Xia didn't know what to do, other than use her fire as a kind of defense...maybe hopefully this water thing will turn into steam and die...maybe. 'It's a long shot.' She thought to herself as she held out her hands, and two balls of fire formed in her hands, and she threw them at the creature.

Lavina's father looked at her kindly. "Did he really promise what you asked him to?" he asked her, as a test.

The creature reacted very badly, shrieking and backing away from the flames, leaving the shard of ice very open.
Riastrad was still incapacitated. "Now, H, now!" he yelled.

Kao walked behind her tow remaining golems, the others had already crumbled to nothing as her magic pressure faded away. Rusty was humming contentedly in her mind and she could feel the blood caked on her body. Exhaustion weighed on her body and she began lagging behind her creations. She tripped over a corpse but didn't fall. She watched as her golems tore through a building and saw the people seeking refuge there flee. She grinned as the second golem crushed them under foot. Another group of survivors tried running, but the golem had exited the now collapsing structure and stomped off after them. The beginning of screams followed by a sudden silence announced even more deaths.
The golems trudged back to her, but halfway there one crumbled to nothing. Kao staggered from the loss of energy and then before she could react, something hit her from the side and knocked her off her feet. The remaining golem let out a roar but she was being dragged away into an alley in the center of an armed group of men. Struggling against the strong grip that held her, she threw a weak kick that tripped one of them, but overall she couldn't impede their movement.
Abducted again. She thought grimly.
The men took her to an unaffected street of the capitol where a motor carriage was waiting, smoke steaming from its stack. The leader pulled open the door and she was ushered inside. They pushed her into a seat and then shouted for the driver to go. The carriage rumbled and shook but took off down the road. Kao fought against the men that had grabbed her until a voice from the other side of the carriage made her pause. She turned her head to the young elven boy that sat across from her. His fine clothes were dirty and a little torn at the cuffs of his pants, but his posture was one learned by a long history of formal parties.
"Daernt?" Kao said his name. She wasn't sure if this was a good outcome or a bad.

---------------------------------------------------

Daernt Vilari looked across the carriage at the battered and blood covered figure of his future wife. His men had spotted her standing in the path of those rampaging monstrosities and plucked her from the jaws of death. She had been struggling to stay standing, no doubt from the fear of seeing all of those bodies.
"Kao..." He said her name and then suddenly didn't know what to say as her darkened stare switched to him. "I'm so glad that you're okay, My Love." She flinched back from his words. Shutting her eyes she took a deep breath and opened them again.
"Daernt. Why are you here?"
The coldness in her voice confused him. When they'd last met, they'd left on what he believed had been good terms. "Kao, you know my father's estate borders the Capitol of Sear." She nodded absently at the information. "And when your father's message came to us saying that your kidnapper was bringing you here... well I put my men on high alert. But in the end I couldn't believe that I was the one to find you myself. Walking all alone down the street. I called out to you, but you mustn't of heard me."
"I did." She said simply.
"What?"
"I heard you shout my name."
"Then why didn't you..." His eyes lit up with understanding. "Your abductor was nearby and you couldn't respond to me."
"He was across the city from me."
"Then why?"
Kao opened her mouth to respond and began to say something but then suddenly passed out. For a few seconds panic tore through the small space until it was confirmed that she wasn't dead.
"Poor girl saw too much." Daernt said pityingly. "Driver! Pick up the speed! I want to be at the Vilari estate as soon as possible. I want to make sure my fiance is unharmed."
The motor-carriage picked up speed and trundled out of the capitol.

---------------------------------------------------------------
OOC: Kao is going to be at the Vilari estate for at least three days in this post. Afterwards she will meet with her father, Asego Tulant. After the next post where that goes on, anything is fair game.

"I'm asking you to clean her up and inspect her for injuries. I've called my father's doctor over to deal with anything you might find. I've had the guest room on the third floor made ready for her, so please take her there when you're done." Daernt said. He wanted to pull that dessicated dress from her body and clean her and tend to her wounds himself. But as a gentlemen without a wife, he could not simply go around stripping unconscious damsels what would be said of his character? So he had no choice but to leave Kao in the care of his most trusted female servants. After making eye contact with both of them so that they knew how important this task was, he turned and left.
The two women set about carefully undressing the young elf girl, and then tossed the soiled garments into the waste. They set the sword in its scabbard and the sheathes for the boomerangs aside and then began to carefully dab the blood from her body. The Vilari Family Physician arrived quickly and supervised their efforts. With his oversight they found her injuries, of which there were many that had been tended poorly. Stab wounds needed cleaning, disinfecting and stitching. Burns needed lotion applied to them and there was nothing to be done about the missing part of her right ear, so it was simply bandaged. Kao groaned each time her wounds were poked or prodded. She would hiss when the disinfectant was applied to each wound. The stitching on her right bicep had to be removed and redone because the stitches had popped out of place at some point.
Once her injuries had been seen to, the physician contemplated the elaborate tattoo flowing down the left side of her body. It was ink... but not ink at the same time. The substance defeated his instruments and left him feeling uneasy. he knew for a fact that no highborn elvish lady would dare get a tattoo. Their father would have it removed if he was kind, or disowned if he wasn't. What perplexed him even more was that he could feel scars and tears in the flesh underneath, but the tattoo covered over them. Until he knew more, he didn't dare mess with it. Telling the two women to finish up, he went to find Master Daernt and give him the report on Kao Tulant's injuries.
The two women stared at the weapons that had been set to the side, unsure what should be done with them. The boomerangs were still good weapons but the sword was broken, sheared in half at some point though the blade was a peace of art. In the end, they sent the boomerangs to the estate armory and kept the broken sword with Kao. It simply felt right, though they hid it under the bed so that it wouldn't be discovered. As they left the room, the two promptly forgot that she had ever had a sword in the first place.

----------------------------------------------------

Daernt entered the room Kao had been sleeping in two days after she was rescued from Sear. He had been devastated when his father's physician had come and told him the extent of Kao's injuries. If he ever found the man that had taken her... He let out an angry sigh and sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at her sleeping face. The dark black marks on her left cheek and the small gash below her left eye marred her beauty, but in a way added to it slightly. The tattoo itself was a work of art, even if he had no idea how Kao had gotten it. But as for her other injuries... they were inexcusable. Her captor would suffer when he as caught.
Kao had rolled onto her left side and her hair had parted to reveal the stump of an ear left on that side. He touched the bandaged nub, a little smaller than a human's ear, mournfully. He knew of the other injuries, the burns and cuts on her arms and legs and body. Rage built up inside of him as he stared at her body silhouetted by the covers.
"You're staring. It's creepy." Kao said. he turned his gaze back to her face and saw the twin purple eyes staring back at him.
"I didn't think you would wake up yet. The doctor had said that your magical energy was depleted. That it would be at least a week before you woke up."
"It replenishes quickly." She replied sitting up. A sharp intake of breath and he reached his hand out to steady her as she flinched in pain at one of her wounds. She gently but forcefully pushed his hand away.
"But you never could do magic. SO I don't see how your magic energy could disappear." Kao scoffed at this but didn't say anything.

----------------------------------------------------

Everything hurt. Pain burned no matter how she moved or tried to lay down, and now this insufferable idiot was trying to politely interrogate her. Crossing to the dresser in the room she let the nightgown fall from her body. A small smile when she heard Daernt's surprised cry and the sound of him quickly turning away. When next he spoke, the embarrassment in his voice was hilarious.
"Kao, please! I'm still in the room!" He complained.
"I thought men your age would do anything to watch a girl changing her clothes?" She replied with a chuckle. The options were rather drab. Dresses of all types and idiocy. However in the back were some suits tailored for men. Taking one out, she eyeballed the size. It would do, she figured. Until she could get a real traveler's outfit together.
"Most young women wouldn't strip so suddenly in the presence of a man."
"We are to be married, are we not?" She asked him as she dressed in the unfamiliar garments. Even to her, the tone of her voice was mocking when she spoke of there marriage.
"We are, but still, My Love, it isn't proper..."
My Love. Those two words immediately brought Brandt to her mind. The thought chilled her to the bone and she suddenly found herself shutting the dresser doors closed with her inside.
Voice wavering, she called out into the room. "Please. Please don't call me that."
"Why not?"
"Just don't. Promise me."
"Very well. I promise."
Letting out a breath of relief, she opened the double doors and stepped out. The pants fit well and the white shirt equally so. She stood there, hands in the pockets as she'd seen the men do late into the evenings at some of her father's parties and wondered what Daernt would say when he turned around.
"I'm dressed now." She said calmly. He turned around and his face went white.
"Kao... you... you can't wear that!" He said.
"Then stop me." She countered.
"It isn't proper! WHat will your father think of us? Allowing you to carouse in gentleman's attire?"
"I don't much care what my father thinks."
For you are the noble warrior. The sword echoed in her mind.
"You know how your father gets?" Daernt asked, unsure if Asego Tulant allowed his daughter to see anything but the self assured businessman.
"I have."
"It doesn't frighten you?"
"Not anymore." She said and then began searching the room for Rusty. "He can yell as much as he wants. His moods hold no bearing on me anymore." Bending down to look under the bed she saw the scabbard with the old hilt and smiled. Reaching out she got a couple of fingers on the leather of the belt and pulled it out from under the bed. Positioning it on her waist she stood up and watched Daernt almost faint.
"Kao, My... Kao. You can not wear a sword. This is something I cannot allow." He gave her the most commanding look he could. "Take it off this instant!"
The moment he rose his voice, Kao's demeanor changed. She had been somewhat her old playful self, although a bit reserved. No doubt due to her extended rest.
"Who says you have to allow me anything. I am not your toy to play with as you choose." She said, her voice cold and her purple eyes staring daggers.
"It's unbecoming of your stature, as a woman and a noble lady."
"I've already given up on those things. They mean nothing to me anymore, Daernt."
A knock at the door brought the young elf's attention, opening it one of his servants stood outside and spoke aloud so Kao could hear as well.
"Master, Asego Tulant would like to speak with his daughter. He is currently in the west study, meeting with your father." Daernt thanked the man, who bowed and left.
Turning back, Daernt put on a desperate face. "Kao, please!" He said, insisting that she change back into the proper attire for a woman of her upbringing.
However the smile on Kao's face was too terrible for him to continue arguing. he was afraid she'd cut him down if he tried to command her once more. So instead he gave one more small word of pleading. "Please."
"Take me to my father." Kao commanded in a voice as cold as the air above the clouds. "I would very much like to check on my beloved father. To ensure he hasn't been working too hard." The predatory grin stretched a little farther.
Terrified, though he couldn't understand why, Daernt led Kao across Vilari estate towards the West Study. Servants and guests stopped to stare at the young woman in gentleman's clothes with a sword at their hip. The bright orange hair identified her without a doubt. Kao laughed, the rumors had already spread to all of the estates that surrounded the capitol. Her father had been humiliated, and it had only taken twenty minutes of walking. He would be angry. But if he tried hitting her again... she patted the scabbard at her side.

Abiron stayed hidden as he saw Kao get kidnapped, wanting nothing to do with what was going on. After all, Kao was Vincent's play thing, he wanted nothing to do with the elf girl. Running back to where he was before, killing anything that moved along the way, he began to feel his power fading. Looks like my times almost up... he thought as he say a strange figure looting through the dead bodies. A grin spread across his face. "Hey! he shouted at the figure, walking up to him like a man who's had a little too much to drink. Breathing a bit heavily, Abiron got closer to the strange man before passing out among the bodies. Damn it. Of course it had to be now. Oh well, he's Vince's problem now...

Lavina thought for a moment
"He didn't promise me, he just said that he would come back but he didn't promise he would be safe"
she sighed
"I see what you mean. "
she stood up straitening her clothes
"I guess all I can do now is just wait. Are you hungry father?"


H took this opportunity to run toward the beast. She leapt into the air unsheathing her dagger and swung it at the shard of ice.

Her father ruffled Lavina's hair, a trait he'd long kept from her childhood.
"I would love some elderberry juice, if you are offering. And do not worry. Memoire strikes me as being able to take care of himself."

The blade passed through the ice shard, splintering it. The thing made a shrieking noise and retreated with haste, flowing through the cracks in a nearby building until the whole thing was out of sight. The next thing they knew, the building suddenly spurted with blood, drenching them and their weapons.
"Just... disgusting," Riastrad managed, a few seconds before an arrow knocked the morning star from his hand. Men clad in the armor of the rebels surrounded them, weapons at the ready. "Drop your weapons and we'll kill you quickly," one of them yelled.

The stranger prodded the unconscious man, before starting to go through his pockets, searching to see if anything was at all useful to him.

Lavina smiled
"Would you like me to bring you some or would you like to go to the dining hall and have dinner with me?"

H stood in a stance ready to defend herself
"Who the hell are you?"
she gripped her blade tightly

Her father smiled back. "It has been long since we have supped together. I will accompany you and we can talk of important or light matters as the mood takes us."

"We're friends of the people here that you three butchered!" the man snarled in response. "Surrender now or I will take great pleasure in passing both of you between the men as revenge!"
Riastrad raised an eyebrow. "Son, you just fucked up."

"Yes it has father"
Lavina and her father headed down to the dining hall. Lavina was actually a bit hungry for a change and filled her plate. When finished she sat down next to the seat her father always sat and awaited for him to get his food. She has wondered how Memoire was making out with his father and was a bit nervous as to how his father would take the news.


"you have got to be kidding. WE weren't the ones who killed the people"
She pointed in the direction the monster went
"There was a being here that killed them, we just got done fighting it and it scurried away in that direction"

Xia turned and glared at the man. "How about I set you on fire for that comment?" She snarled, as two balls of flames formed in the palms of her hands.

"You're not gonna find anything." Vincent said laying face first on the ground. He slowly picked himself up, stumbling around a bit and looked around at the destruction. "I... Abiron did this...?" Vincent said as a smile crept onto his face. Vincent let out a hearty laugh as he looked at the bodies littering the city. Vincent turned to look at the man who was looking through his pockets not to long ago. "If you were passing through then I'm sorry about the mess here. I promise it's not usually this dirty."

"Tell me your thoughts," her father said, noticing her worry. "Let me be your council, while I still have the opportunity."

Riastrad stepped forwards, weapon on the floor. "Alright then, let's all just calm down."
All of the rebels raised their weapons. "Stop right there, bastard!"
Riastrad stopped where he was. "Ladies, trust me on this, put your tools down. Don't wanna get these folk any more riled than they already are."

The man looked completely disinterested.
"Eh, I wouldn't know." He scratched himself. "So, uh... you know that girl, over there? The one that's been doing all this crazy shit? I've kinda gotta kill her, and I've kinda gotta kill you too... so, uh, sorry about that."

Lavina looked up at her father and smiled
"Just hoping Memoire is able to convince his father to allow us to be together so I don't have to be forced to marry his younger brother, who shows no interest in me whatsoever."
she sighed
"I'm just a little worried it'll all go wrong"


H slowly started to put her weapon down keeping and eye on the men surrounding them to make sure they weren't going to pull anything on them
"You had better be telling us the truth"

Vincent scratched the back of his head and sighed. "Figures. Here I was hoping you might be different. I'd ask why you want to kill me, but I think I already know why." He looked around at all the death and pulled out his knife. "Did anyone send you or are you just bored?"

Her father patted her hand. "Worrying is good. It makes you think more. Do you think he will be successful?"

Riastrad tilted his head to Xia. "No fireballs, Xia... people don't like that sorta thing..." He was speaking very calmly and clearly, trying to lower the mood from hostile to reasonable.

The guy shrugged at Vincent. "Just doing what I gotta do, royal duties and shizzle. Look, this doesn't have to be painful, just put the knife down and I'll be quick, ok?"

Lavina looked down at her food, running her fork through it
"I don't know really. When his father demanded I marry his younger son it seem there was no negotiating with him on it, and from what Memoire his father is pretty set on having things a certain way. After all Memoire was supposed to marry a woman her couldn't stand, but his father made it to a point to set it up that way and Memoire had to accept it. IF his father is still set on that marriage then I doubt he will allow us to be together"
she looked up at her father
"Memoire did mention something that might change his fathers mind, or will have to force his father to"
she looked down and placed her hand on her belly
"He said if I were to get pregnant with his child, his father couldn't deny us being together"
she looked up at her father
"But I told him how it is traditional to wait until you are married before doing so and that I don't feel that I'm ready"
she reached out grabbing her fathers hand, looking frightened
"Father I don't think I will ever be ready, after what happened to mom, I'm worried the same thing will happen to me if I were to birth a child"
she squeezed her fathers hand
"Do you think what happened to mom will happen to me?"

Her father looked a little stern, but upon seeing her distress he sighed and lowered his voice.
"Lavina, what happened to your mother was a tragedy and one I shall never forget. But there is something I have been thinking about over the years watching you grow."
His eyes became shadowed. "I think... I think your mother knew she would die bringing you into the world."

Lavina's dropped her fork and her eyes shot up to her father
"S-she knew she would die....but how?"
She saw the shadowed look in his face
"Did she say something to you before hand? how would she know?"
She suddenly had a million questions she wanted to ask but decided not to. She squeezed her fathers hand
"Father?"

Her father spoke slowly, carefully, choosing every syllable.
"Your mother... had a gift, a gift you seem to have inherited, along with the royal magic from my side of the family. It is an ancient legend among our people, so ancient only those in touch with the old ways, back when magic flowed like water, still remember it. Some elves were, back then, gifted with soulsight - the power to see into people's souls and divine their lives from it. The ability to see the truth of a person, without any attempted deceit or lies. And the power... the power to see when their soul would move on."
He swallowed. "The day before you were born, I found your mother looking into a pool of water, at her reflection. I never truly believed she had soulsight, the talent has all but died out - but that night, she was weeping. I asked her why and she told me that she was so happy bringing a beautiful child into the world that she couldn't help it. She told me she wouldn't change the following day for anything in the world, and that she wished she would be able to see you grow up into a fine princess. I naturally chided her, never dreaming of what was to come, and she laughed at me and told me I'd be a fine father. The following day, she went into labor and she lived just long enough to see you smile before passing." Tears were rolling down his cheeks. "I've never seen her as happy as when she was on her deathbed."

MateusseDarkslight wrote:

The guy shrugged at Vincent. "Just doing what I gotta do, royal duties and shizzle. Look, this doesn't have to be painful, just put the knife down and I'll be quick, ok?"

Vincent rubbed his temples for a bit. So the king sent some dog to kill him and Kao secretly. I think he's bluffing. He thought to himself. "If you were sent to kill me, then why didn't you kill me before I woke up? It would have been easy, I was face down, knocked out cold. Here's something else: why did your king send you out to kill me right here in secret? I'm a public threat aren't I? Surely you'd want me publicly killed." Also where was Kao now? Did she run away during the fighting? No, even Abiron wouldn't be able to do all this. Sighing Vincent looked at the stranger again. "Okay look, what do I have to do to get you not to kill us, and if not me, then what do I have to do to get you not to kill that little girl who's always with me?"

Name: Ouroi, The Bone Saw
Race: Deserter
Magic: Hereditary (Necromancy)
Affiliation: Corpse Guard, Priests of Resurrection

Spoiler:

Has long brown hair, not in pic because Rubel is perfect.

The young priest had come from the harsh desert at the whim of the head priest at the chapel. The city of Sear apparently housed a small group of necromancers that needed to be reigned in. But this....
The entire city was awash with blood. Unfortunately, too many souls had been lost. But some ghosts were still lingering. The collection rituals were hastily done, but in the end, the chamber was full. Now then. There were some survivors left. Might have to remedy that.
The malicious grin spread across the dark skinned face.
"The Corpse Guard is alll-ways recruiting!" Ouroi sang out merrily.
Trudging behind the necromancer priest was a small army of resurrected corpses.

Xia sighed, and put out the balls of fire in the palms of her hand. She looked at Riastrad, and said: "You better have something good up your sleeve." She then folded her arms.

Lavina was silent for a moment, tears fell from her cheek
"I- I didn't know mom was able to do that, so she knew what would happen before it did"
She placed her hands on her chest
"Thank you father for telling me this, I always thought mom was in pain when she died because of me. I hope that someday I can be as strong as she was."
she looked up at her father, reaching out to wipe the tears from his cheeks
"So you think I have soulsight as well?"
she looked down thinking for a moment
"I dont think I do. Ive never had anything like that before father. Did mom always have it? or did it come to her on occasions?"

Riastrad turned round. "See? We're all ready to play nice, sort out this big misunderstanding, and -"
The man nearest to him raised his crossbow and shot him in the head. Riastrad's body hit the ground with an awful thump.
The men, as one, looked at the girls. "Dibs on the blonde," one of them smiled.

Her father looked thoughtful. "It could be that your soulsight has yet to manifest. If you want to know more, the sages will be happy to aid you, I think. I wish I could tell you more, but this is your gift so your responsibility to find out more."

Xia rolled her eyes, then glared at the men. "That was a mistake." She said, as she unfolded her arms, and two balls of fire returned to the palms of her hands. "Now, we'll see how you like it in a frying pan." She added with a slight grin on her face.