Grief. It would be obvious that Syrus had in fact heard of the beings from shadow. Memories of Alistair would pass before the king's, and subsequently, the queen's eyes. First of him growing up, joining the military, fighting, being knighted and joining the Metsuke, more fierce battling, darkness. And then, the haunting visage of Talis Rai in the last war. Alistair, head of the Metsuke, had become a creature of shadow himself, although separate from what the man spoke of, Syrus was familiar with the many incarnations of darkness. " Yes, I know the many forms of those beings, in our language, they are the Sleiden. 'Watchers.' A close ally, and personal friend of mine succumbed to that shadow, and walks as a creature himself, as well as a man I slew. "


He referred to an arena fight he'd had with an enigmatic youth who refused medical treatment in shame, after defeat. Of course, the Deep Magic prevents death in official challenges. However, by leaving without accepting medical intervention, he was doomed to die, alone, in the Darkwood. Although suffering from slight depression at the resurfacing of Alistair's memories, Syrus' face returned to normal, and his gaze to Tabris. " So...what exactly is it that the creatures have to do with your visit here, today? "

((This thread is continued from [here].))

Sleiden, hmm?

Do you suppose they're a variation?

Or a different name. This is quite the backwards place.

Quite.

Nonetheless, it is something we should discuss with Brenden later.

For a moment after the King spoke, Tabris was silent--not directly answering him just yet, and seemingly to blank out as he stared ahead. It was as if all traces of life disappeared from him for that moment, until he finally blinked. Only then did his attention return.

"Defense," Tabris replied simply.

The boy straightened up. His hand slid into his pocket, and he stood with his back straight, even arched back by a tiny fraction. Getting to the point was imperative. There were so many other countries in the world that had gone unvisited; dallying in one country for too long could inhibit his opportunities. And by his opportunities, this meant the best for the national leaders with whom he could visit. Once Tabris provided the king with an important topic to consider, all physical formalities were seemingly disregarded by the content young albino.

"I have traveled around the world, along with others, to provide as many surviving countries with a form of defense against those dark creatures," Tabris spoke freely at this point, seemingly unabated by the manners that one should have presented before a king. Now, he seemed more casual than he ever had. "Many of those countries encountered millions within just hours. It will take much more than raw man power to face those odds, no?"

The eyes of the soon to be queen were watching the lad closely, and she listened to his words as he spoke of the shadow creatures with Syrus. Hand settled over the hand of Syrus that was closet to her when she felt his sorrow, and she would squeeze it lightly. Amethyst shifted her look back to the lad after watching Syrus's face though she knew his thoughts at the moment before they returned to the present, and she frowned lightly knowing the stress he was feeling inside right now. She could even sense a need of urgency in the room from their guest, and at the moment it was very strong curiousity to pry into this man's mind to see what he was hiding or holding back.

" I sense there is a need to be quick about the business we need to speak on. please come right to the point of your visit sir." her voice musical as ever, and very calming to the souls whom heard her speak. Amethyst wouldn't remove her hand from Syrus's enless he made a motion for her to do so even though she to wasn't to thrilled about this news. For war or even possible war ment it would take her family from her once more and very shortly after their return, but the kingdom had to come first for the sake of their people.

A thought occurs, Amethyst. Does he assume we are but bipedal brutes, swinging clubs? I wonder if this man researched the abilities of Algerothorians before coming with his proposal...

Syrus nodded at Tabris, though he was slightly offended at his offer now. " We have fended off hundreds of different invading species, and this enemy seems to be most susceptible to the very element that we were blessed with by the gods. " With his right hand clutched tight by Amethyst, he raised his left, and it was engulfed in flame. Steadily burning, he rapidly heated his hand, creating a white ball of heat which caused the temperature in the entire room to elevate, as long as creating an intensely bright light. Light seemed to be especially effective against the beings of shadow, both the beings Tabris spoke of now, and the others, including the Sleiden. Syrus remembered back to his experience with a particularly unusual mimic-type shadeling in his travels. What Talis had become were Gartels, in the Language of the PHoenix, Syrus' own. He had been told there was another type, not seen in Algeroth so far, but never had the time to investigate.

" If what you say is true about their numbers, surely they all came at once. There couldn't possibly be any more than have already attacked. Would we not have seen them? "

"Aha . . ."

Impressive, but . . .

"Forgive me, Your Highness, but I fear that it is necessary to point out a folly," Tabris bowed his head just a bit, again showing respect, but just because it was necessary to help the situation. If he didn't, there was a risk of the king growing angry with him for the correction. If that were to happen, there would never be a deal between them--and such would not benefit either of them.

. . . ineffective?

Perhaps.

We've no time to test the theory, sadly.

Tabris straightened up before continuing on with what he intended to say: "A recent study in Greoul brought forth a contradictory discovery. Somehow, a group of men managed to capture a small group of shades, and ran tests on them. Shades are not weak to the light, nor are they afraid of it. In truth, shades hate the light."

Algeroth had not seen many shades--Sleiden, perhaps, but the creatures that Tabris spoke of were different. There had only been one recorded instance where the strange living shadows stood on Algeroth's territory, and that was amidst the Covenant and Darkonin war with Algeroth many months ago. Even then, they were just considered a myth at best.

The boy followed up with the statement: "There is a reason why those who hold torches are the first to go."

Syrus, please don't show off, and don't push away any possible new technolody or knowledge we could learn. Outsiders need to be delt with carefully for they don't know about us that is true.

Amethyst spoke softly in his mind through her own even as her left hand reached over to close around his as she feels the burning of the flame for a moment before she accepts it into her system. Eyes flash silver for a moment then settle once the flame is locked between their hands, and she looks up to meet Syrus's eyes. She speaks softly to the stranger once more," Please tell us what you offer, and what you know." she said in a soft tone, and smiles softly at her love trying to keep him calm through this all.

She reached into his mind with her voice as she would chant the melody that he knew so well from their days in the Inn, and it always seemed to bring his soul peace. Hands continued to hold his for the time till she felt he had relaxed then she would relise the left one from her hand, but the right one she would hold to help him through this meeting. Amethyst knew that he can sometimes easily loss patience, and not listen to what is being offered till the people have gone.

Not to worry. We mustn't appear weak, though. I once welcomed a man into our city, in an attempt to hear his alignment against a common foe, and he turned on us. Tabris needs to know that I am not afraid to defend our way of life. Against unknown forces, or he, himself. Should it come to that.

" Perhaps you are right, but then again, should we hold a torch in one hand and a sword in the other, I believe we would stand a chance. I grieve for those fallen against the creatures, and yet, I simply do not see how any force could defeat us. It has never happened thus far, against vast and merciless enemy forces. Before we go into how it is you think we should defeat them...tell me; what is it that has changed about these creatures? "

Syrus' eyes glowed as he gave Tabris an intense stare. He was not susceptible to intimidation, it seemed, and this allowed him Syrus' respect. The pyrokinetic monarch clenched his left fist, extinguishing the white-hot flame there, and spoke with cold diction. " Call me Syrus, if you will. "

How they have changed?

He may be mistaking them with something else.

"Syrus, then," Tabris nodded his head respectfully.

Perhaps we should just go with it?

There is truly no better option.

And so, Tabris began his explanation, "Shades are very unique creatures. They're monstrous, really--truly instinctful beings, but there are a few here and there that are conscious and thinking. From what has been observed, these creatures are not so much weak to light as they are disdainful of it. It is as if snuffing out traces of light takes priority over feeding. Shades are born from a lack of light, and in most documented cases, are born from a human being's own person shadow."

As he spoke, Tabris paced back and forth a bit. It was an unconscious habit, but despite that, he didn't talk with his hands--and remained in a constant state of contentment. What he was describing was morbid; it wasn't outright stated, but creatures such as that would not make a distinction between the weak and the strong. All living being could succumb to them as prey--and yet, Tabris just seemed so joyful when he talked about it. That wasn't too different from his normal attitude, but it still seemed to make the subject matter twice as morbid.

"They come in all shapes and sizes--truly, no shade is ever the same. But they do not come by the dozen, or by the hundred. When a localized community of shades seek food simultaneously, they hunt in packs--each and every one of them. Artegran, New Xexoria, before it succumbed to the shadows, experienced almost a dozen hours of continuous spawning. The shades constantly crawled out of the shadows by the hundreds and the thousands, possibly even hundreds of thousands and fed viciously. Those who survived did not stay long enough to witness the end. Their sums are insurmountable--perhaps even unlimited. But by sunrise, they are gone."

Don't remind me of that day. I know what happened, and it still tears me apart inside when I think about it. Because of that war I lost you and the twins for many months, and even felt a loss of connection with you guys. Part of me thought you dead, and yet another part fought in the belief you was alive.

She squeezed Syrus's hand while listening to Tabris speak, and her mind stayed locked with Syrus's as their way of speaking without others invading what could be passing between them. Amethyst frowned as he went on to explain about the shades, and what happened in other countries. Eyes left the lad to look out the window that was near the thrones acrossed the room, and watched the activity of the people, and frowned more with worry for the people settling on her soul, and even for her own family. If war came here again would they survive, and would they still be together or could she loss her family again.

It was many disturbing thoughts that she wished to not bare especially now that they had just begun to plan their wedding, and a time of celebrating for the people to bring some joy back into their world. Yet is it possible that their lives would become disturbed again, and all that they had rebuilt brought to ruins. Amethyst didn't know what to think of this news, or the possiblities that it would begin to their world.

Without any sort of noise or light, a small boy would appear at the foot of Syrus' throne. He sat sprawled out across the raised part of floor that both thrones sat on. It was less like he teleported himself into the room, and more as though he'd been there the entire time, and had respectfully declined allowing himself to be seen. Dyami, son of the Phoenix gods. While Syrus was often seen, in Algeroth to be a representative of mortals to the gods, Dyami was seen as a messenger of the gods that ruled over Algeroth. He was born of Qadasha and Naos, and while he was somewhat good-aligned in matters concerning Syrus, or rather, on his side, he was not deaf to the dark side of the divine. While it was unclear exactly what had drawn him to this meeting, he had been spending a good amount of time around the castle lately, and it was not rare to seem him make an appearance occasionally.

Syrus welcomed him telepathically, his eyes never leaving Tabris. " So what is their weakness? What is it they fear? Or, do you have some other proposal in mind for dealing with them? " For some reason, Syrus was generally willing to except any ideas this man had, though he could not explain why. Considering Dyami seldom revealed himself to those not born in Algeroth, or among the divine, it reinforced Syrus' interest with the albino.

Whether or not Tabris was aware of the child or not was unclear. Following the boy's appearance, Tabris wound up watching him for a moment with a look of surprise--but since Tabris could only experience pleasant emotions, the surprise was subdued and almost seemed to be inappropriately content. The surprise could have either been described as either fake or masochistic, whereas the former was more likely, while the latter would have suggested quite a bit about the youth's character. If any sort of surprise was a good one . . .

Once the king began to speak again, Tabris had wholly disregarded the boy--much like he had done to Amethyst whenever he was paying attention to Syrus. After all, the two most important members of this meeting were Tabris and Syrus. They were the ones making the decisions.

"Shades are like small animals, even if their size can become great," Tabris held up one finger and shut his eyes as he spoke, "They fear anything and everything. While maintaining the instinct to feed, they hate what they fear, and therefore the association between what they fear and what they first destroy. They are not weak to flame, for example, but are intimidated by it. Hordes of shades will topple any individual who openly possesses a flame. It is not what they fear that you seek, but their weakness. And I am simply that."

"As are my brethren," Tabris began to pace from left to right, "If shades could be described of creatures of the dark, then that would make us the creatures of the light. Human ideologies, human wants, human desires--we have no need of those. Payment is not required. We simply do not wish to see this world come to an end. All we would ask of you is lodging."

Of course, this was likely to prompt Syrus (and/or Amethyst) to ask for an explanation or demonstration of some sort. Fortunately, Tabris had come prepared for such--but it would require the direct request from the king and/or future queen of Algeroth.

The lad didn't realize one thing about the bind between Syrus and herself, and one of those is that they never made a decision without the others approval. Amethyst's eyes left Tabris for a moment to look at Dyami, who now sat before the thrones listening to what was being said. She frowned still not pleased with this boy of the gods sometimes for you never know when he brought good or bad messages. Shifting her vision away from him to the one speaking once more does she listen to his words, and searches his eyes when he is looking at Syrus for signs if he spoke the truth or lies.

" If this is so sir then why not show us what you mean by you ,and your brethen are the only ones that can stop this shades." her voice musical as always. Amethyst turned her eyes towards Syrus to see if he approved of what she had just requested, and her hand would squeeze his lightly before looking back to their guest. She didn't feel assured herself of trusting this man even with Dyami here for there was to many times in her life lately that it seemed the gods worked against them, and she wouldn't trust easily again.

Syrus agreed telepathically, but before he could speak his mind, Dyami acted uncharacteristically by interrupting him. He would speak aloud for the first time since his arrival toward the beginning of the conference, and did so by exhibiting another trait that was rarely seen in him, anger. The boy stood, and hovered toward and above Tabris, tiny Phoenix' wings fluttering behind him, though magic was the source of his power. " Are you suggesting you are somehow imbued with more light than a descendant of the Sages of Fire and Light, his holy army, and the favor he and Amethyst hold with at least three gods of light, including myself? I would very much like to know exactly who and what you are, at this point...and yes. Reveal to me your power. "

Syrus gave a wide-eyed stare at the hovering Dyami, who seemed ready to ignite in flame at any moment, angry and glowing with an abnormal and divine aura. He had revealed his own divine nature, another rare event, as such was a closely guarded secret. While he was somewhat offended at the stranger ignoring his own well-known link to the light of the holy, and even divine, it was not an impossibility that Tabris knew almost nothing about him, so he had ignored it, until Dyami's outburst. And yet, he would not argue with the godly messenger and he showed his own interest in the answers to the several questions just now posed to the strange albino. " I would like to know these things as well, and since it was pointed out that while these creatures are not especially weak to my power, it was not exactly said that they were immune. And so, I would ask you this: If I were to go with you to fight these things, and disallow my people from using their fire, could we draw them to us, so as to keep the innocent out of harm's way? "

"Aha . . ." Tabris trailed off, but despite having every reason to frown at this outburst or be surprised by the heavenly figure above him, Tabris smiled.

He could only smile.

Lay it on him.

"Contrary to popular belief, the shade phenomenon did not start twenty years ago. I believe you are well aware of what happened then--when the darkness latched onto the shadow of an emotionally scarred woman and manifested according to her fears, and proceeded to spawn en masse to nearly decimate a fourth of the City of Sin. That was the first known incident in which the shades had incited destruction."

Tabris began to pace a bit. The information he had just provided was historical, this much was true; a being such as Dyami would have heard about it. The notion that the shades spawned from an unfortunate woman who just happened to touch the wrong shadow and bring life to a swell of darkness that had been waiting for some insurmountable time . . . that information was new.

"God created man so that man would return the favor." And the way Tabris said it, it sounded as if he were quoting something--perhaps something he had read before. "Disbelieve it if you like, but it is said that the existence of shades are proof of the collective god phenomenon--the creation of a fictional god solely by the wills of collective minds. Assuming this is correct, shades have existed long before you--" Tabris motioned towards Dyami, "--and those that you serve. We have always feared the unknown; even those we declare as "gods" have. Shades are the unknown."

And to combat their fear of the unknown, they turn to the unknown.

"And we are the antithesis of that dark existence, the light to which all beings look to quell their fears," Tabris announced, shutting his eyes and smiling widely, "Be all this accurate, our existence may well have predated the birth of Death himself."

Displaying his "power" could wait for a moment. As could tactics. For now, it was best that they understand some deep seeded facts about shades--to which, they could draw their own conclusions about the "counter-existences" that Tabris mentioned himself being a part of.

Amethyst moved from her sit with the least bit of sound that sometimes many came to believe she wasn't mortal herself, and a hand reached out to touch Dyami now." Calm down lad, and come sit beside me. Let us listen to our guest before we allow anger to rule us." her voice would echo the room yet in Dyami's mind it would be the gentle music of Qadasha's voice to bring him a sense of peace. She would let her hand drop to her side, and wait she would there beside the divine lad for him to come join her. Eyes shifted to Syrus when she would meet his glance if he should look her way, and a smile would touch her face as he knew her well enough to know she was trying to calm the tension in the room.

She looks at one of the servants acrossed the room next when she waved them over to them," Bring Tabris here a chair, and also another for Dyami so they might be more comfortable while this meeting lasts." Amethyst would again turn to look up at Dyami waiting for him to comply with her wishes, and hoped he would do so. For now he was like a son to Syrus and her since they found his egg many months ago in the gardens of the castle, and still today even though they know who and what he is he was a part of the family.