Baranthia Time: The Month of Ruan, 5056 Roleplay Time: The Month of January, 2006 The Monthly Baranthian: Please visit to get updates on each kingdom. Shout Box 1/9/06: Everyone's getting involved with The Kidnapping, so that's awesome! There are a couple of threads you may want to check out: The Kidnapping and Summon The Brotherhood. Other than that, I think we're off to a good start :) 12/30/05: The Runath Royal Feast is up and running! Anyone traveling through can visit all month long!

[Calasear]

Early New Year's Day



Virgil had made quick steps from the King’s study to the barracks where the soldiers of the Royal cavalry were housed. He moved hastily across the lawn to where the stone structure had been built. Smaller of course than the barracks for the infantry, the cavalry barracks had an immense stable built onto its southern side.

The lighting cavalry slept outside the barracks, near the saddled horses to be ready for any emergency, whether it would be to carry a message or to ferry away members of the Royal family. Virgil breathed heavily as he closed his distance between the two, heavy clouds of his own breath followed him like a shadow.

His fist banged heavily on the wooden beam where one of the scouts had rested his head in sleep. The loud rapping woke the several scouts and Virgil said in muted but serious tones that they needed to head to the border with due haste and warn the patrols there to make crossing in and out of the kingdom more stringent. He felt no need to tell them the princess had been snatched out of the castle in the night, but he did tell the scouts to tell the patrols to keep a leery eye on any that could seem suspicious, especially those that seemed to be traveling uncommonly unburdened for this time of year.

The scouts set off at the blinding pace and Virgil watched until them were but mere pinpricks on the horizon. Realizing that he may be needed in the castle, Virgil turned back and headed in.

He hadn’t liked leaving his King alone with that…that…mage or whatever he deemed himself to be. The strange countenance by itself was offsetting and his demeanor did not lend itself to easy trust. Virgil quickened his pace somewhat and was soon heading up the main flight of stairs back toward the King’s study.

[Zarek Shrygius Riseth]

The sound of rushed footsteps and a clanking of armor came down the hallway, apparently a pair of soldiers. It sounded as though they were alone, for there were no other footsteps able to be heard, but it was not a soldier that came into view near the top of the staircase as Virgil climbed the stone steps. Actually, it was the very person he had just been speculating about: Zarek Riseth.

The sorcerer seemed preoccupied, but he still inspired a bit of fear in more than a couple onlooking servants' eyes as they peered out from behind partially closed doors or around the corners of stone archways. His one visible eyebrow was drawn down close to the edge of his steel partial-mask, the corners of his mouth tugged down into an angry-looking scowl. The two guards behind him looked both embarrassed and confused. Their thoughts could practically be read right off their foreheads. "They were supposed to be the ones escorting him... This wasn't how it supposed to work. How did they end up following the sorcerer in the first place?" It looked like Zarek had his own pair of bodyguards. No onlooker would suspect that he was, in fact, being 'taken' to his quarters until the king allowed him to leave.

Zarek's thoughts flew back and forth at a fairly blinding speed, his annoyance only having built after he left King Tokar's study. He supposed it had been more intelligent to leave when he had, but it was still frustrating to be in a position where he could neither prove his innocence nor show the complete extent of his anger with those who automatically assumed his guilt(the only name on that list being King Tokar himself - for now). True, the slight fear that Seviss had reported coming from Tokar gave Zarek a bit of satisfaction - after all, he knew that not much frightened the king - but he still would have vastly preferrred being able to vent his anger. At this point though, he would have to go on silently fuming. Any violence reported to the king that was attributed to Zarek was sure to convince King Tokar that he had perfect reason to lock Zarek up in the prison. Zarek could not risk imprisonment. Not now. His plans were just beginning with the events of this morning, and he couldn't be sidelined now.

Zarek did not seem to notice Calasear as he strode quickly(yet with surprisingly little noise) towards the staircase. The black viper he was seen so often with was still hung around his neck, hanging on with its tail while most of the snake's body hung down the left side of the sorcerer's chest. As the viper spotted Virgil, its eyes locked onto him as they had in the study and it let out a low hiss, opening its mouth to reveal sharp(and probably poisonous) fangs.

[Calasear]

Virgil watched the odd trio pass by. What had happened while he had been down at the barracks and since when did someone that strange looking need a pair of guards flanking him. The sudden hissing near his ear made Virgil step back, looking down at the serpent.

Two steps away from the top, Virgil looked down at the venomous snake as well as at it's hissing pet.

“Mind your reptile,” Virgil said, his voice sounding harsh and not at all amused with the little ‘trick’ this mage had taught it’s creature. “Some one with shakier nerves is liable to rend it in two,” Virgil said, looking down at Riseth. Virgil truly disliked this man. He wasn’t unsettled by his apparent attempt to look intimidating; indeed he found it to be unnecessary. He wasn’t too fond of that hissing beast, either.

[Zarek Shrygius Riseth]

Seviss hissed again, striking out at the soldier, but purposefully pulling up short when Zarek reached up and hand and caught the viper. Seviss may have looked like an ordinary snake, but the viper was more intelligent than some of the nobility here, and his pride was easily hurt. It was good, then, that Zarek was there to stop Seviss from using his deadly venom against anyone who might try to kill him.

“Some one with shakier nerves is liable to rend it in two,”

Zarek stared back unblinkingly. He was not one to be intimidated, neither by this soldier nor by anyone else. He did not particularly care whether Calasear was afraid of him or not, for he knew that King Tokar himself was frightened of the mage, and that was all he needed at the moment. This member of the 'Brotherhood' that Tokar had pulled together was of little consequence to Zarek. Still, the sorcerer could see that the man would probably turn out to be an annoyance later on.

"Someone with shakier nerves is liable to end up dead, then." Zarek replied smoothly, staring pointedly at Calasear. "My hand may not move fast enough to stop his bite next time."

The statement was obviously a threat, and Seviss(who had made his way up to Zarek's left bicep by now) turned his head to hiss once again at the soldier before them as though in agreement.

Do not stop me next time. the snake said, his voice quiet at the back of Zarek's mind. The sorcerer gave no reply however, focused rather on the man before the two of them.

[Calasear]

"I'll remember that then," Calasear said flatly, before giving the mage a curt nod. He didn't have time for this show of bravado nonsense. He took the rest fo the steps at a quick place and and soon quitted the stairwell, heading off to find the king.

His face was in a frown as he walked, his heavy fur cloak moving little as he walked. That mage always seemed to be making more trouble that was needed. A wide eyed servant passed and Calasear caught him by the elbow.

"Where is the King? I need to find him immediately." He said looking down at the boy.