Lets Roleplay(using empty closets forum members)

Paranoia had it's benefits.

Being cloaked in a thin-layered coat of magic, the Empress was well protected from any direct magical effects. However, the scent of... roses... filled the air, entering her flaring nostrils, which was a sign of surprise and intrigue. Obviously, somebody, had infiltrated the imperial palace and either was a terrible assassin or creating a--

Distraction. Of course!

As Empress Kaiser prepared to deal with this mischievous one, from the corner of an eye she saw a chair transforming, very strangely, into what appeared to be a bed of roses. Now it dawned on her... as silly as it was, that could have been her, if not for the protective aura of magic surrounding her. So long as the effort to maintain that aura was fulfilled, she was safe; and just how and who maintained that aura, well, that was one of the most closely guarded secrets in the entire kingdom.

Like Simo had predicted, the Empress would not miss a few gems here and there. Not due to being careless, but because she would have given them away anyway. Despite a tendency to dress and be elegant, Empress Kaiser placed a heavy priority on those under her rule. From the infants just being born to the dying elders, all of them were taken care of as best as she could, to the best of her ability. Even if it meant diverting beneficial funds from the armies towards farming programs, just to keep them fed and employed...




Flashback.
Inside the Military Council.

"I will not have the means to produce the results you ask of me, without what I ask of you, My Empress."

General Valus was speaking about the budget. Under her father, the Emperor, the House of Broughton placed a heavy emphasis on the military. It had made the land strong, but it has also caused unnecessary suffering on the population -- well, those who were not of the armor-clad classes. Having been a military-first empire, anybody not fighting for the nation, was secondary...

"With a quarter of your usual means, General, I have erected several educational facilities, dented illiteracy, and even allowed young women, across this land, the possibility to be more than simple servants, or worse. Yet with your entire means, while the army flourished, the nation suffered. Tell me, does the army not enforce the rights and safety of the people? How... odd... that the army does little for the people, other than stir their pride with beating drums and fancy parades. Would I be sitting before you under my father's laws and traditions?"

General Valus clenched his teeth, from behind a closed mouth. Kaiser's father would never have done such things, because a strong army meant a better chance at a kingdom surviving. However, the Empress felt less inclined towards 'surviving' and more in favor of 'flourishing', and without education, food, and equality, this would be practically impossible. The General knew it, but it was difficult to give up the luxuries of preference, that he and his forces had enjoyed for so long.

"How will we defend ourselves from the enemy?"

"When the army is at the beck and call of the people, the people will be at the beck and call of the nation. You will not have a short supply of soldiers, if the need arises. A standing army encourages others to also raise theirs, and with all those forces the probability of conflict drastically increases. Present the illusion of timidity, and you shall have the reality of peace."

End flashback.




Lord Justinian was quite the charmer. Through the negotiations and lunch, the two had seemed to exchange several stories of their past, and some of the current conditions of their empires. Even 1,000 soldiers were offered to her. But this was cut short when an assassin had tried to make an attempt on the Empress, who had a right to be a little more than irked. Of course, Justinian had performed admirably and cornered the would-be murderer, bringing him back to stand before the High Lady.

"Justinian, what do you suggest be done?"

Posing the question to the House of Nurem's leader, she went to pet her black kitten, Neko, hoping it would purr and amuse her, as it could usually do. Awaiting the response of her fellow noble, the Empress glanced over towards where Asa should be. Silence for a moment, then a smile.

"Personally, I believe Asa here should be allowed to show their prowess. They are a fine warrior, capable of many great deeds, and worthy of many sung tales."

For a moment, a hiding skunk was the least of worries for her. However, she kept it in the back of her mind, since such creatures were not too common in these lands.

Having every reason to be angry, the Empress remained calm and collected in spite of such expectations. To the casual eyes it would seem odd, but to those who knew better, it was a sign that she had it under control, or at least a plan to benefit from this. That was the way of Empress Kaiser, a way that had worked so many times before. Besides, who would suspect a kingdom incapable of protecting themselves from an assassin, as capable of being a threat? It all fell into her plans...

Present the illusion of timidity, and you shall have the reality of peace.

 

Past:
Asa was slowly making their way through the castle avoiding to make sounds or be seen by anyone.As a ruler of the house of Broughton the empress was probably educated in magic to see attempts on her life coming.The only chance they had was sneaking out while she was busy talking with Lord Justitian and hope that she was too preocupied to notice them.
Revenge was the only thing that had made the humiliation barable, the only thing that kept them going for as long as they could remember.They wouldn't -no they couldn't die as long as that bastard was still alive.
Now came the hard part since they had to pass the thronehall if they wanted to get out of the palast.They stopped at a sudden noise.From their hiding spot they could see Lord Justitian leave the room.No.No....

 

Flashback.
The First Assassination Attempt.

Ka-Thrd~!
Ka-Thrd~!!
Ka-Thrd~!!!

The Central Chamber, where the Main Hall led, and where the throne was located, was currently under siege. With the coronation of the Princess, who became the Empress, several individuals in the religious and military circles, had taken it upon themselves to coordinate an attack on the Imperial Palace, when the bulk of the loyalists were on a distant campaign.

The only ones who were available on the sudden uprising, a nominal collection. Only a few hundred, many of them palace workers without any real combat training, but who were still willing to take up a sword and shield for their Empress. The insurrection's forces numbered nearly one thousand, and were led by some of the finer military minds, and backed by the religious elite.

"There is nowhere else to go..."

The initial attack had severely crippled any possible reactionary force. Those who had survived were immediately called into the Imperial Palace's interior sectors, to be the last line of protection for the young High Lady. Of them, General Valus, the most senior of the House of Broughton's military.

General Valus had shown a slight disapproval for the crowning of the Princess, but he was still obligated to serve the House, which meant protecting the remnant of his late lord's legacy. His leadership in such a crisis was noted, and would be rewarded. Having taken a leave unexpectedly, he was in the capital when the insurrection had attacked, which had caught the rebellion off guard. The rebels had not accounted for this oversight, and it had cost them more men than they had expected to.

"What do you propose, General? Shall we seek our final glory?" asked a soldier, exhausted and bruised though he was, his will prevented him from collapsing.

"No, Antino. The Empress would be removed, and our names struck from the texts. To die here is to fail forever."

The soldier, named Antino, glossed over being referred to by his name. Things must be bad, if the General was being somewhat casual. But that did not change the truth of what was said, or of the situation.

"Ready the escape, and make haste. Take whatever is necessary, and make way to the west. News of the fall will be slow, and we should be able to use our influence, to gain the services of the people. Set sail through the Gali Strait, and perhaps find refuge."

!!!

"General! General!"

General Valus turned.

"Terrible news, I presume."

"The rebels have destroyed the tunnels."

"Only a few knew of those tunnels... so... it is true. Caius Fercado is amongst their ranks. With the destruction of the tunnels, we have nowhere to flee..."

General Valus turned to face his men, taking just a moment to scan their faces. All of them, staring back, awaiting some hope or turnabout. The General would have to disappoint them.

"Soldiers! I will not deceive you about our current predicament. The tunnels have been destroyed, the court yard occupied, and these very doors under attack. To legitimatize the enemy's rule, we will all be slain, struck from all records and forgotten. Surrender or resistance, it will not matter. We are destined to die, but I leave how in your hands, men. I wi--"


Ka-THRD~!!!!


The Imperial Chamber's main doors fell, crashing into the ground, leaving only crumbled and broken debris to impede the rebels. They would enter, led by their mastermind, and many soldiers.

"General, your presence was a most troublesome nuisance, but it only delayed the inevitable. In the name of our late Emperor, I, Caius Fercado, shall take control of the Empire, and resume our path to destiny."

"You rebel scum!" shouted one of the soldiers who, quite recklessly, rushed towards Caius Fercado, sword gripped tightly in both hands. "How DARE YOU!!!"

He never made it... a barrage of arrows saw to that.

"Surely you realize, it is futile to resist any further, you will die either way, Valus. Like this fool..."

"The only fool here, is you."

!!!

Empress Kaiser was standing behind General Valus and his men, all of whom moved to give way to her, as she moved closer to Caius Fercado.

"Ah, Lady Kaiser... and here I was thinking, we would have to flush you out."

The Empress remained stoic faced. There was something about her demeanor, her standing there, which was slowly dawning on the soldiers. The Emperor's daughter had a plan, or at least she was playing one hell of a bluff.

"I will say this once, and only once. You will leave these lands, and I guarantee no harm comes to you."

Fercado could not believe what he had just heard. Here, a besieged ruler, was telling him, the one who had the advantage, to turn around and flee -- and she would allow him to live!

It was not surprising when he laughed, which was mimicked by the rest of the rebels.

"General Valus, your sword."

The laughter stopped. General Valus slowly handed his weapon to the Empress, while everybody watched.

"Caius Fercado, I challenge you to single combat. If not as the Empress of the House of Broughton, then as a woman assured of defeating a man."

Caius, arrogant due to the situation, accepted. There was no way he would allow the Empress to have dignity, after such a claim. He could also not afford to leave doubt as to whether or not she could best him, after such a claim.

"Soldier, your sword."

As per customs, the Empress and Caius walked towards one another, only stopping when within blade's reach of one another. Tradition dictated now, the two of them touch blades, only breaking that touch when combat had officially begun. It was a game of wits and guts, as sometimes blades would remain unmoved for quite some time. To lose contact with your opponent's blade, even if unintentional, meant possibly forfeiting your life.

"Empress," Caius whispered, "you are destined to lose, why not submit hu-- uuguuuuuh..."

Blood.
It was spilling from Caius's stomach.

"Y-you..."

"I knew you'd accept. You'd never allow a woman to tarnish your strength. Just as I knew you couldn't resist looking away from my face, hoping to see the fear in it, which is why you wouldn't pay heed to my other hand. You needed to know you had won."

While Caius was savoring his seemingly assured victory, his conceited machismo had blinded him to the Empress stabbing him with her free hand.

"Because you believe I am weak, you assume I am without cleverness. The moment you falsely assumed I would buckle, was my opportunity to make use of."

"Grrrgh..."

While Caius was clinging to his life and distracted by the pain, the Empress would swing her sword and slice off this man's nose, causing him to fall back into a screaming fit. The man would cry out in pain instead of screaming, when the Empress pressed her foot to his head, applying pressure.

"Rebels," the Empress began, looking up towards the intruders, "you will lay down your arms. Without Caius, your legitimacy will be denied, and this kingdom invaded. I am the only reason our independence exists."

"K-kiiiilll.... heeeer...."

Her Majesty looked down at Caius, who, in shameful defeat, was still barking out orders. Grabbing her sword, she would impale his head without hesitation.

"Caius Fercado had no intention of ceasing his resistance, and could not be afforded further life." A twisting of the sword stilled the twitching Caius. "Do not make the same mistake."

End Flashback.

 

I'm changing how my character works but only slightly: Instead of being a mental condition making her go crazy, she has a controllable power which makes her turn more powerful and fast, and makes her hair and weapons glow red. However she needs to feed her weapons with blood to keep this power, making her a killer as more of a necessity than murder.
-------------------
Yosia has sliced her way the the ranks of Empress Kaiser's army - trying to reach the Empress herself, do deliver a blade which would sever the fighting, but her objective was not as clear as it seemed any-more. Talk between soldiers and witnessing events, Yosia had come to think was it worth stopping the Empress taking over? After-all, her reign would be as good as any of the other leaders of the other empires.

Running through the castle/palace, Yosia had attracted unwanted company in the form of soldiers, too many to take on in her normal state, however - unleashing her power would most likely attract the Empress' attention, and that was not an option. Yosia jumped off of the balcony leading into the courtyard and landed swiftly, dashed forward and stuck her spear into a castle guards throat. She would have to move quickly now that a body was lying in a visible area.

She located the room in which the Empress was residing and used her spear to vault through the window, landing straight infront of Empress Kaiser and pointed her spear at the Empress' chest.

"Empress, I have a request.. " Yosia sheathed her spear and bowed before the Empress. "Let me aid you in your quest for domination."
..

 

Flashback:

Yosia used to live in a fairly rural area with her parents and brother, their house was a fairly small one and they had enough to live on. The family had their own farm in which they grew fruit and vegetables, and farmed cattle as their main source of income and food. But on one dark morning, when it was hammering it down with rain, Yosia woke up to the sounds of screaming and shouting. Wondering what on earth was going on - Yosia looked out of her bedroom window and saw what looked like soldiers - slaughtering innocent civilians and burning down the village. Yosia knew that she was not safe here. She quickly got changed into her favourite casual outfit - a cute tank top, a red jacket and her black shorts - and sprinted down the corridor to her parents' bedroom. "Mom!? Dad!? Are you in here?" Yosia was screaming from the top of her lungs, holding back tears, but they were not in the bedroom. She jumped down the stairs and ran into the kitchen shouting for her parents, but still they were nowhere to be found. Only one last place to look - the living room. Yosia slid around the corner of the door into the living room and found her older brother kneeling on the floor. "T-they took them.." He managed to choke out the words and Yosia started to cry. She was trying her best not to break down but it was an futile attempt. She fell to her knees, bawling her eyes out and screaming.

Minutes passed before the crying started to ease, and Yosia stood up and walked out the door holding her brothers hand. She could not be bothered to run any further, walking was enough, ater-all: it was unlikely they were going to make it out of this mess, the soldiers were here to kill, not scare.
"Yosia watch out!" Her brother had screamed at her and pushed her to the floor - startling her. Dizzy, she looked all around for her brother, but could not see him standing anywhere. She rolled over and saw a knife stuck in something. Yosia called out for her brother but he was not answering, Yosia was getting really distressed - a few seconds ago she was holding her brothers hand, now she can't find him anywhere. Yosia went to take the knife and had her hand placed on the handle, ready to pull the blade out of whatever it was stuck in, she started to kneel so that she could get more strength - but then she saw what the knife was stuck in: the reason she couldn't find her brother, the reason her brother was not calling back, the reason he told her to watch out... The knife was lodged in her brothers skull...

"No... please no!" Yosia was a wreck, she and her brother were close and he had just been taken from her in the blink of an eye. The thing is - Yosia could not cry anymore, she felt empty. The soldiers came up to her and were ready to kill her, but she didn't care anymore. She looked at the blade of the soldiers sword, wishing it would come down and end her misery. She felt warm blood splash her face. 'Oh there isn't even any pain.' Yosia thought to herself, but then she heard a thud. She opened her eyes and saw that her killer-to-be was lying on the floor next to her - and it was not her blood, but his. A stunning woman was now standing over Yosia, offering her hand out to her - which Yosia hesitated, and then held and the beautiful woman picked her up. "Can you walk?" The woman asked in a lovely voice.
"Um.. yeah I think so." Yosia replied, trying to stay on her feet so she didn't look weak.
The woman then introduced herself as... Empress Kaiser.

The Empress had taken Yosia to a safer place nearby her newly-destroyed village, and she left. Yosia was confused as to who the soldiers were, and why the Empress saved her, why didn't she save one of the villages guards who can fight, or someone of importance, why did she save a teenager like her? Yosia could only wonder what happened and why it happened.

Yosia reached into her shorts pocket and pulled out a bracelet her dad gave her when she was young. It was a very pretty bracelet, gold and had a ruby dangling from it - but her dad said that it was much more than that, and she would learn it's power when ready and to never wear the bracelet until ready. She didn't have a clue what it could be, but she thought she was ready for whatever could happen. The teenage girl put the bracelet on, her mind racing as to what it could do - could it reverse time? Could it heal the dead? These were all things that she wished the bracelet could do - the ruby glowed red once the bracelet was fastened, and it looked even more stunning. She pulled on the ruby and she saw a flash infront of her eyes and suddenly felt.. amazing. She looked in the mirror and saw that her hair was glowing red and she was holding a spear which seemed to come from nowhere, which also glowed red. The teenager was amazed and even more confused - is this the reason she was saved? Did the Empress know of this power?

Years passed and Yosia learned how to control her power - gaining incredible skill and being able to kill swiftly, she also learned that she needs to kill to keep the power, as it runs of of blood from her weapons, and as soon as they deplete - blood from herself, which would ultimately result in death.

---------
Description of what is happening now:
Yosia still had a 'crush' on the Empress, which may have influenced her decision to refrain from killing her and joining her instead. Love is a strange force, and Yosia thought she was immune to such feeling, but the beautiful Empress was what made her heart beat - ever since from when she was saved by the Empress.

 

Now that the empress wasn't destracted anymore it didn't matter anymore if they were found or not so they took their feet and ran.They didn't know how they made it out of the palace but somehoe they kept running until their knees gave in.Still somehow they stole a horse and kept moving.Away from the capital.Away from the empress.Away from their execution.They needed to live,they couldn't just die.After a time that felt like years they finally had brought enough distance between themself and the city-for now-they tiredly sank onto the cold rocky ground and fell into exhausted sleep.
They were awoken by a cold splash of water in their face.They blinked a few times befor finally opening their eyes fully.A red haired woman was standing above them a sword in one hand the other stretched out to help them up
I'm sorry to have to wake you like that but there are some people who want to speak with you and it would be......unpleasant for me if i kept them waiting.she smiled.
The ride took a few hours, they could tell where they were going pretty fast.It was obvious they knew this ways,last time they used them they were fleeing in the opposide direction.Jurock.Home sweet home.

They stopped at something that was obviously a soldiers camp but judging from the various tatoos and scars as well as an absence of the official Jurock army uniform as well as a certain......"smell" most of them were mercenarys or ex-slaves.The ginger women led them to a tent in the middle of the place.
Inside two figures awayted them a man and a woman.The latter was a little unusual and made them nervous, a woman in the military had to be strong in order to defend herself against certain "interests" the other soldiers might have.A woman that actually took a leading role and could hold all these bastards outside under control-in a society where women couldn't get any sort of position important or not,was dangerous.
Thanks cinisThe man said coldly You may leave nowwait.....cinis?wasn't that a male name?They looked up and down her stature and indeed her shoulders were a little broad for that of a woman.
Asa.the woman spoak up.I've heard you were quite a good assassin
I think you have a lot of assassins.Why bother with me?
She smiledClever aren't you?We need kidnap someone....someone that's guarded very well...without anybody noticing.Rumor says you have a certain kind of non magical- and therefore non detectable precognition.You also have a lot of experience in the art of thievery and remaining unseen.The empress was stupid for using you as a watchdog, she should have used you to get into this city and destroy it from the inside. so they knew about that one huh?The person you should get for us is no other than general Valus.If you can do this for us we can give you something in return
And what would that be?
The monarchy in Jurock is a little outdated don't you think?THIS is our way to power. A certain group of leaders in the military and a few aristrocrats bonded together to bring Jurock a new age of glory.As a part of that crown prince Igniswill be charged for high trason soon.As certain informatin has been "leaking" out and reached the empress.We give you as much time as you want in a room with him with the permission to do whatever you like.
This was much better than what the empress could have offered them.A small chance to maybe get Ignis alone and two seconds to kill him maximum.But this....Getting cought up in a political intrigue this great was dangerous but the reward was worth it.
Where do i sign up?

( ooc sorry this isn't really planned through but if everyone just helped Kaiser get the city it would be boring now wouldn't it.@ Kaiser since Valus is your chara i am hereby asking permission to kidnap and torture him.If he's to badass to get cought thats fine.If its ok with you you may decide how he would act under such circumstances)

 

Yosia had proven to be an invaluable asset to the House of Broughton. Not only for her natural skills as a soldier, but her untapped power. This power was one reason the Empress has decided to save Yosia, but it was not the only reason. Yosia was a rather beautiful woman, and appealed to the eyes of many in Empress Kaiser's court. So much so, it made the High Lady a tad jealous.

But such matters could wait...

"Aliwyn, what of Asa?"

It was not unnoticed that the former slave was absent, and had been for quite some time. Either they had been captured, killed, or worse, intending to betray. The question now, what would be done about this?

"Our scouts have not been able to locate them, M'Lady. But there is reason to suspect, our rivals may have made use of Asa. This is not absolute, mind you, but a reasonable possibility."

Twiddling her fingers, while sitting upon her throne, the Empress pondered over the situation. Such a display could take seconds or minutes, sometimes even days. This time, though, it was only nearly a minute.

"Summon Yosia..."

Aliwyn's nostrils flared in surprise. Was... she needed for this? Surely...

"Forgive me, My Empress, but... is this necessary? Yosia is..."

"... the most capable for the task I have in mind. There is little choice, with the situation as it is. Jurock remains steady, despite our attempts to claim it. There is, once again, talks of insurrection. I would say this warrants her use."

Aliwyn nodded, remaining silent.

"If you genuinely believe me to be wrong, speak up. You know what I think of boot lickers..."

"I simply worry for your lineage, High Lady. I am bound to serve you, for the kindness you have bestowed upon me. Do not think less of me, for expressing concern."

The Empress closed her eyes, then sighed.

"Your concern is most appreciated, do not worry. But Jurock must be taken, or else we can expect this to continue. The constant border conflicts, the threat and actuality of invasion, the inaccessibility to the sea on the east. These must be dealt with, and I firmly believe now, is our best chance."

Opening her eyes, the High Lady awaited the arrival of Yosia, while being brought up to date on events in Justinian's kingdom. So, bad news was the order of the day.

Upon Justinian's arrival, it would be expected for Yosia to greet the man, and to bring him into the Central Chamber, where the throne room was. From here, affairs could be conducted.

If the situation continued to decline, there was always that option. It would not be easy, but it was still on the table. For now, a wait and see approach would be taken.




[OOC: Randomly me, I still need General Valus. If you would like to abduct somebody, you can take a Commander. Do with them whatever you want, I'll work with it as best I can.]

 

Later........

The sun grows dark, and the air goes silent. The wind ceases its billowing puffs through the kingdom. All falls deathly quiet.

The Empress, being wakened from her royal nap over this frightening scene, runs to the throne room, to the giant windows that look over the land.......

Just as Her Majesty opens her mouth to summon the Royal Guard, a burst of light explodes into the throne room, pink fairy sparkles seem to fall from the ceilings and douse the royal court in pink light.

Then all the lights fade. The wind starts to blow, the air is fresh again, and the birds go about their singing in the sunlight.

There stands a tall, lone figure, draped in ever changing colors of robes, cloth, and cape. Holding an even taller staff of midnight black, with a pulsating purple orb hovering over the tip....the figure speaks.....

"I am the Omnipotent Sparkles. Wizard, wytch, and Warlock...the finest in all known Kingdoms across this earth".

The Empress takes her thrown, alighting like a soft butterfly on a fragile flower, and asks the great Wizard, "Why have you come"?

The Great Sparkles bows towards The Empress and speaks "I know only of the light of truth and justice. I seek only to right wrongs, open closed minds, and punish those who will play with dissension and cowardess". "I offer my magiks for a time being, in hopes to correct what is wrong in all the Kingdoms of the lands".

Chatter among the court ensues, like washmaids gossip through the vines of the Castle.

"HUSH"! Demands The Empress. "My, what a fine offering this is my fair Wizard". "What mayhaps are the conditions of such an offer to my Kingdom"?

The Wizard looks directly at The Empress..."I grant thy divine Majesty three demands from my magiks. There be only one condition...that I have the 'yea or nay' on the demand".

The Empress rises from her throne and walks toward the Wizard, who still gazes into her eyes. "And what if my demand is met with a nay"?

"You will still have the remainder of three 'yea' demands upon my magiks, regardless of how many 'nays' there many be. But I have ye know, that foul deeds always be met with 'nay', your Highness".

"Guards! Show our Royal Guest to the finest guest room in the castle" The Empress commands. "You will be shown every courtesy befitting your position and power my Great Wizard". "We will speak later, when my formal court is gathered".

The Great and powerful Sparkles bows to The Empress and follows the guards to his quarters.



(ok, Im not really good at this, so if someone wants to take my character and run with it, you have my permission. I am better at board games!!)

 

Sneaking into the soldiers camp was easy.Knocking the guy that was on the picture given to them out was easy.All in all there were too few guards and the guy was to young to be the great general Valus.All of that should have made them suspicious.But who hires an assassin for a wrong target?-so they weren't.Until they returned to Jurock,the last thing they sensed was a heavy hit on their head before they fell to the ground.

Asa woke up in what seemed to be a round chamber.the palace.A quick look at their arms confirmed what they had suspected....they were chained up.Silently they waited till someone would come to get them.....

There were voices outside the room not even bothering to lower the volume.
Why don't you just execute it?A former slave doesn't even deserve such honor!
Are you implying that I am making a wrong decision?
no!no your highness!I would never dare to....
good.Now leave Somnus.They were promised to be alone in a room with me and I intend to hold my word.
That voice...they knew that voice.
The door opened.No..
Hello Asa.Ignis smiled.

but you...they said...
Poor little thing did you really believe that?How many times did you try to kill me and it didn't work?they had lost count.Almost daily...now what makes you think a group of little revolutionarys could accomplish that?
Why...?
Weren't you suspicious that my dear generals knew you were working for the little princess?The assassin that tried to kill the Empress was mine.He informed me of your presence before he failed so miserable.Her sillyness might be new at her role in power but she is almost undefietable when it comes to strategy,killing her was the easiest way.Since that plan failed I needed some inside Information in her strategies,by the way the man you kidnapped for me isn't Valus.it'd be way to obvious if he went missing.You grew up here so you had to assume that failure means death, however this isn't the case in Broughton anymore not since little Kaiser came to power.He smiled running his fingers through their hair before whisperingYou know... she is probably the only one that could have helped you defeat me...
No...this...couldn't be...
During their waiting time they had loosened the chains and while he spoke they had grabbed for a knife hidden in their boot.Now they raised it and aimed at his heart.
Ignis smiled as he easily stopped it. After so many times did you really think that would work?Something was there something in his eyes....something they never saw there before....No.
⅄ƎSDeep in his eyes there was something unspeakable horrible...something inhuman.⅄O∩ ⋊ᴎOM...OℲ ∀⅂⅂ OℲ W⅄ S⅂∀ᴧƎS ∀ᴎD ƎᴧƎᴚ⅄OᴎƎ HƎᴚƎ....I ∀⅂M∀⅄S ⅂I⋊ƎD ⅄O∩ BƎS⊥they let the knife fall to the ground tears starting to stream down their face.B∩⊥ ⅄O∩ H∀D ⊥O ⅁O ⊥O ⊥HƎ ƎWԀᴚƎSS ∀ᴎD BƎ⊥ᴚ∀⅄ WƎ.I ɔ∀ᴎ'⊥ ⊥O⅂Ǝᴚ∀⊥Ǝ ⊥H∀⊥....∀Ⅎ⊥Ǝᴚ ∀⅂⅂...⅄O∩'ᴚƎ WIᴎƎ.I ɔ∀ᴎ'⊥ ⊥O⅂Ǝᴚ∀⊥Ǝ ⊥H∀⊥....∀Ⅎ⊥Ǝᴚ ∀⅂⅂...⅄O∩'ᴚƎ WIᴎƎHe lifted the knife of the ground his whisper warm against their skin.I⊥'S ∀ SH∀WƎ ⊥O H∀ᴧƎ ⊥O ⋊I⅂⅂ SOWƎ⊥HIᴎ⅁ SO BƎ∀∩⊥IℲ∩⅂.He slit their throat.Asa
Their sank to the ground while he slowly stood up and left the room.He left the room closing the door behind him without looking back.
The warmth left their body slowly with each drop of blood that left their body.

drip

drip

drip

They shivered.Warmth.They needed warmth.They heard their younger sibiling loughing before the loughter was replaced with screames as someone stabbed them from behind.

drip

drip

drip

The last thing they saw was the fullmoon shining through the window before their vision faded to blackness.

No.....

 

"The Empress wants to see you, young lady."
"Ugh. I have just woken up!" Yosia got changed into her standard outfit - hoodie and shorts - and started to walk towards the Empress's throne room. The guard who had escorted Yosia knocked on the door three times before opening it and ushering her in. She looked a mess and had not bothered to do anything to make herself look nice, but as soon as she saw the Empress, she suddenly regretted it and started to flatten her hair. The Empress looked stunning as usual.
"H-hello..." Yosia had not realised what she had done to make everyone in the room stare at her like they were, but the guard whispered into her ear - "We usually speak more formal than the way you just did, young lady." Yosia didn't like this formal way of talking, why was everyone calling her 'young lady'? She just decided to suck it up and play along.
"Greetings your Highness, how can I help?"
Yosia felt ridiculous after saying this, she never liked to bow down to anyone, but because the Empress was so beautiful made it a tiny bit easier on Yosia. She relaxed a little and awaited her 'orders'.
Empress Kaiser then started to explain...

 

Ignis stared at the liveless figure laying on his bed.Two minutes after his outburst he had started to regret it and went back into the room.Asa was more dead than alive lying in a deep comatose after the immense loss of blood.It was so pathetic never standing in its own two feet always following someone like a dog.He wondered why he hadn't killed it before.Ignis run a finger through its short hair when he suddenly heard a noice.He immediately took his hand away as if something burned him and spun around.behind him stood one of the main generals and smiled.
Prince Ignis.You are hereby charged for treason against Jurock.
what?how dare you bitch!!...
Let's say that act of ours wasn't so much an act.We told the citizens that the little slave you killed had a peace offer from her empress.By killing them you destroyed that possibility
And who is supposed to actually believe that shit?
You know that's the funny part.The people will take any excuse they can get to get rid of you.You did an awfully bad job as a monarch.We both know that trying to bring imprison you would end in blood shed so I'm giving you the opportunity to leave now
Ban him?out of his own country?bastards.Just wait and see one day...
He grabbed the unconscious thing laying on his bed and got going.


As he looked around Ignis decided that he despised Broughton no slaves freedom and happiness for everyone something was seriously wrong in this City.He stared up to the palast and grinned to himself.the empress was a little kid and a woman .Manipulating her would be easy and then the revolutionarys im Jurock would have problems.

 

The streets were cold and damp and the air was stale. The young girl shivered under a crate forgotten to the road by its pervious owner. The box once held treasures of precious nourishment but the waif had made short work of it, hollowing the container out for a makeshift shelter.

That was a month ago and now, she was starving. Before, life had been simple, life had been fun... Her owner would feed her, pet her, let her sleep on her lap and all she had to do was lay around the house and be cute. Why did it have to all go wrong? The night those men came, with torches in hand and raised voices, the words she hadn't understood that they chanted over and over. "BURN THE WITCH!!" They cried out, her owner looked so frightened.

What happened next was a blur, she couldn't remember much of the ritual before she passed out but when she next awoke, everything was different. Her senses felt clouded, stronger in some places but weaker in others, her body was sore and tired. To her surprise she had become a human! Mostly anyways. Evidence of her past life remained with her fur covered feline ears, and a long furry tail.

The home she once knew she had found burned to ashes, and her owner was nowhere to be seen. Elissa was all alone now and in this new confusing form, she was starving...

(I hope that was alright, I haven't rp'd on a forum in a long time...)

 

"I have urgent need of you, Yosia."

The Empress was going to cut right to the chase.

"The city of Jurock still resists. And Asa has gone missing, possibly siding with the enemy. I am entrusting you with the dual task of infiltrating the capital city, and in confirming Asa's whereabouts and loyalty. You may take several soldiers with you, if you wish. But the primary objective is to discover the morale within Jurock, so that I may know how to proceed with this conflict."

Aliwyn, court sorceress, suddenly spoke:

"Lady Yosia...," she began, "... there are stories of your... ways. I would like to offer you my services of the arcane, if you ever need assistance in... handling... those ways."

Empress Kaiser smirked. So, Aliwyn was cautious around Yosia. Sure, the girl was blood thirsty at times, but she was damn effective. That was enough for the House of Broughton.

"Do you fear her, Aliwyn?"

Aliwyn's eyes glanced down, but only for a moment of thought. "Fear would not accurately describe my feelings, My Lady. It would be more akin to... caution. The lust for blood has a tendency to ruin, even the noblest."

Such prophetic words...​

Elsewhere, in the city of Kaivine.
Third largest city in Empress Kaiser's territories.


Crackling flames gnawed upon the charred remains of flesh and bone. Death had come, and those who remained, cowered in fear, huddled behind the stone walls of their cathedral, awaiting the death-bringer's departure, while attempting to avoid their own.

Gra-SKAAAAAAASH~!!!​

An eruption of flames scorched the cathedral's exterior again, reminding those inside that this great beast still remained, lurking. Eventually, the beast perched atop of the stone structure, it's wings spanning a massive distance and cloaking the earth below in darkness. It's resting weight was pressuring the cathedral, causing chips and cracks, sending pebbles and debris down below.

Is there none among the Empires of caro with even a piffle of courage?," the creature asked, swinging it's massive tail in challenge. Inside the cathedral, the survivors remained, clinging to their loved ones and what hope they had. Surely, the Gods had not abandoned them...

"The will of Heaven courses through me, scale spawn, and fears no evil or magic. In the name of our Great Father, I shall banish thee."

The so-called scale spawn -- an informal name for the dragons of the world -- could only laugh. So fiercely did it do so, the very earth trembled. So, there was a little bravery in these villagers, and this amused it.

"How infantile the dogma of caros be... where was your Great Father when I razed this city?"

"I do not question the Ways. I only obey."

The dragon snorted. These caro ("flesh") were amusing, if not a tad ignorant to it's liking, when it came to their Ways. Having lived for eons, the dragons had advanced in the arts of knowledge and magic rapidly, while the humans lingered, still clinging to their elaborate tales and patron figures.

"I allow you to live, not out of mercy, but curiosity. Show me the power of your Great Father, I beg of thee!"

The dragon was mocking the priest now, assured of it's superiority, while the priest began to chant. Softly at first, but increasing in volume by the passing moments until, even those inside the cathedral could hear:

"Na ie ou rohm, na ie ou rohm, da la no..."​

The base of the priest began glowing in a predictably white coloration, which aroused the interest of the dragon. For now, it would wait, and see just what this priest of Kaivine could do...

 

Asa woke up in an unfamiliar room feeling dizzy.Their body felt heavy and even opening their eyes was difficult.There was a person sitting beside them..who?...
their body tensed up in shock.
Finally awake?took you long enough..the prince grinned while playing around with a knife
Be a nice kid and stay here for a while ,i have ´pay a visit to your old owner.he put the knife to their still bandaged throat don't even think about leaving.i gave you a second chance,don't expect a third.with that words he left the room.

Ignis made his way to the palast.He simply took the guard standing outside and hung him to the nearest statue.Deeper in the palace he saw a beautiful girl bitch leave the throne room.He waited till she left before kicking the door to the empress' hall open.Time for a talk with the kid-princess.

After some timeAsa could move a bit more and examined the room they were in.It was more of a one room house really and they didn't really want to know how Ignis got it in short time.Strangely enough they were not only not dead but also not in Jurock anymore.This looked more like...Broughton.
After some time looking outside the window they noticed a figure moving slowly as if they had no idea where to go.And were those....cat ears?Yes now that they payed more attention they also saw a cat tail.It was a girl she looked...lonely..

Blood everywhere blood....no
Everyone dead......where am i supposed to go now?
I don't wanna be.....alone.

Slowly they got up opened the door and took a step in the direction of the girl.They carefully outstretched their hand to not shock her (she already was in a bad state)
I'm Asa.Who are you?

 

Colored a map:

Spoiler

Blue is Justinian's Kingdom.
Purple is Kaiser's Empire.
The Sienna-looking one is Jurock,
while the Pink is where, currently, the Battle for Jurock is taking place.

Just an idea, it doesn't have to be official/accepted.

 

It's not easy to find a blank map that is MS Paint friendly, so I went with what I could. Don't hate on my methods! LOL.