Life or Death (Part 2), Scene v1

A sea of spectators covered Salia Square just a few hours after dawn. Everyone surrounded the erected wooden platform that sat toward the rear of the square, even parents with their children. Salia stood tall behind the platform, twice the height of a normal person, also watching with her stone eyes. Even several Kival gathered excitedly, though perhaps they did not know the person today would be one of their kin.

Kismet peered out at the event from an alleyway to the side, hidden under a large cloak. From the street behind the platform came a small escort. In the middle was Isella. Her body had become so weak that she had to be dragged. The obscenities and curses roared from the crowd as they bound her arms to two wooden poles to keep her standing. Parents spat insults for their abducted children, and farmers for their stolen crops.

It hurt the Catheran that the young Kival would be executed. She didn’t seem to her to be deserving of death. Isella’s eyes wandered weakly over the crowd, looking as though she’d lose consciousness at any moment. The noise died down as General Raze walked onto the platform in her ornate silver-plated leather. “Citizens of Rokan. With the recent activities of the Kival activists, many of us have lost provisions, wares, and even loved ones. However, that is not all we have lost. We have lost our sense of security. It is because of the Kival activists that we fear for our trade, our crops, and our children. But we must remember, many of our friends—our family—are Kival, and they must not be blamed for the wrongdoings of the activists.”

Kismet scanned over the crowd, worried that Lucas may be watching. Although it would be more surprising to her if he weren’t there. “Many of us in this very square, have lived and laughed with, or even loved someone of Kival blood, and we must remember that. The Kival are welcomed with open arms in the Rokan Empire, but only those who choose to live in peace with the rest of us. It is now that we will witness the consequences of those who choose bring harm to us citizens, and disturb our time of peace. Isella Kamiel, once a citizen of the Rokan Empire, has been found guilty of these crimes, by aiding in the organization of raids on our villages and caravans, as well as participating in the murder of military personnel. Let her be an example to all of us, and remind us of the consequences for treason against the Rokan Empire.”

She found him amidst the crowd toward the front. His trembling was obvious even from where she was standing. He looked around frantically as the General continued. “Isella Kamiel. Have you any last words?”

A dead silence filled the square, but no words came. Isella hardly seemed able to keep conscious, much less speak. Perhaps it was more fortunate for her to be in such a stupor.

“Very well. May the Great Goddess have mercy on your soul.” Raze stepped off the platform as two people shifted Isella to where Raze delivered her speech. Once she was in position, everyone cleared off the platform. Excited whispers filled the crowd while a man’s voice counted down. “Ten… nine… eight… seven… six…”

Lucas’ eyes widened, his face in a panic. He looked back and forth, as if direly searching for something he couldn’t find. “…Five… four… three…”

The whispers grew louder in anticipation. Everyone’s eyes widened, unblinking. Isella, remained dazed, seemingly unaware of what was about to happen. “…Two…”

A large crunching squish replaced the final count, silencing the square. Isella’s body went rigid with small spasms, before dangling lifelessly by the arms. Blood trailed from the poles of the three spears that impaled her torso in a triangle from the floor of the platform. The crowd roared from the adrenaline and began trickling back to their daily lives with satisfaction. Kismet watched Lucas run away from the stage, shoving his way through the sea of spectators. Sara ran after him, following him into an alleyway away from the square. Kismet rounded the building to go into the alley from the side.




First: Kismet vs. Bandits, Scene v1
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Life or Death, Scene v1

Merry Christmas! Although the day is pretty much almost over.

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Many of the shops still had their windows lit, so it couldn’t have been too late. People would still be awake in the castle, so he decided to take a walk instead. After all, the empty streets were just what he wanted. He was alone, and it was quiet, almost soothing even.

A man leaning against the wall stepped out in front of him, huddling tightly inside of his cloak. It was too dark to see his face, but Lucas knew he was looking directly at him. “You’re Lucas Damire, correct?” asked the man.

Lucas slowly slid his hand to the hilt of his sword as he tried to make out the shady man’s features, but the only light around was the dim light from the window behind him several feet away. “I’m sorry, you must have me confused with someone else,” he answered, walking past him slowly while keeping a close eye on his actions.

“Sorry, my mistake. I guess you wouldn’t have any interest in helping a certain Kival house servant then.”

Lucas spun around, hoping that the light would reveal a bit of his face, but the man did not face him. “Who are you?”

“Only someone who wants the same thing you do, if you are Lucas that is.” With that, he turned the corner and walked into the alleyway.

“Wait!” Lucas went after him, keeping a safe distance and checking his surroundings. It was a long alleyway, almost completely covered in darkness. The faint glow of the moon lit the ground just enough for him to avoid tripping over the day’s garbage. He cursed his curiosity and desperation for making him follow the man so stupidly. Once Lucas reached the center of the alley, the man stopped. He spun around to find three men forming a wall behind him. He looked back at the mysterious man with a glare, only there were three more with him now as well. Lucas was confident in his swordsmanship, but one against seven would be foolish even for him, especially in the darkness. Unfortunately, there was no other choice. He drew his sword.

The six cloaks drew their weapons, while the man spoke. “Please, lower your weapon, Lucas. I meant what I said. I only want, what you want.”

“You expect me to believe that in this situation?”

“You’re right. I’m sorry for my rudeness. I just wanted to speak in private with you. After all, soldiers were sent to many of our hideouts, or what would’ve been our hideouts if we didn’t relocate after Isella’s capture. That also means I’m probably a wanted man, so I had to take some proper precautions, incase you’re not as loyal to Isella than I would hope. I would ask how she is, but I’d probably rather not know.”

His voice was unfamiliar, but he seemed to make no effort in disguising it either. A Kival, no doubt, but what would they want with him? How did they know him? The dull iron blades facing him were almost invisible in the darkness. Lowering his weapon would be foolish. “How do you know who I am?”

“I was always too busy working in the quarries at Lokem to visit, but my sister has sent my mother and me many letters. I’ve always wanted to meet the person she loved so dearly, though I do regret it had to be this way.”

“Kain? You’re Isella’s brother?”

Kain took a step closer, still keeping a large distance between them. “I hope she hasn’t said hasn’t said anything ill of me.”

Lucas lowered his sword to his side. Even if it was Isella’s brother, he was still one of the Kival activists organizing raids on Rokan. “What do you want from me?”

“Like I said, we both want the same thing. We want to save Isella.”

“And just how do you plan to do that? She’s locked in the castle dungeons, and her execution is in three days,” replied Lucas.

“The details aren’t important. But I do need some information to make it happen. That’s where you come in.”

“And you expect me to just help you? That would be treason,” said Lucas, baffled.

“That may be, but no one would need to know of course. I, for one, want to save my little sister. So you can either help me save her, or you can let her die. The choice is yours.”




First: Kismet vs. Bandits, Scene v1
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Heaven's Perch, Scene v1

Merry Christmas everyone, since I probably won't be posting the next two days! (Yes, I know, this story isn't really a Christmas-y story)

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It had been three days since he left the dungeon. He couldn’t bring himself to descend those steps again. It would’ve been painful for both him and Isella. Lucas sat at the far end of the bar, away from the laughter, the dancing, and the people. For the past three days he found himself sitting there in Heaven’s Perch every day, in that very same seat.

The troubled soldier never knew why he went to the Perch. It was the most famous tavern in Rokan. Day and night there would be crowds of people sharing drinks, stories, and paramours. The paramours weren’t lovers, although many did fall for them. They were employees who worked for the Perch, to provide service and good company. They delivered food and drinks, sang, danced, laughed and chatted. Sometimes they would offer more, but it was entirely up to the paramour if they wanted to or not.

Everyone loved the Perch, everyone but jealous spouses and significant others. Lucas never cared for it much either. His friends would sometimes drag him along, but every time he went, he wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about Isella. He didn’t know why he came back to the Perch every day since he left her cell. He didn’t know where else to go to escape the pity from his friends in the castle. But the Perch was no different.

One of the paramours sat on the stool beside him and wrapped her arm gently around his shoulder. “Hey, Lucas. You sure you don’t want to tell me what’s been bothering you? You’ll feel a lot better if you just let it all out.”

Lucas swirled his mug of beer slowly, watching the suds whirl around. “Thanks, Ceci, but I’m not in the mood for talking right now.” He took a gulp.

Cecilia leaned close to him and bit her lip. She placed a tender hand on his arm, speaking in a soft voice that probably would’ve been a whisper if the tavern weren’t so rowdy. “Well, if you don’t feel like talking, I can take you upstairs, and you can let it all out there. On the house.”

Lucas knew he came to the wrong place to be left alone. After all, paramours were hired to cheer people up and keep a positive and friendly atmosphere. He just hoped that after two days of telling them he wanted to be left alone that they would finally leave him alone and let him drink in peace. But every time it grew more irritating. “I appreciate the offer, but I’ll have to say ‘no’ as usual. I’d just like to be alone if you don’t mind,” he said, struggling to keep his manners.

“Sure thing, hun. If you ever want some company, just let me know and I’m all yours.” She stroked his hair lightly, before leaving the bar. A pity gesture, of course.

He thought he made it obvious that he hated pity. It only reminded him of what was bothering him in the first place. Every time someone showed him pity, he only felt worse and more frustrated, not just with the situation with Isella, but also because people wouldn’t leave him alone despite how many times he told them.

Lucas looked out at the crowd in the Perch. Everyone was laughing, dancing, and sharing stories. Their joy only made him more depressed, yet he always found himself sitting there. For some reason, he felt like they were all watching him—pitying him. He guzzled down the last of his mug then left the boisterous tavern. He didn’t feel like he’d been there for long, but the sun had already set, and the streets were emptying. Many of the shops still had their windows lit, so it couldn’t have been too late. People would still be awake in the castle, so he decided to take a walk instead. After all, the empty streets were just what he wanted. He was alone, and it was quiet, almost soothing even.



First: Kismet vs. Bandits, Scene v1
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Love Lost, Scene v1

Whoops, forgot to post something the last two days.

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Lucas stepped out from the General’s office, closing the door behind him. He walked a few steps down the hall before leaning against the wall. He stared blankly out in front of him, confused and frustrated. How did it come to this? he asked himself. If only I were there to stop her.

“Lucas?”

“What do you want, Sara?” he asked, in a more irritated tone than he intended.

Sara stood beside him and looked at him with pity in her eyes. It was the last thing he wanted. He just wanted to be alone, and undisturbed. “I’m sorry about Isella. She didn’t deserve any of this.” She said in a sympathetic tone that only irritated him more.

Lucas glared at the archer. “I’m sure you are. Isn’t this exactly what you wanted? You’re always telling me to try and forget about her, that it’s only going to hurt me. Well now I guess I have no choice right? Once she’s executed next week, it’ll be impossible for me to be with her anymore. This is what you wanted isn’t it?”

Sara was taken aback. Lucas could see the tears welling in her eyes, but he didn’t care. “I-I…I never wanted this to happen. Who could ever want this to happen? If you forgot about her before any of this happened, then you wouldn’t be going through this pain right now.”

Lucas wrung her collar with both hands and pulled her face only inches away from his. “You don’t seem to understand what it’s like to love someone. I can’t just forget about Isella. Not once did I even want to, because she means everything to me. I know how you’ve had feelings for me for awhile now, and I told you before that you’re wasting your time. Isella is the only person I care about, and that will never change. So go take your pity somewhere else and leave me alone.”

Tears trailed down her cheek when he let go of her collar. Lucas began storming off down the hall. “Wait, where are you going?”

“To see Isella.”

Sara ran up to him and grabbed him by the wrist. “No, please, you can’t!”

Lucas grabbed her arm and shoved her into the vase behind her. She fell to the ground and the vase shattered over the floor. He stared down at her for a moment with glaring eyes. She stared back at him, helpless and in shock. She struggled to suppress quiet sobs, caring little for the several cuts that covered her hands. Lucas turned his back to her and continued down the hall toward the dungeon.

Lucas walked down the cold stone steps to the entrance of the cell block. The warden leaned forward insistently. “Lucas. I know you want to see her, but I really advise against it.”

Lucas clenched his fists. He was well aware of what likely happened to Isella. After all, she held information they wanted to know, but he couldn’t abandon her. The least he could do was be there for her last days. How did it come to this…? He continued walking down toward the cells, his body trembling nervously. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” called out the warden.

It was a long walk down the stone hall. Every step grew heavier as he neared the back cells. The cells were filled with nothing but silence—every cell but one. At the very last cell on the left, closest to the interrogation room, lie Isella in rags. Her clothes were torn and stained with blood and urine. Despite the washouts that were supposed to happen every day, the cell still reeked, and the floor stained with blood.

Although Isella was facing the wall away from him, Lucas could see that she had become withered. He stood at the cell door, peering at her through the metal bars. Her body rose and fell heavily with every raspy breath. “Isella…?” he said softly, unsure if she was sleeping. “It’s me. Lucas.”

No reply, but Lucas knew she was listening. “I read your letters…my mother hid them from me. I’m so sorry. You know I would’ve been there if I had known. I really wish I could’ve been there. I know it probably doesn’t mean anything now, but I’m here.”

“Go away.”

It wasn’t her saying that. It couldn’t be. It was too coarse, too strained, and too hostile. Isella’s voice was soft and sweet. It couldn’t have been her voice. “But—”

“I hate you.”

No. That couldn’t be her. “What—?”

“I said I hate you. I hate all you damned imperials! You sit in your luxurious houses, wearing your luxurious clothes, and stuff your face with more food than you can eat. And when you’re done, you throw out the rest, while my people are starving to death,” she spat, in a harsh, raspy voice. “You’re all sadistic, self-serving, heartless monsters.”

“We’re not monsters. We’ve tried to house a lot of the Kival, and we’ve sent extra food to Lokem as well. If anything, Lokem is to blame,” he insisted.

Isella reached for the wall for support and struggled to her feet. She followed her hand to the cell door and grabbed the bars with her hands. “Look at me, Lucas! Look at me and see if you can tell me how glorious your damn Empire is.”

Lucas froze in horror. A hideous mixture of blood and puss that oozed from the swelling around her left eye crusted over the side of her face. Her eyes themselves were discolored, and had small holes, like they had been impaled and burned. They drifted blindly in different directions, never focusing on anything. Blood from large cuts and holes stained her body under the torn rags that were once her clothes. Bruises covered her body, and some of her wounds still showed raw. He couldn’t believe that the mangled body before him was Isella. It couldn’t be Isella. It couldn’t be…

Lucas struggled to fight back the tears that stung his eyes. He turned away, unable to bear what had become of his beloved. The very Empire he had served for as long as he could remember had mercilessly tortured, and sentenced to death, the woman he loved. He left the dungeon without saying a word. He didn’t know what to say, or even what to think. He wanted nothing more than to save her, to go back to how they were only a year ago. How did it come to this…?



First: Kismet vs. Bandits, Scene v1
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Dye (Part 2), Scene v1

“She followed Lucas to Kelta, and was near there earlier this afternoon.”

Devin gave a puzzled look while Nakita chomped on her apple. “Kelta? But that’s a couple days south of here.”

The sweet pomegranate smell of Razelin’s shampoo filled Devin’s lungs as she began drying her hair with a large white towel. “Apparently she met an Undine. She said last she knew she was at a pond near Kelta, then suddenly appeared back in the castle.”

“Like she teleported? I hope you don’t really believe that.”

“I had my doubts at first too, but Kismet isn’t one to lie. I asked Princess Delphi if she knew anything about it, and she told me something interesting. She said Kismet suddenly appeared in the water while she was taking a bath.”

Nakita’s chewing stopped abruptly. She looked up at Razelin with that strange glimmer of curiosity in her eyes. “Wait, are you saying that the Undine somehow sent her back here? But if that were true, why hasn’t Serenade left the aquarium, or the two in Eliad?”

It was little wonder why Nakita was so interested, since her research involved Undine essences, but Devin was captivated as well. If it were possible to send something such a long distance in such a short amount of time, trading would be easier and traveling would be faster. Razelin didn’t seem as enthusiastic. “I’m not sure. I was wondering that myself. What worries me more is the security risk. Since Kismet was sent directly to the young princess’ bath, what’s to stop someone else from appearing from within the castle?”

A heavy silence filled the air. Razelin was right. It would be a major issue if people learned how to replicate what happened to the Catheran. Devin brushed the stubbles of hair on his chin. “We have to learn more about it before anyone else does, while keeping it secret. It could be a problem if news of this gets out.”

Razelin nodded. “Nakita, I hate to interfere with your research, but since you know the most about essences, I want you to look into this.”

The sorceress rolled her eyes with a groan. “Fine. I guess I’ll go talk to Serenade tomorrow after the aquarium closes.”

Razelin gently patted Nakita’s shoulder. “The dye should be settled. You can go wash up now.”

Nakita hopped off the table and walked to her pile of clothes on the chair at the other end of the table. After stretching, she slipped off her blue silk camisole and tossed it atop the pile, along with her laced bottoms. “H-Hey, I’m right here you know. Have you no shame?”

The naked sorceress kept her back to the two generals and threw a kiss into the air before walking off to their bathing chamber. Razelin stared Devin’s face with a grin. He looked back at her, baffled that she found Nakita’s behavior amusing. “What?”

“Look at you. You’re turning red,” she teased, with a small laugh.

He averted his eyes. Everyone complained about Nakita’s eyes, and the chill they sent down your spine, but Devin always found Razelin’s stares the worst. He swore she could read his mind whenever she stared at him that way. “It’s more from anger and frustration than anything.” He took a bite from his apple and chewed forcefully.

“I know. I didn’t expect her to go that far either, but admit it; she gave you a treat, and you liked it.”

“Fine. I’ll admit she’s attractive. But I swear you enjoy it more than I do,” he retorted, careful to avoid meeting her eyes.

She laughed her modest laugh. It was a soft, refined laugh. Even when she laughed at people, it would always brighten their mood. Devin found it in himself to meet her eyes again. “Doesn’t it even bother you that she would just strip right in front of us?”

Razelin resumed drying her hair with her towel as she answered. “It just shows how comfortable she is with us now, and I think that’s a good thing. She has no where else she can express herself so freely.”

“I suppose. I just wish she would stop expressing herself when I’m around,” he sighed.

“She just loves to tease you because she knows you won’t do anything to hurt her.” Razelin set her towel on the table and began brushing her hair. “Anyway, what do you plan to do with Lucas?”

“I don’t know. I was hoping I could get a better idea of how he’s handling everything from Kismet’s observations, but it looks like that won’t be happening. It’ll only get worse if he sees her now, after Nakita had her fun, not to mention when he learns of her fate too.”

“You’re going to have to tell him when he gets back. He has the right to know, and he’ll find out eventually anyway.”

“I know.” Devin walked over to the waste bin. Razelin’s words weighed heavily on him as he tossed the apple core. “I know.”



First: Kismet vs. Bandits, Scene v1
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Character Profile: Nakita (v1)

Well, I must say, I got a little carried away with this one. This profile is much more detailed than the others. Regardless, I hope you find it interesting. I should update the other ones some time to be more extensive as well.

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Character Profile:
Name: Nakita Balise
Sex: Female
Age: 24
Year of Birth: 1103 N.E.
Race: Human

Originally born in Telan, Nakita lived in the capital with her parents. However, at the age of eight, her mother, Lia, passed away due to illness. As the year went on, her father, Taren, who was one of the seven Grand Council members, began to fall apart over the loss of his beloved wife. He grew violent and obsessive by the time Nakita turned nine, and the Grand Council feared for the young sorceress' well-being. In an effort to spare her physical and psychological pain, they sent her to live in Rokan. In an effort to strengthen the relations between the two countries, King Marcus accepted Nakita with open arms, providing her a place to stay in the castle, along with classes and tutors for her studies.

However, the Telan Empire often remained isolated from neighboring countries, so it was rare for a full-blood to study in Rokan. Because of this, Nakita was frequently teased or ostracized from her peers, and her exceptional performance in her studies only made it worse. Many of her peers exploited her desperation for friends by using her to improve their scores, or simply to humiliate or harass her. All the while, rumors that her father had began practicing forbidden magic had spread. A few months after Nakita turned ten, the rumors proved to be true, as her father engineered what came to be know as the Great Plague, which occurred just before The Catheran Massacre.

Learning the truth of her father, Nakita's peers made sure her life was miserable. For two years she endured, until one day when one of her most frequent harassers was found nearly dead from extensive torture in a small cellar. Soon after, two more counts of similar incidents occurred. In merely two months, instead of being constantly harassed, she was feared. There was no proof that she was involved in those incidents, but everyone knew it was her doing.

A year later, after the victims had fully recovered, they banded together and attacked Nakita. Razelin found them while they were beating the sorceress, and quickly stopped them by calling for help. Despite Nakita's cold personality, Razelin persisted in protecting her and attempted to befriend her. Only after a year did Nakita begin to trust Razelin, and the two of them became close friends.

At the age of nineteen, Princess Lydia saw the sorceress practicing her water manipulation. Lydia held a strong interest in Nakita's water magic, and soon began visiting her to talk about sorcery and Undines. Two years later, on Lydia's eighteenth birthday, Nakita was requested to join the Royal Guard, to serve as Lydia's Guardian. With her new position, she began researching Undine essences, while serving her role in the Royal Guard by working closely with Razelin and Devin.

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Dye, Scene v1

Wow. It's been a long time since I worked on this. I blame school, but luckily all my hard school days are over!

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The castle halls were empty by the time Devin had finished dispatching soldiers to the locations given by Isella. Dinner was well passed, and hunger was beginning to set in once again. He unlocked the ornate silver door that stood at the wall adjacent to the king’s bedchambers. A soothing warmth enveloped him as he closed the door behind him.

Stepping forward, he stumbled over a pair of silver-threaded low wide-heeled pumps, which were undoubtedly Nakita’s. With a sigh, he picked up the pumps and set them against the wall to the left of Razelin’s laced boots, and his own buckled boots to the right. It’s not to say he didn’t expect her. After all, it seemed she was there more nights than not, visiting Razelin or spending the night. Although he didn’t care much for her ill-mannered and thoughtless ways, Raze enjoyed her company.

“Razelin, I’m back,” he called.

“Welcome back. Nakita is here.”

It felt odd living with Razelin, even though it had been over twelve years since he took her in. Perhaps it was because it had been twelve years that it was odd. She had transformed from a child who had lived through hell, into the most respected woman of the Rokan Empire. But her status didn’t matter to them. While there may have been a bit of doubt when Razelin first became the Silver Hand, everyone soon to act differently around her and view her in a different light. However, that wasn’t the case for the two of them. Away from their duties, their status didn’t matter. They were family.

A fire crackled softly in the fireplace of the living room. Devin followed Razelin and Nakita’s voice into the kitchen, where Nakita lie on their dining table in her undergarments. Her cold blue eyes stared at him, with her head resting on a towel, and her dye-covered hair dangling over the edge. Every other week, the same thing would happen. It was a foolish ritual, really. Originally, she dyed her hair to hide her Telanian traits, but her origin became common knowledge, and her status made it impossible for her to hide her identity.

“Glad to see you’re wearing something a little more modest this time,” sighed Devin.

The sorceress turned back to the ceiling. Not a lick of shame crossed her face. “You sound a little disappointed.”

Razelin chuckled in her chair from beside Nakita’s head. How the two of them became such close friends, Devin would never know. Razelin was like the day—warm and pleasant—while Nakita was undoubtedly dark and cold like the night. The way they acted… even the way they dressed. Razelin was already in her crimson nightgown, but it covered every inch of her body like everything else she wears. Nakita, on the other hand, was sprawled over a tabletop half-naked without a care in the world, possibly for the tenth time now.

Devin walked over to the island between the table and the kitchen and grabbed a small apple from the fruit bowl. “When people say ‘make yourself at home’, sometimes they expect at least a bit of reserve,” he said, biting into the apple.

“I am being reserved,” she said mockingly, though Devin knew she was serious. She extended an open hand out to him. He gave her one of the apples from the bowl.

“Devin, did Kismet debrief you on what happened?” asked Razelin, before the bickering could continue.

Devin moved Nakita’s pile of clothes from his usual chair before seating himself. It was impossible to ignore the sorceress that lie on the table between him and Razelin. Feeling very uncomfortable, he moved his chair around to Razelin’s side. “I didn’t see her. I came back right after sending out the last of the squads. Why, what happened?”

“She followed Lucas to Kelta, and was near there earlier this afternoon.”

Devin gave a puzzled look while Nakita chomped on her apple. “Kelta? But that’s a couple days south of here.”



First: Kismet vs. Bandits, Scene v1
Previous: The Holy Fountain, Scene v1
Next: Dye (Part 2), Scene v1

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Character Profile: Devin (v2)

Sorry, I had to make him younger!

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Character Profile:
Name: Devin Lenaud Strauf
Sex: Male
Age: 42
Year of Birth: 1085 N.E.
Race: Human

Born into the noble family of Stauf, Devin was pressured into achieving a respectable position in the Rokan Empire. All his life he lived near Rokan Castle in the capitol city, tied into the social weave of the upper-class, and the castle itself. Being the nephew of Lady Margaret Strauf, wife of General Kaelis Atraea, Devin received a lot of attention and special treatment in the military. At the age of 20, he began studying directly under General Atraea in order to become a suitable member of the Royal Guard. At the age of 24, Devin was graced with honor of becoming Queen Natalia's Guardian shortly after being married to King Marcus. However, Devin still had much to learn and continued studying under General Atraea. Eventually, Devin was promoted to serve as the King's Guardian, and as the Silver Guard, at the age of 25 after General Atraea's untimely death.

Throughout the years, Devin grew close to General Atraea's family. He watched them grow up over the years, and eventually took in Razelin when he was 30, as if she were his own daughter, after her parents had died. Primarily being raised in the military, and guided by General Atraea, he lacked confidence in his skills as a parent and turned to raising young Razelin as her father had raised him, as an apprentice. When Devin was 36, Razelin became a member of the Royal Guard, serving as Queen Natalia's Guardian. Two years later, Devin requested to resign his position as the Silver Guard, under the firm belief that Razelin's rapid learning had surpassed his own capabilities. His request was granted and his position was replaced by Razelin. Devin continues to serve as the King's Guardian and work closely alongside Razelin.

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