[h3]Two Souls' Spiral[/h3] Starring [b]Poog the Pig[/b] as [color=orange][b]Lifprasil[/b][/color] [b]Lugubrious[/b] as [color=E62020][b]Allure[/b][/color] Tucked away in a corner of that city of wonders and legends, there lay a reflective pool. From a channel above the water tumbled down into it in a cataract, and from there the current became a swirl in the circular basin. Flowering vines and questing roots from the foliage that lined this pool's edges streamed like hair seized by wind, while a thick grove of leafy bamboo encapsulated the area totally. Their great stalks reached skyward, though sunlight still filtered in through the top, as might a light of hope shining down into the depths of a pit in the earth. Beneath this golden radiance the inches-deep water swirled, a strangely tranquil whirlpool, and its soft vortex gave the impression of a locus of natural power. Allure certainly felt that way as he danced, moving back and forth with rhythm and elegance with the water nipping at his heels. Without pause he performed his eccentric tango, handling his dance partner as if it were an extension of his body. In his fingers the long handle of the polearm he'd created -the naginata- seemed weightless, and its every move echoed the beauty and deadliness of its wielder. A legion of invisible foes attacking at every angle fell like wheat at harvest when faced with this gorgeous onslaught, but still this dance never ceased. The perfection of this spot, and the graceful samba within, seemed to be the very essence of dreams. Perhaps in a trance, beauty's arbiter span and span, probing every angle with the curved blade and serenely brutalizing imaginary enemies with the long handle, faster and faster until the current caused him to slip. Allure then fell onto his back in the rushing water, and the coolness combined with the impact washed away his focus. He stared up at the sky, feeling dampness soaking through his hair and clothes, and wondered. Many thoughts circled through his head, turning and turning just like the watery whorl that surrounded him. For all his power, intellect, and beauty, he felt wasted. He could not begin to imagine the machinations of the gods, but he knew that as long as they lived and acted in the world there could be no true peace. Mortals could only ever be grains of sand in such a world. The beauty of Lifprasil's hidden city stood as a monument to the capability of those not expressly divine, but what was the use, really? In less than a second, any god could wipe it all away. A fit of rage might do it, or sheer apathy, or perhaps just a lust for undoing. It wasn't fair. He sat up, water running in rivulets down his bronze skin. The naginata lay in the current, unyielding. Picking it up, Allure prepared to dance again. Rather than imaginary foes, that which would have stalked in brambles and bamboo, Allure found himself face to face with Lifprasil once more - he stood there, and after moments of careful analysis, he spoke. [color=orange]"Are you alright, Allure? That looked rather painful."[/color] spoke the Emperor of Alefpria, hand ceremoniously rested upon the serpent-like blade that wrapped around his waist so tightly. Lifprasil kept from his fixed position before his companion, and decided to find a resting place to sit upon: a platform, a part of a stone basin controlling the eb and flow of some of the majestic waters of the palace. He wasn't wearing Niciel's armor, in fact Lifprasil looked much more casual than Allure would have come to expect out of his daily routine. A colorful wrap - a garb decorated with divets and jewels crafted from colors that would have been unseen - encased his body. The sleeves cut short, but the skirt of the body ran down to his ankles, leaving him the same coverage that he had become used to as Vesamera. [color=orange]"I must say, your meticulous practice has impressed me, such as most of your abilities - what brings you to be so hardy about your activities? Boredom?"[/color] Allure's eyes narrowed to find his privacy disturbed. He could never be embarrassed for being caught doing something others might perceive as strange -in fact, they ought to be the ones embarrassed, for being so foolish as to perceive things that way- but all the same the sudden appearance of Lifprasil did not fill him with joy. [color=E62020]"I am perfectly alright. I succeeded in losing myself in the rhythm of combat, and that numbness dulled any possible pain."[/color] The self-proclaimed emperor's rather unusual choice of garments did not garner much attention from Allure, though his eyes rested for a moment on Lifprasil's urumi. Surely he didn't mean to engage the hero of beauty in combat? Without Niciel's armor a single slice to the throat would end the little king's reign. Of course, Allure traced this mode of thought immediately, and mentally chided himself for continuing to think of Lifprasil as an enemy. Any sort of slip in this regard might betray his thoughts. If anything, the emperor might want to test Allure's new style in combat, which the handsome man supposed he could do. Instead, Lifprasil asked a question, and to it Allure replied, [color=E62020]"The battle to improve oneself is a lifelong quest for mortals. I must spend every moment I can spare getting better. To do otherwise is a waste of the gift of life."[/color] Plus, Allure had in fact created something new. Surely the excellence of this achievement was not lost on the newcomer...? [color=orange]"I admire your spirit, and I've seen your ability and skill in careful practice - but not application. The weapon you've created has fascinated the metallurgy guild, and your pivotal hand in the creation of Alefpria is truly something of note,"[/color] Lifprasil opened, reaching to tie his hair into a knot that would lift it behind his own head. [color=orange]"But out of all these things, valor, stoicism, these are all important, and I must ask: do you love Alefpria and its people? Would you be willing to protect them, and the beauty of this socialite city in a world of wonder - but most of all - horror? The most valuable thing one can give me, and my people, is the promise of his life."[/color] he then continued, finishing his meticulous hair handling at the end of his questions. Lifprasil but gazed at Allure, he knew that the hero was not one to be selfless, but after his experiences with humility, and his humbling defeat at Allure's hand, he had his doubts about whether or not his friend's personality was truly static. Perhaps it could change, much like the water that ran underfoot, cool, mild, gradual, but still ever-amorphous in its development. After all, of everything in this world, or this universe, water was the most resilient due to its ability to sustain liquidity. So the demigod was getting serious. Allure disliked questions of analysis, particularly ones to which only one right answer existed. The naginata twirled in his grasp, coming to rest across his shoulders. Like snakes his arms curled around the shaft, their weight supported by the burden on the back of his neck. This exercise allowed him a short delay in which to think. Any longer hesitance would only perturb Lifprasil, since Allure expected that he could not develop an image as one prone to deep thought. [color=E62020]"...Love an inanimate object? What's the point? Is it a symbol for the living things you truly love?"[/color] Despite saying this, he made sure to wear an non-confrontational expression. [color=E62020]"I can appreciate the labor that went into this place's creation, and the atmosphere it harbors. It is unlike anything else I have experience, and dare I say far better. The floating house of the wind god is a bare hovel in comparison."[/color] Allure then turned and took small steps through the spinning pool, toward one of the points where it flowed out between patches of greenery to somewhere else in the city. The day before, when completing the dance he'd rehearsed today, he'd ended his session by attempting to slide down one of the slick chutes. It had been exhilarating, and he'd intended to try another route today. Rather than seating himself and pushing off, though, he pivoted on his heels to face Lifprasil again. [color=E62020]" If protection is what you want, I am the perfect choice. If something attempted to destroy this place, I would kill them. If something disturbed the peace by killing your slave race in an inartful fashion, I would be glad to slaughter those murderers, too. But I will not lay down my life for bricks, wood, water, and ignorant slaves for their sakes, or for yours. If a god attempts to destroy this place, and you ask me to die for a cause of yours, I will run, and not an ounce of shame will weigh me down. The answer to your questions is no; I do not love this city, or its people. What I love is beauty."[/color] He paused to think for a moment, remembering something. [color=E62020]"Notte, for instance. It would please her, I think, if I defended the city and its people, so that is why I will endeavor to do it. Heh, perhaps I'd even give my life for her. To die in pursuit of true beauty would be an acceptable way to go. [i]Why[/i] makes all the difference."[/color] The naginata flashed from its position, snakelike, and Allure swung it overhead with no small amount of strength. The shaft of the weapon became embedded pretty close to the exact center of the little whorl. It would wait here for its master to take it up again. Allure gestured to one of the streaming chutes. [color=E62020]"Once we're done here, care for a slide? It's good fun. More interesting and less predictable than falling from the sky, at least."[/color] When Lifprasil was listening, he found his expression turning darker - it still retained the smile that he had worn so patiently for Allure, but he couldn't help, however unconsciously, narrowing his vision to his fair friend. The face, that gaze of anguish disappeared, however, when Allure's naginata impacted expertly narrowed marble and stone. He did not like the sensation he felt when Allure spoke of such selfish deeds, but he figured this new attraction would help clear his mind - this was not the first time his own Domain threatened to control him; after all. [color=orange]"I quite remember the memory of falling from the Citadel, down to Galbar. That was an experience most painful."[/color] Lifprasil remarked with an entertained scoff as he stood, and joined Allure upon his ledge. [color=orange]"I must confess something, Old Friend, something about Notte,"[/color] he said, ousting his voice to the still atmosphere outside. Lifprasil's gaze was fixated down to the architecture below now - and the jungles beyond. [color=orange]"Your love for Notte is strong, but so is my grip on the control of one's own psyche, and I have sensed an illusion within the Divas Four, a hex within the mind of one that I would assume to be Notte herself. Something placed it there long ago, one of them is doomed to feel compassion for but one creature on other planets far, far away. I urge a lack of forcefulness on your part, as I can fix this upon your request. However, winning her over truly will be upon your own clever mind, afterwards."[/color] Lifprasil turned back to Allure, he was no longer smiling now, but there was no malice in his mind or expression either. It was merely a neutral expression, illuminated by fires, that which burned through long nights such as these upon the bosom of Alefpria's brilliant palace. If he could quantify the degree to which he expected Lifprasil to favor his reply, Allure could definitively say that it had a 0% chance. As such, when Lifprasil's bearing and expression grew less genial, Allure was neither surprised not concerned. Pleasing this young emperor did not lay within the reach of his vast abilities. If he tried to be genuine, he would displease him. If he lied in an attempt to anticipate what Lifprasil wanted, Allure expected that the other man would be even more disappointed. So why even try? Lifprasil's comments about Notte, however, perturbed him. Did he mean to imply that Notte could never have feelings for him because of some rotten spell? The suggestion infuriated him, but in the wake of such an excellent dance, and in anticipation of another exciting slide, and in the grip of a refreshing flow of water around his ankles, Allure did not act on his anger. If Notte hadn't warmed to him at all, it was because he'd made no real attempt for her so far. After all, he lacked nothing in strength, ability, or looks. At times, his wit could be nearly as sharp as his drawn lines. Since he knew this wasn't in question, and that Lifprasil intended to try and fix the problem, Allure directed no ill will at the demigod opposite him. [color=E62020]"So be it. Anything else on the brain?"[/color] Allure held one fist on his hip, gesticulating with an upward palm with the other. Lifprasil held up an index finger [color=orange]"I would also like you to teach a portion of my men the art of the Naginata - I wouldn't want to waste your meticulous practice. That is all."[/color] requested the tiny emperor, before he narrowly slid past Allure, towards the silken slide that awaited him. [color=orange]"Oh, and Allure,"[/color] Lifprasil's empathy and warmth reappeared. [color=orange]"I would narry permit the usage of slaves - the people in Alefpria stay because I provide necessities sentient creatures desire and want: such as a home. Surely you will want one, eventually."[/color] he said, teasing the Hero like he would in situations similar to such back in the Citadel. With that, Lifprasil attempted to slide down the exhilarating drop, but his form was flawed, and he ended up falling much faster, similar to a rock. He managed to shakily recover on his feet, but the drop was still humiliating. [color=orange]"Whoops."[/color] Lifprasil chuckled, realigning his balance upon the walkway he had landed upon. A soft sigh escaped Allure when Lifprasil suggested teaching again. How could a base creature whose very presence offended the eyes possibly master or even begin to learn an art that embodied beauty of form and movement? It was not an intuitive or practical weapon. Men would be better served by spears, pikes, halberds, glaives, or any sort of weapon that would compliment height and strength. [color=E62020]"Perhaps it might be more useful for the women,"[/color] he advised, getting ready to go down a different slide. A call of his name obliged him to look back. A home? The thought of settling in one place seemed like a waste of what the world had to offer. For instance, if he took up residence in this one area, he'd never find out what other alcoves Alefpria had in store. Then Lifprasil disappeared, and Allure threw himself down his slide as well. His chosen route turned out to be a winding, meandering channel that carried him to another part of the city entirely. He practically flew around curves, zoomed down straightways, and rode through numerous water features. All the while his heart raced with exhilaration. After a few minutes, he swooped down a cleft and was then ejected out of a jump into a scenic pond in some sort of indoor park. The instant he pulled himself from the water, he discovered a marvelous amount and variety of flowers everywhere, and set to examining each one.