Summer Solstice Festival

[Titanus Pythonidae]

Living the life he did meant that Titanus had nothing to hold him down. He was Head of Security, but that was something that be done by anyone with his experience. If he wanted to, he could wander the lands like he used to years ago. There were times where Titanus would stare at his ceiling at home and miss the days he was with his band of rebels, hunting wild boar. He never regretted the old days. What was holding him back? Seeing Gia stand there alone made him realize the answer. He was back home, in Aurora Valley, with one of the best jobs ever so he could settle down and start a family. Have a beautiful woman of his own. Have children. Do his job and retire at old age. But now was not the time.

Hearing the bad news from Gia meant that he was cursed to stay there for as long as she needed him to. This was getting frustrating to him. If it were up to him, he'd be back home, sweating and training the men, teaching them how to defend their city. He was simply not meant for these events. He could feel her body's warmth get closer as she approached him and offered some words of comfort. Was his discomfort that obvious? Titanus smirked before replacing it with a slight smile.

Titanus too wondered if anyone from Deproelior would show up. He had heard a young man, a boy really, had been appointed leader. Almost demanded the title of ruler. A boy by the name of Stratos Noaziel. A former student of his, during his little stint as instructor in the Deproelior army. Titanus was nervous. That was a little detail he had neglected to tell Gia about when asking for the job as Head of Security. If she ever found out the truth about what he used to do, who knows how she would react.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Titanus focused on his job instead. Just because he was the head of things, didn't mean he didn't mind getting his hands dirty. Without asking for permission, he had brought 5 of his most trusted Elite Guards with him, dressed them up in casual wear and told them to walk around the festival carrying only a small dagger for protection. They would act as undercover agents protecting the Lady. But Titanus himself wasn't so undercover. He made it no secret that he had brought along his infamous katana. A blade that made a name for him as a forminable warrior.

Gia went on, trying to put the man at ease. At her jest concerning beautifu women and dancing, Titanus scoffed. He then felt her hand on his arm and he calmed down immediately. She may want him to relax but he would do his job regardless of how uncomfortable it made people feel.

Then the ruler of Laknos showed up. This man stood taller than Titanus, a lot taller, but the diplomat was not worried. He knew the bigger they were, the harder they'd fall. And if they threatened his Lady, they would fall, regardless of how important they were. Bohren's introduction was courteous enough, a little presumptious if aything. But Titanus didn't falter. Gia offered Bohren his name and with that, Titanus simply nodded. Not trying to be rude or anything, Titanus simply knew his place amongst these heads of cities. He was but a soldier. An important soldier, but a grunt nonetheless and he had no place to speak, yet.

There was a loud crash resounding. Titanus looked around and noticed his agents cleverly making their way towards the direction of where the sound came from. Growing worried, Titanus noticed a very slight shiver as Gia ran her hands over her bare shoulders. Titanus gave Bohren a lingering, protective look then he focused on Gia. He took his outer robe off, revealing his sheathed blade and didn't put it on her, but simply draped it over her body, covering her shoulders.

Placing one hand on his sword and the other on Gia's shoulder, Titanus nodded. "I'm going to see what that sound was, Lady Gia. I shall return." And with that, Titanus nodded to Bohren and made his way towards the commotion.

Riding on his most majestic looking steed, Stratos Noaziel felt like he owned the role as leader. Nothing and no one stood in his way. He was the Warlord of Deproelior, his city! He was ruler, the lord. And it felt good. Escorted by twenty horseback horn blowers and ten horseback color bearers, the caravan made its way to the festival. Stratos was anxious to meet the other heads of state. Needless to say, the other two didn’t acquire their position with the finesse he possessed. Smiling all along the way, Stratos felt his borderline arrogance was showing through. But he simply did not care. His opposition was an old man who couldn’t even stand up straight long enough to relieve himself and a girl barely older than him who had no real place in politics.

Spotting the festival just feet away, Stratos allowed his entourage to move ahead of him and announce his arrival. Taking this time to mentally prepare himself, Stratos took a deep breath. Finally having a moment to himself, he could show his true, insecure nature. But the young man wouldn’t allow it. He was Stratos Noaziel, master of blades but better with fists and warlord of his precious Deproelior. He didn’t have time for useless emotions; he was here to crash a party.

The twenty horn blowers entered the festival and blew their horns, signaling the color bearers to fly the guidons of Deproelior’s Army. The ten flag bearers separated and revealed Stratos Noaziel approaching the festival. Clad in a crimson toga that draped over his left shoulder, his upper-right torso shone a golden bronze while his raven locks were cascading from his head down his neck, barely brushing past his shoulders. To his side, he was carrying a katana, the same one he had crafted himself in respect of his old teacher. On his back, he carried a scimitar. On his face, he wore a half smile that could make any woman melt.

Stopping right in front of the other two rulers, the nineteen year old dismounted his horse, muscles visibly rippling during the movement. Brown eyes scanned back and forth between the man he knew was Bohren of Laknos and Gia from Aurora Valley. Bohren was but an inch taller and it was something that set Stratos off. He was supposed to be an old man who couldn’t stand straight. The young Noaziel clan member made a mental note to punish the one who provided him such faulty information. As for the Lady of Aurora Valley, she was short and striking. Stratos liked that about women and wished more women in Deproelior looked a little more like Gia.

“So Old Man, Woman, how are things going? Lovely festival, is it not? I’ll tell you Old Man, you people here in Laknos sure know how to throw a party. Very festive.” Stratos flashed Gia his half smile and warmed his chocolate brown eyes at her. “In case you didn’t know, or simply weren’t told like you should’ve, I am Stratos, Stratos Noaziel, Warlord of Deproelior and it’s an honor to meet me, I’m sure.”

[Devanus Zeller]

Bohren was old but not so old that the crash had escaped his ears. He forced himself to remain calm; this was precisely what the guards were for, and it was probably nothing. The more people, the more accidents. That was how it was. Gia's security chief, however, did not seem content to leave it to the patrolmen, and headed over to check out the scene himself. "He's a little high-strung, isn't he?" Bohren gave Gia a smile when Titanus was out of earshot. "At least he takes his job seriously." Bohren had a few more opinions of the man, largely based on his curious decision to drape his cloak over Gia before leaving, but he kept those to himself. He did not know Gia's opinion of Titanus - though, from the way her hand had been on his arm when Bohren had approached, he could only assume it was positive - and this was a time for celebrations, not critiquing the new help.

With the introductions and distractions out of the way, Bohren turned to answering Gia's question. "As well as can be expected. It's mostly my people here, of course, but we haven't had any incidents yet. I expect that may change when our young friend from Deproelior arrives, but until then I for one am going to enjoy the quiet." It was an odd turn of phrase, given the loudness of the chatter and music, but Gia would know what he meant.

Upon first meeting Gia, Bohren had - like many others - been skeptical of her ability to rule at such a young age. He had been more than twice her age when he had taken up leadership of Laknos, and indeed had been ruler longer than she had been alive. Still, she had proven herself competent and at least hopeful for peace, and that was a start. This new ruler of Deproelior, on the other hand, could be trouble. He was nearly as young as Gia had been, and had been more forceful about taking the reins. That sort of youthful hot-headedness was not the sort of person that Bohren wanted governing the most powerful military state on the planet. It had not been much of a war lately, more a series of skirmishes, but who knew how long that would last now?

The sound of trumpets drew Bohren's attention. There was no doubt who this could be; at long last the introduction to the new ruler of Deproelior and a chance for him to judge for himself. Bohren trusted his intelligence, but he had always been wary to rely soly on the information of outside sources when he still had command of all of his senses. The grand entrance did not bode well as a starting position. Stratos himself followed in their wake, and Bohren was pleased to see that a large number of his people completely ignored the fanfare, though those closest to the spectacle were all but hypnotized. Bohren was disappointed; it was a cheap trick, meant to intimidate and impress, and Bohren had been at this much too long to fall for either. Stratos had brought soldiers, naturally, but hardly a complement worthy of note. If he intended to cause trouble, he had brought far too few. That, if nothing else, was a relief.

Stratos continued his showboating as he approached the two other leaders, causing Bohren to ensure that he was risen to his full height before the young man approached. He was handsome and striking, yes, but Bohren could not help but feel a little bit of satisfaction in the fact that he could still look down his nose at the younger ruler.

As soon as Stratos opened his mouth, Bohren was immediately thankful for his decades of political experience. Maintaining a straight face while confronted with that level of disrespect was not something that came easily, but Bohren had had plenty of practice. Whoever this Stratos boy was - and he was merely a boy, Bohren reminded himself - he certainly did not suffer from a lack of self-importance. This was quickly supplemented in his mind by the knowledge that those who project confidence often truly lack it, and Bohren allowed himself to relax before replying. "Good of you to come." Bohren replied good-naturedly, sidestepping for the moment the casual reference to him as an old man. Trading insults would have served no purpose, especially not when the aim of the night was peace. "My people do not often have reason to celebrate, so I too am pleased to see they are quite capable of putting on a show. Please, relax and enjoy yourself."

Politics was in many ways a game of chess, and now at least all the pieces were on the board. Unfortunately, Stratos had misplayed his hand if he had intended to leave a first impression that Deproelior was the city that Laknos should support. The festival was supposed to be about unity and peace, and Stratos walking around with a katana was not exactly giving off that impression. Bohren had, of course, prepared for such an occasion, and now it was his turn to flex his political muscles. He beckoned over two guards; both loyal, seasoned warriors that had served as his generals. "As your host, I have assigned these two guards for your personal escort. We wouldn't want anyone trying anything foolish and ruining the evening. You may tell your guards to relax. I insist." The tone was polite, but firm, making the message perfectly clear. However highly that Stratos thought of himself, he was on Bohren's grounds now, and would play by the rules.


Astaria was fitting more and more nicely into her pigeonhole by the minute. It was no surprise to Devanus that she was not much of a drinker, and he found himself slightly disappointed that she lowered her mug now. It was always interesting to see people outside their comfort zone. "The fact that it's going to be a long night is exactly why you should keep drinking. You don't get smashed, obviously, but you'd be amazed how much easier it is to get through long events like this with a bit of a buzz." To illustrate his point, Devanus took another drink, holding the mug between his teeth as he quickly switched the coin to his other hand. "As you can see, it hasn't affected my dexterity any."

Unsurprisingly, Astaria's eyes were drawn to his hands, and Devanus laughed lightly, putting his drink down so that he could actually do something slightly impressive. Before Astaria's eyes, the one coin became two in his hands, then four, then disappeared altogether before he plucked it seemingly from the air underneath her mug. "I've been doing this for years. It's how I used to amuse my friends, and how I like to panic my boss if he annoys me, by making valuable potions disappear. It's not hard, you just need a lot of practice and decent teacher. The father of one of my old friends taught it to me, though I daresay I'm probably better at it than he is by now."

One of the other advantages to alcohol was that it would make him seem more impressive with his sleight-of-hand and make it harder for her to catch if and when he messed up. It wasn't often, but it did happen. Dev was barely feeling the effects of the drinking on anything but his inhibitions, and that just meant he could have more of a good time, as long as he kept himself under control and didn't do anything rash or illegal. It had become clear, however, that Astaria didn't get out much, so it was not going to be hard to brighten her evening, and even despite the years of seclusion, Dev still loved making other people happy. Some would say that was a dangerous attitude to have with his work, but those people just didn't know how to mix business and pleasure.

"What about you?" Dev asked, making the coin disappear for a final time and taking another drink. "What does an archaeologist do in her albeit limited free time? Dance? Sing? Seduce young men?" Devanus had to laugh after his last suggestion, despite having a perfectly straight face beforehand. The idea of Astaria as a temptress was quite frankly ridiculous, and he could only hope that she didn't take offense to his laughing at the very idea.

[Gia Trakana]

Gia looked at Titanus in shock as she felt his robes fall around her shoulders. A small smile crossed her face, and he excused himself. She nodded, and turned back to Bohren as he spoke to her. “Yes,” she responded, “this is not his… kind of thing if you get my meaning. I know the feeling. He’ll just have to get used to it. He does take his job seriously, and he’s very capable.” Part of her wished that he was a bit more… talkative, but she knew not all soldiers were. The man was definitely tough, even if he didn’t look at it. Her thoughts were interrupted, though as she heard horses and horn blowers announcing her arrival. The moment she saw the… arrogance of his entrance, anger flooded through her. Well, if she had any doubts that the Lord of Deproelior would show up, she was wrong. Here is was in all his arrogant glory – the jerk.

Gia knew that this man yet, but her mind was already made up about him. There was no way he made that kind of an entrance in a party like this and not have something to prove. Sure he did, he was the Lord of Deproelior. There were other ways, and this was not one she approved of. Seeing him fully, she glared at him as he came up to her. Whoever told him that dressing like that was appropriate? First of all, he was not wearing a shirt. Secondly, he was wearing a crimson red toga of all things. He was also wearing not one weapon – but two. At a party in Laknos, everything he had done was inappropriate and presumptuous. It was very unusual. What on Arcanus had given him the idea that it was all right to dress like that?

As soon as she got a good look at him, Gia was pretty sure she knew exactly why he did. He was a man of Deproelior – big and strong, and his attire showed that off. Her harsh, glaring green eyes looked over him as he came to stand in front of her and Bohren. As soon as he opened up his mouth, her anger and hatred for him grew even more. How dare he dress them like that? Bohren had been ruling for almost thirty years, and he had not even been a spark in his parent’s eyes. She had been ruling for eight, and he had not been any sort of man at that age. It showed how little he respected anyone else, and the fact that he had not even bothered to address either of them by name infuriated her. In a short period of time, the young woman was pretty sure that she had met the worst human being alive.

Suddenly, Gia was very warm, and the robes that Titanus had given her were suddenly making her too war. Casually, she slipped it off, putting it over her left arm, giving no thought to the young man in front of her and how he might perceive it. She locked her green eyes with his brown. They were softer than the rest of him and she ignored it, pushing it out of her mind. She heard Bohren’s voice to her side, and turned her fierce gaze to the old man. He didn’t miss a step, and the Lord of Laknos quickly put the young boy in his place. Ever the diplomat, he handled the situation perfectly, and not with the… aggressiveness that Gia would have if the positions had been reversed. She would likely have just thrown his arrogant ass out of the city. Bohren was much more diplomatic, but nonetheless, the young Lady had approved highly.

“One thing, before you get to the festivities, Lord Stratos,” she said, her bright green eyes flashing dangerously, never leaving his gaze. Her tone had a scathing note to it, but she covered it as much as she could with false kindness. She stepped forward a few paces, not caring that he was easily three times her size. “I have a name. It’s Gia Trakana. Lady Trakana to you. Should you ever forget it, or not bother to remember, I will be more than happy to remind you of it.” Any sane person would have been wary of the dangerous look in the Lady’s eyes, but a part of her realized that Stratos was no sane man. Besides, the dark-haired young woman was feeling like a piece of meat under his gaze, and she liked that even less than his attitude.

All the while Gia’s mind was racing. Her heart rate had increased since Stratos had arrived, due to her increased anger, something that would unfortunately be evident in her dress, which later on, she will regret wearing. This was man was arrogant, and that kind of emotion was good when one was in charge of Deproelior. A warning bell had also gone off when he had introduced himself – WarLord. It told her everything she needed to know. It was one thing for him to be striking and handsome – and she admitted that the boy, who was at least a few years younger than her, was – it was another for him to show the wrong attitude if any of this was going to turn out in anyone’s favor. It worried her, but her eyes kept that fierce glare and her face had a determined look to it.


Astaria was not convinced that having another drink was a good idea. Sure, the drinks she had been having were rather small, but still… the blonde was a lightweight, and there was no way she drink all night and not get completely drunk. She would have a huge hangover the next day, and never be able to help Jiron translate and catalogue all the stuff they’d brought back from the Ancient Ruins. A smile crossed her face. “No, thank you, not right now,” she told him. “A long night is all the more reason to not drink the whole time when you’re a lightweight like me.” She paused for a bit as she sipped her drink. “I don’t drink much, so when I do, I can’t drink very much at all before getting tipsy and then drunk.” She took another sip as he eyes flicked back to his hands again. It was clear he was showing off. Why she wasn’t exactly sure why. This was the longest any man had bothered to talk to her except for her brother and Jiron in a quite a while, so she was going to take it as long as she could.

Astaria looked back up at Devanus as she heard his voice again. He was explaining why he knew this…. sleight-of-hand. It was a neat trick, simple but effective. She giggled at his story, and took another sip of her drink. “It’s a very neat trick, I’ll admit,” she told him. He turned the conversation back to her, asking what she did her limited free time. “Oh, wow, um…” She racked her brain, but she’d been thinking of nothing but her job for the past two weeks. She outright laughed at his suggestion of seducing young men, but at least he found that funny, as well. “Seducing young men, though, that’s… amusing.” She almost admitted that she never dated or been courted much at all, but figured that was not appropriate topic of conversation just yet. Besides, she was almost certain that he would probably not want to talk to her again after this. She was fairly sure he was far from her type, and vice versa.

Astaria continued to rack her brain as she took another sip of her drink. “Well, I… only get a handful of days off a month, and it depends on what time we stop working at night, cause there can be some long days…” The blonde took another sip. “I suppose I like the listen to music, but I’ve never danced. I’m a decent singer, but I never get time to practice…. I guess I sleep and read mostly.” She gave a sheepish look as the words came out of her mouth. “I’m sorry, but I must seem like the most boring woman in the world. I think I really need to get out more, because it’s evident that I have no life.” The archeaologist finished her drink, and stood there, with an empty cup standing in front of Devanus. She felt kind of… pathetic. She was a smart, ingelligent, knowledgable woman… and she had no life and no interests outside of her job whatsoever. At least he had helped her see that, regardless of whatever else happened.

[Devanus Zeller]

If he was being honest, Devanus would have had to agree. Especially compared to his, even his fake lifestyle that he'd told her, Astaria's life sounded absolutely dreadfully dull. He could sort of understand how she could lose herself in her work - he had, after all, been distracted by business thoughts off and on all night - but to just have nothing to do but work and read? Frankly, it was staggering, and Devanus was seized with the sudden urge to educate this poor young woman into the real world, or at least the nightlife that Laknos had to offer.

She was resisting his suggestions to drink more, but she was still sipping, and every little bit helped. All Dev had to do was keep her cup full and over time she would drink it. A lot of people - Devanus included - had that compulsion. Put food or drink in front of them and they end up consuming whether they intended to or not. It was a very effective and subtle method, really, and Devanus planned on taking full advantage now. Astaria really needed to loosen up a little. If nothing else, she had laughed at his joke, but she was starting to talk with a self-pitying edge, and that was no fun at all. "I couldn't agree more; you really do need to get out occasionally - or at all. Do you mean to tell me that tonight is the longest stretch of time you've spent out in public. Good heavens." Dev shook his head before clapping his hands together in a decisive manner. Someone had to educate this woman before some asshole decided to take advantage of that almost painful level of naivete, and Devanus saw no better candidate than himself.

It was not entirely an unselfish urge. Devanus had many acquaintances, but friends were few and far between, so he took every opportunity to enjoy time with new people to compensate for a lack of regular contact. He imagined it might be great fun showing Astaria just what Laknos had to offer, and if she loosened up and relaxed a little, she might even catch herself having a good time. No one lasted forever being a workaholic; everyone burned out sometime. "This opportunity is not one to be wasted then. You need to have a little fun, and what better place to have fun than a festival?" Unfortunately, upon looking around, it became immediately obvious that aside from singing and dancing, there really wasn't much to do at the festival, and Devanus was forced to reconsider his plans. The city was an option, but the whole point of tonight was to be outside of it. The forest was an interesting place at night, but a tad dangerous, even for him. That left the lake. Not exciting, perhaps, but beautiful, and that was at least something of a place to start, he supposed.

Throwing back what was left of his drink, Devanus reached out and grabbed Astaria's hand, giving it a slight tug. "Let's take a walk. I'm going to show you what you've been missing." The lake was a beautiful place during the evening, especially at sunset, and if she kept being a wet blanket, he could always throw her in and see if that improved things.

[Aura Adnarim]

Aura was on her way back over to the refreshment table to switch her glass of wine for something else, because it tasted sour on her tongue now. The sudden sound of horse’s and horns made her slowly turn her head towards the source of the commotion. It was a flashy entrance, and not very appropriate because this was all supposed to be about peace and here the Lord of Deproelior did not have the sense to respect the ruler of Laknos and make a plain arrival. She couldn’t help but to allow her eyes to take in the sight of him, Stratos Noaziel. She only dared to watch the screen of the three rulers standing together. The way that he was looking at Gia and her reaction was great, it took all of her self-control to keep from laughing out loud. Oh this pompous arrogant boy with the body of a man, she could tell that her best friend wanted nothing more than to slip a dagger into his back and be done with him.

Although a part of her found this to be the most amusing thing to happen to her since she left home on her mission. A touch of sadness touched her thoughts because this is the sort of thing that her and her dark haired friend would talk about in the late hours of night and laugh about the whole thing. A slight smile touched her lips as she took her time to decide on a mug of cold tea and putting some honey in it because she did like it to be sweet. A little bit of honey was on her fingers when she put down the wooden spoon, so without really thinking about it she sucked on her fingers to get the lovely golden sweetness off. The whole time she kept the corner of her eye on the trio, because it would not be polite to show how interested she was in the whole affair.

It was not until that moment that she regretted her choice of dress; both she and Gia were dressed in flame colors. Maybe she should have brought her light blue one that went well with her eyes, it was too late now. And a part of her could not help but to admire the slightly younger man’s body. The combination of his skin color and his hair really appealed to her. Her friend knew that the red head had the worst taste in men; it was always a problem with their personality. The last one was very bland, but this Stratos he was a real piece of work from what she had observed so far. And thinking about ex’s hers was not three feet from her and getting himself a drink. If he did not move away soon she would have to because it would not look right for him to keep on insisting that she was who he thought she was.

[Titanus Pythonidae]

As soon as Bohren started with him, Stratos grew annoyed. Bohren was just another one of those politically correct diplomats who let his words to the fighting. Why did people insist on being so bland and boring? The inch difference in height was corrected by Stratos simply raising his chin, causing a more pompous look than what he wanted. Politics was, unfortunately, much like a game of chess. Every move was calculated and in anticipation of the opponent’s move. Stratos was very good in chess, and wasn’t planning on losing. Everything he had done, down to the very number of men he brought with him and the amount of people he’d smile at, was planned ahead of time to create a sure impression of personality.

Stratos saw the two guardsmen approach him as Bohren insisted he and his men relax. Trying anything foolish? Who did the Old Man think he was talking to? This guy was clearly trying to get a message across. A message Stratos didn’t need to hear. He wasn’t the fool many people perceived him to be. The ruse was set up perfectly, and Bohren’s reaction, though insulting, was very much predictable.

As was Gia’s. From everything he had heard about her, he knew exactly what buttons to push. She became Lady of Aurora Valley at an early age and she had a sense of strength that made it almost too easy for Stratos to analyze her. Starting with simple down talk was step one. Next would be to appeal to her femininity, to approach her sense of duty and softness at the same time. Stratos knew she took things very seriously and her attempts at politics were, to him at least, laughable at the most. But even he would admit that she demanded respect for being able to take the waste of space known as Aurora Valley and turn it into a somewhat respectable city.

Gia’s hardness, her sense of responsibility and her womanhood almost made her the easiest target there. Hearing her correct him by insuring he remembered her title as Lady was amusing to him. She had spark alright. If he didn’t know any better, he’d almost call her one of Deproelior. Almost…

“You know,” Stratos started, “I think I will let them have some fun. I mean, it’s clearly better to let thirty rowdy soldiers loose instead of keeping them in formation. It gets better when you allow them to drink as well. You’re right, you’re absolutely right. Let them loose, right? Wise, very wise. ”

Stratos flashed his half smile at Gia and brushed his hand against her cheek.

“And if you insist on letting my men… relax… we should probably hide your most beautiful women. Who know what barbaric acts they will do? I mean, there’s no way I can keep them in check. Not while I’m being suffocated by your ‘escorts.’ So, I think it’s better if they stay with me. And you call your watchdogs off, Bohren. I don’t like being made to feel as if I need protection from anyone or anything. Especially since I know I don’t need it.”

Stratos made sure his point came across. Politics were indeed a lot like chess. And that was a game. Stratos never lost a game and he certainly liked to play. He turned around and seized a glass off a table and downed in one gulp. The warlord then cracked his neck and smiled at a woman who just happened to be standing there. His chocolate eyes moved back to Gia and Bohren.

“So, your call Old Man. Let my men loose on the city or let me keep my men in control while enjoying myself here.”

[Devanus Zeller]

Sometimes, Bohren's better nature got the better of him. At his age, he was more cynical than most other people he knew, despite his attempts to be generally optimistic about the possible outcomes of the war. Accordingly, he had planned for possible altercations tonight, and had a large number of soldiers both officially on-duty and in plainclothes, enjoying themselves, but at the ready for potential trouble. He had hoped that would not be necessary, but Stratos was quickly making it clear that it was going to be. Bohren could scarcely believe his ears. This impudent little whelp had come into his territory with a complement of soldiers, and was now uttering thinly veiled threats about their behaviour in order to try and get his own way. There was certainly truth to the old adage about power corrupting, but this was a bridge too far.

"You will address me, young man, as Lord Bohren, at least as long as you and your soldiers are on my land, enjoying my hospitality. And yes, I do insist that they enjoy themselves, but I also trust that as ruler, you would not have brought men incapable of self-discipline, as that would be a terribly foolish thing to do. You wouldn't want to ruin Deproelior's reputation as a place of great order, would you? I also trust that you understand that should one of them do something improper, he will be detained under Laknos law. This festival is a celebration of life and of the hope of peace between our three cities. If you insist on bringing weapons and war, then I will have to ask you and your men to leave."

It was difficult for Bohren to judge whether Stratos was an idiot, ill-informed, or just power-crazed. What kind of new ruler made a first impression this negative? He had brought enough men to be an aggressive show of force, and had not stopped insulting the hospitality of Laknos since he first opened his mouth. Deproelior could not beat Aurora Valley straight on, and yet here he was playing the intimidation game. What did he gain by insulting Gia? Or by making Bohren inclined to side with Gia and her people? If he thought raising the ire of a sexogenarian was likely to cause him to spontaneously declare war, then he was very much mistaken, and Stratos had done himself no favours at the diplomacy table now.

Glad now more than ever that he had two generals to keep an eye on Stratos, Bohren allowed himself a slight smile as he reiterated his stance. "As long as you are here, I am afraid, Lord Statos, that my 'watchdogs', as you describe them, are non-negotiable. As your host, it is my duty and my perogative to ensure there are no incidents which could have been avoided. After all, while you may be perfectly capable of defending yourself, unlike my generals, who are operating as agents of Laknos law, should you choose to draw that weapon of yours, you would be regarded as disturbing the peace, and we would have to take appropriate measures. We wouldn't want that."

If Stratos had sought to intimidate, he had failed miserably. True, Laknos did not have a military anywhere near on par with Deproelior's, but what it did have was both numbers and the home field advantage. At best, starting something here would be humiliating for Stratos; at worst, it would result in open war. Bohren could not see what he was playing at, and could only hope that one of his advisors would figure it out. Politics was a dangerous game, and he needed to stay one step ahead.

[Aura Adnarim]

Watching the woman that was a dead ringer for my ex-girlfriend was confusing for him as he followed her to the refreshment table. As she set down the glass of wine for a mug of cold tea and mixing in some honey, the sight of her sticking her fingers one by one into her mouth was very thought-provoking. It was something that brought on memories of late night visits of his bedroom.

“Why are you acting like you don’t know me? Every move you make gives you away, from the way that you fix your tea to the way that you get the honey off of your fingers.” The blond haired man insisted, he was sure that he was right about her. He knew her and still had no idea as to why she had broken up with him.


Aura was getting to the point that she just wanted nothing more than to put one of her concealed daggers into Stratos’s back, and the fact that he had dared to touch Gia. But before she could think about it anymore the voice of the man next to her forced her to look at the man straight on. She brought on her most annoyed look, because at this moment she wanted to just put one of her daggers into his heart and put him out of his misery.

“I told you before that you have the wrong person, and that your mother should have taught you that is not polite to stare at a woman and to follow her around. You are making a nuisance of yourself, and for all I know you might have had too much to drink. If you are so board here is a suggestion for you, go and climb to the very top of the highest tree that you can find then jump.” Aura told the man in a calm voice with a slight smile to her lips. Oh he was really pissing her off, but there was no other way to get rid of him. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that the man that had been making an even bigger hindrance of himself smile at her.

Part of her was torn she was not sure if she should throw her tea on one of them or just stand her ground. Cold anger filled her from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, and she was sure that if you looked into her eyes that you would see some snowflakes in them.

[Titanus Pythonidae]

Mentally keeping track of how long he had been standing there since his dramatic entrance, Stratos smiled a toothy grin, showing off all his teeth. A shark’s smile would’ve seemed friendlier than the ruler of Deproelior. Going over how many men he had brought with him, Stratos was doing the math to calculate how long it would take for his agents to slip into the festival unnoticed. Bohren was playing right into his hand and it felt great. Right now, as of this moment, the only thing going against the Warlord’s plan was that he couldn’t rouse a bigger reaction out of Gia. She had some words with him, but that wasn’t good enough. He needed a scene to be made, a spectacle almost. Anything to keep people’s attention on them, not on the surroundings.

Listening to Bohren drone on and on about self-discipline was boring Stratos. Until he heard the note about anyone doing anything improper would be detained. Was it possible to leave more men behind under the ruse of disorderly conduct? It was possible, but those soldiers would be stuck, no way out. They wouldn’t have the freedom to roam around like the sleeper agents. This chess game was getting interesting indeed. Bohren’s words registered in Stratos’ mind. Forcing an eye twitch, Stratos realized it was now time to play the defeated loser with the deflated ego.

“You’re right, we wouldn’t want that.” Stratos snuck a quick glance at his horn blowers and guidon bearers, as if to consider their welfare. Keeping his head held high, the warlord made his voice quiver just slightly to keep up the ruse of defeat. “I… I, uh, will let my men relax. However, I will not retain responsibility for their actions.” Stratos added, trying to save face.

Smiling around at the people surrounding the scene, Stratos drew his two blades and spun them around his hands once. His toothy grin in place once again, it was slowly replaced by a solemn smile. He stabbed both swords into the ground. “For security purposes. Wouldn’t want to disturb the peace.” He remarked, throwing Bohren’s words back at him. “Besides, I wouldn’t want your watchdogs getting all fearful of the chance I draw those and kill them.”

Just because he was “defeated,” certainly didn’t mean his demeanor would falter. Quite the opposite, he would have to start to outdo himself in terms of outlandishness. “You know, I had actually intended to use this for personal reasons, but if I may, Lord Bohren[/I], I would like to offer a token of my apology.”

Though his voice dripped with venom, the words he spoke were sincere. And with a wave of his hand, the guidon bearers stabbed the flags into the ground, dismounted from their horses and opened their saddle bags. Inside were hundreds of coins, coins that the guards began to throw into the crowds while the horn blowers resounded a celebratory tune. Stratos never faltered and he stood up straight the whole time, chin raised as if he was never to be defeated. And while his men were throwing money at the party goers, his gaze never left Gia, his toothy grin replaced by a sultry smirk.[/color]

[Gia Trakana]

Gia’s eyes narrowed as Stratos continued to speak. What was he thinking? None of this made sense to her, and part of her didn’t think it was just some boy’s foolish attempt to show power. His hand on her cheek was scalding, and it sent a shiver down her spine that she didn’t like in the least. She forced herself not to jerk, as that would have given him too much satisfaction, she was sure. Instead, she reached up a hand and brushed it off, never taking her eyes off him. As he continued to speak, she liked him and less. It didn’t make any sense to her. It almost sounded as if he wanted a fight, which would be foolish in a foreign city seeing as how there is no way he could have brought a compliment of soldiers large enough to defeat Laknos’ forced. Sure, Bohren’s army paled in comparision to that of hers and Stratos’, but not while in his city, on his land, with their army left behind.

Gia had no proof of anything she was feeling, but Stratos gave her a bad vibe. It seemed that her Laknos opposite had the same idea, because the older man continued to try and put the young lord in his place. Bohren made his position clear, and the woman fought to keep the smirk off of her face. She settled on a pleased look, but it went to a mask of indifference as the Deproelioran Lord began to speak once again – and backed down. That was too easy, she told herself. It was possible that Bohren had truly made him see the error of his ways. The dark-haired woman didn’t believe it, though. It had been way too easy for the arrogance of his entrance, the point he had been trying to make. At least that’s what she thought when he entered, though she nothing to prove it. She trusted her instincts, though, and she considered herself a fairly decent judge of character – both were going haywire around this young man.

Gia heard the venom in Stratos’ voice as he spoke to Lord Bohren, and knew what she was feeling was correct. It was still possible that he truly did see that he needed to back down, but he seemed to be making it clear that he didn’t want to. The Lady of Aurora Valley had to give Stratos credit, though. He stood up straight and tall. If she’d just made such a fool of herself, she wouldn’t feel the same way. During her early days as leader, there were several times as she was… learning the ropes, so to speak that she had said and done things that were inappropriate. She had been young and foolish, though. Younger than Stratos by a few years, how much she wasn’t sure, and she didn’t fully trust that this was simply young arrogance, though that is certainly what it seemed like from the surface. Part of her knew that she could be overthinking things, and she wanted to speak to Bohren tomorrow before she left.

There was another thing that Gia didn’t like, and that was how he looked at her. After Stratos had finished speaking, the dark-haired woman didn’t miss the smile and the way he never took his eyes off her. Part of her wanted to slap him, and tell him what he was doing was inappropriate; the other part knew that to make such a scene would be stupid. She was many things, but stupid was not one of them. The curvaceous woman settled for putting her free hand on her hip, the other still holding the robe that Titanus had given her. She was acutely aware of the lack of his presence, and she was not pleased at all, even less pleased that she felt so… vulnerable and weak right now, as she had no means to defend herself. What made her even more uncomfortable with Stratos was that she didn’t know what to expect from him next, and she hated that. “Is there something else that you require?” She asked him, her eyes still full of fire and aggression, though they had dulled a bit from earlier.

[Devanus Zeller]

Despite his immense frustration with Stratos - and his relief this round was over - Bohren could not help feeling that his victory had come a little too easily. Stratos had come on strong, way too strong. Bohren had chalked it up to a lust for power, and while that was certainly a factor, he was now suspicious that it was not the only explanation. On a dime, Stratos had gone from full attack to full retreat, with the weakest of concessions - and one that Bohren was certainly not going to grant in the first place. No, Stratos was definitely up to something; the only question was what?

With nothing more to go on, Bohren inclined his head, still playing the political game. "Very generous of you." Bohren's tone matched Stratos' exactly. At a signal from him, another guard stepped forward to retrieve Stratos' blades; they could hardly have them just sticking up out of the earth. While he doubted that his generals were worried about Stratos' military prowess, he was relieved that it was now no longer a question. He had referred to them only as guards for a reason, to have Stratos underestimate them, and that, it seemed, was exactly what he had done.

Wishing that he had brought double the guard, Bohren's eyes scanned the crowd, largely ignoring the growing number of people rushing toward the free money. Now that he was no longer actively engaging Stratos and could take a breath and calm down a bit, the gambit was perfectly obvious. The coins were a distraction, of course, and a very effective one for someone that had no reason to suspect Stratos, but even without the political tug-of-war Bohren had just been engaging in, anyone that had been in his presence more than a few moments would have reason to suspect him. Bohren had met slimier individuals, and craftier ones as well, but few more purely self-absorbed. That was a dangerous quality indeed.

Bohren had half a mind to go back to the city and bring more help, but remained in place. For one, he did not like the way that Stratos kept looking at Gia. Even for one of an enemy, it was just unsettling. Second, and more importantly, he was not about to give Stratos any indication that he felt unprepared. The guards in place would be more than enough to cover Stratos and his envoy of thirty, but it was always difficult to expect the unexpected, and Bohren was very quickly beginning to suspect that Stratos did not plan to end this war on the negotiating table, or at the very least, not fairly.

Gia asked the question that Bohren would have been compelled to ask, though in reality he would have much rather given Stratos a sharp rap with his staff and been done with it. He enjoyed politics, but only when people played by the rules, such as they were, and Stratos seemed to be something of a cheater. Bohren was beginning to think that holding a festival this soon after the young man rose to power was a mistake. They should have taken more time to get to know him and his methods. Bohren was only thankful that he had elected to not house this event inside or even adjacent to his city walls. Who knew what mischief Stratos may have gotten up to if he actually had access to Laknos.

[Gia Trakana]

”No, it’s not! Just in…. quite a while,” Astaria said, a sheepish tone in her voice. “I have a very demanding job, so maybe… I don’t make time to get out.” She felt even more foolish now. A part of her knew what he was saying was true, but it wasn’t easy admitting to herself that she was a lame workaholic, and if she didn’t do something about that she was going to end up alone. That wasn’t what Astaria wanted. The blonde eventually did want to settle down and have a family, but the woman wasn’t sure how that would work with a job like hers that left her gone for two weeks a time. Provided her husband didn’t have a similar job, there was always the possibility that he could take care of the kids, but some men wouldn’t go for that, as it was a woman’s job to take care of the kids, yes?

Astaria pushed those thoughts her mind, and smiled at Devanus. “You’re absolutely right,” she agreed. She did need to have fun, but part of her wasn’t sure how to loosen up any. She was so absorbed with her work that she didn’t know anything else. Maybe he does… she thought to herself. Then, her companion for the night suggested a walk to “show her what she was missing”. It was not yet night, and the sun was only soon going to be beginning to set. He grabbed her hand, something which took her by surprise, but she didn’t jerk away or anything. She simply took a step forward in preparation for leaving on a walk, and kept her hand right where it was. “What did you have in mind?” The archaeologist’s mind started to work as she wondered where it is he was going to take her.

Behind the party, through the entrance, was the way back to the city, which was easily seen from their current location. In the other direction was the forest. To the northwest, however, was Lake Cobaea. It was only other place near unless they were going to go through the city and back to the Hills, past which was only flat land and then desert and lots of it as you got farther and farther away from Laknos. The lake was pretty at night when the stars were out, but it had been years since she’d bothered to go out there. Was that what he had planned or was there something else in his mind? She didn’t know but part of her didn’t care and was simply enjoying his presence. For the time being, the blonde would allow him to lead her wherever he wanted to go. She still wasn’t sure about him, but the longer she talked with the less the taller of the two seemed to care.

[Titanus Pythonidae]

Stratos watched the way Gia placed a hand on her hip while she clutched on to what appeared to be a robe. He listened to her voice as it flowed into his ears and made him bite the corner of his bottom lip. Her question echoed in his head. Was there anything else he required? Maybe he would ask her to join him in a dance? That would raise a commotion. That would be quite amusing to the young warrior. But he refrained from saying anything. He simply cocked his head to the side.

“No, my Lady. That would be all I require.” His voice dripped with contempt with some admiration mixed in there, still keeping up the illusion of the defeated megalomaniac.

A guard retrieved the weapons Stratos had stabbed into the ground and as soon as his hand reached for the blades, the Warlord of Deproelior’s hand shot out and seized the guard’s wrist. A soft growl could be heard from Stratos’ throat.

“Do be careful with those, grunt. Those blades are worth more than your life is.”

The man let the wrist go and he went back to all smiles. “Now then, I say let the festival continue, yes?” Stratos approached Gia, seized her hand and kissed it. “My Lady.” And with a bow to Bohren, Stratos walked off, waiting patiently for his watchdogs to catch up to him and keep an eye on his every move.

While walking off, he ordered his men to dismount and enjoy themselves. They were not to lost control over themselves and they were to leave as soon as he said so. Hopefully, the thirty he had brought with him would see some kind of entertainment. A happy soldier is a loyal soldier, Stratos learned. His mind also wandered off to the ten he had ordered to slip into the crowd as disguised partygoers. Hopefully they’d find their way into Laknos.

Finding an empty table still within eyesight of Bohren and Gia, Stratos sat down and sighed. Was everything he was doing really worth all this? He was after one target, and he was willing to risk everything for it. What if what he was doing wasn’t worth it at all? The look Gia gave him had made an impact on the young warrior.

Stratos shook his head. This was no time and place to lose focus to emotion. He was the Warlord of Deproelior. He had a masterful plan and he would see it to the end. Finding himself something to drink, Stratos went through a mental checklist. Both of the other two rulers were smarter than he anticipated based on the reports he was given. There was a chance they wouldn’t fall for his ruse, but at the same time, the way they reacted completely supported his plan. Regardless, everything was still going to plan with no obstacles.

Making his to another table to grab something to eat, Stratos bumped into a man slightly shorter than him. Normally he would blow up at the person for being so ignorant, but right now he was in a tricky situation, any more attention to him and people would start to get suspicious. Besides, after hearing a mumbled apology, Stratos brushed it off. He sat down and let himself drift away in the festivities.

Titanus was making his way back to Gia while shaking his head. Why was he so involved with the security here? It wasn’t his job. He was there to watch over Gia and make sure the future relations between Aurora Valley and Laknos looked bright. There were guard posted and the Head of Security left the situation up to them. It was careless to leave Lady Gia alone like that. And then the horns being sounded could only mean one thing, Stratos had arrived.

Memories flooded Titanus’ mind. Memories of teaching the young Stratos everything he knew. The boy was passionate about learning the way of the warrior. He wanted to know everything, learn every technique and better himself every day. Before he was chased out of Deproelior, Titanus had noted that Stratos was quickly rivaling his own skills and he was just a boy.

One of the agents Titanus had secretly brought along approached him. “Sir, the representative of Deproelior has arrived and he is making quite a mess of things. Allow us to continue the investigation of that strange sound while you make your way back to Lady Gia, Sir.”

Titanus nodded. Grasping the handle on his katana, he quickened the pace he was walking at, trying to reach Gia before Stratos said the wrong thing. Trying to make good time, Titanus was not looking at where he was going and accidentally bumped into a taller man.

“Forgive me sir; I wasn’t looking to where I was going.” Titanus started, but the man kept walking. Looking after him, the former teacher recognized the man from behind. It was none other than Stratos Noaziel.

The older man finally caught up to Gia. She looked like she was holding back some spiteful words. Apparently Stratos had misbehaved as he had predicted.

“My Lady, is everything alright?” Titanus asked, placing a comforting hand on her bare shoulder. He noticed she wasn’t wearing his robe anymore, but instead was holding on to it. “My presence needed here and I failed you. I shall not fail you again my Lady.” Titanus swore.

Looking around, Titanus saw one of Bohren’s guards with Stratos’ sword and it made him feel a little antsy. Though Stratos was an amazing swordsman, he always preferred to use his fists. “My Lady, with Lord Noaziel being here, maybe we should retire for the night and come back early in the morning?”

[Devanus Zeller]

What did he have in mind indeed. Devanus was kind of surprised that she had let him keep hold of her hand. Most people would have flinched away, quite normally and naturally, and Devanus had purposefully kept his grip loose enough that she could have done that, but she hadn't. This girl is too trusting. It's going to get her in trouble. Astaria was fortunate that Devanus had no ill intentions, sneaking off to secluded places with her; had he been a less savoury person, Astaria could have found herself in a lot of trouble, self-defense skills or no.

"We're going to the lake, at least until the stars come out. You need to see the nice things that happen above ground a little more often" The forest was an option once it got properly dark, and while it was risky, Devanus had nearly forgotten that hidden beneath his clothes was a preparation for just such an occasion. Despite his best intentions, his nature would not let him go out to the festival without having at least something of a backup plan.

Devanus was glad to be out of the festival once they cleared the lights and headed into the darkening plains toward the water. He liked the atmosphere well enough, but one look at the Deproelior leader had given him chills. Grandstanding was not the greatest of signs - especially not to a shadows-and-sneak person like Dev - and nor was the obviously unpleasant conversation between leaders that he had been watching out of the corner of his eye whilst talking to Astaria. Devanus knew little of politics, but he liked his city, and it seemed that Lord Bohren was not pleased with the new ruler's entrance either. That was cause enough to concern him, but he put it from his mind. The last thing he wanted was to ruin the walk with negative topics.

"So what did you as a kid then? You can't always have been a historian." Devanus was still desperately trying to find something that Astaria could relate to, and her childhood was about the only option that he was being left with. She just didn't seem to do much of anything now, and she was sheepishly admitting over and over again. Unfortunately, what Devanus considered fun would probably not suit Astaria, so he had to find something of a middle ground. The lake was a good starting point - who didn't love a beautiful, relaxing view? - but he was going to need something more substantial. He had one or two ideas, but they were a little unusual, which made him glad he had swiped a couple of flasks of drink on the way out. He always carried a cask or two as an amateur alchemist, and they came in very handy now.

They arrived at the lake a little too early. The sunset was only in its infancy, and was not yet properly lighting up the water. Even so, that was a start. Having not let go of Astaria's hand - more of an experiment to see if she would pull away than anything else - Devanus dropped it now as he settled himself onto the grass at the edge of the sand-line. While he loved the beach and the water, he disliked how sand got absolutely everywhere, and as such was not going to sit on it for any length of time. "This ought to be a good show." The only thing that would have improved it would have been rain, but there were hardly enough clouds overhead to make that likely.

[Gia Trakana]

Astaria allowed Devanus to lead her to the lake, which she was right, had been where he was leading her to. Yes, she enjoyed his company, but she wasn’t sure what he had in mind or what his intentions were, and part of her didn’t like that. The other part was just enjoying someone’s company, anyone else’s company. The archeologist told herself to listen to the first part of her. She knew she was being too trusting, and if either her brother or her partner were right now, they’d both be telling her she was stupid and foolish for no allowing herself to go away from safety with a man she hardly knew. He had already made it clear that he was a bit… reckless, as her mind went back to the roof hopping he’d been doing earlier.

Astaria slipped her hand out of his, not willing to let him get any closer just yet. She tucked her dress underneath her legs as she sat on the grass, about a foot etween them. She felt it was close enough not to seem rude, but far enough way that she could get a better judge of his character. At that moment, but the blonde cursed her experience and naiveté when it came to men. The tall woman knew she wasn’t nearly as stupid about such things as she let on. It was really common sense, if she told herself right. Her ears heard Devanus’ voice, and she turned to him and smiled, a laugh escaping her lips. “No, of course not,” she said. “I actually enjoyed school, but when I wasn’t in school, I would hang out with my friends.” Contrary to her life now, she had had some friends during her school years. “I’ve lost touch with them now, as I took a very different path.” They were all married with kids, and didn’t agree with the blonde’s lifestyle of work, work and nothing else.

“We used to go swimming all the time, go running around on the hills talking about anything and everything,” Astaria explained. “I’ve always enjoyed school and reading, but I used to hang out with a small group of people.” She thought back to those days, and realized that although she’d had a good childhood, the blonde didn’t miss it at all. She truly did love her life now, despite the fact that in some respects, it hadn’t turned out the way she’d expected. By now, she would have thought that she’d be married with kids, not spending every day with Jiron working. It didn’t bother her that much, though, but she was aware now that she did need to eventually meet someone – someone who didn’t mind her job. “As I got older, my brother… he was always very protective of me, annoyingly so sometimes. After he learned out to fight, he taught me to defend myself. I actually enjoyed that, though I’m not a fighter at heart. I’m pretty decent with both a sword and a bow, better at a bow, though.”


Gia saw how Stratos bit his bottom lip, and the dark-haired woman wondered if he was going to do anything or say anything else that would make things any worse. However, the young man did not. Deproelior’s new lord responded to her in kind, though she heard a bit of contempt in his voice, and what was that, admiration? It confused her, and she didn’t like it. She still felt that the other man was playing at something. A guard went to take his swords, and that caused him to say a few words, but soon, it was over, and he was smiling again. However, once again, Stratos did something that she didn’t like – he grabbed her hand kissed it. Now, it was a polite thing to do for a woman, especially one of her station, but when he did it, again his touch made her skin feel as if it was on fire and it sent a shiver down her back that she didn’t like. Her eyes watched him carefully as he walked, almost waiting for him to do something, but he didn’t, and then… it was over. For now, anyway.

Gia saw Titanus come into view, and suddenly, she became acutely aware again that he did not been there when Stratos had arrived. The dark-haired woman might have said something to him, but her Head of Security beat her to it. He quickly asked if she was okay, and said that he would not fail her again, his hand on her shoulder. It reminded her that she had no reason to be overly agitated now that Stratos was gone, and she took a deep breath, calming her breathing down back to normal. “Yes, Titanus, thank you, I’m fine,” she said, “He’s infuriating, but it doesn’t matter now, he’s gone.” He mentioned leaving, and for a moment, the Lady almost considered taking him up on his offer. She desperately wanted to leave now, but her eyes glanced in the direction that the Lord of Deproelior had gone, and decided that maybe that wasn’t such a good idea.

Gia laid a hand on his arm to reassure him that she was fine, a smile crossing her face. “No, thank you, though,” she said. “A tempting idea, but I don’t want to give that man-child that satisfaction.” She was glad that no one was close enough to truly overhear every word she said except for Bohren, and she wasn’t overly concerned that he would disagree with her on that account. “I do, however, think that I need a drink.” With that, she slipped her hand off of Titanus’ arm, and walked over the drink table near them. She knew that her Head of Security’s hand on her shoulder would have fallen off unless for some odd reason he followed her. Taking a drink with her free hand, she walked back to the men. “That was certainly some excitement, wasn’t it?” There was a sarcastic tone to her voice, and a smirk on her lips. “Oh, and thank you for the robe, Titanus, but after that, I’m not sure that I need it. I appreciate it, though.” The woman went to hand it back to him, having a feeling that if she did, she’d probably need it again, knowing her luck.

Gia honestly did want to leave now, but what she wanted more was to not give Stratos the satisfaction of knowing that he’d gotten to her. She was young yes, but he was younger, and she would make sure that she stayed the more mature one of the two. The dark-haired young woman wasn’t sure what the young lord had in mind, but she was going to be on her toes until she figured it out. Taking a long drink from the cup in her hand, her green eyes searched around for a moment before looking at Bohren and Titanus. “This evening has certainly been more eventful than originally thought, at least to me, anyway,” she said. She took another drink, this one a bit smaller. There was no need getting drunk, and she was too much of a lightweight to hold too much alcohol. Besides, she’d already had one drink today, and this one was going to be her last. As she stood there with them, feeling less like partying than ever, she wondered what else she was supposed to do here, as it didn’t seem as if any other government officials from Laknos or Deproelior would show up.