The Cerulean Brigade, Ch. 1

[Truce]

A hand stopped Faze from fulfilling his threat on the jug, grabbing the man by the wrist. Keeping his grip on the other man, Carus sighed and rubbed his temples with his free hand. "Ladies should not behave in such a way in public."

Carus had been fairly close to the castle when the summons called for him, and so it was no surprise that he had been one of the first to arrive. However, he had been forced to wait in the time since then, and in that period his patience had worn thin. His tolerance for such disgraceful behavior was at an all time low, and he wouldn't stand to keep the company of a wino.

"Perhaps you should return home, miss, before you make a fool or a whore of yourself."

[Arhra]

The great chamber suddenly thrummed with tension, some subtle darkening of vision as if the light's strength had departed. It held the pent up energy of the calm before the storm. The grand double doors - a sumptuous display of the kingdom's wealth - swung upon and mist poured in.

A vision of terror and splendor cast in starlight and darkness, she entered. Lit with an perilous radiance, she shone through the sinuous coils of mist that parted before her passage. In one hand a staff that throbbed with baleful might and a looming serpentine shadow at her heels. Here! It screamed, Here is power!

And then, like sun coming out from behind the clouds, the vision was gone. It had never been.

Sulme stood there, a pale slyph-like figure clad in white and deep grey. In one hand she held a winding staff with a pearlescent sheen and at her heels was the black shape of her draconic protector.

She bowed slightly to them, "I am Sulme. I am summoned and so I come." She inclined her head to the side as her silver eyes flickered over those assembled. "You are here for the same reason." It was somewhere between a question and a statement of fact.

OOC: Hard to resist a flair for the dramatic.

[Astral Harmony]

Aishel surveyed the arrivals.
A small brown guy with two menacing black wolves.
A werewolf being escorted by someone who dressed similarly to the one who presented the summons to the king of Duvashnia to send help to the king of Gillnor.
Some weirdo who Aishel first thought was female who didn't even slow down and promptly entered the throne room, in spite of what the summons said. Aishel wondered if that guy even had a summons or was just some self-important idiot.
A girl with horns and fingernails that Aishel was sure could slice through bone in a single motivated swipe. Obviously not human, or at least not totally human.
A guy who Aishel figured was a half-elf, and looked beautiful, but had the major letdown of being monumentally drunk. Aishel wondered if he was using some kind of magic in order to keep on his feet.
Some other guy who Aishel also originally assumed to be a girl who had somehow mistaken the drunkard for being female and was trying to restrain him.

On that note, Aishel wondered why the hell there were so many long haired, beautiful guys around. Duvashnian males only wore their hair long if they couldn't afford haircuts, and just about every girl knew how to cut hair so it looked decent so that wasn't an issue, either. It was probably the king's sexism at work again.
In fact, it was the king's sexism at work again. Aishel remembered the entries in the book. "Men are not allowed to have long hair unless their muscles and/or genitalia are suggestive enough to prevent mistaken gender. Similarly, women are not allowed to have short hair unless their breasts and curves are suggestive enough to prevent mistaken gender as well." Aishel recited quietly. They intended to change it years ago, but it never got done.
In spite of the fact that Aishel thought she was curvy enough, she kept her hair long and shiny whenever she could. She wasn't quite sure why.

And finally, some kinda sickly-looking young lady who was clearly a magician. It was always those magically inclined beings who opted to be the center of attention, especially when making an entrance.
Aishel wondered if this was really okay. Looking at what had presented itself in the grand hall, she was starting to get a little worried. Maybe she was being fooled, though. These couldn't possibly be the people who have also recieved summons. Why the hell would the king summon this bunch? "Then again, I might be the only one who wasn't specifically summoned here."

[PyrosNine]

"Yoush let go off my hands! A ladesh can act teh hail the way sheh wants! And...annnnd...and i can too! Despit mah luk with teh ladesesh."

Faze chomped on some of his meat as his other hand vainly attempted to wobble out of Carus's grip, and wine sprayed everywhere. "Ah'm an impotant man! They wants meh before da king! The king wanteses me!!"

Then, while Faze's drunken mouth made it seem as if he was in fact a whore, his drunken eyes spotted the Banquet table, complete with fine wine and food. Faze polished off the meat and threw the bone somewhere with complete disregard for who or what it hit.

Then, Faze began a mighty pull towards the table, intending to drag Carus with him if he continued to hold on. Sure, he had a free hand and could have just retrieved his spear and done some more whacking, but he was drunk and this was most assuredly the best action in his mind. That and, on some level of inebriation, he realized using his spear would be rather unladylike.

[Skyshot]

Hunpher stood over the unconscious guard for a minute, variously prodding at him with his quarterstaff and cane before giving up on waking him that way. Instead, he took out a canteen of sterile water from his bag and dripped some in the man's face.

"Eh? A-wha?"

"Get up, ye miserable sloth. Dang lazy younguns think they can do just anything these days."

The guard jumped to his feet.

"Whoa whoa whoa what just happened?"

"Not my problem. Let me in."

"No access."

"I was summoned."

"Let me see."

"See...?"

"You should have the summons if you were summoned."

Hunpher thought back to the piece of paper lying on his office floor.

"Well, how about that. Guess you'll have to let me in there without it." He took a step towards the door before the guard jumped in front to block him. "Now you listen here you little whippersnapper. I am old, and that means I will get my way whether you like it or not. Take this!" Hunpher poked him with his cane.

"Sir, that's not really going to--"

"Get out of my way or I'll fix you with a glare so steely, you'll feel guilty for not bein' born thirty years earlier."

The guard wisely jumped back to his post.

"Now, I'm wanted in the great hall. Where is that?"

"Inside."

"Don't you get smart with me! You take me there right this minute!"

"Sir--" Hunpher fixed him with a glare. "Right away, sir."


A minute later, Hunpher was in the great hall as summoned. He looked around. Various people were about. He hated being around groups. As soon as they found out what he did for a living, they all wanted something. Headaches, broken limbs, mortal wounds, whatever, they all came whining to him about it.

Instead, he focused on the dog over in the back corner. Animals were usually nice, or at least less demanding. He went over and whistled at it.

"Here boy! C'mere!" he said, extending his hand to offer petting.

[Truce]

Carus had stopped understanding what Faze had said ever since the drunkard had opened his mouth. He did, however, realize that this person was strong, strong enough to drag him across the room. He doubted that any normal methods would stop Faze either.

Considering his options as he tried to keep Faze from taking any more steps towards the buffet, he quickly decided that reasoning was completely out of the question. It was unlikely that the other would even hear what he was saying, not when alcohol clouded the mind so thoroughly. That meant that the only action to be taken was action.

It was then that he, without any warning whatsoever, grabbed with his free hand the upper part of Fazes arm and threw the other man towards the exit, where the one known as Sulme still happened to be standing.

[PyrosNine]

Faze felt himself leave the ground, and suddenly the food dissapeared. He groaned in midair. It must have been just an illusion of the wine. Damn that wine! "Dayam it ta hell!"

Faze made an arc through the air and at the woman who had made so dramatic an entrance, at a speed that would at the very least give them both a few bruises.

[Astral Harmony]

Somewhere near the buffet table, a fork and a plate with a half eaten slice of cake clattered to the floor. Aishel got between Sulme and Faze, arms wide open to catch the flying drunkard. It took quite a bit of effort to remain standing when Faze collided with her, but she caught him. "Hey," Aishel said, calling out to Carus. "You may not like his drinking problem, but you can at least be civil about it!"

[Truce]

Carus waved an arm, her concern meaning little to him. "She's strong, and therefore requires a strong method of dealing with her-you of all people should understand that. If civility could solve everything, you and I wouldn't be here.

"Besides-I know she isn't the best looker, but at least I didn't call her a man."

His eyes, however, followed the path of Faze's flight, realizing that there had been a lady there. How he had missed such a grand entrance could only be blamed on Pyros-whoever that may be. "I do apologize to the lady though. I did not realize she was there."

[Tarrin]

The Wolves had gulped down their legs of meat and now sat on either side of Tyrrine, He watched the unfolding display infront of him, No wonder he didn't come into cities, The people were devoid of manners, Pushing this thought from his mind he started to speek to his two companions.

Molkar the Alpha of the two wolves voiced his opininons on those in the hall, All may have seamed like a bunch of slobs, Each however had something about them different to the normal people of this land, Something that made them special.
Tyrrine Had been sencing something from the group mabey that was it?


Tamarr The female wolf voiced her opinion on being out of the wild, THe fact that none of them should be in this human den, Tyrrine Agreed however as these were by part his people he would hear out the king of them, If he arrived soon that was as even having his two friends with him hadn't stopped him from starting to shake a little.