Corus sat at his desk writing more invitations for the ball, and trying to locate the elder Dragons of the realm. It was tradition for the Midwinter feast to beheald in honor for them. However, He had been unable to locate any them so far.
There was a sharp knock at the door, followed by a few other knocks, then apparantly a large slap.
"Come in." Corus said aggitated. He didn't like to be distrubed while he was working. and he still could not find any of the damned dragons. The better just remember.
Nathan opened the door slowly, peaking his head around, he held onto the door in case he needed to close it quickly to avoid anything thrown at him."A little birdie told me you needed to see me, well, I think it was a bird, birds do talk right, oh nevermind thats not important".
Right on cue Corus threw a cup at Nathan's head. "Stop your antics, I don;t have time. I have a week till the ball and the preperations are not done. Come in and close the door."
Nathans plan failed horribly as the cup hit Nathan directly in the face, he fell backwards kicking the door open as he flopped. He slowly got up, rubbing his face with was now red."Owie". He walked in and closed the door.
"I need you to sevral things. One, I needed you to keep and eye on Flick and Ketsuri. Make sure that they have not killed the girl and wont. Two, I need you to steal an item at the Midwinter Ball." Corus demanded.
"Gotcha and what shall be my daring disguise this time, oh of course". Nathan squeked and turned into a ring tailed Lemur, he crawled over and hoped up onto Corus' desk, his tail curling around a few objects.
"Nathan if you value your life get off my desk." Corus said threw clench teeth. "I'll tell you your objective an hour before the ball. Now get out of my office."
Nathan leapt, and staring death in the face used Corus's shoulder as a means of leverage for leaping to the door, he changed as he landed and quickly ran, slamming the door, he wouldn't get hit THIS time.
Corus cringed as he second, cup in the room, smashed against his dorr. He needed a break, so he dicided to go vist the princess in her chambers. He'd take her to see Maddy. he left to Lady Lyenisa Chambers
Maddy Quickly helped Cors into the room on a chair. "I'll grab some water. Set the girl down on the couch."
Turan nodded, setting her down lightly before sitting infront of the couch, poised like a German shepherd ready to strike at anything that should threaten her. He hated being at the mercy of Corus, that being said he wasn't about to let anything beyound healing take place.
When Maddy came back into the room she had water and purified silver. Deadly to any shape shifter, but pure bliss for empaths. "Here, dip the rag into the water, then in the liquid. It'll minamize her gift, giving us enough time to drain her powers and explain what is going on."
Turan raised an eyebrow as he dipped the rag into the water Kasai mortis he thought with a deadly smile before placing the rag on Roan's head. The form would not take effect until Turan bid it to.
"Maddy." Corus warned as she came over to him. "You will not put that stuff on me. I will not have you die in the middle of my room, with me undable to help you." The silver could kill her.
"I'll be fine. I grabed golves from the healers room. Plus you know we have to so the same thing to you as Roan or you could die as well. The gods are cruel you know that." Maddy said as she carefully rubed the rag on his head.
Turan stood silently in a corner behind the couch, like some malevolent guardian angle. Kasai mortis stirred slightly, he contemplated ending the rebellion right now And why not? he asked himself because there is no honor in killing somone entirely at your mercy he finished his own thought.
"Don't you dare." Maddy said as she spinned to look at Turan. "If you kill him while he's helpless it makes you worse than the retched gods who started this. You'll be worse than scum. I could have let her die and just help Corus, but I didn't. "Maddy had tears in her eyes. "Do even know what is happening to her. Do you? It willl hapen again and if you kill him I'll never help you to stop her pain."
"Maddy, this is war." Corus said. If he had the chance he'd kill Turan. "I would do the samething in his position."
"Well I wont let it happen. I've lost my family as it is. I wont lose any more people. You and evan are all I have left." Maddy swiped the tears from her face.
Corus sighed, and used all the stregth he had to sit up. "Maddy look at me." She adverted his eyes. "i SAID LOOK AT ME!." she eventually did. "I will die before this is over. It takes a sacrfice to ride this world of the evil that plagues it."
Turan looked impassively up at Maddy "If i wanted to kill him, then he would already be dead" he said coldly "I don't simply because it is just as you said; cowardly and despicable" One of his eyes appeared only for an instant to flash white.
"Enough!" Roan said with enought power that both Corus and Maddy looked at her. "Fighting will get us no wher. Turan help me sit up."
Turan propped her up against several pillows.
"Explain to me what is wrong with me." Roan demanded.
"I'm not sure were to start." Maddy said. "The very fact you were able to feel the past is strange. It's a blood line trait past from parent to their first born."
Nadya/Aydan just stood off to the side, watching Corus. She didn't trust him, and she wanted her friends safe.
Turan sensed the power surge created by Abarhi's meditation, inhaling as if he could breath the very energy being channeled. He eyed Corus and Maddy.
"what do you mean it's only a bloodline trait/" Roan said in panic, in fear of what she suspected. "My mother is the most normalest woman you could ever met."
"What of your father?" Corus asked.
Gurthar walked in, taken back by all the people in the room "I didn't know you where entertaining" his voice was smooth "Am i interupting?" he caught the smell of Nadya "You brought a snack?" his eyes turned a slight lighter color of red around the rimms.
Turan raised an eyebrow "Vampire, the girl is not a snack" he thought Gurthar was reffering to Roan.
"If you touch one hair on Nayda's head I swear you will scream like never before." Roan threaten. "Now tell this man to get out. His aura reaks of death." Her head was just strating to go away.
"That's because i am a Crusnik, a Vampire who feeds on other Vampires" he said slowly "And girl, just because you have a whach dog...don't think for a moment that you could hurt me"
Turan backed up, he hadn't heard or much less seen a Crusnik in ages. Roan was right he reaked of death, but not in the sense that she thought, it was more despair than Death. Even worse, death through despair. He had once known a friend who was a Crusnik, so he understood alittle how they acted.
Nadya backed up. "I won't let you touch me..." she growled, defensively.
"Gurthar will stay; however, he will beahve himself." Corus ordered as he struggled to sit up. "He would also have advice ob how to handel your power. I, myself, had to learn how to use my powers differently than you will because each empath has to focus on personal aspects of their life to control it. You never mentined your father."
Roan swollowed. "I didn't know my father. My mother said he was either dead or had no way of knowing about me, and if he did he couldn't get in contact with me."
"I'm sorry." Maddy said. "Howevr, the reason you went through such hell is beacue this palace is deeply connected with the past and the gods."
"Your fear is enticing" Gurthar said to Nadya "Fortunately for you i'm not here for a snack....though I'm sure your boyfriend would do just as well" he turned to Corus "Advice? I suppose so, i know Ketsuri can....with the proper persuasion, heal just about any ailment...as he knows...don't ask me how, but he knows how to use his control over water to temporarily neautralize or even eliminate the source of the problem"
Turan raised an eyebrow at the boyfriend comment.
"If you don't mind I'd rather have someone else help me out." Roan was thinking more of the old Siren. "So what do you mean the castel is connected to the past and gods? I thought ther was only one god per kingdom."
":There is; however, they havea universal connection that were if one god is injuried they all are. In return, that universal conection must have pillir, which are what the kingdom's astels are. A pillir for the gods connection." Corus said.
Nadya glared more at Gurthar. "My life is none of your business to be talking about...." She looked at Roan and Turan. "I think we should leave...."
Turan nodded "If you wish to leave Roan then we will"
Gurthar smiled, turning to Corus "I'll take my leave my lord. I shall be in the ball room if you need me" he cast a look at Nadya. He had heard of Ketsuri's shortcomings, and he knew just how to amend them.
Nadya was scared, she didn't know what Gurthar was going to do.
Gurthar spun on his heels before returning to the ball room.
Turan whached him go, concern in his eyes "Roan, what do you want to do?"
Roan thought about the pros and cons of staying. "We'll stay for a bit longer. Both Corus and I are still weak, and I wish to know more about why I've about had my head explode."
Turan nodded "very well" he looked towards the door that Gurthar had left through Abarhi, Crusnik is coming for you....tch!..what?...what is this he quickly broke the psychic link, showing now outward change, though inwards he was realing in pain.
"I'm going...meet you at the horses...." Nadya said and left.
Turan looked at Corus "What are you up to..." he said guardedly. The psycic disturbance and Nadya leaving seemed to close together. He turned to Nadya but she was already gone "The same goes for the Vampire...Corus" he said icily.
"I have done nothing, nor have I given any orders. Gurthar is loyal, so I doubt he is the cause of your worry." you better not prove me a lier Corus continued. "As for Roan, you should know that only promident families have the empathic trait for it was a curse upon the the guardians of the Gods by the pillar before them. There are very few of them left."
"Is their a way to know which family I was born from." Roan asked. "And you keep talking about opillars, what are they?"
"Every power, even those of the gods, must stem and anchored somewhere. For exaple, the pillars of Tyradias are the gods. If they did not exist the world we know as Tyradias would spin into a choastic vortex, killing everyone and thing, then disappear all together." Maddy explained.
Gurthar returned, taking a seat across from Roan, giving a dark smile at Corus found a new crack in our friends defences he thought, knowing that Corus would hear it.
Ketsuri walked in, not sure what to make of the woman and elf that he had shot at earlier.
Turan's guard went up, placing a gentle hand on Roan's shoulder. He felt trapped, almost cornered, though he hid it well he wasn't about to wait around for them to strike.
"And if you wish to find your family you came from, which I don't know why you would since your from the future, the crystal library might be your best shot on finding information." Corus said. "And to rid of your headaches you must build a tollerence for pain and your powers."
"Thanks." Roan siad, who was tense with this many people around, some wanted her dead. Surprisinglty she felt better with Ketsuri and Turan in the room. Please get me out of here now Roan hoped Turan heard her plea.
with pleasure Turan gently urged her up.
Ketsuri and Gurthar looked at Corus as if expecting to be told somthing.
Corus looked at the girl closely. He had an idea of what family she might have come from, which greatly angered him because then the gods had a hand in things they shouldn't have had. They would have broken an oath. "Let them go for now, but understand something Roan. You shouldn't ally your self with anyone till you understand the all the facts. The gods are twisted and distrted by power and age, they must be distroyed; however, i do not want to kill this world so I will find a new piller first. Your journy has just begun, and I wont hesitate to kill you if I must. And Turan you should ask Porter just how much she knows" Corus smirked as he got up, and stood in front of her.
"What" Roan said with fear in her voice. The man had a look on his face that scared her. It wasn't one of harm, but of knowedge he knew about her that she didn't.
"I can't wait till you meet the actual gods. They and everyone else will be plesantly surprise." Corus laughed. The girl's emotions were strong, but pure, which means she will see straight through the gods barriers to their emotions and thoughts. "Good by for now." he walked out o the room.
"I hate when he does that." Mady mubled. "Trying to be all mysterious. Pish posh, he's to damn fickle." She left and followed him out the door.
Turan, as if to make a point of just who was in control lashed Corus' mind. His eyes appeared voidless only momentarily before he brought his indignation under control "Lets go Roan" he said softly leading her out the door.
Roan couldn't have been any hppier to leave that room. "Why do I get the feeling I was just thrown into a war that I know nothing about."
He laughed "Because you where the moment you came here"
"Great." She mumbeled. "Can we just leave this place and go back to the mansion on the island. I need time to think and understand what my next move should be." Roan said.
"Patience, wait for them to play their hand. Corus will easily overreach himself" he said as they entered the stable yard "We have to many unknowns, and for right now we can play that to our advantage" He saw the mare Abarhi had left him "Great....he left me the bitchy horse...go figure that</i> he growled. He didn't like working with mares, but he was more irritated at having his prize black charger ridden without his permission.
"It's just a horse Turan. THey might have needed it for some reason. Plus at least his way we have some time to think before we report back to them." Roan said, still holdong on to Turan.
Turan smiled "I know he is just a horse, but he's more like family than anything else...he and i have gotten into some tight scraps" he laughed softly.
"I'm glad you've had the black hourse for your hard times." Roan smiled, but she soon wobled. "Oh." an exhaustion hit that she wasn't expecting. "Sorry about that. However, I hope Nadya and Abarhi have some ideas about the information we have gathered today."
"I suppose everyone needs somone...for me, it's been that amicable horse" he laughed softly "Don't worry Roan...you've had abit of a day". He shook his head "Abarhi barely says more than two words, and Nadya is as shy as a rabit...though it would be helpful"
Roan smiled her sly, knowing smile. "I believe both of them will have lots more to say." and she hoped Turan could live with it. She sighed and leaning into him a bit. "Do you think we could have a few days to our selves after this? I'm tired and I truely havent add the chance to comprehend the fact I'm been torn from my home and family." She slowly started to close her eyes.
"I don't see why not" he said softly "A few days of r&r doesn't seem like such a bad idea...and i don't think you have to worry about Abarhi and Nadya....he lost his family to a vampyric war..."
"It's not them I'm worries about." Roan said, as she snuggled into Turan because of the cool wind. Her eyes closed, and Turan's warmed helpped her relax. She slowly started to sing a lulluby her mother taught her. "Hush little one, don't you cry or you'll cause the moon to weep. Hush little girl, don't you cry or you'll cause the the sirens to sing. Hush dear girl don't you cry or you'll cause your true love to die. Hush dear daring don't you cry or you'll cause the gods to spy. Now that you've stoped to cry see the truth beyond your eye. Sleep little dear one for I do see your future that awaits the."
"It's beautiful" he said gently placing a hand on her shoulder "An you should rest, you've been through alot for one so young" he called the horse over with a soft wistle.
"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm" Roan mumbled but she was all ready asleep on her feet. and as she sleep really aproached her weight gave out, causing her to fall.
Turan caught her in a sweeping her off her feet sort of way. Holding her easily with one arm and using the other one to keep the horse under control he headed in the direction of deidad Island