"Has she been dealt with?"
No matter the hour of the day, Brakmar always appeared to be ablaze. The orange glow of the volcanic landscape the Dark City was built on never dimmed, the clouds overhead preventing the sun or even the sky to be seen. Though one adjusted to the lack of it. The General knew it to be late, his natural clock knowing the time without casting a glance out of the castle's windows. Candles were lit throughout the day and night to accommodate to the darkness within the castle, adding a dark and ominous atmosphere to the room the Brakmarian General found himself in. He wasn't in the greatest of moods; the news that was brought to him was worrisome and he was the one to deal with the matter. Bad timing, that was the best way of describing it… His thick black painted lips were pursed, his facial expression tense to contain his annoyance.
Before him stood two men, a Sadida in expensive looking clothes and a Cra with wispy black hair and wearing a suit of golden and red armor, his helmet held under his arm. The Sadida, Baron Replin Rosessen, was rubbing his hands in a nervous manner while his Cra companion kept a straight face and stood respectfully at attention. The question the General slid their way was answered by the Cra, the captain of the Rose Militia," yes sir, appropriately. She will not make the same mistake again, I assure you."
The General nodded; he would have to find solace in the reassurance given to him. "Good," he muttered before speaking more clearly," we have enough to deal with as it is, we don't need a foolish woman bringing along more trouble."
"Agreed, sir."
"Is our Liege pleased…?"
Pleased? The question caused the look in the tall Brakmarian's eyes to darken, the glare he threw the Sadida's way making the nobleman shrink and halt his fidgeting after he stupidly asked such. "Hardly." The earlier commotion in the city sent the Prince into a frothing and panicked state after the news reached him and his shrieking and squeaking was the reason behind the Sadida and his right hand standing before the General. "You have some polishing up to do, Rosessen," the General plainly but threateningly stated," unless you are dying to have all those properties the Prince gifted to you to be taken away."
"N-no, sir…"
"As long as you keep your Rose's Thorns clipped, all should be in order…" The Rose's Thorns. A preposterous name for the female Huppermage, or so the General believed. The Huppermage Lecreft was skilled but she was a woman, and not all there in her head. This day proved it… and here he stood, cleaning up her mess while she was supposedly recovering from the demanded punishment. Hopefully it still hurt so she would not ruin the Prince's plans again with her reckless actions. "Though not forgotten," he made clear before he took a deep breath to change the subject," inform me on the matters after you intercepted Lecreft and dealt with her. What happened to the Eliatrope?"
"She was last seen heading for the Zaaps, sir," the captain formally explained to clue the General in on the received reports," there was a commotion at the toll ways shortly after the last reported sighting. We believe she used it as a cover for her escape; she is no longer in the city."
"Excellent, as she should be. We don't need her or her kind snooping around during these times. Her fleeing the city is the only positive thing to come out of your Thorns' mess… Now, has anyone figured out why exactly the Eliatrope was in the city?"
Rosessen nodded after he took a step forward, the smile he carried on his grass covered face still holding a nervous edge but the information he held gave him a little more confidence. "Y-yes, as a matter of fact, one of my mistresses had a meeting with this Eliatrope before Lecreft barged in. Apparently she was seeking information on some Osamodas, like names and living relatives. It was for a little girl the Eliatrope kept in her company."
The General rose a brow," was that truly all?"
"Yessir," Rosessen assured before he threw a sideways glance to the Cra captain, the look he received in turn followed by a small nod.
"Her party was small and hardly of significance. The innkeeper of the establishment the Eliatrope rented a room from informed us that she was in the company of a female Sacrier and Xelor, the little girl and an adult male Cra. The Sacrier asked around for the location of an infobroker the day before, which eventually lead them all to the 'Peach Blossom's Dance' tavern and Lord Rosessen's mistress. The gathering of information appeared to be their only purpose for coming to Brakmar."
The General slowly exhaled through but a slit between his thick black lips, a tension building up across his shoulders as more was revealed about what had occurred the last two days. "The Sacrier," he mumbled," and the Eliatrope. I see… Your assistance is no longer required on this matter, though I demand you keep Lecreft on a leash so this day will not repeat itself. You can see yourselves out."
Rosessen deeply bowed in front the General as he backed up to inch towards the door, the captain being more like a trained soldier in his doing and saluting the General before he followed the baron outside. They needed to return to their own business, like disciplining the female Huppermage for crossing lines she blindly and willingly crossed all to take some vengeance the Prince didn't even support, or tend to the damage Lecreft and the Eliatrope caused within the district Rosessen ruled over.
The General blew out the remaining air from his lungs after the heavy doors closed behind the leaving visitors, the annoyance he felt not fading away. But while his own mood was sour, the Prince had been grinning contently for several days now and that made it slightly better. He hoped it would stay that way for a while longer, even with what happened in the city.
He was quick to traverse the castle, keeping up a fairly good pace through the many hallways and corridors. He knew the Prince's schedule and with what was revealed to him during his talk with Rosessen and his captain, the General was eager to indulge the monarch of Brakmar with what he learned. It would prove useful… especially with the company the Prince was in at the present. He entered the throne room through one of the side doors which was guarded on the outside, quietly stepping into the large space to make a slow stride towards the throne while the Prince's voice echoed through the hall.
All that were present were the Prince, the approaching General and two visitors.
"Absolutely satisfying. Marvelous!" The prince sat on his throne as he spoke to the two people before him, a concealed item under a red veil standing upon a pedestal beside him. Whatever was hidden under the silk hadn't left the Prince's side or sight ever since it was brought to him a few days prior and was the reason behind the cheerful and smug mood the Prince was in. "You've done extremely well, Gard. You did what was expected of you… unlike that filth beside you."
The Prince received a deep bow after he complimented the man dressed in black, the hood the man wore hiding a fiery red mane and a white painted mask with markings in a similar bright red color. The Masqueraider remained silent, unlike the Sacrier next to him. The dark skinned woman with the black tattoos across her arms, shoulders and chest retaliated to the insult that was thrown her way by letting out a shout of disbelief and offense.
"Hey, I did my part!" Royale snapped, her thick black hair and ridiculously tall ponytail swaying behind her as she stepped forward and tried to make herself look bigger by setting a hand on her hip and jabbed her own chest with a black thumb," I deserve as much credit as mister puppet over here."
"Silence!" the Prince screeched," know your place, woman! You were released from that prison cell to keep the Eliatrope away from Brakmar, not bring her here!"
Royale bit her tongue at the reminder before she huffed and crossed her arms before her chest. "Yeah well, if Gard hadn't screwed up and gotten Blondie in prison in the first place, you wouldn't have needed to make a deal with me. But he did and here we are. Besides, who said anything about me bringing Alys here? I mean, come on… why would I stand here if I deliberately dragged her to Brakmar?" she asked, the batting of her eyelashes and the innocent look she put on not exactly having the desired effect," all I did was tag along when she decided to come here. I really tried to change her mind, honest, but she didn't listen. So! I decided to stick with her and keep an eye on her, guide her away from places she had no business in. Smart, right?"
"How peculiar," the General mocked as he stepped up beside the throne and turned to the Sacrier, the look he gave her one of amusal," I heard you merrily assisted the Eliatrope into the city, even acted as her guide."
"What?!" The Prince nearly choked on the word he spat out and jabbed with his golden scepter towards Royale to point a golden accusing finger at her. His white powdered face hid the flaring red of his rising anger but he couldn't conceal it as he huffed, puffed and seethed while sitting on his oversized throne," you assisted her?!"
Royale pulled her shoulders up into a shrug," assist isn't the right word but sure, let's go with that." News traveled fast in Brakmar, but she didn't expect it to travel that fast. She couldn't help to glare towards the tall man with the thick black lips after he easily brought her lie to light; there was nothing she could say or do to save herself from that mistake so she better roll with it and hope she will get out of this alive. "It was just a bit of harmless fun; no harm done, right?"
"Harmless? Harmless?!"
The Masqueraider was clever enough to slowly back away and bring some distance between himself and the female Sacrier after the Prince stood up and continued to point his scepter at her, stepping back to find shelter in the darker parts of the throneroom. He'll let Royale be the main target for the Prince's frothing anger though kept a watchful eye on the developments.
"You could have ruined everything with bringing her here! All we planned and worked for down the drain because you wanted some fun?! How about a few nights in the cellars with the rats and some shackles for your company, huh? Does that sound like fun to you too?!"
"Oh please, I did my part! I kept her away for long enough; that you lazy lot work too slow isn't my problem! And for your information, Your Highness, she's some sort of an ambassador. If she wanted to come here for whatever ambassador-y stuff, she would've anyway, with or without my assistance."
His mascara and eyeliner laced eye twitched after Royale remained rebellious rather than be intimidated by the threat of getting locked up again. She had a sharp tongue and the new information she brought forth about the female Eliatrope made everything far more concerning for the Brakmarian Prince. An ambassador… a representative. A new leading figure for that damned race he didn't trust? He surely didn't need that! "The deal was your freedom for keeping her off Brakmarian soil," he growled through yellowed teeth.
"And kamas. And the clearing of my name," Royale said before she pointed towards the General and then to Gard," he said it, he heard it and I sure as Shukrute haven't forgotten it."
"Consider yourself lucky that you get to keep your head on your shoulders, filth!" the Prince shrieked, his anger having met its peak at the Sacrier's insolence," get out of my sight before I have you dragged off to the dungeons and meet Dewitt's axe!"
"That wasn't the deal!"
"You've got yourself to thank for breaking the deal single handedly and play best friends with the Eliatrope! And don't even think of ever setting foot in this city again! You're banished till the day your miserable life ends! You've three seconds to leave this throneroom!" He sat himself back down with a heavy plop after shouting at the top of his lungs, a childish action which made him look silly but nobody laughed or snickered. All there was were glares and hateful glances.
Royale clenched her fists, her arms shaking and her teeth bared but all the insults she wanted to throw at the prince were kept to herself. She didn't believe she did anything wrong; she did what was asked of her after she was freed from the small Bontarian prison. She was chosen for the task of babysitting Alys because she was the only prisoner there after the Eliatrope was released. That she brought Alys to Brakmar 'too soon' wasn't her fault, but theirs. Damn rich people. Born with a golden spoon and entitlement in their mouth. She hated them. She turned on a bare heel to march out of the throneroom, feeling three pairs of eyes burning on her scarred back. This was far from over; she wasn't going to be humiliated and cast aside like this, not by someone like that pompous powdered potato.
The large doors slammed shut with a resonating bang after Royale took her spiteful leave, the three men present not stirring at first until it was certain the Sacrier wouldn't come barging back in.
"Guards!" the Prince called out before the rustling of armor could be heard from behind the throne as several guards came to the monarch's beck and call as swiftly as they could," make certain that woman leaves the city before dawn. I want her gone."
The 'yessir's which sounded were satisfying enough as the Prince visibly relaxed and let out a long overdone sigh after hearing the obedience of his servants. He sunk away in his oversized robes with the large fur trim and collar, pouting a little before that which had him in such a good mood the last few days crossed his mind. He was quick to sit up at the thought, shuffling onto his knees upon the red velvet throne cushion to lean over the armrest and reach for the concealed item on the pedestal next to his throne.
The silken veil was snatched away with impatience, revealing an egg shaped item that looked like a large polished gemstone. It was brown in color with a plethora of golden speckles scattered all over the glass-like surface; a Dofus.
The sight alone made the Prince's eyes grow in size before he let out a little giggle while leaning over the armrest, his slipper clad feet lightly kicking back and forth and his behind wiggling with his growing excitement as he continued to sit on his knees. "That Sacrier's incompetence pales in comparison to this," the Prince mused while hungrily staring at the Dofus," Bullion was a fool to part with this for but a measly few kamas and rubies. All this power… and it is all in my grasp! It even comes with a dragon!"
He leaned further over the armrest to bring his face and foul grin closer to the gold speckled egg, closely examining the silhouette of what was a tiny dragon that laid dormant within the Dofus while he laughed contently. The Prince visibly hesitated to touch the Dofus with his bare hands, his greedy fingers stretching and curling as he held them aloft but near the magical artifact; he was so ready to grab it but what would happen if he did?
The General and Masqueraider threw a quiet glance towards each other after the Prince indulged himself and spoke with an outer voice. It was quite a task for Gard to get that Dofus to Brakmar. There were a lot of detours and delays during its transport, all to keep its existence shrouded from the rest of the world. And then the disappointments, like Alys finding out the Masqueraider was carrying something of importance and later on being lead to Brakmar city by Royale, but it all turned out well in the end. The positive end results were exactly what fortified the Prince's trust in the masked man.
"I wonder if we can hatch it. Have the dragon be ours, mold it to Brakmar's liking while it grows," the Prince continued, no longer just talking to himself as he glanced past the large fur collar towards his confidante and general of his armies," if we keep this a secret, nobody will know ever know how the dragon came into our possession; it will be a surprise when we use it!"
"And what about the Eliatropes?"
The look upon the General's face betrayed he didn't wish to pop the Prince's bubble and perhaps that was why the monarch scoffed rather than glare and shriek some more in offense. "Children, the lot of them," he retorted with that typical scoff of his and slumped a little in his throne to take his weight off the golden and red velvet armrest," what would they know, correct? We both heard the stories that day and the day after, how that broad and Qilby were the only adults left and all that backwards talk. But with Qilby presumably gone and out of the picture, there is nobody else left to know about the existence of this Dofus or the dragon inside. The pool of so called knowledge for those brats is all gone and depleted!"
A wrinkle appeared across the General's chin as he pressed his perky lips firmer together and swallowed. It made sense, but it felt irrational to base a whole idea and plan around such incomplete bits of information. There were only rumors to go by, at least when the Eliatropes were concerned. The news that Qilby and the Eliacube were gone had yet to be officially confirmed or denied, but then who could do such if one didn't trust Eliatropes to begin with? "Those are wild guesses to make, my Liege," he cautiously stated to make his prince aware of how fickle his ideas sounded. More research and planning was required, though of course… the prince did have a final say in things.
"I thought this through!" the Prince bit, a sharp edge to his voice as he felt insulted by the General's doubt," you heard her. That Eliatrope can't remember a thing, she admitted to it. She was in the city today and left without making an attempt to seek us out or reclaim this egg; she has no connection to it whatsoever. It is ours and we can do with it whatever we please."
"But do you even know what to do with it?"
"Of course I do, you dimwit! All I have to do is touch it and its power shall be mine, surging through my veins and giving me inhuman strength and agility." Finally the needed push. The Prince was quick to snatch up the Dofus, his scepter clattering onto the floor as he no longer hesitated to accept whatever may happen once he would come in contact with the magical artifact. He rose the dragon egg over his head with a triumphant grin and stood up on his throne to show himself and the Dofus off to the General and Gard. "All mine!" He panted, holding back on the accomplished laughter which tickled his throat while excitement took his breath away. Any moment now! He should be feeling ultimate power coursing through him soon. Very soon. Actually, it should have happened already. What was taking so long?
The Prince's wide grin wavered and died off when he felt no difference while the seconds crept by, even with the Dofus clutched greedily in his hands. His eyes flickered between the two men that were staring at him with uncertainty, the looks they gave him only feeding his doubt and disbelief. "What-? B-but… Why won't it-Accursed thing! Do something!" He shook the Dofus after he dropped himself to sit rather than stand like an idiot on his throne and glared at the little silhouette of the dragon whelp within the egg.
"Are you holding it right?" the General asked after he took a few careful and cautious steps closer, a hand raised to protect himself against whatever the Prince may throw his way, though it was probably going to be infuriated speeches with some droplets of saliva.
"Why should I hold it in a certain way? It's a Dofus! There is nothing complicated about it!"
"Perhaps it is a fake?"
"Fake? Are you blind, man?! It has a dragon in it!" The Prince nearly shoved the egg into the General's face with a firm thrust of his arms, his cheeks puffed up with his held back frustration while his wide open eyes showed the red veins.
Gard's facial expression and thoughts were hidden behind the mask he wore but his steel colored eyes betrayed he was unnaturally calm in comparison to the two others that were present in the throneroom. His stride was quiet after he left the darker area of the large hall to step forth and courtesy before the one he served. "My deepest apologies for interrupting, Sire," he said, his voice muffled by the wooden mask though he was heard as his approach silenced the Prince's fuming," but the Eliatrope sensed the Dofus during its transport through Bonta; she is aware of its existence. Perhaps not in detail, but that she was capable of homing in on its presence while I kept the Dofus in my possession proves it to be genuine. It is no fake."
The confirmation from the quiet Masqueraider caused both the Prince and General to look thoughtful, cogs turning in their heads to make use of what Gard had said. "Perhaps the Dofus belonging to the Eliatropes work in a different way than the Dofus from this world…" the General muttered though quickly and painfully bit the inside of his cheek when the Prince shot him a deadly look… a look which rapidly changed into a whiny pout.
"Are you telling me that this thing is useless to me? But-but… it is mine! It is supposed to give me power!"
"Not unless you have an Eliatrope at your side."
The white powder of his makeup already did well with hiding the red of his anger but it did even better at concealing the fact the Prince paled at the thought of having to work together with an Eliatrope. "You fool! I can't let those brats find out I have one of their Dofus; it would ruin us!" The Eliatropes, though children, were too valuable and there were people out there who were willing to offer their support to them. It would indeed be incredibly foolish to get on their bad side, including any allies the Eliatropes would gain, no matter if the existing Eliatropes were too young… or female. "No, no…" the Prince said while pressing the Dofus against his chest and stroked its shiny shell," we will keep this a secret between the three of us and we will find a way to make it useful. If I have to throw it into the lava to make it hatch, I damn well will!"
"If that is what you desire, My Liege…"
The Prince nodded after he got up from his throne and draped the silken veil back over the Dofus before handing it over to the General. "It is! Now, put this somewhere secure and safe. Very safe. The vault in my main bedroom would do nicely," he said as the tall Brakmarian with the sunken in eyes and black lips took the magical dragon egg from him," remember... This is our secret. If this gets out to anyone, I'll hold you responsible and have your head as a new mantle piece."
"Y-yes, My Liege," the General swallowed, his fingers cramping up with a sudden tension after the Dofus was handed to him without much thought. He expected something to happen after his skin came in contact with the brown shell; a flash of pain, a surge of electricity or anything else unpleasant but nothing did. Peculiar… He didn't linger too long on the thought for pain would happen if he wasn't quick enough with doing his prince's bidding. He bowed for his ruler before he hurried out of the throneroom to make his way to the upper levels of the castle, not wishing to imagine his head attached to a plaque and hanging from a wall to collect dust.
The cocky expression the Prince wore didn't fade after he bent down to pick up his dropped scepter and cleaned it with his wide sleeve, his attention already diverted from the rushing general and the familiar slam of the large throneroom doors. He made himself comfortable on his throne after he could see his distorted reflection in the gold of the scepter, a silence washing over the large hall that was lit by the streams of lava underneath the large open balcony.
Silence didn't last for all too long as soon enough the Prince's squeaky voice turned to the only remaining visitor; the Masqueraider.
"I commend you, Gard. You screwed up with allowing the Eliatrope to chase you all over Bonta and even out of the palace, but at least you did what was asked of you and also tried to fix your mistakes. You managed to buy the Dofus off Aurum Bullion and assured safe transport of it to Bonta without any of our enemies finding out about it. Even Bonta was oblivious to our plan and we executed it right on their doorstep!" He chuckled amused," what a great feeling it was to lead the great Theron Sheran Sharm by the nose while he and his pathetic followers were on my beck and call. He didn't suspect a thing! And then you causing that commotion during that yawn fest of a masquerade ball? A brilliant distraction!"
It must seem easy and simple for the Prince… He didn't need to run all over the place. Gard wisely kept his thoughts to himself, reciting and remember how troublesome it was to be discovered by the woman dressed in blue and needing to try and shake her off to keep the Dofus from getting discovered. She was a worthy opponent, if only for a brief moment.
"Though…" The Prince's voice interrupted the Masqueraider's memories of Alys," a pity you are now classed as a highly wanted criminal due to that, but such a reputation suits you well. It gives you that edge, you know?"
Gard nodded to silently agree. A reputation was what he liked to uphold. He was already mysterious but with an assassination attempt tied to his masked face, no matter a misassumption, he would be considered dangerous too by anyone daring to cross his path. Not that he needed the little boost; he took lives to do the Prince's bidding, he was already dangerous.
"Excellent. With the Eliacube gone and the only few Eliatropes infesting this world unable to compensate the damages caused to my city, one of their Dofus is a fair enough price to pay. And what they don't know, won't hurt them," the Prince snickered before letting out a sigh of accomplishment," ahh, things are finally going my way."
The twirling of his scepter abruptly stopped when the Prince's growing bubble of happiness was rudely popped by the clanking of the door handle after it got roughly tugged on on, the sound only more jarring as it was accompanied by the squeaking of the opening door and stomping feet. Someone almost slumped through the crack of the door opening, not even waiting for the door to be far enough open to step through before wild large eyes pinned themselves on the ruler of Brakmar.
The Prince blinked as he gazed upon the General clinging to the massive door, slowly cocking his head a little to take in what he was seeing while the grip on his scepter tightened. There was blood trickling down the General's chin and from under the hand he held over his mouth and nose, looking spooked. What was the meaning of this? "What is it now?!" the Prince's screeching echoed.
"R-Roy, the Sacrier…!" the General stammered, his voice distorted like he was pinching his nose and had his mouth full with something he couldn't swallow down.
"What of her, man? Spit it out!"
The General squirmed himself through the narrow opening to stumble into the throneroom, needing to seek his balance upon the embroiled carpet as he kept a hand clamped over his nose and was in a too panicked state to get himself together. "She ambushed me! Laid waiting, ambushed me and took the Dofus!" He pointed towards the large doors with urgency, his finger shaking," she broke my nose!"
"She what?!" If any glass was present within the throneroom, it would have shattered by the shrieking tone of the Prince's disbelief. "I'll break something more and precious if you don't rally our forces and go after her this instant! She must be found!" He threw his scepter at the General with an infuriated fling of his whole arm, the golden rod with the Horn hand bouncing across the floor with a hollow clatter," get moving!"
Once more the General scurried out of the throneroom but this time his life truly depended on it, no matter that all he could taste was his own blood and the bitter aftertaste of failure. He didn't expect the Sacrier to be casually waiting for him to round the corner. He thought the guards successfully removed her from the castle premises already but obviously she gave them the slip. Those incompetent imbeciles… and he was no better, being so easily felled and robbed by a short female. He needed to find her or else he would feel the Prince's wrath, and that was definitely going to be more painful than a broken nose.
"Gard!"
The Masqueraider bowed with a gloved hand held against his chest after the shrill calling of his name, his hooded cloak draping around his figure as he courtesied for the seething prince with the same calm demeanor as before.
"Track her down," the Prince hissed through yellowed teeth as he pointed down to his own feet, his eyes bloodshot while his eyebrow couldn't stop twitching," I don't care if you destroy, maim, kill her or what have you, as long as you will retrieve that Dofus and bring it back to me! The Eliatropes are not allowed to learn of this. That Dofus is mine, you hear?!"
"Understood, Sire." His voice was smooth without a waver of doubt or mock, the bow he made deepening before he gracefully turned around to exit the throneroom and do what he was told to, his cloak flowing behind him. To find Royale was not going to be easy but he felt up for the challenge. If he could shake off someone that was capable of crossing short distances with portals, what chance did a mere Sacrier loving woman have against him?
While Gard was confident in his own skills, the Prince on the other hand was far less convinced. The moment he was left to himself in the large hall which held his impressive golden throne, he instantly began to pace and panic. There was too much at stake, the Dofus he tried to get to Brakmar taken from him. If anyone were to find out… He needed to think of a backup plan to dodge accusations, in case Bonta or the Eliatropes would find out about what Brakmar was plotting. Especially Bonta… now that was a nation he desperately wanted to go toe to toe with but didn't dare to; the truce needed to be upheld for a while longer.
That Dofus though… he needed it back and soon, before Royale might get the idea to return it to Qilby's woman, that Eliatrope Alys. He couldn't allow that to happen so Gard better prove himself to the Prince and Brakmar… or else heads would roll. Yes, heads would definitely roll.