[hider=A Horrifying Display] Nyhem City, Overlooking the Arena Lanaya was perched haughtily on one of the chairs in the box reserved for the King's Council, simultaneously appearing both aggressively bored and sulky. She did not technically [i]have[/i] to be here to watch Claus getting rid of Alice for the King, but it would be considered very rude of her not to attend a duel between former and future Council members. And so here she was, with the others of the Council and a few very well off nobles influential enough to get a box seat, forced to watch a couple of Mundanes beat each other to death with metal sticks. It was dreadful. Worse, she mused as she pretended to pay attention to the events below, she knew who would win already. There wouldn’t even be any surprise shift of politics. The King wanted Alice gone, and so that is what would happen. Lanaya didn’t know with certainty [i]how[/i] the King would throw the fight, but she knew it would happen. She couldn’t see any illusions being used to distract Alice, so her money (if she had been a betting woman) would’ve been on poison. Though she wasn’t well versed enough in combat to be able to pick out the signs of debilitating poisons. Or even really tell who was winning. Or what was going in the fight all. The only thing that had piqued her interest at all this morning, was seeing Claus walk into the arena with a very exotic sword. She’d seen a weapon similar to it before, though it had been a dagger, not a greatsword. The thought of the dagger, and the fact it’d gone missing when Lord Dominus Thale had died, sent a brief flutter of apprehension through her heart. What Eli would think when he learned it had seemingly been stolen? She quickly suppressed that line of thought. The matter at hand was far more important: how had Claus managed to acquire a sword made of Dragon’s claws and scales? She would definitely be asking Eli about this in the future, for if he was favored by the Blackwells, it would change many things. This one interesting piece of trivia did not serve to distract her from the tedium and vulgarity of the whole affair though. The idea that someone could influence such a thing as membership of the High Kings Council with a glorified brawl was preposterous... and yet, it was law. Unfortunately, such close proximity to her fellow nobles had forced her to buy and wear an up to date dress - and the recent fashion seemed to have no consideration for comfort at all. This had not helped her mood at all. Worse still, she might be stuck with it all day if she didn’t disappear fast enough. There was a high chance that one of the insufferable Nobles would ambush her with polite invitations to tea, to discuss some insignificant local affair that they believed to be of world ending importance. That was one the things she disliked about her ascent to power. Being on the King’s Council gave the nobles the impression that she would bring their plights to his Majesty even when they were completely unrelated to her official field of expertise. She was beginning to understand why Aurelia had spent so much time in her tower. Lana turned her attention properly back to the fight just in time to see a particularly gruesome sight. She gasped in shock and went pale as Alice’s arm was severed clean off in a fountain of blood. She looked away quickly, only to glance back as an analytical part of her mind assessed the wound based on her theoretical knowledge of restoration magic. It was ugly, and she suspected Alice would be lucky to survive at all. Yet Claus refused to finish his foe off, a fact for which the squeamish part of her was very thankful. She was jolted out of her shock only by the nagging voice of a Noble, first asking her if she wanted to visit his estate, then if she was alright. That gave her the excuse she needed to get away from him. She quickly responded that she was feeling faint at the sight of such carnage (which was true - something of a rarity for her excuses) and dismissed herself, making her way quickly to the carriage that would deliver her home. [/hider] [hider= The Burdens of Leadership] She quickly arrived back at what was once Thale Manor - the grand, three story building she had lived in since her arrival in Nyhem several years ago. She paused outside to look up at it, murmuring to herself “Not Thale anymore. Dionisa. Mine.” She was still getting used to the idea that the grand old building was hers now. Her coat of arms flew above it, and between this building and the lands that came with it, she was a genuine power among the local nobility. Entering, she found the interior in a state of controlled chaos. Since Lord Dominus Thale’s death, she had decided to redecorate and hire additional staff. It wasn’t that it hadn’t been a pleasant place before, it certainly had. But the way it was before was known by all the houses guests as Lord Thale’s preference. She wanted to make it clear to the City nobility that she was not some favored mistress inheriting wealth - she was a power in her own right. She stepped around burly men moving furniture and nodded approval to young women hanging new tapestries on her way to the stairs, only for the captain of her house guard - Reginald Moros - to catch up to her. “Ma’am.” He said to get her attention. “Captain. What’ve you found?” She replied. She had him scouring the City for young or vulnerable mages at all times, but had also tasked him to investigate the events surrounding Lord Thale’s death during the recent riots. “I’ve not found any since the riot. I’m worried some youngster mages might’ve been killed that night.” He sighed, clearly dejected, but quickly moved on. “I haven’t found anything about Lord Dominus’ death either, but there is… No. I’m sure it’s nothing.” Lanaya stopped and turned to him then, looking up at the weary, well worn face of the man. He was no mage or even learned man, but she had observed a keen intuition in him over the years, and found it frustrating that like many servants, he often suppressed it rather than ‘trouble his superiors’ with insight. “What is it Reginald?” She asked. “In my experience, things are rarely coincidental in this city.” To his credit, he did not show any emotion at the subtle rebuke, instead answering efficiently. “Quite so Ma’am. I have found that the morale and acceptance of the transfer among the guard and the militia in the outlying areas has been extremely high, despite recent anti-mage sentiment in the city.” Lana looked puzzled at that, and responded “That’s good isn’t it?” The captain’s expression became troubled then. “That’s just it Ma’am. The reception is [i]unusually[/i] positive. Almost as if the ones who would issue with the transfer of power have already disappeared. Yet the rosters don't show any such disappearance.” Lana nodded. Put like that it did seem odd. “You are right, that does seem unusual. Keep an eye on things would you? I want to know if my Guard needs re-arranging.” With that, she dismissed the man and continued upwards. Only to be ambushed by her seneschal, with yet more news. “My Lady. We must discuss the logistics of your promise to the King.” He said rather insistently. She kept walking, but nodded. The struggles of nobility never ended did they? “I trust we will be able to meet the demand?” She said expectantly. “M’lady, I’m afraid things have begun to fall behind schedule. Raising the output from the ex-Thale fields while also rebuilding Dionisa orchards and wineries is demanding more labor than we can pay for.” Lana’s face was once more twisted by a scowl. “Mr. Elan, we cannot renege on this promise. House Dionisa must make its presence known, and I will not have that achieved with an embarrassment.” The seneschal, doing his best to remain composed while keeping up with Lana’s purposeful stride, began to reply “My lady, there is simply not enough-” She cut him off. “Has Thanatos’ inheritance been claimed yet?” She snapped. “No, but he still has-” Once again he was cut off. “Then reclaim it, and spend it on restoring the orchards. The ungrateful little brat doesn’t deserve it.” The disgust in her tone was plain to hear. “But M’lady, he still has eleven months to claim it.” Lana finally stopped and turned to face her beleaguered Seneschal. She didn’t raise her voice, but her impatience was written all over her face. “Make it happen Victor. I know you can.” With that, she turned on her heel and left him to figure it out on his own. [/hider] [hider= A Run Through The Woods] Soon, she arrived on the top floor, in her combined study, library and quarters. Safe at last from the tedium of managing a house or the intrigue of advising the King. She sighed, casting a glance at the books of magical lore still open where she had last left them on her desk. She felt like she had studied more in the past few months than the several years since she left the Circle. No. As interesting as it was to sift through Aurelia’s notes, or tap some of the more obscure knowledge she had recently acquired, she was just in far too foul a mood for it. She needed a diversion… Something fun to take her mind off the intrigue and horrific sights of battle from the morning duel. She knew just how to distract herself. She began to untie the various laces holding her in her uncomfortable dress as she was contemplating which secluded grove to head to, and which farmers sons to torment. By the time she had finished unlacing her dress, Lana had a mischievous smile on her face. Slipping out of the restrictive garments, she stretched and admired her body in front of the full height mirror mounted in one corner of the room. She wasn’t the most beautiful woman in all of Formaroth… Yet her well formed, well cared for body and flowing auburn hair had caught the eye of many young men even before she layered on the illusion. With a flick of a finger, she could summon all manner of illusion about herself. And for the sake of practice, she did just that - recreating dresses, jewelry, even crowns, all just as stunning as the real thing, and without spending a single coin. Then came more outlandish illusions. Wings, scales, barkskin, even a fish tail from the waist down - all were within her power to create and maintain. The last one had brought about the rumour of the ‘Mermaids of Nyhem’ that was now quite well entrenched in the local docks and beyond. Common folk only needed to see something fantastical and alluring once or twice before they started seeing it when it wasn’t even there. She found that quirk of the human mind rather amusing. Today she would reinforce the growing myth of Dryads in the forests near the Raldan border. She turned and prowled towards the door to her third floor balcony, beginning to chant a shape shifting spell as she did so. Caring not at all for her state of undress, she flicked the door open and stepped out. If anyone had been in a position to see, and been looking at the time, they would be treated to a rare sight. But a momentary one, for no sooner had she stepped outside than her shape began to alter in a burst of magelight. A few seconds later, a magnificent eagle with a red band about its neck was perched on the balcony. With a sweep of her wings, Lana took to the air. For a time she simply circled, gaining altitude on the thermals above Nyhem. She admired the sails of the ships at port, picking out the flags of traders from all over the continent with her enhanced eyesight. There was even a Summer Isles Catamaran pulling into port. Something to investigate upon her return. Once she was high enough up, she set out on a lazy, gliding flight path towards the forest she had in mind. Far below, the city and its outskirts quickly gave way to the neat fields and muddy roads of the farmers that kept the great city fed. Some of them belonged to her, but she hardly cared to inspect them. This wasn’t a business trip. After a time, the fields became less ordered, and eventually stopped entirely, transitioning into ever more thickly wooded countryside. Spying the movement of a rabbit in a clearing below, she screeched and dove from on high, purely for the thrill of it. She had no intent of catching the small creature, despite the distant animalistic urges that wearing this shape invoked…. Yet it was at times like this, plummeting through the air towards a singular target, that she almost understood why Drevala preferred this life to that of a human. There was a primal thrill that was hard to replicate in her real body. At the last moment she veered off, instead spreading her wings again and gliding to a soft landing. A moment later she had retaken her normal form. She took only a moment to weave an illusion about herself, taking on the appearance of a beautiful forest spirit with an elegant twirl. There was a village nearby, and with a light step she set off towards it. She quickly spied some prey on the outskirts - a young, ruggedly handsome man chopping wood outside a small cottage. With a flick of her fingers, a wisp of light appeared on the end of the axe. The man soon noticed, and began to peer at it with a very confused look on his face. Lana giggled at the sight, and by the time the sound reached the man, it was distorted and otherworldly, yet not in a terrifying manner. He looked towards the treeline immediately, searching for the source of the sound. For a moment his look of confusion deepened, then his eyes found hers as she leaned out from behind a tree. She froze, giving her best ‘deer in the torchlights’ look as the man's eyes traveled down. Slowly, she raised an arm, and with one finger beckoned to him once. The moment he stepped towards her, she turned and ran into the forest. The chase was on. He gained on her quickly, his long legs used to work easily outpacing her, but before he could get close she leapt over a protruding root and slipped behind a tree. He tripped, and in that moment she concealed herself, laughing gleefully, but bending the sound to come at him from another direction. As he pulled himself up from the ground, the man looked around for her. He still had an eager look on his face as he turned towards the sound. But just as he looked set to stride off in pursuit, she conjured a faerie light in a different direction. He turned towards it and followed, and she, in turn, followed him. After a time following the wisp, he seemed to be becoming frustrated. It was then that she extinguished it, laughing as she did so. He turned towards the sound, and she let him see her again, this time with none of her body concealed behind a tree. Just like that, the chase was back on, with all the vigor of before. She repeated this routine several times, though with different details each time. Sometimes he would be slowed by branches hidden only from him. Other times, lights would always appear on the edge of his sight, leading him back and forth at her whims. Other times, laughter would come from all directions, making it seem as though there were many Dryads around him, haunting these woods. After forty minutes of this, physical weariness was beginning to overtake Lana’s sadistic glee and she decided to end the charade. That, and the man was looking quite frustrated and downtrodden. He had been good sport though, so she wouldn’t just abandon him without any payoff. Drawing him towards her once again, she waited until he was about to pass by the tree she was behind, then stepped out suddenly. Leaning up on the tips of her toes, she planted a kiss on his lips, relishing the look of surprise and joy on his face. But that was all she would give him. As she withdrew, she channeled electricity into her hand, shocking him just enough to temporarily stun him, but not enough to injure. As he fell to the ground, she flitted away between the trees once more. Within minutes, she had take on a bird shape again and left the poor man to find his own way back to his village. She was sure he’d find his way back. At least, mostly sure. Not that it mattered. When she was younger, these diversions had often led to her laying with the frustrated men. But now, she had Eli, and the idea of laying with a random mundane peasant for fun was not appealing at all. How could they satisfy her as he did? A quick dip in a clear running river on the way back served to wash her feet clean of the mud and leaves, then she continued homeward by wing. She would arrive home in much better spirits. A run through the wild always served to clear her mind of all the less pleasant aspects of court life, and this had been a very enjoyable run through the woods indeed... [/hider]