"Nephry! Saphir! Don't go!"
"Argh-! Jade, Gelda, please stop tugging on my pants leg."
"Wait! Wai-!" Thud!
The blond swordsmen laid flat on the palace's marble floor twitching. The objects of his troubles now nudging him with their snouts and floppy ears.
Guy huffed a sigh into the polished floor, "Still active as ever"
The rappigs gave happy snorts at their caretaker and pushed at him more excitedly. Well, all for expect that two rappigs that stood over to the side with placate looks. 'At least Aslan and Luke act more appropriate,' Guy thought halfheartedly.
Even after two years His Majesty still requested that Guy walk and care for his precious rappigs. Not that Guy had a problem with it. He had become very familiar with the pets over the course of two years. But that didn't mean that they had acted any differently around him. Every time the domesticated monsters saw Guy they would squeal and run up to him and begin brushing against his legs. They had grown quite fond of the nobleman.
Guy picked himself up and made quick work of grabbing the rappigs leashes. Aslan and Luke followed after Guy calmly and cheerfully while Jade, Nephry, Saphir, and Gelda tugged Guy along at a quick pace.
Guy sweat dropped and allowed the pets to lead him along. The quicker they tire themselves out the quicker Guy could escort them back to Peony's chambers and carry on with his day. While the three leaders stopped to investigate a patch of seemingly interesting grass Guy looked over the courtyard and reveled in the peaceful atmosphere. The sound of the city's waterfall could be heard from the courtyard and it gave Guy a sense of serenity.
Grand Chokmah was the complete opposite of Baticul. The air was so clean and there weren't so many towering, menacing looking dark buildings. There weren't any elevators like in Baticul. There were several stairs to climb everywhere. It was like the two cities were meant to be polar opposites. If that were the case then that would explain a lot of their bad blooded history.
Even though Grand Chokmah wasn't Guy's favorite city it certainly gave the man a sense of peace. There was no way that Guy could continue to remain in Baticul once his identity was revealed. And it seemed Peony took an immediate liking to the young man and allowed him passage into his inner circle and granted him his noble class. Even if the rebuilding of his clan was going rather slowly.
If on no one's part but the lone Gardios himself.
Guy felt a tug on his pant's leg and looked down to see Aslan nudging him out of his daze. Surprisingly the two rappigs that caused Guy the least amount of trouble were Aslan and Luke.
Ironic considering that the real Luke did nothing but cause trouble for him. Guy would laugh if the rappig's name didn't sting every time he said it.
Guy kneeled down to the rappigs level and patted his head briefly. "What is it Aslan? Tired?"
The rappig threw its head around slightly towards his fellow monsters and flicked his ears a couple times as if giving Guy indication. The rappigs were very entuned with one another and they all began making their way back to Guy and stared up at him expectantly.
Guy chuckled and stood up lightly dusting his pants off. It seems they were ready to end their walk. "All right, I got it. Let's head back now," Guy said and gave slight tugs on the pets leashes.
Immediately the rappigs began the walk back to their master's chambers where they could lounge and cause more of a mess. Though Guy still wasn't certain if the horrid condition of His Majesty's chambers was caused by his pets or himself. Peony wasn't exactly known for his cleanliness.
The walk to Peony's chambers didn't take much time at all. Guy released all of the rappigs and allowed them to roam the room freely. Guy was just about to exit the room when a push to his ankle from behind caught his attention. Guy glanced down to see Luke staring up at him with big, begging eyes. The blond had yet to give the rappig his daily treat. The others received treats at times, but Luke's was a daily habit that the pet refused to allow the nobleman to forget.
Guy had a soft spot for the rappig that shared his best friend's name, so it was not as if he could refuse the creature. Just like he could never refuse the real Luke when he was alive.
Reaching into his pocket Guy held a small treat out to the rappig who happily gobbled it up when it was within his reach. The rappig bobbed his head in appreciation and nuzzled against Guy's leg before turning back to join his fellow pack. Guy chuckled silently and left the room before any of the other monsters decided to beg him for a treat.
Once Guy was out of Peony's personal room he leaned against the wall and sighed. He closed his blue eyes and just tried to enjoy silence for a little while before his inevitable meeting. His usual two weeks meanings with His Majesty and…
"Well, well, what exactly do we have here? Shirking your duties, Guy? My, that just will not do. Isn't there something you should be doing instead of dawdling? Perhaps a special meeting?" A mockingly, light tone called out to Guy.
There was no need to look up to confirm the newcomer. "Well Jade, as a matter of fact I was just on my way to your office for the meeting."
The colonel gave a hum of acknowledgement. Guy opened his eyes to look at his friend. The colonel had not graced him with a sarcastic statement which was very odd.
Jade Curtis stood straight as usual and the same unfaltering smile that he always wore. Not a hair out of place. Just as a soldier should be. Or as someone as unraveling as the colonel should be. Guy was still not convinced though. The swordsman pushed himself off of the wall he had been leaning against and made his way toward his friend. Upon closer inspection Guy could just barely make out the slightest hint of dark circles under the Necromancer's eyes.
That was unlike Jade to be unrested. Undone in anyway really. Unless of course something serious had happened. That would explain why he searched out Guy.
"Somethings going on isn't there?" Guy questioned without calling his friend out directly.
Jade's usual facade broke for a moment as he brought a hand up to rub at the crease between his brows. His shoulders did not slump though which told Guy that whatever this was had only just been discovered.
"Yes. That's precisely the reason I came to find you."
Jade dropped his hand and faced Guy with a rare, serious expression. "We must really be going now. His Majesty is waiting for us in my office."
Guy knew better than to start questioning the man and simply nodded allowing the Necromancer to lead the way out of the palace and towards the Malkuth Military building. They walked in silence until they reached the looming military building.
Jade stopped short of opening the doors and glanced over at Guy, "Whatever is said here will not be spoken of to anyone else. Understood?"
Now that was odd. Besides their friends such as Tear, Natalia, and Anise there was no one that knew of their meetings. They were after all glorified gatherings to talk about their daily lives.
"Huh? Yeah, of course Jade. What's with the sudden secrecy?"
"You will know soon."
With that Jade opened the doors to the military building and entered. Guy followed him in silence yet again. Once the pair had reached the colonel's office it was quite obvious that the Emperor had made himself at home. The usual pile of books that littered the corner of Jade's office were slowly stretching towards a couch in the office. And at the couch several books laid scattered on the couch surrounding Peony.
Sparkling blue eyes peered over the side of the couch widened at the site of Jade and Guy. "Ah! Jade, Gailardia, you two finally found your way here. About time. I've been waiting forever," Peony spoke in a dramatic tone.
Cocking his head to the side Peony observed the two with a curious look. "Jade, you look rather tense. Is something bothering you?" The Emperor was quick to notice even the hint of disdain in his childhood friend. Maybe that was a quality that all best friends shared.
Jade walked towards the other uncluttered couch in his office and sat. Guy not wanting to intrude stood behind the two couches. Peony's eyes flashed between Guy and Jade with a questioning look.
"Last night there was a sudden increase of Seventh Fonons in the area of Eldrant," Jade's voice broke through the silence. Guy's head whipped towards the Necromancer with wide eyes. If Peony was shocked he didn't show it. Ever royalty to control their emotions.
Guy opened his mouth in order to question the colonel but a quick look from the man silenced him.
"A search party was sent to investigate the anomaly. But when they arrived there was no trace of any of the sudden burst of fonons. Eldrant is as it always has been since it fell. Silent and empty. We have no idea what caused the increase of Seventh Fonons in the area, but whatever it was is gone," Jade continued on with his report.
Peony sat up straighter as he readied to speak. "Jade, what do you think it was? It is unlikely that it was a random hyperresonance. Seventh Fonons are practically nonexistent now with Lorelei released in the Plant Storm."
Guy had to agree. The number of Seventh Fonons before the release of Lorelei was already rare. And now there was a random burst of Seventh Fonons in Eldrant of all places? No. Something was definitely going on.
"Well, I thought perhaps something else had happened so I looked into that possibility as well."
That didn't sound good. Jade's tone was grave and filled with all the seriousness that he had had during the Tower of Rem when Luke was willing to sacrifice himself to destroy the miasma.
Guy couldn't remain silent any longer and spoke up, "Just what do you think caused that increase of Seventh Fonons, Jade?"
The colonel closed his eyes for a moment before standing and making his way over to his desk and unlocking a drawer and pulling out a folded report. With it in his hands Jade walked over towards Guy and handed him the report without a word. But in his eyes were a gleam of… hope? Just what the hell was going on here?
Guy cautiously unfolded the report and allowed his eyes to roam the page. Taking in every word. Making sure that he missed nothing.
Once he finished his hands dropped to his side with a shocked look. The report fell out of his hands and slid to the ground in front of Jade's boot clad feet. Peony stood up in concern and made his way to stand next to Jade.
"Gailardia? Are you all right?" The Emperor's voice laced with concern didn't meet Guy's ears as he tried to wrap his mind around what he had just read.
Jade answered for Guy instead, "Well your Majesty. It would seem a certain red head has been spotted in Tataroo Valley."