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 Posted: Thu May 07, 2009 8:38 pm
Life's a bitter apple... 
Karu was astounded at the beauty of the elven garden and paused amidst it causing Kyria to stop as well, as he took in its splendor. He had seen many other gardens cultivating within Peristal, even the grand one within the castle, but even that held no contest to this place. Perhaps it was the way the elves understood the balance of everything that made this place so beautiful. Perhaps it was they're divine magic that gave birth to such a splendor. He snapped from his moment of awe and looked down at his and Kyria's hand interlaced with each other, and began to blush lightly. He then looked slowly up at Kyria with his sapphire eyes with a dumbfounded look, and quickly looked away yanking his hand free from her own. "Look its useless, we might as well give up on this. It seems the whole palace has been notified of my intentions now. Your blasted king must have some devious plan to throw me in prison or something," he uttered as he turned away from Kyria attempting to hide his blush.
His long silver hair seemed to radiate within the moon's glow, and it dawned upon him exactly how famished he truly was. "Look just point me in the direction of the kitchen, and i'll grab a bite to eat and retire...after or during the festivities tomorrow i'll blow this popsicle stand," he uttered as he turned to face her, his skin now back to its original color.
...only sweetened at the core.
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Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 8:16 pm
 Kyria hadn't been able to look at him since they entered the garden. Something was going on, something she hadn't been clued in on. Why were all of the guards tracking Karu's moves? Was this Lain's doing, or perhaps some scheme of Tiberius? She remained lost in her thoughts until Karu wrenched his hand from hers, blushing as she remembered grabbing his hand back in the entrance hall. Had she held on that long?
"Oh, t-the kitchen..." she stammered finally, turning to him. "Yes certainly. Why don't I take you-I'm not sure at this point the guards are going to let you go around on your own. I'm not exactly sure what's going on..." Kyria turned and headed back out of the garden through another door along the exterior of the castle. It led to another hallway which in turn led to the dining hall. As she stood facing the double doors to the room beyond, she spoke to Karu. "The quickest way is to go through the dining hall, and through the server's door to the kitchen." And with a push, she opened the doors.
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LadyMnemosyne Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 6:48 pm
Life's a bitter apple...
Karu followed through somewhat, and was blinded by the light, and immediately taken by surprise by an array of smells and the sound of laughter. Shielding his eyes from the bright light as they adjusted themselves a large crowd of noblemen were brought into view, and his pupils narrowed. He glared back at Kyria. She had to had set this up. Looking back around he plastered a forceful smile upon his face as the smell of an array of meats delicately prepared by the royal chef's and wine's brewed from the finest distillery filled his nose. He hated crowds. His eyes immediately shot to a familiar face realizing it was that of the king, and then back to Kyria who seemed all the more surprised at all what was happening. He was immediately swarmed by an array of elven women who barraged him with their relentless questions of the battle, and their flattering. He shot back a look towards Kyria in a look of help, but was swept even further into the crowd of nobles.
Music ensued shortly after as the king motioned for the band of elven musicians to play. Tiberius was indeed a cunning and wise king. Karu had even looked into his background and was well aware of his ploys and high intelligence. Rumor was that he is the son of the first living king of Damasses, and that alone was impressive being that all other kingdoms had they're linages passed down for generations to come. Here there was only one passage which astonished Karu, but he waved it off as a myth. People seemed to exaggerate tales of people, and he was well accustomed to such exaggerations. He smirked as he finally pushed past some of the noblewomen and standing before the king staring at him as if trying to read his mind. What was this man up to? Had he known who he was from the beginning. Not many people knew Karu's real name, only his alias...the Silver Wolf. Had he read his true intentions from the get go? It all somewhat began piecing together bit by bit. The feigned ignorance of his kill during the tournament, the guards that seemed to herd him into the banquet...perhaps he truly intended to keep him there as his general. What Karu couldn't explain though was why had he kept Kyria in the dark.
...only sweetened at the core.
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Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 8:29 pm
Kyria watched as Karu was engulfed in the crowd before she herself was whisked away by the arm by Lain, who led her over to a group of the heads of the noble families. For a moment, she was still stunned into silence by the shock of walking in on a party she hadn't been aware of.
"...ria...Kyria, are you listening?" Kyria blinked and looked up at Lain, who was looking at her with a bemused smirk.
"I apologize gentlemen, my mind was elsewhere."
"That is quite alright, dear Kyria." one of the head nobles replied, smiling at her. "We were just commenting on how quickly the king put together such a lavish party. It had barely been a half hour after the tournament had finished when the gates to the palace had opened for entry."
"Yes, King Tiberius probably had the preparations already underway before the last match." Kyria replied shaking her head. By the look on Lain's smirk, she had a feeling that he was involved in the king's plan. Her temper was slowly beginning to rise as her frustration of not knowing what was going on, of not being in control was angering her.
"Gentlemen, if you will excuse us." Lain suddenly interjected with a bow. Kyria and the nobles followed suit, before Kyria was once again taken by the arm by Lain.
"Whatever you are up to, I want nothing to do with it. I'm more mad at you now that you realize-"
"Relax," he replied, leading her through the crowd that was beginning to thin out and move off to the sides, leaving a large portion of the floor empty. "What's the worst that could happen." Then Kyria saw Karu and the King standing a short distance away. As Karu approached the king, Tiberius moved towards him and smiled down at him.
"Good of you to join us!" he said heartily. "You were just about to miss my favorite part of the party." Taking Karu by the shoulder, he began to lead him out into the open area of the floor, as Lain led Kyria over. Before either could reply, the King began to speak and a hush fell over the crowd. "I believe it is time for our lovely Kyria to join in a dance with our champion, and may the bonds of our generals grow stronger!" With that Lain shoved Kyria over to the King, who took her hand and put it in Karu's before retreating from the dance floor with Lain. The band picked up again, and the crowd burst into life again, clapping as they awaited the two to begin their dance. Kyria blushed furiously; Tiberius must have been planning this since he first saw Karu. He had somehow known that Karu would win, and how poorly the two of them got along presently.
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LadyMnemosyne Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat May 16, 2009 8:04 pm
Life's a bitter apple...
Karu was taken aback as he was instantly guided off by Lain, and handed Kyria's delicate hand. With an odd confused look he gritted his teeth with a false smile, and swore softly as he bowed politely. His face began to burn bright red as he pulled her close knowing that all eyes were on him. He was well versed with dance, and quite enjoyed it actually. He had been taking secret lessons with Angie, after assassinating some ill mannered duke on the outskirts of town. It seemed during the mission, that the duke had been holding a ball, and he had become enamored by they're rhythmic movement upon the dance floor. It somehow soothed him. Ever since then he secretly begged Angie to teach him, and he learned rather quickly excelling at it quite well. With his face still somewhat red, he kept his eyes poised away from the crowd having no choice, but to show his embarrassment to the slender woman he now led about the ballroom in an intricate slow dance.
From time to time he peered up towards Tiberius and Lain with his sapphire eyes seeing that they were still watching him as he delicately led Kyria dancing quite well for a well known assassin. He peered back down to Kyria, his eyes meeting hers momentarily for what seemed like minutes until he finally snatched his head from her mesmerizing gaze. What was happening here? Was this magic? "You dance quite well," he said trying to break the awkward silence that had already surrounded the moment. "Didn't think an iron clad warrior such as yourself knew how to dance at all," he uttered again nervously. Why was he becoming so antsy? He bit his tongue hoping he didn't offend her. "Not that you wouldn't know how to dance being a warrior and all...its just um...oh forget it," he finished finally shutting up. "So were you in on this, or are you as much as a victim as I am in this calamity? I'm guessing your a victim as well, and King Tiberius had me pegged out from the get go...as well as you, but what I can't quite get my finger on is why would he keep you out of the loop?" he spoke quietly staring her in the eye as he continued to dance about with her slowly. One by one couples began to dance upon the dance floor joining the two causing Karu to loosen up a little more. He was still aware of a few nobles still watching him, as well as Tiberius and Lain. His hand almost slipped from Kyria's own causing him to catch himself by interlacing his fingers with her own. He blushed once again turning a bright pinkish color. Her hands were remarkably soft for a veteran of war, and she smelled like a morning shower on a field full of lavender flowers.
...only sweetened at the core.
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 6:30 pm
As the dance began, Kyria was certainly nervous. She had been dancing ever since she was a child, and was well versed in the steps. But she was unsure of her partner's ability. She almost assumed that Karu had never danced before, and was prepared to lead, when she was taken aback by his display. He moved so fluidly it was as if his entire body was in tune with the moment. Relaxing a little, she let herself be guided along by Karu, actually enjoying the dance. She could barely hear whispers from the crowd, and although she knew they were watching the two of them, she was oblivious to it all. It was as if it were only Karu and herself.
"Thank you," she replied with a slight smile. "I wasn't always a warrior. When the king first brought me to the palace, I spent most of my time learning to be a proper lady. Dances were the norm, and it was one of the things I enjoyed most about palace life. That was before I picked up my first sword." Her voice trailed off. She was lost for a moment in the blissful memory of her younger years. Slowly, her head laid against Karu's chest, and she found great comfort in his warmth.
"...he wants me to find someone I can spend my life with..." she finally murmered with a sigh, slowly lifting her head to look at him. "He's been trying for years. But don't worry, you'll be leaving tomorrow right? You just have to make it through a few more hours, then we never have to see each other again." There was a hint of sadness in her words, and as her eyes began to glisten, she turned her head away from him. Was she really sad that he would be leaving, or was it just that she was caught up in the moment? She went silent again, and just let the dance continue, clinging to their little world for just a bit longer.
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LadyMnemosyne Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 7:41 pm
Life's a bitter apple...
Karu's listened intently and somewhat choked at what Kyria had said about the king trying to get her married, and it all pieced so well together. The reason Kyria was left in the dark for all this time was because she too was being played. Karu looked up at the king to see him grinning in delight at the two dancing. He growled under his breath, and took Kyria by the hand, immediately taking a turn for the balcony. "I'm done dancing...let's get some fresh air..." he said a bit flustered, and now turning red. He burnt with anger at the audacity of the king...how could that man know him so well. He played every piece of the puzzle damn near perfectly, and yet didn't give away not one clue to his ploy. He sighed and looked up at the now fully visible moon finally releasing Kyria's hand, and leaning against the balcony ledge. "You know...the moon seems to be the only thing in this world I can really say I envy. Oh to be loved and needed by the world, but not have to put up with it," he lightly chuckled at the thought, and turned around leaning his back upon the balcony railing. "So...the king...seems to me that you had a thing for him, why not just marry him eh?"
Karu remained silent for a second, and quickly spoke up apologizing to her softly. "Forgive me...it wasn't my place to ask such a question,"Karu said quietly as he turned back around towards the view of Damasses. "When my brother and I become filthy rich, and kill that b*****d Ticus..." he stopped himself as he looked back at Kyria with his sapphire blue eyes. "Anyway you said I can leave whenever I wanted right...well I think I'll stick around for a few more days...seems the king has something I'm interested in, so I figure I'll play general for a couple more...I mean what's the worse that could happen?"
...only sweetened at the core.
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 8:10 pm
Kyria allowed Karu to lead her outside, for once noticing how warm it had been inside compared to outside. The sound of the music and chatter died away and again it was just the two of them, just in a different way. When Karu released her, for a moment her hand lingered where he left it. Turning away, she moved off to the side of the balcony where a tall blooming bush hung slightly over the railing. Gently she caressed one of the blooms and breathed in it's scent that still lingered with the morning dew.
She had heard his question and did not know how to respond at first. "I couldn't marry him even if I wanted to." she finally replied, her eyes moving past the bush to examine the part of the garden that could still be seen from the balcony. "It is law that only royalty may marry royalty, and despite having grown up as the ward of the king, my blood is not that of royal lineage." Kyria might have a childish crush on Tiberius, but she knew too well that what she had said was true. The Council and Elders would never allow her to marry the king, no matter how much she was adored by her people.
Turning to him, she moved over to stand next to him, gazing out on Damasses. For her, the city never lost its charm, no matter where she traveled to or how long she was away. It was her home, in every sense of the word. "If you wish to stay, then so be it. There is still the ceremony tomorrow to prepare for, and in the morning you'll be introduced to the troops. It's just a formality, but I doubt you'll be able to get away from it."
Once again she fell silent in the awkwardness of the moment. What had just happened within the past few minutes? They had been fighting, hoping to be rid of each other, and now they were talking as if nothing happened...Kyria looked up at him, and carefully began to speak. "You mentioned your brother...is he waiting somewhere for you in the city? He could stay with you in the palace, if you like..."
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LadyMnemosyne Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 5:43 pm
Life's a bitter apple...
Karu looked at Kyria shaking his head lightly. "No...I'd rather that my brother didn't get involved in anything I was in. I want him to live as much as a normal life as possible...besides...I've already lost a brother, and I damn sure not going to lose him," he said becoming a bit defensive out of sheer habit. He calmed down a bit as he looked up at the moon. "Do you know who I am Kyria? Do you know what I do? Do you care, and if you did know and care...would you be afraid of me?" he asked not once turning to face her as he continued to stare out at the moon. "Do you think a person like me would be suitable to command an army? I've had too much blood spilled on my hands to be responsible for thousands of others...that's why I have to go, but only after I get what the king caught my eye with," he uttered as he walked past Kyria back towards the door. "On an off note, your a bit more pleasant this time, then last we met in Yaroh," he said entering the ballroom once more leaving Kyria to ponder that night so many years ago when he assassinated Duke Wellington, the man who was apparently suppose to undergo negotiations with an envoy of Damasses. Who would've thought that the envoy would be Kyria. It was also by chance that the Duke would fling an oil lantern at some drapes in a feeble attempt to defend himself setting the whole place ablaze, and that Karu would run into Kyria, and have a short scuffle as he tried to flee. He hadn't gotten her out of his mind since that day, and wondered from time to time if she had even made it out. Now that he saw her here in good health, his worries were put to rest. Karu wasn't really the cold blooded killer many others made him out to be. He did after all only go after the scum bags of society, but never women or children. He only killed when he had to, but it so happened that his nickname became a legend, and urged more assassins to come and try to take his title. He had become an outcast of society, and even an outcast of the outcasts. He had no place to rest, and it bothered him slightly, but he played the role well accepting his fate. His train of thought was scattered by an immediate flood of noble women begging to hear stories of his travels.
...only sweetened at the core.
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 8:46 pm
Kyria watched as he retreated inside, and kept her gaze there for several moments after. After he had mentioned it, her memory of that night rushed back to her. Somehow, he had seemed familiar to her, though she met so many people that she couldn't be sure if it was just her mind playing tricks on her. No, they had met before, and she had nearly died that night, rescuing a few servants before the entire building collapsed after her meeting with him. So he was the infamous Karu Hitoshi. Smiling to herself, she said, "Perhaps the better question, Karu, is whether or not you want me to know or care?"
Giving one last look at the moon, she returned into the ballroom as well, pushing her way through the crowd and towards the exit. She spotted Karu once before he was swarmed by woman, then he disappeared into the crowd. She also noticed Lain and the King watching her, though she didn't approach them and they stayed on their ballroom as she left. She would head back to her own room, and sleep off her troubled thoughts of the days events.
Entering her room, her eyes almost instantly darted to the vent where not long ago Karu had exited. It was still open slightly, but instead of climbing u to close it, she left it as it was, instead changing back into her nightgown. Going about her usual nightly ritual of jotting down the day's events in her journal, she noticed how she smiled every time she wrote Karu's name.
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LadyMnemosyne Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 9:07 pm
Life's a bitter apple...
After a couple of hours of dealing with the crowd, the king had general Lain escort Karu back to his room, and sighed when finally he shut the door behind him. It had been a very busy day for him, and didn't realize so many elven women had secretively fantasized about him. He sighed as he removed from his pockets a handful of addresses he had been slipped by the noble women, and recognized some of the names to be married women. He quickly disposed of them within the waist basket, and removed his shirt plopping down upon his bed, and staring at the open vent, and once again curiosity got the best of him. He stood up propping a chair underneath it to better reach the vent, and called out. "Lady Kyria...you still awake?"
He couldn't sleep after all that befell him today, and wanted to know if Kyria held anything against him that night. "So...do you remember me that night, we did sorta clash blades, and said some rather harsh things back then..." he said wincing at the words she called. "Your nothing but an low life killer who failed at life, and can't really except it, so you take other people's lives as a tribute to your long past, probably miserable existence," he remembered her saying way back then. Every single time he replayed those words within his head it seemed to sting fresh as the day she said them. He instinctively shot back with his own insult towards the young Kyria saying, "You pompous little, good for nothing, insignificant, dog of war. Go back to your master and give his loins a good licking will you,"....he shuddered at how cruel and cold blooded he was back then.
...only sweetened at the core.
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 9:40 pm
Kyria looked up at the vent as she heard Karu's voice calling through it. She had been sitting at her desk, a few feet from the desk. Setting her journal down, she hopped off of her chair and moved it over beneath the vent on her side. Climbing up, she replied, "Yes I am," before listening as he continued. Pondering over her own memories of that night, she chuckled a little before replying.
"I do, and I suppose we did. But we were both young back then. I personally was a naive and headstrong girl, not that much has changed." she admitted, blushing a little. There were many things that she regretted from her bloodied past; Kyria was glad he couldn't see the shame on her face. Shaking her head, she leaned her side against the wall, getting more comfortable as she continued.
"So tell me something, Karu, what made you decide to participate in the tournament anyway, if you weren't looking for the position?" She had been wanting to ask since she found out that he was planning on running, but had yet had the chance to bring it up. For him to risk showing up in public with the possibility of being arrested, there had to be something he was after...
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LadyMnemosyne Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu May 21, 2009 5:36 am
Life's a bitter apple...
Karu grinned slightly as he leaned against the wall gently hitting his head against it. He agreed completely with what Kyria had said about the past, but it still made him somewhat uncomfortable having his face turn red with embarrassment on how he acted back then. He was a cold blooded killer with an attitude suited to be the dark god Salem's pet. He sighed as he pondered on his mistakes. "Yes...we were quite young then, and I must admit even now since then not much has changed. I'm still the pig headed boy from my past looking to find some place to belong," he said reluctantly trying to hold his tongue on the last portion of the sentence, but failing.
Karu grew silent as he heard Kyria ask what exactly he had come for letting a long blanket of silence covert their conversation. Finally with a sigh Karu spoke up. "I came for two bounties, one of which I might have baffled in the tournament. The other his brother, is loose somewhere in this kingdom. I have found them impure, and saw it fit to take on the job given to me by my...employer...and also I'm here for something, an object of great power that can help me kill a long time enemy..." He spoke reluctantly, but bore himself to the young woman whom he had once thought to be a worthy opponent, but no more so of a worthy ally. "On that note...what ever happened to my opponent...is he dead?" he questioned softly hoping he had completed such task.
...only sweetened at the core.
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