Succession: Rebellion

Rein

"I'd really appreciate that." Rein said, smiling gratefully at Katie. Atiya squealed and giggled as Brighe picked her up, squirming to try and get out of her iron grip.

"Lemme go, Aunti Brighe!" Atiya shouted, giggling and still trying to worm her way out of Brighe's hands.

Rein chuckled at her daughter's futile attempts to get out of Brighe's grip. Her expression faltered for a moment at the mention of Kegan, but she made sure to cover it up, mostly for Atiya's sake.

"That, or she'll drive me into an early grave." Rein joked to Brighe. She nodded politely at the Inu as he came over.

C.C.

"You gave Ye-Jong the throne? Then...you're a god." C.C. stated, warily regarding the mysterious old man. She shook her head at Nebi for his foolishness and boldness.

Tsuba

Empress Tsuba held out a hand toward Senka, making sure she would stand down. She glared at Nebi, but did not take the bait.

"Now I remember why I didn't like you Nebi. You talk too much. Perhaps that should be fixed."

A guard next to Nebi drew a dagger, prepared to cut out the thief's tongue if ordered. Maul slightly emerged from the shadows of the throne, staring at Nebi. He slowly shook his head at the boy, and motioned toward his left, where C.C. was in hiding.

Annak clenched his fist, watching the judgement of this young man. He glared up at the queen, disappointed in her cruel ways. This is no way to run an empire. Annak took a step forward, but Amarok bit Annak's pant leg.

"Don't interfere." he warned.

"I can't just watch this!" Annak spat back. Amarok growled.

"We can't afford to draw attention to ourselves." he told Annak.

Katie/Brighe

"And hello you you as well, Nell." Katie replied, amused at how formal the boy was being. "How goes the wonderful duties of floor mopping today?"

Brighe handed Atiya back to Rein, a smirk on her face at the Humage's words. "Don't worry so much, this phase only lasts a few more years. Of course when they become teenagers, they're far worse." Brighe teased.
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Savina

Savina frowned as she saw Tsuba's cruel threats. While she supported locking the Heirs away, and possibly even killing them depending on how dangerous they were, pointless torture was wrong. "This is barbaric." She muttered under her breath before standing up and walking towards the exit of the room.

Amarok noticed a woman leaving the room, looking a little disgusted. He felt something odd about her... something spiritual. A chill ran up his spine. Annak followed his gaze to the woman. She looked like she had some kind of job in the palace. He decided to distract himself from the trial. "Excuse me. Could you tell me how to get an audience with the Empress?" he asked her.

"It goes well enough," Nell replied. "I almost slipped today and cracked my head open. Last time I try mopping it with my tail," he joked, laughing at himself. He felt unsure of the joke though. He liked Katie, a lot. But the Inu knew it would be better if they remained friends. Still he didn't want to seem like an idiot."
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"Do you see something," Mab asked carefully. She was the only one beside Chris's old mentor who knew about Chris's visions. She was surprised when she found out because Chris was also blind, but she knew they were real.

"Yes. I see much my young apprentice. But nothing is clear."

Mab rolled her eyes. She hated when Chris went all cryptic on her. Still she didn't argue.

"Will you say something this time? Before you saw the results of the Heir Competition. You could have stopped Empress Tsuba from taking over."

Chris sighed. She knew Mab was all for helping others, but she didn't understand how dangerous her visions were.

"It is not my right to alter the future if it does not concern me Mab. It would be selfish."

"But-"

"No. And that is finally," Chris said firmly.

"I have regretted nothing more than giving Ye-Jong the throne. Everyone makes errors and mine are greater, forgive me, for my own great wisdom and power," Alquonde told her with a sigh, "I loved humanity and other races too much. I intervened to end the wars and created this."

He gestured to the hall, frowning at Tsuba's actions, "I should have consulted the others or the All-Father, but I thought I could help on my own."

*

Nebi frowned, seeing only C.C. He glared at Tsuba, "Don't you dare touch her."

Rein

Rein made sure to keep a tight grip on Atiya, to keep her from falling out of her arms by accident. The little girl continued to struggle, playfully hitting her mother.

"Lemme go, Mommy! I wanna play!" she wined. Rein smiled softly at Atiya and kissed her forehead.

"Do you promise to not run away next time I try to put you down for a nap?" Rein asked sternly. Atiya shook her head enthusatically. Rein smiled brightly at her daughter and set her down. Atiya ran away from her mother and hid behind Brighe's legs. She looked back over at her mother and stuck her tongue at Rein again. Rein simply shook her head and chuckled at Atiya's antics.

Upon thinking on Brighe's point, Rein sighed dramatically. "Oh, don't even remind me! I can't even imagine what it will be like when she's dating."

C.C.

"How do you think you can help?" C.C. asked.

Tsuba

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it. After all, she is quite the useful tool. Hm, tell me Senka, what punishment do you think I should give to Nebi? What would be worthy of this ingrateful whelp?" Tsuba asked, turning to the assassin.

"I thought I could help by ending the wars that plagued this world with a stable government under a compassionate ruler," Alquonde told her with a rueful chuckle, "I did not understand you mortals fully. I still don't. You mortals are easily swayed by evil, something I didn't take in account."

Brighe/Katie

"Actually I think you can. It hasn't been that long since you were one." Brighe replied, a smirk on her face. before she turned around and looked at Atiya.

Kaite chuckled as she heard Nell's story. "Don't worry, I'm sure with a bit of practive you'll be mopping with hand and tail in no time." She replied.

Brighe allowed Atiya to grab onto her pinky before she looked up at Brighe, "I have to go, sorry to say. But as you no doubt know by now, today is going to be a very busy day." Brighe said, knowing that only Rein would understand what she was talking about.
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Senka

Senka stood straight in attention as Tsuba stopped her, though she was still angry at the boy. "Might I suggest being burnt at the stake, Milady? He's caused enough Fires around the Empire. Would be a fitting fate, I think."
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Savina

Savina stopped at the doorway, beside a large white dog and a boy. "Oh now...barbaric, disgusting..." She began to rant under her breath as she walked out of the Throne room quickly.
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Cyril Jarek

Cyril sat in the stands of the Colosseum, beginning to feel bored. "Why did they have to put their best Fighter out at the beginning? Everything afterward just became...trite." The boy inwardly complained to himself as he began to contemplate whether or not he should simply leave.

Cyril had arrived in the Capital thirteen days ago, with his Father. Dad saw it as an attempt to show Cyril how to do the job he would eventually inherit, but Cyril has his own motives for traveling so far North. He was to try and find the Headquarters of the Rebels in the Capital, so he could give them the locations of nine other Rebel bases. But Cyril hadn't even spent more then an hour performing his task, knowing that it would be tedious work.

"Still. Anything has to be better then this...."

Nell blushed under the compliment and nodded earnestly.

"Thank you! I'm glad some people think I do my job well around here. With Empress Tsuba ruling I find my treatment getting worse," Nell said. Then he looked around nervously. He knew it was wrong to speak negative things about the Empress. "I only mean not everyone is so accepting of my nature."
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Sunny sighed as Rhys was not in the Soldier's Barrack. She exited the room and headed towards his quarters. She so rarely sought out people, but she felt comfortable around Rhys. Still she worried that if he found out about her lie, he wouldn't regret sending her home or punishing her somehow.

She knocked on the door lightly to his room and waited.

Rein

"Right." Rein said, giving a genuine smile to Brighe. With any luck, she'd soon be reunited with Kegan at last. It had been terrible, being parted with him these part two years, but hopefully they could be together again.

"Do you hafta go, Aunti Brighe?" Atiya whined, giving the older woman the saddest look she could muster.

Tsuba

"Indeed. A fitting and just end. But...I have a more appropriate end in mind. He shall be sent to the Arena, to fight to the death." Tsuba declared, smirking at Nebi.

C.C.

"That you didn't." C.C. said, trying not to rile up the god too much. Even while she was a Mage, this being had much more power than she did. Still, C.C. couldn't help but feel her fingers twitch as she imagined punching the man who was inadvertently responsible for her race's genocide, and her imprisonment.

Annak looked at the woman, confused. Was she talking about him? He knew that people didn't take kindly to "Skraelings", as they were called here. He was about to confront her, but before he could, she walked off. Annak, annoyed at this Empire, and it's inhabitants, from the cruel empress to the rude subjects, returned his attention to the trial. They seemed to be discussing punishment. Annak listened carefully now. It seemed his fate was to fight in the arenas for entertainment. Annak's disgust increased. He had seen gladiator fights elsewhere. Death was not a form of amusement. Every life is precious. At least, that is what he had been taught.

"Oh, really? With who?" Nebi asked with false cheer, "I hope it's with you. We have unfinished business, don't we?"

*

"I am sorry," Alquonde apologized with a sigh, being able to tell that the girl didn't like him much. He didn't blame her. As thought reading her mind, he spoke again, "I am not to blame for your race's genocide, not completely. I made a mistake and so did you, but Ye-Yong is to blame.

"Do not fear, however. This Empire will not last as it is," the god told her, "I have foreseen several possible futures lately, perhaps a gift from the All-Father. A great Change is coming."

With that said, he vanished.

Mab left the room after a while. She disliked being still for a long time. And she didn't worry about it too much. She was young and so was Chris. It would be a while before she had to take over for her.

Chris remained at the altar. She felt at peace there. And the visions didn't seem so bad either. She felt connected to the Higher Powers as well, the ones that had granted her the gift.

When she first became a Priestess she begged and begged for them to take it and give her her sight, but now she didn't mind too much.

Brighe

"Right, well you'll see me in four hours time. But first you need to take a nap, so listen to your Mommy, alright?" Brighe ordered as she stood up straight and tall again. "Tell Syrien...I said hi." Brighe requested, knowing that it was likely she wouldn't see the Elf again.
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Katie

While Brighe and Rein had been talking, Katie grabbed onto Nell's hand and began to walk down the hallway with the Inu. "I'm sorry, but I hope you don't mind walking and talking at once. I don't have much time before my shift starts, and I need to change out of this silly little thing into something more practical." Katie explained as she motioned at her dress.
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Rhys

Rhys looked up from his book and quickly jumped off of the bed, standing up straight and tall before he replied. "Yes?"
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Senka

"Sounds like a wonderful plan, Milady. Perhaps put his first match against the current champion? Would be a fascinating match." Senka agreed.

Nell nodded, fine with walking. He also understood that she had to change.

"I understand. I guess I'm lucky I don't really have to change much," he said. He was also glad that she made no comment about his towards Tsuba. He felt bad about saying it outloud.
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Sunny moved a little away from the door, but she cleared her throat.

"It's me Sir," she said, lowering her voice. It was a natural thing to do when speaking so much that she didn't remember how she really sounded.

Annak felt his blood boiling as he listened to what would happen to this boy. Amarok pawed at his pant leg. "Don't lose your cool." he said, though Amarok knew from experience that Annak was not listening. "Think of your mother. She didn't send you here to get killed." he said.

Tsuba

"I agree, Senka. Thank you for that suggestion. Nebi, you shall fight the current champion in the Arena until one or both of you are dead. Dismissed."

Rein

"I will." Rein assured, feeling sad herself. It was unlikely she'd see her father for a very long time, if ever again. Atiya pouted at Brighe but went back over to her mother. Rein picked her up and kissed the child again.

"Now, let's get you to bed, young lady."

Rhys

"Ah, Lieutant Riot, come in." Rhys replied before he sat back down onto his bed. Rhys knew that it wasn't necessary to act formal around around Sunny, and so he didn't.
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Katie

"Yes well, that's no doubt because the current Empress is a cheap bitch who doesn't care about Servants well-being." Katie answered, her sweet and humorous tone quickly being replaced by an angry one. Katie had an extremely low opinion of Tsuba, though most people didn't know why. Almost everyone in the Castle had no knowledge that Katie had witnessed, and been a part of, the challenges during the competition of Succession. And she preferred it that way, to be honest.
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Brighe

Brighe nodded one final goodbye to Rein before she turned around and began to run down the hallway, heading for her room so she could grab some supplies.

The Elf arrived in her small Quarters in just a few minutes, and she quickly went to work grabbing as many things as she could, trying to get them all to fit in her small bag.
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Carlisle

Carlisle sat alone in his quarters, thinking privately to himself as he stared up at the ceiling. The bed was plush, and the room nice, but bare. It was the rewards for being the Champion, Carlisle supposed as he stared. He had been informed a few hours ago that he was to see Clara in her room, a first for Carlisle. He knew that he was finally going to see the sun, the world, once again. "After all, what Grand Duchess wouldn't have windows and a balcony?" Carlisle thought to himself.

It would be nice to see the World, even if it was for a few minutes. He had waited long enough though... "Today just might be it..."
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Senka

"Lovely choice, Empress. I'm sure he'll enjoy seeing an old familiar face once again." Senka said, knowing it would cause Nebi to wonder.

Nebi frowned, not daring to ask about what Senka said as he was led away, probably to the dungeons beneath the palace. He just hoped he could get some sleep and the straw there wasn't moldy. He hadn't slept in days.

"Bitch," he muttered.

That was it? Nobody would defend this man? Nobody would listen to his story? He would be sent to his almost assured death because some girl said so? This was no way to treat one's subjects. Annak couldn't stand by while this potentially innocent man was sentenced to death. Amarok saw the look in Annak's eye, of sheer disgust with the empress, and knew what would happen next, as it always did when Annak met a figure of power.

"Annak don't!" The white dog ordered.

"Sorry Amarok, but I think you should get ready to run for your life. As per the usual." he warned his friend, then walked into the throne room. "Objection!" Annak yelled at the empress, trying to put on his best diplomatic face. "I object to the sentence of this man your majesty!" he cried.

Tsuba

Tsuba glared at the barbarian as he objected. She rolled her eyes and turned to Senka.

"Senka, please kill that man for me. I won't have that impudent whelp ruining my afternoon."

Senka

"Of course your Majesty." Senka replied before she pulled a knife out of her sleeve, quickly throwing it towards the boy. She wasn't sure if it would actually kill him, but it would certainly motivate all of the Guards and Civilians to get out of the way. lest they be killed instead.
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Cyril

Cyril wandered the streets of the Capital alone, looking for any of the signs of the Rebels. He had left the Colosseum after deciding that he should finally begin his task, but it hadn't been easy. "I suppose if I could find it in the course of an hour, the Empire would have captured and killed them all by now...." Cyril thought aloud.

Annak let shock cross his face for only a moment as the dagger of the assassin came flying towards him, but it hadn't been the first time somebody had used a throwing knife on him, he lifted his hand in front of the targeted area, and made a small slab of ice. The knife pierced the ice, and stabbed the palm of Annak's hand, but not much of a wound. Amarok came racing to his side, as Annak wiped his palm in his shirt. The white dog began to growl, and glanced at Annak.

"The amulet! Show them the amulet!" he said. "Your mother said it was some kind of royal seal. They'll have to let you speak." he continued.

"R-right." Annak agreed, and reached into his shirt and pulled out the amulet his mother had given him. "Let me speak!" He ordered, holding the symbol out in front of him, as though it were some kind of shield.

"Just show them the letter! Leave the boy out of it. We're walking on the edge of a dagger here." Amarok told him.

(Time for Lost, I'll be back on later.)

Nix
"Honest work....my grimwoir has more honest works!" Nix whispered. He and Gaita had stopped in the Capital city to restock on supplies. While eating at a local tavern they began to hear rumors of a great warrior of the Arena. Gaita, in hopes of breaking the man free, had dragged Nix to see the warrior. Carisle did provide quite a show, and Nix had to admit the value of potentially having him as an ally. Which was why Nix was now standing waist deep in ( he hoped with all his heart) water.

The Arena was well guarded, so a front assault was out of the question. 'Selling' Gaita proved less favorable as the guard turned her way saying "That the Arena was not a place for the tender hands of a woman.' Thus leaving infiltration, an irksome task to Nix, as their sole option of rescue.

The sewer seemed to be the only place that guards did not regularly patrol, for good reason. Where there was a path to follow it was often covered in years of accumulated filth and difficult to traverse. At other points the walkway gave way to deep expanses of water only to come again some feet down the tunnel.

"Finally. Wizard! Come make yourself useful!" Gaita yelled shortly after she rounded a corner. As Nix turned the corner he saw the source of Gaita's sudden command. There, lite by torches that burned green with magic, was a door that would lead to the underbelly of the Arena (they hopped). The torches where defiantly magic, as their green color would suggest, and Nix had no doubt that the door sealed by magic.

His suspicions proved true as Gaita tried to open the door, only for it to hold, even against all her brawn. "Curse this thing!" she huffed after a few moment of trying to force the door open. "Well?" She asked after giving Nix a moment to study the door. The runes were of an older variety but...."Its quite within my abilities. Give me a little while..." He said as he began to study the runes. Gaita sat down leaning agaisnt the wall, knowing that Nix would be taking a good bit longer than a 'while'.

(Sorry if this seems like a weak opening for the two, but I was having a difficult time deciding how to introduce them. Though it would be best to start where most people seem to be converging. Let me know if there are any issues you have with it.)