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The night was always refreshing in Gailus. Since the capital was costal it carried the scent of a thousand smells. Prometi had his windows open, nose pointed up right towards the city looming not far from his room facing the ocean. It was the best part of his night routine before going to sleep. He would imagine the lives of many that venture in and out of the city and all the little details that came with them.
"Good night your highness." It was one of the frequent maids that would care for him.
She would make do whatever more cleaning left in his room and shut off the lanterns and blow out the candles. However, she would also leave one unlit for himself.
"Goodnight, Judith." He yawned a little and waited for the soft shutter of his bedroom doors.
Prometi would spend only a few moments gazing out into the lit port city and the glittering stars that bejeweled the black ink abyss of the sky before retiring. Despite this he felt a bit of a war in his heart as he continued his gaze, wanting to look a bit longer. Tranquility filled his heart, and so came a sense of duty to protect this great kingdom he called his home.
Suddenly, there was a pounding at his door.
"Brother!! Help me!!" It sounded like Rita, the youngest of the sibblings.
Without hesitation, Prometi grabbed the wooden practice sword that hanged on the wall near his bed and lept for the door.
He opened it to find his sister crying and panting from exhaustion, there was a bit of red stain on her white nightgown. It almost matched her wavy hair that stuck to her face and nape but was not easy to miss.
Prometi bend down to her, "Rita are you okay? What is it? What happened?"
He knew he was bombarding her with questions, but he felt panicked. Outside the hallways were dark which was unusual, and it was dead silent.
"I...I.." She tried to form words but was gasping for air.
Prometi racked his brain a little and then tried to pull Rita inside to calm her down, but pale hands appeared from the darkness and snatched her up while pushing him away.
"Brother help!!" Rita cried grew fainter as she began to disappear into the dark.
A natural instinct overcame Prometi as he charged blindly into the dark after her. There was barely any light at all in the castle and the only guidance was the soft screams of his little sister and the fairly faint rhythm of boots. He strengthened his resolve and ran faster and faster after them. The chase led to an almost familiar route he had memorized from the blueprint of the castle.
The kidnappers used the secret hallways and servant paths to eventually exit the grounds and then jumped shortened wall in the east wing's garden.
Prometi followed without hesitation and effortlessly scaled the wall and burst into the strange but recognizable urban structure of the city. It was well lit and bustling as the night draw on. He was immediately bombarded with a thousand sounds and a thousand sights but kept undistracted by it all as he set eyes of his sister and the now clear hooded kidnappers.
They were rather small and agile and dodge the crowded streets like a river through a mountain. Then they turned into a nebulous back street. As Prometi finally gained on them he saw a glimpse of them stopped in a dead end but quickly used the crates stored there to jump on the roof of a building.
Easily, Prometi did the same maneuver and hauled himself on the roof also and continued the chase. It was a bit tricky running on the tiles that littered the rooftops, but he managed with the light from the streetlamps and the moon that was now done hiding behind dark clouds.
Soon, however, the venery ended when the kidnappers came to a stop on the edge of a rather far jump.
"Return my sister to me, whoever you are!! Although I can't guarantee my father will spare you, but I can try to lessen your punishment!" Prometi would rather try this route to minimize any casualty and end this horrible night out.
Finally, the abducters turned around to face him. Bothe of their faces was covered with a simple pale mask that cover half of the face. Their hoods casted a stark shadow on the rest of their figure.
Instead of feeling threatened by the prince's words the two simply unearthed the hidden child wrapped in fabric and dangle her off the edge.
Blankly Prometi launch at the two, hands desperately reaching out to grab his sister but one of the kidnappers tossed her to the other and he slipped passed them and off the rooftop.
Death was not in his mind at this moment but the tormented feeling of letting his little sister endure all of this. Who would want to do such a despicable thing. If he survived this fall, he would hunt them down.
A soft hand grabbed unto his. Prometi looked up to see the clothed figure holding onto him.
Did they want to ransom him and his sister? He did not know but it would be better than her being alone. Prometi reached his other hand for the roof and tried to get himself over the edge. It was working for a moment, and he managed to get half of his torso onto the roof but then the Kidnapper footing slipped, and they tumbled unto the ground.
"NOOO!!" Although he should have been glad about the predicament, it still left his heart deeply unsettled.
Once on the rooftop again, the remaining kidnapper threw his ragged-up sister to him. Frantically he catched her, unraveling her of the sackcloth, only to reveal a giant melon.
"WHESE IS MY SISTER??" Prometi gripped the wooden sword he had unknowingly carried with him all this time, prompting it into an attacking position.
The remaining despoiler looked at him silently.
"Your sister is back home." A soft and calming voice spoke. It almost made him groggy.
"You took her! You must have already sold her off and lead me here on a wild goose chase!!" he had been so blinded with emotions that he didn't stop to think.
There was a pause and the kidnapper continued to look at him.
"Your sister is back home but you have been tricked. Look back down."
Prometi did as she said without second thought, finding her voice too good to not listen to. On the lesser busy clay ground lied the other kidnapper, unmoving.
"Your partner is dead." He couldn't stand to look more.
"Look again." The voice was more demanding but retained its soft nature.
Prometi concentrated on the corpse below him as he watched liquid pool around and it felt like he could stomach it no longer, but he kept looking and then he heard a crack. A snapped and then the body began to move and bend and twist before leaping into the air knocking over the cloak to reveal a harvest of bontiful blinding blonde hair. The figure then jumped and scaled back onto the rooftop which had been quite high.
"Hi hi!!" The voice this time was cheery and seemed to leak energy.
"W-What?" He was astonished.
"Did you really think I would die that easily? Ha!! This is child's play but nice to meet you. I am Milli and this is my best friend Lea and you've just been pranked."
Prometi sat there, mouth agape. It felt like a slapped in the face and too good to be true.
"You better believe it Prometius. This is real life. Your sister is safe, this was all an illusion." The cheery voice continued with no acknowledgement of his feelings.
"Why would you do something like this?!?" He could feel the anger rising up from deep within.
The blonde woman paused and smiled sweetly at him and leaned in.
"We were wondering what this 'locked-up prince' would do? You who gazed longily outside like a trapped bird. What would you have done with a just a push?" She stared deeply at him, at least that what it looked like to him since he could barely see her face even now without her cloak.
"You should go back. They are now looking for you." The calmer voice spoke and drew closer to Prometi.
They crowded him and lifted him up and before Prometi could think he was whisked away into the night, the women, Milli and Lea seamlessly jumping from rooftop to rooftop. It was smooth and graceful and not long Prometi found himself on the footsteps of the east wing of his castle.
Milli planted him down softly onto the stone path.
"Well, we hope you enjoyed your one-way dream ticket, and we hope to see you soon." He heard her enthusiasm in his left ear.
"We will see you soon." In his right ear was that calming tone and soon he was left with silence.
Too stunned to think, Prometi walked into the castle and saw it was bright once again and that there as a sound of hurried footsteps all around.
"There you are your highness!!"
"Are you alright? We have been looking for you everywhere!!"
Servants surrounded him and hurried him deeper into the castle where he was met with the worried expressions of his family.
"Prometi, where have you been?" His mother quickly took him in her arms.
"Judith said she saw you running out but not where you went. You know the rules! You are not allowed outside until it's time!!" His father roared.
"Brother, why did you leave?"
"Brother, where did you go?"
"Brother, are you okay?"
His three younger siblings gripped his legs in a hug and his mother who was firmly holding him now loosed her hold.
"Prometius. Why are you holding a giant melon?"
He looked down in his arms to see the clothed melon that was thrown at him earlier and found that his wooden sword was now gone and then his brain froze as he could find no logical explanation to what happened to him tonight.
~
Time was ticking for Nastius as he swerved through the shuts of the city. He had just arrived in the capital of Gailus, Quienevere. Also, home of the Galian King and Queen and their heirs. To many travelers it was called the city of the blue star ocean due to it being the port of the most turquoise sea and to the phenomenon sailors would noticed far out at sea that the many lights and lanterns that glisten from the city in the darkness of the night.
Unlike the rowdier crowds of Einshire or the haughty crowds of Lascivie, Galius at night was much quieter. Fewer drunkards regurtugating their drinks, fewer unruly youngsters trying their luck and no squawking high laughter. Plenty of people were either inside already or could be seen rushing inside. For those without home it was given that they would go spend the night at their local sanctuary, but many would be turn away at the door for either being too unsightly, smelly, or not paying at least one franc for the night.
"No offering, no shelter!!"
SLAM.
Nastius watched as a shagged old man is pushed off the stairs of a chapel by the closing doors. The warm light made contrast the bruised pale skin of the man. Quickly, he scurried for the dark alleys to hide in the shadows from the nightly patrol man. They too were funded by the Church of Vio as some form of community service. The patrol men wore white plated mail armor with helm and a long cape embroided with the church's symbol.
The weather in Gailus quickly dropped during the night and Nastuis was grateful he had at least kept his cloak while being chased. He swiftly covered himself in it and did as those unwanted in the capital of Gailus and hid and not so soon the one-two-one marching and clinging of metal could be heard. It was the sound that announced the coming of the nightly patrol men. It was also a warning.
Nastius slipped away from the oncoming private army and went further away from the center point of the capital. In order to get to Einshire quickly he would have to use another teleportation pad. Luckily one had been near the edge of the city, which he wasn't too far from now. Cautiously he stalked over through the scarce silhouette of houses and empty market vendors.
"Over there!!" A loud shout rang out.
"THERE'S SOMEONE ON THE ROOF."
Roof?
Nastius peeked as soon as he noticed the shadows of people looming down on the marbled street. As he turned his head upwards a little, he could make out three people. Two of them wearing light cloaks and one who clearly had a stature of a male wearing nothing but what looked to be his night clothes.
He was nothing but amused and let a sly smirk slipped from his face. This was something he would've never expected from any Galian since they were seen as more reserved and modest people from the outside. No, this behavior was more accurate to a Lascivien who were usually more adventurous and risqué.
However, his amusement died quickly when he noticed the attraction they were bringing, so he kept low, and changed direction again. Although, it would slow him down, it was better than being caught, especially if the paladins were still on his trail.
Thankfully, all was tranquil for the rest of the way. This church was similar to the one back in Ignasualt. It was located under a seaside cliff in a small cave in a fairly isolated area. The tide had come in and separated it from the main city. It was not deep enough to require one to swim and the waves were gentle. Nastius had tried to keep hidden for long, but it was hard to in the open sands where the celestial lights from above put every grain in fine light.
By the time he was inside of the cave his anxiety lessened a bit and
~
(The Twins)
Outis felt as if he had found unwanted troubles. The blueprints he had received from the two women had send him in a spiral of deep thoughts. He couldn't help but admire the complex simplicity of the mechanics and devices he was looking at. It was beyond sophistication and within realms of actualization. It felt as if any invention in the pages of the manuscript could actually come to life. Although, there was a lot of new phrases, methods and tools he could not recognize. Though they were explained in great lengths what their purpose were, it felt too foreign.
To think this would divert his attention from his actual goals was foolish. He has been steadily collecting information from the bratty school-goers of the Alexandrite academy to put together a jist of some plan.
The school was more guarded than what it seemed to the untrained eye. Silent guards and paladins blend in well and there was this mysterious diamond device that was in the middle of the front yard. It let out a steady glow each time a young brat walked through the gates. He spent a good amount of time stalking the building to see that if any commoner tried to go a foot over their gold-plated fence it would glow red and spin very fast and the intruder would immediately be forced out, violently.
It was troublesome.
Outis stood blankly in front of the bubbling beaker as the color turned pink. It was the last of the batch for the next day, but he wasn't sure how long he would have to do this. The ame-cristal, the source of naturally grown magic crystals, have been harder and harder to get. Without it he can't continue to do business, bribe the idiots of the school, or finally be able to send these elf twins off to live well.
Now, he wasn't sure if he would be able to do that either.
As always, as it had been lately, he mind started to wander back to those blueprints. There was something he missed inside of them.
Quickly, he finished the medicine he had been brewing and walked pass the last customer.
"Hey-what about my stuff. I already paid you." A hooded man followed impatiently.
"Basil, give him the product and see him out. I am closing shop early today."
With that the guy was given what he bought and was ushered out. Outis walked toward the table where he first talked to them. The blueprints laid there neatly, almost untouched. He coyly flipped through the pages. The he saw it. A rectangular structure similar to the one in front of Alexandrite.
'Le facilitateur'
It was written in old eiscatic. The language before the great war of 1215 b.f.d.
Nowadays, the only people who knew or even remotely spoke the language were members of the Church.
Outis scrutinized the text, not all of it was written in eiscatic. It was a mix of modern and the old as well as another completely foreign language. Whoever wrote this, is definitely part of the Church. That very fact disgusted him, and he would've lost all interest i the blueprint and was thinking about burning it when he heard curt knocks.
The store was closed, and it was almost night outside so who could be at the door.
It continued in pace and loudness. Basil looked hard at the door, ready to pounce. It was good that his sibling was asleep in the upper rooms.
Outis let out an aggravated sigh, rubbing his head in frustration. Whoever it was just kept on knocking and knocking until he had enough. Impatiently, he got out his chair, signaled the irritated elf twins to hide somewhere quiet as to not hurt their hearing any longer, and peeked through the peephole.
It was exactly who he hoped it wouldn't be. The two-woman stood valiantly outside.
With another sigh, Outis unlocked the door for them.
"About time you answer." The same striking voice met his ears almost calming him down from whatever state he was in.
Almost.
"Answer? Well, answer me this what are you two doing bringing me a blueprint from the Church!! I do not want to be concern of whatever ploy or scheme you two are doing. It is enough as it is already. Take it and leave." He made sure to give every ounce of venom and hatred in the little speech.
Darkening his glance and increasing all sense of intimidation he had learned over the years. It worked with a hundred percent success rate and made sure people would leave him alone.
This, however, had no effect on them. Milli (somehow, he remembered her name), only smiled while Leah looked impassive as ever.
"Those blueprints aren't from the church. They stole them from the guy who made them. All his ideas, inventions, blood and soul went into those thick pages, and this is how he is rewarded." It was Leah who spoke next, her voice calmer than a still sea.
Outis had found that they have somehow brought him back to where he was sitting.
"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity bestow onto greatness." Milli sighed and looks up dreamily.
"We want you to do something for us and we are a little tight on time. There is something we need made quickly and in quantity."
Leah reached out for the blueprints and swiftly flipped through them before stopping and laying it on the table.
Outis peered down at the page.
Transmitter.
It was a rhombus shaped device that allowed for sharing pictures, messages and...videos? It was similar to the virement the Church and the Prodigal uses for broadcasting to the public, except theirs is more like light being refracted through ame-cristal by their own soul magic.
"You would only need to make one or two. We know you are falling short out of the cristals. Here's our proposal: if you create at least two of these we will show you where a huge batch of them are. Not even if Lascivian government or secret soldiers even know. They too have been searching everywhere only to find nothing." Lea pointed at the transmitter center diagram.
Rumors have been spreading about the lack of ame-cristals underground. Everyone wanted one and everyone need a lot. It is the core center of economics in the empire, used by both the Church and the peasants. It has also become a substitution for a silent sickness that have been going for a few decades.
Outis has seen it take away children from their parents, old men from families and much more. Although, it seemed to mostly be targeting young ones now. It has gained a name: malquer, for those who lack.
Even with all of this, he couldn't just trust anything they've said.
"Why do you want this? You could pick anyone to create this so why choose me? What's your position with the Chruch? You have said some rather blasphemous things against them. What are you going to do if I report this." He stared them down unempathetically.
Yet again they only smiled back at him. It was getting creepy the more they do it.
"Why would you waste such a Valuble opportunity to get back at them. Our position with the church is obvious. What we truly want is one thing and one thing only. Retribution."
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