TheHangedMan

When Royalty Collides ~Closed For Now~

@HaleyTheRandom sounds good.

Mana-Script Academy For The 'Gifted'

So, uh, does that work as an apology? :3

Mana-Script Academy For The 'Gifted'

@Eklispe

Meruin Hazy's Exam

Of course, cursed Meruin. She quickly ran options through her head - she didn't have anything on hand that could deal with the mannequin, not when she didn't know what it was capable of. She had to widen the distance between them if she wanted to plan things out. Thrusting both hands in front of her, Meruin drew two runes frantically, which both lit up as soon as the were made.

As soon as they lit up, Meruin was blasted backwards. The sleeves on her arms tore up, and bruises began forming on her hands. Taking a shaky breathe, Meruin drew a rune on the floor, and began muttering under her breathe, preparing to repair her barriers.

---

@Zetsuko

Kieran Altaaya's Exam

Silently, the Fo watched as Kieran attempted to pinpoint the key to opening the exit. It was quite a simple solution, really, but rarely was it that people considered the simple solu-

"Meep!"

With a cry and a flash of light, Fo disappeared from the spot where she once was, reappearing right on top of the doorknob, chest heaving slightly and eyes widened in surprise. She took a moment to collect herself, inhaling deep, calming breaths. She shot a glare at Kieran. "Really? You don't just hold a woman without her permission, you know?" she pouted, locking eyes with Kieran.

After a moment, she favored him with a small, congratulatory smile. "But, you aren't wrong. I am indeed the key to opening the door. Now, the problem is getting me to open the door for you."

Fo floated a bit away from the door, arms crossed and face grinning in challenge. Her wings flipped erratically, as if practically daring Kieran to touch her.

---

@The ghost in black

Aleksandra

Shaking her head, the Ravishing Woman smirked from afar, where Aleksandra couldn't see her. "Credits for tenacity, dear," she whispered, "but the you won't get past this point with strength or tenacity."

As Aleksandra dived straight for the Golden Titan's head, the Silver Titan pulled him out of the way, using the momentum of the swing to drag its fist in a wide arc, heading straight for a falling Alkesandra. It's face was contorted in anger, and its glare had an actual, oppressive aura.

---

@Aisling

Agatha Merriweather Pendragon's Exam

Din had a dry look expression, and yet, a small, amused smirk made its way to his face. Shaking his head, Din walked towards Agatha, his copper joints. The copper man placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't throw around your feelings like that, Pendragon. You may control the weather, but life has its own ways moving. Weather follows a pattern, and only when it's most complete does life spring from it."

---

@MagusDream

Agni

Do you have no choice? echoed the Ancient One's voice, reverberating through the chamber. Is leaving him alone truly difficult? Why do you feel responsible for him?

Cruz snorted. "It sounds ridiculous, but at the same time, so familiar - you've said it to me before, that me and my family are tyrants, lusting for power," Cruz leveled a glare at Agni, hate burning in his eyes. Hate, sadness, and loneliness. Flinging his hands, grids of light lifted up besides him, forming eight pillars that covered the explosions, "you'd rather everyone else around me die out!"

And your arrogance begets you, Agni - this Cruz is real, with his own life, experience and aspirations. Even this one has felt the stirrings of love for that girl Pamela. Accept this fact before you face him! And should you still wish to destroy him despite that, to erase his existence, everything that he was, is and will be, everything that he means to those that love him, then at least then you will be aware of the weight of the life you're taking.

"Hargh!" with a harsh cry, the Life Hackers shot waves of light in a wide arc towards Agni. At the same time, two swords made of rusted bronze floated above him, pointing at him. For some reason, however, Cruz did not seem to be able to notice them.

MAKE YOUR CHOICE AGNI!

The ancient hallway shook and rumbled with the thrumming of its voice.

---

@WittyWolf

Azrael Arcana's Exam

As Azrael devoured the black stone, thick, black veins spread throughout Azrael's body, before disappearing briefly. Silence settled on the field, before a familiar looking creature appeared. The ugly, weathered looking creature stared up at Azrael, its grim features twisted into an almost approving expression. Wordlessly, he tapped the floor with his staff, and the earth coiled around it, forming into a wide door. With an ominous creek, the doors swung open, revealing a dark chasm filled with black fire.

"Here, step forward for the next part of your exam," he said, gesturing inside.

When Royalty Collides ~Closed For Now~

@ayzrules minor correction then! Karma typically displays an outgoing persona, but you are right about his movements being a bit robotic! :D

Mana-Script Academy For The 'Gifted'

Gonna get a post up later today! I was gonna wait for the others who haven't responded to their exams yet, but it's a bit harrowing having to wait xD

When Royalty Collides ~Closed For Now~

@Love Me Dead will that be due to lack of attention, the fact that he doesn't really care or . . . ? xD

When Royalty Collides ~Closed For Now~

EDIT: did not notice the change xD

Anyway, oh man, good luck dealing with Karma Razz :D

When Royalty Collides ~Closed For Now~

@WilsonTurner Thanks mate, I aim to please xD

When Royalty Collides ~Closed For Now~

Delia Verenoblitus & Karma Kennen

Karma woke up at his usual time - namely 4 in the morning. Stretching slowly, he began with his head and worked all the way down to his toes, warming his body up and getting ready for his morning rounds; a few kilometers of jogging, calisthenics, then to the gym where he would remain until breakfast at eight. At the beginning, many staying at the castle questioned his habit, particularly some of the younger nobility that were unused to even the slightest acts of manual labor. They stopped questioning after pictures of him naked began circulating - it was obviously meant to be blackmail material, but a six-foot walking mass of muscle covered in scars was not exactly the kind of thing you would feel comfortable blackmailing, for health reasons.

Well, that was moot point as he wasn't staying in the castle currently. Right now, he and the royal family were staying in the embassy building provided by the Aciras Kingdom, anticipating the day of the Ball - a day, he knew, would eventually involve hundreds of political backdoor dealings, scandals, and general chaos. If it didn't happen immediately, it was bound to happen sometime later.

Putting on a jacket and jogging pants, Karma forwent grooming himself, and exited his room - a moderately sized one directly under Princess Delia's own.

"Speaking of which . . ."

The young man closed his eyes. After a few moments, he nodded his head, and exited his room. Instead of proceeding directly outside, as he usually did, he went upstairs, to the room directly above his. Knocking thrice, he called out, "Oi, princess, aren't you up a bit early?"

Immediately, a voice rebutted: "Much the same could be said for you, can't it, Karma?"

A soft, yet audible voice, with each letter enunciated for maximum clarity; a voice that carried confidence, strength, and the feeling of ingrained superiority, yet benevolent in nature, a voice that commanded respect and exuded authority. A voice that Karma had heard for years, and that had practiced in front of the mirror four countless hours in order to reach this near enchanting manner of speech. The voice of his charge.

"True, Delly, true, but I'm already known to be up this early - you are not."

"Hmph, well, I'm not forbidden a change of pace now, am I Karma?" retorted Delia through closed doors. "In any case, I will be returning to bed soon; I just needed to make sure all the preparations for my arrival at the castle of Aciras was perfect. It's an important occasion after all, and far be it from me to leave preparations solely in the hands of our maids."

Karma rolled his eyes. There it was again, his princess exasperating need to oversee everything for herself. An admirable trait, where it not for the fact that she was an insatiable perfectionist.

"Come on Delia, give it a break; trust in our help a little more, why don't ya? They aren't as good as you are, but they're competent - if they weren't, your momma wouldn'tve hired them in the first place."

When no response came from the other side of the door, Karma sighed. Without waiting for her permission, Karma flung open the double-doors to her room. His brows raised a little in surprise as he caught sight of what was behind them.

"Oh, sorry about that."

His sister was completely undressed, with not a single stitch of clothing on, exposing the voluptuous body underneath. Around her were neatly stacked piles of paper, several expensive looking gowns hanging from a pull-open dresser, and boxes of jewelry arranged on her bed. Delia herself was holding a report on who else was arriving at the Ball, along with information on their respective kingdoms and several key points of interest.

If Delia was embarrassed at being seen naked, she didn't show it. Instead she glared at Karma frostily, before giving a dismissive turn of her head. "As rude as ever Karma. You know, there is a reason we wait for people's permission before entering their rooms," she said, once again turning her attention to the paper she held in her hand, not bothering to put on clothes - the two of them were familiar with how each one's body looked like, after growing up together for most of their lives. Having one in sight of the other was hardly something to be flustered over, which is why Delia was more annoyed with the manner in which Karma entered.

"Well forgive me, princess, but you were rather keen on ignoring me."

"Was that not obvious?"

"Oh wow, your cold shoulder game is on point today."

"Really? Better than last week even?"

"Marginally. By about one to three percent."

The two of them bantered on like this for a period of time, with Delia still rifling through her notes and Karma standing by the door. An easy silence descended upon them as they dried up their well of small-talk topics, and so it remained until Delia folded gathered the papers in her hands and placed it on top of a nearby stack. With a yawn and a stretch, the First Princess stood up and grabbed the closest dress among those hung around her.

Delia flipped it back and forth several times, inspecting it closely, before tossing it on top of her bed. She repeated this process until she stopped at an elegant purple ballgown; it was a purple, shoulder-less, long-sleeved gown, with the area of the waist made to hug her figure, and the simple long skirt covered by several layers of laced silk and designed to emphasize the twirling of the fabric. The elbow length fingerless gloves were rach studded with tiny blue sapphire that formed into a tree. The top was completely covered up her chest, while exposing her back and collarbones, connected to a studded choker.

"Hm, I don't think I've ever seen you choose such an elaborate dress before. You're usually more minimalistic with your choices," pointed out Karma, who raised a brow at her choice of attire.

Delia nodded, acknowledging the truth in his words. "Personally, I believe that clothes that are to heavily decorated take away from the truly attractive thing - the one wearing it, which is why I opt to wear less gaudy clothing usually, but for the ball, it is not me that people will be looking at: It will be our empire. So I will dress as need be to express its greatness."

No mention was given to the one she was betrothed to; Delia would scarcely care for how one man would look at her, when she had a whole audience of others to deal with. If it so happened that he liked what he saw, then all the better - being attractive was a natural advantage in securing dominance, a fact that many were loathe to acknowledge yet unable to deny. It was prevalent even in nature - the strong and attractive animals got the best picks of food, mates and territory. It was much the same even among humans.

"Well spoken as always. Putting it that way, I suppose it makes sense that you insisted I wear the outfit your mother chose for me, even if it is too form-fitting."

"If it wasn't form-fitting, you'd have hidden a weapon on yourself again," said Delia matter-of-factually, "and we really can't have you doing that in the presence of other rulers."

"Heheh, got me there . . ."

---

---

The next day, Delia and Karma were inside a large, sleek black car, and were, much like many others, making their way towards the castle. With Karma at the wheel, they smoothly navigated through the streets, flanked at all sides by similar looking vehicles. In actuality, each of these cars were as durable as a tank, with the glass being certified missile-proof, and each were capable of out-running a twister. These cars were the typical vehicle for the royal family on trips.

Speaking of the royal family . . .

"Are you nervous, Delia?"

A deep, smooth baritone resounded throughout the car. It's owner, a fairly young man with short cropped black hair and an eye-patch stared at Delia with curiosity. This man was Emperor Max 'Magnus' Veren, the ruler of the lands of Verenoblitus. Currently, he was dressed in what looked like the bastard child of a tuxedo and military uniform, clad in purple and black.

Next to him was an even younger looking woman, with blonde hair tied into a single bun, and dressed in an elegant, red ball gown. She was expressionless as always - being a woman who talked only when necessary, her silence was the norm, and when she did speak, it was guaranteed that all would listen. She was Aliena Oblitus-Veren, the one and only Empress.

"Not really," responded Aliena, sounding confident. "It's a big event, but nothing critical has occurred. In fact, I'm rather hopeful about it."

Her mother nodded in acknowledgment of her words - it much like she would have answered.

"That's not what I meant, Delia," said the Emperor, waving a hand, "what I mean is, you are getting married. For people your age, it's normal to be nervous, right?"

Delia froze at the mention of her incoming marriage. An awkward silence blanketed the car, so thick you could cut it open with a spoon, before Delia broke the silence. "It is normal I suppose, but I am not normal. In any case, mother married you when she was only eighteen - not so far off from my age. My feelings on the matter are worth very little on the grand scheme of things. At the very least, you can rest assured that no matter what happens, I will be on the winning side of things."

Emperor and Empress both raised a brow at her words. Quite unsure what to make of them, the Emperor nodded, and leaned back, observing his daughter carefully. He worried about her, he really did, but he was bad at being a father - in the first place, he had never imagined becoming one. His marriage to Aliena was for political reasons, in essence, and having her conceive Delia was also so he could have a successor. That he had well and truly grown to love her to the extent he now did was surprising, even to himself.

Soon enough, they stopped in front of a grand looking castle, their destination: the main castle of Aciras. It appeared that they were the last to arrive, although they were not yet late. Well, as the saying goes . . .

Delia observed the girl who went to greet them: Lillith Hathor, the crown princess of Aciras. From her reports, a rather headstrong and reckless girl. She wondered who the Royal Family of Aciras had engaged her to.

Walking alongside her fellow royals, Delia silently observed each of them, comparing their in-person appearance to the ones in her notes, watching for any inconsistencies in the way they were reported to have acted. Even the slightest deviance from what she knew about them could change the way she needed to act; it was critical that she made as good a first impression as possible. She looked up, and unsurprisingly, her mother was doing the same - though it was extremely subtle, so subtle that even though Delia knew she was doing it, she was still doubting herself.

Once everyone was seated, the King of Aciras gave a rather mandatory - and, in Karma's opinion, bland - opening speech, welcoming all those present in the hall.

When Royalty Collides ~Closed For Now~

Delia Oblitus-Veren of the Verenonblith Empire

_{"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery.}

Delia Anne Oblitus-Veren

Nickname: Delly / Dela / Prissy

Birth date and age: December 22 (16)

Sexuality: Undecided

In Depth Appearance:

Delia is a soft-looking, yet sturdy girl. Despite her delicate face, she has a well built body, suited for athletics - her inability to ignore self-perceived flaws prompted her to monitor her fitness. That asides, Delia's body is - in the words of her nursemaid - near perfect; No blemishes, silky hair, well manicured nails, pink glossy lips, and creamy smooth skin. Again, everything is connected to her perfectionist ideals, which extend as much to her appearance as it does with her. Her expression is generally even, never quite showing extreme emotions. She stands at a middling height of 5'6" (167 cm) with good proportions and long legs. In terms of attire, Delia heavily favors dresses, usually with long sleeves and skirts of modest design, but expensive material. She rarely wears jewelry, though on her right middle finger is a golden ring studded with cornflower blue sapphires with the family crest emblazoned prominently at its center.

Personality:

• Perfectionist • Insecure • Indecisive •

A major part of Delia's personality is her drive towards 'perfection' - it is not enough for her to simply be 'the best' she mus be 'flawless'; all of her actions are geared towards this one single ideology. She pursues above and beyond excellence, to the point where it is dangerous for her in every way possible. Almost all the time, Delia is physically and mentally strained from overworking. Whether or not she enjoys what she is doing is of little consequence - if it's an endeavor she has decided on, then as with everything, it must be 'perfect'. At her core, however, is someone who was born unable to handle the pressure she puts on herself - indeed, there are very few who can - and she has become insecure, who tightly holds on to the goal she has put in her head to surpass her parents as a way to give her direction. Outwardly, she remains calm and detached, but inwardly, she is always thinking about her next step; about what consequence her actions could have; and whether or not what she is doing is worth it.

As royalty, Delia firmly believes that she is greater than her subjects - it's not something she is arrogant about; simply something she takes for a fact. Following that fact, she also believes that it is the duty of the powerful and gifted to give the weak guidance and protection. Failure to do so is a great sin in her eyes, and those that cannot should not even bother calling themselves strong, much less royalty - the pinnacle of power. She has no illusions of being a regular person, and as such, does not act like it. She has trained herself to be near perfect in everything a royal must be good in - from ethics, to politics, to warfare and even public appearances - but most of this training has been theoretical only. She has yet to have any experience leading a battle, and most of the political schemes she had managed where picked out for her by her mother. All of this because she believes it to be her duty.

Likes:

• Difficult puzzles ('puzzle' being subjective)
• Books
• Most kinds of arts (preforming, visual, etc.)
• Cooking
• Furry animals
• Insects (Especially Spiders, Cockroaches, and Scorpions)

Dislikes:

• Laziness (in her opinion, anyway)
• Inefficiency
• Vegetables
• Sharing her self-cooked food
• Mosquitoes
• Mess and littering

Fears:

• Failure
• Being alone
• Being forgotten
• Becoming useless

Biography:

From a small village in the duchy of Granse, of the former Oblithus Kingdom, came a young man known as Max Veren, later known known as Emperor Magnus Veren of the Verenoblitus Empire. The empire was birthed after a sudden and bloody war that lasted for six years - six years of interregnum, with no government nor king, with each land managing themselves with varying degrees of success; in that time, a young Emperor Magnus led the armies loyal to the previous monarchy, and had conquered the surrounding one hundred and thirteen duchies. During that time, the royal bloodline of Oblithus had died out, leaving a power vacuum that Magnus easily filled, given the amount of authority he had held during the interregnum. In honor of his sworn brother, Magnus christened his new empire "Verenoblitus" an amalgamation of their two family names and what they represented. Since then, he has been aggressively expanding his territory and influence, using a combination of clever politicking, and overwhelming military strength.

The royal family of Oblithus, once the sovereign rulers of the Oblithus Kingdom, had been exiled in their own land, forced into hiding. Their fall from grace was due to several factors: poor aptitude for the cutthroat world of political scheming, lazy and opulent successors, increasing dissatisfaction from the working class, and decreasing loyalty from powerful nobility, etc. In came to the point that more than half of their retainers, nobles and military nobles alike, had taken away their territory, claiming it for themselves, and fraying the land into a hundred pieces. One particularly spiteful noble stormed the royal palace, and he and his personal army murdered as much of the royal family as he could. Only three remained: Lady Amelia, aunt of the King; Karma Oblithus, First Prince and would-be heir to the throne, and Aliena Oblithus, First Princess and sister to Karma. Despite their exile, the three of them worked towards their dream of reviving the kingdom of Oblitus. In that time, Karma had made a friend, the son of a village hunter named Max Veren - someone who would soon become his sworn brother, general of his forces, and eventually, the Emperor of Veren. With Karma marshaling people to his cause, and his aunt and sister working behind the scenes on political intrigue, Karma's forces grew rapidly. When he and Max had turned sixteen, they began their march towards retaking his kingdom - starting with a swift and decisive recapture of the old capital, sparking a six year war. Unfortunately, Karma did not live to see his kingdom restored; in the final stretches of the war, Karma died with a bullet to the heart and three more to his stomach. Still, the kingdom was united, but now the only one who could take the throne was Aliena - who throughout the war played the part of a docile and delicate maiden.

Aliena was intelligent, cunning, and conniving, but even she herself admits that she has no talent for the throne - she is not someone who stands in the spotlight - she is someone who works in the dark, who flourishes in the power of anonymity; she cannot inspire people to move, or inflame the hearts of her subjects towards a single goal. She would have made a terrible Queen, had she been instated on the throne, but she was not. In a move that divides the empire today, she married Max, now known as Magnus for his accomplishments in the war, and proclaimed him King, and the Kingdom as Veren's. Magnus, for his part, christened the new Kingdom as 'Verenoblitus' - in honor of his sworn brother. With his rule legitimized by marrying the queen, Magnus proceeded to strengthen and expand his territory, giving rise to his empire. He handled all aspects of war, while Aliena played the part of his wife - seemingly useful only for her body and her bloodline; however, in the confines of the royal court, it was she who schemed and managed logistics, stealthily and subtly expanding their influence before they even invaded, using a combination of intelligence networks and spy rings to sabotage opposition

Theirs was a marriage born not out of love for each other, but out of love for their beloved brother. They had sworn to restore the kingdom to greatness, and if they had to be wed to do so, then so be it, for though the name has changed and its territory so much vaster than previously thought possible, the Kingdom and Empire belong to Karma, even in death.

The two of them, Emperor Magnus and Empress Aliena, it is no exaggeration to say that the two of them hold a reputation akin to legends. Their accomplishments are still fresh in the minds of their subjects, and have only grown still. They have created an empire so vast and powerful that its very mention divides nations: some denounce it as a warmongering nation, bent on world domination, while others respect the power it has carved out for itself. It was under this shadow that Delia was born.

First princess and first child, she grew up hearing about the accomplishments of her sires, and the wonder of the people around her, expecting her to be as great as they. Delia enthusiastically responded to the challenge; she grew up as a perfectionist, and in everything that she did - whether it be in studies, athletics, arts and even grooming - she until she achieved perfection. She grew, eager to match her parents accomplishments, and dreading the possibility that she should fail. In her mind, she held herself as above others, and as such, it was her duty to use her station to rule wisely but uncontested.

Still, no one can seek perfection without straining oneself to far, and eventually, Delia began showing signs of cracks in her person. She would get irritated easily, her attitude growing increasingly frustrated and aggressive. The Empress was the first to notice this, and swiftly took action. Alongside the child of their Commander-in-Chief, she was sent on a 'vacation' to a foreign, allied land, to hopefully relax and forget about her responsibilities . . .

At the core of all this, however, is a question she often asks herself alone in the dark:

What is she supposed to be doing?

---

Karma Kennen of Verenoblitus

_{"Indifference to me, is the epitome of all evil." ― Elie Wiesel}

Karma Maximus Kennen

Nickname: Savant / Faker / Loser / Dumbass / Asshole & and other insults courtesy of Delia

Birth date and age: October 31 (19)

Sexuality: Asexual

In Depth Appearance:

Karma is slightly taller than average, standing at 6'2", with a body built for fighting. His dark brown hair is short cropped and practical. His body is littered with scars and burns, proof of his lifestyle. His nose is slightly crooked - as if it had been broken and then re-set into its place. He has a permanent smile on his face that rarely seems to go away - though that's helped by the scar on his lip that tilts it slightly upwards. His attire consists of jackets and long-sleeved clothes, most likely raglan-sleeves. He rarely wears anything that shows too much skin, to hide his scars.

Personality:

• Apathetic • Easygoing • Meticulous • Paranoid •

Karma at first, seems like an easy going person, that likes to have fun, relax, and is a bit of dunce - and he is - but that is only because he chooses to be. He becomes an easy going, fun-loving person, because he like being like that, not because he is. Karma, ultimately, cares little for social norms and values, only abiding by them to make his mother and Delia's lives easier. He has no conscience, nor can he feel guilt; if the situation so requires it, he can compartmentalize like a machine: There is only him and his objective, and anything in between is either an obstacle to or a means to achieve it. He understands why people feel emotion, but cares little for the action itself. That aside, he is also a meticulous planner, always looking for possible outcomes, or sometimes even impossible outcomes, with a healthy dose of paranoia to keep him aware of his surroundings at all times. For Karma, fulfilling his objective is the key, and afterwards, everything else is for his enjoyment.

Likes:

• Delia
• Games & video games
• Mind games
• Psychoanalysis
• Sleeping
• Eating

Dislikes:

• Delia
• Being forced to work
• Lectures
• People getting emotional in front of him
• Being stared at

Fears:

• Delia becoming like himself
• Forming relationships
• Peace

Biography:

Before the end of the war that gave birth to the Verenoblitus Empire, Max 'Magnus' Veren was the Loyalists premier general, and often seen leading the Loyalists most successful victories - of these victories, a handful of them were bloody, violent, and ended horrifically for the opposing side; roads were strewn with the body parts of enemy forces unfortunate enough to be caught by mortar shells, still living soldiers drawn up and hung by their genitals, and a myriad of other atrocities. Such tactics struck enemy moral low, and often times opposing garrisons would simply surrender out of fear, not even bothering to put up a resistance.

These tactics earned the ire of many nations - and even some of Verenoblitus's own subjects - who denounced Magnus as a human right violator. The Emperor has since taken all complaints with silence, seemingly not concerned with the reaction these strategies had garnered.

But there is a reason he does not speak. He cannot defend these actions because he knows that they are not something to be defended - but at the same time, he cannot reveal that he was not the one behind them.

Thirn Gabriel Kennen, at the before the war, was the daughter of a farmer and serf. Life was never easy for them - her story was one of hundreds. After the Oblithus Kingdom was broken into a hundreds of pieces, several nobles - particularly the previous retainers of the Royal Family of Oblithus - began autonomously managing their own piece of land. Some, after realizing that no centralized government existed, realized that now no one could hold them accountable to their actions but themselves. In typical human character, many of the dukes abused their new found freedom.

Taxes increased drastically, tribute from peasants became increasingly regular - and expensive - and the rights of serfs were disappearing rapidly, becoming slavery in all but name. Thirn was one of the unluckiest ones - she had the curse of being born beautiful. At a time where sodomy and rampant abuse of power were prominent, those that were born attractive, found themselves doing exactly that - attracting; more often than not, they attracted the wrong attention. In the particular duchy where Thirn lived, the warlord in charge had an insatiable sexual appetite - age and gender meant nothing to him, his only desire being that he be serviced by the beautiful and attractive. Thirn caught his eye as she was at the market one day, and it wasn't long before he found out who she was and demanded she be sent to his manor. Despite his promises of wealth and comfort, Thirn new what awaited her - the life of a toy, who would be played with until her owner grew bored and tossed her into the streets, most likely pregnant and scarred. Thirn decided that she might as well take that step first. The day she was to be hauled off to the manor, she poured hot cooking oil on herself. Injured and scarred, her lord no longer wanted her, and she was free - or so she thought. The duke did not take rejection - or any rejection at all, for that matter - in that manner kindly, and punished her. She was imprisoned, her family hanged, and the rest . . . is better left unsaid.

It was under these circumstances that the Loyalists under Max's command found her after successfully conquering the territory of the duke. Brimming with a fierce determination, she quickly joined their ranks - and quickly, proved her worth. In combat she was a vicious, remorseless, and savage killer. Anything that could be used to kill was used - anything that could be done to kill more was used more often. Oftentimes, Thirn even injured her own comrades. Her blood thirst escalated to the point where Karma Oblitus considered pulling her away from active duty, only to be halted by Max. Max saw something inside her, something he feared and admired, something he could use.

He promoted her to his lieutenant, and just as she was in combat, so she was outside of it. It was Thirn who came up with the most brutal of Loyalist victories, and it was Thirn that led them. Despite her mental state, however, she found herself admiring Max - admiring, and grateful for. The two eventually became bosom friends, war comrades who understood each other, even if their mentalities were far apart. Friends who had gone through life and death together, equal times brushing it, and dispensing it.

It was from the companionship of these two that Karma Kennen was born - so named after Max's sworn brother. He was conceived before his father was proclaimed emperor. Usually, this would be a problem - it would create problems with who would inherit the throne later on - but, not in Karma's case. Thirn, even before his conception, had vowed to assist Max in all his endeavors, all the way to the grave - whichever of them went first. That she had his child changed nothing, he was simply an extension of that vow; a blessing to help her fulfill it. Since he could talk, Thirn had been training him, preparing him for the day where he could serve Max to the utmost of his ability. He trained and studied war, learned to read people, and manipulate them at will, and at young age, participated in skirmishes - illegally, of course, but no one would question Thirn, now commander-in-chief in Max's place. He never spent much time around other kids his age, and the most human interaction he's had were with battle-hardened officers under his mothers command.

When the time came to present him in service to the Emperor, most of the royal court knew of his bloodline. Reactions were strong of course, with most of them being outrage and an immediate call for Karma's exile, but all those cries went silent as both Emperor and Empress welcomed him into the court with no reservations - for what reason, one can only guess at. Karma, fully expecting to be put immediately to work in heavy combat areas was surprised by the first mission given to him by the Emperor:

"You see, my daughter is two years younger than you. Most people are too nervous to talk to her, let alone play with her, and those that can are usually too busy. I thought that someone like you might be able to keep her company," said the Emperor, in his deep, compelling baritone.

His first job was to babysit.

After all those years of training, suffering, and being bathed in blood, he was now a babysitter. Karma wanted to lash out at the Emperor, and he certainly would have, until he saw exactly what he was babysitting.

Perfection. Perfection and innocence, rolled up into a tiny and adorable face that was staring up at him curiously. The moment Karma saw her, every instinct in his body screamed at him that she was someone that had to be protected. She was innocent to the world, and more than that, she was a target. Someone like her, who had no idea about the lengths human depravity could go to, was the best kind of target - for kidnapping, for death, for being broken - and this made Karma realize something . . .

Babysitting Delia was probably going to be a lifelong job, and undoubtedly, the most difficult one of all.