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[Selena]

Flashback – Just After the Invasion of Van'Duras
–

She was seated on her throne deep within the heart of the Labyrinth's main complex, buried far beneath the Taj-Nar mountains. She'd requested an audience with Xeres, one of her loyal retainers that had proven to be a traitor. Xeres never arrived. Her master, however, was very quick to respond to Selena's call. Selena and “One,” as he preferred to be called, faced each other in the Labyrinth's royal chambers. The two thrones to either side of Selena were painfully empty.

“Look at you,” One said, “all grown up and tyrannical. Chikara would be proud if you hadn't tried to kill her.”

“You should know by now that I don't have the patience for your bullshit. What do you want?”

“But no one bothered to teach you any hospitality. How unfortunate. Won't you at least offer me a glass of wine?”

Selena glared. “No.”

“Well, fine, we'll do things your way. Right down to business.” One cleared his voice, likely just for dramatic effect, and acted the politician. “I expect you want to know why I thwarted your plans to assassinate your poor, innocent loved ones?”

“My lazy, self-destructive rivals,” Selena corrected. “And yes, I am very curious about that. I am also very livid at that. So, please, do tell me why you prevented the deaths of Toan and Chikara.”

One smiled underneath his robe. “Don't worry, it wasn't your fault. Your plan took them by complete surprise. I, however, saw it coming a mile away. You're awfully predictable, being as ambitious as you are. So, I just sent Xeres out to save Toan from your minions. Chikara, bless her lack of soul, was able to fend for herself.”

“That didn't answer the 'why' part of my question.”

“I'm coming to that! So testy,” One teased. “The 'why' part of your question is very simple. I still need them. Therefore, I could not let your evil little plans manifest as you intended. Still, look on the bright side: Van'Duras is still flaming and in ruins. The important part of your plotting still worked!”

Selena's glare intensified. She leaned forward on her throne. “You need them? Why? Are they two more agents under your control? Do you just own everyone in the Labyrinth? How many of my soldiers are working for you?”

“Most of them,” he finally admitted. “Oh, don't look at me like that. Did you think for one minute that you could trust Chikara? When has she ever told you the truth? Of course she's working for me. That pretty girl is one of my favorite little helpers, come to think of it...”

“So the whole Labyrinth is essentially yours? Is that it? My home, my domain, everything I've worked for – it all belongs to you?” Her fingers gripped the armrests of her throne tightly, turning her knuckles white. Gods damn it, this was her family! No outsider was supposed to have control of something so sacred to her!

“Let's be fair. The Labyrinth is controlled very much by seniority. Unfortunately for you, I outrank you in every possible way. You're just a young pup in my eyes – still learning and still ignorant about a great many things despite being over a century old.”

“Don't play with me,” she hissed. “I'm one of the oldest living members of the Labyrinth. The only people older than me are in Chikara's generation, and I know every single one of them. I don't recall ever hearing of you. You don't look familiar at all. And even if I wasn't familiar with you, the records would have evidence of your existence. You are not from the Labyrinth.”

“No, dear, I am not. I am older than the Labyrinth. In fact, I was one of the first people to be sealed in here with the first generation – the brotherhood the fled underground and started to become twisted.” One's smile increased in intensity. “I went on raids with Hakubi. I wandered the land with Jinn. I was here when Chikara first put the crown on her head. You're just another new face in a crowd of younglings.”

“Everyone from the era of the brotherhood is dead,” Selena spat, referring to the first members of the Labyrinth in its present form. “Hakubi is entombed and Jinn simply disappeared. No one is left from that era.”

One bowed. “Except me, your majesty. The fact of that matter is that the Labyrinth isn't just some independent domain that happened to be founded by a few men seeking safety from a harsh wartime environment.”

“Then?” She tried hard not to grow too impatient. It wasn't working.

“Each one of those men were members of the Society of Laz. Lady, you're ruling the Society's largest and most powerful faction! You didn't even know it. Isn't that funny?”

Her eyes widened. “No, it is not.”

“Well, I think it's funny.”

“It's curious that no one ever mentioned being part of the Society of Laz. Not even Chikara. Logic would dictate that she'd be at least somewhat open with me about it.”

“Most members are not aware of other member's identities,” he explained. “It's a safety feature, really. Chikara wouldn't have even known about many of the others. But you're something of a live wire, so we were waiting for the right time to tell you. You know, to prevent some sort of massive slaughter or genocide, or whatever it is you happen to do.”

“I don't believe a word you're saying. This is complete and utter nonsense.”

“Jinn once burned down a holy temple. Chikara once had a rival queen by the name of Tael, who she quickly had executed,” One began to say. Selena dropped her jaw. Those were private stories told only by the elder members of the Labyrinth! “The code to get into the royal armory is 4-2-9-5. The first member of Laz to set foot in this Labyrinth was Hakubi, and because he had the most exposure to the Labyrinth's foul air, he became the most twisted. As such, they named him leader. I can recite all the history, if you'd like. Though there is a great deal that the records don't show. Shall I continue?”

“So you may be as old as you say,” Selena said. “That doesn't make you a member of Laz.”

“I could order two of your followers to commit suicide, if you like,” he dared. “Do you want to call my bluff, or will you believe me? You've already seen that The Society has its roots stretched deep enough into your inner circle to claim the likes of Toan and Xeres.”

“Why the Labyrinth? What does the Society want with it?”

“As I said, you can't think of the Labyrinth as just another domain. It's a part of The Society. The reason for that is plain to see. Look at the Labyrinth itself. That foul air that turns all the new recruits vile and evil – do you think that's a natural phenomenon? No, of course not! It's a part of The Society's influence. That spear you use? Full of dark energy. Not the Labyrinth's, oh no.”

“What do you want from me? Why can't you do anything on your own, powerful as you seem to be?”

“There are certain places I cannot go,” One said simply. “That aside, we all have the same goal at the moment. Kill Khuffie and destroy the Alliance. I merely ask that you let me fight with you. We could be a great team.”

Selena snarled. “I'm still convinced you're just going to turn on me.”

“Well, then you're very paranoid. It's not healthy. Think of your blood pressure.” He waved his arm in dismissal. “Either way, you have nothing to lose. We both want Khuffie's downfall. The Society will support you in this. All I ask is that you do me a favor as payment for the additional support.”

“Ah, here we go!” She smiled. “I knew it. What do you want?”

He laughed. “Nothing epic. I just need you to break into a temple in Ur'Almen after it's all over. At which point, you will go to the basement levels and retrieve a certain piece of scripture they have in storage. I cannot go there on my own. I am in need of someone to run that errand. Someone like you.”

“What kind of scripture?”

“An old, holy document that has been held in the main cathedral there for ages. That is all.”

“What does it do?”

“It gives you something to read,” he jested. “Don't worry your pretty head about it. We'll come to that at the appropriate time. You're getting too far ahead of yourself.”

“Why can't you go?”

“Do you ever stop asking questions?”

Selena snorted. “Only when I have peace of mind. Which I do not.”

“Well, let's just say that I am not welcome.”

She thought. “That's all I have to do? Fetch you some old scroll?”

“Yes. And in return, I will aid you in your quest to end Khuffie's reign.”

“Very well.”

He smiled. “Brilliant! Well, then, let's get plotting! You've already started, at least. Van Duras was a good first plan. Now the people think Khuffie is a weak protector, and most of his troops have been rerouted to Van Duras to guard it from further harm. What we need to do now is strike Olimandias itself.”

“The Labyrinth is splintered.”

“Never mind that! It will be handled. In the meantime, I need you to play the part of diplomat. Do you think you could muster uniting the three dorms together under one banner long enough to take Olimandias and kill Khuffie?”

“I already have a truce with the Fortress.”

“Oh, you plan ahead. I like that. Let's seal the deal and bring in the Woods to finish things. With the Fortress's ships, we can make landfall on the coast and march in. The Labyrinth can take the Hakubi Road to get as close as possible to the capital and then reinforce the other dorms.”

“I had planned to do that with just the Labyrinth,” Selena stated, “but I can just as easily use the other dorms.”

“Then let's summon their leaders up for a little discussion. I'll hand deliver the messages, if you like. I can obviously move around a bit quicker than your runners.”

“I'll have them all meet at the site of the last Dorm War Armistice. Hurian Island. They all consider it neutral ground.”

“Very good!”

–

Present Day

Selena sat on the shore, the light just a bit too bright for her. Her feet were bare, and she let the waves caress her feet as she waited. She'd left the Labyrinth behind for the moment, preferring to take on the role of Ikana's lead counselor. After all, she was still an ex-Ikana politician in her own right. A few of the Ikana officials were already waiting in a large meeting tent, getting the drink on while they waited for new arrivals. It was to be a big day, after all. A little bit of liquid courage might have been necessary to loosen them up for discussions.

And One? Well, if he was keeping his word, he was off delivering the last messages to the remaining members of the other dorms. It was all a matter of time. Getting all three dorms to agree on how to form a stable union until Khuffie could be destroyed? That was a different matter.

[Selena]

"One," his mission completed, brought the last of the diplomats and foreign dignitaries with him to the island. He exited one of his infamous portals accompanied by Steel and a small collection of other familiar faces. Selena heard the disturbance and turned her head, still lying on the beach. That had been faster than she had expected. Good. That meant they were more than willing to cooperate with her. Perhaps the plan would work. Having the Fortress Navy on her side would make an infantry landing on the shore of the central Alliance nations all the more easier. They could handle the Alliance military vessels. The Ikana and Woods navies, simpler and less seaworthy, would be sufficient in dropping troops off.

She raised her glass of rum and gave them her best welcoming smile (not that that was too terribly pleasant, the rest of humanity considered). "Welcome back to Hurian Island! I hope you weren't terribly interrupted."

[Steel Samurai]

Steel stepped through the portal . . . and was met by the most horrific sight his optic nerves had ever processed. Selena. Smiling. Without a bit of sarcasm. He screamed and felt himself falling, falling, falling into a black pit of despair . . .

Steel's eyes snapped open, and wiped the sweat from his brow. He lifted his gaze to Selena, and instantly lowered it, shuddering. Somehow, he managed to get the courage to look her directly in the eye (not the mouth) and say
"Where are we meeting?"

[Goose]

Goose stepped out of the portal, and saw his leader, Selena, standing there, with a dumb smile on her face. Not out of the ordinary. He listened intently on the conversations taking place.

[JRPomazon]

Jordan followed Steel through the void shortly after, his mind was still troubled by the events with Weizel Grande back in Hatena. He looked over to Steel, showing a strange amount of fear. He looked over and saw the reason why. This woman . . . she had a strange feeling to her, the kind of feeling a sheep must feel when they see a hungry wolf about to bite right into them. The kind of feeling that instilled fear into the hearts of even the most hardened men. Normally, Jordan probably would have shared in the delights of being scared half to death, but due to his recent uneasiness, he didn't really feel much of anything.

So he looked on, half terrified and half dead on the inside, which left him with a nice neutral look.

Edited by JRPomazon, 22 January 2009 - 12:34 AM.

[Selena]

Keel couldn't help but chuckle at Steel's reaction. "It's okay, mate. I feel your fear."

"Well, fine! See if I ever try to be nice again." She quickly dropped her lips back into their usual frown, as insecure as if she had gotten a piece of spinach stuck in her teeth before giving a large speech. Selena stood, her feet partially sinking into the white sand below. She pointed over their shoulders at a large tent further inland. "Most everyone is in there. You're the last ones to arrive. Ikana and the Woods haven't sent anyone of too much importance, but they come with the approval of their respective leaders. Maybe we'll meet up with the old war heroes once the campaign gets moving."

She began to walk up, taking another sip of her drink. She stopped at Goose and looked him over. "Been a while. Dare I ask what trouble you've gotten into?"

[Goose]

"Died, back to life, died again, then resurected. I"m trying to work out different ways to kill Khuff and destroy the alliance. Oh, and the Labyrinth. It must also die."

Goose was slightly irritated that the person who was his leader, was also an enemy. She was part of the Labyrinth, and since it had come back to life, she had to either repent, or die. Knowing that killing Selena would be like trying to catch a ray of sunlight in the middle of the night with only a butterfly net as an aid, Goose would work out a way to have both establishments destroyed, and give his leader a choice.

He would also have to work out a way to become stronger than his leader. And Smarter, he woudln't stand a chance till he had some brains. And courage. He didn't need a heart though. That was useless.

Khuff had to die, that was the main goal.

[JRPomazon]

It made sense that this woman would know Goose, she seemed crazy enough. Maybe crazier. Wait a minute: Steel's fear + Goose's chumminess + sensation of death =


"Oh Shit, you're Selena aren't you." Jordan asked, shocked more than anything else.

Edited by JRPomazon, 22 January 2009 - 10:59 AM.

[Selena]

It was better for everyone if she ignored Goose's finishing statement. But it was good to have him on board, regardless of what his end goal was. So long as he joined Ikana's ranks in the union.

"My reputation precedes me." Now there was something funny and familiar with the look of this new teammate of Steel's. Faces came and went over the centuries. Maybe she had run into him during the Battle of Van'Duras. It had been awfully hectic, and, barring Steel and that princess, she had a hard time remembering who some of his allies had been. No, no, he hadn't been one of them. Maybe he had fought in the last Dorm War? She couldn't find a name. Best to be blunt. "Who are you? You don't look like much of a pirate."

[SL the Pyro]

Meanwhile, en route to Olimandias...

Shadow, now finally back in his usual garb -- he didn't want anything to do with pirates right now -- was riding a horse to Olimandias. He was currently motivated by rage; what did Steel have against him, anyway? So he'd wrecked a bunch of pirate ships and foiled a bunch of pirate schemes, he was only doing as he was told by the Alliance.

But that was over now. He worked for the Alliance no longer, now with the knowledge that the Dorms were going to unite and give it hell in the near future. He wouldn't dare miss out on the opportunity to get rid of Khuffie and his empire. But since Steel was so kind as to make him stay out of Keel's teleportation trick, the only thing Shadow could do was wait at Olimandias for his Dorm buddies with absolutely no idea of what their battle plans are going to be.

But even so, he refused to sit on the sidelines. And he had an advantage that the Dorms didn't have; since there was no one left alive to inform the capital that the commander of the Uradiel Special Ops had gone rouge, he'd have free run of Olimandias before the attack. This gave him a chance to royally screw the Alliance over when the Dorms come knocking. He decided to clear his head so he could think of ways to sabotage his former employer and blackmailer...

Edited by Shadow_Link, 22 January 2009 - 02:27 AM.

[JRPomazon]

"Who are you? You don't look like much of a pirate."

Now, there are plenty of things Jordan could use as an answer. He needed the words that would ultimately not get him killed. He ran a couple of samples in his head:

"Hi, I'm Jordan of the Whirlwind Spear. I'm a descendant of Pharos of the Hall of Heroes. You remember Pharos, right? He used to scorch and burn labyrinth soldiers all the time."

Result: Instant death

"None of your business"

Result: Torture to say the previous answer then death

OK, so he was pretty much screwed as far as speaking was concerned, but to ignore a question from one of the most deadly people in the world . . . that wasn't good either. Well, she asked a blunt question, might as well go with a blunt answer.

"Jordan of the Whirlwind Spear." He replied, confident that he wasn't going to die right away.

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

Ken finally came through last, stumbling as his sense of balance tried to reorient itself. His heavy blade forced him to fall backgrounds onto the ground with a rather audible thud.

"Ow..."

Edited by Ken the Wandering Soul, 22 January 2009 - 02:29 PM.

[Steel Samurai]

Steel watched the exchange between Selena, Jordan, and Goose, arms folded. He had fully recovered from the frightful expression which adorned Selena's face not 3 minutes earlier. Really, she was almost pretty when she wasn't smiling. He idly wondered what the consequences would be to anyone who told her so. Not something he wished to test out. Maybe Jordan or Ken could be a guinea pig. A few glasses of rum would loosen their tongues. Though getting Selena herself drunk would be far more entertaining. Ha! He could make a communal drinking session part of the treaty. Growing bored, he looked down at the beach. It seemed an age since he had sat there with Shiima after the last treaty, but in reality it had been little more than 3 months. He wondered whether she would be coming on the warpath . . . No matter.

"When are the talks due to start?"

[Selena]

"We can begin whenever you like. The meeting place is that way," Selena said, pointing further inland. She then looked down at Ken. "But you might want to make sure your troops all have the capacity to stand. I see you gotten a head start on drinking. If I had known, I wouldn't have brought as much for the meeting as I did. Oh well. Just don't puke on my feet."

[Goose]

"I better be careful. The stuff just goes right through me." Goose said with a deadpan look on his face.

[JRPomazon]

Jordan looked over to Goose for a moment, a small smirk appearing on his face. He walked over to Ken and helped him up.

"It still surprises me how you're able to carry that thing around Ken." He said.

He looked over to the location Selena was pointing out and noticed everyone picking up the pace and moving out.

"Let's get this joke over with." He said as he headed off with the others.

[Steel Samurai]

Steel entered the tent and sat down at the large, round table in the center of the tent. He looked around at his counterparts from the other dorms. Besides Selena, there was no one of note serving as the representatives of the other dorms. Hmm. This could be interesting. He whispered to Jordan and Ken to go relax in the refreshment tent next door, he would join them during the recess. They were there mostly for show, as the second in Command of the Forsaken Fortress, for Steel to come to the meeting unaccompanied would have seemed as if they could not spare an escort. So, he had brought two of the finest warriors the Fortress had to offer. The escorts for the other envoys seemed to be scarcely more than ordinary foot soldiers. Good. That gave him the psychological advantage in the proceedings. Besides that, the Fortress Navy would be key for the invasion. Without it, the sea attack would fail. Steel knew better than anyone, probably even Selena, the power of the Alliance navy. He did not have fully half of his spies serving in the various navies of the dorms for no cause. If the Fortress navy did not sail on the side of the Labyrinth, there would be no sea landing. No sea landing, no reinforcements for the ground troops. Which would make things very, very tricky, especially with the bulk of Khuffie's army relatively close to the capitol. For the moment. But there was no reason to worry about this. Yet. Steel tilted his chair back on two legs against a sturdy tent post and waited for Selena to begin the proceedings.

[Crimson Lego]

Leo suddenly fell through the portal, stumbled and almost tripped. Straightening up, he adjusted his axe and saw a group of people heading towards a tent. Following, he arrived at a table with others. Taking a seat, he observed everyone else. Seems like this will be pretty important.

[Goose]

Goose looked around at the various dormsmembers here. Nobody worth noting. Steel was here, but he wasn't all that crucial. Infact, he was kinda useless when not on the open seas.

Goose was by far the most crucial person here. By Far.

[JRPomazon]

Jordan nodded to Steel and took his leave of the meeting. He felt nervous, like something was staring at him relentlessly. Was it Selena? No, she probably had better things to do than stalk him with her vision. But she suspected something. Ugh, he was thinking about this far too much. He needed something from the refreshment tent, something to drink. Didn't have to be alcoholic, could just be water. Water would be great.

Something passed by him as he headed towards the tent, a light breeze. He looked behind him to find a small man heading towards the tent. A dwarf? Perhaps he was a representative of a dorm. Perhaps not. The drink could wait, this didn't feel right. Jordan walked back towards the tent and noticed the dwarf took a seat. Maybe he was supposed to be here after all. Jordan didn't reenter the tent and took a seat outside, out of sight from anyone looking out the entrance to the tent of course.

He might as well listen in, it would be quite a show.

Edited by JRPomazon, 28 January 2009 - 12:29 AM.

[Selena]

Selena stood amongst the other diplomats, a few Ikana guardsmen standing on either side of her. She hated given speeches, despite how bossy she was. It was best just to get it over with. She cleared her voice and began. "I thank you all for making the trip out to Hurian Island. I know that there are many bitter memories left from the last of the Dorm Wars, but I hope that all that can be temporarily be put aside. We have a common enemy in the Alliance, and it is now the appropriate time to attempt to bring down Khuffie and the capital of Olimandias."

Her eyes panned over the other representatives, first resting on Steel and then moving to the Lost Woods members. Though most were familiar faces, one was very clearly new and uninvited. He was short. He was fuzzy. Selena froze, no doubt making the visiting representatives uneasy and confused. Somebody... had brought a halfling to the meeting. Didn't they know? Hadn't her reputation and legend made it perfectly clear that short little halflings were absolutely not welcome in her presence?! Didn't they know that half of her mental problems stemmed from a certain height challenged former Queen of the Labyrinth? And not only that, but he was never introduced to her until that very moment! They'd been hiding him just to shock her!

Selena pointed at Leo. "Who brought the hobbit here?!"

There was a tense silence. One of the Ikana soldiers leaned over. "I believe that's a dwarf, ma'am."

"...Oh. Well, then." She shifted her feet. Where the hell did the dwarf come from, then? Was Shadow going to drop out of the sky next? "You! Dwarf! What dorm are you a part of?"

--

ooc:

[Crimson Lego]

Leo was very, very, mad at being called a hobbit. Resisting an instinctive urge to throw his knife, he managed to keep his voice calm. "The Lost Woods. I'm assuming you're here to make some sort of speech?" He moved over to the small group of Lost Woods representatives and sat close to them.



ooc: Sorry, if he sounds a bit rude, Leo's like that.

Edited by Leo Crimson, 28 January 2009 - 01:01 PM.

[JRPomazon]

Jordan, sit out of sight from the others, listened closely to the conversation. The dwarf seemed to know what he was doing, but it was doubtful he was able to completely grasp the situation. This wasn't a place for someone to just haplessly wander in. So, he would wait outside and listen.

[Goose]

Goose sat down. He'd openly threatened Lena, and she hadn't taken the bait. He had hoped she would. He liked to annoy her. She may have been quite beautiful and a powerful friend, but because of that damed labyrinth, she was also foe.

So maybe he'd wait a while before he did that to her again.

For now he was intent on inflaming the situation with the dwarf.

"Who let this child in here. This is a no child zone. Didn't you see the sign? I should go post them up. Go home to bed child. We need not your kind here. "

A smirk apeared on the skeletons skull.

[Crimson Lego]

Leo turned slowly to the stranger. He cracked his knuckles but had to resist to just whip out a knife and kill that....ok.. "I ain't a child; I could probably beat and crush you if we weren't here.", answered Leo calmly. He snickered.

[Steel Samurai]

Steel rolled his eyes. Neither Selena nor Goose was helping. And the rest of the diplomats seemed to be far too apathetic towards the whole situation. They would never get started at this rate, and if they never got started, they'd never finish, and Steel hated these meetings. He sighed. Fine. He would have to take matters into his own hands. Goose would probably try to kill him later for ruining his fun, but, dammit, he wanted to get this meeting over with. He got up and walked over to the Dwarf purposefully. He looked down at the man, his piercing black eyes gazing straight into the Dwarf's. He was rather skinny for a dwarf. He looked more suitable for stealth and speed rather than brute strength, like most Steel had met. Good. That should make this easier.

"Dwarf," He said softly "This is a closed meeting. Only those with their names on the list of diplomats are allowed in. I've read the list. And I know everyone on it. And you don't happen to be one of them. So, I would advise you quite strongly to leave the tent until the meeting is finished, or I shall be forced to throw you out. Do you understand me?" His voice took on a hard edge. "I will toss you out of the tent, and leave you to my pirates."

[Crimson Lego]

Turning to the newcomer, Leo stared deep into his eyes for a second or 2. He nodded and got up. "Well, I can see that you're not joking around. I'll leave you alone then." He walked away, then stopped. He offered his hand, "Name's Crimson, Leo Crimson." In case they turned to attack, Leo was ready to grab his knife....but maybe that wouldn't be necessary.

[Steel Samurai]

Steel regarded the hand for a moment gravely and took it with a firm grip.

"Stay out of trouble, and out of my way, Leo Crimson, and I think we'll get along just fine."

He turned and sat back down in his original seat. Now if they could just please please get this started . . .

Edited by Steel Samurai, 28 January 2009 - 10:34 PM.

[JRPomazon]

The dwarf proceeded to leave the tent, he took his exclusion from the meeting rather well. He didn't seem to notice Jordan sitting right next to the tent with his glaives by his side, oh well.

[Goose]

Goose stared into the sky.

He looked at some clouds. They were fluffy. Fuffy like a little white dog that looks so innocent but then opens his mouth and barks at you even though you could beat it up with a flick of your finger but it doesn't take any notice of that and even proceeds to take a leak on your leg and then use the other leg as a humping post because it is the king of its domain and nothing can stop it doing what it wants to do.

Goose looked at his finger, and then at his leg, and was glad he didn't have a little white dog.