Kibble Scribble: Alright it took a while, too long lets be honest, but we have another chapter here finally, woot! Hopefully the few curveballs in this chapter don't give anyone whiplash and I hope you enjoy the chapter.
I really need to think of a better way to update my stuff, it takes far to long even with a keyboard for my tablet. Maybe I'll try to binge some of my smaller stories that are close to finished so I can lower the number of things im working on. Hmm, will have to consider options.
Even before receiving the founders magic, Henrietta had a difficult relationship with the Brimiric church. The Brimiric church spread the Brimiric faith and assisted in many matters that each country needed, such a festivals, dates of importance, and the execution of important events for the nobility such as marriages, giving their blessings and so forth. Each Country had a Cardinal of the church who looked over and supported the regent and faith of that nation, but were not supposed to be above the regent of that nation in any way. Similarly, the Church itself was not supposed to be greater, but equal to the regent of a nation so that they could never take over the land, but could still provide assistance and work together in the name of the founder.
And Henrietta thought of it as a load of crap, though she would never say such an ignoble thing out loud. Throughout history the church had many actions and events that were less than stellar. A number of pointless crusades that led to thousands of deaths, corruption, backroom deals, manipulations. There were many such things in history that, while they did not speak of, or spoke of only in a way to make themselves look good, but it was more recent events that colored Henrietta's perceptions.
The Previous Cardinal of Tristain before Martinozzi, who took the position when she was four, was a corrupt man who end up being responsible for crippling Tristain's economy for almost two decades. When caught he was simply shipped back to Romalia and nothing more was said about him.
When her father died from sickness that even the best water mages of Tristain could not cure, the water mages the church sent made comments such as, 'it must be the founders will' or, ' he must not have been a devout enough believer.'
Then there was the Coup of Albion, the rise of Reqonquista. If they had been doing their job such a thing should not have been able to occur in the first place, and so many lives might not have been lost.
And now, before dawn had even truly crossed the lands, she had been roused from her sleep, told that a member of the clergy who served the pope directly was demanding to see her immediately and would not take no for an answer.
"Has he stated what his reason for being here is, Agnes?" Henrietta asked her longtime friend, confidant, and now Familiar, who was standing by the door to the room while maids assisted her in getting dressed in the finery expected of her position.
"Only that there was Heresy in our midst that must be purged," Agnes said simply as she watched the maids work. "Though I noticed that Cardinal Martinozzi seemed both concerned and anxious."
"So you believe that he was not expecting someone from the church then?" Henrierrta asked.
"correct. I have done some digging as well, the boy, Julio Chesare, is indeed a dragon knight of the church and is the assistant to the pope himself. He also is of common blood and devoid of magic."
Henrietta seemed to think for a moment as the maids finished off her clothing and moved to the side, allowing her to look in the mirror and nod in agreement before turnign to Agnes. " Do you believe he may be as you are?"
Agnes tensed so slightly that only Henrietta noticed. "It, is possible, but not something we would be able to confirm without showing our hand, Your Highness."
"Hmmm, we shall see I suppose then. Let us be off," Henrietta said as she moved toward the door, causing Agnes to open it for her, and then follow her out, quickly taking a positon a half step behind her and to her left side. The two of them moved in silence down the halls toward the main hall of the palace. After all, it would be improper to meet a high ranking member of the clergy in a simple parlor or small meeting room. Arriving at the main hall itself Henrietta was pleased to see that the dragon knight himself, and The Cardinal of Tristain were the only two people present aside from Agnes who continued to follow behind her. Not even the palace speaker or any maids were present. " Cardinal Martinozzi, I presume this is the one who has appeared and demanded my presence?" Henrietta asked as she approached her throne and sat down, allowing Agnes to take up a position on her left.
"That would be correct," The Cardinal said with a nod as he gestured to the boy. "May I present Julio Chesare, Dragon knight of Romalia and the church, as well as a personnel attendant and humble servant of the Pope himself."
"I see. And what is so important that the popes Errand boy, had demanded my presence!" Henrietta demanded to know, making the cardinal wince slightly, while the boy merely looked surprised, likely at the way she referenced him.
He took it in stride however and merely took a step forward to bow before he spoke up. "Your Highness, I thank you for this meeting and apologize for how early it is, but I bring news most dire to the the safety of all those who believe in the founder and your nation."
"Yes, I am told you ordered the local Cathedral to ready their crusaders. An order I have overturned until I am aware of just what it is you seem so afraid of," Henrietta said, choosing every word carefully to edge the young knight on.
Something that seemed to be scandalizing the cardinal.
"I, ahem, while scouting the horrible effects of Albion's fall I found the new island north of it and took it upon myself to investigate. Upon that island I found monsters masquerading as humans and witnessed them killing a trio of loyal citizens of your nation, and when I demanded they back down they did not. So I came here to inform you of these creatures-"
"Gems," Henrietta said simply, interrupting Julio and making him stare for a second as he seemed to compose himself.
"I am sorry your highness, but what did you say?"
"That is what they call themselves," Henrietta provided before smiling ever so slightly. "Gems."
"I, I see. Then you have met these beings?"
"My nations first chosen envoy has, yes. She brought back much information about them, and what would constitute their culture," She explained before leaning forward a bit. "Tell me dragon knight, how did the gems kill those citizens and why?"
"They are inhuman monsters, I have no idea why they kill those who re true believers, but they had."
"I see. And my first question?" Henrietta asked. "How, did they kill them?"
"They burned them alive."
"Oh, with fire I presume?"
"Yes."
"And where did they get it?"
"What?"
"Where did they get the fire?" Henrietta asked again. "The envoy I had sent to speak to them returned to me with much information about their culture. They do not eat as we do, and have no reason to hunt animals. They also have no reason to cook things, and have no need for fire to do so, or to keep themselves warm because temperature does not effect them either. In fact they apparently keep small creatures that emit light as a form of lighting for the nights, not torches or lamps. So where did they get fire enough to burn them alive?"
Julio faltered and tried to think of a way out of the situation. He had not expected such information to be known, or for the young queen to be so direct in her questions. It was almost as if she was trying to find fault with his decisions, and to deny the commandments of the church. "Your Highness, I fail to see what matters in that question. They are heathens that do not believe in the founder and killed your citizens, they need to be brought low and made to realize their mistakes."
"No," Henrietta said as she slowly stood from her throne and looked down on Julio with a gaze that could be best described as dismissive, if not outright hostile. " lady Valliere, who was the envoy, made it clear to the town closest to the island that none where to go there until told otherwise, so if there were citizens there, they had ignored the commands of a Duchess of Tristain. Further more the gems are being invited to speak to me personally about the possibility if alliance and making it clear that they hold sanctity over their island."
"What?! Your highness, they are inhuman monsters that fail to understand the founders glory. Their mere presence is-"
"You killed them, yes?"
"The, the gems?" Julio asked, surprised that the Queen would interrupt him.
"No, the commoners," Henrietta said coldly.
"I, your highness, you are not insinuating that I, a member of the church would-"
"Perhaps I did not make myself clear, so I will make it now abundantly so. As the queen of Tristain, I demand you answer my question. Did you, a dragon knight of Romalia who rides upon a fire dragon, kill the commoners on that island that they were not supposed to be on, merely because you feared what the gems could do with access to the boat they were likely upon?"
Julio was shocked and speechless for a moment. The young Queen of Tristain was supposed to be a weak bleeding heart of a woman, yet here she was, somehow figuring out exactly what had transpired with minimal details. It seemed some plans the pope was preparing for Tristain would need to be re-evaluated ijn the near future. " Your majesty, the mere idea that I, a member of the church, would kill the innocent, is absurd, and I am well and truly insulted you would even insinuate, much less state, such a possibility!"
Henrietta stood there and stared at Julio for a minute before smiling. "I see. And if you were lying to me, what punishment would I need to met out upon you?"
"Pardon?" Julio said in shock before shaking his head slightly. "No, apologies. Your highness, I would not lie to you. I swear it upon the pope's name."
"And I asked you, how should I punish you if I found you to be lying?" Henrietta asked as she slowly sat back down. "As I said, the Gems are being brought to me to speak, and we shall aske them what transpired. If they claim different than what you are reporting, I wonder how I should act knowing a member of the church has lied to my face?"
"You would take the word of inhuman and unbelieving beasts over the word of one of the cloth such as I, your majesty?" Julio asked, his gone slightly warning.
"No," Henrietta said simply. " I will take the side of whose story of what occurred has the least things seemingly wrong with it."
"Your Majesty, you cannot believe that-"
"You are not one who can choose what I believe, Attendant!" Henrietta snapped, cutting Julio off from continuing as she once more stood up from her seat. "I am the Queen of Tristain, and the Gems are being brought here to meet with me, and when here we shall all speak of what you claimed occurred. Until then neither you, nor the church will take action against the Gems in any form!"
"What?! You cannot make commandments of the church in such a matter your majesty, you-"
"And neither can you, a mere dragon knight, make commandments of I. You are not the pope, you are a mere servant of his, and here in Tristain my word is law, not yours," Henrietta declared before turning her gaze to the Cardinal. " Cardinal Martinozzi, you have heard my orders, please escort the churches guest to the cathedral and have a room prepared for him."
"o-of course, your majesty," the Cardinal stuttered with a bow. As he turned to leave however Henrietta spoke up once more.
"Ah yes, one last question for you sir knight. Would you happen to know if the Pope is himself a Mage of the void?"
Julio paused and looked at the Queen. " I, am certain that if such a thing were the case there would be joyous celebrations for one having been gifted by the founders own power, your highness."
"Yes, of course, how silly of me," Henrietta said as she sat back down. " I am sure that such information would be readily and promptly spread by the church, and those connected to them made known as well. You are dismissed."
Julio said nothing as he followed the Cardinal out of the palaces main hall, leaving Henrietta alone with Agnes.
"You wish to ask something Agnes?" Henrietta asked a minute later.
"I, do, your majesty."
"Then, please, ask. You know I trust you Agnes," Henrietta said warmly.
"Very well then. I, would not mean to judge your actions, but was there a point to that last question? Would it not reveal to much?"
"it is necessary," Henrietta said simply before explaining further. " That knight is too young to have acquired his position wholly through normal means, and the writings that Louise had discovered make me realize that the lack of Void mages in the last centuries is strange. I expect the church has something to do with it, and I need them to act to find out for sure. I am playing the long game I suppose."
"I understand, please pardon my worries,"
"There is no need for that Agnes, I trust you and always will," Henrietta said as she stood up. "Agnes, I shall return to my study, but I would like you to assign some people to watch over our errant guest at all times. If he tried to leave or send messages out of Tristian they are to intercept them, or return him to his room."
Agnes, understanding what Henrietta was meaning, nodded. "I will put my best people on it."
"I am sure you will," Henrietta said with a sigh. "Sadly I must now go an write a letter."
"May I ask to whome, your majesty?"
"To Duchess Valliere. While I had given her leave to return to her estate, it seems the dragon knights action will require she be present for when the Gems arrive so that she might make it clear what she learned, and what orders she left to those she encountered."
" I see. Might it be easier to send the message to the Valliere estate here in the capitol?" Agnes suggested. "I believe her eldest daughter is staying there to teach here in the capitol, and the duchess may have gone there first to rest before leaving the capitol."
Henrietta seemed to think to herself for a moment before nodding. "You are likely right, I shall send the message there first, thank you Agnes."
Agnes merely nodded in thanks to the praise.
Eleonore Albertine Le Blanc de La Bloid de La Valliere let a light sigh pass between her lips as she walked down the streets of the Capitol of Tristania, the simple bag in her hands held in front of herself looking large and heavy, though it was of little difficulty for her. No, she was sighing not because of a physical weight being carried, or from her work teaching young nobles the basics of mathematics and problem solving, she was sighing at the situation that was waiting for her at her families Capitol estate.
That situation being her very own mother.
She hah been well raised by her parents and loved them both very much. The strict upbringing she had been given was a necessity for that of a noble of their families stature so she could never hate her mother, but after the disappearance of her youngest sister, she had felt the need to re-evaluate many things in her life. Accepting a job in the capitol was perfect for it, as the families estate there was seldom used, her mother and father preferring to do business out of their manor in their own territory where they could best look out for their holdings and the people that lived around them. She merely had taken a sparse five servants from the manor to come with her to the capitol estate, and it allowed her to use the estate to be in a calm place where the rest of her family was not so that she might try to work out how exactly she felt about what had transpired.
And then her mother had appeared in the manor after being away for over a week for some form of mission for the crown. Worse, she was almost completely silent, unwilling to speak about anything as she simply went to her own room of the manor and had yet to come out, the servants being forced to deliver food to her room over the last almost two days.
Eleonore let another sigh, something a slight bit unbecoming of a noble of her station to do while walking down the street. She did not care however. Everything hat had been happening of later had been so major, so hurtful. She barely had time to register it all.
"I, should stop putting it off," She said to herself as she turned down the street and could see the manor partway down it. Hurrying her steps she found the gate open for her upon her arrival, the head maid that she brought with her awaiting her just within by the cranks that opened and closed the gate.
"Afternoon my Lady, how was the school?"
"The Same aa the last few days, Teresa," Eleonore said as she passed through the gate and stopped, allowing the Maid to close the gate behind her. "Most of the children have only middling understanding of their future prospects and of the idea of respect."
"I am sure you will be able to teach them what they need to know," Teresa said as she offered a hand and took Elenores bag from her, the two of them walking towards the manors main door.
"I would have hoped they knew of some of it already. It tells of lackluster teachings by their families," Eleonore commented before sighing. "Is she still here?" She then asked in a quieter tone.
"Your mother is still within the manor, Yes Miss Eleonore," Teresa said in a similarly quiet, but suddenly shifted, tone.
"Has she left her room?"
"Yes, she was in study this morning just after you left," Teresa answered as they came to the door. Teresa opened it and allowed Eleonore through, before then following and closing the door behind her before placing Eleonore's bag on the ground for a moment. " Would you like me to move your work bag to the study?"
"No thank you. I have nothing to grade today, so if could simply leave it somewhere simple for tomorrow that would be best," Eleonore said as she stared up at the stairs to the manors second floor.
Something Teresa noticed as she picked up the bag to find a place for it. "Miss, is something amiss?"
"No I simply," Eleonore stopped for a second to choose her words properly, and realized that she did not care. Teresa had been a maid of her family for as long as she could remember. She knew what was going on. "I am going to her room."
Teresa looked at her for only a second before it dawned whose room she meant and bowed slightly." Of course miss. Please, do not hurt yourself."
Eleonore simply nodded as she strode away from the doorway, not even bothering to take off her jacket as she went up the stairs. The second floor of the manor was exclusively for the family itself. Personal rooms, a bathing room, and a meeting room took up most of the floor, with the family study taking up the rest. She passed her parents room, and the study, her own room, and Cattleya's for when she was in the capitol, and finally stopped in front of one of the last doors, her body freezing up a bit as she reached for the handle.
Then she scowled at her own actions and forcibly grabbed the handle and swung open the door. The room within was little different than her own or Cattleya's in design. The bed sat against the far left wall, with a wardrobe along one wall across from the window, and a desk across from the bed with a simple but elegant carpet covering the floor in the middle of the room.
She hesitated for a moment before stepping through the threshold and into the room, gravitating toward the desk covered in a fine layer of dust. The bookshelf beside it was filled with books. Some were fairy tales, stories for children, but then they quickly shifted to books on the basics of how to use a sword, how to duel, how to act like noble, how to cast magic. Most of them shifted to the latter. Everything from magical basics to the specifics of each type.
Eleonore closed her eyes and took a deep breath before turning around to face the bed. Upon it, also covered in a fine layer of dust, were a couple plush dolls. Most of them were of high quality, but as she approached she found one that she could not help but pick up. It was a little doll shaped like a dog, and she knew it well because she and Cattleya had worked together to make it when their mother had told them they would have another family member, that they would have a little sister.
In that instant Eleonore fell to her knee's, hands clutched tightly around the plush doll as her eyes began to tear up. "Why? Dammit Founder, why? Why did it come to this. Why did you do this, why did you feel it necessary to cut away everyone, to just run away so far and forsake everyone!?" Elenore asked through sobs as she ended up leaning against the bedside.
Within hours of finding the truth Cattleya had cried and sobbed and grieved. Within minutes of their father being told he had grieved as well. Their mother had, and then had run off to do a mission for the crown, likely to get her mind off of it, and now, finally, after days upon days of being unable to open up, unable to think clearly and emotionally about it, it was Eleonore's turn.
Only she knew the answers to her questions, and the answers themselves made her grieve even harder as anger welled up within her as well. But it wasn't anger at Louise, or Cattleya or the academy or even other nobles. It was anger at herself.
"DAMMIT! How, how did it come to this? How did I end up like this? When, when did I become so hateful and cold, so unwilling to praise even a bit of the success of my family? Why, why didn't you tell me!? Why didn't you say when you were hurting, why didn't you say when I was being to hard, to much, to forceful? Why didn't you tell me when I was being a terrible sister, why didn't you tell me when I was being a bitch!?" Eleonore screamed as she raised up her body and slammed her arms into the bed, her elbows crashing against the side right into the frame. It hurt, it hurt so badly she could imagine her elbows being shattered, but she did not care as she held onto the small little plush doll and wept out her unanswerable wish.
"Dammit I, I just, I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry! I just, I want to redo it all, I just, want to apologize, beg for forgiveness, start over and just. . . . I'm sorry, Louise, I'm just, so sorry!"
Eleonore had no idea how long she knelt there crying against the dusty sheets, but was only roused from her sobs when she heard a creak and heard a voice she dreaded.
"Eleonore?"
The voice of her mother.
Eleonore turned her head to see her mother standing in the doorway of the room, eyes locked on her in an expression that Eleonore could not recall ever seeing on her mothers face.
"M-mother, I, I'm sorry, I'm being improper," Eleonore said in a panic as she turned her face away from her mother and tried to stand up.
Only to suddenly feel her mothers hand on her shoulder. She turned to look at her, and her mother said nothing as she moved and sat down on the bed beside her. "You ordered the servants to not clean this room when you arrived I see."
"I-I'm sorry mother I will-"
"It's fine," Karin said softly as her one hand drifted over and brushed the doll that Eleonore was still holding in hr hands. " I would have asked them the same .I did at the manor."
"M-mother, I-"
"shush," she said with a shake of her head, stopping Eleonore from speaking up again. "We, all of us have made mistakes that we didn't realize. We never listened, never tried to and now, now we are seeing what we did wrong, what we have been missing. There is nothing wrong with sorrow, or grief."
"I, I was terrible to her. I hurt her, so much and- and she was my sister yet I, I never, I can't even apologize," Eleonore said through half constrained sobs that refused to be held at bay.
"No, you may be able to," Karin said carefully, causing Eleonore to look up at her in confusion. "The gems, their island is off the coast, and Louise is among them."
Cinnabar was not the most social of the Gems. Their inability to fully control the Silver poison meant they were a danger to be around at the best of times, and so to protect everyone they had volunteered for night patrol duty. A duty everyone, including Themselves, knew was essentially pointless as the Lunarians did not appear during the night, only the day. However despite this fact they took the night patrol seriously, walking full circuits around the islands perimeter, straying only a distance away from the shore when nearing the chord shore. Most nights it allowed them to simply survey the land and sea, to watch the stars in the sky, to see how the animals of the island lived, so similarly, yet so differently from themselves.
Now however, things had changed. Their island being moved to a new place had changed more than most everyone realized. The stars were different, there were now only three moons in the sky, and even the animals upon the island had new friends. Some bugs were new, as were some of the fish they would notice by the shores, and that was to say nothing of the large animals the humans rode upon.
And of course, the humans themselves were another point, one that concerned them greatly. The ones they had personally witnessed had seemed, okay. Stuck up and strange, like they were hiding things at all times , but they had been polite they supposed. Then they heard about the ones that had come by boat, tried to steal from the chord shore, attacked Phos without question, how the one had demanded the gems give up their way of life just to fit into the humans preconceived notions. The humans seemed to have vastly differing opinions between each other, and that could make them dangerous.
Cinnabar looked up at their Silver poison, a globe of it floating to their one side like a bird that refused to stop following someone, and let out a noise akin to a sigh. "I suppose worrying will serve no purpose when both Uraninite and myself could deal with them easily."
It was then that Cinnabar's thought strayed to Uraninite themselves. They had only rarely spoken to them in the past between their disappearances, and while Cinnabar had nothing against them, they did find them to be a little bit hard to deal with. And the idea they had been human off and on was, strange to comprehend.
"Though it does answer a few wonders about their odd speech," Cinnabar muttered to themselves before sighing and turning down the coast to continue their patrol.
Only to then hear the sound of the waves shift and ebb, change from the irregularly regular splashes against the rocks to greater beats and flows. Cinnabar ran to the edge of the cliff and looked down at the water, watching how the water was changing, and then followed the shifting lines and waves out to the sea. And there, on the water was a great shape, one that they would recognize easily, though much larger than the last time it had been seen. The form of a great shell, though with flickers of light atop it.
There was only one thing to do in response.
Uraninite let out a sigh as they stretched arms above their head, taking a short break from the writing they were doing. It was a truly meaningless action as Gems did not get stiff muscles as humans did, but no matter how hard they tried the feel of needing to do it on occasion stuck around.
They were sitting at a desk in the main hall, light from the jellyfish bowl on the table providing the ability to see the paper they were working on, just another that would be added to the pile. With some humans coming by and causing trouble as they had, the church rearing their ugly head, and so many other things, they needed to get written down all the information on the humans they could recall in all ways. It was tedious and less than easy for, while the Gems did have a very effective way to make paper and ink, they only had so much of both, and the pens they had were not quiet up to the usability of one that humans made, if only because those were often made of metal.
It was then that the sound of steps pulled Uraninite's attention from the desk to the end of the hall to see Kongou stepping within.
"I see you continue to utilize your inability to sleep to its utmost, Uraninite," Kongou said as he walked over with a soft expression.
Uraninite leaned back against the chair, one of the few on the island, and smiled. "It has it's uses. I'm surprised you are awake though."
"I awoke with the desire to gaze upon the new, unknown night sky," Kongou answered with a smile. "Would you perhaps wish to join me?"
Uraninite thought about it for a second before getting up from their seat. "Sure, I could use a rest, and I'm almost done anyway."
Kongou simply nodded as the two of them walked out of the main hall and out of the school into the open night. The sky had only a few clouds, and Halkeginia's twin moons shone brightly, making the night surprisingly easy to see in. of course, the third, much smaller white colored moon, was what caught Uraninites attention for but a moment before they pushed it from their mind as Kongou sat down on the stone beside the jellyfish pond.
"The stars are quite different in these lands. Do the humans compile them in any way?"
"Uh, no, I don't think so. They've named the moons, and a couple constellations, but I think that is it," Uraninite answered simply as they stared up at the sky. "Most humans are too busy I think to care, and most scholars, or those who are not, are to focused on some kind of ultimate goal or purpose."
"That is common for humans. Only few of them take the chance to see what is around them and respect the simplicity of the world. Do you think the situation with these humans will escalate?"
"If it hadn't involved the church I would have said we could have maybe been on decent terms. Now, it's probably going to go badly," Uraninite admitted, having somewhat expected this question at some point.
"I see," Kongou said simply as he stared up at the sky.
Nothing else was said for a time as they both stared up into the sky.
Right up until they heard movement approaching, and could see glints of silver on the horizon.
"Oh, that can't be good," Uraninite muttered as they got up just after kongou did.
"It may be, or it may not, let us not make assumptions until they have spoken their piece," Kongou softly suggested.
Uraninite nodded but said nothing. Luckily they did not have to wait long as Cinnabar ran over and stopped what many would consider a rude distance away. It was however what they considered a safe distance to not endanger anyone with their silver poison.
"A great shell is approaching the island. There are lights upon its top," they said without even a greeting, making it clear how serous they worried the situation to be.
What they were not expectign was the disgust upon Uraninites face and in their tone as they spoke up. "An Admirabilis," they almost spat. "What are the chances they are related to the one that messed with Phosphophylite?"
"Difficult to say, however the fact of lights upon has me more curious," Kongou said as he looked up at the sky.
"If they have allied themselves with the humans or Lunarians, I will make them suffer like they never have before!" Uraninite declared before looking in the direction Cinnabar had come from. "They came from that direction?"
"Yes, they will be closer to the shore now but-"
"Good, wake everyone up, I'm going ahead!" Uraninite said fiercely as they rushed past Cinnabar and out into the fields.
"It is fine, Cinnabar," Kongou spoke up as Cinnabar turned to call out to Uraninite. "They are perhaps the best to deal with this, until the others awaken. Come let us wake them."
"R-right. . . they, do not like the Admirabilis."
"No."
"Why? They were not here when It took Phos."
"Uraninite, one winter long ago, had an altercation with a pair of Admirabilis," Kongou said as he turned and began walking toward the school.
"What happened?"
"They lost."
Uraninite dashed across the island like a storm, their mind filled with possibilities and anger. The last time they had encountered the Admirabilis they had tried to kidnap other gems, including Antarcticite, to use as some kind of trade with the lunarians. They hadn't let them get away with it in the least, but finding out that one had done something similar with Phosphophylite made it even worse.
And now one was approaching the island with lights on its back, meaning probably lanterns or torches.
"If that damn Shellfish is working with the church, or a country, to invade us like the lunarians do, I'll vaporize ever single one of them!" Uraninite growled as they forced energy into their body to prepare for the worst possibility.
After all, an Admirabilis wasn't a problem when they were humanoid, but as their seaform, they could be unbelievably strong and durable.
Though not to heat or radiation.
Uraninite could sill remember the last time they fought the Admirabilis vividly. It was the first time they had directed their radiation toward a living, non gem entity with actual intent to harm them and it had been, horrible. They did not wish to do it again, but if they had to, they would not hesitate.
And with that fact in mind their crystal began encasing their feet and forearms, turning them all into clawed appendages that glowed brilliantly. It would serve as an excellent beacon and make their presence clear.
Which was good as they reached the cliff over the shore and could see the Admirablilis almost upon the shore, the telling light of torches flickering atop its shell. Uraninite leapt off the cliff and crashed to the sand, though it was not a long drop, and willed themselves to produce even more energy, making their arms and hair glow even more brilliantly as they put an open hand up in front of themselves.
"That is close enough, Admirabilis! Twice now your kind have insulted and endangered us, and there will not be a third. State your business or I shall strike you down leaving nothing behind, not even seafoam!"
The Admirabilis's large seaform slowed to a halt and let out a loud, almost hornlike noise. But it was not it that then spoke out loud, but a voice that sounded highly feminine, and very human.
"She told us she cannot speak to us in this form," the voice called from up top alongside the waving of one of the light sources, a lantern it looked like. "Can we please come ashore to speak to you properly?"
"For what purpose?!" Uraninite demanded, making their voice sound as confrontational as possible. "The Admirabilis, are not allies of us Gems, in fact they have repeatedly struck against us in ways of violence and trickery. Why should I trust a single word you utter while arriving upon it's back?"
"We, we were not aware of that, she just told us she knew your kind well," The voice called back, now sounding very worried. "We truly just want to talk though. Can we please come down and speak civilly?"
Uraninite scowled and glance back over their shoulder at the cliff. No one else had yet arrived, so they had to decide on their own what to do. And while they did not trust the Admirabilis at all, the humans upon its back had not acted in a violent way, and the one speaking did sound rather young. "Fine, you can come down, you will not approach any closer than the waters edge!" they finally decided.
"Thank you, uh, one moment," The voice called again uncertainly, likely deciding how to get down. A second later one of the great tentacle of the Admirabilis lifted up out of the water toward the top of its shell and Uraninite watched the lights jump onto it, then the tentacle lowered down to the shore, allowing four individuals to jump off of it onto the sand.
The first woman was the most prominent and one that Uraninite did not expect to see again. Tall with green hair and an eye for details, Fouquet the crumbling earth, or Mathilda of Saxon Gotha, as she had told her her identity when they were at the academy.
The other three were a surprise as they all appeared to be elves, two women and a man. The man and one of the women were both very lithe and dressed in what Uraninite assumed were traditional elven garments, while the other looked younger, about as old as they had been when living as Louise, but was also so stacked in the chest she could give Kirche a run for being the most busty. Something about her made them think she wasn't a full blooded elf either.
All four of them looked at Uraninite in surprise for a moment before the youngest, the dangerously overly busty elf, took a step forward and smiled. "Hello there and thank you for allowing us to land. My name is Tiffania Westwood, and this is my sister Mathilda."
Uraninite simply turned their gaze to the two other elves, the man leering at them, while the female spoke up. "I am called Marin, and this is my brother, Moro. We are elves from the lands to the east of Halkeginia, over the great mountains."
"I am Uraninite, one of the Gems of this island, and one of the ones chosen to meet with those who come to us, and to gauge their intent," Uraninite said, their tone cold and distant as they spoke. "What is your purpose here?"
Tiffania seemed taken aback, allowing Marin to speak up again. "My brother and I were sent by our peopled elders to investigate the appearance of this place, and to look into some matters. We could be, envoys or emissaries if you would like, or simply curious onlookers. We mean no harm."
"Though if we could speak to your leader that would be helpful," Moro added, almost off handily.
"We Gems have no singular leader. We all decide things together as a group, and none are considered greater than any other," Uraninite stated clearly, knowing that if they did not it could cause confusion later.
"Oh, um, then, would we have to speak to all of you at once?" Tiffania asked nervously.
It was at that moment that Yellow Diamond came falling down and landed on the sand behind where Uraninite was standing, then walked over with a smile on their face. "It would depend on what you need to talk about!" The elves and human seemed surprised by Yellow diamonds sudden arrival, but they simply chuckled. "Sorry I'm late. The name is Yellow diamond, im one of those of us who act as envoys to people alongside Uraninite here." They said before looking at Uraninite. "The others are coming, they should be here in a minute or so."
"Understood. As you can see, there are two separate groups here," Uraninite said before glancing at the Admirabilis and scowling. "Three if we count that."
"Okay. And, what are you here for?" Yellow diamond asked as they looked at the four people before them.
"Um, well," Tiffania began to say, right up until Mathilda stepped forward.
"We are survivors from the island of Albion, looking for a place we can stay as Albion cannot support our lives as it currently is. We have come to speak to your people about the possibility of inhabiting this island, or a portion of it."
Yellow diamond was stunned for a moment, sharing a glance with Uraninite before turning back to face Mathilda. "That, is a very interesting thing that we will need to speak of to even begin to decide," they explained before looking at the other two elves, and then up at the Admirabilis.
"My brother and I are simply here to investigate on behalf of our people," Marin said simply.
Yellow diamond nodded and then looked up to the Admirabilis, but as they did the others came up to the cliff above, ad the Admirabilis suddenly seemed to glow for a second before a strange mist seemed to start swallowing them.
"What is going on?" Bort asked curtly as they, and most of the other gems, jumped down to the beach, causing the four before them to start looking rather nervous.
"The Admirabilis is changing it's form," Uraninite said seriously, making the rest of the gems realize they had not dismissed their battle enhancements at all.
They all seemed to get the message and said nothing as the light and mist from around the Admirabilis disappeared, revealing her humanoid form to be standing upon the beach before them and beside the three elves and one human. Before anyone could really gauge them however, Phosphophylite let out a gasp of surprise.
"Ventricosus?!"
The Admirabilis tilted their head. "Oh, you knew my Great Grandmother then?"
The tenseness that a number of the Gems had disappeared in an instant.
"Wait, you're, not Ventricosus then?" Phos asked as they tilted their head in response. "You look like them."
"Well, It has been said I have a great similarity to my great grandmother, but I am not her, she passed away when i was young, though she had told me many stories of your land of cuties, and it seems she was right!" the Admirabilis said before taking a step forward and bowing, their strange almost jellyfish like clothing swaying around them. " I am Ventrilocosiolius, The current Queen of the Admirabilis, and fourth Qqeen since The reformation of my peoples culture and kingdom. It is my pleasure to meet the ones whom my resected grandmother spoke so highly of!"
The Gems were oddly silent, many of them sharing looks as Bort and Uraninite looked the most conflicted. Finally though, Uraninite let out an aggravated sigh and swung their arms backwards, the crystal encasing them shattering and falling to the sand, much to the elves surprise. " So," they began. "You are that Admirabilis's descendant then?"
"That is correct," Ventrilocosiolius said with a nod. " I am here for similar reason to the pointy ears here," she said with a gesture to Marin and Moro, one they seemed to take exception to, but otherwise did not react.
It was silent for many more moments before Yellow Diamond stepped forward and spoke. "Alright, I think a lot of us where having, very different expectations as to how this would go, so why don't we head back to the school and speak in a bit more light and comfort?"
"I would be honored t be invited into your home," Ventrilocosiolius said with a respectful bow.
A number of the Gems looked visibly uncertain but said nothing as many of them began heading back up the cliff by a narrow pathway carved up the one side. "Well," Obsidian spoke up simply. " We should get moving then. Please follow us and we'll head to the school where we can talk at length about, everything."
The five visitors did notice the odd way that Obsidian had spoke, but said nothing as they followed the gems away from the beach. The subsequent walk was much greater than they expected. The island was not as huge as Albion, but it was vast and open, and as the gems knew that they could probably outpace their visitors, they did not run but walked, leading to an almost silent two hour walk through the night.
When they arrived at the school and were close enough to really see it though, they were shocked and surprised.
"A-a castle? No, a temple?" Tiffania spoke up first, marvelling at the massive structure before her that was so unlike any other building she had ever seen or even heard of.
"It does look like a temple of some kind, but the style is, different than I expected," Moro said.
"Yes and, where are the seams?" Marin asked in bewilderment.
"If you mean the seams between mortared chunks of rock, there are not any," Uraninite spoke up as they continued to walk towards the school. "The entire building was carved from a solid piece supposedly."
"That is impossible" Mathilda declared instantly, which Uraninite let out a chuckle to.
"Oh, why?"
"Because it would take to much time to be sensible. The only way this structure could make sense was if it was made by earth mages," Mathilda declared.
"We gems do not age, so time is irrelevant to us in that regard," Yellow Diamond spoke up as the group entered the one side hallway of the school, passing by Rutile's lab as they walked.
"And we do not have that ability you call magic either," Uraninite added as the group was approaching the main hall on the bottom floor, light cascading out of it alongside the voices of the other gems.
Before Mathilda could even begin to argue they turned into the main hall to see all of the Gems either sitting at the large table or standing by the walls of the room. They all had oddly expectant but calm looks on their faces, and Mathilda and Tiffania were unsure where to look, while Marin and Moro's gazes fell across the room to Kongou.
"A human!?"
"Kongou is not a human, but a Gem like us, even if he does not look quiet the same," Uraninite said as they walked further into the hall, stopping near the end.
Kongou nodded to the guests as they approached. "Greetings to you, I am Kongou, and act as a teacher and advisor of sorts to the Gems."
"So, you are their leader then," Mathilda stated seriously.
"I am not," Kongou said simply. " I simply provide advice and teaching's to the Gems. They are the ones who make decisions in regards to their own lives and the island."
"And, you truly are not a human?" Marin asked cautiously.
"I am not,"Kongou said simply.
"So, we have to tell you why we are here, and then all of you decide an answer together?" Tiffania asked anxiously.
"That is correct,"
"So it will take longer, Dammit," Mathilda grumbled under her breath, though she was not exactly quiet about it.
"Before we hear what you want, I think there is something we need to hear an answer for," Uraninite said as they looked at Ventrilocosiolius. "Why have you lied to us?"
"What do you mean? I have not spoken any lies," She replied in confusion.
A few gems looked at each other before Yellow Diamond spoke up. "You claimed you were a descendant of Venticosus, but that is difficult for us to believe, as we had met her in a sense, just this summer past the last winter."
"She is also responsible for betraying Phosphophylites trust and causing them permanent injury," Jade spoke up, sounding slightly irate about that fact.
"What? No, that, that isn't possible. The story passed down is one of challenge and respect, it tells of how the Noble Gem sacrificed their legs for the sake of our new ages first Queens brother!
"Yeah, that was not how it happened at all," Phosphophylite stated before they went ahead and explained everything they still had memory for about the entire thing, surprisingly not having lost any of that events memory. The whole explanation didn't actually take that long with the other Gems corroborating their words.
Which unexpectedly led to Ventrilocosiolius having a rather obvious crisis of faith. " I, I didn't, the story, it always made it seems like it was a team up, my ancestor and your kind working together, showing off both nobility and righteousness against the Lunarians!"
"Well, it probably messed with their plans, but otherwise it didn't do much to them,"Euclase suggested.
"That doesn't matter. How did your kind get here, and how has such a time passed for you to have Venticosus as your great grandmother?" Uraninite asked in a rather direct way.
" . . . . . The white wall, is what I would guess." She said after a moment of silence. "It finally overtook us a number of days ago."
"And, what is that?" Bort asked almost instantly.
"A wall of impenetrable whiteness that is said to have originated upon this island. Apparently it appeared during my great grandmothers reign, and has been expanding for decades. Anyone who touched it was never seen again, and just a while ago it overtook out kingdom on all sides the next thing we knew, my kingdom, and all of our people, here in the oceans of these lands, alongside those from generations past that had disappeared."
"The ones who had touched the wall in past?" Kongou asked calmly.
"Yes. The confusion for everyone has been great, so I went out to find answers, and then came across these ones, and the even worse situation they find themselves in," Ventrilocosiolius said as she gestured to Tiffania and Mathilda specifically.
"So, you are here, just because you were escorting these ones then?" Rutile asked with a gesture to the elves.
"Yes, though I am curious if your kind knows anything about the white wall."
"We have never heard nor seen such a thing, so unfortunately I doubt the answer is here," Kongou said simply.
"Hmm, well, I guess that brings us to you four though" Yellow diamond said after silence reigned for a moment.
"My brother and I are merely investigating Albion's fall, and this islands appearance. Knowing it is your island is most of what we need aside from basic information," Marin said as she took a step back and then ragged her brother alongside her so that Mathilda and Tiffania were the ones most presented to speak.
"Um, well, my Name is Tiffania Westwood, and this is my Sister Mathilda of Saxon-Gotha. "We, we are from Albion, the floating island that has crashed to the sea."
"Almost everyone died, if they were lucky," Mathilda spoke up, taking over as Tiffania seemed rather nervous. "Our village, and the area around it was devastated just like the rest of the island, but we've found people who survived one way or another. However, the land itself is not inhabitable anymore. There are no animals to hunt for food, no places to grow crops, and sickness is rampant in and near the cities where hundreds upon hundreds have died. The only reason none of our people have died from starvation thus far is because she," Mathilda gestured toward Ventrilocosiolius, "Has been providing us with fish to eat. However we cannot keep accepting her charity. Everyone one of us has agreed that we need to leave Albion if we are to survive, however Albion was until just recently at war with Tristain, so they would not accept us, and similarly, Germania is far to rough for many of us while Gallia is to far away."
"So you have come here to ask us to settle upon our land?" Uraninite suddenly spoke up as soon as Mathilda took a break to breathe.
"Y-yes," Tiffanaia spoke up. "We, err, Ventril suggested it, but we have nothing to lose. Um no one really believes in the founders religion anymore if that would be an issue, and we could help harvest crops for you and-"
"Hold on, just take a breath, okay?" Yellow diamond suddenly spoke up amicably. "It's pretty clear you are serious about this because you're asking for a lot of peoples, lives, right?" they asked carefully.
"Y-yes, they, we can only last so much longer and we need to make sure everyone can live and be happy and we know it will be hard but we need to try because people are starving and-"
"Okay stop, breathe," Yellow diamond said again as they walked over to Tiffania and much to her and Mathilda's surprise, covered her mouth with her hand. "We understand that this is a major thing for you and very important, but we cannot instantly make a decision unless we have all of the information both good and bad. So please, stop hurting yourself, okay?"
Tiffania looked at Yellow diamond and slowly nodded.
"Good, now then, lets all talk about what-" yellow diamond began to say, right before the sound of tbe Bell outside of the Building ringing caused Every Gem to turn to look at the doorway.
"What, was that?" Marin asked calmly even as the bell continued to toll.
"The Bell," Obsidian spoke up with an odd expression. "It appears someone else has arrived."
"We will return in a moment," Uraninite said with a sigh. "Feel free to speak to everyone else about your situation." Both Obsidian and Yellow diamond gave nods and joined Uraninite in leaving the room, the sounds of conversion quieting as they moved away. "Cinnabar has to be the one ringing the bell,"
"Has to be, they are the only one that didn't come in with us," Yellow diamond agreed simply.
"Do you, think the ones from before, Karin and Evelyn have returned?" Obsidian asked as the three of them approached the front doorway of the school.
"It is possible," Uraninite said as the three of them crossed the threshold, and were then met with the sight of a large ship of wood and sails floating in the sky over the island, approaching them and descending. " However, I do not think that is the case."
"That, is a rather large thing," Obsidian said in awe. "Is that a, boat?"
"A Flying ship more accurately, but yes," Uraninite said with a scowl "I cannot see the ships flag from this angle. Be ready in case they are here for violence."
"Noted," Yellow diamond said as they rested a hand on the hilt of their blade and stood their ground.
The three of them watched as the great ship continued to descend as the light of the morning sun began peering over the mountains to the east, illuminating the ship just as it seemed to stop just a few meters shy of the grass. In the next moment a number of people rappelled down from ropes and then began taking those same ropes and hammering them into the ground with hammers. At the same time a rope latter was thrown down one side and a number of people, all wearing armour, climbed down and gathered to the side of the ship, staring in the Gems directions with weapons not drawn, but ready to do so. A few minutes later as the others finished hammering ropes into the ground with stakes, a man different than the others came down the ropes and began walking straight toward the Gems, the other armoured ones following him like an honour guard.
He stopped a few meters from the Gems, both groups standing at the side of the Jellyfish pond. The man was large, with broad shoulders and a strong big build. He was wearing an outfit that was accented by silver and various markings on the shoulder, while a sword sat on his waist. He looked somewhat impressive, and Uraninite recognized him as a General of Tristain's armies by the markings on his shoulders, though who specifically they did not know.
"You are the creatures called Gems that call this island your own?" He asked simply, though his tone held some rather blatant Contempt to it.
"We are three of them, yes," Yellow diamond responded kindly. "We are the ones who have volunteered to speak to those who come here to speak with us on equal terms. I am Called Yellow diamond and these two are-"
"I do not care what you choose to call yourselves," the man interrupted bluntly. "I am General Rombert Gramont of the Nation of Tristain, the same nation you have rudely snubbed! I am here to bring you to meet our Queen to apologize for this transgression and to speak with her as she has once already requested."
Yellow diamond was a bit taken back and glanced at Uraninite out the corner of their eye, making Uraninite sigh lightly and take a step forward, pulling the attention of the general and those with them to them. " General Rombert Gramont of the nation of Tristain, what are you speaking of?"
"You act as if you do not know?"
"We do not. The Envoy from your nation told us that your leader was requesting us to come and speak to them, however we told the envoy that we felt there was no need, and had no desire to leave our island. We are unsure what rudeness or transgression you are meaning."
"You denied our Queen her request!" The general declared. " Anyone knows that the requests of a regent to anyone but another regent is an order, and you have the gall to deny her, and claim it is not worth your time!"
"We have never once said it was not worth our time, simply that we felt there was no need," Uraninite tried to explain, only for the general to suddenly grab at his sword.
"Enough, I will hear no more of your insults. Our queen has demanded your presence, and I am here to see to it that you are brought before her. You are coming with us to apologize to and meet her, is that clear?"
"But we have no need to leave our island, and if they want to meet us, should they not simply come here themselves?" Obsidian asked, earning a glare filled with ire from the general.
"You dare act like you can command our queen!?"
"No, Obsidian was merely asking why they not come to speak with us herself if she desires to meet us so badly," Uraninite said as they took another step forward, giving Obsidian a small and subtle shake of their head.
"A Regent does not simply go to where others are, others come to them, to show the respect they deserve!" The general declared.
"Then why are you making demands of us and not respecting that this is our home?" Yellow Diamond asked casually, making many of the soldiers behind the general to look scandalized.
The general merely huffed. "It has not been decided if our queen shall even accept the idea that this land is yours, after all, you are not human, and not protected by the founders laws. Now, you are coming with us, one way or another, understood?"
"May we have a moment to speak amongst ourselves before you make demands of us once more?" Uraninite asked.
"You have thirty seconds!" The general declared with a hateful smirk. "If you try to leave I shall have my men shoot you!"
In that second the soldiers all raised rifles at the gems.
Uraninite instantly turned around, prompting Yellow Diamond and Obsidian to do the same. "I do not believe we are being given a choice in the matter. If we do not go along with him, they will try to attack us, and even if we defeat them, others may come."
"So, going with them is our only choice to protect everyone?" Obsidian asked carefully.
"It is likely, yes," Uraninite said with a sigh.
"Then we go with them and hope for th4 best," Yellow Diamond said with a nod. "If it comes to it we can return on our own by going through the water as long as we bring some of the water powder."
"Alright, I'll agree for us, and get him to let you two go get anything we might need and to inform Kongou of what is happening," Uraninite said as they turned around. "General. We will accompany you as you demand, however we will need to acquire some items for our own safety and maintenance before we leave, is that fine?"
"Only if one of you stays back!" The general said seriously. "I will not let you simply run off and hide like meek animals!"
"That is fine, I shall stay," Uraninite said as they began walking towards the general as Yellow Diamond and Obsidian ran off back into the school. When Uraninite was barely two meters away from the general, Close enough to read his name sewn into his uniform. "our safety will of course be guaranteed for this trip, correct?"
"You dare insinuate I would do otherwise?" The general asked, clearly appalled and insulted by such a thing.
"No, I am merely asking as you appear to hold us with some disdain, which is odd as this is our first meeting," Uraninite explained, making the general look even more angry.
"Your kind snubbed out regents request, why should I not think ill of your kind?"
"Because we have done nothing wrong. How are we to know your kind refer to requests as hidden orders in tone and word?"
The general looked angry, but was unable to speak a response for a few moments. "Very well, I will guarantee your safety, and security."
"Thank you, however, I should hope you do not think of holding us against our wills as security, for if we feel such a going is occurring we will consider our own safety paramount over the survival of your transport."
"Are you, threatening me, creature?" The general asked darkly.
"No, I am merely making it clear that should the need arise for us, we are more than capable of leaving your transport forcibly."
The general glared at Uraninite but was unable to speak as Obsidian and Yellow Diamond returned. Yellow diamond was carrying a wooden box with straps on it, a backpack of some sort, while Obsidian was carrying a long wooden case closed by cloth straps.
Yellow Diamond came up beside Uraninite and nodded shallowly, telling them that Kongou and everyone else was likely informed.
"What are in those boxes?" The general demanded to know.
"Items for ourselves, salves, and powder and a few extra swords," Yellow diamond answered simply.
"You will not require weapons,"
"We will have them regardless, and they will not be taken from us," Uraninite stated clearly, turning in such a way that their own, rather large blade, was in clear view.
The general glared at them for a moment before sighing. "Fine, you wont need them though. Get up on the boat and we will leave.
The three gems, much to the general and his men's surprise, Then ran past them to the rope ladder and climbed up it at blazingly fast speed without an issue.
The only thought in all of their minds being what were they getting themselves into.