Lazarus: Land Of The Elements

Lain calmly stepped out of the way of Cinder's attack and drew the wraithbone saber from her cloak. The blade had been forged from two human femurs joined and tempered into one through dark magic. The blade glittered like ice as Lain swung it to block Cinder's next strike.

"You truly need to keep that temper of yours. It's a fatal flaw of all you fire eaters. It's why taking contracts to kill your people is seen as easy money." She taunted Cinder as they fought.

She'd get him angry until he slipped up, not too hard considering his disposition. Dueling was enjoyable and Lain was skilled at it, but head on attacks were always saved as a last resort in her mind. A dagger in the back, or an arrow to the heart was much easier in comparison. The man she was fighting was very good at head on melee, much better than her. Of course, swinging a sword was only one skill in a fight.

Using her foot Lain created a large patch of ice on a particularly moist patch of ground. Spinning around another of Cinder's attacks, she shoved him roughly onto the slippery terrain and watched as he lost his balance with a laugh.

 

Pant. Pant. Pant. “She’s getting away! Get her!”


“We need to capture her!”


“We have to kill her!”


Her body started to glow pink. The whole world around her stopped. Pain shot through her body. She screamed. Tears started to roll down her cheeks. Aurora could barely move. She forced her body off the ground again. She knew that her powers were going to disappear any minute. She needed to get as far away from them as she could.


Her body started to wrack with sobs. She couldn’t take the pain anymore. She started to cough. Blood started seeping from her mouth. “How much longer am I going to have to live in this agony? Why haven’t my powers completely killed me yet?”


Soon she collapsed on the ground again. Darkness started to envelop around her. Her breathing started to slow down. Her heart started to stop. Her eyes closed.


She knew that they finally got their wish. Aurora was dead.

--

Aurora eyes shot open. She looked around the room and realized that she was in her realm. A headache was starting to form. “I had another dream about my death, but it was different from the first one…”


She noticed that the others were talking amongst themselves. The conversation was starting to get louder every second. She knew that it was going to be a full blown screaming match in a few seconds. She sighed. She slowly picked her body up from the couch. Her legs were a little wobbly. “I need to try to stop using the power I developed. It’s going to kill me. Every time I use it I feel my body weakening.”

--

“I’m worried about her. It seems that our Ruler hasn’t been herself lately,” Elena whispered.

“Agreed, normally when she talks to us outside of her realm she is so reassuring,” Calista responded.


“I noticed that she has been sleeping more lately. She normally doesn’t get much sleep because of her duties. Maybe she just needs a break,” Zael responded with worry on his tone.

“She’s the Ruler of Lazarus. She can’t get a break,” Elena responded giving Zael a pointed look. She was a little in shock that she could hear worry in his voice. She thought that Zael was always cold hearted.

Zael glared back at her. He hated when Elena was right.

“I wonder if she’s lonely,” Calista responded. She knows how it felt to be lonely. She wasn’t really a people person. She doesn’t understand why Aurora appointed her to be Queen.

“Well it must be boring being in a completely separate realm with no human contact,” Zael responded. “I know that if I wasn’t around people I would go completely crazy.”


“Then you would burn down a lot of villages. You would probably end up hurting innocent people. Aurora should have taken you off the throne a few years ago. You are the cruelest King known to the Fire Kingdom. At least the past Kings and Queens of Fire were better than you,” Elena said crossly. She didn’t like the attitude that Zael has been giving her since she came into this realm.

“Hey, don’t say rude things about my brother! No one in your Kingdom even respects you completely. At least my brother has people that respect him,” Calista responded. Anger was starting to seep in her bones. She hated when people talked like that to her family.

“At least my subjects don’t fear me,” Elena yelled angrily.

“Guys, guys, guys, come on, relax. I don’t think Aurora would appreciate the arguing. She brought us here for a reason. We shouldn’t be arguing amongst ourselves right now,” Yuri said after he was tired of the bickering.

Aurora cleared her throat. “It’s hard to sleep with you guys yelling. I’m sorry I’ve been sleeping. I know we still have a lot of things to discuss.”


Zael and Elena turned bright red when they realized that Aurora heard their argument.

Aurora giggled a little bit. That made them smile.

 

Cinder slipped on the out-of-season ice that coated the floor. On his way down, he threw his rapier blade, sending it to fly at the target of his rage. Cinder rolled when he landed on the ground, quickly getting back up to his feet and pulling out Judgement Fall, his executioner's sword.
"But those were the other people. Puny and unskilled in rage. The Burning Cross does not raise up such weak and undisciplined soldiers!"
Cinder spoke his contempt towards Lain's victims. Looking at Lain's blade, he realized what it was, bringing forth a new sense of contempt.
"That's... human bone? You... sick... bastard."
Cinder's hand thrust in a gem that adorned the black metal hilt of his sword. Instantly, it glowed an aura of flame, visually distorting the area and heating the vicinity rapidly, melting the ice. Even his mask began to grow hot, nearly burning his skin beneath. An soul-shaking scream tore from the blade as Cinder readied it. His sword was intended for capturing souls, and returning them for use in experiments or for magic-related subjects. When a soul is used, it is free to go wherever it needs to go, though now without its unnecessary energy. It was against his orders to actually use a soul for his blade. But right now, that did not matter, since he was already AWOL from the fire nation. Right now, he only had one soul in his blade, performing the soul-burn technique, much to the agony of the soul stored within the blade that was now gaining its freedom the hard way.
"Two wrongs shall make a right!"

 

The blade bit deep into Lain's shoulder, the woudn was seared shut by the blade's heat. As the rapier hti the road, Lain found her vision narrowing until Cinder was the sole focus of the burning cold inside of her. With a quick glance around her, she realized the small crowd of other travellers that had gathered to watch the fight. One woman was standing a bit too close and Lain grabbed the front of her dress and used the woman's body to block CInder's attack. The screaming weapon cleaved the hapless woman in two.

"So how many "wrongs" will you make?" Lain asked with a laugh made entirely of ice. She had grabbed another watcher as the crowd began to disperse. With a hit to the back of the man's head with the hilt of her sword, she dangled the unconscious body before her like a shield.

 

@The_Lullabye

Spoiler: OOT

Shizukesa was taken aback by the sudden development, and sustained the victim's life by altering the flow of the blood to mostly pass to and from each of the halves until someone could bring a great healer, though it was likely the victim would die before that. Cinder froze, bound by the shock of what he just did. The two halves of the victim lie on the ground, rapidly bleeding to death from the horizontal slash. Cinder had no issue killing people. In fact, he enjoyed doing it, executing justice on the wicked.
But this.
This was different.
Rage roiled within him like never before, but it was no longer directed at anyone. It was all focused on himself, while the soul screamed in agony as it slowly left his blade, and his mask began to grow hotter. He sank to his knees, his hand still on the blade. If he lacked pride, he would have begun weeping. However, he could only stare at the ground.
My fault.
My fault.
My fault.
He could blame Lain for what happened, but he was the one who dealt the blow, not her. He could have justified himself by saying that the victim should have stayed back, but he was the one who dealt the blow. He could have even chose ignorance and say he did not realize Lain would stoop to such a thing, but he was the one who dealt the blow.
Cinder punched the ground, causing it to ripple. Over and over, he punched the ground, sending ripples across the surface of the road. His fist, adorned with bloodied knuckles, ached. But the pain was nothing compared to his grief. Or the mask that had grown so hot a sizzle could be heard as it began searing him. This pain brought him out of his shock, but only enough to crawl over to the victim, leaving sword behind as the last of the soul energy left it and growing silent.
"What are you doing!? Go get help! There is nothing you can do here!"
Shizukesa directed this at both Cinder and Lain, angered by both. She expected Cinder to cool off before anything serious could happen, but not Lain bringing a bystander into the fight. Ignoring Shizukesa's command, he gripped the victim. The victim suffered the excruciating pain of being alive and in two separate pieces, and every bit of pain was seen by Cinder. Cinder wished with all his might that he had not come to this point, regretting the anger he had to rely on. Green energy began to glow on the ground around him, seeping into the victim. His mask began cracking, the ruby glass and ebony metal deteriorating, fragments falling from his face. The hacked flesh began to sow together, and the agony on the victim dissipated, confusion replacing the agony. Shizukesa was shocked by this sudden change in Cinder. In less than a minute, the victim was fully restored, now in a peaceful daze.
"Those... those were Earth Arts you performed! But how...?"
She looked from the victim to Cinder, and saw his mask drop, breaking into multiple pieces upon hitting the ground. His face shocked Shizukesa, because now, wherever his face was touched by the mask, his flesh was seared beyond the repair of a modern medicine.

 

Sakurako didn't spend much time at the home. She changed her clothing and donned the optional clothing for someone of the Guard to wear. Her clothing consisted of a pair of dark pants and a belted tunic. Under the tunic was a metallic mesh that would turn away most attacks whether missile or not. Over her tunic she wore a vest with multiple pockets holding several items from weapons to bombs. She belted on one of her many ninjatos and headed back out into the city. It didn't take her long to find that there was a crowd of people moving quickly through the city. Out of curiosity she began to shadow the group of people, hoping to find what it was they were doing.

As she got closer to the Mob, for that is what they really were, she found that they had been chasing a girl from another nation. Her eyes narrowed as she continued to follow them through the city. The girl was obviously scared for her life and happened to be running straight for the Guard's Square. Either this girl is smart, or she's lucky to be running in that direction. Just then she felt the presence of another behind her. "What's the situation?" She spoke to the indivitual that had appeared. She knew who it was before they wanted her to know they were there.

The knowledge that she had know this caused a shudder from the Shadow Guard individual. That one shudder was all she needed to let a small smile cross her face. "Well?"

The Guradsman saluted, "Ma'am, the girl arrived earlier this day. A group of individuals have received a rumor that the King is missing. A source seems to have leaked information and we are tracking it as of now. The bodies of the girl's companions were found earlier beaten and virtually ripped apart. It is assumed that it must be one of the Head Houses that has leaked the information. I am to give you these orders and return to HQ." He handed her the package and disappeared.

She sighed and opened the package. "And here I was thinking I was going to be off duty till my next assignment started." She read the contents of the package and then concentrated, perhaps not as hard as she needed to last time, and the package burst into flames. So, it seems that the leak is indeed coming from one of the Head Houses. As per the law of our Kingdom they have committed treason and their death has already been signed by the current Regent. My lucky day. With a spiral of flame she disappeared from the scene making her way towards the House of Councilor Shirayuki. Shirayuki is a stupid stupid man. He was already on the Guard's list as a potential conspirator to commit treason and this time he left a traceable trail right to him. She smiled a cruel smile and the light in her eyes burned a cold cruel flame. The difference between her and her brother has always been their preferred method of dealing with opponents. She preferred assassination while he preferred an honorable battle. And now she gets to do what she does best, slit a throat and dispose of the body.

 

Haseo smiled as he heard a voice talking to him.
"Ah thank you for your time Captain. I wasn't sure if I would be able to talk to the king himself so your the person I needed to talk to." Haseo smiled as he looked at Captain Shunsui.
" Anyways It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Haseo Huari, senior ranking officer of the Huari mountain rangers. I have a feeling that something major is coming our way and that it'll have a huge impact on our kingdom. I want to make sure that I'm in the right place to best serve my King as my ancestors have in the past."

Haseo closed his journal and turned his full attention to the captain.
"I'm not too sure if you've noticed it or not, but the elemental balance has been starting to become unbalanced." He took a break from talking to pour himself some plum sake.
"And thats a sign of whats to come. If the fire element isn't put back into check soon enough, then our control of fire can become somewhat chaotic. At that point our enemies will notice and use it as a chance to attack us." He paused again as he drank some of his plum sake.
"Hmm, you have good taste in sake captain. As I was saying, our enemies will see it as us being weak and more importantly" He leaned closer to the captain and lowered his voice. "As a sign that our king is missing." Haseo was starting to become serious as he continued to talk.
"If history is as accurate as it is, last time a element became unbalanced.... it was because a current king had disappeared or died without leaving anyone to take his place."

Haseo made sure to keep his voice down to a whisper as he talked about what could be happening. He noticed throughout the city that no one had a hint as to what was really happening and he didn't blame the cities government. He was sure that they didn't want to bring the current situation to anyone's attention. But he feared that the news had been leaked or the assassins that he noticed in town where ether responsible or just part of the king's guard.

"You do have a plan in place for a situation, do you not? I'd like to help out in any way I can. I will tell you that as I was walking around the city I did notice some assassins that, although did a good job of blending into the city, didn't look like they where from the fire or any of the other kingdoms of Lazarus. " He kept looking at Shunsui as he took another drink of his sake, taking note of his surroundings.

"In my experience, a mass gathering of assassins always means a huge bounty's been put out on someone close." Haseo noticed a little girl rushing in and under a table. "or it could just be a assassin get together." He took one last drink of his sake and he noticed a commotion starting to come into the building. Haseo got up and stretched his fingers out.

"I think we need to see whats going on, don't you agree captain?"

 

Shunsui let the man finish and noticed that a girl had burst into the Crimson Blade and had hidden herself under one of the tables. He turned to Haseo and nodded. "I believe that some Laws may be needing to be enforced." He narrowed his eyes and stood up from the table. "CLEAR THE TAVERN!" He spoke with such force and authority that the patrons immediately began moving tables and chairs making way for the Captain. Many of the patrons began running out of the way and seeking refuge upstairs. Even with the elements being out of balance his own elemental pressure began to build. He reached to his side and drew the Katana belted at his hip.

The commotion outside had grown louder and he knew a mob had gathered. He glanced at the girl hiding under one of the tables and exhaled. She must be who they are after. I cannot condone this kind of reaction no matter who she is or where she is from. There will be order in MY city. With a flick of his wrist the Katana burst into crimson and gold flames. He began to walk towards the entrance of the tavern, his rage building because of the blatant disorder and breaking of his City's Laws. As he stepped outside he saw the mob of people with murder in their eyes.

"I AM CAPTAIN SHUNSUI KUROHOMURA! YOU ARE IN DIRECT VIOLATION OF THE LAW. ARTICLE 38-7A: CITIZENS ARE HEREBY PROHIBITED TO FORM MOBS. ARTICLE 46-3C: CITIZENS SHALL NOT CAUSE DISORDER AND CHAOS. AND ARTICLE 55-8: ATTEMPTED MURDER." He projected his voice in such a way that made it echo down the streets. People blocks away could hear him and froze in awe As if on cue, several guardsmen started to materialize and surround the Mob. "AS CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD I DEMAND YOU DISPERSE LEST YOU WISH TO SUBMIT TO YOUR PUNISHMENT. PUNISHMENT FOR FAILING TO COMPLY, IS DEATH!"

As if to emphasize his point the flames on his blade surged and leaped to a new height being fueled by his anger and his rage. His eyes burned with a dangerous flame and a grimace was worn on his face. As if anticipating the Mob's intent, he immediately placed himself in a 'ready' stance, drawing and igniting his wakizashi in his left hand. "Make your choice vermin."

 

Gideon watched the woman carefully, trying to discern what kind of person she was...and making sure she wasn't going to harm him in any way, as he was still quite suspicious of her. Seeing her fly around the room for no apparent reason other than her own amusement, he took some time to assess the situation.
"She seems...friendly and approachable, if nothing else, though her intention to defeat King Yuri does raise some concerns. Also, her behavior is so erratic, I doubt she can be trusted with the throne, even for a short while. That's assuming she would be willing to give it back in the first place."
He spoke up in reply, though he wondered if she could even hear her while she was flying around.
"Do you really think a nickname is necessary? I've never been fond of them, myself. The only one I've ever gone by is--"
"Brother Gideon! I knew you'd come."
A familiar figure came into the throne room and threw his arm over Gideon's shoulder, smiling widely.

Name: Lysander (a.k.a. Nero the Magnificent)

Age: 33

Personality: Flashy, flamboyant and grandiose in everything he does, those who do not know him might dismiss him as an eccentric buffoon or even a raving lunatic. However, his eccentricity is matched only by his brilliance, which has earned him a great deal of respect from many in the Northern Kingdom. Those who underestimate him based on first appearances often come to regret it when faced with the calculating mind and overwhelming strength hiding behind his charasmatic disposition.

Short Background: A man of great renown who has been called a living legend by some, his reputation as both a warrior and a strategist preceed him. He served in the court for some time, ultimately stepping down from his position as one of the king's generals to pursue his own destiny. He felt a calling on his life to mentor the next generation of warriors. The results speak for themselves; he was Gideon's teacher, after all.

Appearance: Has medium-length umkempt black hair with a blonde streak on the left side and hazel eyes. Wears an extravagantly decorated purple robe adorned with jewels and made from the finest materials.

Kingdom: Northern Kingdom (Wind)

Weapons: Composite Longbow; Dagger; Bo Staff (Steel)

After turning to face him, Gideon nodded with a slight smile on his face.
"It is good to see you again, Master."
Nero laughed and gave his apprentice a few pats on the shoulder.
"Indeed, it is good to see you again as well! Unfortunately, this is no mere visit for the sake of pleasure. Brother Gideon, my premonitions have brought me to this place at this most crucial time. Can you feel it in the wind? Can you hear it in the trees? A shadow has fallen across this fair land of ours! But we shall stand against the darkness."
He then turned to the Gale, gesturing towards her.
"And you must be she of the royal blood, known as Gale! I knew you'd come."
"She claims rightful ownership of the throne while King Yuri is missing."
Upon hearing this, Nero nodded thoughtfully and stroked his chin.
"I see. That is quite a bold claim indeed, yet does it come from a place of arrogance or is it merely the truth being revealed? I will determine this for myself!"
He gestured towards the throne room doors, looking at Gideon.
"Brother Gideon! I will handle this situation of great importance personally. Surely there are a great deal of things that require your attention, so allow your mentor to lighten your burden of this matter!"
Gideon bowed and replied before making his way to the door.
"Of course. Thank you, Master."
When Gideon left the room and closed the doors behind him, Nero turned to face Gale.

"Well now, you seek to claim the throne during the king's absence? Quite a move of boldness! It is certainly possible and you may even be a worthy candidate to lead while the king is away. However, there is more to ruling this nation than your royal bloodline. So I must determine if you are truly a ruler or merely a pretender to the throne."
He extended his pointer finger toward Gale.
"First, Nero the Magnificent himself asks you this! Have you acquired the royal amulet? Surely you must know that without it, such a claim to the throne is without meaning. You may as well delete such ambitions now if that is the case!"
He accentuated the word "delete" by swiping the same pointer finger horizontally.
"Secondly, have you undertaken the rites of ascension? This is vital as well! Only when both of these conditions are met can you be considered the ruler of the land, even if only temporarily."

 

"I couldn't agree with ya more." Haseo stood behind the captain as he put his hand on his fighting knife. The mob looked really agitated for some reason and he wanted to be ready in case he had to fight for his life. He heard the captain out and noticed that guards where starting to appear now. Haseo looked around and found the place the girl has hiding. On instinct he turned around and sprinted towards Mew.

"You take care of that mob and I'll keep the girl safe!" Haseo yelled out as he grabbed Mew and headed back towards his room. he smiled at the little girl.
"You don't have to worry now, we'll make sure that your safe." As he said this, he winked at her. His main focus right now was to make sure this girl was kept safe and was out of harms way. And anyways, if things go south.... a little girl shouldn't have to see that.


And if anyone got past the guard and tried to get close to her.... may the gods help their souls.

 

Stepping into the castle main hall Bardra could hear squabbling from the throne room
"With Queen Calista missing we must decide a Ruler, we can not...." a posh voice was interrupted by a graveled yell "I won't let some noble put his brat or himself where the queen sat. Someone of the military should..." as the graveled voice began to voice Bardra had heard enough of their bickering and pushed open the throne room doors. All heads turned in shock as they had thought this was a private meeting.
"Morning Generals, Lords, and Ladies my apologies for interrupting but it seems you all had forgotten to invite me to this council." Bardra calmly said with a smile.
"Lord Volund, why are you here?!" A noble woman shrieked "Former High General Bardra, you presents isn't need so please explain why you are here" a young fresh faced general spoke.
"That's High General son, And I'm here to remind you all of why we are where we are. We must stop this bickering and locate Queen Calista or have you all forgotten in your power grab?" Bardra spoke with conviction attempt to take control of the room .
"High General?!? Impossible Tarken is acting high general, you retired several years ago old man! This is no more than YOU trying to take power!" a well dressed nobleman stood up yelling at Bardra. The general in question face remained as if something wasn't right, an older man among the generals spoke. "Bardra, how is you know of the Queen's disappearance? The public can't know of this so how is a retiree as yourself know?"
Bardra sighed and pulled out a large scroll. "Here is the court record of my forced vacation assigned by Queen Calista herself. It reads that High General Bardra Volund shall be put on leave untill the Queen deems he has rested enough or if the Kingdom is deemed in a state of dire emergency. Not sure about your judgement but with the queen missing i say this is fair grounds for my presence here. I am quite saddened Tarken, I had thought you would be the first to speak in my defense, ah well no harm done."
Tarken's face grew dark "S-s-sorry, High General....." With out even looking at the man Bardra continued 'As for my knowledge of the Queen, those of us with a sensitive connection to the elements tend notice a spike in it being unbalanced. So i came to investigate and try to find the queen myself".
The room became silent after Bardra showed scroll to each person in the room. After several minutes a noble finally spoke up "W-w-w-we don't have to listen to you none of this holds any meaning since queen calista isn't here" Digging into his bag he pulled out several scrolls and began speaking "That is where you are wrong, in these scrolls are your oaths to Ruler and Kingdom. Shall I read each individuals or is just yours enough?" "THIS IS BLACKMAIL" A noblewoman shouted.
"NO, This is me holding you all to your Word! We ALL swore an oath, we all have a duty to do. And If i had not come here today you all would have forgotten that or worse ignored it! The oath I swore has me protect the kingdom from all threats, foreign or domestic, armies or revolts, nobles or generals..... Now how shall we proceed" Bardra's speech left everyone in the room questioning themselves . Tarken then spoke up "What shall we do then High General?" a few nobles nodded waiting for directions as they were not going to be able to do as they wished.
"Firstly, focus all possible resources to finding Queen Calista, we must find her above all else. Secondly the public must not learn of the queens absence, lest the other kingdoms find out we are weakened. Thirdly we maintain the status quo as long as possible, in hopes we find her Highness. And lastly reinforce our borders, have scouts on constant patrols and reporting on all unusual movements in the kingdom. Send a extra patrol to the villages, the people must be safe." Pausing he the added one last remark "Send a envoy to the other kingdoms, If the queen is missing and it was not by their hands they could have be fallen the same fate as we have" With those orders the meeting came to an end. Ahhhhhhhhh, that went better than i expected. Seems I didn't need my glaive after all, but this was just the start, If we don't find the Queen soon I'll have much larger headaches to deal with....... I wonder if Anglea's teas will help with that hmmmmmmmm

 

A good majority of the mob took one look at the Captain of the Guard and fled. However the drunkest of teh group or just the ones too stubborn or dumb to turn tail stood their ground. With makeshift weapons in their hands they moved forward as one. No matter how skilled the captain was, if they mobbed him, what could one man do?
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Mew looked through blurry eyes at Haseo. "P-Pwomise?"

Even before Haseo answered, Mew's face began to light up and the tears slowed.

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Gale landed next to Nero. "It has been a long time since I saw you last, Naughty Nero."

She paced around him a few times thinking to herself. "Well, I'm told my uncle was wearing the amulet when he was kidnapped, so it must be considered as lost to us. And as for the "Rites of Ascension," whoever this shadow ruler of our continent is should mind their own business and let us govern our own affairs! We are a kingdom, and yet we owe fealty to a person that no one has ever seen."

"So since I don't have any of your requirements, what shall we do now? As I'm the only royal standing up at this time, there is no contention over the throne in this crisis. Is it not better to have someone of the royal bloodline in charge instead of some appointed steward? We wouldn't want the masses thinking that a coup has taken place, now would we."
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An expression of shock crossed Lain's face for a moment before the cold grin returned. "Has the fight been knocked out of you already?" She asked with amusement.
Two elements are under his control. One is fire for certain, but the other... both Earth and Water have healing factors... green energy is symbolic of Earth.

With an annoyed, "Tsk," Lain cast the unconscious man aside with no more care than one would show to one's hat before sheathing her saber.
"No wonder the Priestess is so interested in you, Cin. Though I'd be wary of anyone interested in that. It's forbidden, but I'm sure you know that. You can bet that she knows that. But one has to wonder what she's planning. Rumor has it, people like you are being searched for by those in power. Enforcing the laws and all that, you understand enforcing laws of course."

Lain turned to leave but thought better of it and strode purposefully up to Cinder. Kneeling down in front of him but just out of his reach she glared into his eyes.
"I'm sure you don't remember me, but I remember that mask of yours, I remember you. It's been so many years now, but your sins are finally catching up to you. You killed my father, Flame Eater. I watched as that nasty blade of yours tore him apart, yet you showed no remorse. He simply happened to be there and you slew him anyway, but this woman's unfortunate accident turns your stomach? How pathetic you are."

With that said Lain stood and walked down the road towards the water kingdom. It wasn't until she turned the bend in the road and was out of site of both Cinder and Shizukesa that she let the grin she'd been holding in surface.
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Name: Rhiner
Age: [REDACTED]
Backstory: [REDACTED]
Personality: [REDACTED]
Appearance: [REDACTED]
Weapons: [REDACTED]
Element: N/A, Verbena

 

Nero shook his head and clicked his tongue.
"Perish the thought. However, you must realize that the amulet is no mere trinket and the ceremony is not merely an ancient tradition to be forgotten and deleted whenever we see fit! Without these, the elements will spiral out of control which may very well bring about our ruination!"
He stopped gesturing wildly for a moment to point at Gale once again.
"And you speak of the peoples' suspicion of a coup? Surely, you must realize that your situation looks quite suspicious to the outside eye. The king is spirited away without a trace and a scion of the royal family appears out of the ether to take his place? Would it be a stretch of the imagination for an imaginative mind to suspect foul play of the coup variety? I do not personally believe in this play of foulness, but some may."
He then made a grand gesture towards the throne.
"Now, let us take a closer look at this conundrum with a calm, unfettered mind! We have no ruler at the moment and a new one cannot be crowned without the previously mentioned prerequisites. Ergo, we must find King Yuri above all else. Who will lead our nation in this grand quest?!"
He spun around, pointing to Gale once again.
"You wish to take on this role, do you not? But I know nothing of your capabilities in the area of leadership. For all I know, even young Brother Gideon might be a more capable leader. After all, despite his young age, his star shines brightly in the night sky. I tell you this not to insult you, but merely to state the reality of the situation. So I ask you again! Do you truly think yourself worthy to lead, or are you merely a pretender to the throne? Speak for yourself, Gung-ho Gale, not for your bloodline!"

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Gideon had a brief talk with the guards he passed by on the way through the palace, giving them various instructions to help maintain order in the capital while the search for King Yuri continued. After what seemed like a much longer time, he finally made it back to his room. He sat down at his table, head on his folded hands, deep in thought as to what his next move should be.
"No doubt the people will panic when they learn that the king is missing. Enemies of the throne may even feel emboldened enough to make their move in his absence. The situation is looking dire indeed."
He walked over to a corner of his room and pulled out an old scroll, setting it down on the table and looking it over.
"I may even have to take some...very drastic measures in order to ensure the kingdom's survival."
He let out a heavy sigh.
"If only I could have convinced that girl to join us. Then this might not have been necessary at all."
He rolled up the scroll, which contained information about a certain prisoner in the castle's dungeon, and stood up.
"Well, there is no sense in dwelling on the past now. I will do whatever it takes to secure our future. I only hope that King Yuri understands how necessary my actions were."

 

Sakurako arrived at the estate of Councillor Shirayuki and immediately began to survey the grounds. Her eyes scanned the area noting where the guards were, when they were to make which rounds, and where the gaps in their security were. She smiled her cruel sadistic smile and brought up her mask to cover her face.

The mask seemed a simple clay mask, but the runes etched on the boarder, shape, and how meticulously formed, stated otherwise. It was just large enough to cover her entire face, a light grey, and in the shape of a cat's face. Along the edges were runes in the old language that read, 'I kill for Justice, I kill for peace, I kill not for personal gain, for through the death of one, many may be saved.' Upon placing the mask and ensuring it was made snug, she unsheathed her blade. The two and a half foot blade came from it's sheath with slippery ease and would have glinted in the light if it weren't for the Blade's blackened steel. Time to have some fun.

In an instant she was gone from her secluded perch upon a rooftop only to arrive on the roof of the Shirayuki manor. Security is fairly lax for a man who is considered a traitor. I wonder if he knows that we've caught him? She ran lightly over to one of the vents on the roof and opened it with ease and slipped through. Crawling through the ducts of the Manor as silent as a mouse, she arrived upon the office of the man she was after. Carefully she removed the grate that separated the duct from the room and slipped inside. She replaced the grate and went to work setting up the trap. Some steel-string and a couple other necessary items and she had rigged herself both a snare and a noose.

My orders was to either make it look like an accident or suicide. Suicide is always so much easier. Her thoughts were distracted from finishing because she heard the door handle begin to turn. She dove behind one of the chairs and waited for her quarry to come meet his end.

Sure enough the man who walked through the door was none other than Shirayuki himself. A slightly pudgy man in his mid 40's and graying hair. He took one step into the room and closed the door. That's when she triggered the trap. In a split second, Shirayuki was bound by his feet by one loop of steel-thread and then hoisted up by a second loop of steel-thread by his neck. The man began to struggle for air, grasping at his neck with his hands. His fingers desperately trying to find a way to break free. That's when she stepped out from her hiding place. The look in his eyes was beyond priceless.

"Shirayuki, you have been sentenced to death by the Regent of the Fire Kingdom for Treason against His Majesty the King. Your wanton disruption of political, economic, and social affairs has been documented by the Shadow Guard and evidence of your crimes known by all of the Council and will be made known to the King upon his return. Your family will be granted mercy but because of your... dishonorable choice of death, their status will be stripped and they will be revoked their status in living. Your treason will be made public upon the return of the King and the fate of your family will then rest with him." By the time she had finished reading his sentence, Shirayuki's eyes had rolled to the back of his head and his struggling had almost ceased.

She went to his desk and produced a forged letter, crafted by an expert forger in the Shadow Guard, and placed it upon his desk. It was a letter that detailed his many counts and how Shirayuki could no longer stand to do the things he did. And so in a fit of frustration, he hung himself. She then simply opened a window and disappeared in a whirl of fire once again with her task being completed.

Shunsui looked at the remaining mob members and growled. "So be it vermin. If you wish to die then I shall oblige you and remind you why the Fire Kingdom has always been feared and respected." He began to take steps forward towards the few remaining members of the mob. His guardsmen barely moving with the exception to keep the mob enclosed. Each step he took towards the mob left a flaming footprint upon the stone of the street. Flames that wouldn't go out even after he had moved away from them. "I gave you a warning. Now you will die."

In a flash he moved using a sacred technique known as the Shun-Po, or Flash Step (An actual technique that was characterized by sudden and quick movements that were difficult for the eye to track, thus being dubbed the Flash Step), and closed the distance between himself and the first victim of his rage. Bringing to bear his katana, he sliced clean through the first mobster, the fiery blade instantly cauterizing the wounds but still cutting the man in half. Upon finishing the first, he moved on to the second barely paying any mind as he flicked his left wrist and launched his wakizashi straight at the poo man's chest, impaling his heart.

The third was still trying to figure out what was going on when Shunsui executed a barrel role and came up directly in front of the would-be mobster. As he came out of the roll and back to his feet, he brought up the deadly katana and sliced the man from groin to scalp, bisecting the man.

With his element of surprise gone, he turned to the remaining members of the mob and challenged them with a stare. "How hard could it be? He is just one man. What just happened? These are all things you might be thinking. Make no mistake, I was not chosen to become Captain of the Guard for no reason. I am the Captain because there simply isn't anyone who can match my skill. If you choose to give up and be arrested now, I will not kill you and you will have a fair trial. But," he added with a hint of bloodlust, "If you don't, I'll slaughter all of you to a man."

After killing three of their buddies one after another in less than a couple seconds, there couldn't possibly be anyone who would want to stand and fight. After all, one man killed three of them without even breaking a sweat. Shunsui would rather they give themselves up. It was easier for him to have people tried than it was to clean up the mess afterwords.

 

Aurora could sense that the elements being unbalanced were starting to affect the people in her country. “I need to put the elements back in order. I don’t want the people to suffer anymore than they have to.”


She looked over at Elena, Zael, Yuri, and Calista. She looked at each of the amulets she made for them. She knew that she was going to have to duplicate the earth, air, and water amulets. The fire amulet already had a duplicate that had been entrusted to the Hurai family. The Rulers before her had always trusted that family. She did as well. She had known the amulet went missing, but her crest hasn’t been placed upon it. Therefore whoever had the amulet would not be able to use it to completely control the element. Aurora smiled. That was one less thing that she had to worry about.


Aurora started putting together the three amulets. She needed to make sure that they looked perfect.

While Aurora was working on the amulets Calista, Zael, Yuri, and Elena were talking again. They were trying not to get into another argument like the one they had before. They noticed that Aurora was busy preparing something. They didn’t want to disturb her.


“I don’t think it’s fair that we talk about Aurora since she’s sitting right there,” Yuri told them.

“I agree,” Zael said.


“I’m just worried about her. She doesn’t look like she’s feeling too well,” Calista said. She was surprised that she could notice something off with Aurora. Calista knows that Aurora is very guarded normally when she talks to them.

“She’s very pale,” Elena agreed.

Yuri looked closer at his cousin. She was indeed paler than normal. She looked thinner too. “I’m still trying to get over the fact that she’s my cousin. I’m surprised I never noticed that she looked like Uncle Akemi. Uncle Akemi was killed years ago…as Aurora said.”


Yuri looked at the ground. He hadn’t thought about his Uncle in years. He missed his Uncle. He was a good man especially when it came to his kids. He was eight when Aurora was born. Yuri didn’t get to see her much because he was always stuck in the castle.


After that everyone went silent until Aurora broke the silence. “I will be heading back out to the human realm. I’m going to be setting up temporary Kings and Queens until I return you to the human realm. I have decided who I would like to rule in your place for now. That will help balance the elements until I take you back to the human realm.”


Aurora smiled at them all. “Thank you for being patient with me. A Ruler’s job is really a tough one. As for the conversation you were having earlier about me. Yes, I did hear you. You all don’t know how to whisper very well I am feeling not feeling that well. I used my time stopping powers. It really takes a toll on me. I get sick every time I use them. I had to use them at Zael’s castle and Yuri’s castle. There were too many people around. I couldn’t have them interrupt us. When I get back from the human realm you can ask me any other questions you have for me.”


“I need to go back to my normal appearance. I should have changed it back,” Aurora thought. Aurora changed the color of her hair and dress back to white. Her body was glowing white as well. Her essence was starting to fill the room. It was peaceful.


“I will be back soon,” Aurora responded looking at each and every one of them.


They all stared in awe at their Ruler.


Aurora left the realm and headed out. Her first stop was the Fire Kingdom. There element was unbalanced the longest of them all. She could sense a few fights going on around her. She sighed. “Why do people have to be so rowdy? I know exactly who I need to see. It’s going to be nice to see my old friend again.”


She tried to sense out where he could be. Her instincts told her that he was in the Crimson Flame. She smiled. “Good old, Haseo.”


She concentrated as hard as she could until she was able to will her body to go materialize in front of him. The people in the Crimson Flame all looked in her in awe when Aurora appeared. Her body was still glowing white. She looked like an ethereal being. She smiled at Haseo. “Haseo Hurai, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you. I need to talk to you. Do you think we can talk somewhere outside?”


Aurora couldn’t believe how long it’s been since she saw him last. He has grown a lot considerably. She was impressed by his appearance now. He really has changed a lot. “I’ve missed you my friend. What we need to discuss is very urgent. It would be safer if we went back to your home. Is that alright with you?”

 

"why yes, I can promise that you'll be safe. I am a Hurai Ranger after all! you're in good hands." he said to Mew as he put is broad swords on his back. making sure to take the wrapping off of them. As he turned around he saw a person materialize in front of him. He jumped to the side as this caught him off guard.

"who are you and...... wait? Is that you?" Once he saw her face and heard her voice he could tell who she was and he could trust her. he heard what Aurora had said and asked.

"It's really good to see you again! how long has it been? Ten years now?" he heard screams outside and snapped back to the current situation he was dealing with.
"Yeah it might be better if we went to my home. plus there's a huge gathering of non native assassins here as well..... actually kinda of busy protecting a little girl from a mob right now." As he said that a idea came to mind. He quickly took out his journal and wrote a quick note to the guards captain.
"But since your in a hurry, do you think we can take the girl along as well? I kind of promised that I would protect her from the angry mob right outside." He rushed back downstairs and placed the note on the table him and the captain was sitting at and also grabbed the amulet.
"I don't want to lose this... sorry for leaving so suddenly captain..." He saw the fighting outside and knew it would be better for them to leave.

Haseo got back to where Mew and Aurora was, picking up mew.
"Okay, now we can leave for home. I had to see how things where going down there and also grab a amulet I just found today..... weird story I have around it" He smiled at his old friend.



Here's what the note said: Me and the girl are safe. Will be back shortly!

 

Aurora laughed. “Yes, it’s me, Aurora. It has been about ten years since I last saw you. You certainly have changed from the stubborn little boy you used to be.”


Aurora shuddered when she heard the screams outside. She wasn’t used to sound anymore. She normally sat in her realm in silence watching over all the inhabitants. Making sure that everyone was safe. “Assassins…hmm…I wonder if they are from Verbena. If they are it is for the best that we leave as soon as possible. I cannot have them find me…if they do Lazarus will fall. I will not let my country fall.”


Aurora looked over at the little girl. She could tell that she wasn’t from Fire’s land. “You did promise to protect her. So I think it’s for the best if she comes with us.”


Aurora held out her hand to Haseo. She knew that she had to get them out of sight quickly. She didn’t want the assassins to see her. “If you take my hand we will get to your house quicker. We will be able to talk in peace.”

 

"yeah I've grown a lot but so have you! Surprisingly I got myself higher up in the Rangers ranks sooner than I thought." Haseo was still surprised and really glad to see his old childhood friend. He quickly grabbed his bag and with Mew, he took Aurora's hand.

"Yeah I think the streets aren't the best place to walk right now." He smiled and winked at mew. "you don't have to worry about her, she's an old friend of mine as well."

 

When they got to Haseo’s house Aurora felt better. She wasn’t as out in the open as she was in the Crimson Flame. She breathed a sigh of relief. The smile dropped from her face and she got serious. “As you know Haseo the elements have become unbalanced. You know that the King of Fire is missing. The other Kings and Queens are missing as well. So the balance between all of the elements is thrown off.”


Aurora looked at Haseo intently. “I do have a request. If you are willing to accept I will be grateful to you. I know that the citizens are suffering. I don’t want to see them suffer anymore. I want you to become the temporary King of Fire. Zael is with my realm. He is safe. I have my reasons for bringing him into my realm.”


Aurora folded her hands in front of her. “I also know that your family was entrusted with the duplicate Amulet of Fire. I heard it went missing a few years ago. Thankfully if someone did find it they would just think that it’s an ordinary amulet. Have you been able to locate the amulet recently? It will be great if you have.”


Aurora was starting to feel weak again. She sat down on one of the chairs that Haseo had around the house. She really hated that she was feeling this way. “I would really appreciate you becoming the temporary king. I have known you for many years. I put my absolute faith and trust in you.”


Aurora smiled sadly at her friend. “If you cannot do this for me I understand. I know that you have other duties as well.”



OOT: My posts will be a little shorter for now. The ill be longer again soon.

 

Haseo was glad to be back home, if it was only for a very short time. He put Mew down and started to listen to what Aurora had to say.
"so, your the one who took the king." He sighed after he said that.
"Thats good! I know that he's safe nowI You'd always had a plan when you did things!" He smiled but then things started to click in his mind and chuckled. He took out the amulet and looked into it's gemstone.

"I knew there was something more to this fire opal amulet. It looked almost exactly like the one my ancestor, General Hurai, wore. But yet something was off..." Haseo showed the amulet off for the ruler of Lazaras to see.

"Strange that I found this today, isn't it? but is this an amulet of fire? it's missing the crest for some reason... thats been puzzling me... but regardless you can trust me to be there for the people of the fire kingdom. Just as long as King Zeal will come back to take his place." He smiled back at Aurora and pulled up a chair next to her to sit down on.
"I'll be glad to serve as a temporary King as well as balance the fire element. My masters not only taught me about the element of fire but also the balance of the elements as well. " He gave his old friend a reassuring smile.

"I also sense that there's something coming that will effect Lazarus as a whole.... something that all of the kingdoms need to work together to face."