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Zhao released a pent up burst of exaggerated, hysterical laughter at Kuter's final words. Wiping an imaginary tear from his eye, he asked, grinning, "Are you really so blinded by your aggressive tendencies that you would think a warrior such as yourself could rule a kingdom? It takes more than an iron fist to win wars, to negotiate peace, and to lead your subjects towards prosperity. Answer me this, sirrah, has your people's kingdom flourished as the Empire has over the last few centuries? Or have you remained as average as ever?"

The abyssal one, denied his pleasure now sat with his legs crossed staring blankly at the skeleton. His eyes glowed azure and he seemed locked in thought, even his iconic grin was little more than a slight frown. Alma, as if taking enjoyment in the serenity couldn't help but find her master's silence distasteful. Perched upon his head, she began to peck at the side of his skull to gain attention, only for the withered hand to reply with a scratch upon his mangled hair. "Twas why would one deny me so? Even pick'd em clean, why he be nothin' but bones.." Farqual looked down at his own tattered state, his iconic manic smile returned "Why even I am half way there, so unkind ye be.. but there can always be another to quell this need."

He stretched his long arms out behind, only to whip them forward as he brought the rest of his flesh in motion, preforming a somersault only to land and walk it off like it was normal. Still brimming with energy he was, but not to be mistaken, his mood was still sour. He looked in way to the other captures, thinking of malicious and ominous ways, only for Alma to take quick flight and mildly attack the master's head. A curse escaped his lips, intangible in language or at least aged from this era, he lightly swatted around in defense from the fowls attack. Finally he spoke "Very well, very well, you've made your point! Damn be your ways, but they'll rue theis day.." Alma ended this scene and returned to her nest, almost prideful in fact as if winning in this 'debate'. Farqual however, gritted his teeth as his arms held limp, tired from the struggle and spiteful in least. He gave a moment before he let a small chuckle escape, a small smirk if he would, and spoke as if to himself "If I can't do all that I wish, then let death be mine.. we may be two of the same.. but this one is mine.." He looked at the corpse that lacked it's head, crushed by a Dzárg who talks nothing but boredom. In a slow pace he walked over, pushing any in his way without diversion. He stopped before the bloody mess, looking back to Valadrir prior to his own spoken verse wit his gleaming sight "You say killing is wrong? Then what of the spiders that must feast on flies? What of the foxes that chase the hare? If killing is wrong, then so to is living? For you say things so trivial, when a world around is anything but?" He seemed to lavish the thought of mocking others, just as much as he enjoyed tormenting the same. For if there was any true reason in his voice, then his mind would be far from crazed

The blue Sidhe rolled her eyes and hummed as the conversatuon went on until she decided to say her piece. "Yeah yeah, blah blah, but nothing's gonna change, so who cares? One moody Dzarg isn't going to change something that's been in place for centuries."

The Discussion on the Morality of killing

"Well my father did say any boon." Valadrir commented to the others but specifically to Mizu on his shoulder. The Prince shuddered and shook his head, as if a chill had passed through him. "I doubt he would let you dismantle the Monarchy, but he would certainly consider raising you to the position of adviser or some equivalent should any of you wish it. Why, however, I do not know. Why he even chose any of you is as obscure to me as any of you, specifically the more murderous brutes of our party." Valadrir said shrugging his shoulders.

The Prince looked at The Abyssal One with a mixture of pity and disgust. "Anyone who can't tell the difference between murder and predation is a sad one indeed. We are not animals, though some of us may be a mix thereof." The Prince said with a slight smile. "We praise the fox for his cunning yet recognize that his is a path born out of necessity and survival, those of a higher thinking are burdened with the responsibility for their actions, as I am sure you are familiar with, Shift." Valadrir said giving him a knowing glance.

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Paz
Apart from their ramblings, the night was a rather quiet one. The air was still cool but the nightbirds had quieted their song, and a preternatural silence had fallen over the once lively path. There was no impending danger that anyone could sense, but a general unease could be felt in the night air.

It was Talira, who spoke up. Being the most vocal of the trio of helper npcs guardians, she felt as the "voice" of their group. "Celestials, they always get so dramatic. Going on and on about fate, judgement and the goddess. Concepts that we don't even know of or comprehend in the real world. Their time seems to have passed... Or at least their ideals have." Talira said directing the comment to Paz, whom she felt some kind of kinship with beyond being part of the same race.


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Malek

"That spell you used, are you an artist by chance?" Tsaokaru, the Sorcerer, asked Malek with an inquisitive tone. The Crow Demon was not particularly talkative except when it came to the secrets of Arcana, that was really the only thing he cared about.


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Keler

"Forgive him, he doesn't really understand things from your kind's perspective." Cliff said suddenly to the Muurae, who by all rights should have been [&@%!] at the chastising he had received. Cliff looked at the Muurae with an unusually understanding look, the source of which was unclear.

"Point taken, boss." Mizu admitted, turning over and laying on her stomach atop the prince's shoulder. "You think it's wise to be blurting out options to help these guys undermine your monarchy though? If you ask me, it doesn't seem like you're all to thrilled about the idea of ruling."

"Me? Oh yes, I am an artist indeed, although not professional or anything. Don't think anyone would want to buy my scribbles...well, maybe they would actually, I've never really shown anyone my work." Malek pondered the notion for a second, after answering Tsaokaru's question.

"It's a natural skill really, although I do practice quite a bit. Those conjuring spells don't work very well with a shoddy drawing, it has to be something of quality - life like, you know?"

"How about you, Kar? You got any interest in the arts? Now, I don't sell drawings but I do sell wooden and metallic items of all kinds. Make them myself, right in my own workshop! See these?" he gestured to his sais, "All my own work!"
Malek looked at Karu's expression to see whether he looked impressed or not.

"Want a closer look?" He was fairly sure that the crow demon would decline his offer, but he was enjoying the attention that he was getting and was glad of a conversation that wasn't about the morality of killing.

Paz nodded in agreement with Talira. "I know. I don't care about gods or lineage. I don't care what Celsetials do, I just want to be left alone, be able to do my own thing. Not hurting anyone, well not anyone who doesn't deserve it. But they never leave you be." said Paz. It was nice talking to Talira, she was another Shift so at least he could know she wouldn't treat him badly because of his race, but he felt a certain level of kinship between them too. "Were you born in Yundra?"

Keler grumbled, his stomach rumbled as he still crunched down on the arm. "Such unyielding gaze focused on oneself's race amuses me so." He said softly, a touch upon all his weapons, the message clear. "Seen from my perspective.. we treat thieves simple. Bake their hands and one toe, depending on the circumstances of such thievery, more power to the victim than to the taker. Murderers are fed to families.. alive." The savage grin came from such unusual punishments. "More so if of our kind, than if of others. No power gained. Bandits such as them should be honoured to be eaten even partially by my parents, by a heir of a family."

Then his gaze turned to Cliff. "Would you feed me if it were just us against those bandits? Allowing me to take their arms and eat it in front of them?" Such a question would desperately require an answer, strings modeled itself around air, a string figure dangling from one of Keler's hands, missing their arms like the bandits should be.

Tsaokaru and The Artist Malek

"Artist? Me? Only with magic, I have never had the necessary skills anywhere else. And sure, I would love a closer look." Karu said holding out his hand for a closer look.

Keler

"I would not allow you to feed on the living, only the dead. But I would let you have your fill, for the dead know nothing...." Cliff said to Keler speaking honestly. The warrior was not as savage as Keler but he could understand why the Muurae were the way they are.

Paz

Talira nodded, beginning to say something but stopping herself. "I was born there, actually to tell you the truth I lived there during the time of troubles, just after the assassination attempt..." Talira said to Paz, being surprisingly forthright about her past.

Mizu and the Prince

"I don't see the harm, if it keeps them motivated to continue then it works for me. If that was what they truly wanted, they would have wished for it regardless of my saying so. Besides, I can't say what my father will or won't do..." Valadrir said to Mizu, his gaze falling on the Sidhe.

Kúter looked at the bandits and said "Flee and hope that you do not bump into me or i will seperate you from your pathetic lives." He fought his urge to finish the bandits and wanted to get on with the quest to avoid wasting time. "Is this delay neccessary?" He asked the prince.

Kuter

"Delay? We are moving along the road as we speak towards our destination. We will enter the land of Foxes in about a day, from there we can take ship to the Eastern Sea and from there the Island of Souls." Valadrir said to the D'zarg giving him a confused look shaking his head.

"Are the foxes hostile to all who enter or do they keep to themselves?" Kúter asked Valadir as he walked with the group. He kept a constant eye on his surrondings and was expecting an ambush by his enemy at all times.

"As one of my father's vassals, one would certainly hope not. However, once we enter keep in mind that things may appear to change drastically, and do not trust what you see for the foxes are masters of all illusions. Much of their kingdom is unknowable to the eyes of most foreigners and even to several natives. They are mostly harmless and usually only pick off the weak, or in some cases, the stupid." Valadrir said to the D'zarg trying to explain the nature of the dangers they might face. "Likely we are being watched by them even now outside of their borders."

The shift, amused more with his own thoughts and insanity that the scene before him, though the vision of seeing Keler's race ravage their prey about with limbs flying to and fro certainly put a pleasant smile upon tis face. Keeping more or less to himself, he used the faceless corspe beside him as a cushion to which to sit, taking his company with his Alma to which shared his bipolar mindset. He spoke for what he thought, ingulfed within his own little world, it seemed as though he forgot he was far from alone.

"Oh why must we conflict as so? I who dreams to be free from within this cage, trapped within without bitter escape. You who remembers that fateful day, forever lost in this wicked shade. We are both two of the same, but desire similar ends that are far from the same..." A pause was taken and his eyes looked up, listening well to his companion as such but no words were spoken, only silence, not even a slight hint that the raven was sentient. Farqual shrugged his shoulders as if in response, speaking in reply like a crazed man without his mind "Ah but you see that troubles me so.. But I'll let you have this wish till the end of this road. Till then heed this reminder as I have said before.. I will be free come that day, and this wretched body can be your's once more.."

He stood up from his oddly comfortable seat, all the while grabbing the corspe by it's wrist. His eyes still shimmered and his grin still wide as to when he heard of their planned way. "The Land of Foxes? I hear they be watching? So then lets give them a wave!" As if on queue, he ripped off the arm of his dead 'friend', flailing it about as if like a prop before he tossed it off with little care at the still living bandits "Maybe we should chase these 'foxes' like some hounds, oh what fun that can be had this day!" He seemed oddly cheerful, making his way over to Kúter, Alma struggling to keep balance upon his hat as he moved in an eccentric manner. He came to a halt, placing his long ominous arm over the warrior's shoulder in a very casual manner. He looked out to others, a glimmer in his eyes as a slight sinister smile to match his vile ways. "We have a journey ahead of us don't you think? Far to the East we travel this road, so lets litter it with bodies, oh what a treat!" He snickered in this blight, even his own deep obsession with death was something even he took casually.

Malek was pleasantly surprised that Karu excepted his offer of a closer look. "Great, here you go!"
He handed the demon the sais from his left leg.

"See, lots of people make the handle from wood, but I make the whole thing from one solid piece of metal - makes the whole thing much stronger. Careful, it's sharper than it looks!" he said with a grin.

Malek listened as the Prince spoke of the places that they would soon be reaching and his excitement grew. He had seen very little of the world and was keen to experience new sights and people.

A smirk came across his face when Valadrir mentioned that the foxes may pick off 'the stupid'. "Looks like Kuter better be careful then" he said quietly, as he leaned in towards Karu. He gave a hearty chuckle that made his fangs come into view.

"These illusions you speak of, they sound intriguing. As for the Island of Souls......why is it named so? It's not plagued with dead bodies or ghosts or something, is it?"
He addressed his question to Valadrir, presuming that he had all the answers.

"I was here when it happened. With my sister, we were investigating human ruins. Things were pretty bad afterwards, if we were lucky people wanted nothing to do with us, if not..." said Paz remembering what occurred back then, after the assassination attempt. "Probably wouldn't have survived if it wasn't for my sister. Had to learn to fight after that, imagine most Shifts did."

"If they betray you, kill them." Kúter told Valadir as he thought about the traitor that he was hunting. "It sounds like their main fortification is deception and stealth." He said to Valadir whilst walking along side him. He was keeping a constant vigilance and was thinking of how to kill the traitor without risking harm to the book.

"Kill kill kill, maim maim maim." Mizu mused as she kicked back on the oh-so-comfortable perch that was the prince's shoulder. "Boy, you ever get tired of threatening people? That's gotta give you headaches."

"That was not a threat.It was an observation on a potential enemy." Kúter told Mizu. He suspected Lúo may try to recruit the foxes to his cause and that the group would be in grave peril if that happened. However, he cared little for the group and had no reason to tell them about it.

Alma started to stir her gaze, switching the angle of her view till she stopped, listening on to some Shifts while her master toyed with others so. In the mist of his snickering, his eyes narrowed in a glow and he grew mute. He lost interest quick with his potential snack, concerning himself more with idle chat he had no part in. In a slightly rude manner, but by no means a suprise from his spite, he pushed himself away from Kuter so that he may wander to where he cared.

He slowly grew closer to Paz and Talira as they traveled, mildly mischivious as were his ways. "Pardom if I may, but I couldn't help to intrude..." Though while his aura be that of omens, his words were honest as he was trying to pry for info rather than death. "Kin of Yundra, what is this I hear? What became of our land to where shadows dwell? I for one could have cared little more, but my friend here wishes to know for which you tell.." he said, refering to the Raven upon his head "Though of this assassination, that I do care, so please if you may tell us more..."

"Don't doubt the power of deception, dzarg." Jun-Li told Kúter. "Often, it holds more power than a weapon ever could. A seed of doubt, a taste of false love, all can kill a man as well as, if not better than a sword." He stated, thinking that Kúter was the type to worry about his weapon rather than his wits and guile.

"I am fully aware of how powerful deception can be." Kúter told Jun-li. "Back home, we have these creatures that turn invisible. They are vicious and have developed a taste for visitors to our land. We have wiped out their nests several times and razed their hiding places to the ground many times but like all vermin, they continue to exist." He informed Jun-li. The creatures he spoke of were 5ft Lizards that had the ability to turn invisible. They were fierce beasts and fed on visitors to the lands but they never tried to eat Dzárgs.