[b][u]Zakroti Unalim[/u][/b] [i]Husband of Aymiria Cassiel and Amaryllis Stone[/i] Zakroti smiled as he watched the introductions and quickly caught what Miry was doing. Perhaps that was the safer course than attempting to reconcile Silnor with the idea, for now at least. He opened his mouth to invite Amaryllis to speak but was cut short by the sound of a horn. He cranked his head suddenly towards the gate and closed his jaw. He took several steps forwards as if to position himself between the two parties as he slowly turned his head towards Silnor. He paused for a moment before asking her a one word question "Doon?" "Ween kala wus jyl e dzi." Silnor replied, causing Zakroti to nod in affirmation "Stand here." Zakroti said, waving his hand dismissively as he spun in place back towards Amaryllis and Miry. Silnor remained in place, slowly clasping her hands in front of her. "As for those who play instruments, of course there are. A small number of them, but a number none the less. I'm sure they would be as eager as I to know what is played through the pass. And in answer to your first question, there is a library. Its rather large in fact, would you like me to show-" Just then there was a shout from the gatehouse, and the gates creaked open behind them to allow a cart to roll through. In the back were a bunch of Gems, all laden in chains and looking extremely terrified. Eight men and four females in total, all affluently dressed. The youngest man looked around twenty while the oldest was definitely in his fifties. The youngest female was perhaps twenty six and the oldest was late forties or so. Zakroti turned towards it with a stone face, but it was quickly replaced by surprised and then annoyance. This shouldn't have been happening already, had the invasion already commenced? He cocked an eyebrow and started walking toward it, raising his arms to the side as he addressed the driver of the cart "Gais a niz? Nastaki hilyatew!" Zakroti demanded, raising his arms in exasperation at the unexpected shipment. "Niz a Gemi hilyatez silaigz odadez, Tak. Odzi rot Gemi kusali kros. Gehdzi numeta kros kala jusla hilyatez Mu'Kasi." The driver replied in a gruff voice, casting a glance back to the prisoners before nodding sharply and turning his attention back towards Zakroti, who sighed before speaking. "Indeed, Lal. Send them to the yard, Kzaar will deal with this." "By your orders, Tak." The driver whipped the reigns, sending the horse forwards and to the right towards the square before making another abrupt turn and heading towards the barracks. Kzaar followed after it, slowly taking his helmet from under his arm and placing it over his head again. Zakroti turned to regard the trio but was once more interrupted by another shout from the gate. He turned slowly and adopted a stone face again as a series of knights rode in through the gates. At the front was a man in black steel armour with gold trims and a red cape flowing down around his right shoulder. His hair was white and wispy and his two horns were long and proud above his head. He halted his horse just before Zakroti, looking down to him before glancing up to the two brides "O taki Nastaki!" Zakroti gave a quick bow to his Grandfather and the remaining members of the blackguard did the same. Silnor curtsied as deeply as she possibly could, her apparent disdain all gone as she looked up towards the great lord. "This is not unexpected but your early." "I rode ahead of my army. Once you wrote to me about the war, I decided we must move quick. Dismiss your brides and ward." Nastaki dismounted his horse, handing it off to the stable boy as he approached his grandson, towering over him. Zakroti turned his head backwards towards Silnor "Silnor, hilyatew weli kala math. Kilio, hilyatew Miry e Amaryllis kala math... Kala silyauuj." Zakroti ordered before he cranked his head back to face Nastaki, stopping only to give Miry a reassuring smile. "Most certainly, Uncle." Silnor's voice was in stark contrast to her previous tone; It was now excessively polite and formal. She curtsied one final time before she turned in place and headed off towards the Workshops, making a face and murmuring "No place for a lady" as she headed towards the blacksmiths. No sooner had she left than a 6'7 blackguard stepped forwards and beckoned Miry and Amaryllis to follow and leading them off towards the keep. Nastaki began heading towards the Keep and Zakroti followed after him "'Miry'?" Nastaki asked with a frown. Zakroti nodded slowly, as much to reassure himself as anything. "That is her name." Zakroti said, earning a glance from Nastaki "Her name is Aymiria. You will call her such in my presence." Nastaki paused at the gates to the Keep, turning towards Zakroti and waiting for a response before pushing the doors open and stepping in "Understood Grandfather." Zakroti replied, turning as soon as they reached the inside and heading through the great hall then up the steps, continuing up the stairs until they finally reached the door to the roof. Zakroti flung open the two large double doors and stepped out onto it, crossing it and coming around the side of the dome to the front of the keep. Zakroti glanced towards Nastaki as if awaiting permission and, after receiving a nod, approached the edge and peered over the wall to the grounds below. "You must name an heir in case you fall in battle, Zakroti. If a holder has no children and he dies, most titles will simply move to the nearest relative, however..." Nastaki began to explain, before being cut off by Zakroti, who quickly wished he had waited given the murderous look in his grandfathers eye. "The Duchies of Bloodstone and Firestone are exceptions; The ruling Duke must appoint an heir due to the ducal law changes introduced by Ballal Unalim two hundred years ago, as he desired to prevent his titles passing to his sister... I aware of that law." "Then who do you name?" Nastaki urged "I wish to make Vain my heir, from now until such a time I have children." Zakroti said as he glanced down towards the statue in the square, catching Nastaki's smirk out of the corner of his eye "I am not letting the title pass out of house Unalim; Pick someone else." "Vain. If it needs to be someone in House Unalim, then approve of me adopting him." Zakroti instantly regretted what he had just said, and his face paled slightly as he realised exactly what he had said. That... Was unbelievably stupid even if it was in jest. Perhaps the lack of sleep was affecting him more than he had thought. He could tell from the look of Nastaki's face that he was unamused and Zakroti couldn't help but wonder whether the situation was salvageable "Adopt him into..." Nastaki said quietly as he clenched his fists tightly, raising his voice to an authoritative and stern pitch. It was not a yell, it was not even close to it; Yet it held all the power and force and then some. "I take back what I said. I was never wrong about you. You are an ignorant whelp with no respect for our great name and would it not disgrace that name I would tear it from you and have you killed! I would hang your corpse from the statue in that square, erected by a man whom you are unworthy to lick the bones of, let alone live in the house he built so many years ago!" "Kas! Vivpre! I did not mean to... I have not slept in three days, Grandfather, I would not have suggested such in my right mind..." Zakroti quickly searched for what his next words should be, but Nastaki cut him off. "Then right your mind and be quick about it!" Nastaki barked. Zakroti turned his head and looked back towards the square, nodding "Look at me when I'm talking to you." "Of course- I" He paused for a moment "I wish my wards to be treated as though they were my children 'til such a time I have any. Upon my death, may the eldest get it." Zakroti looked back towards Nastaki, though did his best to avoid looking him in the eye. He saw Nastaki nod slowly before continuing. "And on the topic of Vain, what is this I hear about a rebel girl?" Nastaki growled, causing Zakroti to pause for thought before speaking. "I beg your pardon for acting without consultation, Taki; We can play the two sides off against each other, it makes our eventual task all the easier. Not to mention the intelligence Vain can feed us." "Oh really? Do you expect them to stand a chance?" Kastaki was slowly returning to a calm state, but Zakroti was careful not to set a toe out of line. He feared his grandfather more than anyone else he had met in his life, such was his hold over him. "No; I expect them to wear down the other Drakken, paving the war for our plans." "I see. And Vain will be feeding you information?" "That is correct; I shall feed it to our family as need be." "There is another issue. This letter was despatched to the Karstagg family." Nastaki took the rolled up note from within his armour and handed it to Zakroti, who unfurled it and read over it slowly. "It is most unfortunate that your actions drew the attention of the Scream Taker." "My sincerest apologies, Taki" Zakroti bowed his head slightly as he spoke "Did they lie together?" "They did, but we know not whether she has a child in her." "I see. Perhaps we should let it through? If it turns out Krone truly suspects us then we can intercept the correspondence... That's if the Karstaggs bite at all; I doubt any of them will wish to give up a chunk of their estate." "Agreed. I have a final demand; I need you to supply your liege levy. I expect the minimum of 1600 for the war effort." "I'll go one higher than that; I'll supply 2200 and not a soldier more; The rest I retain for my command when the time comes. Slaves, of course, as most my armies are composed of." "I see. Anything else?' "No, that should be all I believe. Give the orders to the Marshall, he'll raise the men- I'll have everything set up for our enterprise." Zakroti paused for a moment, considering. Having displeased Nastaki with his foolish comments, it would be wise to get back onto his good side, lest he find himself being locked away in an oubliette. "I shall have a gift sent down to the gatehouse for you, the guards will turn it over as you leave. Accept my sincerest apologies for my behavior, Taki; I have disgraced our name." "Oh?" Nastaki replied in an amused tone, the side of his face curling into a thin smile. Zakroti found some comfort in this however found it quickly ebb away when Nastaki continued. "Then we shall see whether your gift is appropriate repayment." Zakroti nodded slowly in response and turned, watching Nastaki head back across the balcony and standing in place for several minutes before heading back down from the roof. [centre] *** [/centre] The Blackguard led the pair down the hallways, parting servants as he passed. They turned west off the entrance and proceeded down several corridors before turning south and heading down towards the back. Finally, they came to a large oak door. Runes were carved into the door and dead center, parted down the middle by the opening of the doors, was the carving or a Drakken in a robe. In one hand he bore a scroll in the other he held a torch. Kilio reached out and pushed open the door, stepping into it and holding it open, motioning for the pair of them to pass. The room beyond was large and encompassed two floors. On the ground floor there were five rows of bookshelves with more set against the walls. On the far side of the room were two winding staircases to the second floor, tucked neatly away in each corner. The bookshelves were labeled in a similar runic carving as that which inscribed the door. Given that each appeared to have a different symbol, it was easy to guess that it was an alphabet. The blackguard stepped in after them, glancing over the room before raising his hands up and removing his helmet, holding it under one arm and slowly looking around the room before turning his head back towards the pair before brushing past them and leaning against the door frame. [b][u]Vain Norkaan[/u][/b] [i]Captain of the Blackguard[/i] "A wise choice to arm the slaves, assuming you don't arm the wrong ones." Vain replied matter of factly, folding his arms slowly in front of him. He couldn't help but dismiss their thoughts as being somewhat naive "Every fort which was holding the border of Gemminia has emptied and are marching back to Drakka. Once those from beyond your border learn the Drakken have withdrawn their Protection, and I'm sure the Drakken were not quiet about it, it will be open season on the Marchlands at the least. Have you considered this? How many strong are you?" Vain shifted in place as he thought. Zakroti and he had planned a theoretical invasion of Gemminia many times over but never had they expected it to actually come to fruition; The warlords were much too happy shoving their cocks into little Gem girls to do something worthwhile. And yet here they were now. And yet here he was now, standing on very much the wrong side of the mountain range. He knew the plan but he couldn't help but feel that he was far less useful here than he would have been in an army. "I have some advice that I don't think you are going to like, but- its a necessary evil. Will you hear me out?"