RPG The Almagest Legacy

[James]

[center][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/gustave-avatar.gif[/img] [/center] On the way home after a long morning ride, Gustave pondered the events of recent days. One of his Chimaera had won the cup and the other had been seriously injured. Thanks to Macey’s help, Lazarus was now in fighting form. The newspapers in High Czenoble were increasingly becoming more alarmist as the days went by. Gustave remembered reading one of the nightly editions when he first arrived; he noted that developments in New Czenoble were largely considered to be a passing phase and little more. The Guard seemed to suggest that only a small group of criminals were roaming the streets causing havoc. In reality, of course, the Underdogs were so much more – now their name adorned all the papers. After only a couple of days, everyone in Czenovia – and beyond – knew of their existence. Gustave at first wondered if he should just have his staff pack up his belongings and return to the safety of Anova. His home country had not seen a conflict in generations. Ever since Anova had signed a truce with Czenovia, things had been more or less peaceful. Old forts and guard stations still existed throughout the country, but there wasn’t a single citizen who took them seriously. Most Anovans viewed their larger neighbour as a political oddity; a relic of an Imperial past. This was despite the fact that Czenovia was obviously more technologically advanced. There was an old racist Anovan joke, which said that the average Czenovian man’s head was as full of clockwork as the watch her wore on his arm. Some of Gustave’s friends at home joked that he was a Czenovia-lover (which was intended as a derogatory remark). Some questioned what he could possibly see in the country. Yet, Gustave was very fond of travelling and he adored Czenovia. Although High Czenoble never failed to impress him with its imposing buildings and sheer size, he found that the quieter, out-of-the-way places in Czenovia were the most magical. It was only after his third flight to Czenovia that he decided to buy a summer house close to the foot of Mt. Grail (which was quite a treacherous drive along steep cliffs and winding roads if one were approaching from High Czenoble). The summer house was one of his favourite vacation spots. But now, everything was changing. The uprising in New Czenoble made him wonder how long it would take for the Underdogs to begin attacking surrounding cities. He feared he may never be able to see his summer house again. Gustave was also reminded of his respect and admiration for the Almagest family. He felt privileged to have been able to host them at the Chimaera Cup. In some ways, he had to admit that he had always been somewhat jealous of Vincent. While Gustave was building his airship business and travelling the world, Vincent had married and settled down; he had become part of one of the world’s most famous families. Gustave could not imagine that kind of security. Even his immediate family was spread thin; his parents had died years ago and his only sibling – a sister – was living somewhere on the great Western Continent. He had not spoken to her in years. What surprised Gustave most was that he had now become increasingly familiar with Macey Ellen. In the back of his mind, he could not stop thinking about Vincent; how would he feel to know that Gustave was starting to take a fancy to his ex-wife? On the other hand, he had discussed the marriage with Vincent many times since their divorce. He felt certain that Vincent would not mind. In fact, he remembered Vincent regularly talking about Macey finding happiness; Vincent seemed to want this, perhaps to ease any feelings of guilt he may have had about the marriage’s end. Nevertheless, Gustave wanted to be cautious. He had never been married – or even had a long term girlfriend – but he wanted a wife. He wanted a family. Now that his own parents were dead and now that Vincent had passed away, there were very few young males to carry on the Achard name. Gustave almost felt a duty to have a family; he thought it would make Olivier proud. He also knew that he enjoyed Macey’s company. And, unlike other young Almagest women, he felt she would be more likely to both move away and to also take on another family’s name. It helped that she was intelligent, wise and passionate. The gates of Gustave’s summer house loomed closer. As he passed through them and made his way towards the house, his mind filled with positive thoughts of the future for the first time in days.

[Sandy]

[CENTER][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/gadgetgerrault2avatar.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]

[FONT="Georgia"]It took a while for Gadget to realize where he woke up at. But soon it all returned to him, with the force of a crushing wave.

He had made it back to High Czenoble, and somehow managed to find his way to Vincent's appartment. But instead of his lover, only devastating news awaited him there. The servants told him that Vincent had been executed for treason in Muldova.

He had never felt such pain and sorrow. The experiments done to him at Prometheo laboratories were nothing compared to the excruciating feeling of losing someone he had just fallen in love with. He had been so happy with Vincent, for the first time in his life he had had hope for the better. He had seen their future together, but now it had all been taken away from him.

The servants had let him spend the night in Vincent's bed, and Gadget had cried himself to sleep. But as he woke up, his sadness had turned into determination. He knew he had gotten mixed up in something he could not fully comprehend, but he was going to do his part and reveal everything he knew to the only people he could trust: the Almagests.

He dressed up and was about to leave the appartment, when he remembered something. He went to Vincent's desk, and sure enough, the small piece of paper with the mysterious poem was still lying on it. Gadget knew it had to be important somehow, or otherwise the Starks wouldn't have left it in Rosengard.

He took the piece of paper and left the appartment where he had shared his love with Vincent behind. He took the magitechnological elevator down to the garage, and asked the driver waiting there to take him to Rosengard.[/FONT]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"][SIZE="1"][CENTER][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/harrison-chronicle.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]
Harrison didn't know what to expect when it came to training, but it didn’t take long for him to clue in on just what was expected. It was similar to what he had read about for the Royal Police Guard training though clearly much more strict. As he listened to the instructor, a Sergeant Garett, on some level he began to wonder just what in the world his father had gotten him into. It was to be frank a little startling as to the attitude he was expected to adapt to. In the military, the understanding was that you would work the hours you are told to work, you would work overtime when told and that you would do the tasks assigned, even if they didn't relate to your job. Just as you were expected to live where you are told to live and deploy when and where you are told to deploy.

He was surprised when Sergeant Garett got to the end of that bit of the opening speech, since it seemed that Harrison was not the only new recruit there, and moved to finish with a stern lecture that if one was not willing to make those kind of sacrifices, then they needed to do both themselves and the Dynast government a big favor and go home. Naturally Harrison said nothing, even though some of the recruits were snickering a bit in his direction since it was clear that he was too young since he was one of the smallest men there. In the end, it was something that as they stood there lined up, facing the Sergeant, he ignored. He wasn’t about to leave, at least not without seeing what it was like first.

The rest of the morning was unlike anything he had ever expected, the training was demanding, far more than anything Harrison had ever done, a combination of both physical and mental work. Everything seemed to be designed to test the limits of what one could do while simultaneously drilling into you the fundamentals of military rules, polices, etiquette and customs that pertained to your particular area of military service. And Sergeant Garett had no trouble whatsoever pushing you to the point that at times Harrison wondered that no one outright slugged him. But since the others merely took it in without complaint he did the same, until finally, after what seemed like an eternity they were done and it was time to go and get some lunch before reporting to one’s next assignment. Which in his case, did not include more training, but rather reporting to Colonel Dwalish.

Harrison was too tired to realize that a couple of the other recruits who had been around longer where edging closer until one of them spoke up. “[B]And here I thought I’d seen everything Jake, what good is a little runt like that going to be?[/B]” Startled Harrison turned to see that three of them were closing in on him, leaving him no where to go. He didn’t know why but he stood his ground, even though all of them were larger than he was.

“[B]What’s the matter runt? Got nothing to say?[/B]” One of them jeered at him and then continued when Harrison didn’t respond. “[B]So how’d you manage to end up with a commission? You get that by begging someone?[/B]” The other two laughed at the joke while Harrison turned a little red.

“[B]So who’s butt did you kiss boy?[/B]” The one called Jake said nastily as they closed in on him, without thinking Harrison took a tiny step backwards, looking to see if there was a way to simply leave without creating a fuss. But they seemed to anticipate that and the three spread out a tiny bit, closing that option off.

[I]Great. [/I]Harrison thought. [I]Now what do I do?[/I] Somehow he got the impression that arguing or fighting back would not go over very well.

“[B]So who are you anyway? What’s your name runt?[/B]”

“[B]Harrison.[/B]” He replied shortly.

“[B]And?[/B]” The one in the middle prompted, “[B]You do have a last name don’t you runt?[/B]”

Harrison sighed inwardly and responded since they were going to find out anyway. “[B]Harrison Almagest.[/B]” He flushed when the group laughed at him even more.

“[B]Well that explains how a little runt like you got let in. Why you can’t even be sixteen![/B]” He mock sighed dramatically, placing his hand on his forehead. “[B]What’s the world coming to when they start handing out commissions to under aged runts with family influence.[/B]” The other two snickered and then stopped when the obvious leader of the gang moved in closer.

“[B]So just which one of those rich idiots are you related to? You know, so we can send the fool a message telling them how stupid they are.[/B]” The three were so focused on Harrison that they didn’t notice that their training instructor Sergeant Garett had approached from behind, and all three jumped when he answered their question.

“[B]That idiot,[/B]” He said with scorn for the three who whirled and immediately came to attention upon seeing who had spoken, “[B]would be Colonel Almagest and Air-General Almagest of the [I]Sentinel.[/I][/B]” The three paled, though Harrison could not see their expressions. “[B]I’m sure both of them would be pleased to hear how the three of you think they are idiots.[/B]”

“[B]No sir![/B]” The one in the middle squeaked out. “[B]We were only…[/B]”

“[B]Yes I know.[/B]” Sergeant Garett motioned with his head, “[B]Get going before I discipline all of you for disrespect towards your superior officers.[/B]”

The three couldn’t get out of the room fast enough, taking off without even glancing back at Harrison, who was still standing at attention, waiting for Sergeant Garett to speak since he was uncertain as to what he should do next. For the longest moment the two just stared at one another until Garett finally spoke.

“[B]Get going recruit, or you’ll run out of time for lunch and we can’t have you collapsing on us.[/B]”

“[B]Yes sir.[/B]” Harrison responded before he too took off for the mess hall. Even if the food was a bit less than ideal, he didn’t fancy the idea of running errands for Dwalish on an empty stomach. He just hoped the three who had pestered him would leave him alone. Though he got the feeling that it wouldn’t be the first time. If not those three, then someone else. [/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Aaryanna_Mom]

[CENTER][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/catherinesaraavatar.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]
It had certainly been an interesting morning at Chaos, working to keep the attention of the students when it was clear that it was elsewhere, Catherine had certainly done her best though. And considering the news circulating around High Czenoble, it was more than understandable that the students were having a hard time focusing. When the last class before lunch finished, Catherine made her way to where the teachers had a private room for lunch. She always made a point of joining them several times a week so she could keep up on how all of them were doing. And today, she was certain that just like the students, a little bit of talking to them would be in order, not that the teachers weren?t capable, but rather she could understand why the news would make anyone feel a little panicked.

Catherine entered the room and took note how many of the teachers glanced her way once she had entered the room. She took care to find a place near the center of the room and thus the easiest for one?s conversation to be overheard. Sometimes, listening in to someone else?s conversation worked better than a direct talk ever could. The teacher already sitting at the table, Stephanie Jackson smiled politely at her as she took a seat, only waiting long enough for one of the servers to take Catherine?s request before speaking up.

?[B]Lady Almagest, I was wondering if I could ask you something.[/B]?

?[B]Of course.[/B]? Catherine replied kindly since she had been expecting it after seeing the uneasy look in the teacher?s eyes.

?[B]Well it?s about the parent teacher meetings for tonight and tomorrow, I was wondering if we were still going to hold them.[/B]?

It was just as Catherine had expected, with all the rumors running around, a certain amount of panic was setting in, something that she was sure the Head Master had done nothing to head off. And in her opinion, unless something more official came up, there was no reason not to hold the meetings as planned. It was after all how Chaos operated, one did not cancel studies or standard procedure at the school unless there was a genuine need to do so.

Parent teacher meetings were important as they gave those parents who wished to keep a close track on their children?s progress a chance to work closely with the teachers to address any concerns that they had. They were only held twice a year so most parents planned their schedule around it in order to make sure they would have time to attend.

?[B]Of course,[/B]? Catherine answered. ?[B]I see no reason why we shouldn?t.[/B]? She pitched her voice so it would carry through the room and yet not be so loud that the others would realize she was doing it.

?[B]I can understand why you would ask that, since the rumors and news is rather alarming. But at the same time its important to make sure we aren?t allowing such rumors to affect our judgment.[/B]? She smiled at the serving girl who had just arrived with her lunch and tea, thanking the girl before turning back to finish the conversation.

?[B]Unless you know of a good reason why we should cancel them.[/B]?

?[B]Oh! Uh... of course not! It?s just that?[/B]? She hesitated. ?[B]Well?[/B]?

Catherine waited patiently for her to finish.

?[B]The Head Master hasn?t said a word and with all the stuff going on, we weren?t sure if they were still on or not.[/B]?

?[B]They are,[/B]? Catherine took a sip of her tea. ?[B]I will be heading home for dinner, but I?ll be back in time for when the meetings start at eight o?clock sharp.[/B]?

She smiled to herself as she noticed how the others were going back to what they had been doing before the conversation, and then she frowned inwardly at how the Head Master continued to disappoint her with his utter lack of skill when it came to his position. Normally she wasn?t so judgmental, but it didn?t help that he kept coming up short.

[I]If this continues, I really will have to bring it up before the board, the children deserve better.[/I] With the tiniest of sighs she focused on her lunch and moved the conversation to more everyday topics, at least as much as was possible considering the circumstances. Fortunately the other teachers seemed to be settling back down again. Though how the Head Master could be so clueless was at times beyond her.

[James]

[center][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/audrey-avatar.jpg[/img] [/center] Audrey and Pepper ate their lunch slowly. They did so for two reasons. First and foremost, their serves were painfully small and eating slowly gave one the sensation of being fuller. Secondly, the food was terrible. It was a strange, flat stew made from unidentifiable vegetables and thin pieces of fish. The entire meal was an odd grey color and it was accompanied by a slice of slightly-stale bread and a small glass of water. Pepper gripped her bread in both hands and chewed on the crust slowly and carefully. She was an expert with prison food; she knew how to make it last and how to enjoy it. Audrey was still learning as she awkwardly spooned a blob of stew into her mouth. At first, Pepper seemed completely focused on her meal. After a while, though, she slowed down and seemed to try to distract herself by talking to Audrey – it was another tactic for prolonging lunch. 'Tell me,' mumbled Audrey as she attempted to chew through a particularly tough chunk of meat, 'why did you try to go after the King? What did he ever do to you?' Pepper almost choked on her bread. For a moment Audrey wondered what, exactly, she'd said that was so upsetting. 'How can you ask me that?' cried Pepper. 'How is it possible to live under King Mideus and be so ignorant?' Audrey felt foolish. She realized that Pepper was obviously from New Czenoble. 'I-I'm sorry,' she stuttered, 'I'm just not sure why it's worth risking your freedom. I'm sure you heard the news that King Mideus died...' Flames seemed to dance in Pepper's eyes suddenly. 'That's not the point. He'll die and he'll choose a heir; the Dynast's cycle of tyranny will not stop!' Audrey shifted on the cold concrete floor uncomfortably. 'But, if you killed him...wouldn't they just choose a heir anyway?' Pepper slowly ate the last piece of her bread. She paused for a moment to savor it. 'Yes, they would choose a new heir I'm sure,' she said finally. 'But the message would have gotten through. It might have inspired others to do the same. We need to let them [i]know[/i] how we feel - that they can't just abuse a country and expect no retaliation.' Audrey had already finished her bread. She'd eaten it too fast and now she felt another surge of hunger pains in the pit of her stomach. She was certain that she'd lost weight, even though it had only been a couple of days. 'Well,' sighed Audrey finally, 'last I saw, the Underdogs had taken New Czenoble. Do you think they will try to take the capital?' Pepper shrugged. 'No idea,' she muttered. 'As long as they have New Czenoble, they can't be stopped.' 'Why?' 'That's where all the factories are, of course,' said Pepper with a tone of indignation. 'How are the rich in High Czenoble going to survive if they can no longer import goods from New Czenoble? They'll all choke on their expensive wine and then it'll run out and they will all starve.' Audrey was somewhat surprised that Pepper's hatred for the Dynast rulers also extended to the inhabitants of High Czenoble. She seemed to have a strong dislike for the [i]entire[/i] upper class. 'I lived in High Czenoble,' said Audrey cautiously. 'But I also visited New Czenoble regularly. I am not Czenovian by birth though.' 'I can tell by your accent,' chuckled Pepper. 'For a High Czenoble, you aren't half bad...' A weak smile crept across Audrey's face. 'Are you from New Czenoble?' asked Audrey. Her plate was now empty. Pepper shook her head. 'Actually, my family comes from Muldova. We moved to New Czenoble when I was little. At one time, my father owned a small watchworks store in the main street. He loved watches.' 'Why did he decide to move?' 'Things started to change in Muldova. People were having trouble finding work. A lot of people moved up to New Czenoble for jobs. I remember that big companies were starting up in New Czenoble and promising the world to workers; great pay, few working hours..."be your own boss and earn big money" the ads used to say.' Audrey nodded knowingly. 'I remember hearing vague comments about that from travelers. Back then I'd never been outside Anova.' Pepper continued eating her stew; Audrey was amazed that she hadn't finished it yet. She seemed more comfortable now that she was about halfway through. 'Our family was earning few Crownes each week,' continued Pepper, 'so my parents decided to move. My father accepted a factory job in New Czenoble. It was a far cry from what he loved doing, but he was promised promotions and big bonuses. And the excitement of living in a big city made it more attractive.' 'I think,' said Pepper as she took a breath between mouthfuls of stew, 'my mother was always worried about moving. We'd been in Muldova ever since I can remember. But she agreed. Then, when we moved, everything changed.' Audrey's eyes widened. 'How did things change?' 'Things got a lot worse for us,' Pepper replied flatly. 'We never saw father. He was sometimes away for days at a time. When he did come home, it was always late at night. He earned hardly any money and we began to struggle. But all the jobs in the city were the same; nobody was earning money, other than some lucky people who managed to get promoted. Very few people were ever promoted.' Audrey could not help but notice the utter disappointment in Pepper's tone. It was clear that she blamed the Dynasts and the Czenovian Government for the downfall of her entire family. 'My father became...someone else,' she continued slowly. 'The life disappeared from his eyes. And my mother did nothing but worry all the time. My family was destroyed as were so many others.' Audrey rubbed her chin. 'Did they ever consider leaving New Czenoble?' Pepper laughed to herself. 'Leave? Are you kidding? My father, like many workers, was bound to a very strict contract. It gave employers almost unlimited powers over their staff. And if a staff member stepped out of line or made a mistake?' Pepper shuddered. 'Sometimes the consequences were...well, you can imagine.' 'Are you saying that the King knew nothing about this?' 'Maybe, I don't know. How could he not? He's the King! How could he let thousands of people suffer like that?' Pepper almost spat her food out as she spoke. 'There's no excuse,' she murmured, 'no excuse at all.' 'Besides,' she continued as she finished off the last mouthful of stew, 'many of the biggest companies in New Czenoble are owned by those in High Czenoble. And many are unofficially backed by the Dynast family.' 'I see,' said Audrey quietly. She knew this to be true. She even knew that New Czenoble was known for being home to much of the country's working class. Yet she had no idea that the suffering was so bad as to cause a young woman to risk her life - and her freedom - just to get revenge. 'As long as the Dynasts are in power,' said Pepper resolutely, 'I don't care about leaving this prison. What's the use of freedom if you can't really be free?' Audrey simply nodded. She wondered, however, whether it was true that all of the Dynasts were like Mideus. Mideus, after all, was old - he was from a different generation. And he was likely surrounded by biased and corrupt advisers. If a [i]new[/i] family member took the throne, perhaps things would change. Perhaps the next ruler could negotiate with the Underdogs, or at least start to make things more equitable for Czenovians. In any case, Audrey began to wonder whether it all mattered. If she never escaped the dungeon, what difference would it make who was on the throne?

[Shy]

[center][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/henryavatar.jpg[/img][/center]
[size=1][indent]Although it was still early in morning Henry Grimalkin had already spent several hours practicing and training at the High Czenoble Downs. Placing second in an event like the Chimaera Cup was a tremendous honor, and even though he wanted to enjoy his newfound notoriety the young man remain focused on his goal of placing even higher next year.

He was sitting in the changing rooms, adjusting his necklace and dressing for a lunch date with his mother. Leonhart had willed Anna an extraordinary amount of money, but Lady Bavaria and her team of justices were making every effort to keep it out of her hands. Although his winnings from his races were quite large it would not be nearly enough to cover their expenses longterm or purchase a new home in High Czenoble. Still, he had no interest in relying on the good graces of the Almagests for any longer. Now more than ever it was time for the Grimalkins to escape Leonhart’s shadow and make something for themselves. Henry only needed to figure out how to do that.

“[b]The season is over Grimalkin,[/b]” a familiar voice called out from behind, “[b]Shouldn’t you out enjoying the spoils of your success?[/b]”

Henry turned around to discover Hugo Black, the Dynast’s favored jockey, standing before him in full riding gear. Hugo was a handsome man with dark features, several years older than Henry. His muscular frame almost burst from his tight leather jacket, a stark contrast to the thin Grimlakin boy. Hugo stood over Henry imposingly, eyeing the young man carefully.

“[b]I was training early this morning,[/b]” Henry replied sheepishly, “[b]I’ll need it if I want to stay competitive for next year.[/b]”

Hugo laughed, “[b]That you will. You wouldn‘t want to end up like Markham.[/b]”

“[b]Morphia is an excellent rider. What happened to her was an accident,[/b]” Henry noted with a grimace, “[b]Wasn’t it?[/b]’”

Henry sent Hugo a sharp glance. Hugo grinned, “[b]Of course it was! But remember that it was an accident that placed you in the finals. Ultimately skill accounts for only so much in this sport. The players who achieve victory are the ones who take control of the variables.[/b]”

“[b]What are you saying, Black?[/b]”

“[b]Nothing you didn’t know already,[/b]” he replied as he placed his gloved hand on Henry’s shoulder, “[b]You have the potential to be many great things, Henry. If you‘d like… I‘d be willing to take you under my wing.[/b]”

It was at that moment Henry suddenly felt a deep anger welling up inside of him. Although he would never admit it, Black’s callous nature was more than enough evidence for him to believe the rumors. He was nothing like the gentleman he portrayed himself as, merely a cheat and a criminal. Now here he was, only days after hurting Morphia, attempting to recruit Henry. The young man found it terribly ironic, and sickening.

Henry turned his head away sharply, his eyes narrowed, “[b]I need to get going. [/b]”

“[b]What’s wrong?[/b]”

“[b]The things the other jockeys say about you are true, aren't they?[/b]"

Hugo nodded, "[b]It's not that simple, Henry...[/b]"

"[b]You should go, because otherwise I imagine Thane Dreadnaught would be very interested to find out about your secrets.[/b]”

"[b]You misunderstand my intentions. I am merely a servant of the Princess, and of the Dynasts. It is their will I obey. Nothing more, nothing less. What I do I do for my country, and if it happens to turn a profit, so be it.[/b]"

"[b]Good day, Black.[/b]"

"[b]Think about your dear mother. The Dynast fortune is more than enough to care for the both of you...[/b]"

Henry glared, “[b][i]Good day, Black![/i][/b]”

"[b]Pity.[/b]" Hugo scowled, “[b]Indeed. Either way, in case you are interested, I’ll be hosting a small function at the Jockey’s Pub downtown tonight after sunset. I hope to see you there…[/b]”

There was a moment of silence before Hugo left. Henry quickly gathered his things to leave, only to notice a small handkerchief left on the floor. He picked it up, discovering a small symbol of a wolf embroidered on the corner.[/size][/indent]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][CENTER][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/alecialeanna-chronicle.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/morphiaavatar.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]
The morning had been rather uneventful for Alecia since even with the unrest being caused by the news of what was going on in New Czenoble, things had been calmed down or rather the Royal Police Guard were working hard to keep things under control. So though she had been terribly busy, it wasn't as hectic as the day before had been. And even though it had been a bit strained since it was clear that he was still upset, lunch with Alexander had at least been relaxing to a certain extent. It had been good to see that he was still doing well in spite of his injury.

Alecia would be glad when the day was done and they could both go home and rest, but for now, she had work to do. She had only just gotten back from lunch with Alexander, but the sooner she got started, the sooner she would be done. She set her things down in her tiny office and went to the nurse's station where the chart for Morphia Markham was located. After a quick greeting to the staff, she opened it up and took a look, by now the results of the check that morning would be there and sure enough they were.

In a way, Morphia was lucky, the breaks she had gotten were clean, and those always healed the quickest, especially when combined with injections. The scans confirmed it, they may have been simple since the technology for getting a picture of one's bones was still relatively new, but it clearly showed that she was responding well. At this rate, she could be sent home in a wheel chair either later that night or first thing in the morning. Preferably the next morning since it would be better to wait for the second check the next day, since she might need another treatment. Alecia put it out of her mind and left to head for her room, smiling a bit as she entered the room and Morphia turned to see who had entered.

"[B]I trust you are ready for your next injections?[/B]" She asked her politely after they exchanged greetings.

Morphia just grimaced a bit, "[B]Yes, as ready as I'll ever be.[/B]"

Alecia took that as an indication to get things ready and in no time she had finished up with the second set of shots. She put everything away and then move over by the bed as she had one last thing to tell her before the sedative did it's work.

"[B]You'll be pleased to know that you're responding very well, enough that it's possible for you to leave later today or tomorrow morning so long as you have someone to care for you. You still need to use a wheelchair for a while though. Anyway, at this rate, you'll only need one more treatment and then it's only a matter of follow up appointments to determine when you are ready to start working on walking again.[/B]"

Morphia looked a bit surprised at that news and then in spite of the obvious pain she was in she smiled just a tiny bit. "[B]Thank you.[/B]" She finally said.

Alecia just smiled a bit in return before leaving and heading out to see to the other patients she was working with.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR="goldenrod"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"][CENTER][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/catherinesaraavatar.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/victoriaann-chronicle.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]
Victoria was feeling out of sorts all day long and it wasn't until later in the afternoon that she realized why. And on some level she found it irritating since Harrison was a brat, always calling her a pest and such. But at the same time, he was the only one who was closest to her own age at Rosengard and it was easy for her to forget that he wasn't her older brother, since that was how she thought of him. But for it to irritate her that he was gone? Even if it wasn't his fault? [I]I'm gonna smack him when I see him again[/I] she thought.

She sighed, not paying attention to her lessons yet again as she wondered what it must be like to be in the military since that was where Aunt Harriet said he was, with Uncle Daedalus.[I] I thought you had to be older though...[/I] She sighed again since she'd lost interest in convincing Joshua to take her into the tunnels under Chaos, though she supposed it was because he refused to do so.[I] If only I had my own keys, [/I]she thought. Though she didn't want to go down there by herself. It would have been more fun to drag Harrison and Josh along with her.

Though she didn't really believe in giants, that just made no sense, how could something stay asleep and never get hungry? As she got up to leave to head for her next class, she made a mental note to ask Uncle Daedalus about it the first chance she got. Victoria was heading down the hallway when she saw Joshua again and her eyes narrowed as a thought occurred to her. She walked over and caught a hold of his shirt, dragging him to the side.

"[B]Hey! What are you doing? I already said no and that's final![/B]" He protested.

But Victoria was not listening, "[B]Did you and Harrison already find the giant? Is that why you won't take me into the tunnels?[/B]"

"[B]Of course not! There's no such thing as giants. Besides, even if there were, there's no way I'm going to get in trouble with your Aunt! If I take you into the tunnels...[/B]"

"[B]I'm glad to hear that young man,[/B]" both of them jumped at the sound of Aunt Catherine's voice as she came out of of the classroom door just a few feet down the hall. "[B]The tunnels under the school are off limits for a reason.[/B]"

"[B]Auntie Catherine![/B]" Victoria yelped in surprise. "[B]You don't understand![/B]"

"[B]There's nothing to understand Victoria, the tunnels are dangerous. They run through all of Mount Grail and the last thing we need is for a student to get lost.[/B]" She shook her head and sighed.

"[B]Both of you are late for class,[/B]" she pointed out, Josh needed no urging as he stammered out a yes ma'am and took off at a dead run.

"[B]Well now you've gone and done it.[/B]" Victoria said with annoyance. "[B]Now he'll never help me find the giant sleeping in Mount Grail![/B]"

"[B]Victoria Ann, you'll do no such thing.[/B]" Catherine said sternly.

"[B]I know, it's just that...[/B]" She sighed herself, "[B]I wanted to see if it was real or not.[/B]"

Catherine smiled. "[B]Dear, it's a bedtime story and nothing more.[/B]" She answered Victoria's sharp glance with one of her own. "[B]When classes are over, you are to come to my office immediately, I'll need some help carrying some books home.[/B]"

Victoria looked at her through narrowed eyes. "[B]You made that up. You're just doing that so you can keep an eye on me.[/B]" She accused.

"[B]That's correct, but make no mistake, you [I]will[/I] be helping me carry some books. Now - get going young lady, you too are late for class![/B]"

Victoria scowled at her a bit before leaving to get to her next class. [I]So much for that plan,[/I] she knew that look in her Aunt Catherine's eyes, she'd have to wait until things calmed down a bit and she forgot about it. [/FONT][/COLOR]

[Raiha]

[RIGHT][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/maceyellen-chronicle.jpg[/IMG][/RIGHT]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]Macey stood in the center of her room, turning around slowly. In her mind, she compiled a list of things she'd take with her to Anova. Some of her embroidered bed sheets and quilts to be certain, as well as some other simples. Mell arrived soon after, her arms full of some of things things Macey had already asked her to fetch. A traveling chest was open near the bed, the base already lined with fresh paper. Holding one end of a heavy quilt, she helped Mell fold and lay it down at the base, followed with other things as well. Eventually it came to Macey's attention that she was packing things that she'd sewn herself, as if she were putting together another dowry chest.

She shrugged her shoulders inwardly, a smile playing about her face. This new day had already improved her mood somewhat. Mell left to fetch some of her dresses and corsets, while she placed a few of her better pieces of jewelry in a small wooden box. She slipped it into one of the corners of the trunk and then sat down at her vanity desk for a few moments. One of other household servants dropped by with lunch, a note on the tea service this time.[/i]

"Where did this come from?"

"Don't know Miss, it was there when I picked it up."

[i]With careful fingers, she picked it up and opened it. This time, it informed Macey not of another death, but of Audrey's incarceration. Her location and crime were also listed, as well as some pertinent information about who to contact to argue in her favor. Macey crushed the note as soon as she'd finished memorizing it, tossing it almost carelessly into the fireplace. Mell returned soon after and continued packing. Macey stood at once and went behind her screen to dress. Dark, formal tones, black this time. She had Mell fix her hair while she put in stern silver jewelry. Several minutes later, she was standing downstairs, being handed into a carriage by one of the spare footmen.[/i]

"Where to Miss?"

"To the Mirror Palace if you please. I have a date with a prisoner."

[i]He nodded and whipped up the horses, the journey brief. She'd already sent ahead a servant with news of her arrival, hoping that the quicker she showed up, the less likely they'd be to refuse her. Macey held one of her larger purses in her hands, her hat tipped down to cover her eyes slightly. Eventually they reached the destination and she stepped out, making tracks for the prison entryway, the warden eying her with some asperity. [/i]

"Miss Almagest?"

"I trust you had news of my coming. Take me to see Audrey Bertrand at once."

"Are you sure you want to do that? It's no place for a lady?"

"If that were the case she wouldn't be there right now would she? Take me to her now."

[i]The inflection Macey put on 'now' left no room for discussion. He jumped to his feet and led her down several staircases into the heart of the prison. Macey set her shoulders and her jaw, unwilling to show fear where it'd be useless. Then she stepped forward slowly towards the cell the warden indicated belonged to Audrey and another female prisoner.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Sandy]

[CENTER][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/gadgetgerrault2avatar.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/ladybavariaavatar.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]

[FONT="Georgia"]When Gadget arrived to Rosengard, he saw much to his surprise that the servants were packing up the most valuable property into three large steamtrucks parked to the driveway. Lady Bavaria was standing outside the main entrance, handing out directions to the packers. Gadget braced himself and walked to the woman.

[B]"Good afternoon, Lady Almagest"[/B], Gadget greeted. It took a while for Bavaria to realize who had talked to her, but the familiar distain returned to her face soon enough.

[B]"Oh, it's you. I thought you left us already."[/B]

[B]"I was wondering if Miss Macey or Miss Eva are home"[/B], Gadget asked cautiously, trying to be as humble as he could. From what he had heard, Bavaria was not exactly kind to strangers.

[B]"You just missed my step-daughter Macey Ellen, she already left the premises. And I have no idea where Marie Evangeline is at present. Now off you go, I'm busy."[/B]

[B]"But I have some important information to tell them! It's about... the Underdogs."[/B] Gadget had no idea how Bavaria would react to the word, but then her eyes lit with interest.

At that moment, a messenger arrived, carrying a letter for Lady Bavaria. She opened it on the spot, ignoring Gadget once again.

[B]"From Meredyne Artemis... What in the world? This looks like... a notesheet?"[/B] Bavaria wondered out loud.

[B]"Oh!"[/B] Gadget exclaimed as he saw the notes. [B]"It's written on the same paper as this!"[/B]

He took the poem from his pocket and handed it to Bavaria. [B]"I found it in the night that the Underdogs tried to bomb this place. They left it to the basement."[/B]

Bavaria examined the two papers for a while. [B]"You seem to be correct. Unfortunately I'm not versed in musical notes. Come inside, I need to hear more about this."[/B]

Bavaria lead Gadget to the patio on the backside of the house, and asked a servant to bring them tea. She placed the two pieces of paper to the table, then turned her focus back to Gadget.

[B]"You seem to know a lot about this Underdog business, young man. Gadget, wasn't it? I'm sure you can tell me what you were going to tell to my step-daughters."[/B]

[B]"Lady Bavaria..."[/B], Gadget hesitated, but he was desperate to get it out of his system. [B]"At the Chimaera Cup, I ran into the Starks. They... took me with them, and I found out that your husband is alive. Leonhart Almagest was kidnapped by the Starks at the Prometheo Laboratories. They now keep him somewhere underground."[/B]

For the longest time, Bavaria just sat there, staring at the young man. Gadget could see that her mind was racing. She must have been thinking whether or not to believe what she had just been told.

To Bavaria, this information meant that she had to change all of her plans.[/FONT]

[Aaryanna_Mom]

[CENTER][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/catherinesaraavatar.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/victoriaann-chronicle.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]
Catherine was not surprised to see Victoria Ann's sullen look when she reluctantly showed up in her office once classes were done for the day. True to what she had told her, she had some books ready for her to help her with. Catherine had been meaning to move a few books given to her by Leonhart but had never gotten around to it. It was from the last time he had visited her office and though she had already read the books, she had been meaning to take them home and do some cross checking with the books she had there.

"[B]Here you go Victoria,[/B]" She handed her three of the five books she had ready. "[B]I've been meaning to take those home for some time now so you'll be doing me a big favor by helping out.[/B]"

Victoria frowned a bit as she cradled them in her arms. "[B]Wouldn't it be better to keep them here? For when you'll need them?[/B]"

"[B]Those were given to me by Leonhart, they are not text books for the students.[/B]" Catherine explained as the two left her office to head for the train station.

Victoria Ann looked at the title of the first book, Systems, Organizations, Analysis & Management: A in-depth review of Gadgetry. The second one was similar only it was for Weaponsmithing . Victoria frowned upon realizing what she was looking at.

"[B]Grandfather gives you boring books Auntie Catherine.[/B]" She finally said, causing Catherine to chuckle.

"[B]I'm a teacher Victoria, how can I tell the students that learning is important if I am unwilling to learn myself.[/B]" She stepped into the waiting train and took a seat, Victoria following along, doing the same.

"[B]So that's why you have so many books and read every night.[/B]" Victoria Ann gave her an odd look. "[B]Do I have to do that too when I get older? Keep studying?[/B]"

Catherine smiled a bit at the question, for her it was more than just for teaching. She had always enjoyed learning new things, ever since she could remember. The fact that it fit neatly into her current occupation was just a bonus really. Though she was certain she would have found the time even if she wasn't a teacher. Now, the question in her mind was how to help encourage that desire to learn in Victoria.

"[B]No you don't have to, but I can guarantee you that you will.[/B]" She smiled mysteriously at Victoria Ann's puzzled look. "[B]There are a lot of things in alchemy that though they work, we don't understand how or why they work. Take Lucy for example, by studying Chimeras we better learn how to care for her.[/B]"

The train came to a halt and both of them got off and started heading towards Rosengard. "[B]Auntie Catherine, can we go see Lucy before dinner? Please?[/B]"

"[B]I don't see why not, it will only take a moment to drop off the books and then we can take a carriage over. It's a little hard to see her when she's so far away.[/B]"

"[B]Yeah, I mean, I do have a picture since Uncle Fonty took one for me, but it's not the same.[/B]"

A moment later they were at Rosengard and making arrangements for a carriage once Catherine had handed over the books to one of the servants to put in her room. As they were getting into the carriage a thought occurred to her, since any teacher knew that the best way to encourage a student to learn was by finding what interested them.

"[B]There's something else to keep in mind Victoria Ann, something that makes studying worthwhile even if you are no longer attending school.[/B]"

"[B]Oh?"[/B] Victoria tilted her head to the side a bit as the carriage pulled out of Rosengard. "[B]What would that be?[/B]"

"[B]Your picture of Lucy is tied to another one of the mysteries of alchemy. You see, there are a few devices that are capable of seeing across great distances, some even believe that it's possible to take pictures of the future.[/B]"

"[B]Really?[/B]" Victoria smiled at the thought of actually being able to see Lucy from a great distance. Though the idea seemed a little odd to her.

"[B]Yes dear, and that's why studying is so important. To find out if it's true or not.[/B]"

She smiled as Victoria's face took on a serious look. It was the truth that there were many things that worked and yet they didn't truly understand how they worked just yet. But more importantly, getting her mind off of the idea of hunting through the tunnels under Mount Grail was a must. If there was one thing Catherine knew, it was that Victoria Ann was very determined. If she didn't keep an eye on her, one of these days, she'd find out that she really had taken off into the tunnels. She was a good kid, but her curiosity often got her into trouble.

[Shy]

[center][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/ladybavariaavatar.jpg[/img] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/fauntleroy-chronicle.jpg[/img][/center]
[size=1][indent]After visiting Eshe Rehema briefly (and getting an earful from Alecia) Fauntleroy discovered that Lady Bavaria had already returned to Rosengard. He quickly called for his steam car, and took the short trip across town to see her. In the horizon dozens of airships could be seen scurrying away from High Czenoble, while countless more hovered in the skies above, casting their enormous shadows on the city. Fonty wondered if Daedalus was inside of one of the larger ships, and if Harrison was with him. With the revolution continuing at full force a royal airship seemed like a terrible place for a child. Of course, given recent events it was uncertain if anywhere would be safe for an Almagest.

He thought of what Alexander had said downtown, and wondered if someone hadn't been tampering with his mother's camera secretly. As likely as it sounded, this possibility left even more unaswered questions.

Fauntleroy pulled his steamcar in front of Rosengard and quietly entered. His shoulder had begun to bother him once again, so he was eager to get back inside and rest. In the Grand Hall he discovered Lady Bavaria sitting on a lone table and chair, quietly sipping her tea as she stared into an unusual set of notes. The rest of room's furniture and artwork had been stripped from the walls and packed away; Bavaria's presence only made the Grand Hall seem even more cold and empty.

“[b]Hello Bavaria,[/b]” Fauntleroy said, “[b]I had tried to catch you at Eshe Rehema, but I guess you already returned home.[/b]”

She nodded, “[b]Morphia and I returned to Rosengard earlier this afternoon. It has been a very long day already…[/b]”

Fonty withdrew the contract from his jacket, “[b]I’m glad to hear that she’s doing better. When you have a moment, I’d like to discuss the Artemis offer with you.[/b]”

“[b]Of course, of course,[/b]” Bavaria replied, “[b]But first, I have a question to ask…[/b]”

“[b]Oh?[/b]”

“[b]This ‘Gadget,’ who has been running around Rosengard the past few days.. who is he?[/b]”

“[b]I’m not entirely sure, to be honest. We’ve only barely spoken. He says that he’s Macey Ellen’s assistant, and he was quite close with Vincent for a spell… until...[/b]”

Bavaria‘s eyes widened in disbelief, “[b][I]Vincent Achard and that child?[/I][/b]”

“[b]There’s a lot about Vincent you don’t know, Bavaria.[/b]”

“[b]I had no idea...[/b]”

“[b]Few did. Certainly not Macey until it was too late.[/b]”

“[b]In light of recent events, I’d say he was a man of many secrets.[/b]”

Fonty sighed, “[b]Vincent may have been a lot of things, but a traitor was not one of them. I hope you don‘t believe the rumors…[/b]”

“[b]Hardly. The Achards have always been strong allies of Czenovia, Fauntleroy,[/b]” Bavaria lowered her voice as she spoke,”[b]It‘s the boy I don‘t trust.[/b]”

“[b]Macey vouches for him. That’s good enough for me.[/b]”

"[b]You shouldn’t be so trusting,[/b]“ Bavaria replied as she stood to her feet, “[b]Over the years I have been lied to by some of the finest minds on the Western Continent, and I certainly have no intention of playing the fool again. Nor should you.[/b]”

She grabbed the contract from Fauntleroy’s hand and signed it, handing it back to him.

“[b]There you go, Fauntleroy. While I may not agree with you on many things, selling Magitech is honestly the best decision you’ve ever made.[/b]”

She turned around, and began walking out of the hallway towards the stairs.

“[b]Bavaria.[/b]”

“[b]Yes?[/b]”

There was an awkward pause before Fonty finally spoke up.

“[b]Were you in love with my father?[/b]”

Bavaria stared at the young man for a moment, admiring the features Leonhart had passed on. She placed her hand over her wedding ring and smiled.

“[b]With all of my heart.[/b]”

“[b]In that case, I’m sorry we’ve been so cruel to you over the years.[/b]”

“[b]Think nothing of it. I suppose it’s both our faults in many ways.[/b]”

"[b]I guess so...[/b]" Fauntleroy nodded, “[b]Where are you going? Aren’t you going to join the family for dinner?[/b]”

“[b]I’m going to send an urgent message to Commander Rosier at once,[/b]” she said sternly, “[b]Keep your eye on the young traitor until the Guard arrive.[/b]”

"[b]Young traitor..?[/b]"

Fauntleroy’s eyes followed Bavaria as she ascended up the staircase, confused by what she had said. He looked down at the table, and noticed two small messages. One was the cryptic poem he had found before his shooting, the other a strange piano arrangement.[/size][/indent]

[Rachmaninoff]

[CENTER][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/alexanderedward-chronicle.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]
Alexander had known this time would come, ever since his superior officer Jonathan Grants had approached him to join the Underdogs. He knew it was only a matter of time until Grants cornered him in order to get an answer. And even now, he still didn't know what he wanted to do. Part of him agreed or rather sympathized with the goals they seemed to have in mind and yet the other part of him just couldn't accept the lengths they were willing to go to.

If the servant hadn't heard Fonty's cries after he had been shot and come and got him, they wouldn't have discovered the bomb in time, all of them would have died. And though the [I]Vigilant[/I] should not have used lethal force like it did, that too was no reason to join. That was likely a terrible decision made by Gaul Rosier, like any guard member, Alexander knew the rumors about how ruthless he could be. And with the king dead, it was possible that the next ruler would do things differently.

And then there was the kidnappings and other things they had done. But there was also the possibility that if he said no, they would have him silenced. Of that he had no doubt, by even mentioning it to him, Grants had put him in the position of having to make a choice. If he didn't join, he'd have to turn them in to keep them from harming him or even Alecia for that matter, to ensure that he hadn't talked to her about it.

All of these thoughts were running though his head as he faced Jonathan Grants in the tiny room further back in the Royal Police Guard building. Under the pretense of them going over the details of the photograph of Leonhart. The truth, and Alexander knew it, was that it was even possible he would simply lock him up out of sight if he said no. They were too isolated from the rest of the main offices, something that made him very nervous.

"[B]So, what's it going to be Alexander? I've already explained how there are different cells in the Underdogs. You would never be asked to do something you don't agree with, like planting a bomb.[/B]" Grants watched him carefully from his position of sitting on the other side of the small table in the room.

"[B]Our branch is mainly concerned with the underhanded dealings on Gaul Rosier's part, like giving the order to use lethal force to the [I]Vigilant. [/I] We don't believe in using bombs or kidnapping others for who knows what.[/B]"

Alexander tried to ignore the pounding in his head from where he had gotten hurt the other day. "[B]I wish you had never spoken to me,[/B]" He finally said. "[B]I do agree with you that the citizens of New Czenoble need better rights and that an investigation should be started in regards to the [I]Vigilant[/I], but...[/B]"

"[B]No buts Alexander, you of all people know that those who are wealthy have no interest in giving that up. They don't give a damn about the lower classes.[/B]"

"[B]That's not true.[/B]" He protested.

"[B]Admit it Alexander, people like your wife are the exception.[/B]"

Alexander sighed as he realized what he was going to have to do.[I] I'm going to have to say yes, if I don't, I won't even make it out of the building alive.[/I] He didn't like the cold calculating look in Jonathan's eyes. But if he said yes, later on, if someone found out, it was him who would be in trouble, Grants could simply deny anything he said. [I]I have to find out what's going on, so I can really decide what to do. I have to let them think I've joined when I have not.[/I] He needed to investigate them and at this point the only way to do so was from the inside, pretending to be one of them.

He took a deep breath and then another. "[B]Fine, so long as we are agreed that I will not be expected to do anything to harm someone else, then I'll join.[/B]" He winced inwardly to hear himself say that, hoping that the whole thing wasn't some trap to get him in trouble.

But the wry grin on Grants face told him otherwise. "[B]Excellent. For now, just head home, we'll talk about this later, I might come by this evening.[/B]" He stood up and extended his hand to shake Alexander's.

Reluctantly he took it and then followed him back out into the main offices, something that made Alexander feel a whole lot better. Being isolated had made him feel terribly vulnerable and unprotected. As soon as he was out of the building and heading to pick up Alecia, he was regretting it a bit, even if it was the only way he could truly determine what to do, he didn't like it. But then a thought occurred to him, one that made him smile a little. He knew just what to do to make sure someone would know the truth should he get in trouble or found out. As soon as he got the chance he would take care of it immediately.

[James]

[center][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/audrey-avatar.jpg[/img] [img] http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/maceyellen-chronicle.jpg[/img] [/center] Lunch was over. Audrey and Pepper’s plates had been cleared and now they sat in silence once again. They could hear the faint rattling of chains and the occasional cries of protest from rooms somewhere within the dungeon. Audrey curled into a ball and grabbed her knees. She was starting to feel cold. Lunch had calmed her stomach somewhat, but she felt a dull emptiness that refused go away. Pepper, meanwhile, was staring at the open gap near the ceiling. The sunlight flickered, as though people were walking past somewhere outside. ‘So now you know a lot about me,’ said Pepper, her glaze remaining squarely on the opening in the wall. ‘Tell me more about you. When did you come to Czenovia? Why would any Anovan bother coming to a country like this?’ Audrey opened her mouth, but instead of speaking, she coughed violently. Each cough hurt her stomach and made her wince. ‘I was born in Le Monde, but my family moved to Cobalt Bay when I was around ten.’ Audrey coughed again. Pepper walked over to her and rubbed her back firmly. It was the first sign of affection or real friendship she’d exhibited since the pair had met. ‘Go on,’ said Pepper. ‘Cobalt Bay is right near all of Anova’s silver mines. The mines are all run by Anovans, but the largest two mines are owned by the Dynasts here in Czenovia. It’s part of a peace agreement their ancestors signed with my country many generations ago.’ ‘They own your two largest mines?’ Pepper raised a suspicious eyebrow. ‘So they’re dominating people in other countries too?’ Audrey shook her head. ‘Kind of. Not really. The deal ensures peace and freedom. Besides, [i]most[/i] mines are still owned by Anova. It’s just that we export very large quantities of silver at almost no cost to Czenovia.’ ‘Anyway, my father became quite senior at one of the two Czenovian-owned mines. He made several friends there, including a businessman who travelled over from High Czenoble now and again. I’m not sure what the man’s name was, but I know he was some sort of supervisor or something; my father said he reported back to a Royal Committee in High Czenoble.’ ‘Probably to tell them how much money they were stealing from their neighbour each month,’ muttered Pepper with a scowl. Audrey shrugged. ‘He became good friends with my parents, anyway. I became interested in him; he sometimes brought gifts for the children. He also brought beautiful photography books full of big pictures of High Czenoble. It looked like such a grand place! At eleven years old, my only goal in life was to travel the world.’ Pepper smiled faintly. ‘I asked my parents if I could learn Czenovian, since I could only speak Anovan then. They agreed to pay for lessons and within a few years, I was fluent.’ ‘Eventually I grew up and moved back to Le Monde, where I learned about politics and diplomacy at the Le Monde University. I decided that I wanted to work as a foreign aide to Czenovia. And for a while, I worked in the Ambassador’s Department; they stationed me in High Czenoble several times.’ ‘Wow,’ remarked Pepper, ‘sounds like things moved quickly for you. So you decided to just stay in High Czenoble?’ Audrey nodded. ‘Yeah, I was tired of commuting back and forth by airship. I rented a small apartment in the city and stayed. Eventually I gained my citizenship and I began working for the Royal Police Guard. After a couple more years, I found myself working as the Personal Assistant to Vin-- to the Assistant Commander…’ At that moment, tears began to well in Audrey’s eyes. She blinked them away, determined not to let Vincent’s death get to her. She had to be strong while in the dungeon; she could save mourning for later, if there would ever be a later. ‘Didn’t you get bored working for the RPG?’ asked Pepper, attempting to move the conversation along (and perhaps, with hopes of distracting Audrey from her pain). ‘Oh, no,’ said Audrey quietly, ‘I enjoyed it. The Personal Assistants do most of the travelling. Gaul and Vincent would rarely leave High Czenoble; their assistants usually did the travelling and then reported back to them. So I visited all sorts of places on behalf of Vincent. I even went to Al Ahmar once.’ Pepper’s eyes widened. ‘Al Ahmar? I don’t know anyone who’s been that far west!’ Audrey tried to smile. Pepper’s sudden excitement amused her, especially considering she was a girl who had seen far more than most her age. ‘Yes, I did go once,’ replied Audrey. ‘It’s a very beautiful and mysterious country. I had great fun working for the RPG. But now…’ Audrey looked around her. The cell seemed to close in on them – it was possible, she thought, for someone to go mad in such a place. ‘Now I feel sick.’ And with that Audrey leaned over and vomited on the concrete floor. She did not even have the effort to vomit a great deal. There was barely anything to bring up; her body resisted violently, seemingly trying to hold on to every last ounce of food she’d eaten while in the dungeon. Her chest heaved and she gasped for air. Pepper leant over her. ‘Are you okay? Don’t feel bad, Audrey. It wasn’t your fault. What you told me about Gaul…it wasn’t your fault. How could you have known he’d do something so cruel? Don’t blame yourself.’ Audrey’s eyes closed for a moment. ‘It’s just hard,’ she said shakily, ‘it’s hard to think that I was part of that terrible machine. I was one of the cogs that kept it running efficiently…that allowed it to keep killing efficiently…’ Pepper stood up suddenly. She pointed a finger at Audrey. ‘I told you, don’t blame yourself! Gaul Rosier is less than a human being – how could you have known? You’ve never lived in New Czenoble. It’s not your fault. When you did find out, what did you do? You left! You went to Muldova instead of returning to your job! Those are not the actions of an accomplice!’ Audrey waved her hand and nodded weakly. ‘Okay, okay…you’re right,’ she sighed. ‘You’re right, but all I know is that I feel guilty. I can’t help it.’ ‘Well guilt will get you nowhere,’ said Pepper as she sat down opposite Audrey. ‘If I let it, guilt could completely devour me from the inside. I only survive in here because I [i]know[/i] that what I did was right. I’m not a criminal, I just care for my family and I’m willing to do anything to protect them.’ Just as Audrey went to speak, the door to the cell slid open with a heavy rumble. A Guard officer stood in the hallway, accompanied by a striking young woman wearing an elaborate dress. Her dark hair was pinned up and she wore a solemn expression. ‘Great, another rich person come to taunt us!’ cried Pepper. ‘First Augstine and now you, [i]whoever[/i] you are!’ Audrey shushed Pepper. ‘I know this woman,’ she said quietly. ‘This is Macey Ellen.’ Pepper paused mid-rant. ‘Macey? Oh, you mean, the wife of…’ They looked at each other. Pepper covered her mouth hastily. ‘Sorry. I’m sorry.’ ‘Don’t worry,’ said Macey airily. She stepped into the cell and sat down on a small wooden chair that the guard had provided for her. ‘How did you get in?’ asked Audrey as she watched the guard intently. ‘I raised a fuss,’ replied Macey casually. ‘I’m known for it.’ ‘Well don’t think that’ll work a second time,’ mumbled Pepper, ‘if Gaul thinks you’re nosing around, he’ll probably have you arrested too! Almagests are certainly not above the law.’ Macey ignored Pepper and focused her gaze on Audrey. ‘I received an anonymous letter, telling me you were here. I also heard,’ she paused and took a breath, ‘that Vincent has died. Is this true?’ Macey was blunt, but Audrey could understand why. She simply nodded; it would have been an insult to try to sugar-coat Vincent’s death in front of Macey. She was not a woman who seemed to appreciate anything other than outright honesty, whether it was good or bad. ‘I thought so,’ replied Macey. She had already done all her crying, although this stark confirmation shook her. Only days earlier she’d seen Audrey in Rosengard, dressed in a fine grey suit. Now, here she was, sitting on the floor of a filthy cell with marks all over her skin. ‘I just needed to hear it from you. I’m sure you can understand.’ ‘Of course,’ said Audrey. ‘I don’t think I can say much more about it, though. It’s still too fresh in my mind…’ Macey nodded. ‘I understand. You’ve been through so much in the last two days, so I don’t want to bring you any further heartache. I did bring you a small gift though. The guards allowed me to bring some food in for you; they will serve it to you at dinner.’ Audrey had to try not to stand up and cheer; she felt a sudden desperation in her stomach at the same time. Immediately almost all of her thoughts gravitated towards food. ‘Thank you,’ said Audrey as calmly as she could. ‘You have probably heard that a new Monarch will be appointed today,’ said Macey as she looked around the grimy walls. ‘Depending on who it is, your fates may change. I have heard that one of the heirs favours an amnesty for certain political prisoners, but it’s just a rumor. Still, I thought you may want to know.’ Audrey shook her head. ‘I don’t think I will ever get out, but thanks for the sentiment. We’ll see, I suppose.’ Macey simply nodded. She then stood up, reached into her purse and produced a small silk handkerchief. She leaned down and handed it to Audrey. The handkerchief was made of a brilliant Czenovian silk. The edges were embroidered with beautiful patterns. And, in one corner were the words “Vincent”. ‘It was one of his,’ said Macey, her voice weakening slightly. ‘Please keep it with you. I have felt better knowing that I still have some part of him with me, but I can not hold onto this forever. Please have it and keep it safe. I hope it might bring you some comfort.’ Audrey rolled the soft silk over in her fingers. She looked up at Macey. ‘Thank you. I promise I will look after it.’ And with that, Macey nodded and hailed the guard.

[Sandy]

[CENTER][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/gadgetgerrault2avatar.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/marieevangeline-chronicle.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/fauntleroy-chronicle.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/ladybavariaavatar.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]

[FONT="Georgia"]As it turned out, Marie Evangeline was home after all. When Gadget saw her, he excused himself to Bavaria and dashed after her.

[B]"Hey, Miss Eva!"[/B] Gadget called out.

Eva turned around, surprised to see him. [B]"Gadget! Where have you been these past few days? I was getting worried something happened to you. I wouldn't want that all the work me and my sister did for your sake go to waste. Come upstairs, I'll show you."[/B]

Eva lead Gadget to her study, and explained the procedure of getting the injected substance out of his blood circulation. Gadget couldn't understand half of it, but Eva didn't seem to notice that.

[B]"It will take many blood transfusions, and it won't be pleasant, but in the end I think it could have high chances of succeeding."[/B]

[B]"Look"[/B], Gadget started sheepishly.[B] "I appreciate everything you've done for me, I really do... But I don't think I need it anymore. I've learned to control my powers, you see. Just watch."[/B]

Gadget squeezed his eyes close, and concentrated on making his skin glow again. But when he opened his eyes again, he saw that nothing had happened. Eva stared at him with a thin, apologetic smile on her lips.

[B]"I understand that you'd like to keep these abilities of yours, but they're not safe. Human beings are far too complex to be altered by Chimaera Creation. Maybe someday, when our knowledge of the effects increases, but not yet. You're only a prototype, Gadget. I'm afraid the powers you possess may kill you in the end."[/B]

Suddenly the door opened, and Fauntleroy stepped in.

[B]"There you are"[/B], he said, directing his words to Gadget. [B]"Just so you know, our beloved stepmother has decided to alarm the Police Guard to come and get you, boy."[/B]

[B]"What? No!"[/B] Eva exclaimed.

Gadget felt his heart starting to race again. Could he ever find a place that was safe? Could he ever trust anyone again?

[B]"I have to go"[/B], Gadget managed to finally say. [B]"Thank you, Miss Eva, for everything, but I can't stay here."[/B]

[B]"I'm afraid I can't let you leave"[/B], Fauntleroy said, moving to block the doorway. Gadget saw that he didn't like what he was doing.

[B]"Fonty! What are you doing?"[/B] Eva asked enraged. [B]"Macey and Vincent wouldn't want Gadget to get hurt!"[/B]

[B]"We still don't know who he is or what he wants"[/B], Fauntleroy explained, trying to keep his calms. [B]"He could very well be a spy for the Underdogs. He certainly seems to know a lot about them."[/B]

[B]"Look, it's not my fault they're my parents!"[/B] Gadget shouted, only then realizing what he had said. Eva and Fauntleroy looked at him in disbelief. [B]"I found it out at the Chimaera Cup. The Starks are my real parents, and they took me with them. But they didn't want me, and neither do you lot, it seems. Vincent was the only one, and now he's..."[/B]

At that moment, when emotions filled Gadget again, it happened. His skin bursted into limegreen light, and when it faded, only his clothes remained visible. The transformation had never happened this fast.

[B]"Now get out of my way!"[/B] Gadget screamed, his voice hollow like it came from another world. He pushed Fauntleroy back with force, sending him on his back on the hallway. He then ran down the stairs and pass the shocked Bavaria and the servants.

Eva shouted something after him, but he didn't want to hear it anymore. As he stepped outside, he saw RPG vehicles arrive to the driveway. Quickly he stripped all his clothes off, and with that, he was completely out of sight.[/FONT]

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR="goldenrod"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"][CENTER][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/victoriaann-chronicle.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/catherinesaraavatar.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/gustave-avatar.gif[/IMG][/CENTER]
Victoria Ann was admiring the view as the carriage approached Gustave?s summer estate. Sitting close to a small lake with fur trees along the border, it made for a picturesque sight. Though Victoria was more interested in the stables that were situated behind the home since she was sure that Lucy was most likely located there. They had barely pulled up when servants came out to greet them, helping Catherine as she got out of the carriage. A moment later Gustave himself came out the front doors.

?[B]I hope you don?t mind us coming unannounced Gustave,[/B]? Catherine said kindly as he approached.

?[B]Not at all,[/B]? Gustave looked down at Victoria Ann who had suddenly become a bit shy, hanging back a bit behind Catherine. He moved over and then crouched a bit to face Victoria.

?[B]You?ve come to see Lucy I take it?[/B]? Victoria nodded. ?[B]She?ll be glad to see you, I assure you.[/B]? He reached out and took her hand in his, straightening a bit as he gave Catherine a quick wink and then took Victoria Ann by the hand as he lead her around to where the stables were. The stables were on the quiet side other than a bit of movement from the chimeras when the group entered.

As if realizing who was entering Lucy raised her head from the section where she was currently being kept, her eyes darting to watch Gustave and Victoria Ann as they approached. She was every bit as beautiful as Victoria remembered with her rich golden feathers and majestic wings which were folded up against her sides. Lucy stepped forward a bit, stopping at the door in front of her spot.

?[B]I see that she remembers you.[/B]? Gustave said as he let go of Victoria?s hand and moved to open the door.

?[B]Really?[/B]? Victoria asked even as she moved to greet her once the stall door was open, reaching up to wrap her arms around Lucy?s neck, something she was obviously anticipating as Lucy leaned over and nuzzled her in return.

Catherine just smiled at the sight of the two, it was obvious that both of them had taken a liking to one another. Victoria Ann to Lucy and Lucy to Victoria Ann. And as much as she would have enjoyed simply talking to Gustave while Victoria Ann spent some time with Lucy, they needed to head back to Rosengard for dinner. With the parent teacher meetings coming up later that evening, she didn?t have the time to dawdle.

With great reluctance she finally spoke up after a while. ?[B]It?s time to go Victoria, or we?ll be late for dinner.[/B]? She turned to Gustave, ?[B]You?re more than welcome to join us of course, we?d love to have you.[/B]?

?[B]I?d love to.[/B]? He lowered his voice a bit, ?[B]Unless you object, I?d like to bring Victoria Ann over on Lucy. We?ll stay to the ground if that makes you feel better.[/B]?

Catherine looked over at Victoria who was talking seriously to Lucy, ?[B]I suppose that would be alright.[/B]? If anything it would definitely get her mind off of the tunnels below the city.

?[B]Victoria Ann,[/B]? Gustave walked over, placing his hand on Lucy. ?[B]How would you like to take a ride on Lucy?[/B]?

?[B]Really?[/B]? Victoria turned to Catherine. ?[B]Can I? Please?[/B]? She begged.

?[B]Yes you can.[/B]? Catherine smiled at Victoria?s excited squeal and Gustave?s broad grin as he fetched the saddle to get Lucy ready. In no time at all he hoisted Victoria up and then followed suit.

?[B]We?ll see you at Rosengard,[/B]? He said to Catherine as the two left the stables. Catherine just smiled at the sight of the two heading off before leaving to get in the carriage herself to return to Rosengard.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Malkav]

[center][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/jackavatar.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/meredyne-avatar.jpg[/IMG][/center]
[FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b]The day started out beautifully enough. He cooked for her, eggs, toast, nothing fancy just the basics, but she loved it all the same. She had sent the majority of her servants home for the day, leaving the large estate quite empty. Well, it didn't feel that way. [/COLOR][/FONT][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b] The rest of the day was spent talking and laughing. Poor Meredyne couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed that hard. It had been so long that it felt completely out of character to her. She would look out the window at times, watching letting the sunlight creep lazily up her bosom and think to herself, [/COLOR][/FONT][I][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b]I can't remember the last time I had a perfect day[/COLOR][/FONT][/I][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b].[/COLOR][/FONT][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b]

His experience was quite contrary to hers. He felt like a caged animal. He felt like an animal who knew full well that if he were to escape he'd be shot and killed on the spot. Paranoia and nervousness was eroding away at Jack's demeanor. At any moment, a uniformed man could walk into this house, shoot Jack dead and proudly say he'd killed Jack Deacon. To calm himself he did push-ups and sit-ups when she wasn't around, and stared out the window to make sure no one was coming.[/COLOR][/FONT][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b] Jack's biggest problem was the fact that he [/COLOR][/FONT][I][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b]wanted [/COLOR][/FONT][/I][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b]to be there. Also, he knew it was the smart place to be right now.

The sun continued on its path into sunset. Jack, finally feeling a little less paranoid, found himself in the bathtub when voices were heard from the floor beneath him. He immediately recognized the voice of Meredyne, speaking frantically, and then he suddenly heard what would confirm his fears.

[/COLOR][/FONT][B][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b]"UNHAND ME!" [/COLOR][/FONT][/B][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b]cried Meredyne.[/COLOR][/FONT][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b]

Jack immediately lept up, drying off and seizing his clothes. As he was pulling a shirt over his head, he heard the voices again.

[/COLOR][/FONT][B][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b]"Is someone upstairs?"

[/COLOR][/FONT][/B][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b]Jack cursed and immediately tiptoed barefoot out of the rather large bathroom into Meredyne's room. He grabbed his gun, which was laying lazily by the bed and immediately took up post beside the door. He pulled back it's hammer, [/COLOR][/FONT][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b] watching the door and waiting for it to open. They'd found him.[/COLOR][/FONT][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b] The door swung open and suddenly was the only thing separating Jack from his would be assailant. The RPG soldier walked in slowly, not realizing that Jack was just behind the door. Jack never saw his face, only the back of his head. He held the gun out, keeping the soldier's head clean within his sights. Squeezing his finger on the trigger slightly, he was ready should the soldier turn around and see him. Suddenly, the soldier turned, but to Jack's amazement and luck, he turned left. Had he turned right and left, he would have seen Jack behind the door mere moments before dying. Jack's heart pounded as he heard the soldier exit on the opposite side of the door and give the report of all clear. It looked like God was on both their sides today.

[/COLOR][/FONT][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b]Jack walked behind him, stalking him really as he descended the stairs. Jack, knowing better than to go down stopped at the very top, ducked down low as to not give away his position.

[/COLOR][/FONT][B][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b]"Where has he gone Miss Artemis?" [/COLOR][/FONT][/B][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b]asked a male voice.

[/COLOR][/FONT][B][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b]"We know he was here at some point today. Now be nice."[/COLOR][/FONT][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b]

"I've no idea what you're talking about. Jonathan and I haven't spoken since Leonhart Almagest's funeral. It would be wise of you to-"

[/COLOR][/FONT][/B][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b]Jack heard the unmistakable sound of fist meeting flesh and cringed as he heard Meredyne hit the ground in a whimper.

[/COLOR][/FONT][B][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b]"It would be wise of you to cooperate! Now where is that pirate?" [/COLOR][/FONT][/B][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b]screamed the guard.

[/COLOR][/FONT][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b]Meredyne chuckled as she rubbed her face. [/COLOR][/FONT][B][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b]"Somewhere feeling a lot better than you and the rest of your lot will once he finds out what you've done to me."

[/COLOR][/FONT][/B][B][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b]"So you do know his whereabouts." [/COLOR][/FONT][/B][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b]stated the guard with a sinister tone. [/COLOR][/FONT][B][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b]"Take her away and make sure the Chronicle gets word that Meredyne Artemis has betrayed both her king and country by helping and hiding terrorists. I want her face and name on the morning print."[/COLOR][/FONT][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b]

"Aye, sir!" [/COLOR][/FONT][/B][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b]yelled the subsequent guards.

[/COLOR][/FONT][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=#483d8b]Jack merely stared at the wall as he heard Meredyne being taken away, thrashing and screaming. he never wanted to involve someone he cared for in this. Through all of this, he couldn't help but think that he'd gotten himself into a lot more than he bargained for when he took up arms.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"][SIZE="1"][CENTER][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/harrison-chronicle.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/dawlish-chronicle.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]
Harrison couldn't imagine spending all afternoon running errands for Dwalish, and he hadn't, but of all things he was not expecting to be assigned chapters to read in the books that were located in his new quarters. Two hours of [I]-go and read the first two chapters in this book-[/I] and [I]-there will be a test on this when you return-[/I] and he had been sent on his way. The material wasn't terribly difficult, but it was highly detailed, and Dwalish's verbal test made it clear to Harrison that there would be no skimming through like he had done at Chaos.

Other than the swordsmanship classes he enjoyed so much, he barely paid attention for anything else. He had always had a knack for remembering things and simply reading through the textbooks had always been enough for getting decent grades. But here? He had barely been on board [I]The Sentinel [/I]for a day and it was already obvious that there would be no skimming when it came to learning the tasks put before him. Not that he would skip training or anything here, he may have done that at Chaos - cut classes - but he wasn't going to do that here. Even if it was busy, it was a lot more interesting than Chaos ever had been.

He finished up an errand only to be surprised when Dwalish give him an interesting look and motioned for him to follow him off the bridge. Considering that it was only about an hour before dinner time Harrison wondered if he was going to get another sparring lesson. [I]I wonder where dad is?[/I] Other than a glimpse, he hadn't seen him at all during the day. He'd been to busy to really pay attention to it though. But now as Dwalish led him into one of the training rooms he wondered what Daedalus was up to.

"[B]Close the door Harrison.[/B]"

He did as he was asked, turning to face Dwalish who was standing in the middle of the room, a stern expression on his face. Puzzled by the lack of equipment in the room, other than the standard equipment issued to all officers and recruits that both he and Dwalish had on them, he moved to join him. [I]Where are the wooden practice swords? [/I]

"[B]You and I need to talk, but first, draw your sword.[/B]" He pulled free his own, startling Harrison since it was steel instead of wood.

"[B]But...[/B]"

Dwalish moved forward with a lazy thrust and Harrison pulled his own standard issue sword free and parried with a clash of steel on steel, something he did without even thinking about it. [I]What is he doing? Why aren't we warming up first? Why are we using steel instead of wood?[/I]

"[B]No buts.[/B]" Dwalish's expression was stern as he lazily circled Harrison, ignoring his confused looks as he went from one odd technique to another, clearly toying with him since he had never seen most if not all of the moves he was using.

It didn't help that Dwalish was taking advantage of his experience to toss in painful slaps with the flat side of the blade, the last one to his sword hand nearly causing him to drop the blade entirely. [I]What the hell is going on? [/I] He pulled back or rather he tried to since he was getting angry while Dwalish was merely remaining calm.

"[B]What kind of lesson is this?[/B]" He finally snapped. "[B]You know damn well I'm not familiar with any of the techniques you've been using![/B]"

Dwalish just sighed slightly and then faster than Harrison would have thought possible he disarmed him, striking his wrist with the flat of the blade even harder - before nimbly shifting the sword and then sending Harrison flying with a well placed hit, the hard end from the pommel of the sword connecting painfully when he rammed him in the chest with it. Harrison landed on his back, hard, winded and gasping painfully for air.

"[B]Perhaps you can explain to me why you were skipping classes at Chaos?[/B]" Dwalish put his sword away with a single fluid motion. He stood over Harrison who was staring at the ceiling of the room.

"[B]What has that got to do with anything?[/B]" He finally answered, startled that he even knew. [I]How did he find out about that? [/I] He tried to get up and winced at the pain from being struck again. [I]How many times am I going to get hit?[/I]

"[B]Think about it idiot - the reason I know all that [I]stuff [/I]is because I didn't skip class.[/B]" He finally reached over, taking Harrison's hand and pulling him to his feet. "[B]When you're facing an opponent, they're not going to ask you if you know what technique they are using to kill you. They won't come back another time just because you were too [I]dumb[/I] to attend class.[/B]"

Harrison finally nodded, understanding dawning, other than the one of how Dwalish even knew about it to begin with, him cutting classes that is. He went to pick up his sword, putting it back in it's sheath.

"[B]I see.[/B]" He finally replied, leaving out how stupid he felt.

"[B]Good.[/B]" Dwalish grinned and then slapped him on the back. "[B]I catch you skipping anything here though and you'll get more than a friendly lesson. Now lets go and get some dinner.[/B]"

"[B]You call that a friendly lesson?[/B]" Dwalish just laughed at Harrison's dumbfounded expression as the two left the room to head for the mess hall. [/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Shy]

[center][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/marieevangeline-chronicle.jpg[/img] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/fauntleroy-chronicle.jpg[/img] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/ladybavariaavatar.jpg[/img][/center]
[size=1][indent]Fauntleroy slowly rose to his feet as Bavaria shrieked in terror. Although the stumble had agitated his shoulder he hardly noticed the pain, noticeably distracted by Gadget’s sudden disappearance. He rubbed his eyes several times, trying to make sense of what had just occurred.

“[b]Where in the hell did he go?[/b]” Fonty asked nervously, “[b]He was just here, and then…?[/b]”

Eva narrowed her eyes, “[b]Don’t you understand? Gadget was one of father‘s experiments![/b]”

“[b]What you do mean? That’s impossible.[/b]”

“[b]It’s the truth, Fauntleroy,[/b]” Bavaria said softly as she entered the room, “[b]King Mideus told me as much himself…[/b]”

“[b]Do you mean that father and Macey created [I]him[/I]?[/b]”

“[b]Our sister didn’t create Gadget, they merely found a way to give him these strange abilities.[/b]”

“[b]It’s incredible,[/b] Bavaria wiped her glasses with a small handkerchief for a moment, “[b]Although I had heard the story, I had no idea it was like this…[/b]”

“[b]But they come at a terrible price,[/b]” Eva replied, “[b]Gadget was held against his will by our father, and the effects of the experiments are slowly killing him. If we don‘t get him the antidote to Magitech’s injections he‘ll eventually die.[/b]”

Fonty was dumbstruck to hear that his own company, and his own family could be so cruel. He had always known that his father would stop at nothing to achieve scientific progress, but never did he imagine that Leonhart would go to such extreme measures. He thought of the rioters in New Czenoble, and for the first time felt sympathy for the Underdogs’ cause. There was no denying now that the Almagests were just as guilty for causing the revolution as the Starks.

“[b]We have to find him, Eva,[/b]” Fonty said, “[b]Perhaps we’ve made a terrible mistake.[/b]”

“[b]There‘s no time for this, Faunteroy,[/b]” Bavaria replied harshly, “[b]The Guard are here. It’s in their hands now.[/b]”

"[b]Gadget has done nothing wrong! He's innocent![/b]" Eva narrowed her eyes, “[b]Gaul Rosier is ruthless. He and the RPG will tear apart Rosengard until they find him.[/b]”

There was a sudden pounding on the front doors. Eva grabbed a hold fo Fonty’s hand, “[b]If they find me I’ll end up like Vincent.[/b]”

After a moment of thought, Fonty finally nodded, “[b]Go grab the antidote. We‘ll escape through the tunnels.[/b]”

The two Almagests turned towards Bavaria, their eyes full of desperation. In the distance a lowly servant could be heard answering the door, screaming as she discovered a small platoon of Guard officers.

“[b]We’ve come to speak with Bavaria Deacon![/b]” A gruff make voice called out from within the ranks of the guard, “[b]I only hope we’re not too late.[/b]”

Fonty motioned for he and his sister to exit through a backdoor passageway, “[b]You’re not going to turn us in, are you Bavaria?[/b]”

“[b]I wish you two would reconsider. I have no choice but to protect my family.[/b]”

“[b]So do we,[/b]” Eva replied coldly, “[b]Goodbye, Lady Bavaria.[/b]”

She shut the door behind them, and no less than a moment later Guard Captain Alan Oref entered. Alan was a tall, gaunt-looking man with a thick pointed beard and dark penetrating eyes. He wore a full suit of armor, decorated with dozens of medals from his years of service. He stared at Bavaria curiously as she wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead.

“[b]The boy you sent word for, where is he?[/b]” He asked firmly.

“[b]I’m afraid…[/b] Bavaria struggled to finish her sentence, “[b]…I’m afraid I don’t know. He disappeared only moments ago.[/b]”

Captain Oref had a look of disgust on his face. Bavaria attempted to turn her gaze away from the man.

“[b]You seemed certain you could keep him on the grounds in your wire, Bavaria. I hope you don’t have newfound sympathy for the Underdogs, like that traitorous brother of yours.[/b]”

“[b]Leave my brother out of this! The boy simply disappeared into thin air. He could be anywhere now.[/b]”

“[b]Dammit![/b]” The man raised his hand, striking Bavaria across the face, “[b]Where are they? Where are the Underdogs!?[/b]”

A fellow officer entered the room, “[b]Sir! What are you doing?[/b]”

“[b]I am questioning a witness,[/b]” he replied dismissively, “[b]Make sure the perimeter is secure. Nobody is to leave Rosengard until we have some answers![/b]”[/size][/indent]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][CENTER][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/alexanderedward-chronicle.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/alecialeanna-chronicle.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/ladybavariaavatar.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]
When Alecia and Alexander arrived at Rosengard, intent on checking up on Fauntleroy, they were surprised to see the royal police guard securing the perimeter of Rosengard. [I]What is going on now?[/I] She wondered as she made her way to the guards at the gate, intending to push her way through, but to her utter surprise they halted her.

"[B]I'm sorry...[/B]" He started to say and then halted upon seeing Alexander's uniform. "[B]Oh! Did Captain Oref send for you sir?[/B]"

"[B]No, what is going on here?[/B]" Alexander questioned.

"[B]The Captain is questioning Bavaria Decon...[/B]" He halted as Alexander shoved him aside, alarmed by the use of her surname instead of her married one of Almagest. [I]What is that fool thinking? Just because her brother Jack is wanted for possible connection with the Underdogs... [/I]

He kept Alecia's hand in his as he took advantage of the other guards confusion over his presence to get inside the house, he still had the tiny little pin on his uniform indicating that he was currently working in the detective branch since no one had thought to revoke that after Vincent was killed. And since he had been working on finding people who were missing, it was likely that the others assumed he was here for the same reason as Captain Oref. Looking into clues surrounding the Underdogs.

"[B]What's wrong Alex?[/B]" Alecia tugged on the hand holding hers in an attempt to get him to slow down. [I]Why is he in such a hurry?[/I]

"[B]Captain Alan Oref is a fool.[/B]" He hissed under his breath as he shoved the main doors open. "[B]He jumps to conclusions instead of thinking things through.[/B]" He did not explain, it would take too long. The fact that he had others securing Rosengard and referring to Bavaria by her maiden name was more than enough to tell him that things were off. It was an assumption that he knew was correct when he heard the Captain's voice...
[I]
“[B]Dammit![/B]” the sound of someone being struck was heard, “[B]Where are they? Where are the Underdogs!?[/B]”[/I]

Alecia gave out a tiny little startled gasp as they made for the main receiving room, brushing past the guards to find Bavaria holding her cheek, a startled look on her face.

"[B]What is going on here?[/B]" Alexander demanded, not caring that he was outranked as he moved to stand between Bavaria and Captain Oref while Alecia rushed to her side.

"[B]Stand aside, this does not concern you.[/B]" Oref said coldly. "[B]Unless you too are sympathizing with the Underdogs as well.[/B]"

"[B]You think she's helping them? Whatever gave you that idea?[/B]" Oref looked at him as if weighing his intent and then finally explained. Leaving Alexander wondering why he was even giving him the time of day by actually telling him about Bavaria's message in regards to Gadget.

"[B]Let me get this straight, she sends you a wire, openly telling you about Gadget and now you think she's helping them?[/B]" Alexander said incredulously. "[B]Are you an idiot? Why the hell would she bother to contact the guard if she really was in league with the Underdogs!?[/B]"

He met Captain Oref's angry glare with one of his own. "[B]With all due [I]respect[/I] sir.[/B]" He spat out. "[B]You're wasting your time questioning her when you could be searching the area for this Gadget.[/B]"

Both of them glared at one another and then turned with Bavaria finally spoke up. "[B]I really don't know where he is. I think he found out that I had sent for you and took advantage of the confusion caused by your arrival to escape.[/B]"[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[CENTER][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/daedalusavatar.jpg[/IMG] [/CENTER]

[indent][size=1]The gentle thrum of the Sentinel's giant engines reverberated in Daedalus' expansive quarters. For most people outside the military, the sensation was generally considered to be disconcerting, but for soldiers like Daedalus, with enough time, it became almost soothing to their tensed muscles.

If there was one thing he had to admit he'd liked about being retired from the military, aside from the freedom it granted him, it was the absence of paperwork. Yawning widely, he rubbed his forehead in frustration at the seemingly never decreasing pile of reports that currently littered his desk, silently wondering how exactly his father-in-law had ever managed to apparently complete it so quickly.

?[b]Probably left it to his adjutants[/b]? Daedalus muttered bitterly.

So far everything in the Fleet was running smoothly. The commanders had taken the news of his promotion well, indeed, a fair portion of the correspondence in front of him were actually messages wishing him well in his new position. Slightly cynically he?d tried to work out which of them were genuine, and which were an attempt to ingratiate themselves with him. Taking another slow drink of his beverage his mind continued to mull over the report in front of him.

The loud bang on his metallic door to his quarters shattered his concentration, drawing a weary glance towards the portal. Glancing at the chronometer mounted on the wall, he wondered what could demand his attention at such a late hour, if not for his own honed workaholic tendencies, he?d likely have been asleep an hour or so already. Hauling himself out of his seat, he unlocked to door to find a rather tense looking lieutenant gripping a sealed brown envelop.

?[b]This arrived for you a few minutes ago sir.[/b]? He stammered out, thrusting out his arms.

?[b]Thank you lieutenant...[/b]?

Stifling another yawn, Daedalus idly tore the envelop along the seam, expecting yet another report. Would there be no end to them he though bleakly. It seemed oddly small for a report, no more than a page long if the thinness of the container was anything to go by, the commander who?d sent it was already in his good-books as far as Daedalus was concerned. Reaching inside, he pulled out the sheet, discovering it wasn?t a letter, but a photograph. His eyes widened as comprehension dawned, the photograph falling from his hands.

?[b]Leonhart...[/b]? He breathed out incredulously.

?[b]S...sir ?[/b]? The lieutenant?s tone was puzzled.

Before he could respond, another equally nervous looking lieutenant dashed down the hallway gripping a sheet of paper. Inhaling deeply, she extended the sheet to the General, while trying to catch her breath.

?[b]General Almagest...Colonel Almagest ordered...this to me shown...to you immediately...sir ![/b]?

Dwalish wanted him to see it immediately ? This wasn?t something which could wait until morning. Grasping the page, his eyes breezed across it. A communication picked up by military intelligence. It wasn?t common knowledge, in fact, it was a highly classified secret that the military regularly scanned the communications of Czenovia. As unpopular as the idea would be if it ever got out that their own military was spying on them, it was a simply accepted fact that the action had allowed them to pre-empt several potentially disastrous rebel actions in the past. For the second time in less than a minute, Daedalus? eyes shot open in surprise.

?[b]Lieutenant.[/b]? Making no effort to clarify which he meant, he simply continued. ?[b]Inform Col. Almagest I will be leaving the Sentinel with a company of troops immediately via carrier ship.[/b]?

?[b]Aye sir.[/b]? Both responded, racing back down the corridor towards the bridge.

?[b]Gods damn it Bavaria, why did you call for the RPG first ?![/b]? Daedalus sighed angrily.

Leaning down, he snatched the photograph off the ground, giving it another examination. It seemed so long since he?d buried his brother, hard to believe it had actually been less than a week.. Peering inside the accompanying envelop again, he found Alexander?s report, breezing through it, he knew immediately he needed to speak with his grandnephew further.

?[b]Fontleroy, what have you gotten into now ?[/b]?

Several minutes later, Daedalus stood in front of the hundred or so troops standing at attention in front of him. One aspect of the Czenovian military which had made them so feared was that unlike their RPG counterparts, their armour covered their entire bodies, even their faces, giving the troops an almost unnatural appearance. War stories told from the point of view of those Czenovia had fought against often demonised the soldiers as a faceless force of conquest and destruction. The air-forces? helmet was of course designed for practicality rather than effect, comprising a gas-mask and goggles, but on reflection, it probably was a fearsome thing to see on a battlefield. A helmet-less major who introduced himself as Gast saluted.

?[b]General, preparations are complete.[/b]?

?[b]Excellent. Gast did you say Major ?[/b]? The name brought back memories of the day he?d believed Leonhart had died.

?[b]Yes sir ?[/b]?

?[b]Any relation to a Felix Gast Major ?[/b]?

?[b]My son sir. He spoke very highly of you at Magitech sir.[/b]?

?[b]Ah. Thank you for indulging me Major. Let?s head out.[/b]?

?[b]Understood General.[/b]?

Donning his own headgear, Daedalus stepped into one of the four carrier air-ships. Used to deploy troops into heavy combat situations effectively, it seemed so odd to use them to get to Rosengard. However, he couldn?t allow the boy Gadget to escape him. Gast has secured his own helmet, sitting next to the General checking his weapon. Low level chatter came across through radio waves, sounding tinny and somewhat distorted. The tech had proven invaluable during the Mine Wars several decades before.

?[b]Major ?[/b]?

?[b]Sir ?[/b]?

?[b]Our primary goal is to secure the target. This is to be considered a military operation of the highest significance. If anyone interferes with it, consider it an act of treason and react accordingly.[/b]?

?[b]Use of lethal force authorised ?[/b]?

?[b]Confirmed Major. Use lethal force if deemed necessary, but not as a first choice. We don?t need another Vigilant incident.[/b]?

?[B]Understood sir.[/b]?

Closing his eyes, Daedalus? heart continued to pound at an inhuman rate, his chest aching from the disease which was slowly consuming him from the inside. Leonhart was alive... the concept had hit him like a hammer, worse it had driven his mind wild with speculation as to what the Underdogs could have been forcing his brother to be doing. With a genius like Leonhart?s it could be anything. After what seemed like an eternity, his radio crackled with the voice of the transport?s pilot.

?[b]General Almagest sir, we will arrive at Rosengard in approximately ninety seconds. Intelligence states that the RPG are already on-scene with a small force.[/b]?

Damn it. He?d had hoped he?d arrive before the RPG, apparently Gaul?s men were reacting faster than previous estimates. This made the likelihood of a confrontation all the more possible.

?[b]Thank you sergeant. Major Gast, you know what to do.[/b]?

?[b]Aye sir. Troops, prepare to disembark.[/b]?

After a minute and a half, there was a heavy thud as the carriers landed on the Almagest estate, side doors opening and soldiers spilling out. Daedalus would make his way directly to Bavaria, it was entirely possible Gadget was still with her. Weapons ready, the squad quickly ascended the ancient stone steps entering through the main doors, leaving the RPG sentries present merely gaping, they at least knew better than to interfere with military affairs.

Daedalus noted with some disappointment the missing busts and paintings. It was sad to see Rosengard in such an austere condition, but now was not the time to allow such things to affect his concentration. Doubling pace, he threw open the double doors of the main receiving chamber to find a small group of Guardsmen, as well as Alexander and Alecia already present, the latter two looking particularly venomous. Bavaria was looking extremely shaken, a large red mark on her elegant face... what the hell was going on ?

?[b]What the hell is the Air-Fleet doing here ?![/b]?

Daedalus turned to face the enraged face of Captain Oref, though he did not recognise the man, he was at least able to work out his rank from his uniform.

?[b]Captain, this is now a military operation. You are ordered to withdraw immediately.[/b]?

If at all possible Oref?s face deepened in colour.

?[B]I am here on Gaul Rosier?s direct orders,[/b]? he glared ?[b]Bavaria Deacon is a potential traitor and I am conducting an interrogation. I refuse to withdraw.[/b]?

Daedalus cast a half-glace over at Bavaria...Potential traitor ? Alexander?s face contorted even more angrily at the statement, but he remained silent.

?[b]Orders do not concern me Captain.[/b]? Daedalus?s voice raised audibly, a small amount of anger seeping in. ?[b]You have been ordered to withdraw. Failure to comply will be considered interference in a military operation and an act of treason.[/b]? His hand moved down to the pistol holster at his side. Daedalus watched with mounting irritation as Oref simply seemed to get even more furious.

?[b]I?VE ALREADY TOLD YOU I REF...[/B]?

Unfastening the clasps securing his helmet, he pulled it off slowly, revealing his face. The RPG Captain blanched as his recognised the elder Almagest, a look of cold fury on his weathered face.[/size][/indent]

[James]

[center][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/victoriaann-chronicle.jpg[/img] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/gustave-avatar.gif[/img] [/center] The afternoon sun began to sink overhead. Above them, Gustave and Victoria could see almost all of the south face of Mount Grail. The view going to High Czenoble from Gustave’s summer house was extraordinary. Catherine had already departed in her carriage, while Gustave and Victoria sat comfortably on Lucy’s back. Gustave held the reigns further down, while Victoria sat snugly in front of him, gripping the reigns near the top. Her smile broadened every time the pair rounded a new corner. Lucy, meanwhile, was behaving incredibly well; even Gustave was surprised at her calm demeanour. ‘I can’t believe Lucy is real,’ exclaimed Victoria excitedly, ‘thank you again Mr. Achard!’ ‘Please, call me Gustave. And you’re most welcome. The Almagest family has always been very good to my parents and a gift is only fitting.’ ‘Do you think I could ever become a [i]real[/i] Chimaera jockey?’ asked Victoria as she gripped the reigns determinedly. Gustave chuckled to himself. ‘Of course! If you want to become a Chimaera jockey, that’s what you shall be. A clever girl like you would have no trouble at all. And you obviously have a natural talent with Chimaera.’ Even from behind, Gustave could see that Victoria was beaming. ‘You come from a far away place, don’t you?’ ‘Not too far,’ replied Gustave. ‘On the other side of this great mountain is my home country. It is very beautiful. Have you ever been there?’ Victoria shook her head briskly. ‘No, I haven’t been anywhere! Mother says school is too important for me to go very far. But I [i]really[/i] want to see those tunnels…’ Her voice carried a distinctly mischievous tone. ‘Tunnels? What tunnels are those?’ asked Gustave, feigning ignorance. ‘Oh!’ Victoria seemed to hop on the spot, but did not turn around, ‘you didn’t know about them? They are secret tunnels underneath the city…they go all the way under the mountain too! I heard there is a giant in there somewhere. I want to find him, but I’m now allowed…’ Gustave nodded. ‘And for good reason, my dear! Your mother does not want you to come to harm. What would you ever do if you met a giant?’ Victoria paused. ‘Hm…I’m not sure…’ ‘Right,’ said Gustave, ‘I imagine he’d be very grumpy if you woke him. What do you think he’d do? He might try to put you in his cereal as punishment.’ ‘That’s awful!’ Victoria gasped. ‘I didn’t know giants ate little girls!’ ‘I don’t know if they usually do,’ said Gustave authoritatively, ‘but I’m sure the giant in Mount Grail would make an exception if a little girl woke him up during his nap. You never know.’ Victoria shivered, as her mind raced. She tried to picture the giant in her mind’s eye. How tall would he be? What would he be called? Would he have a wife? ‘Besides,’ continued Gustave, ‘what lies beneath Mount Grail is not nearly as fascinating as what lies beyond the continent. There are many strange things overseas.’ Victoria clapped her hands together while still holding the reigns. ‘Oh?! Like what?’ ‘Well,’ said Gustave, ‘the Old Globe contains many mysteries. And there’s only one race of people who know all about them.’ ‘Who?’ ‘The Al Ahmaris,’ said Gustave coolly. ‘They are the oldest people in this world. Their ancestors have seen many amazing and strange things. For instance, when I grew up, I heard rumors about a magical city just near the coast of Al Ahmar.’ Victoria gasped again. ‘Magical city? Really? Have you ever been?’ Gustave shook his head. ‘Oh, no. The city is gone now. Nobody knows where it is. It disappeared long ago…you can’t find it on any map.’ ‘Not on a map?!’ Victoria squeaked. ‘In class we are only told about places on the map. I thought [i]everything[/i] was on a map.’ ‘Not [i]everything[/i],’ said Gustave with a grin. ‘Hidden cities and ancient treasure are scarcely found on maps. After all, they wouldn’t be secret if everyone knew about them, would they?’ Victoria paused for a moment and then nodded enthusiastically. ‘Of course! But…’ ‘Mhm?’ ‘How can a whole city disappear?’ ‘That,’ said Gustave, ‘is an excellent question! My, my, you are far cleverer than I was at your age.’ Victoria blushed. ‘The truth is,’ continued Gustave, ‘nobody knows what happened to the city. Some say it sunk into the ocean. Others say it was destroyed in a war. There are even some who believe that its inhabitants found a way to travel into the heavens…and that they took their city with them.’ ‘How come I’ve never heard of these legends?’ ‘Well,’ said Gustave, ‘some of these stories are popular among Anovan children. Perhaps the stories just never made their way over here to your country.’ Victoria seemed only partially satisfied with this answer. Now her mind seemed to explode with images of beautiful cities and amazing treasures that lay far beyond the shores of Czenovia. ‘I heard that you are an explorer as well as a businessman,’ said Victoria as they came closer to High Czenoble. ‘At least, that’s what my mother said. Have you ever been to Al Ahmar?’ Gustave nodded. ‘Yes, several times.’ ‘Did you ever try to find that city?’ Gustave laughed. ‘No, I’m afraid not. But one day, before I die, I will go on an expedition. I’ll gather up an airship and a crew and we’ll go and find that city. I bet the treasures inside are priceless!’ Victoria giggled. ‘I wish I could explore,’ she sighed. ‘I think I’m still going to be in school when I’m old!’ They both laughed together. Gustave guided Lucy along the cobblestone turn-off that led directly to the Rosengard estate. They were both happily oblivious of the chaos that they would soon approach.

[Malkav]

[CENTER][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=DarkSlateBlue][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/jackavatar.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/morphiaavatar.jpg[/IMG]
[/COLOR][/FONT][/CENTER]
[FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]
Moonlight flooded into the room, casting an eerie glow over white sheets. Above those sheets layed a body, curved delicately and reclined as if lifted from a portrait. The body, which glowed in the moonlight stretched out, yawning.

Morphia opened her eyes. She wasn't in her room, but rather in her brother's room. She had returned from the hospital earlier, but now she wished she had stayed. Her day started out with stories of how her brother's a wanted terrorist who destroyed a RPG gunship, then Meredyne was captured on account of him. Lastly, her poor sister was harrassed by guards. It seemed that a world of trouble had been following Jack, and she was worried to death about him. She turned over to face the wall opposite the window and simply stared. She wanted to cry, but hadn't she already done enough of that for her brother?

The moonlight suddenly disappeared from the wall and Morphia became aware that something was outside the window. She froze, knowing that whatever it was saw her. She heard the click of the lock and the window sliding open. Then footsteps behind her, walking up to her. She closed her eyes and tried to pretend like it wasn't happening, until she head a voice.

[B]"Morphia?"[/B]

She turned immediately to see her brother standing over her. He looked different though. His easy smile was instead replaced by a stern frown, and his breath was heavy, as if he'd been running. [B]"Jack, where have you been?"

"Morphia, get up."[/B] Jack replied, not even acknowledging her question.

Morphia hopped out of the bed, letting her long silk gown fall to her feet. Her legs still hurt, so she hobbled over to her brother and put her arms around him. Jack immediately pushed her off and bent down, looking under the bed. Morphia felt a sinking feeling as Jack ignored her, she walked backward and plopped into a chair just to watch him. Jack squatted next to the bed and immediately pushed it to the side, revealing a trap door under it. Suddenly more figures appeared in the window.

[B]"Captain, they'll be here any minute now."[/B] said one of the figures, who nervously kept looking over his shoulder.

[B]"I bloody know that!" [/B]snapped Jack. He didn't sound like Morphia's brother then.

Jack pulled open the door to reveal a small armory. He immediately started tossing guns and ammo out of the window. [B]"Jack, what on earth?" [/B]asked Morphia, who had finally built up the courage to speak.

Jack looked at her, and then pulled out a small silver pistol. Morphia gasped as he looked it over and tossed it to her.

[B]"Morphia, if anyone, and I mean ANYONE lays a hand on you, I want you to shoot them dead."

"Jack..."

"Put that someplace where father can't find it."

[/B]Jack then pulled a large crate from the trapdoor. The rattling of bullets and clacking of shells could be heard coming from it. He walked it over to the window and gave it to one of the men. [B]"Get that to the car, and be bloody discrete about it."

[/B]As he turned to go back to the trapdoor, Morphia stood and slapped him across the face. It took a moment for Jack to realize what had just happened, but he gathered his bearing and looked his sister in the eye. She suddenly seemed a lot taller. [B]"Are you going to war with someone?"

[/B]Jack hesitated, but answered. [B]"Earlier this afternoon they took Meredyne, and later they attacked our sister. I know they want me, but god dammit there are better ways to go about it than going after my family. Those bastards are going to die for what they've done to me and my family."

"Who exactly are they?"[/B] asked Morphia sternly.

[B]"...The Military."[/B] Jack replied. Morphia looked dumbfounded. [B]"They've taken Meredyne in an effort to flesh me out. Well, I'll give it to them, they're plan's worked."

"And you're just going to give in like a fool."[/B] came a voice. The door suddenly opened and there stood Agron Deacon. [B]"As stupid as you are boy, I never thought you'd be that stupid."[/B]

Jack leered at his father, who closed the door behind him as he walked in.

[B]"Morphia," [/B]began Agron. [B]"Leave us."

[/B]Just as Morphia was about to protest, Jack gave her a look that showed he agreed with Agron. Morphia stormed out, hiding the gun behind her back as she passed Agron.

[B]"She thinks I didn't see it." [/B]chuckled Agron.

[B]"Let her think she's slick." [/B]replied Jack, who still leered.

Agron walked up to his son standing hearly an arm's length away from him before speaking. [B]"So this is what you've chosen to do?"

"I guess so."

"I," [/B]said Agron, hesitating as if looking for the words to say, [B]"I had hoped we would spend your fourteenth birthday traveling, talking politics, showing you how different countries ran their governments. Instead I spent it worried that you were wrapped up in some street gang in New Czenoble or worst off dead."

"That story's old father. You already used it when I dropped out of the RPG."[/B] snapped Jack. A grin returning to his face for the first time in hours.
[B]
"Oh, I guess so." [/B]the two shared a light chuckle. It'd been a while since Jack laughed with his father. They immediately snapped back to attention.

[B]"Look son. I can't change what you've become. I always imagined an Ambassador Jonathan Deacon, or a statesman Jonathan Deacon. It shocked me when you became the pirate Jack Deacon, and now the terrorist."[/B]

Jack looked away from his father, choosing not to see his old eyes.

[B]"There's a lot of me in you, my son. My father worked for the chronicle and I rebelled with all my wits against that life. Like father, like son I suppose."

"Father, I..."

"Be quiet boy, you've already made your decision. If this is the last night I see you, just know that I love you with all of my heart. If this is not the last night I see you, learn to pick your sides better."[/B]

With that Agron walked out of the door. Jack turned as well and exited through the open window. The sun would be rising soon, and Jack couldn't foget about the revolution he had to return to.
[/COLOR][/FONT]

[Shy]

[indent][size=1][center][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/beatrist-chronicle.jpg[/img] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/fauntleroy-chronicle.jpg[/img] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/marieevangeline-chronicle.jpg[/img] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/charlesavatar.jpg[/img] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/daedalusavatar.jpg[/img][/center]
Eva and Fauntleroy quickly walked through the halls of Rosengard, the sound of approaching Guard officers drawing closer and closer behind them. They threw open the door to Eva’s small study, only to discover a pair of officers speaking to Beatriste and Charles.

“[b]You two![/b]” One of the officers called out, “[b]Stay right where you are![/b]”

“[b]Oh dear![/b]” Fonty exclaimed, “[b]It would appear that we made a wrong turn, Eva.[/b]”

“[b]Eva? Fonty? What is going on here?[/b]” Beatriste asked, noticeably distressed, “[b]They keep asking us questions about that Gadget boy, [I]and quite rudely I might add[/I]… did something happen?[/b]”

Fonty let out an uncomfortable laugh, “[b]Gadget? Who’s that?[/b]

"[b]Silence![/b]" Another of the officers aimed his rifle at the siblings, “[b]Take a seat. Captain Oref will want to speak with each of you shortly.[/b]”

The two officers left the room, slamming the doors shut behind them. Eva’s study only contained entrance, and with the guards stationed outside there would be no opportunity to leave.

“[b][I]There goes our daring escape,[/I][/b]” Fonty muttered as he folded his arms in disappointment.

“[b]Thank you anyway,[/b]” Eva said with a strained smile, “[b]I’m just sorry to bring you into this mess in the first place.[/b]”

Fonty placed his arm around his sister comfortingly, “[b]Nonsense! I‘ve brought you into plenty of my own messes before. That‘s what family is all about.[/b]”

"[b]Do you think we'll be able to find him, Fonty?[/b]"

"[b]I don't see why not. After all, he keeps showing up when we don't want him around. So by that logic, it should be incredibly easy to find the boy when he's needed.[/b]"

Charles stared at the two curiously, “[b]Do you have any idea what they’re talking about, Bea?[/b]”

“[b]Please, Charles. I gave up on my siblings a long time ago.[/b]”

“[b]I swear, as long as I live I‘ll never understand you Almagests.[/b]”

“[b]It’s probably for the best,[/b] Fonty aded drly, “[b]Quite frankly I'd be for you worried if any of us started to make sense.[/b]”

Several minutes passed before the sound of footsteps could be heard approaching. The four braced for a visit from Guard Captain Oref, but were shocked to instead see his unconscious body flying through the doorway onto the floor. Daedalus stormed into the room with a look of indignation across his face.

“[b]I’ve dismissed the Guard,[/b]” the old man said coldly, “[b]Now it's about time someone explains to me what is going on here.[/b]”[/size][/indent]

---

[center][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/primas-avatar.jpg[/IMG] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/princessaugustine-avatar.jpg[/img][/center]
[size=1][indent]Princess Augustine sat in her expansive bedroom as she eagerly awaited the announcement of the new Dynast ruler. The sound of her brother August’s organ could be heard echoing throughout the halls, a somber reminder of the passing of the king. She had been preparing to take control of Czenovia for her entire life. However, if her father chose Primas or Juvenous the fate of ther nation would not be hers to decide.

She thought back to the first visit she made to New Czenoble, and the poverty and suffering she found there. It was a class system falling apart, and on that day she vowed to destroy it using whatever means were necessary. Still, she could not take all of the credit for the revolution: The people’s hunger for power nearly eclipsed her own. After so much careful planning and sacrifice, Augustine had little doubt that the people would make a queen of her, even if her father did not.

All of the pieces were coming together. It was just a matter of waiting…

The sound of bells suddenly chimed throughout the palace, and the day of silence had finally ended. Augustine brushed off her violet dress with her hand, and immediately headed downstairs to the enormous Throne Room. Dozens of others were already waiting there for the announcement, Dynast loyalists and servants to the monarchy. They bowed respectfully as Augustine, and each of the siblings passed over the long green carpet towards Mideus’ former throne.

Agron Deacon stood next to the chair as he had a thousand times before, this time holding the King’s crown. After the crowd had finally settled the man said a few kind words about Mideus, and asked for each of the siblings to kneel. Princess Augustine closed her eyes as Agron explained the virtues required of a strong ruler, and the many challenges they would face in their reign.

“[b]It is with great privilege that I follow the last wishes of my beloved King,[/b]” Agron said tearfully as he placed the crown onto Primas’ head, “[b]Prince Primas Generous, I take your name. You are henceforth to be known as [I]King[/I] Generous, the new Dynast King of Czenovia![/b]”

The crowd burst into applause as Augustine opened her eyes, dumbstruck. She turned to Primas, who held a proud grin across his face.

“[b]H-how could this be?[/b]” she asked, startled.

Primas merely raised an eyebrow in suspicion as he stepped towards the throne. The bells chimed once again, this time loud enough for all of High Czenoble to hear. Augustine narrowed her eyes as she curtsied.

“[b]Long live the Dynast.[/b]”[/size][/indent]

[Rachmaninoff]

[CENTER][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/alexanderedward-chronicle.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/alecialeanna-chronicle.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/ladybavariaavatar.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/gustave-avatar.gif[/IMG] [IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/charlesavatar.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/victoriaann-chronicle.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/marieevangeline-chronicle.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/maceyellen-chronicle.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/fauntleroy-chronicle.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/beatrist-chronicle.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/harriet-chronicle.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/catherinesaraavatar.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/daedalusavatar.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]
[B][I]?Now it's about time someone explains to me what is going on here.?[/I][/B]

As Captain Oref's unconscious body was dragged away by two members of the military, those who were in the study got up and moved with Daedalus back to the main receiving chamber, the sight meeting Daedalus's eyes causing him to wince a bit. Not at the rest of the family that had been showing up and were escorted to the main room, but rather the arrival of Harriet and the interesting look in her eyes.

It was chaotic as many people were talking at the same time, lending to the air of confusion over why the military was at Rosengard. Some of them confused while others clearly angry.

"[B]What is going on here?[/B]" Macey was the first to address Daedalus when he returned with the others, clearly angry, before he could respond Victoria Ann bounced over to where he was, looking up at him with a look of astonishment on her face.

"[B]You look funny Uncle Daedalus.[/B]" She commented, having never seen him in anything other than a uniform.

"[B]Victoria![/B]" Beatrise moved to snatch her, grasping her by the shoulder, she looked to Daedalus. "[B]Unless you need us to stay here, I don't know anything about this Gadget boy.[/B]" She waited for a simple shake of his head and then took her out, grabbing Charles on her way.

"[B]Hey![/B]" He protested and then stopped and her serious glare.

"[B]You don't know anything either and all we'll do is get in the way.[/B]" The three left the room in the direction of the kitchens, probably with the intent to see to the dinner that had been interrupted.

Once they had left everyone started speaking at once, causing Daedalus to raise his hand for silence, something he got immediately. A short look in Gustave's direction got a shrug as he didn't know what was going on either.

"[B]I was invited to dinner by Lady Catherine,[/B]" He explained, a quick glance at Catherine who nodded confirmed it.

Bavaria who was regaining her composure spoke up. "[B]I sent for the guard after that traitor Gadget admitted that upon meeting the Starks at the Chimera cup he went with them and learned that Leonhart is alive.[/B]" She would have said more but Fauntleroy snickered a bit.

"[B]Of course he went with them, they are his parents after all.[/B]" Startled at that statement, everyone got going again, forcing Daedalus to practically shout for silence.

Alecia at that point choose to go over and practically drag Fauntleroy over to one of the chairs. "[B]You need to stop gallivanting about with that arm of yours![/B]" She declared angrily, tossing a glare at Daedalus as if daring him to stop her from checking his wound.

"[B]That's not his fault,[/B]" Eva started to say and then fell silent, moving to stand next to Macey who was watching the whole thing with an unreadable expression on her face.

It took a while, but each member explained what they knew to Daedalus, at least as much as they were willing to. It was certainly one of the most confusing evenings ever spent at Rosengard. Alexander was finishing up with what he knew when Catherine spoke up.

"[B]I'm sorry to interrupt,[/B]" She smiled a Daedalus, "[B]But I'm afraid I need to get going or I'll be late for the parent teacher meetings at Chaos.[/B]" As if that statement broke the tension, people began to filter out, Macey taking Gustave in the direction of the dinning area with Eva following along.

"[B]I should get going too,[/B]" Alexander said with a glance at Alecia. "[B]I may have guard business later on, but beyond that I'll be around if you need anything else.[/B]"

"[B]Go ahead Alexander,[/B]" Harriet finally spoke up. "[B]I want to talk to Daedalus.[/B]" Her expression was firm and moments later, everyone had left the two alone in the main receiving chamber.