Summer Solstice Festival

[Devanus Zeller]

Astaria was finally chatting a bit more now, and it was oddly similar to Devanus' own past; childhood friends that were no longer in her life. Of course, Devanus very much doubted that they had met the same fate as his group, but still, that was a similarity he could relate to. "They all got lives and spouses and kids, and you got rocks and antiques and mysteries." He commented wryly. It was a very different path indeed. Not much of what she said held any interest to him in the present, except for the bit about swimming. Admittedly, neither of them were dressed for it, but they were at a lake. A freezing cold lake with the sun going down, mind, but a lake nonetheless. The temperature had never bothered Devanus, but if there was one thing he knew about women, it was that they all seemed to be obsessed with being warm all the time.

By sitting down first, Devanus had made it Astaria's choice how close to him she was going to settle, and she decided on a foot, give or take. This was a positive sign, in the sense that she was not being ridiculously trusting of the strange man who ran on rooftops and dragged her out to the lake all by themselves, where no one could interfere with anything he might have planned to do. Even with the alcohol in her system, she did still appear to have a brain. He liked that. Speaking of alcohol, Devanus reached into his shirt and pulled out the flasks he had nicked, putting one down on the grass between them and taking a long drink from the other as he settled his gaze on the horizon in the distance. He had once learned that what you perceived as the horizon, at sea level, was really a lot closer than it appeared, about three miles, give or take. The sun was practically there to be touched, so large was it in the sky, just dipping into the water.

Deciding it was best not to comment on her brother's skill with a blade that he had seen first-hand, Devanus moved the topic to less risky, if no more pleasant, things. "What do you think of the festival? Is there any point to it? It's supposed to be a bridge to peace, but when Dep shows up like that, it makes me think they aren't particularly interested, or at least their new ruler isn't. Lord Bohren seems to get along with Lady Gia well enough; makes me wonder why he doesn't just side with Aurora Valley and get it over with." In reality, Dev had a pretty good idea why hat was the case, but if nothing else, it was a talking point. Liking someone was not reason enough to go to war on their side. Laknos was officially neutral, and as long as that was the case, its citizens were more or less safe. Deproelior had not the army to fight two wars at once, nor did Aurora Valley, though all indications suggested the latter would not be mounting any unprovoked attacks. Though, then again, if something happened to Lady Gia the way that death had come for the previous leader of the military state, that was entirely another story.


Bohren could hardly have been happier when Strato finally took his leave to go off and drink. At least now it was in the hands of his generals, and while he did not envy them, at least that was a burden off of his weary back for the time being. It would resume being an issue before the festival was over, of that Bohren was quite sure, but at least in the interm he could relax a little and try and enjoy himself. There was no cause to let that young man ruin what had been a perfectly pleasant celebration.

Gia's Head of Security had rejoined them now, and Bohren could not help but briefly think he had run off at precisely the wrong time. He would have been very interested to see how Stratos had spoken with more than two witnesses present. In all likelihood, no differently, but it would have been an interesting insight into the young ruler's character, as well as that of this soldier. His devotion to Gia was plainly obvious - to the point of inappropriateness, in Bohren's opinion - and he suggested, not unreasonably, that they retire for the evening. Bohren was about to recommend otherwise, so as not to let Stratos spoil the evening, but Gia voiced just that thought, before moving off to acquire a drink. Privately, Bohren agreed with her comments toward the Deproelior ruler, but he was not going to voice it aloud. With age came the knowledge that that might not be in his best interests, though he would hardly hold Gia to that same standard. Ruler though she was, she was still virtually a child.

"I couldn't agree more," Bohren nodded to Gia's comment about the evening. "Yet I find myself rather wishing it had been as dull as I had envisioned. Of course, in hindsight, it was probably not in our best interests to do this so soon after Stratos' election." Tapping his staff on the ground twice in quick succession, Bohren summoned up an assistant, who brought him a drink at once. It was water, naturally, but it still did enough to calm Bohren's nerves. He had to resist the urge to continually scan the crowd to see if he could figure out what Stratos was up to and that was no better than returning home.

Unfortunately, there was not much entertainment scheduled for that night, aside from the continual music, which meant there was very little for them to observe. Banging his staff again, Bohren summoned a dozen more assistants, bearing two heavy stone chairs and one light wooden one, setting them up a short distance away in an open area. Giving Gia a smile, Bohren waved his stick in the direction of the chairs. "We may as well sit in style. No reason to let Stratos be the only one that can show off, and I am the host after all." Bohren was tempted to simply drop into the chair, but instead regally positioned himself into it. The cushion was comfortable enough, and it certainly looked good to be sitting on something resembling a throne. "Look at them, just dancing," Bohren muttered. "What a tenuous peace we sit on and they can celebrate and take coin from Stratos without batting an eye." His voice was harsh, but in reality Bohren was envious. That freedom was his responsibility to protect and that task was getting harder by the day. Something would have to change.

[Aura Adnarim]

Aura was not sure what to do for a moment, it was a bit of chaos when Lord Stratos had ordered the coins to be thrown. A part of her found that amusing, but not the fact that the man that was being a thorn in her side suddenly came to life and went for the coins and had bumped into her. It took just a fraction of a moment for her to act on impulse and elbow the man in the back. She was sure that the angle was right that no one paying attention to her would have seen what she did. Seeing him on the ground eating grass was a funny sight for her, so for the moment her anger died down. The fair skinned woman took the last sip of her tea and set down the cup before resuming proper protocol and showing a token of respect to the other rulers.

Going over to them while taking the opportunity to step on the fallen man’s hand just brought a small smile to her lips, oh she knew that it was mean but hey he had it coming. The woman in the yellow dress curtsied to the older man in front of her. It was not as deep as one would give to the Lord or Lady of your own city.

“Lord Bohren, everything looks lovely your people have done a wonderful job this year for the festival.” Turning towards the dark haired shorter woman and giving her a matching curtsy. “Lady Gia, your dress is exquisite. It makes me wish that I could get away with wearing such a color.”

With that she was about to leave before her presence would be considered rude. Her pale blue eyes rested on the other man that seemed to be fussing over Gia. The redhead gave him a slight incline of her head before leaving. Sooner or later she would find out who he was.


Slightly dazed it took the blond a moment to figure out why he was on the ground. As he stood up and dusted himself of it was clear in his mind that maybe he had been very mistaken about the identity of the redhead. There was no way that Aura would have acted like that. And thanks to her his hand hurt because the blue eyed woman had stepped on it. He sulked off because a part of his mind kept on replaying what had happened.


Taking slow deep breaths as she took her time walking over to where the dark haired man was sitting. At that moment she was not sure if she had learned anything from watching his interaction with Gia. It seemed like he was enjoying making her angry. Well she had to get this over with; she had him in her sight. The two Laknos guards were close by, and he was facing the way that she was coming from.

A small amused smile lightly touched her lips as she stoped three feet from him and dipped into a deep curtsy. She looked up through her lashes from her lowered gaze because there was no way that she was going to take her eyes off of him. He was unpredictable and it was her instincts telling her what to do while she was this close to the man.

“Lord Stratos, that was quiet an entrance.” She told him as she slowly stood up straight. She refused to be in that position in front of him any longer than necessary. Lucky for her the fabric of her dress did not need to be smoothed out once she stood up straight. “I am sure that the people will look highly upon your generosity.”

Her words were polite and a part of her was not sure of what kind of reaction that she was going to get out of the man in front of her. All she knew is that she had been able for the main part to keep a civil tongue in her mouth.

[Gia Trakana]

OOC: Reference to Titanus and the robe done with permission.

Gia nodded, taking another sip of her drink, reminding herself to keep sipping and not any long swigs. She did not weight that much, though she weighed more than some her height – she was not tiny by stretch the word. Too much alcohol and she would get drunk too easily. It wouldn’t, especially not in a setting like this and with Stratos so near. “Everyone else seems to be enjoying themselves, though.” Her green eyes scanned the crowed. Near the band, there was a large group of people dancing to the music. The rest who weren’t – and there were many of them, as well – were talking, laughing and drinking. “Maybe it wasn’t a good idea, but it’s too late for that now. Besides, it was with all the best intentions. Peace, the coming of a new season… all the right reasons to celebrate.”

Her voice held a bit of contempt, not for the idea, but for the man who’d ruined a nice but dull evening. Gia tried not think about any of that right now, and pushed those thoughts away from her mind. The dark-haired young woman watched as Bohren banged his staff a couple times and got himself a water and the chairs. A smile crossed her face. At his comment about Stratos being the only one could show off, a laugh escaped her lips. “So true,” she said as she sat down in the chair that the Lord of Laknos had provided. She did not cross her legs, but instead, but them together, and straightened her skirt. She made sure that the daggers hidden underneath her skirt were well covered. Just because they were there didn’t mean that anyone else needed to know that. That was the whole point of them being hidden. She also laid the robe that Titanus had given her on her lap, as he had not taken it back.

His comment about tenuous peace caused her to look over at him from her scanning of the crowd. “I agree,” she said. “It’s worrisome, if you ask me.” Maybe they were biased, and her especially, because forgetting that someone was from Deproelior was something she couldn’t do. Then again, everyone in Aurora Valley was born to hate Deproelior, and vice versa. It was a twisted circle, and part of her knew that one day it would have to end. War was never the answer, but she was also not foolish enough to think that it could have avoided. Especially now that she had seen what he was like, the young Lady had a feeling that it would not been avoided unless he died. “I suppose there’s nothing wrong enjoying it for the time being.” Part of her had a feeling before long that no one would want to celebrate.

At that moment, her best friend, Aura came over and curtsied and greeted both her and Lord Bohren. The look on Gia’s face wouldn’t have betrayed that she knew the redhead in front of her. Her face remained passive, and her eyes left no expression. If anyone had seen it, they would have assumed it was just another person giving some semblance of respect to the two rulers. She gave her a nod of respect, and nothing more. With that, the dark-haired young woman watched as her taller best friend went over to Stratos and curtsied much deeper to him. Good, she was keeping up the ruse nicely. Her cover story was a woman from Laknos deciding to move to Deproelior. It only made sense than that she would gave him more respect than anyone slde. The only thing she allowed herself was one raised eyebrow as she looked at Borhen. “Certainly doesn’t look like she’s from Deproelior, does she?”

Part of her felt like running over and telling Aura to end it all, because she needed her best friend back. The young ruler remained passive, though, the more logical side of her knowing that it was best that her spy remained just that – a spy. It was for the best that she had someone on the inside of the enemy city, so as little was a surprise as possible. She took another sip of her drink, part of her almost wishing that she could be one of the ones dancing and having fun. The curvaceous woman highly doubted anyone would come to her and ask her to dance, not with both Lord Bohren and Titanus near her. That was fine. For the time being, she was fine with sitting here until she could excuse herself. It wasn’t time for that yet, so for the time being, she had to bid her until a point when she could leave without Stratos thinking that he had anything to do with her reason for not staying at the party any longer.

[Titanus Pythonidae]

Stratos slouched in his seat. He was going through his fourth drink already and he still didn’t feel a thing. There were times that the man wished he had a normal life, these events were not suited for him. He wanted to be back at home, just training with his men, being a soldier. But there were things that needed to be done. Things he needed to accomplish. There were guards everywhere, soldiers from Laknos and Deproelior. The Warlord was wondering why Aurora Valley didn’t bring anyone. Titanus was good, but not that good. If he was indeed here as he was rumored to be, Stratos wanted to take him down with no interruption from the guards. But to not bring anyone, that was very unlike Titanus.

A woman approached him and lowered herself into a deep curtsy. She was gazing at him through her lashes and Stratos cocked a half smile. She was polite enough and not bad to look at. She stood up straight and Stratos could tell she was quite tall for a woman and he liked it. He turned to the side and noticed the Laknos watchdogs still keeping a stern eye on him. It was stuff like that made him wish he could flatten the entire city. Did nobody trust him?

Seeing a place to sit right beside him, Stratos gestured to the woman to sit. “Please sit, accompany me. Free me from this boring fest.”

He waved his glass around, sloshing the liquid inside it. “So you greet everyone and save me for last? Why’s that? Hmm… you didn’t think I saw you greet Woman and the Old Man? So, are you enjoying yourself at this ridiculous excuse of a festival? Nothing but droll music to torture our ears.”

Stratos finished the rest of his glass and stared at the woman. A toothy grin was visible on his face. His eyes darted to Gia and Bohren real quick and his grin grew into a shark-like smile. “So, clearly you know you who I am. After all, who doesn’t right? I, as expected, know nothing of you. Why don’t you tell me about yourself? Entertain me, for I am so bored, I could die.”

There was something about this woman, something that set Stratos off, but he couldn’t figure out what it was. She was of fair skin and tall and for some reason Stratos tried to piece the puzzle together but his mind was slighty cloudy with the alcohol he had consumed. But there was something…

Titanus stood beside his Lady. She and Bohren were discussing the evening. Titanus felt himself agreeing with the comment that was mentioned. The evening, while dull, was very nice indeed. There was a moment that was tense due to Stratos’ immaturity. For being his old teacher, it was something Titanus expected from the young man. For being a brilliant strategist and exceptional swordsman, his youth was his downfall.

However, there was no way he could tell that to Gia, or Bohren for that matter. They did not know about his past, at least the part where he spent some years in Deproelior. If there was anyone who could Stratos, it would be him. But now that he was the ruler of Deproelior, there was no way he could touch him without setting off some kind of international scandal. But if things came down to it, he would be the one to finish the fight.

Being the Head of Security meant that he was to be relied on to make sure the army that Aurora Valley was ready to defend the city. They were in no way ready to fight a full scale war, but they could certainly defend their city in the state they were in. That was his job, not to have a personal vendetta against misguided youths like Stratos Noaziel.

Bohren brought out several seats and a woman approached the two rulers. She bowed and Titanus turned away. He was still worried about what that noise was. His disguised agents told him they’d look into it, but that did not settle him down. There was still plenty of reason to worry on Gia’s behalf. Looking around, he noticed Gia’s gaze and followed her line of sight. Apparently her eyes followed the woman who bowed, who happened to walk towards a table where a man was seated. Titanus’ eyes grew like saucers. Stratos Noaziel was sitting right there.

Standing beside Gia, he turned his back slightly so Stratos couldn’t see his face and recognize him. A drop of sweat trickled down his back. A sense of nervousness came over the man and checked to see if his blade was still on him. He had noticed that Stratos was not armed, but the young man did not need weapons, he preferred fists. During his teaching days, he once observed Stratos catching a blade with his bare hands. Supposedly he still bore the scars of that incident.

Something needed to be done. Stratos could not find out that he was there. He needed to get out of his line of sight. He needed to be surrounded by a crowd. Then it hit him. Offering Gia his hand, he bowed slightly.

“My Lady, would you do me the honor in joining me in a dance?”

[Aura Adnarim]

For a moment she wished that she would have just left. But she could feel his gaze as she curtsied to him, and knew that she did not truly lower her gaze as was expected. The way that he was looking at her made her unsure of herself for a moment but she did not move an additional muscle because he was her Lord and she should not do anything to disrespect him. As he made it clear that he wished for her to sit next to her it only seemed polite to do what he wished. It was not like he was trying to do anything improper to her while they had guards watching him closely. She did as he bid and sat down gracefully as she had been taught to sit down while wearing a dress. She smoothed out the material as she crossed her ankles, it would not do if he noticed her concealed daggers. And the fact that he had noticed that she had gone and greeted Gia and Lord of Laknos, just some careful words were needed to make sure that she did not anger him.

“Thank you for the invitation, my Lord.” Aura told him as she wished for a moment that she would have brought herself something to drink. “My apologies, I did not think that you would have noticed me. And besides, you are a rather imposing figure. Could you blame me for having to take a few moments to work up the nerve to come and properly greet you?”

In the back of her mind she was hoping that he would not spill his drink on her as she kept a small smile on her lips. She was glad that she had ridden hard and had come in enough time to get the smell of horse off of her. Besides nothing was more refreshing then a quick cold wash before having to be out in this heat. And most men did not like for their woman to smell of sweat and horses, but this man was different he was the Lord of Deproelior so she could never be sure. So she was forced to play everything by ear.

“I was enjoying myself before a valley rat started to hassle me, it’s nice to know that he was not so dense and took the hint to leave me alone. But the currant company has improved.” Aura told him with a light laugh, besides she was trying to keep things light between them. “As for my name I am Arania Sanzer, I lived all of my life here in Laknos. Well that is until I decided that I would not be passive and do what I wanted and not exactly what I was taught. I have been living in your city for the past six months; from the time that I was little I studied plants and the healing properties of them. The old man that had run the Apothecary passed away a couple of months ago but before he did he gave me the building. I have taken over and I have learned even more from him and the books that he left me.”

She failed to mention that by knowing what can heel you would know what could kill as well. He had already finished his drink, it would have been polite if he offered to get her a drink while he went and got himself one. But that would be him treating her like a servant, and right now she was as he put it entertaining him.

[Gia Trakana]

Gia turned her gaze from Bohren, her face going back to its mask of indifference. She had never been much of a partier as a kid. She hadn’t been one of those troublemakers who had snuck her parent’s alcohol or anything like that. She’d had enjoyed learning how to fight as a kid, and spending time with her best friend, Aura, gossiping about anything and everything as girl’s were want to do – makeup, clothes, boys, etc… She had not been rich by any means. Nevertheless, her life had been carefree for the most part. She did what she wanted within reason, with no regard for the future. Her future… Gia’s future had been changed by a simple meeting with an old friend of her father’s, who had been so impressed with the ideas of a twelve-year-old he had named her the next ruler of Aurora Valley.

It seemed hard to believe now, and in fact, Gia didn’t remember Donai Takano saying anything about naming her the next Lady of Aurora Valley. She did remember that he seemed very pleased with what she was saying, and made a point of telling her so and complimenting her parents on the raising over their preteen daughter. All she had done was listen to what was going on in the land, and make the best judgement that she had known with the knowledge she had from the books she read. It had come as just as much of a surprise to her as anyone when Lord Donai had died, and then she was told that he had named her the next ruler of Aurora Valley. It was even more a surprise when the assistant’s at the time allowed it, for she had been sure that they would have told her she was too young, but the law didn’t prevent her from becoming ruler due to her age, and in fact, there had been a ruler younger than her, from what she remembered, anyway.

Now, here she was, sitting with Lord Bohren, having just recently finished with the… altercation with Lord Stratos. It had been years since her discussions with Takano, and in fact, many things had happened since then. She had lost her mother, and then too much longer after that, her father as well. Now, she had lost her friend, who was now sitting with Lord Stratos, though Gia had only noticed that because she was scanning the crowd for no apparent reason other than there was not much else to do right now but watch and see what other people were doing. Yes, Aura was still alive, but she was a world away now, and whatever the name was of her persona that she had taken on, until the war was over, she would not have her best friend back, and maybe never would, if she was found out. That was always a possibility, and something they had both known might happen when she was given the job.

Gia’s thoughts were broken by a voice, and she turned her head to see Titanus standing there, slightly bowed with his hand held out, asking her to dance. A look of mild shock crossed her face. She rarely got asked to dance, and they were always at things like this. Even then, it had been quite a while since had danced with one. A part of her wondered what his reasons were, and then decided that it didn’t matter. Yes, it was true that he was her Head of Security, but that didn’t really matter, did it? Besides, he could have asked anyone, so whatever his reasons were for asking her, it was just a dance, right? She set her free hand his, her look of shock turning into a small smile. “I’d be honored,” she said, standing up, setting the drink and Titanus’ robe in her chair. She could only hope that her decent dancing skills came back to her and no one noticed that Lady of Aurora Valley making a fool of herself. "If you'll excuse us, Lord Bohren, we will return."

Astaria nodded. Yes, that was exactly what had happened. Her friends had found men, they’d gotten married, and now they were wives and mothers. They all said hi to each other, but she knew her former group of friends didn’t understand the direction that she’d taken with her life. It didn’t matter to her now, though part of her course was disappointed that her once former friends couldn’t understand and accept her the way she was now and the way she had chosen to live her life. The blonde noticed how Devanus had brought two flasks with him, one set in between them, assumingly for her as there was no one else around. She glanced up at him for a moment, and then looked away, leaving the flask where it was. Maybe she would pick it up later, but for the moment, she wasn’t quite ready for another drink just yet.

Devanus turned the conversation to the festival. Astaria listened to what he said, and realized that she couldn’t disagree with him. In fact, the blonde agreed with him completely. She shrugged. “I like it, it’s a good idea,” she said. “I’m not sure the message was as well receive with the new Lord of Deproelior.” She had been talking with Devanus at the time. “I agree that neither Lady Gia nor Lord Bohren seem too fond of Lord Stratos at all. He’s basically pushing Lord Bohren to side with Lady Gia, and let’s face it, that isn’t good for him.” Now, the archaeologist was no politician. She was, however, rather smart, so she put her intelligence to work and thought about the situation the way she imagined any politician would. “It’s possible he really is that stupid, but it politics is all chess and movements, yes?”

Astaria’s mind went around thinking about the situation the world was in at the moment. “Pushing Laknos to side with Aurora Valley because then the war would be over, our side would outnumber theirs; no matter how good the Deproelioran Army is, they would lose against our combined forces,” she said, her mouth going away with her mind. “And the same goes if Laknos sides with Deproeolior.” She thought that, at the moment, was very unlikely, but she wasn’t about to rule anything out. “Whoever we side with wins the war, and if we don’t side with anyone, then who knows what will happen.” All the while she had been talking, she had been gazing out at the sun, which was only now beginning set, the bright colors spreading out beautifully across the lake. “It’s kind of scary if you think about it.”

[Titanus Pythonidae]

Stratos listened to the woman talk as she identified herself as Arania Sanzer. Apparently she lived in his city, but she originally stemmed from Laknos. She was currently running the Apothecary and he didn’t know that. Maybe if he wasn’t too busy in holed up inside his maniacal plans, he would’ve known that. He knew that there was no way she could’ve been from Deproelior naturally; she was too fair-skinned. There was no way the mystery surrounding the woman should’ve puzzled him so much, maybe the alcohol was starting to get to him.

But this was a festival, no reason to hold back. He was Stratos Noaziel, Warlord of Deproelior. Why should he, of all people, watch how much he drank? Although, he needed to make sure his mind was clear enough to focus and fight if need be. However, he had his guards. What more did he need? Who in their right mind would dare attack the ruler of Deproelior?

The woman known as Arania was still telling him about her past and his brain was getting a little fuzzy. Stratos looked around and got himself another drink, as well a drink for Arania. He raised his glass.

“To the glory of Deproelior and to me!” Stratos toasted as he finished his glass.

Stratos smiled as wide as he could, his pearly white teeth showing off. “So, tell me something. Why would you want to give up your passive ways and wish to be one of us? You know women have no place in my army. All you will do is play with your plants and their ‘healing properties.’ I do certainly hope that eases your heart.”

Stratos sat up straight, cleared his throat and leaned forward towards her. “So, what were your plans for later tonight? I am fairly sure I can make arranges to let you join me in my room at the inn. That is, if you want. Then again, why would you say no? After all, it is me we’re talking about. Right?”

The smile on Stratos’ face turned into a sultry half-smile as he seductively licked his lips. He looked around and noticed more pairs and couples dancing, including Lady Gia, the Woman, and her escort. Stratos’ smile faded slowly as he realized her escort was none other than the man he was looking for. The man he swore he would kill for betraying him. Titanus Pythonidae.

Titanus felt her hand slip into his as she set her drink and his robe down on the chair before following him towards the center where the others were dancing. She looked at Lord Bohren and excused them as the Head of Security led them to the middle. He stuck one arm out and placed the other on her body. Gia may have been his boss, but right now, she was just his dancing partner and Titanus was fine with that. She was somewhat shorter than him but he didn’t have to reach that far down and they were paired up quite appropriately.

He didn’t quite know what to say as the music guided their movement. The dress Gia was wearing was flattering her very well but Titanus kept his mouth shut. Despite their current situation, their relationship was nothing but professional. So, Titanus remained silent, although he did put a small smile on his face. For some reason, he certainly was enjoying himself. It felt nice.

He was in the middle of spinning Gia when he saw him. The ruler of Deproelior, the self-proclaimed Warlord, Stratos Noaziel. Stratos himself.

Titanus’ smile faded as he saw Stratos staring right at him. He glanced back at Gia and noticed that she didn’t notice anything. Stratos was staring right into Titanus’ soul and he could feel the hairs on his neck standing up straight. He needed to get out of there before Stratos created a scene. This was not the place or time for any kind of confrontation. Doing a mental check, the Head of Security made sure he still had his blade on him just in case. He knew exactly what Stratos used to be capable of and knowing the youth, he only would’ve improved and learned more techniques. Stratos Noaziel was a dangerous man and definitely someone Titanus did not want to face, especially in a crowded area with not only innocent people, but Lady Gia as well.

Titanus pulled away from Gia slightly and smiled. “It’s getting to be that time. I was wondering if you wanted to accompany me to a somewhat more secluded area and watch the sun set with me. Nothing inappropriate, mind you my Lady, I simply wish to be courteous and invite you to join me.”

Titanus mentally sighed. She needed to say yes in this case. He needed to get her out of there.

[Aura Adnarim]

Aura was a little sure that it sounded like she was just rambling on with her semi-fabricated life. Because in order for her to be able to know so much about plants she had to study very hard and remember everything. Of course she had some books with the most common ones that helped her out from time to time. A part of her was sure that Stratos was not paying attention to a word that she said. She was just another noise for him to listen to besides the music that seemed to get on his nerves. She was glad that he let her finished before he got up and brought back a drink for both of them. A smile touched her lips as she raised her glass for an impromptu toast.

“To living a life that is fulfilling, no matter how long you live.” She just had to add as she took a sip of her wine. She had to give the guy points he did know how to pick out a good wine, she would just have to make sure that she did not drink too much. No one was watching her back but her, at his comment she had to laugh for a moment as a little wicked smile touch her lips. Her voice dropped down an octave to where the guards wouldn’t hear what she said. “Maybe I was bored with being where I was, besides in every war it is important to have someone that is able to do what they can to help keep your men healthy and strong. And I have heard that, but you cannot stop me from doing my small part.”

As he leaned in close to her and spoke the slightly older woman could smell the alcohol on his breath. And for one of the few times in her life her brain just wanted to shut off and not turn back on until later, thoughts like that were dangerous. Of course she could handle herself, but he was just trying to bed her and maybe just cast her off like an easy conquest. And that was not a thing that she would not allow to happen to her. She did not notice the drop of wine that was on her lower lip as she gave him a slightly shy smile. In a way it did please her to know that he had been paying attention to what she was saying, but a part of her wondered if he had picked up on what she did not say.

“I had thought to go down to the lake where I am camping for a swim. That is a very tempting offer, Lord Stratos. Maybe we could start with a walk alone and get to know each other a bit better? Because I would hate to gain a reputation as a loose woman, I’ve lived in Deproelior for such a short time.” The blue eyed woman was having a hard time concentrating while he was looking at her. She could smell him clearly, and a part of her wanted to just kiss those lips of his. Without thinking she dug her right thumb nail into the callous from years of using a bow. She was doing her best to keep things open because she was not going to jump into bed with the man she had just met and had spent time gathering up information on. “I am sure that it would be no problem for you to get away from your guards to take a walk by the lake.”

A part of her was really trying her best to make every word come out convincing. When he looked away from her she followed his line of sight and glanced back at his face. She was not sure if it was the sight of Gia dancing that had wiped the smile off of his face or the man that was dancing with her. Now it was bugging her she had to find out whom the hell that man was. But so close to her could be a short fuse that was about to meet a flame.

[Gia Trakana]

Gia allowed Titanus to lead her onto the dance floor, and of course, to lead her in the dance itself. Her mother had always told her that if she was dancing with a man – let the man lead. Of course, she was no longer a little girl and had experience in dancing, albeit rather limited experience. She was a decent dancer, and it appeared, so was he. The height difference as they danced was good, because he was only half a foot taller than her, so he wasn’t tall enough that it was awkward. He seemed to be enjoying himself, and so was she, if she was honest with herself. Despite the professional nature of the relationship, the young woman didn’t see anything with her enjoying a dance with him. A smile crossed her face, and she noticed one on his, too. This was nice.

Gia didn’t notice the smile fading on his face, but she did feel it when he pulled away from her and stopped dancing. Part of her thought for a moment that she had done something wrong, because admittedly, she was not the best dancer in the world. She hadn’t thought that she had stepped on his foot or something, because she would have noticed. Her fears were quickly abated, though, as he asked to take her somewhere more secluded and watch the sunset – making sure to point out that he didn’t mean anything inappropriate by it. The dark-haired young woman just smiled at him. “Sure, I’d be delighted,” she told him. “I know just the place.” With that, she motioned for him to follow.

Gia thought quickly, and realized the easiest way to get where she wanted to go was out the back. It wasn’t necessarily the quickest way, as that would be going through the front of the party. However, there were plenty of people between them and the entrance, so the easiest way was to go out the back. That’s exactly what she did, trusting her Head of Security to follow her. Once they were easily out of the party, she made her way towards the lake. That wasn’t where the Lady was headed, and kept going until they reached its end and the river began. Not long after the moth of the river, was a bridge, allowing easier access to the forest beyond then having to go all around the lake. She walked up the bridge, coming to its peak in the middle, and then stopped, going over to the edge, and leaning on the wall, which just perfect for her height, and allowed her to lean on it.

“Bridge of Liatris,” she explained to Titanus. “I don’t know how familiar you are with this area, but I found on my first visit to Laknos several years back that this was a perfect place to watch sunsets.” Her green eyes looked across the lake, the sun reflected on its surface in gorgeous reds and yellows. It was truly a beautiful site. “My mother accompanied me here on my first trip to Laknos after I became ruler.” It had actually been one of the only times the two have had spent a lot of real quality time together, and as it turned out, it had been the last, because within a year, she got sick and died, and six months after that, her father had died too. It had seemed too much too fast for a girl who was only seventeen, and ruler of an entire city. There had been nothing else to do but grieve as quickly and move on. Had she not been ruler, the dark-haired wasn’t sure her ability to adjust to her parent’s being gone would have been as easy.

Gia pushed the slightly sad look out of her eyes and turned back to look at Titanus. “It’s one of my favorite spots anywhere, except maybe standing near valley that overlooks the beach, and watching the sunset from there,” she said. “You surprise me, though. I wasn’t aware you enjoyed sunsets. ” She turned her body slightly so she could look at him better, and left one arm leaning on the wall, the other draped at her side now. “Also, where did you learn to dance?” The sun was still going down, and with it, so did the temperature. It was always a tad colder up here at night than in Aurora Valley, but not by much. A shiver ran across her bare shoulders, and down her spine. Damn, forgot the cloak, but she didn’t complain. She wasn’t ready to leave the bridge just yet.

[Devanus Zeller]

Scary? No, Devanus didn't think it was particularly scary. The war in general was pretty frightening, though less so because they lived in the neutral city, but Devanus saw nothing scary about the choice that Laknos had to make. Weighty, yes, and not worth making trivially, but not scary. Bohren had been ruler longer than Devanus had been alive and they hadn't had any serious problems; that was good enough for Devanus to put his trust in the old man. Not enough to give up his less-than-legal lifestyle, but certainly enough that he would support his city no matter what its ruler decreed they would do. If it had to come to fighting, Devanus would have rathered they assembled their own army, but he understood that the other two cities had centuries of a head start and it was not likely Laknos would be able to catch up.

The sun was in full glory now, lighting up the sea and the sky in a brilliant array of orange, red, and yellow. This was what Devanus had wanted to appreciate, and for Astaria to see as well, and he drew silent as he watched the last vestiges of the day disappear to the faint echoes of the music far away. It was a peaceful scene, but the more they talked of the war, the more that felt fake. As much as he would have liked to believe in peace and hope, Devanus knew that a self-perpetuating war like this one was not going to end easily. Something was going to have to give, and they were all going to have to deal with the consequences.

Picking up a stone from his side, Devanus threw it hard, sending it crashing through the still of the lake surface. The rippling effect pleased him, distorting the colours of the sunset. Who or what was going to be their rock? Did the arrival of the new Laknos ruler spell the beginning of the climax of this centuries-old conflict? Or would it just continue as it always had. The war had outlived soldiers, rulers, and civilians alike. Was it not a bit naive to think they were the generation that would finally outlive it?

Shaking his head to clear it, Devanus decided he had had enough of this so-called peace. He needed to stop thinking and stretch his muscles. Taking one last drag from his drink, Dev stored it away and stood up, stretching as he looked around him. The light was disappearing fast now, and his eyes alighted on the forest, a mere shade in the distance. They said that monsters lived in the woods; too fast to catch, too agile to see, and deadly to all those that encountered them. Devanus did not believe in monsters. Wildlife, certainly, but he was armed and dangerous as well, and was happy to take his chances.

Astaria, on the other hand, would probably not be so inclined, but Devanus was alright with that. He had tried to liven up her life a little, but she had bored him. She was not much for conversation, and desperately needed more practice at it, but there was only so much Devanus could give in an evening. Perhaps he would catch her again in future. "You need to make sure this isn't the last time you come down here to see the sunset. Anyway, I'm going to take a walk in the forest, stretch my legs a little, maybe gather some herbs for the shop. You can come if you want." Devanus expected a 'no', but it was an honest question. In the forest, he could show off and maybe get her a little more involved. Here, there were only so many topics he could pull out of the air and she had not been helping.

[Radkal Ryzom]

Radkal sat, his legs hanging over the cart's tail board. Many of Deprolior's citizens had traveled to the lake city. The others riding in the cart fell silent as they finally came into view of the festival, then began to pass it, heading towards an area set aside for horses. Tightening the dragon shaped clasp on the left side of his green tunic shirt, and lamenting a moment having to leave his axe behind, and feeling a little unredressed without it.

The Smith didnt mutter a word, simply straightening his legs, landing easily and squarely on the ground. From where he stood Rad could make out Deprolelior's Lord talking to a willowy red-head, and made a note to keep an eye on the pair of them. Stratos Noaziel, looked like he was having a good time in Deproelior's finest tradition. In a single word, Dunk. The thought tweaked something in the Head of Security's head, a vague memory from one of far too many reports. Something to do with herbs, he had no idea why he had been handed a report with anything to do with herbs, it felt important but he brushed it aside.

Moving to the table, taking his time and observing as he moved, noting that Aurora Valley's own Lady Gia Trakana dancing with a man, whom he could only assume was one of her subjects by the look of him. And Bohren Vinland, Laknos's own lord, also engaged in a conversation with a young lady. Reaching the table, and helping himself to a large mug of ale, Rad turned and looked around, moving into the group of Dep citizens who had arrived with Stratos, many of who were begining to enjoy themselves, though not quite as much as their illustrious leader.

They straitened as Radkal approached, wary of their military commander, but he meerly nodded and offered a friendly greeting "To Deproelior, sword-brothers." lifting his mug in a toast, and with a crooked smile added "Lets get drunk on these beautiful shores!" and a cheer went up from the men. Glancing back towards the Warlord once more, Radkal hoped that he wasnt going to be left to clean up an argument, but would much rather just join in a brawl.

[Titanus Pythonidae]

Titanus followed Gia to a bridge. They had passed a lake and the Head of Security felt warm, which was ironic since the sun was setting. Titanus stood on the bridge and stared at her. She began to explain her connection to that special bridge. She turned to him and she asked about his fondness for sunsets as well as his skills in dancing.

Coming up with a lie, Titanus responded, “I’ve enjoyed sunsets since I was a child. It has been very soothing to me, quite mystical if you ask me.” The Head of Security cleared his throat. “As for dancing, I was completely working on what I had observed with the other dancers. I simply copied what they were doing.”

Titanus knew he had to explain his true cause to Gia. There was no way he could keep things a secret for much longer. He needed to tell her about his past with Stratos and the city of Deproelior. If things got out of hand, he could get the entire city in trouble. If he didn’t tell her what was going on, Aurora Valley could fall victim to Stratos Noaziel’s wrath.

He saw a shiver run across her bare shoulders and her back and Titanus wrapped his arm around her shoulders. His eyes were staring straight forward, unable to look her in the eye. Taking a deep breath, he finally turned to her and stared into her eyes. He was finally going to reveal his big secret.

”Titanus Pythonidae!!”

Stratos’ voice resounded as he slowly approached his target as well as the Woman from Aurora Valley. After seeing him leave the festival, the Warlord got up and immediately followed, disregarding Arania completely. Whatever thoughts he had about Arania, they were replaced by the bloodlust he had towards the current Aurora Valley Head of Security.

Completely ignoring the woman he was flirting with, Stratos followed his former teacher as stealthily as he could. Everything Titanus had taught him was about to be used against himself. Stratos was planning every single scenario possible on how to approach his target. Life was like a chess game and he was already thinking ten moves ahead for every single possibility.

Forgetting about Arania, Stratos closed his eyes and walked up. He mentally cursed himself for forgetting to acquire his swords back from the guard Bohren assigned to him. That was fine by him, he preferred his fists anyway.

Titanus cringed and his arm slid off Gia’s body. He saw Stratos stop just a few feet away. Immediately, one hand went to grasp his katana. He could tell that Stratos was unarmed, but that was the dangerous thing about his former student, he preferred to use his hands over blades.

“Stratos, it’s been a long time, hasn’t it? It’s good to see you again. I heard you became ruler of Deproelior. It’s an honor to call you my former student.”

Titanus glanced at Gia for a brief second. It was better to have him reveal the secret than have Stratos blurt it out. He would have to do a lot of explaining to Gia, but that was neither here or there. Right now he needed to take care of Stratos.

“What can I do for you, Lord Stratos?”

”You can die for me right now Titanus.”

”Die, my Lord?”

”Yes, die. I’m going to kill you. Regardless of what the consequences may be, I will kill you.

[Aura Adnarim]

Aura was not sure what to expect next but it took all of her nerves to stay still as she saw that Stratos had gotten up and took off after Gia and the man that she had been with. A mild shocked look crossed her face; she was not sure what was going on. Part of her wanted to follow him because there was a chance that Gia would be in his way and there was no way that she was going to let him hurt her friend. And yet another more reasonable side of her told her to just brush it off, but at the moment she was in a mild state of shock and quickly set down her drink before she spilled it on herself. Well that was a waste of time and she had been making great progress, or could it be that he really did not find her that attractive?

With her mind in such turmoil she was not sure what to do. For all of these months she had been so careful about keeping her wits about her, and it seemed like the Lord was just looking for a woman to warm his bed for the night. Or could it be that her friend Gia was more of his type? So many questions filtered through her mind, the only thing that was clear is that she needed to do something to distract herself. Was she still within her rights to go and ask one of the soldiers from Deproelior or would it anger Stratos? They were just flirting with each other so that did not give him any right to say what she should and should not do.

As she had been doing since she left home to fulfill a suicide mission she got up without saying a single word or displaying how she felt inside. Making her way over to the table with the drinks she calmly picked up a bottle of white wine and exited the festival. At the moment she just wanted to be alone, and so what if she was going to drink a whole bottle of wine? She was frustrated, confused and hurt all rolled into one emotion that she did not even have a name for.

[Gia Trakana]

Gia listened as Titanus explained dancing and sunsets. She wasn’t entirely sure if she bought the whole sunset’s thing, it sounded too odd coming out of the former soldier’s mouth. It was possible that it was true, but she didn’t know for sure. On the other hand, what reason would there be to lie to her about something like that? Silence went on for a little bit, and after the shiver ran across her shoulders, Titanus wrapped his arm around her shoulders. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate it, as she had gotten a bit chilly now that the sun was going down. However, the act was a bit… personal, or was the proper word intimate? For sure, it was a bit beyond their current working relationship, or at least that’s how she took it. It was possible that she was overthinking things, though.

Titanus was looking straight forward, which seemed rather odd considering how close they were. Gia had to force herself to keep her body loose, but part of her wanted to stiffen. There was nothing bad going on right now, though she didn’t know what to think about Titanus being close to her. He looked down at her, meeting her eyes, and considering how close they were physically at this moment, it would have been too awkward for the dark-haired young woman to look away. She didn’t know what to do or say, so the young Lady settled for just standing there, allowing him to keep his arm around her shoulders and for him to keep staring into her eyes. It was unusual for her, but luckily – or maybe, unluckily – the moment was rather short-lived, as probably the last person in the world that she wanted to see right now came up to the screaming Titanus’ name.

Gia was confused. Titanus’ arm slid of her body, and she knew that he had also grasped his katana. He began to address Stratos. That wasn’t the odd thing in itself. The odd thing was that he seemed… familiar with him. She made an effort to wash all emotion from her face, as the curvaceous woman had a feeling that whatever this was wouldn’t be good. As he continued, she knew that her feelings on the matter had been right. Had that been what her Head of Security had been about to tell her? It took every ounce of self-control that she had to keep her face passive. In reality, she was a myriad of emotions. She felt anger mixed with annoyance and frustration that Titanus had withheld information from her. She felt anger at Stratos for interrupting the moment when he had probably been about to tell her.

Gia met Titanus’ eyes when he looked at her, but her eyes betrayed nothing but the myriad of emotion that she felt. The next words that left Stratos’ mouth sent a chill down the woman’s spine, and she stepped back a few paces to get away from whatever was about to transpire. She also felt helpless right now, as she was not stupid enough to think even with a weapon she was any match for either of them in front of her. The dark-haired young woman just stood there, and she could feel her hear beat quicken. The Deproelian Lord was dead serious, no pun intended. She had no knowledge of Stratos’ skills to analyze the battle, but she knew what they said about Titanus. She knew that size was really no object, but how skilled was the Lord of Deproelior compared to his former teacher?

Happy Birthday to me...

Astaria didn't hear Devanus respond to her comments, and that was okay with her. The blonde already had a feeling that this was going nowhere fast. He had asked her opinion on the festival, and when she’d given it, the man had acted like he didn’t care at all. Chances are, he probably didn’t, and was just being nice. He had been rather silent, and what he was thinking, she didn’t know. Sure, his excuse was work, but there was plenty of time to do that during the daylight. The forest was very dangerous at night for those who didn’t know where they were going. He might, but the blonde wasn’t about to stake her life on someone she barely knew. It was insane, and her logical mind was taking over again, and screaming at her that this was stupid and she should cut her losses.

Astaria shook her head, a quick, harsh laugh escaping her lips. “I don’t think so,” she told him. “It’s dangerous at night, and I may not get out enough, but my idea of getting out is not following you into the woods at night.” She looked up at him, and then looked back out the Lake, the setting sun disappearing over the horizon. “Have fun.” She didn’t wish him harm, but she honestly didn’t care if he had fun or not. The blonde pushed the flask back towards him. “Thanks, but no thanks. You can keep it. As I said, I have an early morning and a lot of stuff to do over the next few days.” Then, she could have another day off. Until then, however, she and Jiron were stuck working until they deciphered everything and catalogued everything that they had brought back from their most recent trip to the Ruins.

Astaria paid the man no mind anymore. She honestly didn’t care. She had enjoyed his presence for a moment, but part of her wondered if that just wasn’t lack of other human contact besides Jiron for that past two weeks. Whatever the reason or why ever he had decided to talk to her for so long, it didn’t matter. The blonde put it out of her mind, and just sat there for the time being, thinking about whether she should go back to the party to try and find Kristos or Jiron. At that moment, something strode past her. She hadn’t noticed a man and a woman go past her earlier, but there they were, on the bridge. The man that had just strode past her… now, that couldn’t be Lord Stratos, could it? With the dimming light, she had troubles making out the man and woman on the bridge, but that red dress looked familiar… was that Lady Gia? She assumed then that the man must be her Head of Security, then.

What was going on?

[Titanus Pythonidae]

Staring calmly at Stratos, Titanus unclasped his leather belt and removed his katana. Without his outer coat, he was still wearing 3 layers of robes and the Head of Security removed the heavy leather robe he had draped over his thinner cloth and silk ones. As he was rolling up his sleeves, not a word was said. Stratos’ body language said it all. There was no way to avoid a confrontation. The younger man was taller, thus maybe a bit slower, but he had a brilliant mind, excellent technique and form, and he was a superb strategist. However, the man was slightly drunk. Was there a way to use that against Stratos’ advantage?

Glancing once more at Gia, Titanus’ eyes apologetic, a pang of guilt ran through his mind. Was there a way to avoid this situation, this conflict? Titanus was going to try everything he could but the look, the hate in Stratos’ eyes was too overwhelming, too powerful for Titanus to ignore. Keeping his eyes now on his former student, the Aurora Valley Head of Security said the only thing he knew he could say.

“I am truly sorry, my Lady.”

Seeing Titanus remove a robe and his katana made Stratos take it as an acceptance of fate. Clearly, there was no way the older man was going to win, going to beat him. Of all people, it would not be him. There was no way. Absolutely out of this world for anyone to beat him, the Warlord of Deproelior. And he was going to prove that point right now.

To face the truth, Stratos fought for honor, for the glory of Deproelior. He did not believe in slaughter, in the mindless waste of man’s life. But in this case, in this situation, he would do anything he could to feel Titanus’ life fade away, all for the glory of Deproelior and as punishment for betraying the illustrious city.

Feeling the emotion build up, Stratos took one final step, took a deep breath and charged. Running at a full sprint, he was over to Titanus in a matter of seconds. Several feet before he reached the older man, Stratos leaped into the air, extending his left leg. Knowing that Titanus favored his right side, the younger soldier was going to focus on the left side, try to catch him off guard. Also knowing that Titanus had built up a stronger defense on that side, Stratos was going to use that as an opening move, at an attempt to distract him. The right side abdominal area was his ultimate target. Titanus was an older man and to cause an internal bleeding was surely going to incapacitate him, securing the victory for the young Warlord.

Seeing Stratos run and then jump, gave Titanus several ideas. Putting his left arm up in a block, the older warrior took a half step forward, ready to absorb and deflect the momentum of the charging man.

Feeling the contact, Titanus pushed his left arm away as hard as he could. Stratos flew through six feet of air. Not wanting to initiate any hostilities, Titanus reluctantly followed the young sailing through the air in a slightly bent forward fighting stance. Anticipating the landing, he threw his right arm in a violent punch, hoping to catch Stratos while in mid-air.

But he hit nothing but air. Instead Stratos was perfectly balanced on Titanus’ arm. Feeling the young man’s weight on his appendage, the man from Aurora Valley immediately pulled back his arm, switched into a defensive position and threw a left legged roundhouse kick.

Feeling Titanus’ arm withdraw, Stratos knew there was a kick coming. His slightly intoxication was affecting him and he couldn’t predict which side the blow was coming from. Putting up both arms for the block, Stratos mentally cursed himself for letting the alcohol get to him.

The kick hit his block on his right side. And as soon as Titanus’ kick subsided, Stratos dropped into a crouch and swept the legs but no contact was made.

Catching a flick of the eyes downward, Titanus knew Stratos was going to sweep the legs. One of Stratos’ favorite lessons was how to take down an enemy while they’re standing and the easiest way was to take down the legs. And as he withdrew his leg from the kick, he immediately jumped, seeing Stratos sweep nothing but air and dirt a split-second later.

Yelling out a war cry in pure rage, Stratos lost control and his brain shut down. Everything he had learned faded into a corner of his mind and muscle memory took over. This was the Stratos Noaziel everyone feared. The boisterous, pompous ruler of Deproelior was just a cover. The real Noaziel was a cold-hearted warrior and now that his body was in control, no one was safe.

This was the Stratos Noaziel who learned from his current enemy. The Stratos Noaziel who was rumored to have taken out an army alone. That was not true of course, but anyone seeing him fight while he was like this, would never know the difference between truth and tale.

Titanus knew that Stratos was calculated. He also knew that the young man was someone to fear that he preferred to fight unarmed. But he had had never seen Stratos fight at his full strength. This was starting to look like a mistake.