"Oi, you there! I command you to aid my ward! See that he doesn't die, will you?" the princess had said. Rono had wished only to see the duel, though not accepting a (slightly informal) request from royalty would probably be bad in the long run. Looking at the two, he noted a odd relation between the guard and the Mistress, though he could not put his finger on it. It also looked like a honorable duel, but the princess's remark would mean she thought the second party might try something with the man.

Without saying a word, he held the sack with his teeth, and unsheathed his sword, and walked to a close, yet safe distance to the fight, and mumbled a small prayer of protection, a small reflex he did when he felt that something was about to blow.

(She reminds me of a Bright Wizard..i wonder why <.<;)

She had erred in her calculations, She had lost their trail upon trying to re-locate them. Sifting through the alleys, she came upon the large foot prints coupled with that of a smaller set. Distinguishing that this was the pair she sought, she followed it keenly, trying to make up for lost time.

When she finally emerged towards the docks, the building housing the area was already erupted in churning flames. "The Invaders?, here so soon?" She said aloud to herself, her eyes scoping about as she knelt herself down from afar. She found no evidence of their savagery.. this seemed all the more.. different. Keeping as low a profile as she could she entered the general vicinity, taking refuge behind the broken hull of a half-repaired sandship, peering her eyes over its hem towards the figures gathered within. She had found them alright, and trouble along with. Just then, she remembered her reasoning for being here in the first place. "Telemichus.. where is that lout?" she thought to herself, waywardly glancing around the area. He knew his way around, he'd be here much sooner than she.. Perhaps he had something to do beforehand.. but at a time such as this? Their entire operation could be exposed in an environment like this, fleeing now seemed the only logical thing to do. "Well he said not wait up." she pondered, now focusing against on the events before her. The large man wad charging this woman, and the princess was being hauled away to safety. She wasn't one to intervene, and with no ship of her own there was little she could so but lie in wait. She had anticipated Telemichus had a private sand ship ready to go, she mustve assumed wrong.

((I'm quite busy this week and my dorm still does not have internet so don't wait up for me, take it away blue. Also Nini, I've updated the OP to answer your question.))

((I actually found some time today. Let me try and scrape something together.))

They met as her cohorts charged past him. They really were after his charge after all weren't they? Well small fry like that couldn't possibly harm her considering what the Lexmadan Royal Guards were. Face to face after a span of a few years apart, she was obviously going to relish this. Neither could overpower the other at the moment and she felt like chatting it seemed.

"I didn't know you had a child Damocles? Have you been hiding her from me?" she teased.

Damocles only frowned and pushed his weight down as they broke apart, weapons arcing down and back from force. They were close enough to have exchanged breath but their relationship was definitely not like that. It would be foolish to attempt a raw attack, not after what happened to his right arm. Near burned to a crisp and only the timely intervention by his brothers saved it for him. There was only time for a few thoughts as bulb of flame sparked to life at the tip of her weapon. Lady Po has probably planned to give him a new slice of life, one that he probably didn't need. It was brought to his attention and almost to his face, as he stepped towards her with his sword parrying the swing. Perhaps that was what she wanted, enclosing them in a wall of flame that no one could penetrate, theoretically. She had lowered her weapon to a defensive position. Indeed there was no escape and no room to move either. Perhaps it was time to concede.

"You know, Po, that I'd rather not further our relationship," he smoke.

He was surprised to be able to hear himself despite the noise of the crackling fire wall. Equal was his surprise when he heard her answer.

"Well this is to keep you out of her way. So that she can properly set things straight between her and her fiancé," she said smiling again, "In the mean time, you should get comfortable, it may take a while."

OOC: Bah, finding a computer to type on is hard.


Rono watched as the others went, apparently after the princess instead. He focused on the guard however (the guards with the princess would take care of them), and watched the battle as he moved. It was even (as far as he can tell) and soon they were enclosed in a firery wall.

Of course, a dash of salt and his coat could probably disspate that. Standing close to the fire wall, he yelled to get a response. "Hey! Need a escape?" he poured some of the salt in a protective circle around him while he yelled; no use asking if the mistress sends a fireball his way.


OOC: This will do for now, I guess.

The woman emanated power, and the heat was very intense reminding Abi of the magical fires that were used to forge her magic glass ball. The princess's personal giant seemed to have some sort of past connection the woman, for on his face was a mixture of emotions. He knelt before the princess and exchanged a few words with the girl, probably words of encouragement of some sort, his types usually did before going into battle. Not to her surprise he walked towards the mage and drew his sword ready to battle.

Oi, you there! I command you to aid my ward! See that he doesn't die, will you?" called the princess. Abi turned her head to see if the princess was talking to her especially with such a tone. Princess or not she would knock her out if she called her as you there...or commanding her without a hint of a please or thank you. Much to the princess's luck, she was calling the man dressed in the strange coat. It was then, with a large flare of light and the sound of roaring fire did Abi turn back to see a wall of fire surrounding the guard and the woman. While charging at them (well, clearly the princess) were the woman's comrades.

Abi, in a spur of patriotism unknown to herself, immediately rolled her glass ball down from her sleeve into the palm of her hand. She threw the glass sphere at one of the people charging towards the princess. Which soon picked up speed due to its magical properties and whirred directly in the direction of one of the charging member's head. She would finally be able to take a small bit of revenge for the merciless killing of all those innocent people who had been enjoying themselves at a carnival earlier.

OOC - Nini? Blue?

OOC - Oh Nini...

OoC: Sorry ><

Niniva watched with intensity, all the while still trying to probe out an escape route from this area, None seemed available. She kept herself hidden behind the rusty husk of the half-broken sand ship, eyes peering over the edge towards the unraveling events. She then dipped her head down as if pondering. Just then, she felt a hand on her shoulder and a familiar voice-"Why not try to sneak on board the prince's ship with me?". Peering behind her, she spotted Telemichus, a deceitful grin across his bushy face.

"The guards are clashing with the fiery ones underlings, whats stopping us from making our way in?" He continued.

She felt almost compelled to ask where he had been, but figured there were more pressing matters at the moment.

"Was that your idea for escape all along? becoming stowaways on a royal vessel?" She replied back to him silently, staring back towards the scene.

"What, you think if you ask politely they'll just let you right on along with the princess? Subtly is your style, so why not?" He retorted. Niniva thought to herself, pondering the idea.

"Random strangers are risking themselves to ward off these attackers.. it would be dishonorable to take advantage for such a cowardly thing."

"Funny, you've never been one of 'Honor'. You're passing up an opportunity to take the princess captive, i bet she'd go for quite a fortune " He replied Brashly, knelt on one knee behind her, scimitar in his hand. The curved blade was bloodied and ran against the sand.

"Whats wrong with you? We never take hostages " She replied, pulling her curved shortblade from under her robe and bracing herself to rush in.

"For shame..I suppose ill have to do it alone then. Lady Po is expecting retrieval of the girl, afterall"

"Lady Po.. you know this woman's name?.." Her eyes widened in revelation, before then propelling herself sideways in an evasive roll, just barely missing the cleaving edge of his steel blade, slicing downward towards the sand.

Knelt and facing him from just a few yards off, now exposed for all eyes to see, she grimaced. "Working both sides?"

"Nope, only one" He said deceivingly casual, standing himself up and tensing his shoulders before bolting towards her in a ferocious stride, weapon ready, a look of carnage across his face.

OOC: So who's next, Thai or Blue?

((Blue seems to be taking his sweet a** time so I'll just plod things along.))

Steam billowed from the exhaust of the elegant white sandship. With it, the bellow of a whistle rang out, perhaps in an attempt to disorientate the unprepared. The Lexmadans started to pull back, slowly and surely, they were boarding a departing ship. As the hot vapour collided with the sand, a mightily dangerous gust swept across the area. Some of the fools were blinded. Those who were lucky only tasted grime. With the wind, it blew up the sand around Rono's feet, sweeping away not only its original circular shape but the magically lit flames.

With such an opportunity, something that not even the Mistress of the Summer Blaze could have predicted, Damocles leapt outside as the flames closed in a few slivers of a hair away. There was a boy next to where he landed. Grabbing the boy's collar, Damocles yelled at him and the rest of the people who could hear,

"RUN!"

---

Telemichus missed with his swing. It was expected of course. Niniva wouldn't have lasted that long without such reflexes. Bounding forward in his great stride, Telemichus was about to swing until a curtain of sand and hot vapour was kicked up by the sandship. Soon afterwards, a cry rang out.

"RUN!"

Telemichus paid it no mind, he was in no hurry to escape if he was to be paid by the Mistress of the Summer Blaze. The slice he planned initiated.

((Think fast Nini!))

---

Oh how wrong things would turn out. The Mistress had a fiery temperament when crossed. Coupled with the fact that the man she held captive just barely slipped her did not help. Shortly, she would no longer distinguish friend from foe. She remember the last time such a thing happened. It was long ago, when she was younger and brash. She thought no one could best her without magic. Thoughts betrayed her. Meeting up with the then young Knight-Captain of Gavaroche's Royal Guard, she fought Damocles to a stalemate as the battle between their countries raged. Infuriated and frustrated at her opponent refusing to die, a beast awakened within her. The flames were fierce and she burnt his arm as well the whole armies down. She would have gone out of control if not in one act of desperation, the Knight-Captain slashed open her abdomen. The pain calmed her down and all she could do was limp away as her insides struggled to escape. She heard he was given one of the highest military honours, being given Lordship over land, among other promotions whilst she herself was hailed a national hero and shot her way up to an advisor to the Khan. Presently, they were at the tops of their careers and should this tragedy repeat itself, there were to be no promotions this time.

OOC: Hey, I've been busy. My dog got out again and I had to track him down. Then my stomach grumbled and I had to find food as quickly as possible, before another homeless shelter was lost to a feeding frenzy from my demonic counterpart. Busy, busy... anyway, Thai and I have outlined a general path we can follow, but we're open for improvisation. What happens happens, but a faded line has definitely been set. If people don't post in a day or so, I'll continue with my story arc and keep it flowing.


Meanwhile, the prince's private vessel had already sped away from the conflict with her highness safely inside and guarded by Lexmadan elite. Even as the tide of war settled behind them, the ship's speed kept at 70 mph. Wherever she was being escorted, the trip couldn't take too long at that pace.

The princess's nerves were being rattled severely. She had never been so far from Damocles, before. At least, not that she was aware of. His strong arms were always there for her to cling to, yet now they had disappeared completely, out of reach and sight. It was impossible for her to position herself comfortably in the luxurious auto, even with the elegant satin covering and handwoven etchings with hanging, jeweled decor. Suddenly, a voice broke the silence.

"Your highness, is something the matter?" The messenger woman had apparently noticed her spasmodic scrambling.

"Um.. no, I'm quite alright. My, what lovely tassels these are!" She quickly changed the subject and fondled one of the hanging ornaments.

"Ah, yes. These are one of our dear prince's favorite accessories. Being made of striget angoa hair, they're very difficult to scrounge and even harder to assemble. Get used to seeing them, they're all over the castle." Striget angoas were large, flying mammals found almost entirely in the southernmost deserts. They were famous for their elusive, yet dangerous nature and were often hunted by bounty extremists willing to give their life for a large sum of cash.

"How nice. He has exquisite taste, if I may. I can't imagine how his quarters are dressed!"

"Oh? Are you looking forward to admiring his "quarters?"

The princess didn't understand the reference. "Why, yes! Of course, I love seeing new places." She squeezed her left arm uncomfortably. "Though, I'm usually accompanied by my personal guards and maids." Her distress was easily noticed by the seasoned veteran, yet there was nothing she could do to help. Her highness had already declined consultation on the matter and she had been trained not to pry into royal affairs. Nonetheless, she felt that a harmless note would be the least painless method of getting it off of her mind.

"I'm sure he'll be fine, milady." This time the princess understood exactly what she was talking about and blushed slightly. She had not expected to hear what she was thinking come from her new companion's mouth. She quickly thought of the easiest way to hide any sort of feeling she had.

"It's not that I care for him in any way, it's just that he knows me best and is very well suited to protecting me. No offense, but you can hardly call yourself a candidate for that sort of important mission." She said as dignified as possible. The woman simply stared at her for a while before stifling a giggle. The princess could tell that she was being made a fool of, but they were already past the point of understanding and into the thick of it.

The small ship was still quite a long way from the Lexmadan capital. It sped away into the distance, furthering the gap between Chataigne and Damocles.

Events can go fast, and thoughts went even faster, Rono, well, thought as he dashed at the guard's warning. For example, seeing the mistress so full of rage reminded him of Igneus. Ah, Igneus, what was worser than a fire mage was one who also manipulate emotions, and he if didn't hallucinate the end, one insane embodiment of fire. Crows, he could even see the bandaged corpse of Ingeus in a nearby fire, showing a innocent smile..Shaking his head, it disappeared, and he continued quickly.