"What do you wish to speak about?" he asked, setting his axe down in its usual spot.
"The monks have told me very disturbing news. The prophecy is true- I am the only way Trigon can release himself from his prison and he is coming for me. The monks are arranging a safe passage for me. I believe they are currently investigating places to send me."
He nodded solemnly, "I am sorry to suggest this, however, you should leave as soon as possible."
She sighed, "I know, I know. Try telling them that."
"No need. I'll sneak you out. Tomorrow."
"But how?" she asked, curiosity seeping into her monotone voice.
"I'm working on that bit still. But you need to leave with the utmost haste."
Their conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door.
"You may enter," called Raven.
One of her guards, in the silver armour embellished with the blooming Azeala tree in amethyst, entered the study.
"Speak," she commanded.
"We have a captive of Tameran who refuses to speak. We do not know her origin or her purpose for coming. She just stumbled into the government sector almost frantically and does not seem to process what is happening. What should we do with her, your grace?"
"Bring her here. We will question her and decide where to go from there," she replied coolly.
It was uncustomary for her to personally speak to a prisoner, but something seemed off about this girl's behaviour. No one just wandered into the government sector. Raven felt that this story went deeper and she intended to find out. Just because she would leave on the morrow did not mean she would neglect her duties. She would make everything appear perfectly fine.
It was not long before the alien girl was brought to her office. The girl wore handcuffs that travelled up most of her arm. The silver of her cuffs oddly complemented her short purple dress that had matching silver seams and a silver 'v' shaped belt. Or would have had not her dress been covered in mud. Her legs and arms were scraped. Upon her head was a silver piece that was shaped like a curved 'm'. It followed the contours of her face but looked to also have dirt caking its surface. Her emerald eyes, narrowed in anger, stood out against her tan skin, made darker by splotches of mud. She also had a fiery, tangled red mane that trailed behind her. In short, she looked a little worse for wear.
"Who are you and why are you here?" asked Raven in flawless Tamaranean.
This took the girl by surprise, but she quickly regained herself.
"I must speak with the princess, it is urgent."
"What is the matter that you wish to discuss with her. I am sorry, but I cannot permit you to speak to her unless you provide me with a vague idea of what you wish to discuss," said Raven, calmly. It could be dangerous giving her identity away to a rogue alien.
"I am here on behalf of the Tameranean Royal Family, that is all I can say," she answered.
A quick scan of her mind proved her to be telling the truth. She was Kori'andr, the youngest daughter to the King of Tameran.
"Very well," began Raven, "You are in the presence of the Princess of Azerath. I am she."
"Do you have proof of this?" she asked, doubt evident in her face.
Raven used her powers to levitate the royal seal from her desk not 1 metre away.
"The royal seal of Azerath, used to ratify and lend authenticity to important documents."
The girl nodded, her tone suddenly shifting from commanding to pleading, "Tameran has received news that supporters of the Daemon Trigon will attack Tameran soon and we seek aid from our closest planet and trusted allies."
Raven sighed, now was not the time.
"I am on limited time for I will soon be leaving to an undisclosed location. Yours is not the only planet threatened. We can work on a treatise tonight and sign it tomorrow, however, I do not know how much weight this document will carry after I leave. You may have to seek an audience out with parliament."
The girl nodded, it was not what she was hoping for but it was better than nothing.
"I would still like to do the signing of the treaty, as a precaution," she timidly said.
Raven understood the underlying meaning. A paper promise is better than words. Words are like wind and can be blown away at the slightest inconvenience. "Then so shall it be. I shall work on drafting the terms of this contract tonight."
Using her telepathic ability, Raven summoned the guards.
"Would you please take Miss Kori'andr to chambers befitting her royal rank. Also, prepare a bath so that she may clean her wounds. I shall arrange for a dress to be delivered as well."
They nodded, leading the Tameranean princess to her quarters.
The instant the door closed, Rorek whispered, "You do realise that when they discover you have left in such haste, many will deem you a traitor to the planet and claim that you work under the guise of your father? There is no way the treatise will be upheld. It will be seen as a last minute thing put together by yourself to divide the Armed Forces of Azerath."
"I know, but I couldn't tell the poor girl no, not after all she had endured to arrive here," replied Raven, hoping he wouldn't question the motive knowing that it was an emotional one.
Being on the same page, he said, "Just be careful."
She nodded, "Thanks Rorek."
After supper, she returned to her study, sitting at the ornate desk of mahogany inlaid with silver designs of vines and trees. A stack of parchment had already been placed on the corner of her desk, probably by Rorek. She made a mental note to thank him.
Taking the top sheet and armed with her trusty midnight quill and ebony ink, she began to write. The treatise didn't have to be a long one she knew, however it would take several rough drafts before she could be sure that she had worded everything properly and that there were no gaping loopholes left open. This would take most of the night she knew.
She still couldn't pinpoint exactly why she was doing this. The girl was sweet, sure, but Raven needed to protect herself against Trigon first and foremost. She was the key. She couldn't risk staying behind for a planet, no matter how many people wanted her to save it. And, unfortunately, without her there to see it through, the treatise would surely fail.
Unless...
Rorek paced his room, which located just off Raven's study. He could hear her quill scratching away into the late hours of the night. It was infuriating, like the click of the second hand on a clock. It was constant. It did not stop. And is was a constant reminder that he was losing time to formulate a plan.
Ideally, he would sneak her out as quietly as possible, so she would have to be dressed like him. But the instant she would be gone, the instant people would notice and they would bring her back before she got far.
He groaned, he was only supposed to guard her, not come up with crafty plans to help her escape. She was supposed to be safe here, especially with his protection...
Exhausted and relieved, Raven crawled into her bed for what was like to be her last night of truly comfortable sleep. The bed was enchanted for the utmost comfort. Enchantments weren't hard to do, but they did take time and preparation. It was often difficult to remember the recipes for different enchantments, especially since Raven didn't specialise in the craft. Therefore, she needed books to help her enchantments turn out just right, a fact that now dismayed her.
She got by with many things by using enchantments, however, she knew that she wouldn't be able to take too many books on her escape. Not only would it look suspicious that she would have half of her literary collection, but also it would be difficult to carry and travel with. She wished she had thought of enchanting a bag to carry the books and be weightless, but such an item could take weeks to prepare and do.
Besides, her time was better spent on the treatise. She could hopefully help out this princess and do one last good act as a Royal. Knowing she had made the right choice, Raven quickly fell into a dreamless sleep.
It wasn't until her handmaid was shaking her awake that Raven remembered the plan she had meant to tell Rorek. Quickly getting dressed in Rorek-esque attire, she hurried to his room. Upon entering, she saw him hunched over his battle axe, sharpening it while completely lost in thought.
"Hello," she said, startling him from his thoughts.
"Oh, good morning," he replied.
"So I've thought of a great plan, but you're really going to have to help me out here."
He stumbled his way around the city, not familiar with the area at all. He missed knowing every inch of his Gotham City but knew the move had to be done. He couldn't forever be in the shadow of 'The World's Greatest Detective'. So he had done the only practical thing to escape the large bat-sized shadow-he'd moved.
Jump City had a high crime rate, though it wasn't as notorious as Gotham. Still, it gave him ample opportunity to help others while making a name for and establishing himself.
Tonight seemed quiet, which was nice since he had no clue where anything was at. He made a mental note to spend the week dividing the city into sectors and getting to know each sector well. Richard looked around, unsure where he would stay for the time being. His foster father had sent him with a list of hotels that he could operate out of, however, living in a hotel and making that his base held no appeal for him. Especially after working in the bat cave. Maybe he could find some out of the way place or warehouse to set up base.
He squinted as he approached one of the main streets of Jump. On the corner was a triangular shaped pizza building that glowed brightly against the darker buildings next to it.
"DUDE! You're Robin!" He heard.
Turning around, he looked down expecting to see an awe-struck child that would ask for an autograph. He was not expecting a scrawny kid that could not be that much younger than himself with green skin and eyes. His face was covered with a mask that hid the upper half of his face.
He nodded at the odd fellow.
"Sir, reporting for duty!" the kid called, "Whatever you need help with, I'm there!"
"I don't need help," he snapped, despite having no place to go. Still, he disliked the thought of this kid sticking to him like a used piece of gum.
The kid's face look crestfallen. Robin sighed, why can't I be an asshole? he thought.
"Okay, I do need a base of operations," Robin began, "However, if you're going to work with me, don't call me 'sir'."
The kid squeaked, "Wow! I have a flat not too far! You can totally use it si- I mean, Robin!"
"Great, thanks. What's your name, kid?" he asked.
"I'm Beastboy, sir! Er, I mean-," he said before Robin cut in with, "It's fine."
"Well, should I show you to the...the secret base?" asked Beastboy, whispering the last two words quite loudly.
Robin inwardly groaned but agreed. This kid was nice but not at all ready to be a crime fighter. Not to mention, he was incredibly immature and childish. Still, he was an asset in some respects. Beastboy had a place they could use and he knew the city much better.
This might work, if he grows up a bit.
Raven had presented the contract to the princess and the result was favourable. The princess had agreed and they both had signed the treaty in the presence of the Royal guard.
Raven looked down at the black and gold embroidered gown she was wearing. She felt stupid changing for an hour or so, but it had to be done. Raven needed the guard to believe that she wasn't dressing like Rorek today.
She intended to impersonate Rorek, down to arming herself with his trusty battle axe, to leave. Before leaving, she would enchant him to have her face. The enchantment wouldn't last long, only about a month, but it was definitely enough time to get her out without tipping off anyone. Rorek would impersonate her, and hopefully, have the glamour long enough to see the treaty upheld.
Especially since he had less then a month before he had to flee as well. The punishment for him would be death if he was ever caught. She hoped everything would work smoothly, otherwise, she would succeed only in getting her and the closest thing she had to a friend killed.
Okay...so I saw this story in my list and couldn't resist writing a chapter for it. I'll still update Odds and Ends later. Also, I might actually bring my laptop to my camp job (previously I wasn't sure if I could because the camp had little space for valuable items) so I might be able to update during the summer. I'll keep you all updated!
Review please!
~RukiaRae
