mogget_cat | To the Old Kingdom

(From here.)

The door he gallantly opened for her opened out into gently lapping waters, lit from overhead by a multitude of stars uncountable. So many together, they give off a glow stronger than the light of the full moon, singing softly of promised rest for those below. The insubstantial spirits of the dead rise from the waters, some quickly, eager for their eternal rest, and some slowly, fighting the pull even as they rise, foot by foot.

The two of them step down slightly into the water that only rises to their ankles, and Yrael closes the door behind them.

"As you can see," Yrael smiles. "I have been practicing even when not at the Milliways lake."

Despite the fact that the waters of Death aren't exactly the same as other water.

Current Mood: amused

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"Our country is overrun by barbarians, I the only remaining heir of the royal family. Assassins sent against me, and we come to plea for sanctuary and aid. In secret."

"How very dramatic, it all sounds. Let us hope that those we meet are not Charter Mages, as they would be able, eventually, to tell what I am. The only Mages around would be the royal family and the palace guards, though. There may be some nearer the treasury, but there are rarely any in the castle corridors themselves."

Usually, he'd just kill any Charter Mage he came across, right around the time they realized what he is. But the royal guards are under the King's protection, and that means it would be more than some small trouble to kill them.

He peers around a corner, waiting for a couple of servants to pass out of sight before they continue on.

"Raiders from the wastelands beyond, Ice Runners tired of migrating across the tundra. Ours is small kingdom, beyond the wastes, across the mountains and glaciers. We've been sneaking for months, moving with caravans to throw off pursuers" she chuckled.

"We lost someone though, your other guard perhaps? So we're getting a little travel worn and desperate, prone to make mistakes in direction in tunnels..."

Rachel...had no experience with charter mages really. Just Yrael...it was almost amusing to contemplate what they'd make of her...something so irreversibly of Life traveling with Yrael.

"Exactly," he says, smirking. "Remember, my faithful guard, I entrust my life to your care."

Despite his lack of Life.

"This way." He heads down a Charter Mark-lit staircase, listening for sounds that might mean someone is coming.

He will admit, if not out loud, that he's never had so much fun sneaking into the palace coffers, before. It's a lot better, having someone along with you.

"A faithful guard should perhaps walk first, lest there be danger ahead...unless we fear what's at our back more?" she laughed, taking on an almost sideways gait to keep a battle trained eye on the rear.

She managed to keep glancing up past him too...and wouldn't you know, she was in almost perfect position to pull him to the side in case of assassins! She even seemed more predatory, a cat like slink in her step and a dangerous air about her...

That was Rachel alright.

"Yes, Lord" It was teasing, though the tone of voice was that of a grim, weary guard.

"We have travelled here with peril at our very heels," the lord says, weary but resolute.

"But it was you, faithful guard, who got us lost in this confounded corridors," Yrael grins cheekily at her, "so I shall go first."

Ah, the best part of making it up as you go along.

"Well, I'm better if I can get some height, Lord" she sighed, a sound of failure and repentance for such. "These cursed corridors are too enclosed. I miss the halls of home..."

"It was you who led us astray in the swamps though, Lord, and I who had to nurse you when you caught the fever..." ah, the tired bantering of long time companions...

"It is sad, what the barbarians did to our lofty Great Hall, with its tall windows of colored glass that turned the air inside into all the colors of sunset," the prince's voice is wistful as they turn from the staircase down a corridor to the right. "The thought that we should see it again restored..."

It's what keeps him going.

"You were no better off in those swamps than I, remember." He says, then pauses. There are voices coming, servants, talking of the midwinter feast coming up. Yrael steps forward to a small door in the wall. "In here," he says, opening it.

"It will be" she stated, firm and resolute. She'd believe nothing else. They'd see the flame washed halls again. They would.

"True, but I didn't have the luxury of complaining now did I? You called me a vicious snake for making you walk despite the illness...I won't forget that you know" she poked him gently in the ribs as she scooted into the room.

He shuts the door behind them, and listens quietly as the servants pass, still talking about all the food they're going to have to prepare.

"Actualy, faithful guard," he says as they step back into the now-clear corridor. "I was trying to point out the vicious snake that happened to be right near your leg at that moment, while we walked through the swamp. It must have been unclear, as I was so ill at the time."

"Sure you were, Highness. Just like you were trying to warn me about the strawberry tart after that?"

Take that as you would.

"Maybe we should stay for dinner" she noted, after the servants had passed "They said fish in there didn't they?"

"Clearly, I was delirious with the fever."

The treasury was just off to the right, around a corner. This time of day, there was only one guard, and he looked bored.

"...there is better food to be found in the marketplace, actually. Royal fare is all fripperies and no substance, even with the fish," he says, quietly.

"I would hope so, because wild tarts would have to investigated once we took care of our little assassin problem..." she noted quietly, peeking around the corner.

"We play "Don't see us, don't hear us" or do we yell boo?"

"I do not think yelling 'boo' would do us any good. He's a Charter Mage, if not a very strong one."

He tilts his head, almost seeming to listen. The Charter Magic, both the ambient Charter Marks of the castle and the feeling of it being used more actively elsewhere, Sameth probably skipped lunch today to keep working on whatever he might be inventing, would serve as a good silencer. One more spell probably wouldn't be heard.

"He can just fall asleep at his post, I think." Maybe if he's lucky, he'll wake up again before it's noticed that he fell asleep on watch. There are some rigorous punishments for that sort of thing.

It is little trouble for a couple of drawn Charter Marks, linked together and sent to him, to cause the guard to slowly lean back against the corridor wall and go limp. The heavy metal armor keeps him from falling to the floor, bracing him against the wall. The door to the treasury is clear.

"Show off" she muttered, poking him in the side again "I could have just leaned on him a little, no magic necessary you know" she chuckled.

"What else are loyal guards good for?"

"It is the curse of royal birth, a predisposition towards showing off and doing things more flashily than they could otherwise be done," he says, quickly sidestepping the poking and grinning at her.

"Loyal guards are good for... helping pick out the best treasure that would do far better as gifts and things than sitting around doing nothing in some dank treasury." Yrael winks. "Also, we should grab some Old Kingdom derniers in case we find anything we like in the marketplaces."

"Ah, well, you do have a point there majesty. You're designed to live your life in the spot light...must have been that pony on your third birthday. You've been insufferable since" she snickered.

"I can try, and I'll certainly give my all...." she admitted, peaking into the treasury. Sadly, it wasn't piled and spread about like a shining dragon's horde...but it was still impressive because of the sheer amount of boxes in there...

He spreads his hands as they walk through. "It wasn't even a very good pony."

He raises his eyebrows a little, seeing the boxes. "They've actually paid attention to this part of the treasury. I suppose the people in charge of knowing exactly how much money is owned by the royal family finally rebelled. Now I don't know which box contains what, and opening them means we might leave some sign that we've been here."

"Hey, it's wasn't the pony's fault that you thought it should jump over everything" she snorted.

She eyed the boxes too, then shrugged "Well...it looks like there's a door on the other side there? Maybe the spring accounting hasn't gotten too far yet?"

"At least it came in useful when I wanted to get out of that Spring feast, with all those horrid costumes. The court's faces were priceless."

"Let us hope. I'd rather they not know that someone has been using their funds for the past two years..." He goes to the door and opens it. A grin lights his face. "Perfect." And he goes in.

She had wanted a dragon's hoard? Here.

"Well, Highness, a broken arm and leg don't really constitute a "safer" recourse..." she teased, following.

Oh...my...the shiny...

"It's going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack" she noted simply.

"How was I to know the grand visier couldn't hold his liquor?" He says, defensively.

He wanders through, skirting the large piles of gold coins and the occasional trinket. There are some small piles of only necklaces, or only rings, or only a certain kind of coin. "Or a specific kind of needle in a needle stack. It looks like they have just started on organizing and recording the contents of this room. All the better for us."

"Study, highness. It was written down for you" ah, the trials of royalty. So many quirky couriers to know...

Then she grinned and started to drift away from his side, the better for them both to cover as much territory as possible! "There's a whole pile of little carved animals.." she noted from a corner "Weird..."

His highness sticks out his tongue at his loyal guard. "I thought that is what I kept you around for, when not saving me from assassins. You saw more of the royal court than I did."

Probably because the prince was off gallivanting around the capital city.

"That is strange," Yrael says, making his way between two large piles of coins and strange, ornate jewelry. "...this probably is here because everyone was too afraid they'd blind someone if they wore it." He holds up a necklace so ostentatious that the actual shape of it is lost in all the shine. Facets glint everywhere.

Bling bling.

"I am not your social stand in" she sniffed, planting her fists on her hips. "And for the record, if I have to be? I'm denouncing you when we get our country back and stepping in as Princess so i get payed more for the trouble"

"Oh...gods...hide it!" she whimpered, shielding her eyes comically. "It's a weapon of state..." then she groaned "Jeweled...chamber pots."

He blinks, eyebrows raised. "...and who are you, my loyal guard's social stand-in?"

...Yrael looks contemplatively at the bejeweled chamber pots. "If I had ever shown the royal family respect before? This would be when I stopped."

But he's never respected them, so he doesn't need to bother with stopping.

"Think one of them would make a good Christmas present or something?" He grins. "I can just see the surprised delight spreading over someone's face as they open their gift to find..." He points at the one citrine-bedecked silver one, "...that."

Clearly, whoever chose yellow gems to go on a royal chamberpot had no respect for the royal family, either.