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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Emperor Valerian" data-source="post: 1533109" data-attributes="member: 15043">A Mystery of Planar Proportions“Considering what we’ve been doing to demons, and what is currently in your possession,” Luke said quietly, “I do think it would be best... look here!  She’s even specialized in slaying demons.”Siabrey still huffed.  “Despite what you or Diogenes may think, I am perfectly capable of defending myself,” she complained, before Kelir’s voice came into her head.Another blade might not be bad, Siabrey... as long as I stay in your hands of course, the sword jokingly added.  Reluctantly, she put her pride aside, and gave a grudging nod.“Nonetheless, another blade by our side might be useful,” she said, “though I want to meet this person first, get to know their traits, what they are skilled with first!”  They may have passed a general’s muster... they now need to pass mine!“I am sure that can be arranged,” Luke grinned, and summarily a request was sent out demanding the bodyguard’s appearance before the Imperial throne.  Thereafter, Luke’s eyes got a rather eager look when he noticed the line for petitioners had decreased drastically... perhaps only two or three hours of work left, judging from the number of eagerly waiting bodies.Siabrey gave him a smile at the hungry look his eyes gave, but inwardly she was a little perturbed.  Someone had seen fit to order her to take on a bodyguard... on top of all of her previous worries about the staff, rogue demon’s, and Luke’s health.  At the forefront was a nagging thought that had now grown.She realized Luke would not come with them to the Abyss.She guessed he would probably try, but as nice as his company would be, she refused to let him expose himself to such danger... especially if the staff kept talking to people.  He’d probably then insist that she not go... and she would refuse.That piece of black metal has caused so much harm... I don’t trust its...’neutralization’ or whatnot in any hands other than those I trust!She had no idea how big the Abyss was... and the journey could easily take months... or even years so far as she knew... months and years away from her Luke... THAT is what she inwardly worried over.  Demons could be slain, evil could be banished... but love, the most insidious of powers, once found, would stay, clawing and biting....Vynystra focused her attentions on her longsword.  The blade, strong with magic and possessing a slightly bluish hue, was a gift from her father.  Sharpening the blade kept her occupied, even as her heart still wandered from the rough camps the army now made outside the ruined city to the desolation within.She had heard from somewhere that tears falling on a blade as it was sharpened would give it an extra edge, and extra keeness when seeking the blood of those that had caused the pain.  BY her logic... her longsword and shortsword combined should be sharp enough to cleave through half of all the demons in the Abyss now.“Captain Sampson?” Diogenes’ voice drifted to her ears.  She turned, and found the general standing behind her, a piece of paper in one of his hands.  “I have your new orders.  You need to get away from this place of death.”Numbly, she nodded and took the orders, scanning them quickly before looking back up at the general.“How long do I have here?” she asked.“You leave immediately, gather as much of your stuff as possible.  You’re teleporting to Irulas within the next ten minutes.”Shaun looked at the line of petitioners still waiting for adjudication, and he gave a sigh of relief that he was not royalty.  One of the more involved cases required Luke to hear evidence presented privately from both parties... and he’d insisted that Siabrey come as well to help him review the matters involved.  Through his unusual amount of focus, he’d pushed through almost two weeks of backlogged matters... it was unfortunate that were were another two weeks of matters to go through.As Shaun looked around, he noticed one of the newest petitioners near the end looked odd compared to the rest.  While most of the petitioners wore their most outstanding finery in the Emperor’s presence, this young woman was clad in a grimy chain shirt, and the trappings and breeches of a soldier.  Her only distinguishing mark was he eagle’s feather emblem of one of the Imperial Guard regiments on a tunic she wore over her armor.While the others had undoubtedly bathed themselves in fifteen or more scented perfumes and flowers before coming to the throne room, she looked positively grimy, sweat, dust, and something else seeming to form a separate, light layer over her skin.  Finally, what caught his attention most of all were the two swords, bluish in color, that were strapped to her sides, and the snow white composite longbow strapped on her back.As the line of petitioners moved, he was able to see more as she stepped further into the room.  In her far hand was a strap... as one would have to lead a horse.  The petitioners in front of her were all looking back nervously, and finally Shaun’s interest was piqued.  He pushed forward, and stopped suddenly when he caught a glimpse of what she was leading.It was easily the largest red fox he’d ever seen... fully the size of a horse!  It had a saddle on its back, and had full riggings, reins and straps one would need to mount it.  Now he understood why the chamberlains were staring uncertainly at her.“Miss?” he dashed up, offering his hand.  “I am Lord Shaun Dice, an assistant to His Majesty.  I am not certain, but-“ he started to motion towards the fox, before the young woman gave a shy smile and cut him off.“It’s okay.  I have the permission of General Diogenes,” she said distantly, stroking the fox’s snout.  “He and I work as a team... and likely Her Majesty will need both of us if she wishes for an effective bodyguard.”“You’re the new bodyguard?” Shaun asked, slightly surprised.  From the way Diogenes’ letter had talked, he’d been expecting a gigantic, strapping tall man... the super-man type hero of fairytales.  Instead there was a small... even petite, young woman in front of him.  “Ah...” he pulled out the orders, and tried to pronounce her name.  “Vinestera?”“Vin,” she smiled, and held her hand out.  As he shook hands with her, the fox lurched forward eagerly, and gave the side of his face an enormous, friendly lick.  Shaun recoiled in horror, fox spit now covering half his face and in his hair.  Vin briefly had a mortified look, before she finally broke out in laughter at his face.“Lord Dice!  Don’t worry about that!  Andar is just friendly!  Isn’t that right, boy!” she started cooing and talking to the fox as one talked to a favored hunting dog.  The fox’s tongue hung out of its mouth, and its eyes beamed expectant joy at hearing its master’s voice.“They say,” Shaun started, wiping the side of his face with an ornate shirtsleeve, “you are a good shot with a bow.”  Vin gave an affirmative nod, causing Shaun to laugh.  No one has bested me with a bow yet!  “Well... then I think a friendly competition between archers might be in order.”Vin looked at Shaun thoughtfully for a second, before blurting out, “If you can clear out all of these people in here, I can give a demonstration.”Shaun gave a grin, as this was all the excuse he needed to do an act he’d been hoping to do for a long time... and he knew Luke and Siabrey wouldn’t mind having their work day end a few hours early.  First, he called for someone to fetch his bow.  At his second call, the chamberlains began ushering petitioners out, advising them to return the next day.  Once the great hall was cleared, he turned back to the young woman.“Alright,” he grinned.  “What shall you do?”Vin whistled for Andar to come over, and pulled from her backpack an unripe apple.  With a few clicks and proper command words, the fox had the apple balanced on its back, and was dashing around the outside of the room.  Carefully Vin drew an arrow, notched and pulled.  As the fox finished its third run around the room at breakneck speed, she let go.  Andar continued onward, his tongue hanging out eagerly.  The apple remained behind, transfixed in the wall by her still quivering arrow.“Damn impressive!” Shaun allowed himself to say after a few minutes of gawking.  Then his own pride took over.  “Here... let me get some more apples... and we’ll have a true contest!”“In here?” Vin said uncertainly, to which Shaun nodded eagerly.  After a few more apples were fetched, he explained the new contest... the apple would be tossed into the air, and one should try to hit it.  Vin went first... and her arrow not only hit the apple, she split it in twain, and caught both pieces.  With a self satisfied grin, she handed one to Shaun, who refused.  His own shot went wide, striking a tapestry on the wall, the flaming arrow setting the artifact on fire.  Servants rushed around hurriedly, and had it put out quickly.Shaun knew he was in trouble when a few minutes later he heard a feminine throat clearing behind his back.  He didn’t have to turn to know the Empress was behind him, likely with an immense frown on her face.“Lord Shaun Dice,” Siabrey’s voice came through the air rather sweetly and serenely, “please... come here.”  Shaun, against his instincts, turned around, and was promptly greeted by a banshee screech of demands to know why he was shooting flaming arrows in the flammable throne room.  When he shrugged and uttered, “Pride?” Siabrey’s anger went away from him, and she turned sweetly to the young woman she didn’t know.“I apologize Majesty,” Vin bowed, before Siabrey caught her arm, and hauled her back to standing.“There’s nothing to apologize about.  One cannot apologize for the idiots one is sometimes around,” she said in an acidic voice, her gaze directed at Shaun.  “And you are correct, I am Empress Siabrey.  You are?”“Vynystra Sampson,” the young bowed again, “lately of service in the Imperial Casalad Rangers, and special archer to General Pietrus Diogenes of the Imperial Guard.”If she was with Diogenes... she saw service at Holstean... Siabrey’s interest was piqued.“So you saw service at Holstean?” she said.  She hoped that it might prove a conversation topic, and that she could gauge things about the woman.  From the servant’s descriptions of her shooting antics with the large fox of hers (which Siabrey was still looking at nervously), she was undoubtedly an unmatched archer.“Yes,” Siabrey was surprised to hear just a bare crack in the woman’s voice when she acknowledged.  Something happened there, Siabrey’s mind thought, as their conversation about the battle continued.  The woman talked of being a long range attacker, using her bow and uncanny accuracy to take down many demons, but she spoke as if she had suffered immense loss... not just of comrades, but losses much closer to home.“-and then they assigned me to the northern wall... and that’s where I saw my brother get cut down by a hezrou,” Vin said suddenly, and Siabrey watched as the woman’s hard exterior completely broke, and tears began running down her face.  “The beast just grabbed him, and...” she choked up, though her hands made a motion of shredding before she collapsed into paroxysms of tears.Poor girl, part of Siabrey’s mind said worriedly as she did the only thing she could think that would be appropriate; she reached out and gave the woman a hug.  “It’ll be alright.. it’ll be okay,” she reassured, as the practical side of her mind wondered, THIS is my BODYGUARD?  A shell-shocked, frightened person?“Um...” Siabrey struggled to say anything more.  Finally, in desperation, she decided to try to use humor.  “If you want, we could have a proper archery contest outside... where I have no doubt that you’ll beat my friend Lord Dice yet again.”  To her relief, the young woman’s cries faded, and she pulled back with a distant smile.“I would like that,” Vin said, before Andar added his opinion to the situation, coming up and licking Siabrey on the face.  That finally brought laughter once again to Vynystra’s tear streaked face.The impromptu archery contest was no contest at all.  Vynystra easily bested Shaun, Siabrey and Tess at archery.  The only contest ended up seeing who could diplomatically avoid getting licked by Andar... which Tess easily won.  Luke, after the last petitioners had been dealt with, even came out and found himself trounced at archery as well.  The festivities ended only when Xanadu came out in the growing gloom of twilight, advising that there was no news as of yet from the mages.  Realizing it was late, Siabrey and Luke decided to escort the young woman to her quarters, which were in an annex of the Imperial apartments.“Well, here’s your room,” Siabrey finally offered after they arrived, and the fighter had to beam when Vin’s (she’d told everyone by this point to just refer to her by that name) face took on the glow of a small children recieving a new toy.  With a squeal, Vin dashed over to the bed, and began jumping up and down on it, as Andar dashed into the room and sat at the foot of the bed, yipping in excited approval.Siabrey started to open her mouth, before realizing the first time she’d stayed in apartments like these, that was her first instinct as well... of course she’d managed to keep it under control.  Nonetheless, Vin saw Siabrey looking at her, and suddenly stopped, before growing red-faced.“I...I’m sorry, Majesty,” Vin stammered in apology.  “My father never let me jump on the bed when I was little... I was just... doing it for the first time... in honor... *sniff* of him now that he’s...g...gone...” the stammering turned into a tearful story of how she’d seen him get cut into six pieces by a marilith.  Siabrey once again comforted her for a few minutes, before taking her leave once the young woman had collapsed into an exhausted sleep.  The Empress then moaned in despair.Great... a shell-shocked bodyguard who has mental issues from childhood, Siabrey’s mind groaned as she softly closed the door to the woman’s chambers.  Is she going to even be able to fight?  Am I going to have to give her a pick-me-up hug everytime a orc even shows up and says boo?  Augh...  Siabrey looked up the hall, and saw Luke was leaning against the wall up the hall, looking thoughtful.  My mind is hurting from being around her too much!  I know only one thing that can clear my mind from this mess!   The Empress’ annoyance, tiredness, and fears now reached their boiling point, and Siabrey marched up beside him, and grabbed him.  “Huh?” he asked as she kissed him hungrily.“Luke! Sex! Now!” she said in response to his question, her voice unquestionably the voice of command.  “Um,” she could see a battle in Luke’s head going on.  One part of him was eager to obey her command, here and now.  Another was the Emperor’s mind... concerned with decorum, and the three servants in the hall that were busy with their duties.  On the surface they weren’t looking, but he knew they were sorely tempted.  “Perhaps we should go to the-"“Bedroom!” Siabrey pointed, now dragging him behind her.  “Now!”</blockquote>

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