DrowsyPangolin

When the Flames Die

Sophia pondered the young man's situation for a moment. "Hmm, well, I imagine a target will be easier to hit, it can't move after all." She laughed softly, adjusting the golden bracelet at her wrist. The ruby eyes of the snake-shaped jewelry shimmered. She looked across the fairgrounds towards Jezin, noticing he was talking with Lexine. She had seemed interested in his fighting technique earlier, the girl remembered. She wondered if the woman had learned where Karl was yet. She wondered briefly where her servants had wandered off to, but imagined they were probably enjoying themselves at the celebration with the local folk. She looked up towards the clouds floating lazily through the sunny sky and spoke again. "So where did you learn how to use a bow, Gareth?"

When the Flames Die

Sophia listened to Gareth as he told her he would take part in the archery competition. It seemed to be the safest of the tournament events by far. The princess smiled, crossing her hands in her lap as she waited for the match to begin. "Oh, archery! Lovely. My oldest sister is quite fond of archery." Each of the Octavia children had their own hobbies. Arissia had her archery, Catarina had her studies of medicine and poison, she had her love of music... and Alexi had been the finest swordsman Lyok had ever seen. A frown crossed her face for a brief moment as she thought of the brother she could now scarcely remember. He had passed when she was six. Her frown quickly faded and was again replaced by her trademark smile as she flushed the negativity from her mind. Now was not the time for sadness. "I'm sure you'll do wonderfully, Gareth! Have you ever competed in something like this before?"

Jezin glanced in the woman's direction as she spoke. He was surprised to meet someone who had visited Lyok, despite the frequency of travelers that arrived in the country. He nodded when she asked her question. "Yes, Estovet has treated us quite well. Are you from Keilaudrin, milady?" He spoke politely, a trait he had picked up from being around foreign dignitaries on a daily basis. The Brass Hand and Palace Guard had taught him a great deal more than combat during his time in Veranthium. He remembered it had been a rather abrupt change from the standard infantry, where the world revolved around one's ability to kill a man. He didn't mind the pleasantries, he supposed it was far better than the harsh life the infantry had afforded him.

When the Flames Die

Jezin watched as the two combatants took the field. It seemed Thomas was fighting a roguish looking fellow. He looked over to Lexine as she spoke. She seemed a bit troubled by her inability to find the man she was looking for. She quickly dismissed the worries though, and asked him about his experience in tournaments. He nodded. "I fought in them quite often in Lyok, fighting with a spear and shield is a bit more common there, it's the most common weapon in the Lyoki military." He thought over his past tournaments, he'd won a few in Lyok. He could only remember three combatants that had bested him: another member of the Brass Hand, and the Sword and Shield of the Queen. He shuddered silently. The Sword of the Queen had put him out of commission for weeks. Celeste of Redmoon they called her. His chest ached remembering his flesh being ripped open. He shook the thought from his head. "Are you familiar with Lyok?"

Sophia smiled. "I suppose so." The two fighters had taken their positions on the field. Thomas walked out in his thick armor, but the other man had little defense to speak of. She wondered how the fight would go. She resolved that she would cheer for Sir Thomas in the match, he had been quite friendly to them after all. She remembered that Gareth had left the feast to enter the tournament, but he hadn't recalled what portion he had joined. "So, you joined this tournament, right? What event did you register for?" She was curious what skills the young man had.

When the Flames Die

Jezin glanced up to see a woman in a blue tie standing next to him. She didn't look too familiar to him. She asked about a man named Karl Lied. The bodyguard racked his brain for a moment, trying to recall if he had heard such a name, but his efforts came up blank. He shook his head. "No, I haven't, what seems to be the problem?" His words were nearly drowned out by the trumpets bellowing over the fairgrounds. The announcer made it known that the next combatants would be Thomas and a man named Hadryn. The other name didn't sound familiar, and Jezin waited eagerly to see who Thomas would be up against.

Sophia smiled a bit, gently running her fingers through her hair. She started to reply when her small voice was completely overshadowed by the trumpets. It seemed the next match was up. It would be Sir Thomas against someone named Hadryn. Gareth mumbled quietly, obviously quite worried about the coming spectacle. "Don't worry Gareth, I'm sure he'll do just fine." She maintained her smile, and her wide yellow eyes glanced back towards Gareth. "But I meant to say that the native people of Lyok are the people of the Serpent. So, we're completely immune to all sorts of poisons. We also very rarely get sick." It was true, the people of the Lyoki heartland, people like Jezin and Sophia, were completely immune to poisons. This fact had led to the occasional use of poisoned weapons by the Lyoki military, although such weapons were usually only carried by members of the aristocracy. She herself had no weapons training, but she remembered her older sister carrying a poisoned dagger.

When the Flames Die

Also I'm going to take a nap, sorry guys, but it's 1PM and I haven't slept yet.

When the Flames Die

Okay, that'll be fine. That sounds like a fantastic way to spend the day lol.

When the Flames Die

Sophia smiled. "Oh, it is! You should see it one day, Gareth." She smiled as the young man talked about magic. "Oh yes, it is fascinating. I saw a brilliant magician once. He was a guest in my mother's court. I can't recall his name, but he could produce light with his hands. It was spectacular!" She brushed her long hair away from her face. Her hand stopped on the bright white streak, holding the strand of hair when she spoke again. "I don't know any magic myself though...." She had a realization. There was something 'magical' about the people of Lyok. She had never thought about it as magic before, the people considered it a gift from the Eternal Serpent. "Actually, I suppose I do. I guess I'm using it right now." She smiled and looked towards Gareth.

Jezin gave Thomas a respectful nod and leaned against a nearby post, spear still in hand to watch the upcoming match. He was excited to see his new friend fight in the tournament. He leaned his spear against his shoulder. The light glittered on the blade. The day was just beginning, and he'd already witnessed more excitement than he had in a long time.

When the Flames Die

Sophia smiled as Gareth asked about her homeland. She loved Lyok, and any chance to talk about it filled her with excitement. "I'm from a land to the far east called Lyok. It's quite large, there are numerous colonies with all sorts of different people and cultures." She smiled. "My mother is the Empress of Lyok. I grew up in the capitol ,Veranthium. It's a beautiful city, the largest in the known world. You should really see it, there are lovely spires and markets, and merchants from all over the world come there to trade. The royal palace is also very popular, it has a massive spire that reaches into the clouds called the Ivory Tower." Her excitement was obvious in the fervor with which she described her homeland. "My mother sent me here as a sort of ambassador. I learned the ways of the court from the time I could speak. I'm actually here to foster relations between Lyok and Keilaudrin and promote peace between our two nations." She gave a brilliant smile. "Oh, magic? What sort of magic?" She had heard of many kinds of magic, though it was incredibly uncommon to meet a true practitioner of the magical arts. She had seen a magician once, he'd been a guest of her mother's court. A few of the provinces of Lyok also were said to hold ancient powers.

Jezin smirked. "I'm sure you'll do fine, Sir Thomas." Thomas went on to speak about Redwyne Cole. The way Thomas spoke of him, he had to be a formidable man. "Right, I'll watch myself, I'd hate to make it that far only to lose to my own exhaustion." If Cole was anywhere near the expert that Thomas described, the bodyguard would need every bit of energy he could muster. He shook his head. He couldn't allow doubt into his mind. He had to uphold the glory of Lyok at all costs. He smiled and pulled the necklace from beneath his armor, leaving it free to hang against his chest. The small engraved serpent glittered in the sun.

When the Flames Die

Jezin have a slight nod at Thomas' compliment. "Thank you, that wasn't really the best showcase for it, but I'm sure you'll get to see more later." Jezin laughed. He was surprised to hear Thomas would be fighting in the next round. "Oh, I didn't know you'd be fighting so soon. I'll definitely stay around to watch that. Any idea who you'll be fighting against?" He was secretly glad he'd get to see Thomas fight. If they were to face one another later on it'd help to know a bit of what the man was capable of. The bodyguard leaned on his spear and glanced out over the stands. He found Sophia immediately. She seemed to be talking to the same man she'd been speaking with at the feast. She seemed happy enough.

Sophia smiled and gave Gareth a curt nod. She imagined the next match would be beginning soon, and she was curious to see who the combatants would be. She was glad Jezin had won his match, he deserved that much. She decided it would probably be good to start some conversation between the matches. There was much to learn about Gareth. "So, Gareth, how long have you lived here?" She was curious to find out more about Gareth, and hopefully more about Keilaudrin as a whole.

When the Flames Die

Oh yeah, the seriousness is palpable lol.

You're welcome to post your intro whenever you'd like by the way, Larfleeze.