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Into the Icy Darkness II: The Next Generation
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<blockquote data-quote="Emperor Valerian" data-source="post: 1598801" data-attributes="member: 15043"><p>Most of the great noble houses in the Empire held various homes throughout the realm. Usually there was at least one major manor in their official lands, and perhaps others scattered about. But every noble family that considered itself ‘important’ or ‘influential’ had at least one mansion in the capital, Iskeldrun.</p><p></p><p>House Erelion, being former Dukes, were no exception. Even after the Duke’s failed coup against the Emperor, the family itself retained their manor, ‘The Crystal Mansion,’ so named for the renowned stain-glassed windows that adorned its ornate halls.</p><p></p><p>Eyrna Erelion was fast asleep, her mind carousing in dreams of her father back in the old days, before the family’s fall from grace. The old Duke used to take her on horseback rides through the orchard groves near their castle estate, and in her dreamworld, she could still taste the apples, and pluck ripe oranges from their trees.</p><p></p><p>She had always been a very alert girl, and many times the slightest of noises would rouse her. And this night, some noise did just that, rudely cutting short her dream.</p><p></p><p>“Simeon?” she hissed quietly, expecting her brother to be somewhere in the shadows. “Is that you?”</p><p></p><p>She heard a slight creak, a noise anyone else might have dismissed as the sounds of a house settling. Instead she snapped upright with a shout for her guards.</p><p></p><p>“Sh! It’s only me, Hemmel!” a voice rasped painfully from the shadows. A few seconds later, the ghostly pale face of their planted assassin, whom she hadn’t seen in five years, slipped out of the darkness.</p><p></p><p>“Hemmel?” Eyrna’s soprano asked, confusion in her voice. <em>Someone is very very wrong… There are no alarms coming from the Imperial Palace! If Hemmel succeeded, he wouldn’t be here unless the palace alarms had been raised… </em></p><p></p><p>“My Lady,” the ghostly pale face bowed slightly, “Rouse your brother! You haven’t much time! Fly!”</p><p></p><p>“Hemmel! What happened!?” Eyrna asked, already out of her bed and throwing necessities into a saddlebag she kept ready in her room. <em>How could you have failed! You’re an expert with unarmed combat! You stalked your prey for five entire years! How?!</em></p><p></p><p>The assassin’s response was to grab her by the shoulders, and give her a firm shake. “Do not ask questions, just get out of the city as quickly as you can! I must get to Kulloden as soon as possible! I fear all of our plans may have gone awry, and we need to salvage as much as we can!” </p><p></p><p>“But-“ Eyrna started before Hemmel cut her off again.</p><p></p><p>“Milady! You may be as intelligent and bright as my master claims, but you don’t realize whats happened! The Emperor lives, and even now his guards are on the streets! I have no doubt their vile brood of children has told them of our search for the Fire Stone… so we must get what we can!”</p><p></p><p>A slam signaled Simeon bursting into the room, and the noise and shouts of guards dashing about the barricade the mansion echoed into the bedroom.</p><p></p><p>“What is all of this mess about?” the young man snapped angrily. “Its two hours after midnight, and all sane souls are-“</p><p></p><p>“We must flee the city,” Eyrna said quietly, but forcefully, her own saddlebags packed. “Hemmel, I trust you know we have a teleportation chamber in this mansion?” she flashed a predatory grin towards the assassin.</p><p></p><p>He smiled back, realizing that his job in Kulloden would be all the easier now.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Valaron rubbed his eyes, trying to push back the foggy mind that tiredness and a need for sleep kept foisting upon him. He’d been up now for close to 24 hours straight, and would normally have been collapsing into sleep right now… but not now. Not after what happened.</p><p></p><p>As he stalked through the halls of the palace, he was closely followed by his sister, their friends Raven and Royukgan, and a bevy of guardsmen that would have made any army tremble. The Emperor was taking no risks with his children.</p><p></p><p>“I cannot believe I am being invited to a meeting of the Imperial Council!” Royukgan burst out excitedly. As a prince from a foreign nation, he had hardly expected to be commanded to appear at such an event… even though he <em>was</em> involved with the daughter of the Emperor.</p><p></p><p>“Father wants your testimonies on what happened at the Academy… the assassins you found there. Aegrifyr is being called as well, considering he made one of those fools speak as to who his employer was,” Vintressa said matter of factly. The response was far colder than her initial greeting of Royukgan some four hours before. For their sake, it was good that the guardsmen were trained to not speak as to the private lives of their charges. Otherwise, the entire capital would be ringing with scandalous tales of the Princess and the foreign born, ‘mongrel’ prince that had kissed rather too passionately.</p><p></p><p>“They sent three assassins after you,” Valaron growled, looking at Raven and Royukgan, “three! Bastards,” the prince spat. “Thankfully that nagawhatnot you have turned out to be pretty good huh,” Val added, before asking hopefully, “Could you teach me how to wield one of those sometime?”</p><p></p><p>“Uh… um… sure?” Raven stuttered out, flustered by the invitation. Immediately, she started kicking herself mentally. <em>Raven! Was that cool! Was that suave! No! You’re stuttering in front of him! And… wait! Check your face!</em> she turned to look in a mirror as the group swept by. </p><p></p><p><em>Thank the gods,</em> she sighed in relief. There was no drool on her face.</p><p></p><p>“Excellent!” Val pronounced happily, his day now slightly better. “Now, how is the name of that whip said again,” he pointed to Raven’s hip, where it laid coiled in its holster.</p><p></p><p>“A nagaika,” she replied, much cooler and more under control. “Its just like a regular whip, save I wouldn’t run my hands over any part of it save the handle,” she gave him a shy smile.</p><p></p><p>“Oh gods, Raven!” Vintressa groaned next to her friend. “Stop fawning over him and just kiss him already!”</p><p></p><p>“What?!” Raven snapped, her face already deep crimson.</p><p></p><p>“Hm?” Val looked up from examining her nagaika. He’d been lost in thought, trying to figure out the tactics for and against such a weapon. “What’d you say, Vin?”</p><p></p><p>“Nothing!” Raven spat before her friend could speak. “She said nothing at all!”</p><p></p><p>“All I said was… hey, were at the Council Chambers!” Vin started to torture her friend, but stopped at the last minute. She then flashed a look of severity towards Raven and Valaron. “Ok… no more kidding, we’re here.” She received a few parting scowls from the others, but all nodded in understanding.</p><p></p><p>The grumbling, grating noise of the enormous doors to the Imperial Council Chambers thundered out, and the twin gilded monstrosities slowly opened. Beyond lay the massive council chambers themselves, immense paintings of the Emperors of old leading armies and dispensing justice covering the ceiling. From the walls hung ancient and priceless tapestries, all lending the room a majestic, if overly ornate, look.</p><p></p><p>Inside, there was a ruffling of robes and coats as those eminent personalities present stood at their arrival. Xanadu, the dragon wizard, and now Imperial Chamberlain, bowed graciously as they passed his half elven form. The Imperial Exchequer, Master of Horse, Chancellor, and other luminaries stood in attendance. Their father, clad in snow-white armor with a gilded dragon on his breastplate, sat at one end of the table. </p><p></p><p>The seat next to the Emperor, normally holding the small, red eyed form of the Empress, was noticeably absent. She would not be taking her seat in these hallowed halls for another week possibly. The four quietly took places set aside for them, and sat down. For a few moments, there was silence, in honor of the injured Empress, before Lucius began.</p><p></p><p>“I’ve called this meeting due to developments in the last day,” he said simply, his voice devoid of any emotion. His green eyes were dull, as if a bit of iron had been put inside of them. “There must be a response to this… outrage,” he settled on a word, his voice still frighteningly even.</p><p></p><p>“House Erelion is still one of the largest noble houses in the Empire,” the Master of Horse, General Pietrus Diogenes said slowly. “From their lands near Comnitas they could muster perhaps forty thousand troops if they called up levies.”</p><p></p><p>“Diogenes always thinks in military terms,” Vintressa, the politico who was the only one of the four who had previously been in one of these meetings, whispered quietly to the others. “Sometime during this meeting he is going to propose an invasion.” No more than two seconds later, Diogenes did exactly as she predicted.</p><p></p><p>“What would Your Majesty like to do with House Erelion?” the Chamberlain asked quietly, his eyes going slightly silver before turning back to their normal lavender color.</p><p></p><p>The Emperor’s face went hard, and he closed his eyes for a second. When he opened them again, he gestured towards the four.</p><p></p><p>“Tell them what happened,” Lucius said, his voice barely under control as anger roiled within its depths. “Tell them what happened to <em>my own children!</em>”</p><p></p><p>For two hours, the four spoke of assassins, plots and attempts on their own lives. Raven and Royukgan told of the three assassins that tailed her to the Academy, and tried to kill them. Valaron and Vintressa spoke of Hemmel and his treachery, and of how close the Empress came to death. When they were finished, silence once again filled the hall.</p><p></p><p>“Ahem,” Xanadu coughed finally. “If I may say so, Majesty, first we must find out why they want this Fire Stone… and what it does,” the dragon’s voice rumbled. “And the two Erelion children spoke of who?”</p><p></p><p>“Ari… our… friend,” Vintressa replied before any of the others could jump in. <em>I do not know if everyone present should know he is a very special creature… the only one of his kind in the world…</em></p><p></p><p>“Ari? Well, it sounds like he might be in danger as well, Majesty.”</p><p></p><p>Lucius’ face paled. The prismatic dragon was merely six years old… and while he was wiser than a human child of the same years, he still did not know enough to be left alone. He was vulnerable to persuasion… </p><p></p><p>“Now, this Fire Stone,” Lucius changed the topic. Ari would be discussed later, privately with Raven, Valaron and Vintressa. “What do we know of it? It can only be held by someone of our family blood?”</p><p></p><p>“Umhm,” Xanadu nodded gruffly. “And it holds some kind of magical power… what I don’t understand…”</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Emperor Valerian, post: 1598801, member: 15043"] Most of the great noble houses in the Empire held various homes throughout the realm. Usually there was at least one major manor in their official lands, and perhaps others scattered about. But every noble family that considered itself ‘important’ or ‘influential’ had at least one mansion in the capital, Iskeldrun. House Erelion, being former Dukes, were no exception. Even after the Duke’s failed coup against the Emperor, the family itself retained their manor, ‘The Crystal Mansion,’ so named for the renowned stain-glassed windows that adorned its ornate halls. Eyrna Erelion was fast asleep, her mind carousing in dreams of her father back in the old days, before the family’s fall from grace. The old Duke used to take her on horseback rides through the orchard groves near their castle estate, and in her dreamworld, she could still taste the apples, and pluck ripe oranges from their trees. She had always been a very alert girl, and many times the slightest of noises would rouse her. And this night, some noise did just that, rudely cutting short her dream. “Simeon?” she hissed quietly, expecting her brother to be somewhere in the shadows. “Is that you?” She heard a slight creak, a noise anyone else might have dismissed as the sounds of a house settling. Instead she snapped upright with a shout for her guards. “Sh! It’s only me, Hemmel!” a voice rasped painfully from the shadows. A few seconds later, the ghostly pale face of their planted assassin, whom she hadn’t seen in five years, slipped out of the darkness. “Hemmel?” Eyrna’s soprano asked, confusion in her voice. [I]Someone is very very wrong… There are no alarms coming from the Imperial Palace! If Hemmel succeeded, he wouldn’t be here unless the palace alarms had been raised… [/I] “My Lady,” the ghostly pale face bowed slightly, “Rouse your brother! You haven’t much time! Fly!” “Hemmel! What happened!?” Eyrna asked, already out of her bed and throwing necessities into a saddlebag she kept ready in her room. [I]How could you have failed! You’re an expert with unarmed combat! You stalked your prey for five entire years! How?![/I] The assassin’s response was to grab her by the shoulders, and give her a firm shake. “Do not ask questions, just get out of the city as quickly as you can! I must get to Kulloden as soon as possible! I fear all of our plans may have gone awry, and we need to salvage as much as we can!” “But-“ Eyrna started before Hemmel cut her off again. “Milady! You may be as intelligent and bright as my master claims, but you don’t realize whats happened! The Emperor lives, and even now his guards are on the streets! I have no doubt their vile brood of children has told them of our search for the Fire Stone… so we must get what we can!” A slam signaled Simeon bursting into the room, and the noise and shouts of guards dashing about the barricade the mansion echoed into the bedroom. “What is all of this mess about?” the young man snapped angrily. “Its two hours after midnight, and all sane souls are-“ “We must flee the city,” Eyrna said quietly, but forcefully, her own saddlebags packed. “Hemmel, I trust you know we have a teleportation chamber in this mansion?” she flashed a predatory grin towards the assassin. He smiled back, realizing that his job in Kulloden would be all the easier now. Valaron rubbed his eyes, trying to push back the foggy mind that tiredness and a need for sleep kept foisting upon him. He’d been up now for close to 24 hours straight, and would normally have been collapsing into sleep right now… but not now. Not after what happened. As he stalked through the halls of the palace, he was closely followed by his sister, their friends Raven and Royukgan, and a bevy of guardsmen that would have made any army tremble. The Emperor was taking no risks with his children. “I cannot believe I am being invited to a meeting of the Imperial Council!” Royukgan burst out excitedly. As a prince from a foreign nation, he had hardly expected to be commanded to appear at such an event… even though he [I]was[/I] involved with the daughter of the Emperor. “Father wants your testimonies on what happened at the Academy… the assassins you found there. Aegrifyr is being called as well, considering he made one of those fools speak as to who his employer was,” Vintressa said matter of factly. The response was far colder than her initial greeting of Royukgan some four hours before. For their sake, it was good that the guardsmen were trained to not speak as to the private lives of their charges. Otherwise, the entire capital would be ringing with scandalous tales of the Princess and the foreign born, ‘mongrel’ prince that had kissed rather too passionately. “They sent three assassins after you,” Valaron growled, looking at Raven and Royukgan, “three! Bastards,” the prince spat. “Thankfully that nagawhatnot you have turned out to be pretty good huh,” Val added, before asking hopefully, “Could you teach me how to wield one of those sometime?” “Uh… um… sure?” Raven stuttered out, flustered by the invitation. Immediately, she started kicking herself mentally. [I]Raven! Was that cool! Was that suave! No! You’re stuttering in front of him! And… wait! Check your face![/I] she turned to look in a mirror as the group swept by. [I]Thank the gods,[/I] she sighed in relief. There was no drool on her face. “Excellent!” Val pronounced happily, his day now slightly better. “Now, how is the name of that whip said again,” he pointed to Raven’s hip, where it laid coiled in its holster. “A nagaika,” she replied, much cooler and more under control. “Its just like a regular whip, save I wouldn’t run my hands over any part of it save the handle,” she gave him a shy smile. “Oh gods, Raven!” Vintressa groaned next to her friend. “Stop fawning over him and just kiss him already!” “What?!” Raven snapped, her face already deep crimson. “Hm?” Val looked up from examining her nagaika. He’d been lost in thought, trying to figure out the tactics for and against such a weapon. “What’d you say, Vin?” “Nothing!” Raven spat before her friend could speak. “She said nothing at all!” “All I said was… hey, were at the Council Chambers!” Vin started to torture her friend, but stopped at the last minute. She then flashed a look of severity towards Raven and Valaron. “Ok… no more kidding, we’re here.” She received a few parting scowls from the others, but all nodded in understanding. The grumbling, grating noise of the enormous doors to the Imperial Council Chambers thundered out, and the twin gilded monstrosities slowly opened. Beyond lay the massive council chambers themselves, immense paintings of the Emperors of old leading armies and dispensing justice covering the ceiling. From the walls hung ancient and priceless tapestries, all lending the room a majestic, if overly ornate, look. Inside, there was a ruffling of robes and coats as those eminent personalities present stood at their arrival. Xanadu, the dragon wizard, and now Imperial Chamberlain, bowed graciously as they passed his half elven form. The Imperial Exchequer, Master of Horse, Chancellor, and other luminaries stood in attendance. Their father, clad in snow-white armor with a gilded dragon on his breastplate, sat at one end of the table. The seat next to the Emperor, normally holding the small, red eyed form of the Empress, was noticeably absent. She would not be taking her seat in these hallowed halls for another week possibly. The four quietly took places set aside for them, and sat down. For a few moments, there was silence, in honor of the injured Empress, before Lucius began. “I’ve called this meeting due to developments in the last day,” he said simply, his voice devoid of any emotion. His green eyes were dull, as if a bit of iron had been put inside of them. “There must be a response to this… outrage,” he settled on a word, his voice still frighteningly even. “House Erelion is still one of the largest noble houses in the Empire,” the Master of Horse, General Pietrus Diogenes said slowly. “From their lands near Comnitas they could muster perhaps forty thousand troops if they called up levies.” “Diogenes always thinks in military terms,” Vintressa, the politico who was the only one of the four who had previously been in one of these meetings, whispered quietly to the others. “Sometime during this meeting he is going to propose an invasion.” No more than two seconds later, Diogenes did exactly as she predicted. “What would Your Majesty like to do with House Erelion?” the Chamberlain asked quietly, his eyes going slightly silver before turning back to their normal lavender color. The Emperor’s face went hard, and he closed his eyes for a second. When he opened them again, he gestured towards the four. “Tell them what happened,” Lucius said, his voice barely under control as anger roiled within its depths. “Tell them what happened to [I]my own children![/I]” For two hours, the four spoke of assassins, plots and attempts on their own lives. Raven and Royukgan told of the three assassins that tailed her to the Academy, and tried to kill them. Valaron and Vintressa spoke of Hemmel and his treachery, and of how close the Empress came to death. When they were finished, silence once again filled the hall. “Ahem,” Xanadu coughed finally. “If I may say so, Majesty, first we must find out why they want this Fire Stone… and what it does,” the dragon’s voice rumbled. “And the two Erelion children spoke of who?” “Ari… our… friend,” Vintressa replied before any of the others could jump in. [I]I do not know if everyone present should know he is a very special creature… the only one of his kind in the world…[/I] “Ari? Well, it sounds like he might be in danger as well, Majesty.” Lucius’ face paled. The prismatic dragon was merely six years old… and while he was wiser than a human child of the same years, he still did not know enough to be left alone. He was vulnerable to persuasion… “Now, this Fire Stone,” Lucius changed the topic. Ari would be discussed later, privately with Raven, Valaron and Vintressa. “What do we know of it? It can only be held by someone of our family blood?” “Umhm,” Xanadu nodded gruffly. “And it holds some kind of magical power… what I don’t understand…” [/QUOTE]
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