hi

can i be the advisor?

You have to send me a pm with your skelly, I’ll make some decisions when I get enough people interested

The light from the afternoon sun shone in through the windows, catching a few crystals that hung over the glass and casting small rainbows across the room. It was normally a soothing thing, something that brought peace and tranquility to the boy who resided within the room, but they didn't seem to have their desired effect today. Bright eyes of amethyst followed one of the rainbow smears to eventually stop on a spray of red, one that contrasted greatly with the white of his walls. It had long since dried, being only a few hours old, but brought vivid memories back to the boy with hair the color of blood. Dark and terrible things were in store for the future of Evermore but he wasn't quite sure what to do about it. The young mage carefully rose to his feet from sitting against the wall and reached out a small hand to pick up his staff. The skillfully crafted object jingled softly as it moved, the metal rings looped inside of the main ornament on the top. He could hear the bustle of people, mainly soldiers, out in the hallway nearby, their strong and gruff voices carrying all over the castle. From his position he couldn't make out full sentences but he doubted it was important to his line of work. It hardly ever was, mostly about their postings and training. Silently the boy left his room and moved down the hallway, his other hand clutching the paw of a stuffed toy dog. The toy rarely left his side, a rather important piece to the young mage. Not many understood his connection to it but he didn't expect them to. He mostly kept to himself since his arrival a few years ago as he felt rather insecure around the rest of the castle court. They were so much older and wiser than he was, how could he ever measure up? Seth's ability to glimpse into future events was the only thing to gain him his position at such a young age. Her Majesty saw it as a useful tool, something to help them stay one step ahead of anything that may have been thrown at them. Even though the Princess believed in him and thought him to have great value, he still felt the rest of the castle court didn't trust him or accept his abilities. He was a rather negative boy when it involved his relationships with others and prevented himself from getting too close to anyone. He was just too scared of what they would think.

The sunlight beamed into zaria's room, as it hit her face she slowly began to wake. A maid was in her room and smiled, Zaria smiled back with Joy and stood up "My, May you pick me a new dress to wear? I want to go see the knights train and than take a walk around the castle." She spoke calmly then yawned. The maiden nodded and picked out an elegant dress for her.  Zaria stared out the window for a while before putting on her dress, she than put on some heels so that she wouldn't be so short. When she did so, she brushed her hair and put  purple flower crown in it, then left her room and walked down the hall to the corridor, where she smiled at the other servants and walked out of the castle. She was smelling some roses and decided she wanted some in her room later, so she would pick some. "My are these such beauty's" she said as her smile faded "Such sadness that they never live long" as she walked a path and asked a maiden to escourt her to the trainig room, she loved watching them train as she wished she could as well. No one would have to know, that's why she did so every night, she trained her self and practices the moves she saw the nights doing, and study's them. She smiled as she watched those who were already there training

The advisor lay in his messy bed, half asleep. Normally, he'd have the curtains drawn to avoid getting sunlight in his room--as he was no morning person--but today they were open. He had forgotten to shut them last night, due to his stressful day before. He had lots of things that needed to be done, but could barely get one or two done in time. Cassian held his arm over his eyes, not wanting to even get up to simply close the curtains. He grumbled something incoherently, eventually sitting up.  "Ugh..." He yawned, rubbing his eyes, before swinging his feet over the side of his bed. "Another day to face, I suppose," he mumbled as he stood. He swayed for a second before regaining his balance. 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘵'𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵... he thought to himself. The young advisor adjusted his curtains so they were opened properly. He then moved over to his closet where he kept his clothes. He stared for a minute, unsure of what to wear. It wasn't like today was a special day, he just liked looking decent. Cassian eventually chose a simple shirt and trousers, along with his usual satchel he carried around. In it was a few basic potions, his journal, and pencils. He walked out the door to wander the castle. He typically went straight to work, but today he figured he could use a nice walk around.

[h3 +] Small, quiet footsteps brought the child to his destination: the infirmary. Immediately the smell of alcohol hit his nose and caused it to wrinkle a bit; the near sterile environment always smelled this way. Sunlight filtered in through the large windows and brightened up the white room even more, Seth easily able to see nurses moving through the large room as they completed their daily duties and cared for patients. Carefully he rested his staff against the wall near the door so he could easily grab it later and made his way to the back of the room, nurses giving him gentle smiles as he passed them. The boy was a regular in this place, he was here on a near weekly basis which was far more than many of the others employed through the castle. It wasn’t because he was accident prone or a slave to self-injury but because of his gift; seeing things that others could not came with a hefty and bloody price tag. Visions of upcoming events caused blood to drip from his right eye and, seeing as it occurred several times of week, required to keep a small army of gauze pads and tape handy. The infirmary staff were aware of the small boy’s needs and kept a shelf fully stocked for him to come and replenish his supplies whenever he needed to which allowed them to continue their daily duties and Seth to not feel as if he were bothering them. Small hands gathered the needed supplies and gave the nurses another small smile before silently exiting the room, leaving his staff to collect at a later time. Once his findings were dropped off into his room he found himself back in the spacious hallways again. Seth had his own work to do and books to study that were stacked neatly on his desk top but he didn’t have the motivation to work on them. Not now. Not after such a vivid forewarning of future events for Evermore. The small mage always found it difficult to concentrate after such an occurrence and would usually choose to wander aimlessly as he sorted his thoughts out and came up with a plan of action. Many times one could be reached with a few hours of thought but this one was different…This one had happened rather early that morning and he still had no answers. He couldn’t present it to the princess, not like this, but something would have to be figured out soon. He didn’t want to ruin her day until he absolutely had to. Seth’s mind continued to work itself in circles as he continued on his path, not seeing the advisor until it was far too late. The small mage collided into him and fell on his butt, the stuffed dog tumbling out of his robe and to the floor. He quickly rose to his feet, keeping his eyes down and began to straighten out his clothes as he spoke quietly. [+purple “I’m sorry, I didn’t notice you. Are you okay?”]

The advisor roamed the halls curiously. He never really got a detailed look of the place. The ornate designs on the walls, the precious decorations dotted here and there, or even the curtains--embroidered with floral-like patterns and designs. It wasn't like Cassian was new to the castle--he'd lived here for two years or so now--but he was always busy. There was something in the back of his mind, constantly nagging him on about how he needed to finish making lists or help some townsfolk with minor feuds, among other things. Other things that could easily wait. That was what the young man was doing now--having a break. There was still a meager little voice in his subconscious bickering, "Hey! Remember that thing you said you'd do today?" or "Cassian LeBlanc! You ought to get that done right now. Go turn back to your room and get to work, you lazy little-" he shook the thoughts out of his mind roughly. Cassian was not in the mood for negativity today. He huffed, turning a corner. Just as he turned, the first thing he saw was a young boy. Who soon collided with him, nearly falling on his rear like the boy did. He hadn't noticed the small stuffed bear fall until he regained his balance. He swiftly picked it up after the boy stood with an apology. "No, I'm sorry. Here," he said with a soft smile, handing him the bear. He cleared his throat, trying to remain... Professional wasn't quite the word... Cas didn't like to seem too vulnerable around people he didn't know. He righted himself, thinking, ``Oh, it's fine. Might as well repay the kid somehow for knocking him off his feet.`` He soon spoke. "I'm fine, sorry. Are you okay? You're the one who seemed to take a tumble, so to speak."

Zaria watched the trainers train, and she smiled as she studied their moves. She was a quick learner and she was able to learn the moves; quicker than most of them. Of course she couldn't let anyone know but it was her small secert, as well as her weather powers. She had to maintain a calm personality; if she didn't stay calm her powers could cause distruction. Ofc  other's weren't allowed knowing of her magical emotions; She was very smart as well but sometimes considered dumb when nervous. She never really spoke much to others; as she just used sounds to communicate. As she didn't wanna sound dumb or say something unrelated. She walked away from the training ground and walked into the hall, looking at the ground as she walked. [I kind of a quiet day..] she thought and than A maid came up and told her she needed to try on a dress. She didn't like dresses as much as it seemed but she put on a bright smile and nodded anyways; "OK. Lead the way to the dressing room." She said and followed her expression faded from joy to dead-  Zaria had been not the best, as she wanted to explore or be like the others. But her duty was to be a royal and maintain the castle, so that is what she will do. ((So sorry if this isn't good- school is in the way- and I just got a new phone-)

[h3 +] This was a face Seth had seen before but barely interacted with. He remembered sitting across from the thinner male in court meetings, giving wise input but doing so selectively. He didn’t speak to many people on his own, seeming to just float outside of the inner circles instead of joining them. The boy had no room to judge as he had a similar manner but he imagined they had very different reasons for behaving the way that they did. He always remembered Cas being like this since his arrival, even though many found it strange they seemed to dismiss it due to the male’s intelligence and position in the court. A small hand reached out and took the fallen toy as it was offered, holding the brown dog against his chest while violet eyes gazed up at the man that towered over him. Seth was quite small for his age so nearly everyone in the building was taller than he was; he had grown used to having to look up at others a long time ago. Her majesty assured him that he would grow but he found himself wondering if she truly believed it or if she was just being nice. His size didn’t bother him, in fact it usually worked to his advantage: Seth could squeeze into places that no one else could and his young age often caused him to be overlooked by others. [+purple “Thank you,”] he answered softly. His voice was usually on the quieter side, never raising it unless he needed to. [+purple “I’m okay, just a little embarrassed, I guess. I’m usually more careful…”] His voice trailed off a bit as the thoughts that had been previously clouding his mind had returned but they dulled a bit as Seth suddenly realized that he was standing in front of the smartest man in the court. That was the role of the Advisor. And if he didn’t know the answer then he had access to it through records and files. Perhaps Seth could get an answer to his problem without bringing it to the attention of the entire castle staff first. [+purple “This is going to sound a bit odd and quite out of sorts but….would you be willing to open the records vault for me?”] he asked softly. It didn’t hurt to try.

Zaria finished her dress fitting and walked out, as she passed the advisor and the mage she smile lightly. She was with 2 others maids as they were taking her to look at tiaras even though she loved her flower one.. Zaria than looked back down with a look of despair. She seemed board and looked to not even be enjoying her role- But she did love her role she just wish it didn't have so much to do..  The princess was in her purple dress, as her pretty emerald/ruby silver eyes sparkled a bit. The pale girl seemed to of been walking kinda funny as she was limping a bit. [I 'I pushed myself to hard..'] she thought as the night before she was using her magical gifts to help her train.. but it ended up injuring her foot. As she didn't let none of the staff know since they would fuss too much.. Zaria stayed quiet as the 2 staff workers spoke to her seems they were telling her so much at once as it was over whelming..  ((Idk how- but my words are like- a mix of red and white- ;-; and I have no idea what I did-))

The soldier glanced at the time, too aware of his surroundings when most were nonchalant and relaxed. He couldn’t help it. Waking up in the dark hours, exercising to keep his body ready and able, eating hearty with no one in the mess hall. And for what? All his hard work to be the head Handler to the royal family. To the King and Queen and the children of the court.  Captain Reaver rubbed the bridge of his nose, clacking around in thin armor as he watched the little princess tiptoe around the garden in frilly dresses and accompanying maids. He kept a fair distance from the young heir, doing his best to be involved always indirectly. Every day, this was it. Protecting the most protected family in the kingdom.  The handler paused, watching a young pair he recognised from the council come to a painful contact. The advisor and the mage. Reaver wasn’t sure if he fully trusted a child to predict the very futures of Evermore and even less so to an advisor that seemed to fiddle with insecurity. One day those two may have to make a grave decision, he hoped they were ready for it.  The last of Seth’s words piqued his interest, however, and not for the better.  Reaver adjusted himself before crossing the short distance of the courtyard, putting his hands on his hips. [#317854 “The young mage knows his place, does he not?”] he inquired, looking between the two. [#317854 “Why would a youngling like yourself be in need of restricted reading only allowed by the very few?”] He smiled, already enjoying the reprieve of monotony.

[i “The young mage knows his place, does he not? “Why would a youngling like yourself be in need of restricted reading only allowed by the very few?”] The mage’s form visibly tensed as he heard the deeper voice. It didn’t come from Cassian, not only did his lips not move but the voice came from behind him. Violet eyes shifted to peek over his shoulder, confirming what he thought he knew from his ears: Reaver had joined their conversation. Though he had a soft smirk on his lips, it didn’t reach his eyes. A multitude of emotions began to flow through the child, the most recognizable one being panic. His plan of keeping the information he had gathered that morning to himself was now in jeopardy, not only would the majority of the castle find out but it could cause a bit of hysteria. It was better for everyone if he could come up with a solution quietly and with as few people involved as possible. [+purple “…I…um….”] Seth bit his lip as he tried to think of the right words to say and his grip tightened a bit on the stuffed dog in his hands. He was certain that whatever lie he could tell would be seen through immediately by one if not both men. Perhaps a vague answer would do. [+purple “…I…need to do some research on Evermore’s history before I meet with the royal family tonight,”] he answered quietly. It wasn’t a lie, not completely. The records vault contained all of the written history of their kingdom and the surrounding areas, if he were to find an answer to the vision he had then it would most certainly be in there. [+purple “I just need access to it for a couple of hours.”]

The awkwardness in his speech and stance was enough to make the young mage look guilty but Captain Reaver knew his place. Despite his best effort to intimidate, he and the King knew that the fortune teller's words were just beside the princess’. Reaver had no more a say than the maidens that frolocaed around in utter ignorant bliss. But he wasn’t one to broadcast.  The handler couldn’t recall a research inquiry from their last roundtable meeting- not that they ever talked about anything remotely invigorating- but he would have noted something to follow up on. [#317854 “What pretell would that be? I don’t recall homework at our last meeting- do you Cassian? While he can let you into the hall of records, it is my duty to protect the kingdom from devious and suspicious acts.”]  Reaver crossed his arms, watching the small Seth fumble for another excuse to throw his way. Regardless of the outcome, he was sure it was nothing to worry about. The kingdom was always safe. Nothing ever happened in Evermore.

Zaria was in her bedroom, once again. Her Mother and Father were arranging events for the night, as she was in her room. Zaria was told to be in her best formal wear and in her real tiara. Not her flower Crown as she would be seen childish. Since they would be meeting with the young mage tonight, Zaria was told to be formal and very mature.  Zaria, in her ways, Had no interests in this meeting. As she just wanted to sneak out and watch the knights train again. This meeting would also mean Zaria couldn't lose control of her emotions due to her magical abilities. But, that order specifically, was very hard on Zaria. As the only way she could hold onto her emotions was when she was in her room or watching the knights.  The young princess sighed as she had now had on the gown her mother had chose out for her to wear, she didn't like the color, nor the fabric. As the fabric was rough and the color didn't really go right. But she knew she couldn't complain as she was the princess of the kingdom and has to keep high standards and maintenance.  (Sorry if I'm a bit slow, Alot of stuff is happening atm and I'm in alot of roleplays, but do not worry. As I shall be quicker now)

[h3 +] The boy’s tight grip on the stuffed dog remained while he continued to watch the larger male nearby. As expected, he saw right through Seth’s vague excuse. Reaver had always been a quick one, though with his job it was to be expected. One would have to be on their toes in order to protect the royal family the way that he did. Still, it would be nice if he weren’t so observant. The violet gaze shifted towards Cassian, who continued to remain silent on this matter, trying to judge if he had an ally in his case or not. He imagined that answer to be on the negative side of the scale seeing as he hadn’t interjected on the boy’s behalf or weighed into their small squabble with his wisdom. It seemed that Seth was alone in this debate and would have to stand up to the taller and more muscular male on his own. It was a rough place for the mage to be in as he typically didn’t like confrontation and tried to avoid it as much as he could. It was why he hid in the background as much as he could. Unfortunately it was now time for the child to emerge from the shadows, even if for a few minutes, and stand up for himself. [+purple “Sometimes things change, Captain,”] Seth responded quietly. His eyes shifted over to Reaver once more while his grip stayed rather tight on his stuffed companion. [+purple “Nothing is set in stone, you of all people should understand that. Your job is to protect the Royal family and Evermore kingdom from current and near future crisis, my job is to warn them of far future crisis. Every once in a while, I need into the records vault to compare journals of previous future-seers in order to stay a few steps ahead of any dangers that could befall us. So either I’m let into the vault by one of you or I need to ask her Majesty to do it.”]

Cassian had felt a little awkward about the whole situation and had debated whether to intrude or remain on the good side of Evermore’s finest. But the young mage was only but a child and he and the handler both knew that Seth had their futures in his small hands.  Despite his more logical judgment, the advisor sighed and stepped in between the two personalities. [#ab2d0a “Let’s take it down a notch,”] he started. [#ab2d0a “The young mage has already been approved to peer into the vault of records by myself. I will be escorting him and making sure he stays out of trouble.”] Additionally, he and the handler knew exactly what limited power the knight had in this situation.  Captain Reaver took a step back, nodding approvingly almost in disappointment. Cassian smiled despite himself. Clearly the man was at a loss for entertainment in a Kingdom always subtly in a lull of security. He just hoped that the young mage wouldn’t betray his trust. Softly, the advisor pushed Seth’s shoulder and guided him back to the stone halls. [#ab2d0a “I hope you have a perfectly good reason for needing the journals of our ancestors. I don’t particularly care to be Reaver’s source of annoyance at today’s roundtable gathering.”]  After a few minutes, they had reached the secluded room away from the royals. Cassian reached into his breast pocket, pulled out a singular gold key. He narrowed his eyes at the child. [#ab2d0a “You have thirty minutes- not a second more.”] He pushed the door open for Seth to enter.

[h3 +] The child visibly relaxed once the advisor stepped in, his tight grip loosening some on the stuffed animal. Being so upfront and abrupt with someone of Reaver’s size and strength made him rather nervous and uncomfortable. Seth avoided as much confrontation as he was able, only speaking up when he needed to and making his presence known as he saw fit. He preferred to stay in the background, to not cause waves; having this small bout with the Captain almost made him want to crawl out of his skin. Luckily for him, Cassian broke them up and gave his permission while assuring Reaver he would keep a close eye on the situation. Seth followed the slender male to the vault, watching as a key emerged from a pocket and was used to unlock the door. A faint frown touched his lips at Cassian’s warning; thirty minutes wasn’t a lot of time for the amount of records he had to sort through. Evermore was ancient and, as such, had quite a bit of recorded history within its walls. This meant the small mage would have to work quickly and efficiently to get all the information he needed. [+purple “I assure you that if the Captain is going to be sore with anyone this evening, it’s going to be me,”] he responded softly as he moved into the room and quickly began to scan the organized and labeled shelves. He imagined that Reaver wouldn’t be too happy that Seth was keeping such devastating news to himself and many negative comments would be aimed in his direction. He didn’t want to go in without a possible solution, however, which was why he had kept it to himself all day. [+purple “In fact, I suggest you sit on the opposite side of the table from me tonight, he may even forget that you exist entirely.”] It was Seth’s subtle way of informing his co-worker that Reaver could lose his temper with the child and it would be wise for everyone to stay out of the line of fire. Violet eyes scanned the shelves as he moved further into the vault, stopping at various sections and pulling out a book here and there. His time spent in the large room from previous sessions gave him knowledge of some of the accounts he could be looking for, though sorting through them could take time. He started with ones that he knew, opening the book and leafing through the yellowed pages until he found the writings he needed. Once that was finished he began sorting through the ones he was uncertain about and hoping what he needed would jump off the page at him. He continued this until Cassian cut him off and informed him that his time was up. He was disappointed that he didn’t have as much evidence as he wished but what he had gathered was a good start. Small fingers lifted a pen and signed a few of the books out before he gathered them in his arms and exited the room. Seth looked back over his shoulder as he heard the door shut, Cassian pulling it closed and locking it back up. He couldn’t help but wonder if the male interjected simply to keep the peace between staff or if he really trusted the small mage. [+purple “Thank you….for letting me in,”] he said softly. [+purple “I’ll see you at the meeting tonight.”]

Five pm rolled around slower than he would have wanted. Captain Reaver, who was always early to their meetings for safety purposes, studied with round table’s etching as if it was something he hadn’t looked at for the eightieth time. His mind wandered to irrelevant things like dinner until the royal court began to file in.  Cassian narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Reaver as he passed, taking his feather pen and paper to his seat across the table from himself. He didn’t quite trust the scholar, too young to have so much responsibility. But in his opinion, all of the court members were too young... The handler rubbed the bridge of his nose, bowing upon the arrival of the princess and the mage was last in tow. The red headed boy looked more weary then their last meeting and Captain Reaver briefly wondered what he had discovered in the records vault. In the end, he remained silent as his duty till the meeting was conducted by the young heir. This was no time to be thinking illy about his companions.

[h3 +] An audible sigh fell from the boy’s chest as the door closed behind him and he was able to set the heavy stack of books down on a table. He had holed himself up in the Sanctuary, a room of the castle that Seth spent quite a bit of his time in due to his role in Evermore and how much he could actually accomplish in the large space. Many articles that celebrated the Goddesses were housed here, including religious and magic tomes, and also included an altar for prayer. It was rare that anyone used it as most (even castle staff) preferred to go to the actual temple to send their prayers to the heavens, giving Seth his own private little workspace. It was perfect because he had quite a bit of work to do; he immediately knelt down on the floor to give himself more room and got busy. Some of the records were easy to locate as he remembered seeing them a few times when he needed to access the written words of their ancestors in order to prepare for meetings and kingdom-wide events. Once he found what he needed, he carefully marked it with a ribbon before laying it nearby. Eventually a line of books began to form, a timeline of events taking shape. There were still some holes that needed to be filled but this was enough to warn the princess and get some sort of a plan started. He hoped so, if they couldn’t come up with a plan of action then they really were doomed. When he was satisfied with the order he had the journals in, he began to close them and carefully stack the ancient tomes in the order he needed to present them in. As he neared the last one, a sharp but familiar pain shot through his right eye, causing him to pause what he was doing and wince. A small hand lifted to rub at it, keeping it closed for a moment, before slowly opening it again. The pain reappeared moments later, this time Seth feeling a wet and sticky substance on his fingers. He quickly looked down at them, seeing the small splashes of red, and groaned internally while swallowing a bit of panic. [i No, not now…not now…] A couple drops of blood trickled past his fingers, plopping onto the cover of the tome before he had time to move, and he quickly pushed it away before he damaged it further. The vision in his right eye was beginning to blur, the boy knowing from past occurrences that he had approximately thirty seconds to find a safe place for himself; soon he would lose consciousness and he would drop where he was. As his surroundings started to fade he made sure nothing was in the way that he could damage nor would cause damage to himself…it only took a couple of seconds longer for the child to drop on his side while his small body trembled and convulsed for a short amount of time before he stopped moving altogether. /// The first thing Seth was aware of when he finally regained consciousness was how much blood had puddled on the floor. Amethyst eyes stared at it for a few moments before he pushed himself to sit up completely. He could see splashes of red contrasting against the white robe which elicited a soft sigh from him; another robe would need to be specially cleaned in order to remove the red splotches. There were quite a few of them that he could see on the long sleeve which grew larger the further up his arm it went. After a few minutes he pushed himself to his feet and ran a hand through his hair. Some of it had grown matted and sticky due to the substance, it was in dire needing of a wash. Unfortunately a good scrubbing would have to wait until after the round table meeting…. Holy shit, the meeting. Seth ran over to the nearest window, a sinking feeling settling into his stomach as he took notice of the setting sun and stunning colors: he was quite late for the meeting! How long had he been out?! The young mage ripped away from the window and over to an end table nearby where a pitcher of water and large basin sat, quickly pouring some of the cold liquid out in order to at least clean his face. The rest of him would have to wait as he was certain the others were growing impatient with his absence. As quickly as his small hands could move, his face was scrubbed and as much of the red substance as he could muster was washed out of his hair. He quickly dried it before grabbing the pile of books and running out of the room to the floor below and burst into the meeting room. He could feel their eyes on him, some of them sure to be giving him disapproving looks while others stared at the unpolished mage. Seth was certain he looked rather ghastly with the amount of blood that had soaked into his clothes (the boy imagined he resembled a murder victim) but it couldn’t be helped, he had kept them waiting long enough. Luckily he didn’t seem to be too terribly late, it appeared that they had barely even begun reviewing last week’s notes. The books were set down with a quiet thud, Seth keeping his eyes averted from all of them as he slowly took his place. [+purple “I’m sorry I’m late, I suppose I lost track of time,”] he muttered sheepishly. ‘Lost track of time’ wasn’t exactly the truth but it was the best he could come up with on the spot.

Once the princess had arrived, she deemed it necessary to continue despite Seth’s tardiness. Cassian laced his fingers, peeved that the little mage managed to embarrass his good graces by daring to be late to the meeting. Was his ominous warning not enough incentive to simply be here on time? The princess was always prompt. Captain Reaver smirked at him from across the table, ready to bring up the suspicion between the two counsel members once the royal lady had finished reading off the weekly citizen meeting notes drafted by a local scout. Reaver’s eyes narrowed, challenging the even tempered advisor but Cassian would not waver. The brute always had a subtle way of intimidation.  Luckily before the princess had finished, the wooden doors parted for the mage, pattering over to his seat beside Cassian. His mouth- and everyone else's- fell agape at his appearance. The advisor knew little about the side-effects of Seth's gift but surely he knew to not make such an unsightly spectacle of himself in front of her majesty of all people.  He watched gingerly as Seth pushed the pile of manuscripts onto the table, leaning in carefully. [#ab2d0a “You have some red on you, young mage. I do hope you have a more valid excuse for your tardiness other than [i lost track of time].”] Cassian couldn’t help but to emphasize his annoyance. The princess cleared her throat, indicated she was done with the meeting notes and now all eyes were on Seth and his pile of books. [#317854 “What say you, young one?”] Reaver started, leaning back in his chair intrigued by his ghastly presence.

Princess Zaria sat at her end of the table, after clearing her throat she watched the young mage. She hadn't thought he would of been so careless for the time, as she was told this meeting was most important. [B "Hello, Mage Seth."] She stated [B "Mind saying what caused your tardiness?"]. The Young princess seemed to of been calmer then she should of been, as being late usually was not acceptable, unless of major issues. She smiled softly as the boy, gesturing for him to sit and tell them. She passed aside her scroll, and she had her full attention on the young mage.      She had the most calming and Sweetest expression ever, Her eyes were pinned on the young boy. Wanting and Needing an answer, as she needed to be a proper soon-to-be-queen. She was slightly fidling with her hands, but hid them under the table. As she did not want to seem bored of this meeting, though deep inside she wish it would already end. She didn't know how long she could keep her emotions calm, as she was very curious but also slightly angered at the mage, she couldn't show it. Or her magical powers would burst out and cause everyone to fear her, which is what she hated. The fear of hatred soon started to consume her in her thoughts, as now she couldn't hear the others over her own head.

[h3 +] Eye contact with everyone was avoided as the child shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He could feel everyone staring at him, some shocked by his appearance but most perturbed by his lateness. Violet eyes stared at the surface of the table as small hands began to loosen the stained and complicated sash enough to fully untie it and remove it along with the top layer of his robe. This left him in a black and white short sleeved tunic top with matching pants; it wasn’t ideal to be dressed so casually but it seemed to be the better option than appearing as if he had been shot in the neck with an arrow. [+purple “I had another vision after procuring the books from the vault with which I bled a bit…I lost consciousness,”] he explained quietly, carefully folding the stained clothing and draping it over the back of his chair to take to launder afterwards. This would give at least Cassian an idea of how long exactly he had been out. [+purple “I knew I was already late when I came to and didn’t think it wise to waste another thirty minutes with a wardrobe change, the situation is already pretty dire.”] He then stood, opening the books he brought with him to the previously marked pages and pushed them closer to the center of the table for whoever wished to check his work. [+purple “Evermore is going to be under strong attack, I believe within the next few months which doesn’t give us a lot of time to prepare. The guardians of the Elemental Temples and entire villages will be annihilated as this Force makes its way to the center of the kingdom, to us. This event has been documented by previous Seers, almost every one of them has seen some kind of destructive Force and its effects. I think I’ve been able to put them into a timeline that we can use and hopefully give us an advantage.”] He gestured to the oldest one, which was closer to Reaver, and slowly lifted his eyes to the princess. [+purple “Adena, the first Seer of Evermore, accounted what I believe to be the beginning. She wrote that she saw an attack of darkness on the Ice Temple in the Cottleton Tundra and that it was obliterated. Cottleton is the furthest point in Evermore, second would be the desert. One of the Seers had a vision of a similar event there as well….all of the major temples did. And all of the Guardians were murdered.”] Seth paused for a moment, preparing himself for any doubting questions or harsh comments that may come his way, his gaze finally shifting from the princess to the captain. If anyone would give him a hard time about this, he imagined it would be him simply from the confrontation in the hallway. Still, he stood his ground and waited in the growing silence as the others in the meeting allowed his words to digest.

Captain Reaver watched from across the table as the two young scholars spoke in hushed whispers, grinding carefully against his patience. If he was honest with himself, he despised being the lowest of all who sat at the table even though his experience rendered him the most capable of rational decision making.  Though when Seth explained the true reasoning of his tardiness, Reaver instantly forgot his childish jealousy replaced by the leader persona he knew too well. [i Annihilation] wasn’t the word anyone wanted to hear and even more so mere months before a prophized date. [#317854 “If this threat has been so imminent and those before you have know about it for years, why are we now just hearing about it?”] He could feel his irritation rising. [#317854 “And with no clear answer on what it is? A [i force]? A [i darkness]? What does that even tell us?”]  [#ab2d0a “I think the most logical place we should start,”] Cassian interrupted, meeting Reaver’s gaze coldly. [#ab2d0a “Is what exactly [i do] we know.”] The advisor turned to the young mage. [#ab2d0a “Seth, nevermind what the elders before you saw. If what you say is true, we need to know the prophecy of today- not yesterday. What did [i you] see?”] The whole party seemed to lean in eagerly awaiting his answer.

All the commotion of the Kingdom, caught Zaria's Attention as she finally stood. Her face seemed to have self doubt but she seemed very determined now, as this was her first act of duty and hard work that she needed to get done. But she did not want to intrupt the Captin Nor Commander, That would be meaning of her being impolite. Thought She, Herself, Had many questions speeding through her head but she could keep them all to even remember. She made a slight noise, on accident as all the commotion was giving her a very small headache. She sat back down and straightened her back, knowing she had to stay straight and formal as she listened to the meeting. [I A darkness..? What.. What does that mean? Other magic? Maybe someone's magic gets to out of control.. I should keep an eye out for this..] The princess had much going through her mind, not even noticing that they were asking the mage more questions. That was until she stood again and bowed before them all, knowing it was extermly rude but needed, she was about to leave the meeting early. "Exsuce my rudeness, But I must take my leave early." She did not even leave a reason, before she picked up her front gown and walked out. Hesitantly walking down the Kingdom halls, she was trying to think how a darkness or threat would come to as much hurt the kingdom..

[h3 +] Violet eyes shifted over to Reaver as he interrogated the mage, clearly not pleased with the news. He could understand the captain’s anger and frustration as it wasn’t something any of them wanted to hear. Evermore was their home, every corner of it, and they all wanted to do what they could to protect it. Unfortunately Seth didn’t know what that was. He wasn’t aware of any tactics or the like that could protect them from the mass destruction that he and others before him had witnessed. Small hands fidgeted with the hem of his tunic as Cassian interrupted, twisting the black edging around his finger before letting it fall only to start the process all over again. He had a point, it was best to focus on what living Seers had accounted and consider past accounts after. The older male was certainly the advisor for a reason as he saw logic much quicker than the rest of them did. [+purple “What I saw was the end of Evermore,”] Seth answered quietly, his gaze moving over to Cassian. [+purple “Not many will be left standing, if any at all…”] [+purple “…Before I came to the castle, I lived in a village that saw violence on a weekly basis,”] the small mage continued. His voice was still a bit quiet, almost as if the child were afraid to speak to the group. In some way he was. He could feel the uncertainty and frustration in many of them and he felt terrible that he was to be the messenger of this terrible news. None of this was fair to any of them. [+purple “….but this…this is something far beyond that. It’s almost as if it came from another realm, a violent and vicious plane. If we intend to stand our ground then we’re all going to have to become stronger…including myself.”] The child jumped as the princess stood abruptly and excused herself from the meeting, looking between the two males after she had disappeared. He imagined that she was upset at the news and needed some time alone to think but that left the rest of the council to their own devices and decisions. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing, especially with Reaver’s short temper.

Zaria had felt bad for leaving the meeting, after hearing what Seth had said. But she hurried to her room looking for the maps of the castle, She wasn't suppose to, but she was going to go to the bad parts of the Villages. To figure this out, she was not going to let this... This power ruin their home. As anger filled within her a little bit of breeze started to form up into her room, Soon picking up pace and some of the objects of her room flying in the circle. [I Calm down Zaria, your going to turn this whole place into a tornado...] She spoke in her mind, trying not to anger anymore and trying to stop the magic.       But the more she thought about it, the more the Tornado-ish air started to pick up speed. Zaria held her head as she shook it and finally calmed, looking around at the mess she had made she fell and hugged her knees. Wondering if this was a good idea, before tears formed into her eyes. [W- What if I fa- fail at this..? Wh- What if I can't stop the attack... I'll b- be a terrible Queen-in-waiting...] She cried silently, as a rain cloud poured over her drenching her gown and hair as it fell into her sadden and puffy eyes plus face...       Sobbing quietly in her room she was glad normally no one would come to her room, Usually it would just he the maidens but Zaria had told them no after meeting service today... As the tears poured out her eyes she remembered how tense the meeting was and how she just left, Worst descion she could of made. She knew the members of the castle would look down on her for this, which made her sob even more...

The advisor licked his lips, trying not to let his imagination get out of hand without all the facts... which were admittedly limited. He could see the frustration building in Reaver’s chest, the anxiety in the young mage’s eyes and the pure dismissal of the young princess regarding the horror that Seth had come to share. Now it made sense why the young one had been so nervous and withdrawn earlier but surely... he thought his position warranted him so kind of trust in these matters... and that bothered him.  He watched callously as the princess excused herself from the meeting, fully aware that these kinds of subjects were bothersome to someone as emotionally in touch as she.  Cassian laced his fingers, finding that being still calmed any unwarranted emotions from arising. That being said, he had to try and level with the others as emotional beings do. [#ab2d0a “Thank you, Seth,”] he started slowly. [#ab2d0a “An unknown darkness, any entity, far greater than any of our mages has encountered before is at the steps of our neighboring kingdoms. From the facts, it will be something we cannot contain and we are thankfully going to be one of the last in its warpath.”]  He glanced between the remaining pair at the table. [#ab2d0a “If the darkness is a force we cannot control and all the visions have the same outcome, why stay here at all? Why not move on?”]  Captain Reaver scoffed. [#317854 “Right because picking up a whole kingdom and their livelihoods is just that bloody simple is it, Cassian? And what of the royals? They would never go for a plan like that. Running away is not something the King, much less the princess, is going to bother to entertain. You should know that.”]  Cassian pressed his lips into a fine line, his eyes staring hard into the handlers. [#ab2d0a “Right. If the mages have chosen to withhold such dire information, then surely they have some sort of solution?”] He glanced at Seth, hoping his hunch was correct.

[h3 +] Seth watched and listened to Cassian and Reaver as they went back and forth, the former trying to keep the situation calm and approach a logical answer while the latter preferred to take an angrier track instead. Two conflicting personalities with two very different ways of attacking a problem. The boy found himself wishing he could be more like both of them as he felt he lacked the things that made the pair outstanding. Cassian was highly intelligent and arguably the smartest man in Evermore. Every problem that had been thrown at him had been solved efficiently and rather quickly, seemingly without even breaking a sweat. Meanwhile Reaver had the strength of an army and the courage to go with it. Any battle the captain had faced had been won and he always seemed ready for the next one. The boy felt that he fell short in both of those categories, he was simply a child from a secluded village with an inclination for spells and magic who was able to glimpse into future events on occasion. And now he held part of Evermore’s fate in his small hands. [+purple “….kind of. Some of the things that had been recorded were before certain parts of Evermore had been established,”] he began softly. Seth mostly kept his eyes focused on Cassian as the advisor was the one with the calm head and, frankly, didn’t intimidate him as much. [+purple “One of the earlier accounts had seen the destruction of the Light Temple in Lasomin Desert four hundred years before it had been established. They didn’t recognize some places or even the people so most of the warnings had been put aside for another generation’s use. It’s a bit difficult to tell of the destruction of something when you’re not even sure what you’re looking at.”] Violet eyes flickered to the nearby robe that lay draped over the back of his chair, staring at the dark red stain spattered on its surface while thinking about the records vault. Many accounts filled that room by others like Cassian, Reaver, the Princess, and himself. He was a bit of a unique case; Evermore always had a mage in its midst but not always a seer. They were incredibly rare and often snatched up as soon as they were discovered in order to give whomever they worked for an advantage among their peers. Seth’s case was a bit different, he remembered when the Queen traveled that long and arduous journey just to meet him. He wondered if she regretted it….after this news she probably would. Seth pulled himself back up into his chair beside Cassian, shifting uncomfortably before looking up at him again. [+purple “A lot of accounts suggest that the temple Guardians might be able to fend it off for a while longer if they activate their temple’s Soul Stones, it would at least give us a little more time to come up with a definitive plan of action. The Stones also ”communicate,“ in a way, so if the Stone in our temple in castletown is also activated we have a way to keep an eye on the Guardians and if their temples take a hard hit.”] The worn, stuffed dog was then pulled into his lap while small fingers toyed with the floppy ears. He turned his eyes away from Cassian, not wanting to face him if he were to suddenly laugh and reject his words.

Princess Zaria wiped her tears away, and fixes up her face. Her room was a total wreck no thanks to her magic ablitlies; she had no interest in that what-so-ever as she opened her bedroom doors, and quietly walked down the halls back to the meeting room. There she would announce her descion, and possibly get filled in out what the young mage seen. While walking down she heard the two Commanders/ Captain's arguing, and slightly had an annoyed expression. But she stopped at the door listening to what the young boy had said, listening in she now had more information. She then peeked in to see him hold his stuffed animal, she felt so terrible to have him alone in this one area. And the fact worsened knowing the two older ones were making him nervous, Zaria then decided it was time to walk in; as she did so she smiled at Seth. Letting him know she was pleased with his presence, as she stood at her seat she cleared her throat and looked at everyone. [#FF66FF "I'm truely, deeply sorry for my apsents. As what I had did was incredibly rude, but before I take my position again. Mage Seth, please sit next to me."] She gave Seth a small smiling patting the empty chair, gesturing to him that's where she wanted him.  [I'm Super sorry for not interacting with the characters, I didn't actually know when I should or when a good time was 😂😭]

Reaver exhaled deeply, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he turned over the new information. In that while, the princess returned to her chair, quickly apologizing for her brief absence. Both he and Cassian let her know that they were not bothered as it wasn't their place to question a royal’s motives but... That was enough for Reaver to hold his temper. Be the adult. [#317854 “Alright,”] the handler started slowly, observing the small mage with as little opposition as possible. The last thing he wanted was a child to be afraid of him- their protector. [#317854 “Then I believe it is wise to make contact with the guardians and their... ‘stone’s..?”] It sounded odd when said aloud. [#317854 “To see if we can gather hard intel on what we’re dealing with.”]  Cassian nodded his head, interlacing his fingers. [#ab2d0a “I agree. If the Temple Guardians are our first line of defense against the unknown then I advise that we should use it.”] His dark eyes met the princess’. [#ab2d0a “But as we all know, all actions must be approved by the Lady herself in order for tasks to be given. Zaria, is this an approved plan?”]  Captain Reaver was quite sure he was missing something about these temple guardians and their communications stones but thought it best to make decisions now with the information at hand then ask questions later. If Cassian approved, and he was the wisest, then that should be good enough for him. Even if the little mage did give him the creeps every now and again.

Zaria took in the information hearing, as she looked over at Cassian. She gave a brief smile before nodding, [#FF66FF "The plan sounds like it may be our solution, and I'm willing to try anything at this moment to keep the castle standing."] She stated, before looking at Reaver. [#FF66FF "Where are these Gaurdine stones we are speaking of?"] She asked, She sounded polite about this but also wanting an answer.         [#FF66FF "And How far would the travel be to get to these stones"] Zaria seemed a bit tense, was this cause it was her first meeting? Maybe. But she couldn't help but ask for answers, if the castle fell to the ground it might as well of been her fault. The more she asked, the more answers she needed, the more that this feeling graves on her. She told herseld that she mustn't let anything happened to the castle, nor the people of the castle in the matter. [#FF66FF "And I wish to head with you."] Heading out the castle, Was that a smart idea? If anything happened who would take the throne next..?

[h3 +] A soft exhale fell from his chest as his idea seemed to be accepted and not brushed off or laughed at. Seth had been expecting a bit of opposition from the handler, to be honest, as he didn’t seem to accept most ideas readily…especially those of the magical kind. He understood why; Reaver excelled in tangible opposition. Any damage he did, he did with his hands. Cassian and Seth, as well as a few others in the kingdom, didn’t or couldn’t fight like that. He couldn’t speak for Cassian but he had spent a significant amount of his time practicing the unseen arts and had a very good understanding of it. If anyone could protect them from something so invisible, perhaps the boy had a better shot. [+purple “We actually needn’t travel to all of the Temples; it would take far too much time,”] the boy began softly. He kept his gaze focused on the dog in his lap as he continued to toy with the brown, floppy ear. [+purple “Each Temple is equipped with a Stone of a varying color and an altar near it that is used to track the state of the activated temples. It sends a signal to the Guardians that their Stones need to be activated as well; I know it sounds kind of complicated but Laurent (the previous mage) had shown me how it all works. We can all go to castletown’s temple, if you want, and I can show you….”] Seth allowed his words to fade out, slowly looking between Cassian and Zaria while waiting for an answer. He knew that if the Princess agreed to go then Reaver would follow as well. Cassian, he figured, would go simply for the experience.

Hearing Seth saying that there wasn't time for the travel made her worry, but when he stated that he could know how to do this in the castletown's temple it gave her joy. She stood up right then and there and walked over to Seth, seeing so excited she kneeled down. [#FF66FF "Please, if you can! Show me, us, and help protect our castle."] She seemed to of had her entire faith into Seth's hands, fully trusting him and willing to give him whatever he needs. [#FF66FF "How soon must we start? Tomorrow morning? Late afternoon?"] She then seemed to if had an idea pop into her head, as she locked her eyes onto Seth's.       [#FF66FF "Perhaps tonight, right now?"] She had no worries, Zaria was not going to let her castle fall in her hands. She will do whatever it takes to keep the Evermore Kingdom standing for as long as her generation's go. Ever if it meant using her magic ablilities, she would do it. She then looked up and over at Reaver and Cassian, to acknowledge them and see if they thought if this was the right choice, she was scaredaking these choices and feeling alone. But at least she had Reaver, Cassian, and Seth by her side. To rule Evermore Kingdom, and protect it at any cost.

Cassian smiled, though his smile to others would not seem genuine. It secretly spurred him to have a bite of excitement in his dull existence. He was beginning to wonder if the position was all it was cracked up to be but thanked the gods that his patience hadn’t gone unnoticed. Despite the dire circumstance, the dark haired man relished the challenge. And should they fail... Cassian closed his notebook with a small clamp. [#ab2d0a “I see nothing in my schedule to conflict with a tour of the temple,”] he said, almost too upbeat for the solemn group. [#ab2d0a “Princess Zaria is eager and I am positive that even Captain Reaver has nothing more pressing.”]  Reaver scowled across the table, bringing Cassian some sort of twisted joy. He stood and gestured to Seth enthusiastically. [#ab2d0a “Young mage, would you do us the honor of leading us into the temple and showing us ‘how it’s done’?”] This had been one of the few areas of the kingdom that he did not have permissions to enter freely. Sacred places were not usually open to those who prioritized the mind but those who lived off the soul. [i Feelings and magic]. He almost shuttered at the thought. How anyone could put so much faith into things they could not see or touch was beyond him. Captain Reaver and he stayed behind the group as they followed the mage through the halls and eventually outside the palace grounds. The knight was on edge and Cassian couldn’t help but to be coy with him. [#ab2d0a “Don’t be so nervous, Captain. Where are those nerves of steel you’re so proud of?”]  Reaver narrowed his eyes suspiciously. [#317854 “It’s the man and the sword that follows through with the tactics of the advisor. Remember that.”]  [#ab2d0a “Count me grateful that men are a dime a dozen.”]  Reaver held his tongue as they arrived at the foot of the temple, waiting on Seth’s further instruction.

[h3 +] The small mage was incredibly surprised that everyone seemed immediately ready to get his plan going. He expected a little more fight from the Captain, instead Seth’s shock growing to hear him rather silent on the matter. Was it because he didn’t believe in the plan that involved magic or was it because he didn’t believe in Seth? He supposed that, in the end, it didn’t really matter because now they were all forced to put their trust in the child who mastered an unseen force. At least for now, anyway, until a better plan was formulated. Seth slid down from the chair, his feet finally touching the floor, and pulled the soiled clothing off from the back of his chair. A glance around the room told him that everyone was ready to go so the little mage led the way through the castle. They passed by the laundry room on the way, Seth dropping off the stained garment to be treated and cleaned, before continuing his journey through the building and outside. It was a beautiful evening, the sun just beginning to set behind the mountains and a gentle breeze blowing through the town. As they grew closer to the temple Seth could see the bustle of people as they hurried to finish last minute errands while small shops began to close up for the evening. He had grown to love this kind of mundane life and it hurt him a bit to know that it could all come to an end soon. The small group stopped at the large and stately temple, the boy reaching out and pushing on the large doors that opened slowly with a loud creak. The dying sunlit filtered through the sacred space from the doorway and, they saw as they made their way inside, through the many stained glass windows that depicted the beginnings of Evermore. Once they were all inside, the mage made sure the door had closed before leading them across the main floor. The holy space was well maintained, not a cobweb or speck of dust to be seen anywhere while the tiles on the floor were shined to perfection. The mage led them to the back of the room where a door was nestled in between two large statues depicting Evermore’s goddessess, the boy stopping the group in front of it. It had no handle or grip, a thin outline of a door in the stone the only way one could tell it was there. This entrance required powerful magic to open in order to protect what lay inside, and Seth could feel butterflies in his stomach again. Not many in the court had seen the boy use magic, some not even sure that he could. He didn’t have much of a reason to unless he was practicing or using it in the secrecy of his room. Now he would have witnesses to a fraction of the boy’s abilities. He took a deep breath in and slowly released it, keeping his gaze focused on the door before reaching out a small hand and placing it on the stone surface of the door. It remained there until the outline began to glow a dull yellow and the door creaked open on its own. His small hand tightened a bit over the paw of the stuffed dog that he still held at his side while his other pulled the door open the rest of the way, stealing a glance at the others as he did so. The princess seemed excited while the two young men remained a bit hard to read. Was doubt still being cast on this plan as well as the small mage? He couldn’t tell. Seth decided not to dwell on it as it would only make his nerves grow, leading the small group into the chamber. The only light that entered the windowless room was from the doorway that they just entered from and Seth chose to fix that problem first. He reached towards a torch that hung next to the door frame, focusing his gaze on it for a moment before flicking two fingers at it. A bright flame emerged from the torch, engulfing the burlap end and filling the immediate area with light. Seconds later a few other torches around the room followed suit to fully illuminate the area. Now it was time to tackle the bigger problem. In the center of the small room stood an alter of stone, a rough map of Evermore etched into its surface with seven small variously colored crystals. Each crystal was set into the map where a temple would be, a color assigned to each depending on what part of Evermore it protected: the forest held an emerald-colored crystal while the desert housed a yellow one. In the location of the castle and the small village sat a white crystal, clearly representing this temple. Behind the altar was a large white and clear cluster, easily twice the size of the small mage, which sat on a low pedestal. Slowly Seth approached it, rolling his shoulders before reaching out his free hand and delicately placing it on the Soul Stone, closing his eyes after. Now to remember the proper words to say… Seth softly began to rattle off a few sentences in a language forgotten to most, if Cassian remembered some of his studies he would recognize it as Evermore’s very first language. It was a testament to how old this stone and this process really were. Once the last word was uttered, the crystal let out a low reverberated ring and began to glow from within while a faint breeze blew through the group. Seth slowly opened his eyes to confirm his work, smiling faintly as he looked down at the map afterwards to see the same white crystal lit on the map. [+purple “The Stones in the other temples will ring, letting the guardians know that a Stone somewhere has been activated,”] the small mage explained quietly. [+purple “This map will tell us what Stones in each region has been activated or deactivated so we’ll be able to tell easily if a temple were to fall. Each Stone emits a barrier of a two mile radius against most dark forces and magics; it isn’t much but it’ll give us a bit more time to plan.”]

The blonde man watched uneasily as the door opened, presenting them the entrance into the holy space of the Temple he’d only seen from the walkways. He kept a steady hand on the hilt of his sword feeling safer with such a simple motion. Reaver watched in silent amazement as, for the first time, witnessed why the young boy was titled the mage. He may have been just a child but a gift like this was only given to those deserving. At least by the holy books it was written as such.  Cassian seemed to gleam with giddy emotion, scribbling in his notebook. To others it must have seemed that the advisor was merely ignoring the spectacle but as a seasoned warrior, Reaver made out the curl of a smile at the edge of his lips. They followed inside into a dark chamber, quickly illuminated by a touch lit by more magic. In the center was the grand map of all kingdoms, one the Captain was very familiar with, and beyond that he assumed the stone Seth previously mentioned. The little one looked so small compared to it that Reaver almost thought he wouldn’t have the power to activate it- but he was wrong. The stone sung and glowed, its counterpart on the map doing so as well. He was utterly amazed. How had no one told him of this tactic previously? His brow furrowed as Seth explained, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. [#317854 “So these will only tell us if a dark danger approaches?”] he inquired. [#317854 “What happens after that? We ask that kingdom’s rock what it sees?”]  [#ab2d0a “Soul Stone,”] Cassian corrected, [#ab2d0a “You brute.”]

[h3 +] Violet eyes flickered over to the Captain as he voiced his question, Seth a bit surprised at his interest but hiding it well. Reaver was one of those in the castle that had a hard time believing in the unseen; it was difficult to put your trust into something that you couldn’t see or feel. He was used to the doubt, however, and tried not to let it get to him. Sometimes it was easier said than done. [+purple “If it’s an enemy using dark magic or something similar, then yes, it’ll keep it at bay for a while,”] the boy answered in his usual quiet fashion. He hugged the stuffed animal against his chest for a moment before moving back towards the alter that held the kingdom’s map and kneeling down in front of it. [+purple “Each stone generates a column of light that can be seen almost anywhere to magic users. For those that can’t…”] He pulled open a small drawer near the bottom of the alter and pulled out three petite chains with a rainbow of crystals on it, mirroring the ones on the map, and closed it before rising to his feet again. He gave each of them one, noticing that the clear and white crystal on their chains was already glowing, before holding the dog against his chest again. [+purple “…you have those to keep with you. This way you can keep an eye on the activated temples yourself,”] he continued quietly. [+purple “Be mindful of it once they’re all lit, if any were to be extinguished then action must be taken immediately. If that were to happen then gather in the castle’s sanctuary and we can plan from there. Let’s pray that it doesn’t come to that. The guardians can contact me if they notice anything out of the ordinary or something unspeakable were to happen.”] He took a few steps to leave, almost to the door, when a low chime-like sound began to ring from the altar. An activation? That was fast. He turned his head to look and noticed the purple crystal in the east had begun to glow (as well as the purple crystal on their chains) and it caused a faint and somewhat sad smile to appear across his lips. That area was where he once called home, where his family still resided and cared for the people. A million thoughts and feeling crashed over him in that moment: were they alright? What would happen to them if whatever this dark thing was attacked them? Did they miss him as much as he missed them? Seth shook his head faintly as if to dispel the thoughts from his mind, and looked back at the group before stepping up to the door again. [+purple “It appears that the guardians are already on top of things,”] he commented softly. [+purple “It shouldn’t be long before they’re all lit. Are you all ready to venture back to the castle?”]

Zaria stood watching the mage, she seemed so.. Ah She couldn't think of the word. But seeing the crystal and the bell ringing softly made her creek a smile, she looked at the mage as he was about to leave and saw his small but faded smile. She listened to him explain, that once there all lit they would be able to gain warnings if dark magic. Perhaps be able to take caution quicker was the best thing they could do, but then she heard that when the crystals go out they have to make a plan immediately.         She sighed softly but then nodded in agreement to finally head back to the castle, today has been such a long one and she was sure that everyone must of been a little exhausted. [#FF66FF "Yes, let's head back to the castle. We may all rest up and be prepared for any journeys or upcoming events tomorrow, as it is important for us to be on our best mindset."] The princess seemed to of spoken half truth, smiling upon the three and she walked out. She started to head towards the way of the castle, gesturing that they should follow.

There wasn’t much that Cassian could say once the Princess had made a decision to leave for her word was always the last. The advisor wanted to stay and ask more questions. Figure out how crystals from thousands of miles away were even activated by a mere force, how did they talk to one another, were all their little chains of crystal all chips of the greater collection of the main stones?  Cassian gripped his chain tighter. They could have used this kind of advantage on the field a few years ago. It would be much more tactful than using sound or parchment but... the mages seemed to be very withholding on information, he knew that now. He just hoped they weren’t hiding anything further. But when did it ever hurt to ask?  Young Seth led them all back to the main hall at the main castle when the Princess bid them ado for the evening and promised another productive day tomorrow. Productive... as if.  Cassian held back with his thin notebook and leaned in to Seth as he passed. [#ab2d0a “I do hope that your elders are not leaving us in the dark about any other important matters. You would tell us they were, wouldn’t you, young one? It would be [i highly] advisable.”]

[h3 +] The child quietly walked back to the castle with the others, one hand gripping the paw of his stuffed companion while the other was tucked into his pants pocket. It wasn’t often that he ventured around the kingdom in such basic attire and felt a bit out of place compared to the others in the small group. It wasn’t to say that he didn’t have a good reason to be as those red splotches would only cause more alarm from everyone they came across and steal time from a situation in which they were quickly running out of it already. The princess and her handler passed him as they step foot into the castle, most likely eager to get some kind of plan figured and into action, but Cassian remained behind. His soft words caused the small frame to tense, amethyst eyes lifting and watching as he began to pass by. Just like usual, he knew there were things that had remained unsaid. Seth had assumed that during the older male’s time in Evermore, especially with all of the books he had access to, he would’ve had a bit of knowledge of the mages and how they operated. Did those kinds of books even exist? The boy didn’t have an answer to that, he didn’t have access to the vast stores of books and knowledge that the advisor did. How was he to know what kind of stories were collected in there? No core person in Evermore’s castle had all of the knowledge of another’s inner workings; there were tactics and battle plans stored away for the military that only the captain knew about and there were stores of hidden information that only the advisor and his predecessors knew existed. In that same fashion, there were magics that only became known to others when the situation called for it. Mages usually had more guidelines and regulations to meet when it came to using such things due to how powerful they were. [+purple “..Well….um….”] The quiet voice drifted to Cassian once he had finally passed and began on his way, Seth’s grip on the stuffed dog tightening a bit. The older male was the advisor to the kingdom and undoubtedly the smartest of all of them but how many of Seth’s magics and spells should he tell him about? If Evermore really was about to fall then perhaps it wouldn’t matter and it was time to pull all of the stops out. [+purple “….It’s not about keeping things hidden but discerning when criteria has been met in order to use the knowledge that has been passed down,”] he said quietly. [+purple “I have protocols to follow as I’m sure you do, too. I doubt that we know all the information and secrets that you and your predecessors did. I wouldn’t be opposed to sharing insights with you if you think it’ll help the cause but I would like you to do the same for me.”]