March of the Volunteers

[Kirin]

The Michiba were known for making the fastest ships anywhere. They weren't made for exploration, all except for a trio of larger ships. The Yamata Shiro made it to Xexoria and as her crew descended from the ship, a smallish looking figure appeared from below the deck. She finally set foot on the island. She held no expression other than a small sense of awe that caused her lips to form an O.

Wearing the clothing of a man and the armor to match, Chizuru walked around slowly. She wanted to see this island first hand. She motioned to the two men behind her. "Go get the chest." The men bowed and ran back towards the ship. Chizuru was young and she had the appearance of an almost ruthless warrior.

With abilities from both her uncle and her father, she seemed to be a prime candidate for that empty seat for the Heiress of the Empire of the Twin Countries. But that would be decided in a few weeks. At fifteen, she already had the confidence of the most hardened warrior. The two men returned with a chest. Chizuru opened the chest and examined its contents to make sure that none were damaged.

She removed a scroll, a map of the world, and tucked it within her armor. The other items, various crystals and a finely crafted dagger, would be left alone. Chizuru nodded. "Put the chest back." The men again did not hesitate and Chizuru had the chance to explore the island further..after she removed her helmet. That thing was like an oven.

[Soren]

The bulky shape of the ship had caught him off guard. When the ship breached their shores, he wondered if he shouldn’t alert his mother. He had been stationed to watch for the wary intruders, or passerby’s caught unawares, but he had never expected this. With the sunlight gleaming against his tired body, Soren carefully made his trek toward the newcomers. He was careful to stay out of their sight, staying hidden amongst the day’s shadows. From his viewpoint, it looked like an expedition party, not someone out for war. That was good news, but he couldn’t have them exploring their lands.

He wondered who lead the party and if he should confront them now- with the sight of all of the armor and men, he decided against the latter. He would wait for an opportune moment, before jeopardizing their safety. One of the men stepped out from the rest. It wasn’t until this person removed their helmet, that he realized it was a woman. He scoffed at the idea, but quickly reminded himself, that their past leaders had been women. She was lean, fit and had the body of a definite fighter, not an explorer. He continued to watch their curious movements, wondering how far they intended to go into their lands. If they stayed on this path, they would come across his father’s Sanctuary- that would be a dream for any expedition to find.

[Kirin]

She walked with a party of about four others with her. Three guards and a scribe. Chizuru began to describe her surroundings to the scribe in her own native language and the scribe wrote what she said as quickly as he could. Every now and then, as they walked further down the path, she paused and turned to the young scribe to ask him what she had just said to him.

"Tenzo, please read what I just told you." Chizuru's group slowed down their pace to listen to what Tenzo had to say.

Tenzo's small hands held open the scroll as he began to read. His handwriting was sloppy, as he had to walk and write which was a chore for him.

"We arrived on this island that seemed to be rather isolated from the rest of the lands. Then again, our family has been exploring foreign landscapes for years. It is amazing how uncivilized this land is, as we have yet to find some sort of sign of civilization. I wonder what the people of this island are like. There are great trees, trees that grow in our Home and some that do not. I am taking leaves back home for Uncle Shigeo to study." Tenzo paused.

Chizuru was impressed but only mildly so.

"I suspect that the inhabitants, wherever they are, will only speak the common language that seems to run rampant amongst the Barbarian Territories. Good thing my father has taught me everything that he knows of this strange and awkward language. Some of these words are hard for my tongue to grasp. Such useless syllables and characters." Tenzo glanced at Chizuru. "That is all that you have dictated, Lady Chizuru."

To the unseen eyes of Soren, Chizuru and Tenzo would be chattering back and forth in a strange foreign tongue, without a word being understood, lest they knew the language of the Twin Countries.

[Jen]

Sebilla muttered to herself as she searched high and low for her young brother. The brat was only two weeks old and already he was about her age. He was a quick learner and fast to try his sister's patience. Sebilla cast a glance over her shoulder at the Temple where her mother was becoming stronger, working with the magic of her race rather than against it. It must be hard for her mother to work with the power of her father -- having suffered so much from his hand.

"Soren! Where have you gone to?" Sebilla snatched at her skirts as she followed the path down to the beach. This boy should not be so active without knowing the world well enough. There were dangers, after all. It was just as she was coming to the beach that she saw the ship and stopped. Soren was a good fifty paces away and watching, curiously, the people moving around.

"Soren! Get back here, now!" She spoke barely above a whisper, and her dress was green and beige, all the better to blend in with trees and sand. There was no telling what these people were here for. "Mother will not be pleased if you do not get yourself back to the temple this instant. She is still very tired, you know that." Soren's birth had taken a lot out of their mother, and the least the boy could do would be to honor her by telling her of their visitors.

[Soren]

Soren heard the shrill cries of his sister, not far behind him. He kept himself hidden against what shade their forest provided. When she came within a few feet of him, he quickly grabbed her from behind. Cupping her mouth, he realized that she may have already jeopardized their position. He whispered in her ear harshly, knowing that their time had just been compromised. With the way the wind carried to the ship, he was sure that the strange woman and her men had heard her.

“…Idiot! Do you want to get yourself killed? Don’t you see the goddamned ship?!” He released his grip on her, allowing her to take in the situation. If their leader was a woman, maybe she would take more kindly to a female approaching her. “I want you to welcome them to our lands. I want to find out what this female warrior is all about. Bring them back to the temple.” Soren said, hoping his plan would work. Sebilla had not been like the other Vuri- she had a pure heart and was strangely mortal. He knew that using has as their ambassador might prevent a war. Her kind nature might win them over. If he approached them, he would appear threatening with his armor and strange magic.

Before she could retaliate against his words, he had already used the forests shade, to travel back to the temple.

[Iskander]

"He's so amazing, our brother, don't you think?" Trydian had followed Sebilla, as he had taken to doing since they'd gone to the temple. He usually kept hid distance from her, preferring not to speak since that night. His mother and sister thought they knew him, but they were wrong. They didn't have a single clue about who he really was, who he had become since that night. He could have blocked the song from his mind, in the past, but now it was with him every moment of his life. He ever heard it playing in his dreams.

"So very amazing," He murmured while shaking his head. There was the soft chink of chain as he stepped toward her, and then past her, to the beach. "Come, let us go and greet our new guests. It is only fitting that we both do this." He reached back with his left hand for her. He didn't care if his armour and weapons scared the newcomers; they were equally armed and armoured, and it was doubtful that they were so cowardly as to be fearful of one man.

Trydian stepped clear of the foliage and out onto the beach. He lifted his right hand in greeting toward the group and called across the distance, "Welcome to the lands of Xexoria. The King and Queen wish to know why you have stopped at this island? Do you mean for peace, or for war?" He had lowered his hand to run over the haft of his axe when he uttered the word 'war'.

[Kirin]

Chizuru and Tenzo were both speaking to one another about the land. Chizuru heard the woman and held up her hand. Tenzo immediately silenced himself. Chizuru had no trust for these people. She knelt down on one knee, to show that she was not there to fight, even though she had the weaponry and capability. She motioned for the others with her to do the same. Soon, the men dropped to one knee.

Her eyes moved to Trydian, who was speaking towards her in the common language. She glanced towards him, not making direct eye contact. She didn't want to appear hostile.

"We are here for peace. I bring gifts for the King and Queen of this land from the bounties of the Twin Countries of the Kirin." She motioned for one of her men to go get the box. The man immediately left. "My name is Michiba Chizuru, and this is my scribe, Fujiki Tenzo."

The boy bowed as Chizuru did, low to the ground, almost touching the ground with her forehead.

[Jen]

Sebilla was going to object to Soren's attitude but it was useless, the boy was gone even before she could let the words form on her lips. She crossed her arms and glared at the spot that he disappeared, no doubt to tell their mother of the visitors.

It took all of her strength, however, not to yelp loudly in surprise as her twin brother slipped in beside her. Sebilla couldn't help but take a step back and stare at her brother. They had shared a womb together and yet looked nothing alike. They were from two different fathers of course, but still siblings bound by blood and oaths to one another. Sebilla was the darker of the two, her colorings more like her father's -- but with eyes of pure silver. She was a seer of high quality, and a mortal in a game played by immortals.

"Trydian what are you doing...?" But she slipped her hands into his and followed behind him to greet the guests. Mother would have wanted them to do that for her, at the least. When Trydian spoke of Queens and Kings Sebilla paid no mind. When the foreigner's bowed low before them both she raised her brows in surprise.

"Trydian, we should get Mother. She will want to know of their arrival if Soren hasn't spoken to her yet." Sebilla smiled at the foreigners, speaking the same tongue as her brother. Her blue black hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail, and she arranged her skirts more neatly. Imagine, someone bowing to her like a queen in her drab daily outfit. Sebilla wasn't one to be high maintenence or anything, but the thought did occur to her that she might invest in making some nicer looking dresses to accept company into their home.

Sebilla smiled and slid her hand from her brother's, realizing that she still had it clasped tightly. She didn't realize, until he appeared before her, just how much she had missed him while he was gone. She had been through so much in the past few months that she felt like a different person, older somehow.

"I missed you, brother." Her tone was far too low for any of the foreigner's to decipher.

[Iskander]

Trydian glanced side-long at Sebilla and flashed her a smile. He spoke out of the corner of his mouth, to avoid the foreigners hearing, "Do as I do, Sebilla."

He bowed to the group, though not nearly as low as the foreigners had bowed to him, and then called out, "We are the King and Queen of Xexoria. We bid our honourable guests welcome to our humble home! Please, come with us. The Queen-Mother will wish to meet you, and you must be both hungry and thirsty. We will provide you with food, drink, and lodgings." He turned back to the foliage and gestured to the path to the sanctuary.

"I had things to attend to, sister. But now I'm here to stay," his eyes had lit up when he spoke to her, "I'm here to stay, and you need not ever wander these lands alone again. Please go ahead and warn mother that guests are coming. I will be along with them soon enough."

[Kirin]

Chizuru hesitated before standing. She stood first, unsure of the customs of the people on this island. She motioned for Tenzo and her guards to stand. As they stood, Chizuru spoke to Trydian. "Your graciousness is appreciated." She said simply, leading her group, with two guards her her sides and Tenzo bringing up the rear.

She spoke hurriedly to the two guards, knowing that they didn't understand the common language. "We will be staying with them for the night..perhaps." She said to them in the language of the Twin Countries. She tapped her temple idly, appearing to be in thought. It was a signal for the guards to be wary, but nothing further. She continued to tap her temple, expressions on her face showing that she was thinking of the landscape.

"So, how long have you two ruled this land? What is it called?" Chizuru asked, stopping the movement with her finger.

[Soren]

When Soren arrived at the temple, he immediately went to Caela. His mother would want every miniscule detail about these new people- he wondered how she would greet the new arrivals. They didn’t need a war now, considering their numbers had already dwindled. Soren also noticed that his brother was absent from the temple. He was more-than-likely with Sebilla. As of late, Trydian had been imposing his authority against Soren’s decisions. The tension had been livid, so he was grateful that Trydian wasn’t present.

Soren bowed in front of his mother, before speaking about the travelers and the strange ship. “It seems that we have visitors. Trydian and Sebilla are escorting them to the temple. There is a woman in armor, who appears to be their leader. She understood our language, but also spoke in a strange tongue. Do we welcome them as guests?” Soren continued to kneel halfway, treating his mother with the greatest respect. He would question her about Trydian’s behavior later, now he needed to know about the visitors welcome.

"They should be arriving any moment."

[Jen]

There was a small shift as some dirt slid down a small mound near the center of the Temple proper. The garden was in full bloom with all sorts of buds and fruits, all or most out of season. Caela appeared from behind a stand of trees bearing what appeared to be apples. She looked lost in thought as she considered a small shrub, but her son's musing words caught her attention. She riveted him, on the spot, with her beautiful eyes.

Caela had not always looked as she did now. She had been changed by Vyrlath before his death, and his dying did not bother her so much as his sidling her with more responsibility. Now she was the Matriarch of the entire Xanathi-Rivenfelde Line. The only surviving Heir to the legacy that was created by Vylrath Xanathi and Isabella Rivenfelde. Caela had once been a careful child with blood red hair and eyes a curious shade of lavender. Now, however, the woman was perpetually stuck at the age of twenty five, and she looked almost...well immortal.

Caela ran her fingers through long thick curls of blonde hair, working to untangle it in places as it showered down her shoulders. Her eyes, a mysterious midnight blue speckled with silver, like stars in the night sky -- were riveted on her son Soren. She smiled, her skin more pale since his arrival two weeks prior in a flurry of her own blood. A normal woman, a mortal woman, would have died giving birth to such a creature as Soren. However, Caela wasn't a mortal and she wasn't normal. The faint blue tint to her skin, as if she had died once by drowning, was enough to make that very obvious.

"They are welcome, son. Make sure they are comfortable. I will be along shortly to see them." Caela stepped away from her son and slipped like a shadow through a few rooms before reaching her own and changing her soiled work gown for something more appropriate to recieve guests. When she returned to Soren a few minutes later her blonde hair was freshly brushed and her brown work gown had been traded for a gown of pure white spun silk. Caela had been a beautiful half demon before her changing, and now she was a fantasticly beautiful Vuri. There was an ethereal beauty to the woman that had an air of danger, where her demonic heritage had once spoken only volumes of her succubus tendencies.

-----------------------

"Soren should be with Mother now. He can't keep anything from her. Its as if he's bound to her like a pup. He is only two weeks old." Sebilla spoke as she picked her footing carefully along the trail leading to the temple. In places it was riddled with large tree roots that were plenty capable of twisting an ankle. Whenever her own footing became a little unsteady, Sebilla's hand reached out and found her brother, steadying herself so that she might not fall in front of the strange visitors.

"I am glad that you would come back. It is difficult being alone." Sebilla's silver eyes swept the forest trail for any hazardous elements before looking at her brother and flashing him a pretty smile. She had a beautiful face, one without the angularity that Vylrath possessed and thus Trydian somewhat possessed -- though dampened by their mother's softer features.

As it stood, for now, Sebilla allowed her brother to speak to the strangers. She wasn't going to make them doubt her as a Queen, but she wasn't going to undo anything her brother might be trying to achieve either. So she just smiled like a sweet and pretty young woman on the arm of a powerful leader.

[Iskander]

Trydian paused and turned to the foreign woman. His lips twitched into a smile at her question, "This land is called the Kingdom of Xexoria. And my rule begins this very night. How fortunate that fate brought you to our shores for such an occasion." He turned from her as several shapes emerged from the foliage. Men, armed with long spears and encased in heavy armour knelt down on either side of the path.

"I have been very busy," he spoke to Sebilla when she reached out for him, "A King must have an army, must he not? The world is full of men who look for leadership and guidance after the End. The fires of war have cleansed these men, and have provided me with my army, to rule this Kingdom and protect it from all challengers." He shot a glance at the foreigners, still smiling. He spoke to them all then, "Tonight I will take my crown, and Xexoria will rise again."

Trydian began to walk through the jungle once more. Other men, armed similarly to those who had already approached them, joined the group until the Sanctuary itself was in sight. "Sebilla, please, bring the Queen Mother to us. It is fitting, and courteous, that she and our brother be here to greet these most honourable emissaries."

[Kirin]

Chizuru turned towards Tenzo and repeated in her own language what Trydian had said to her. Tenzo nodded, then repeated what Chizuru said to him after writing everything down. Chizuru smiled and glanced back towards Trydian.

Tenzo glanced at his side. "There are men on the path!" The men were kneeling down. So, there was a bit of truth to what Trydian had said.

Chizuru also glanced at the men. "Well, then we are honored to witness such a momentous occasion. Seems that we were truly blessed by Owatatsumi and Fujin. We are so lucky."

Chizuru began to grow suspicious and even more worried than before. Tenzo was just writing away.

[Soren]

He watched the figures approach the temple. At his side, his mother waited for their guest’s arrival. He was feeling uneasy about the gathering. The sight of a woman in armor perplexed him even more, as he witnessed their arrival. Soren bowed to Chizuru and to the strange man accompanying her. He glared toward his brother, who continued to flaunt his arrogance.

“I am Soren Xanathi, Prince of the Vuri. Welcome to my lands.” After his brief speech, he exchanged bows with Chizuru, glaring at the armor covering her body. What right was this? Did they not have strong men in their lands? He scoffed at his thought silently. “I am sure that my brother has introduced himself, as well as my sister.” He nodded toward Trydian and Sebilla. He motioned toward Caela, almost with an impatient attitude. “My mother will see to your comfort. Forgive me, but I have matters to attend to.” Soren looked toward his mother apologetically, before going to his sister.

He took Sebilla’s hand and led her away from the party. He didn’t like strangers around her, let alone those, who let their women wear a man’s armor. It may appear to be rude behavior, but he was merely looking out for the safety of Sebilla- he treated her as a fragile thing, which often upset her.

“Mother and Trydian will handle the guests…I would like a word with you. I will visit with this so-called warrior this evening. There are more important issues at hand.”

He knew that his mother would be mortified, but he turned his back to Chizuru and headed toward his quarters.