Old storyline; locked

Xu had reached the capital, where Cibhi was.

He set alight the lamposts, and shot flames at the houses. He was hoping to bring Cibhi from wherever he was. Not to harm him, for, that was not his instructions...

He only needed to wait for Aerul to get here, then...He would have his chance.

Bandon and his forces arrived at the capital to find a lunatic setting fire to houses. "Stop in the name of the king! Burn anything else and my guys will cut you down where you stand!" and with that Lucifer's Pride revealed themselves brandishing swords, axes, maces and crossbows. "Surrender now, or I will tear you apart!"

Aerul was drawn to the light of the burning city. Possibly someone might have tried to kill Cibhi, this was not good. However it could be a trap. aerul however had already resigned to death and was prepared to kill Cibhi, no matter what.
Aerul entered the capital and tried to get through the streets avoiding the fire, heading for the palace.

Xu turned around to face his foe, eyes glowing.

"I come in the order of Optimordus. Nothing shall stop me; I shall not fail my lord!!" He spoke in a distorted voice.

Suddenly, huge roots shot up out the ground on either side of Xu. They were alive, and trained to attack his enemies. One swipe and you were dead; or in so much pain you'll want to be...

Aerul reached the walls of the palace. He slipped over the walls and entered the palace. in the dead of night he hid in the shadows. as it was nearly midnight, no-one noticed an extra shadow, that was moving.

Xu turned suddenly. He sensed Aerul. He followed his scent to the palace, and walked through the palace walls. He was in the kings chamber, and Cibhi looked up in shock...

"Another fool, who thinks he can kill Bandon! I can grow tired but never die! Optimordus? I think I know him.. But on guard. Charge!" Bandon's forces charged and Bandon himself got his boomerang blades out and threw them then charged with axe in hand. Garan ran with his dual swords out and flipped over to the opposite side of Xu, ready to kill. "Nothing kills me. Just a fair warning. Die!"

Koroa took one wingbeat to get into the less dense part of the jungle with more sunlight. Toro had forgot who the king was, Chibi. Perhaps they could meet up, or maybe join the royal army like Bandon.
They glided down to see houses on fire...this means attack.

Cibhi stared.
"Xu,I think it is?"He said"Why are you here?Is something happening?"He did't notice the change in him,because of the lack of lamps in the room."Hang on a sec..."He got out of bed,pulled his robe on and lit the torch on the wall.He turned and gasped."That's a bit...different.So,why are you here?"

OOC: Xu is in the Palace

Xu paused for a second.

"The lord is in my command."
"The lord has commanded me to kill Aerul and his...band.. Of rangers. He said they would be looking for you; I am not here to harm you -yet."

Xu then wondered whether it was wise to tell Cibhi this.

He then turned to the door, ready for when Aerul or Bandon comes in...

As Aerul heard Xu speak through the door, two guards found him. "Oi, mate. You're in trouble, assassin."The Guards said, taking Aerul by surprise. He turned and tried to fight the pair of them off but they clubbed him down and beat him unconscieous. They took Aerul and locked him up. With several Royal Guards guarding him.While two others went to tell the King. And also to ask if he wanted him publicly hung.

"Xu, leave at once or face my wrath. You should know that when I turned into a captain of the royal guard, no one f*cks with the king! Oh and my lord, this Deva wants to become an ally of the kingdom. He says he is a warrior prince." Bandon said while watching Xu carefully out of the side of his helmet. His soldiers were outside getting the flames under control. Garan was touching his weapons waiting to see if he would need to use them.

Xu paused for a moment.

He turned to face Bandon, his eyes glowing even more intensely than before.

He clicked his fingers, and returned outside the city gates. HE had to kill Aerul, not any guards.

He waited until Aerul came into view...

OOC: Galox, don't kill Aerul before I kill him, I have a plot on at the moment.

IC: The cell was dark, dank and stank of stale sweat, dried blood and strangely, of magic. The very walls and bars of the cell had a strong smell of magic. Aerul was in no condition to do anything though, being badly beaten and unconcious

Cibhi walked into the dungeons.
"Aerul."He said calmly"You came here tonight of your own free will to kill me,when Xu is also here on the orders of a man whom I do not know,ordered to kill you.And apparently they thought bursting into my chambers and disturbing my sleep was the best way to do so.Why are you predjudiced against me?"

Aerul was slumped on the wall, his eyes blank his mind still submerged n the deep waters that is unconciousness. No answer came from Aerul. He didn't even know where he was...

Xu waited...but nothing stirred from within the city. He knew that Aerul was still alive, if even just. Xu would come back later if Aerul wasn't dead by then. Xu set off in search of a man named Salvanar...His next victim...

Cibhi left the dungeons,dissatisfied.He left the palace,and walked through the ruined city,all eyes on him.He was their king,and right in his back yard they had been attacked.As he reached the entrance to the village,one of the gaurds stopped him.
"Sorry sir,you cannot go any further than this."He said.Cibhi sighed.
"How much would it cost for a horse,some supplies and for the gaurds to conviently take a break?"He said.The gaurd was baffled."Of course,the money will be put under a different reason...I'll think of it when I get back."The gaurd nodded.
"1,000 gold."
"500."
"750"
"600"
"650"
"650 it is then."He said,pulling a small bag out of his pocket.Out of it he pulled a small card,wrote something on it,and handed it tp the gaurd."Take this to the treasury,ONLY after I am gone.Any time before that and I will dock 650 gold pieces from your pay."About five minutes later,he was off,heading south on horseback with enough supplies to last a week.And,as the gaurd went to check in the gold,he found out that the note,rather than saying 650 Gold,said 6.50,meaning 6 gold and 50 silver,next to worthless.

Bandon was in his room in the barracks meditating in darkness when a guard ran up to him. "Sir! Sir! The king left the city! I let him through but now I regret my actions. What shall I do?" Bandon looked at the small guard in a piercing glare and then he slowly got up and pushed th guard out of the room. "Have you heard of knocking? If so do it next time! I could of been in part of a ritual and we all know how much the guards hate watching that. Now get lost!"
He slammed the door on the trembling guard and resumed his meditating in the middle of his Pentagram of blood surrounded by red candles. The guard walked off sadly. This will most likely cost his job... When he was walking through the corridor he saw Garan messing around in the armory. "Hey you! Get out of here! And um.. Could you help me? I would like you to get the king back.

Optimarus had recieved a letter.
This was a rare occaision. Very few people had a bird that knew where to find him, or wouldn't screech and fly away in terror at the sight of the island.
Well then...it must be him.
Optimarus didn't trust him. He was altogether too intelligent; he thought too much, just like Nero. But he was useful, which was what counted.
The king was headed south...It seems he had gone to try and rectify the Tamaris tree's dying, which had also annoying been postponed due to Mazei being discovered before he could put the finishing touches to it's demise.
Time to really start on the Norn, then.
He smiled. It was right there, if people only looked to see it.
The mountains have been described as a circle; The Mountains, the animals, and the Norn, all keeping each other safe. The Animals and the Norn kept the mountains habitable. After all, what were they but huge lumps of rock prone to storms and wind?
So if one of the links was broken...
And what was the easiest to break...
Optimarus always enjoyed killing animals. He could just imagine that the dying creature was the entire world in pain, and that was exactly what Optimarus wanted. He didn't want power; he didn't want to control all life.
He wanted to destroy it.

Early in the morning, Aerul regained consciousness. The Guards attempted to question him but being unable to apply torture to his beaten body they could not get Aerul to tell them anything. So they decided to send, by messenger hawk, a message to Cibhi. It said:

"The prisoner has woken. We cannot get him to say anything to us. you might be able to get something out of him however.
Chief Guard, Heptios.
P.S. The guard was very upset you cheated him. Needless to say, he was demoted as well."

Toro and Koroa were back at there tree. Koroa sat down breathing smoke now and then....bored. Toro was trying to practise his spells. He was great with his katana but he needed to learn how to attack unarmed. He could do simple fireballs and small blasts of flames, but that was about it. Unless he was in a rage, when unarmed, he would be practicly defensless...
That is why he thought he wasn't ready for being a royal guard...friend he was with Bandon and Chibi, but he knew that he wasn't that powerful.
Nothing was really happening. They were both getting bored. It was almost like that they wanted something horrible too happen...
And that is what happened.

Cibhi was swiftly approaching the Tamarisk tree,when a hawk landed on the head of his horse,with a not on it's leg.He took the note off,read it,and wrote on the back.
"Dear Heptios"He wrote"I cannot be back right now,I have a forest to save."He attached it to the Hawk's leg,stroked it's head and watched as it flew off.He then tapped his horses side and said "Come on.We need to be there before something bad happens."

Meanwhile....
Verraidor paced the throne room.
"Sir,more bodies have been found burned,and dead.We cannot identify them,but we believe hem to be the Smiths,as their bodies show more burning than most,possbly from the forge."Said a gaurd.
"Terrible...terrible..."He said,lost in thought."Any news of the king?"
"We sent a hawk to him this morning,it has yet to return." Verraidor sat on the throne,fingering his staff.A crow flew in through the window,and landed on his lap.He took the not off it,put a gold piece in its beak and then began to read the note as it flew off.He sighed,and put the note in his pocket.
"I must go.It would appear my sister has fallen ill,I will have to visit.Until I am back,postpone all matters."He said,and walked out of the throne room.

Optimarus stared into the waters.
He saw the king...
And he saw Hawke, moving towards him. They must not be allowed to reach the tree before Mazei has finished his work.


Hawke saw a rider. He was short...Cibhi, he was sure of it.
His new pet falcon sat on his shoulder, nibbling at a vole it had caught earlier.
He ran down the tree, and towards the child. Who was, Hawke reminded himself, the King of corbep. Without an honour guard, he noticed.
"Cibhi! It's me!" Hawke called. "Where are all the guards and warriors becoming of royalty? Id've thought you wouldn't be able to move for them." Hawke grinned.

Bandon was taking a stroll around the palace and he saw a couple of people having a conversation in the throne room. Uninterested, Bandon carried on intil he got to the barracks and saw Garan leaving the palace. Bandon decided to follow to see what he was doing. He followed Garan out of the city and into the wilderness, where Besda was letting his horse relax. He jumped to the ground and crouched down to the ground checking the soil. All of a sudden he was off galloping. Bandon had a hard time keeping up and out of sight. He guessed where he was going, the Tranelia tree...