Astraea said when Zaren spoke.
"How much blood is needed to seal the rift forever?" He questioned and Astraea paled, lowering her head. "To seal Pandemonium forever...it would cost the life of the sealer. And in this case, as Maria is a direct descendant with the blood of Gaia coursing through her veins...Maria would have to sacrifice herself to seal the door. As only Gaia's blood can seal it permanently." Astraea stated and everyone began to argue, stating Maira had sacrificed enough, what more could be asked of her?!
"Dumb thing to say I think but why not just place some of her blood there every so often to keep the thing closed?" Lua asked confused. She'd keep some ideas she had to herself, no one in the room would like it even if she herself didn't care one way or another if she went through with that plan. "A trip to give blood every year or three years? Wait how long do humans live here? I've heard it being different in some places." Lua added as she was aware that even if that plan of giving blood now and then worked once Maria died… if she did die her child (if the blood continued that far) would then have to do it too. It would go on like that until the royals finally died which…wasn't a nice thought but there was nasty humans out there who would want that.
"Maria's the last descendant of the bloodline...Marianne has no blood of Gaia within her, despite her being Maria's daughter. Human's don't live very long." Astraea answered before she sighed and stood. "The only thing we can do now is keep fighting until we find the real rift and close it." Astraea said before she disappeared in a flurry of gold sparkles. "Hmm, there went that plan then." Lua sigh with a sad sigh. What was she expecting though? There was always something wasn't there? No matter where she went she always arrived during a bad time.
So far Skyrim took the cake on bad time but there were still worlds out there. "Well, while Maria rests what shall the rest of us do? I'm not one for sitting around and waiting, I'll help in any way I can." She said firmly determined to assist. Taking that as his cue, Zaren stood and motioned for Lua to follow him. "Then it looks like I'll take you to Analisa to have your weapon prepared, believe me; she's a good blacksmith." Zaren said with a smirk, leaving with Lua. "...A harp made by a smith? They're made of metal?" She asked in disbelief as she followed the man.
[~~~*~~~]
A few hours later and after a lot of cheering from the pink haired blacksmith, a beautifully made harp now lay in Lua's hands. It looked like most harps, half of a heart with finely made strings but while the harp itself was made of silver, a line of blue wrapped around it with faded blue swirls within the silver that glowed softly when the sun hit it just right. The strings, when plucked gave off a blue glow as a melody rang from it...was this made from the Cube of Gaia itself? "I used the best minerals I had for the harp you hold, made of Miracle Crystal and some power from the Cube of Gaia itself!" Analisa exclaimed, smiling at Lua.
"Truly?" She asked giving the harp another look over. While she wasn't fond of the girly half heart shape she could easily see now the power from the cube. "I'm guessing only the queen knows but… what are the powers of the cube? I would love to try something with the harp real quick without using my powers but I'll need an answer to my question first." Lua said holding the harp close against her body, fingertips resting idly on the strings ready to start strumming and plucking.
Analisa hummed, not sure how to respond, for even she wasn't truly aware of all the powers the Cube had. "Well, I know the Cube has the power of resurrection, power to stop time, power to reverse a short period of time...pretty much the powers of God." Analisa stated as she placed her hands on her hips, thinking of what the Cube could do. "...That's it? Nothing special?" She asked confused. She was sure that was to confuse them after all what was better than that? Lots of things really, what the greedy, selfish and power hungry would kill to have that kind of power Lua was interested…in other things. "You sure that's it? I'll have to use my powers if so." She said lightly tapping the strings.
Analisa shrugged, not sure what else to say. "I know it allows people to see the past and travel to different worlds and dimensions, but there isn't much else I know. Maria keeps everything about the Cube's power a secret so as to dissuade Envoy's from wanting to get their hands on the Cube. After all…" Analisa turned around as her apprentice Keith handed her an order. "Maria is the only one who can control it and even then, sometimes, the Cube decides to control her." Analisa stated, before she turned toward her forge where Keith was placing weapons down.
Excusing herself, she hurried over to her forge to begin making her weapons and get back to work. "Hmm alright, Zaren do you have any cuts or bruises or anything?" She asked the red eyed man as she turned to face him. Zaren was caught off guard by her question before he showed her his left arm which was covered in scars, he chuckled nervously. "Muse wasn't too happy when I told her we'd be traveling with a woman." He responded, rubbing the back of his neck. Lua lifted a brow smirking slightly, clingy Eidolon huh? Cute. "Well allow me to take care of that." She said as she began to gently play the harp, infusing some of her natural healing powers into it, to her surprise the power from the cube that was on the harp amplified her powers a tad. Good to know.
As she played the song she once heard from another world, the marks on Zaren's arm were painlessly cleaned and disinfected then healed as though nothing had ever happened. Zaren looked his arm over before smiling and lowered it. "Thanks Lua, that was more powerful than most other Bards." He smirked at her. "You sure you haven't done this before?" He grinned at her, red eyes mischievous. "Hmm…" She tapped her red painted lips lightly as she gazed at him, eyes bright with amusement. "You'll have to be more specific I'm afraid. I've done many things before, which are you asking about dearie~?" She asked suggestively changing her pose slightly in a way most human males found hard to keep their eyes on her face.
She wasn't an easy woman though…she knew he was flirting. That's why she was…giving him a little look without removing anything. She couldn't be too mean now could she?...Yes she could. Zaren flushed a little but smirked suggestively all the same, walking up to her and getting closer to her face, keeping only a hairsbreadth away. "How specific are we talking about?" He whispered, eyes sparkling with amusement at her own flirting. "Again…it would depend on the area you mean…such as…" She paused in a gaze to think for a moment while her left leg came forward, making sure a silent warning was clear. She didn't mind playing but if he tried anything he'd be on the ground. "I have never given a man a BJ~" She said with an innocent smile even shutting her eyes.
Zaren's face became redder than a tomato as he slapped a hand over his mouth, desperately trying to control himself...did she just say that? She did...didn't she? He was tempted to kiss her right then and there...but as much as he found himself lusting after her, he figured he'd want to get to know her better before they tried anything. He looked down as well, seeing where her leg was posed and understood exactly what she was doing...a warning. He understood one when he saw one. Composing himself, he smirked before moving back and standing straight.
"Well, I guess I'll just have to wait then." He responded, looking down at her legs and holding in a groan. 'Damn, is there anything about this woman that isn't perfect. Look at those legs!' He thought, grinning a little to himself as images ran through his head. "Yes you shall, could take you a while though just a warning." She said getting a bit serious. "I'm not easy to woo, honeyed words, sweets and gifts will only get you so far." She took a step closer to him and quickly took hold of his collar and pulled at him, slightly bringing him closer, very likely startling him as it was easy to do.
She brought him close enough for their lips to be just a few inches apart. "I am interested in personality, the past of a person, their kindness and compassion. Love making comes much later dearie. That is all I will do anyway, make love, sex is mainly… physical. I am not into one night stands I want something to last a while understand?" She whispered softly. Zaren understood and nodded, his gaze serious as well; he wasn't into one night stands either, in a relationship he wanted something that would last, not a come and go. She let go of his collar and he straightened back to his proper height, which she came to notice made him an inch or two taller than her...he was almost six feet!
"I know what you mean, I'm not into one night stands either; I'm like you. Personality, a person's past, their care and love, that's what I look for. Not outside appearances." He stated before he looked over his shoulder as music sounded behind him. "Oh great." He mumbled, rubbing the area between his eyes, before a pig-tailed girl was clinging to his side. "Zaren~!" She exclaimed, her pink/red eyes shining with affection, her orange/pink hair cascaded down in pigtails as she wore a red and black outfit that would fit a singer. A microphone was hanging from the belt around her hips and she was giggling cutely as she held his arm. "I was looking for you Master!" She stated and Zaren growled.
"How many times have I told you not to call me Master?" He stated, giving her a stern look, being more of a serious, strict Templar. "I told you just 'Zaren' is fine." He finished, teeth gritted in agitation, did she never learn?! Lua blinked at what she saw and heard. "Wouldn't most from a line of nobility be used to such a word though?" She asked. "Unless the feeling you give off is correct and you hate the title." She said watching his face closely, even if she'd be able even slightly feel any emotion he gave off. She wasn't much good at reading emotions with her powers, she never bothered to learn that.
Zaren stared at her for a little bit, a little scared she was able to tell that much simply from looking at him. He sighed, before he dismissed Muse, the girl pouting but disappearing as she allowed herself to be dismissed. "Well...yeah, you're correct. Hit the nail of the head." He replied, trying not to sound rude...it bothered him when people brought up his noble blood...he wanted nothing to do with his family. "You see...I want nothing to do with my family...mainly my father. I hate him!" He snapped out, red eyes harsh as he glared at the ground. "My father is nothing but a pathetic piece of human life, a man whore who cares about no one but himself. I want nothing to do with that man." He growled out, eyes unforgiving as he continued to glare at the ground, almost as if he were trying to burn a hole.
"When I was twelve years old my dad tried to enroll me into military school because he wanted to be alone, at least that's what I overheard one drunken night. When that didn't work, he tried to kick me out of the house but mother wouldn't let him, lo and behold two years later she leaves him. Then, when I turned twenty, he tried to get me to marry this thirty-some odd year old woman who was an alcoholic and gambler, as if I'd marry a woman like that." He stated as he tried to calm himself. "She wasn't nice at all, had the ugliest of personalities as she stated she'd only marry a rich man, held no compassion for others, forced people to do her bidding and she wasn't going to marry out of love but for money. She disgusted me." He stated as he slowly felt himself calm down.
"I want nothing to do with my family, they aren't nobles, their pathetic." He snapped out, looking away from her completely so she wouldn't see his face. Lua had listened silently as he told her about his…past. More than enough to gain hate…she could imagine there might be some bitterness there and perhaps sadness. She had a thought though…maybe it would make him feel better. "Zaren how do you feel about those currently around you?" She asked stepping closer to rest a comforting hand on his arm. "The queen, her family, those you fight alongside. How do you feel about them?" She asked more clearly to make sure he knew what she was asking.
Zaren didn't hesitate to answer. "I care about them more than myself, I would risk my life for the Queen, for her family, for my friends. I wouldn't hesitate to jump between them and a blade or bullet, as long as they live I can die knowing their safe and happy." Zaren replied, his red eyes shone with a determined fire to protect those around him.
Lua's expression and gaze were soft and kind as she looked at him. "That being said, they are your family. Blood DOES NOT make family." She said firmly. "Family is people you love and care for, those you are willing to die for if it came to it. The people who…sired you are nothing more than...people, no unfeeling things that gave you life." Lua said, gaze still firm yet soft. "You are better than them, I know because you left them and despite my playing with you, you kept yourself controlled and respectful. Understand? Blood ties aren't everything, the feelings are what matter most, dearie." She said gently giving his arm a small squeeze in further comfort.
Zaren looked at her before he lifted his other hand and squeezed hers in return, before giving a soft smile. "Thanks Lua...I needed that." He responded as he let go of her hand, before sighing and straightened himself. "Well, how about we head out and go see what needs to be done. I'm sure there are some places that could use two powerful Envoy's like ourselves." He said as he turned around, before he stopped and looked back at her. "Also...stay behind me, I don't want you getting hurt. If one person lays their grubby hands on you they'll be answering to me, personally." He stated with a hidden threat towards others in his voice...he wasn't gonna let anyone touch her.
Lua's eyebrows shot up. "Oooh ho, really now?" She said sarcastically. She understood why he said that, healers and supporters tended to be, for lack of a better word, 'squishy'. Well, she would just have to prove to him she didn't need a guard. She turned slightly seeing a weapon rack behind her, now very glad they hadn't left the forge like area.
She examined each weapon carefully then lifted a sharp long thin blade…must be used for practice. Before Zaren could even think of moving she had quickly sliced off her left hand. Zaren began to flip as he rushed toward her, taking off his jacket, eyes wide with panic at seeing what happened. "...Going to try and stop the bleeding are you? Too shocked to speak?" She asked neutrally; this was the reaction she normally got. "Zaren, be a dear and look down at my hand on the ground." She said dully, he did as asked and looked down, just in time to see the lobbed off limb turn to ash and get blown away by a light wind.
Zaren stared in horror and confusion as this happened before looking to her for an explanation as he pressed his jacket to the limb she cut off, hoping to stop the bleeding. "Remove the jacket about…now." She said looking down at her covered hand, waiting for him to do so. He rose a brow, confused and thinking she lost her mind but removed it nonetheless and was surprised to see her wound glow a bright blue then her hand reappeared. She flexed her fingers and clenched her hand a few times and even let him touch and hold it to make him feel better.
Zaren was surprised and shocked, eyes wide in awe...not as initially freaked out as one would be but awed at her powers. "...Okay, it's official, you had to have done this before." He stated plainly as he gave her a blank stare, voice unimpressed yet his eyes giving him away.
"Oh yes, I have many times. My people, the Xophillyai, are not human you see, we have no official name. We heal and regenerate very quickly; the older the person is when they get wounded or lose something, the faster it comes back." She explained, before crossing her arms as she hummed. "Say we had met when I was truly twenty, you would have seen all the muscles, nerves, vines, bones and whatever else healing and regenerating back. It's not nice to watch happen. Oh and I can't die." She said cheerfully.
The nasty part was over, all she had to do was explain things now. "No matter what happens to me I can't be killed…well, not true, there are two ways to kill me but for the sake of my safety I will not say what they are, enemies could be anywhere after all. For example-!" She paused at seeing panic in his eyes. "Calm down, I'm not about to stab myself with the sword." She said quickly, hoping to ease him.
Zaren relaxed a little, so she continued. "If I were to get my head chopped off, the head would turn the ash and then come back and I'd be just fine. Cut in two in some way…one half of my body would turn to ash and the rest would heal and regenerate. My whole body can even be destroyed but that there…is more…dangerous." She stated, seeing she still held his attention, continued. "There has to be a part of me to come back with. Luckily I have a whole hidden room back home in Xophillya with body parts I've removed and have spelled them to keep from turning to ash." She said and Zaren rubbed his head, exactly how much has this woman planned for?
"My powers would pick one and I of course would be back as though nothing happened after a while…it would take a year at most I think. It's a good thing you know, that I have such an insane pain tolerance, happens when you've been tortured, killed and experimented on in every way known." She mused tapping her temple. "That about covers it, have any questions dearie?" She asked cheekily.
She knew she had scared the living day lights out of him by doing that but no one ever believed her when she simply said she healed and regenerated. It took seeing it happen to believe it. Zaren sighed, taking all the information in, registering it...but not really finding any question's to ask. He had a pretty good idea, he knew she could defend herself...but still.
"I understand you can defend yourself...but…" He sighed, rubbing his neck. "just stay behind me, I know you can protect yourself but I ask that you do take care. Never know what demon's can think of and before we know it...a world could be destroyed." He commented before gently grabbing her hand and leading her out of Aura Kingdom...it was time to begin their journey.
