*gives cookies to all 17 reviewers* Wow, a new record! Anyway, I survived
exams-
Sap: DAMNIT!
... as I was saying BEFORE I was interrupted, I survived the exams, but I didn't update earlier because I was still recovering from them.
Sap: Excuses, excuses.
Do you really want me to lock you in the pantry after emptying it?
Sap: *makes bambi eyes* Please, don't do that to meeeeeee...
...You know, bambi eyes REALLY don't work when used by a fat, 2-inch-tall blob bent on taking over the world.
Sap: True, but listening to the Riverdance soundtrack didn't help you write this chapter.
That's why I switched to LoTR halfway through.
Sap: Still, y-
On with the chapter!
Sap: HEY!
..................................................................
Ivan gasped for air as he ran up the spiral staircase towards Alex's quarters. As his page, the jupiter adept was supposed to have the candles lit and a fire in the fireplace by the time Alex reached his quarters. Praying that it wasn't too late, I van put on a final burst of speed to reach the landing... and found himself looking at Alex through the open door.
"The candles weren't lit, and the door was open. Would you care to explain why?"
Thinking fast, Ivan responded. "There was a problem in the servant's quarters that they needed me to fix, my lord. I'm sorry."
"And you shut, but forgot to lock the door behind you, no doubt." Ivan nodded. He was somewhat relieved, as Alex appeared to believe him, but he knew that it could change in a mere second. Alex continued, "But, seeing as the door was open, would you happen to know who came into my quarters without permission... besides Kraden?"
The mercury adept gestured to his desk. The usually neat piles of papers were all over the floor, and a scroll belonging to Alex's aforementioned advisor lay where the piles once had. "He's the clumsiest of my advisors, but even when unlocked, he isn't strong enough to push open the door."
"Um, I think that it was Karst... but I'm not quite sure." Ivan was good friends with the proxian, but she was the only one who he could blame believably. She was also one of Alex's best bodyguards, so she would likely get a much lighter punishment than the jupiter adept.
"Karst..." Alex tapped his chin thoughtfully. "She does have a habit of never picking up after others, and Kraden never lets anyone other than him and myself touch his scrolls." Alex shook his head in annoyance as he lit one of the candles.
A small explosion sounded as he did so, and the mercury adept leaped back as the flame grew rapidly before shrinking to normal size. "Mars adepts and their pranks, " growled Alex as he swept out of the room furiously. Ivan slumped against the wall, weak-kneed with relief.
Alex swept through the halls in a blind fury, layers of ice coating everything nearby as he walked. "Trying to singe my hair? Nice try, Karst."
The lord reached the barracks and threw Karst's door open, nearly tearing it off the hinged in the process. Looking up innocently, she asked, "Is there a problem, my lord?"
"Besides gunpowder on the candles, Briggs failed to show up for dungeon duty. You will take his shift." Karst cast fireball on him, negated by a quick douse. "Be thankful that your punishment isn't worse."
"Fine." The hot-tempered adept stalked out the door, headed for the dungeons. Aware of Alex's presence behind her, she whirled and asked, "Exactly why are you following me?"
"Partly to make sure that you don't shirk your duty, and partly because this is the fastest way to get to the audience hall."
Muttering under her breath, Karst continued on, sighing in relief as the lord left off from following her. Reaching her new post, she leaned against the wall and sighed in both annoyance and boredom, but was startled as a voice she recognized called her.
"Karst?"
"Isaac? What the hell are you doing in there?" Looking around, she was able to pinpoint which door the voice came from. "Caught resisting the guards or something?"
"Exactly."
The mars adept snorted. "Look, if you can give me enough time, I'll help you out of there. Lord bastard here put me on dungeon duty for pulling a prank on him."
"Fine."
"You and your one-word answers." Karst then turned and began walking toward the dungeon entrance to pilfer the key to his cell.
* * * * * * * Meanwhile, in the audience hall... * * * * * * *
--Will this pointlessness ever stop?--
Piers rubbed his temples as he listened to the blabbering of the other advisors. Currently, Conservato was saying something about needing to spend less on the village and more on the palace.
--I hate being trapped here with these idiots.--
Alex said something to Conservato, who sat down looking very pleased with himself. Akafubu was now saying something about moving the religion further towards worshipping him, and away from worshipping the elemental guardians such as Haures or Moloch.
--Bunch of shit, if you ask me. I don't know why I continue to allow myself to be force to come to these. It's not like I became Alex's advisor willingly!--
"Piers, do you have anything to say?"
The Lemurian looked up in surprise, his golden eyes meeting Alex's gray ones. "No, my lord."
"Well, in that case, all advisors are dismissed."
Piers got up and left the room as quickly as possible, not wanting to spend any more time than necessary with the ones ruining the village.
Sap: DAMNIT!
... as I was saying BEFORE I was interrupted, I survived the exams, but I didn't update earlier because I was still recovering from them.
Sap: Excuses, excuses.
Do you really want me to lock you in the pantry after emptying it?
Sap: *makes bambi eyes* Please, don't do that to meeeeeee...
...You know, bambi eyes REALLY don't work when used by a fat, 2-inch-tall blob bent on taking over the world.
Sap: True, but listening to the Riverdance soundtrack didn't help you write this chapter.
That's why I switched to LoTR halfway through.
Sap: Still, y-
On with the chapter!
Sap: HEY!
..................................................................
Ivan gasped for air as he ran up the spiral staircase towards Alex's quarters. As his page, the jupiter adept was supposed to have the candles lit and a fire in the fireplace by the time Alex reached his quarters. Praying that it wasn't too late, I van put on a final burst of speed to reach the landing... and found himself looking at Alex through the open door.
"The candles weren't lit, and the door was open. Would you care to explain why?"
Thinking fast, Ivan responded. "There was a problem in the servant's quarters that they needed me to fix, my lord. I'm sorry."
"And you shut, but forgot to lock the door behind you, no doubt." Ivan nodded. He was somewhat relieved, as Alex appeared to believe him, but he knew that it could change in a mere second. Alex continued, "But, seeing as the door was open, would you happen to know who came into my quarters without permission... besides Kraden?"
The mercury adept gestured to his desk. The usually neat piles of papers were all over the floor, and a scroll belonging to Alex's aforementioned advisor lay where the piles once had. "He's the clumsiest of my advisors, but even when unlocked, he isn't strong enough to push open the door."
"Um, I think that it was Karst... but I'm not quite sure." Ivan was good friends with the proxian, but she was the only one who he could blame believably. She was also one of Alex's best bodyguards, so she would likely get a much lighter punishment than the jupiter adept.
"Karst..." Alex tapped his chin thoughtfully. "She does have a habit of never picking up after others, and Kraden never lets anyone other than him and myself touch his scrolls." Alex shook his head in annoyance as he lit one of the candles.
A small explosion sounded as he did so, and the mercury adept leaped back as the flame grew rapidly before shrinking to normal size. "Mars adepts and their pranks, " growled Alex as he swept out of the room furiously. Ivan slumped against the wall, weak-kneed with relief.
Alex swept through the halls in a blind fury, layers of ice coating everything nearby as he walked. "Trying to singe my hair? Nice try, Karst."
The lord reached the barracks and threw Karst's door open, nearly tearing it off the hinged in the process. Looking up innocently, she asked, "Is there a problem, my lord?"
"Besides gunpowder on the candles, Briggs failed to show up for dungeon duty. You will take his shift." Karst cast fireball on him, negated by a quick douse. "Be thankful that your punishment isn't worse."
"Fine." The hot-tempered adept stalked out the door, headed for the dungeons. Aware of Alex's presence behind her, she whirled and asked, "Exactly why are you following me?"
"Partly to make sure that you don't shirk your duty, and partly because this is the fastest way to get to the audience hall."
Muttering under her breath, Karst continued on, sighing in relief as the lord left off from following her. Reaching her new post, she leaned against the wall and sighed in both annoyance and boredom, but was startled as a voice she recognized called her.
"Karst?"
"Isaac? What the hell are you doing in there?" Looking around, she was able to pinpoint which door the voice came from. "Caught resisting the guards or something?"
"Exactly."
The mars adept snorted. "Look, if you can give me enough time, I'll help you out of there. Lord bastard here put me on dungeon duty for pulling a prank on him."
"Fine."
"You and your one-word answers." Karst then turned and began walking toward the dungeon entrance to pilfer the key to his cell.
* * * * * * * Meanwhile, in the audience hall... * * * * * * *
--Will this pointlessness ever stop?--
Piers rubbed his temples as he listened to the blabbering of the other advisors. Currently, Conservato was saying something about needing to spend less on the village and more on the palace.
--I hate being trapped here with these idiots.--
Alex said something to Conservato, who sat down looking very pleased with himself. Akafubu was now saying something about moving the religion further towards worshipping him, and away from worshipping the elemental guardians such as Haures or Moloch.
--Bunch of shit, if you ask me. I don't know why I continue to allow myself to be force to come to these. It's not like I became Alex's advisor willingly!--
"Piers, do you have anything to say?"
The Lemurian looked up in surprise, his golden eyes meeting Alex's gray ones. "No, my lord."
"Well, in that case, all advisors are dismissed."
Piers got up and left the room as quickly as possible, not wanting to spend any more time than necessary with the ones ruining the village.