Lore: Upon The Heels of War

Post by **Emora Deen** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 11:47 pm

Tenele saw the Queen. She had almost gone after the boy when she noticed the other guards going after him. Her duty was to report to the Queen just as she said she would do that morning.

"My Queen," Tenele said softly, bowing her head in respect. "I'm sure you'll make sure nothing falls apart while I'm gone and that Vlad behaves like a good vampire." She tried to make it sound humorous, though she wasn't feeling very funny at the moment.

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 11:53 pm

Sid had just about fallen asleep when he sensed movement again and opened his eyes to find the vampire pacing in front of him. “I didn’t think you were the pacing sort.”

“I’m not,” Vlad shot as he continued.

“Back already?” Vlad just grabbed the wine bottle and studied it strangely. “I’m no expert on vampires, but if you drink that, you’ll probably puke your guts out.”

“Never really tried,” conceded Vlad. “Lost my taste for it.”

“I don’t think it will make you drunk enough to forget her, either,” Sid said seriously, earning a bewildered stare from the vampire. “Must be one of the down sides to being undead. Why are you back?” It was worded like a question, and sounded like a lecture. Vlad did not appreciate it, but he didn’t expend the energy to lash out at the prisoner either.

Vlad just glared at Sid, sorting out his rage and everything else that was happening to his sorely confused mind.

”Vladimir.

Vlad straightened, annoyed. Queeny.

There’s an intruder loose in the castle. He appears to be a Dark Angel.

I’m going, Vlad said stiffly.

Sid blinked as Vlad disappeared again, shrugging and sinking back against the stone.

* * *

Soran stood up off the couch, talk of an army making him fully awake, and went to the window. There was an army out there, all right, although something strange seemed to have disrupted their formations. They seemed to be reconstructing their damaged lines, awaiting further orders.

The rogue looked away and rushed to his clothes, pulling pants on quickly under the towel he’d been wearing all night. Before he could grab his shirt, Vladimir appeared in the room. “Alright, honored guests,” Vlad smirked, sauntering from the far corner, “You are the most suspicious people put up here in the palace, and that means you get to tell me what you know about our little intruder.” There was something much harsher about the vampire's manner than it had been the day before, even though he was still playing casual. Almost like stress, if Soran could have imagined the undead bastard possessing such an emotion.

* * *

Tenele looked proudly at her maiden. "Thank you, my dear Tenele. Come home safe. I shall miss you horribly if you don't.. And I believe he will too.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 11:59 pm

"An intruder?" Mizuki asked after recovering from Vlad's burst into the room from absolutely nowhere. Never mind he had tired to trick her once, there was something of more importance. "Who's the intruder?" she narrowed her eyes at him. Of course they would suspect them, but it was a bit absurd to truly believe they had any part in it. Then again, they plan on executing Soran...

Post by **Emora Deen** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 12:00 am

Tenele smirked at the mention of Vlad missing her. He had gone hundreds of years without missing a woman, she doubted that he would miss her. "I'll come back if the Gods will it," she leaned forward and gave Sinead a hug. Though, if it had been any other person the gesture would have seemed improper, but a Queen's Maiden was something different. To a Queen's Maiden the Queen was her mother.

"I'll make you proud," she whispered as a carriage pulled up. "Tell Vlad I said good bye..."

Tenele walked towards the carraige and climbed the steps, closing the door behind her. She was alone on the inside for the moment and rested her head in her hands. She wanted to say good bye to Vlad. Didn't he understand that she might never come back? Or did he even care at all. She took her swords and leaned them in the corner of the carriage, leaning in the seat. She waited to drive off. She waited to leave. All the while cursing Vlad for being such an ass.

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 8:02 pm

Vlad studied Mizuki's reaction as well as her male companion's. The elf looked like he was carefully restraining the urge to pull a knife on him. Vlad observed Soran in a new perspective this time compared to last, now that he knew of the man's identity from Sinead and Sid.

"A dark angel just broke in through the castle gates. When we capture him for questioning, for your sake, he had better not be here for you," he said, meeting Soran's eye.

Soran glanced at Mizuki warily. Siren? That was his only guess. Or had the dark angels joined Arken's side?

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 8:30 pm

Mizuki thought carefully. What Dark Angel would attack the Queen's Palace? They had nothing to do with the politics of Ighten and Arken. Frowning, Mizuki said her words carefully.

"Do you, by any chance, know what he looks like? His age?" intrguie and the small feeling of hope filled her.

Post by **Emora Deen** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 8:45 pm

Rai had been standing off to the side. She was sneaking up behind Vlad unaware of what he was or that he could more than likely tell she was sneaking up behind him. She tried to hold back her giggles as she nelt down next to his legs. He was so tall that it was easy for her to go unoticed.... if he were human. It could be that maybe she would get lucky and he would pay her no mind. Slowly she reached out and began to tie his boot-laces together.

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 8:49 pm

Vlad examined Mizuki's eyes to guess if her reaction was earnest. "We have no such information, but if he's a friend of yours, one thing's certain. Your pretty boyfriend here will lose what chance he had at freedom."

Soran was glaring at Vlad, stepping around so that Rai was safe behind him.

"Prepare to march! And, Onward!" the general's voice drifted in from the window. Vlad's eyes suddenly went wide. As if he'd forgotten Mizuki and the others were there, he broke forward to run to the window only to feel his legs scramble under him. He wound up on his knees, confused but also desperate to get to the window. "Clever kid," he muttered as he stared at the knots and at Rai's grinning face. He cast her a sarcastic grin. With a bit of focus, he telekinetically loosed the knot and stumbled to the window. Gripping the sill, he stared down at the lines of soldiers, horses and chariots that were beginning to move out of the city. He hung on the windowsill as if he needed it for support and just stared.
Soran looked at him strangely.

Post by **Emora Deen** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 8:53 pm

Tenele glanced out the window and still could not find Vlad in her sights. She opened the window, sliding back the glass pane and sticking her head out to look aroundd and still found no trace of the vampire. She settled with the fact that he had to have either forgotten or was angry with her for agreeing to go so soon. She pulled the glass pane closed and leaned back in the seat, completely alone in the carriage.

* * *

Rai looked up at her father and down at her handywork with a proud smile, waving rather cutely at Vlad as he ran away to the window. Once again Rai's uncanny way of observing things came into the conversation. "Are you looking for the pretty silver haired princess?" Rai didn't understand that Tenele wasn't a princess. "Hehehe.... Are you her knight in shinning armor?!"

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 8:53 pm

Mizuki was thinking more of the intruder and less of Vlad's actions, but nonetheless, she did not lose her chance to sneak out of the room. She silently asked for Soran to stay quiet for her. She had the itching feeling, as she entered the hall and walked its length in a quick pace, that this intruder was someone important to her.

"Blade..." she wondered aloud. Faintly, she heard the distant cry of a small boy and the running of foot steps. Many. 'The guards chasing him?' she thought, but dashed off in the direction of the sound. Her heart was fleeting in the thought of Blade returning to her. "Blade!"

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 9:22 pm

Soran glanced warily at the door as Mizuki rushed out. 'NO!' He thought desperately, but she was gone. Soran looked down at Rai, his head spinning as he sought some solution to the situation. "What are you staring at?" he demanded of Vlad.

"Nothing," Vlad said thinly and looked back up at Soran. He raised an eyebrow as he noticed the woman was missing.

Soran wasn't naive enough to try to appeal to Vlad to let him go bring Mizuki to her senses. Right now, the most he could hope for was that he was the only one put to death that day. "I want my family safe," he said darkly.

Vlad surprisingly nodded. "I'm bringing you to Sinead now. If you want them spared, come peacefully." Soran nodded and approached the vampire, and in a flash the three of them were standing inside a room at the outer edges of the castle. It was a large room, but secure. Sinead stood waiting for them there.

"The woman ran off," Vlad told her. "I'll find her."

"Vladimir!" Sinead called loudly before he could port out again. "You're chasing the wrong woman."

Vlad met her eyes for a long second, feeling his his chest was ripping apart. No, don't look at me like that. Let me follow my duty, let me think about this... Crap, he couldn't stand it. His expression suddenly grew impossibly human. Sinead gave him a knowing stare and nodded to him. It was the only support she could offer in the midst of her surprise at what she'd just seen in his eyes.

Vlad turned away from her sharply and disappeared. He reappeared out on the soldier's course, falling into a sprint as he ran alongside the rushing carriages. He didn't know which one she was in. What the hell was he doing?

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 9:27 pm

Blade rushed into the exact room Soran, Rai, and the Queen were in. Just after Vlad ported out. He had been running up and down stairs from guards, dashing through the hallways calling out for his mother. He was in a protective rage not being able to find her but seeing Soran, a familiar face of his infant days... it made him stop and the guards grab him from behind.

"GET OFF! I want my mother! Where is she?! What did you do to her!? I'll kill you if you don't let me go!!" Blade yelled at the top of his lungs. Mizuki was just running down the stairs when she heard his voice. Sprinting, Mizuki made her way towards her son, tears in her eyes and her heart pounding.

Post by **Emora Deen** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 9:32 pm

Tenele leaned back in her carraige seat staring at the wall at first. Then her eyes drifted to the side and she saw a figure move past the carriage. When the carriage sped up she came along side the person running as fast as they could... Then the carraige grew too fast for the man too keep up with.

At first she just sat there staring at out the window dumbfoundedly. Then, with a few clumsy moves she forced the carriage door open and yelled for the carriage driver to halt. He rushed his duty and the carriage slid to a stop while Tenele was looking back at Vlad.

She stepped down the steps, staring at him as if she hadn't seen him in years. She had no idea what to say. She stood there and waited to see what move he would make, if any.

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 9:49 pm

Soran's eyes were wide with shock as he saw Blade sprint into the room. He hadn't seen the child since it was an infant, but he knew exactly who he was. An odd emotion choked his throat as Blade ran toward him, then was seized from behind. Mizuki appeared at the doorway, and Soran shared a fierce stare that tried to tell her to be still as the guards seized her as well.

The rogue didn't even feel his arms being drawn up behind him as two strong guards bound his hands. He looked to the Queen, his pupils shrunk so small from alarm that his eyes were a burning green. Another soldier took hold of Rai's shoulders as he crouched behind her but didn't do anything rough.

When all the outsiders were secured, Sinead looked at them all and a dead silence fell over the room. Her stare ended on Blade. "Who are you?" she commanded him to speak.

* * *

Vlad was running so hard that he had to skid to a sideways stop just to avoid hitting her. He stared at his legs, which were shaking oddly from all the adrenaline. He slowly raised his gaze to Tenele's, breathing fiercely, and shocked himself by not knowing what to say. The carts behind Tenele's were clamoring as they made their way around hers and tried to maintain formation.

He stared at her with the oddest expression, excited and desperate. Why the hell couldn't he speak?

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 9:52 pm

Blade struggled still, seeing his mother calmed him, but only a little. Growling a little, he glared at the Queen, angry only that she would order guards to hold his mother like an enemy.

"Blade, Blood Prince of Dark Angels, and you are holding my mother and family like the common enemy." For his youth, he held a dark glare that held more knowledge than any child would have.