Reuniting A Kingdom Part 2: Tundra Tussle (OPEN)

[Adam]

Badrul was probably best described as an icy tundra. It was the coldest place on Yalanze, and connected to the Sinsul Ocean. The Dragons of Water, Snow and Ice lived in these lands and lived peacefully for many years from the wars and conflicts of the rest of the world, be they of dragon-kind, or of the other species that inhabited the planet. Locked away in an icy fortress, their extensive and intimate knowledge of Draconic Spellweaving was unmatched. It was said that the Dragons of Badrul horded other types of knowledge as well. The knowledge of non-draconic spells, and even certain, powerful artifacts that were kept so well hidden by the collective powers of the Badrul Dragons, that not even Corvin himself had the dark magic needed to crack their safes. Albeit very pacifistic, the Dragons of Badrul were the most well fortified and strategic in the fields of mystical defense. Their mutual, symbiotic relationship with the sea serpents of the Sinsul Ocean also allowed them unparalleled access to almost any of the Eight Seas, making them effective in aquatic combat.

The Elders of the Badrul Dragons had heard of Samael’s return, and out of all the Clans, not including the Celestials, they were the most hesitant of Samael’s return. Their outside agents had told them much of the growing war, and of Samael’s desire to take the fight to the vampires, after many years of torment done to them at the hands of both the vamipiric and demonic hordes. Rumors from the west told them that there was a chance that even the werewolves were now siding with the vampires, in an apparent power struggle before the first real body counts began to rise. For days prior to the ever-collecting knowledge that Samael would approach them, the Elders conversed with one another in their Clan Chambers, to discuss whether to unify, or to wait and see if reunification was even necessary. Many did not believe that Vlad would even bother them, as he had no way of terrorizing their people in the past, but then there were others that had spent years collecting tomes of dark magics that Vlad could know that could potentially allow him access to even their most sacred of texts. The debating had gone on, civilly, for days to come until the dragons of Badrul received a visit from Brigade with a request to guard their Clan stone.

Although hesitant, the Badrulians were willing to relinquish the Stone to Brigade for safe keeping until they had time to listen to what Samael had to say. Although the Celestials held the most intimate knowledge on the Hun’Drog, the Badrulian Dragons were the only others that had even a close historical documentation on Samael. They knew that he was a militaristic genius, and held off an onslaught from the Celestials, thousands of years earlier, but their records behind why their actions lead to this was unknown. However, the Badrulians were not ones to simply ignore the concerns of the Celestials either. They would listen to Samael, but they would not give an answer until they had all options on the table to whether or not they should unify.


When Samael’s encampment arrived in Badrul, they acted fast to have fires roaring in safe spots. The Fire Clan rarely made trips to Badrul, as the cold, harshness of the landscape was normally not in their nature. Although Badrul often allowed Fire Dragons to enter their lands if they were undertaking the Rites, they often did not see much use for co-mingling with one another. The Pacifistic nature of the Ice Clan did not normally mesh well with the warrior nature of the Fire Clan. It was also to note that the land was often a winter wasteland, much like Firegorge Mountain was a volcanic wasteland.

When the last tent was raised, and the last fires were lit, Samael walked across the Encampment, keeping an ever-watchful eye on his people. They did not have to follow him, but nearly every dragon that swore allegiance to Samael uprooted their own tents and followed the Hun’Drog to Badrul. Many warriors, albeit unused to the temperatures, were still training and in constant combat as he walked past. Reports had already been made that the prisoners were already given their quarters, and food and water. Their captives were probably used to so much better cuisines than what the dragons had to offer, but Samael ensured that they would have at least something similar to a decent meal. A roasted beast that had been held over a spitfire and captured just earlier that day. It resembled a boar, but with much larger tusks, and a whip-like tail. Although several barrels containing water was sent to them, Samael at least offered them one bottle of wine to ensure that they had something else if their tastes desired it.

Isolde’s tent had been joined to Samael’s at this point, and the newest dragon, Minerva, was given quarters with the other warrior dragons. Given Samael’s uncertainty towards her, he had placed Minerva under Isolde’s command, until he could learn more about this dragon’s true intentions. Although, there had been much that he had already done to intrigue and humble Samael, it only gave her more of a benefit of a doubt than absolute trust. Day in and day out though, the young dragon was among the first to awaken, and the first to request tasks to be done throughout the day. Often, she set up tents, scouted the landscape for enemies, and even went on hunts with other dragons in search for food to bring back to the Encampment. Today, Samael would allow her to accompany himself and Isolde to speak to the prisoners if she so desired. Later on that day, it would possibly be both her and Samael speaking to the Elders about unification.

They did not prevent the prisoners from exploring the Encampment. Although it gave them all ample chances to escape, Samael was confident that they would not have gotten far if they tried, so he allowed them to wander freely. There was also not much that they could overhear, as Samael’s will was told only to Isolde, who carried out her brother’s orders through her Generals and soldiers. In Samael’s own way, he gave the prisoners an inch without ever having to worry about them taking a mile out of it, as the old saying would usually go. His prisoners included Vlad’s wife, Queen Marina Draculea and her daughter Katya Draculea, her son Micha, and her doctor, who insisted on accompanying the Queen. Samael allowed the doctor his space to care for the Queen, and even offered him what he needed to ensure that she was in good hands. Samael wanted to speak to the angel, Micha as it was. His kind were much like Celestials, which intrigued Samael. The final captive was Katya, and she had been both rebellious and silent around the dragons since her capture, speaking almost exclusively to her mother.

It was the only thing they could do until the Elders were ready for him. Not long before, Samael had extended an invitation to both Luna and Teo as well to ensure that if they wished to be there, they were not ignored the opportunity to discuss their views on unifying with Samael as well.

Silently, Samael waited outside of the Prisoner tents before going in, waiting on Isolde and when she would be ready to join in interrogating the prisoners.

[Deleted]

Micah slowly awoke from unconsciousness. His eyes flickered open and shut as things came to him in a blur. His eyes finally focused and he looked around at his unfamiliar location. Micah slowly rose but as he moved up he felt a migraine in his head. Grunting briefly he forced himself up anyway while holding his head. He looked to see his mother and a young girl he  did not recognize. His mothers doctor was with them too unexpectedly but Micah wondered if that meant he was successful in preventing a full on fight and unnecessary death of valued lives.

Micah slowly rose to his feet brushing himself off a bit he looked around. Their tent was not exactly a prison, that was good, perhaps there was a reason they were there that didn't have anything to do with being prisoners. Micah did not have a large grasp on the exact extent of the conflict between dragons and vampire. Heavens scope expanded beyond just Yalanze. There were many worlds with many people in it which heaven presided over. Generally wars were nothing to take special notice of. They waged on long before current times and would continue to long after as well.

It seemed to be an unfortunate constant with mortals of every world. This was usually the result of demons as even when they didn't have a direct hand in it, they indirectly influenced conflict. It was a constant struggle for heaven to fight back their counter parts as demons replenished so quickly. As souls poured into hell to be corrupted, their own conflict fueled their armies. The offspring of fallen angels and ancient demons also bred more demons as well. Heaven did not use their souls in any capacity. Eternal peace was the gift to the ones who made it in heaven and angels were not infinite nor do they procreate often as they are essentially immortal they might go centuries or even millenia before even considered having children.

It was heavens duty to fight evil but the conflicts between those that were not evil generally were not for heaven to interfere in no matter how destructive. Micah stood and brushed himself off a bit and turned to his mother. He had a generally optimistic attitude but he was not careless by any means. "Are you well mother? I was unsure if I would be able to help you, you had been away from heaven for so long. I do apologize if things seem complicated but I assure you that it will work out how it needs to. I would not allow any harm to come to anyone here anyways. There are bigger things at work if heaven has lead me to you and allowed us to be caught in what ever this is."

Micah couldn't help but smile warm heartedly to Marina. "Despite the circumstances it is still wonderful to finally see you. I can barely believe it even as I stand here. It always seemed that I was being pulled in all other directions except to you but there is so much to catch up on I am not sure where to even begin."

[Katya Drăculea]

She never did make it easy for anyone.

From the moment they grabbed her she put up a fight with the dragons who abducted her from the meadows. There was no time to leave any sort of trail for Sed to follow which for once made her feel something. Would he understand that she would never vanish on her own terms? Would it seem like she had simply run off without him? That bothered her even more than she thought it would and that served to fuel her rage. At one point she put up a fight that nearly delayed the entire trip, even biting one of them which rendered her unconscious due to ingesting one of the dragons blood. It seemed it was not fatal to her but it did weaken her for the time being as the other half of her heritage tried to purify it.

When she awoke she was in the dragons encampment coughing up blood onto the floor of the tent. The blood sizzled as it touched the ground. Confusion was the first expression on her face as she looked around only to find that her mother was here. Along side her was the mortal doctor that her father took to keep her safe and some strange man. The first emotion she felt was rage; rage directed towards her captors for taking her away from Sedaiyus at such a crucial moment. Not only was she on the verge of enacting her plan but he had gone to fetch a gift. She had plenty of gifts before but they were all from people who had no choice in the matter.

Getting to her feet shakily, she glared at the woman before her and the strange man. There were no words to describe what she was feeling at the moment. Not only had the dragons ruined something for her but if what the man had said held any truth, she had a second sibling. It was already bad enough that she had to prevent Ingeras from assuming the throne she wished. The air about him was different, however, and it was almost as if something inside of her could feel it. That low resonating feeling that her mother had given off her entire life that she had ignored. Yet now it only served to add to the confusion she felt.

"Somehow I know that all of this is your fault. Yours and that scum bag father of mine." she spat venomously.

[Mari]

She watched both of them like any mother nursing her child with an injury. Her children. The child of her first marriage and the child of her second marriage; They seemed to be exact opposites of one another. It amazed her how different they were and she felt a distinct failure as a mother that the child she had nothing to do with had turned to the light and the one who she had raised had turned to, well if not the dark then pretty close to it.

“I am well, Micah. Just seeing you has brought a song to my heart. Worry not I am well and blessed for all that these may not be the most ideal conditions.” His joy at seeing her brought tears to her eyes, “I am grateful you think so kindly of me considering I was not able to be the mother I wanted to be to you.” It was actually an odd occurrence to have an older child that thought well of her-- Especially one who hadn’t been raised by her. Katya seemed to find fault with everything she tried to do and while Mari did understand it was her lashing out at the closest target and not personal she found it ironic that the girl child who took up most of her time that she had for her children was so resentful and angry. Her sons in contrast seemed to be content by in large.

It was refreshing and after so long in the dark realm of Sylthanus like spring time after a brutal winter. “You were living your life and learning. Your sister was doing much the same. I would not fault either of you for wanting to test your wings and take your first flights.” She said gently to him as he commented on how long it was between his disappearance and return. “You have been doing the Creator’s work as have I. There is no shame in that.”

Katya waking up and coughing blood had a worried look on her face, “I am sorry you are unwell Katya but neither myself nor your older half brother Micah here had anything to do with what the dragons have done. They kidnapped me literally kicking and screaming from the castle, as well as Doctor Milson and your half brother from my first marriage.” She was hurt as she always was by her daughter’s words but she never let it show in her serene countenance. Katya had every right to be vexed and Mari would not invalidate her feelings. The fact that she could not lash out at the parties she wanted to was irrelevant at the moment.

Mari herself had neither eaten or drank in her time in this place. She wandered to stretch her limbs and no more. She showed neither displeasure nor joy at their circumstances. She had used a bit of divine energy to turn her clothing into the standard robes of her station as a Seraphim. It was easier to maneuver in these robes and they did not attract dirt the way mundane clothing would. She was the representative of two words and she would not dishonor either of them by looking like a slattern. Her hair was neatly braided around her head and held in place with silver cording. The only thing she refused to do was show her wings to anyone here. She was not here to deliver a divine message so there was no point in more than the barest signs of power.

Had her children and the doctor not been here it was likely she would have wandered only enough to keep flexible. Dined and drank little if at all and meditated for the entire journey only to stir herself for bodily needs. When there was nothing she could do to fix a situation Mari retreated to the Creator’s love to heal her sorrowful heart. With her children and doctor involved; however, she had to take more than a passing interest in their situation. No doubt the dragons would use any information they could and Katya’s temper was giving them loads of ammo to sling at them. The greatest enemy wasn’t the one in another kingdom it was often family or the ones you kept close who betrayed you the most. That was one thing Mari had observed many times in her time in Sylthanus.

[Deleted]

Micah chuckled faintly as Katya's outburst greatly amused him. Not because what she said or the situation was funny but because he could empathize with how she felt and reminded him of how he had started out. When he was older he was told what had happened with his parents. He was told how his father fell to the undead hoards and his mother was taken in by the vampire king. But when he found out that the vampire king was responsible for maintaining the undead population and that his mother was staying with the man who Micah saw as the one who had failed in his duties and gotten his father killed Micah wanted Vlad to suffer and pay and Micah wanted vengeance. It only fueled his rage when he was told that he could not interfere and that his mother was there for a reason beyond Vlad stumbling across her.

Raphael had taught Micah to quell such feelings and find a more constructive solution to his predicament. In time he was even taught to let go of the hatred entirely and forgive Vlad as it did not serve Micah in any manner to cling to such dark feelings. Though Micah still held some resentment towards Vlad and did not really agree with just about everything he did, he did not hate the man, and he did not let his feelings cloud himself from seeing what good he had done however it may be outweighed by evil. Micah smiled happily and joyously in tone spoke to Katya "Believe it or not I know how you feel Katya, at least to some degree. But throwing blame around will not help yourself or anyone here. I know you do not want to hear it from me but it is best if you calm yourself, while in the presence of a threat you must be mindful, and anger clouds the mind. That anger and rage will only serve your captors not you."

Micah sighed faintly and looked to his mother as she changed her attire. She wandered somewhat after addressing her children. Micah wasn't sure what to say despite having much he wanted to talk about. "Things were difficult for me when I finally found out what happened to father and yourself. I was filled with anger and despair but mostly uncertainty. Michael helped give me purpose though and taught me how to serve heaven as my parents have. Raphael helped me understand all the things that plagued me and how to turn my darker feelings into something more positive with enlightenment. I was able to come to terms with what happened because of him and find my own way instead of being tangled in a tragic past I had no power to change. I missed you everyday though, there was hardly a moment I did not think and wonder what it would be like with you. But overall I was happy and I never believed you were at fault for anything that had happened."

Micah walked closer to Katya and held open his arms for a hug but didn't force one upon Katya. "It is good to finally meet my dear little sister. Care to give your older brother a hug. I know you can't possibly think much of me, I mean I have not been in your life to help until now but if you could find it in yourself to forgive me for that I would be most grateful. After all I didn't even know I had a brother or sister until recently. However you might feel I do not blame you Katya, you must think me nothing more than a stranger, but know I wouldn't let any harm come to you."

[Deleted]

Damn it! The one time that she should have been more than vigilant with her protection of the Queen and her daughter and apparent new found son, Agatha had been there too late, and she could curse herself for it, if she didn't think she could make better use of her time by going after them.

There was no way in hell that she would just abandon them, she had made a promise to Mari, which by now had been years ago, that she would keep her safe, that even if she was just a werewolf, she knew that Mari was part of something bigger by the Creator, something she wasn't about to just let slip because it might be difficult. She knew if she was going to find out where they had been taken, she'd have to call in quite a few favors, but that wasn't exactly the problem, the biggest problem was that she was more than sure that it was the dragons, or better yet, that it was this Samael she had been hearing more and more about, she just had to admit she hadn't actuyally expected him to act so boldly all of a sudden.

She did realize all too well however, that a bold plan like that combined with a kidnapping, would have to mean he knew exactly where he wanted or had to go for whatever plan he had, so that at least gave her something to go on, and something was usually enough for her to figure things out.

And luckily, that was the case now as well, after she had worked her sources, she had soon enough figured out where Samael's forces had headed off to, one of the places Agatha usually rather avoid if she had the choice. The only dragon she actually hang around with more than willingly, was Teo, but right now she did worry if she would find her there, if she would find out that she was going to be part of Samael's plan or something, she hoped not, but her paranoia was strong right now after she felt like she failed in protecting the Queen.

Happy that she quickly managed to dress extra warmly in her assassins robes, her identiy hidden well underneath her hood, she got to one of the high points overlooking the new established encampment which obviously belonged to Samael, but she knew she had to be careful if she was planning on trying to get closer, but sheh ad to try, she had to at least try to get closer to the Queen. "What the actual hell are you up to?" She mumbled in herself, her eyes scanning the camp and the people there, subconsciously looking if she saw a sign of Teo as well, although she hoped she wouldn't, or that she wasn't playing into Samael's hands. She looked up in a different direction, as she heard sounds coming from there, obvious sounds which she didn't have to think about what it was, as someone's husband was likely on a warpath of his own now, and she was more than convinced about two people that would volunteer to be in the front row of that.

This had the potential to get seriously even more complicated than it already was, real soon, she had to figure a way down there, unseen.

[Isolde]

It would seem that her brother had been busy since his return. Yet she never envisioned him to be so bold as to take Vlad's family from him. Silently she cursed her bloodline as the men had a tendency to simply act even if they could not be certain of the outcome. What she would have suggested would have been a lot more subtle than openly challenging a man said to have power over the dead. Unlike him the very thought of it managed to give her the chills and that said a lot for one of their family. To top it off she was busy worrying about the growing unrest with the undead and the strange new woman who had entered their camp. She feared that things were progressing too quickly and the proper attention was not being paid to the right tasks.

As usual Isolde simply appeared out of nowhere beside her brother. For a race that was so gargantuan in reality, she was silent like a cat in her human form. At first she would say nothing, merely observe the expression on Samael's face for a moment longer. Even he had to be uneasy with all of this somewhere. "We have sent word to the others. I have insisted that they join us." she said. Of course most knew that when Isolde insisted it was often not in a very kind manner. She was perhaps the worst sort of messenger to send anywhere yet she was also the fastest.

Examining the size of the prisoner's lodgings she wondered just how many people he had taken. Surely there was only one person important to such a monstrous man. She could not wrap her mind around the idea that he cared for anything more than himself and his crowned queen. "How many prisoners did you take exactly? Surely the Queen was all we needed." she asked.

[Katya Drăculea]

Katya paced the length of the tent now as she occasionally let out a cough that covered her hand in blood. The healing process was slowed due to the blood being a natural poison to her. Yet it was fascinating that it did not destroy her outright. Wiping her bloodied hand upon her garments, she made a note to use that for later. In her short years living outside of Sylthanus she had picked up on the craft remarkably well and did not believe she would remain her very long. Either she would use her magic to escape or she would offer her aid in exchange for her release. Her terms and conditions were rather simple and she felt reasonable too.

 "At least you're free of him now. Do not squander this gift." she replied with a solid "hmph" following suit. In her early years she had loved her father dearly but that had long since shattered. His disappearance shattered her trust in him that he could be counted on. It drove her to hate him and the people of Sylthanus drove her away long ago with their irrational fear of her. They did not know what she was truly or how to control her, simply that she was not one of them, not really.  Her eyes lingered on the doctor for a moment before she sighed, what reason could they have had for bringing him?

Raising her brow, she took several steps back as Micah started to speak to her and a few more when he approached her. Her eyes flashed silver as they often did when the monster inside of her surfaced, a warning to those who would be foolish enough to come in arms reach. "You may lower your arms. I do not hug strangers, least of all those born of the heavenly host. If you want to help you can start by summoning the Calvary and getting us out of here. Are you both not warriors of light? The mighty beings who are said to be able to cast down even the gods?" she asked. Her eyes narrowed as she looked between the two of them, unsure what sort of being Micah was entirely. He resonated like she and Marina did but she figured he might be more than an angel or perhaps she was wrong. If he wanted a hug so bad then he could hug the foolish boy child, Ingeras. Katya cast her silvery gaze about the room for a moment as if searching for him.

"Where is the little parasite anyhow?" she asked. It was clear by her expression that she was confused that they had left Ingeras behind but were thorough enough to grab her. What a nightmare, this made her plans harder as she could not get close to the boy as she had planned. She had only spoken to him once in his entire life despite having plans for his existence.

[Adam]

Samael looked out into the endless Tundra before him as snow blew across the area. Since acquiring the power of the Air Stone, he was able to divert most of the wind chills from his people. At the moment, he could not do much as his power was only still growing, but soon, he could command the elements to their fullest. He believed that it was possible to tap into his full power through his emotions, but to do so would expend a great deal of his energy, and his body needed to slowly readjust to the now powers within him. However, it wasn’t the power that had Samael at full alertness, but the coming storm. Not one of the elements, but one of Death. Earlier, Samael had ordered a band of Air Dragons to Sylthanis. Their objective was to capture the Queen and leave, but due to some unforeseen events, they came back with multiple prisoners. However, most of them were of some general interest to Samael. The drawback was two dragons lost their lives at Vlad’s very hands. Many of the dragons returned with a preplexed fear in their eyes, but even within that fear, they found the courage to abduct the Vlad and Marina’s daughter, Katya.

With them, was also a human doctor and an angel, Micha. At first, the angel reminded Samael a lot of the Celestials, but in many ways was very different. A potential ally, if what the dragons reported was true. If it was the angel’s desire to rescue the Queen from Vlad, then perhaps he would be willing to fight on Samael’s side, given similar interests. Samael was considering more when he turned to see Isolde standing beside him. He had expected her, but often, she was able to not make a sound. “Good,” Samael replied to her reporting in, “I will want them to prepare the Auxiliaries as soon as possible. I do not want a surprise attack to commence from within, and with the undead, I do not want to take any chances. The reports the men gave from Sylthanis is unsettling. They felt something dark coming from that place. Not just Vlad, but something familiar they said.”

Samael trusted the logic of the Air Clan members that infiltrated Sylthanis for their word. It was for this reason that he insisted that they moved sooner for Badrul than expected. Vlad would ready his armies within a moment’s notice to march on Balfaer. Capturing the daughter was only an added bonus, as it would let Vlad know where to find them. Samael wanted this entire event to happen. It was his way to get to know his enemy the best. He would learn their strategies, and learn what enemies to expect when Vlad struck. If the Ice Dragons were watching, then they would see the how direly they were needed in the war. Even in their pacifistic nature, they would know that the defence and betterment of their people came first. They would agree to unification, and Samael would be able to finish the reunification of his Kingdom, and begin preparations for the war to truly begin.

“I will show you how many were taken,” Samael said, motioning the way to the tent of the captives. Outside of the tent, voices could be heard from each of the three main captives. Samael heard what Micha said of his life, and the words of the Queen and the resentfulness of the daughter. In some way, the girl reminded Samael of himself and Isolde, and the resent they felt for their own father. Looking at his sister one more time, he motioned for her to be ready to enter the tent to speak to the captives.

“Your brother is merely here of his own accord,” Samael spoke as both Isolde and himself entered the tent, “he could leave at anytime if he so desired, but he also welcome to stay with you and your mother for as long as he desires. Your mortal doctor included.” He looked over the Queen and her daughter before looking over to Micha. Stepping forward, Samael extended his arm to shake in respect for the angel.

“Know now, Angel, that you are welcome among our people as both friend and guest, and know that while here, none that share your blood will be harmed, you have my word,” Samael spoke firmly, but respectfully to Micha, “but also know that even agents of gods are responsible for whatever words spoken, this applies even to kings.” Samael turned again to face the Queen and Katya and spoke, “Both you and your daughter are free to roam the Encampment as you may please. However, if escape is at all in your mind, then I would advise against it. We are in the heart of the Badrul Tundra. The temperatures here, I am told, reach the coldest point in Yalanze. I would advise waiting until Vlad comes for you to escape.” Samael stated bluntly.

Looking back to the angel, Micha, he wondered what his intentions would be for when Vlad came. Samael could have asked his allegiance, but part of him felt he already knew Micha’s thoughts. He was ultimately loyal to his mother, and would do what it took to protect her, but would he willingly allow her to return to Sylthanis? Turning to Isolde, he spoke aloud, “Isolde, do you have anything to add, sister?”

[Mari]

Mari listened quietly while Micah spoke to his half sister. She didn’t have high hopes for the two hugging their issues out and she was not disappointed when Katya scathingly rejected the attempted affection. Hearing Micah address her she canted her head in his direction, “I thank you for your kindness, Micah. There are many that don’t understand.” She said quietly. The briefest flash of pain filled her eyes but she shoved it aside. She had a greater purpose and even if some people hated her then it was part of the burden she was to bear.

“Your father did not leave us of his own accord, Katya. He was taken by Death itself. Surely you now know what it is like to be taken someplace against your will now?” This was said softly but said nevertheless. “I never wanted you to hate your father. You used to love him once. And for all his harshness he does love you no matter how vexed he may be.” Mari felt the beginnings of a headache start to form.

She ignored Katya’s comment of being a warrior of light. “I see no reason to fight when it is not warranted. At the moment we are being treated as well as can be expected. Should that change…we shall see what the Creator deems necessary.” She shrugged her shoulders gently. “Your brother is back home I would assume.” Mari said gently. “He was not with me when I was captured with the doctor and your half brother Micah.” She explained gently to her second eldest child. “I wish you wouldn’t be so harsh about Ingeras. He has done nothing to harm you and he loves you you know this. He has always told you so and yet you reject him when the same blood flows through both your veins.”

Mari was beginning to think Katya liked being miserable. She self sabotaged like a pro. She massaged her temples and the doctor glanced about to see if there was water for him to soak a rag in to assist the Queen with her headaches.

Samael’s appearance caused a mere raise of a raven eyebrow from Mari. She did rise from her feat gracefully from the lotus position she was in. She was tired and wanted to rest but she would stand silently firm.

Her doctor on the other hand would not, “I ask that you bring water and something vegetarian based for the Queen. As a rule she does not eat a lot of meat and it is unlikely her system would handle this much at once.” He said simply as he looked at the very protein laden feast before them. “Considering your actions have probably been taken as an act of war it’s the least you can do while you wait for the answer to your action.” The doctor was not there to kiss anyone’s ass and while he did not have a fondness for Vlad he did not respect anyone who used such base methods for warfare. “Where I came from it is dishonorable to kidnap women.”

[Deleted]

Micah lowered his arms and stepped away from Katya not wanting to distress her anymore than he had. He did not blame her just as he said he wouldn't and he wasn't disappointed in the outcome of his gesture. But it did sadden him slightly that he could not bring Katya what she sought. Micah hoped he could at least explain so she could understand better as she clearly wasn't taught much of her mothers heritage. "Dearest little sister, I would extinguish the light within my soul if it meant it could shine out the darkness that might creep upon your own soul, I would face legions of evil demons and corrupted fiends to protect you, and I would not hesitate to sacrifice myself for a chance that you might live on in the light of the creator. But I am so sorry that I cannot give to you what you seek for this is not the way of heaven nor is it our purpose. Heaven fights an endless war against evil until the end of days and fights to protect the souls worthy of its peace. But you must know the difference between a person making a bad choice and evil. We do not punish those that stray from the light and do bad until it is their time of judgment; not before. And even then it is not my place as a warrior of light nor your mothers to judge them. Heaven will not come to our aid for this deed here before you is not evil, but please have faith that there is a plan, and a bigger picture here, things will work out the way they need to I promise."

Micah turned to his mother and smiled sympathetically "As much as I would love to believe that my path leading me to you was for a wondrous reunion I have been around long enough to know that this is not so. Both you Katya and your mother are here for a reason and an important one. Something that must not have included your brother. You are both here for a reason and I wish I knew why but this is not the way the creator directs us, we will know in time, he tends to work in mysterious ways but at work he is." Micah was worried about Marina and Katya but he was also concerned for the dragons here and the vampire Vlad no doubt marched to war here. He wished he could help them, save them, but it was inevitably out of his hands to a certain degree anyway. He held his faith though. He had been sent for a reason and he was a warrior of heaven before anything else, even before being a son or brother. When Samael entered the tend with his sister Micah placed himself in between him and Katya just encase things got heated with her. Micah smiled friendly to Samael and Isolde and took Samaels arm respectfully to shake.

Micah responded kindly "I thank you for allowing me to stay with my family without challenge. I am thankful for your kindness with their care in their stay here despite the circumstances which brought them to be here in the first place. But I have known few things to happen anywhere without reason. For you I can only imagine it has something to do with the dragons of Badrul which is why we are here. Even those who know a little of Vlad have an understanding that he would do anything and everything to get his family back. You knew this and know he is on his way, you want him to come here, and you want him to throw everything he has at you as he predictably will to get his family back. It just saddens me to think of all the losses that will amass from this calculated move of yours. But it is the way of mortals of more worlds than just this or your old home. It seems no matter what world I find; war never changes. The people behind them don't either. The Celestials of your kind seem to have a better grasp on things than the rest of the clans I have met here do. But I digress.." Micah gave a slight nod to Isolde in respect for her presence there as well.

Micah chuckled light hearted in nature as he moved over to where the wine was. Despite the situation he held a rather cherub like demeanor about him. He graciously spoke again "Would either of you care for a drink? I don't partake so much myself but it would be a shame to waste and I don't wish to be rude to the ones who have graciously given us quarter in these harsh lands." Micah looked worriedly towards his mother as she seemed to be in distress upon Samaels arrival. Her doctor was frank with how he felt about the situation. Micah turned back to Samael "As you have given your word I have no doubt that my mothers needs will be taken care of swiftly." Micah has a sort of twinkle in his eye now as he looked upon Samael and Isolde seemingly looking not so much at them but into them. He was fascinated with dragons more so than any of the other races here on Yalanze. "How marvelous to meet such a majestic and fierce race once more. A race that can wield a piece of nature they represent almost as well as nature itself, to be able to take to the sky when ever it pleases them, to have the power to fear so little, what freedom this much bring. I am always more fascinated to see how you all wield such a freeing gift however, so few other races have such a combination of gifts and ability to do such good. But with the potential for such good there is of course the potential for bad too. None the less it is remarkable to witness."

[Isolde]

As they entered the tent her eyes adjusted to the lower light on the inside. What she saw would have surprised her if she had not seen the size of the prisoner accommodations. When she entered she immediately counted four prisoners which instantly irked her. There was no need to add this much fuel to the fire that was coming, let alone the security risk it posed. Considering that Isolde held an "Angel" captive at the moment she understood very well what was in this room at the moment. Long before she even showed up she bled him for information so that she would not be caught off guard. Even in his chains the watcher saw much more than one would expect; enough to tell her what her brother had done.

The watcher was even so kind as to explain the latest awakening that he had felt. He rejoiced in it even thought most would find a true sense of dread. Death walked the land with them and this was no metaphor for once. This new power was death in it's truest form, a wraith that drained the essence from whatever it's eyes fell upon. There was no hope, no light and very little chance that they would withstand the coming assault if Samael did not ascend. Isolde had pleaded with him to absorb to the stones, honor be damned! Yet in the end he knew best what it meant to rule, she simply did not have the connection to the people that he held.

As the doctor spoke, snapping her from her thoughts, she placed her hand on the hilt of her blade. Taking a step forward rather quickly she had a menacing look upon her face that suggested she was going to tear him apart. "You would do well to hold your tongue, worm, or I will tear it from your skull with my bare hands." she replied. The doctor seemed to hold no fear of speaking his mind and it infuriated her as she thought them lesser, the humans. "You are a long way from home, your foolish notions of honor do not exist here. This is a war, not some silly argument. People get hurt, people lose things and if you do not remain silent I will demonstrate both to you." she replied firmly.

Turning to face her brother with a blank expression she let her gaze linger for a moment before replying. "Nothing. I believe I have made myself clear." she replied with a short tone. She was the last person you brought with you when you were trying to be welcoming. If it were up to her she would have put the other three to the sword after extracting their knowledge. They had need of the Queen, nothing more and everything else was a distraction. Turning back to them one last time she bowed slightly. "Wander the encampment but know that nothing you do goes unnoticed by the eyes of my agents." she finished.

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She had to get closere, there was no other way. She had to hear and figure out more of what exactly Samael and his forces were planning, but she wouldn't if she just stayed here. She had done her recon as much as she could, having made note of the area on a piece of paper she carried in one of her hidden pockets, written on some of the ghost ink they used at the Assassins division, making sure that not anyone would be able to see the map of the encampment she had made as well as possible.

Agatha knew though that there was no lying to herself or anyone in that she was going to get down there, and then make her escape with what she needed, entirely without being spotted or any other hitch. These forces were too prepared for that right now, in these lands. She had to be smart about this, a direct confrontation might work, even if it could prove problematic, but it would be too dangerous, she didn't want to put the Queen or the other prisoners in danger by doing something reckless. They would have to feel secure, even if they did find here.

If there was ever a time she would have to do something she usually wouldn't do, it seemed to be now, and even though she didn't exactly like it, she didn't see herself having another option that had more chance of success at least. She graciously made a simple movement forward, sliding down along the spot she'd been scouting from last, until she jumped from the last bit, so she smoothly got in behind some cover, quite a bit closer to the tents already. Luckily she was pretty sure she knew where the prisoners were being held. Even if she was planning on getting herself captured, she'd have to make it seem believable at the very least. Any information she could pick up in the process would only mean some extra valuable intel.

The next quick move closer got her in the right spot to at least pick some of the voices coming from the tent she was quite close to, and it was more than obvious that she was in the right place. She decided to for now take the chance that she was here and picking it up, to store it as good as possible in her memory. Still, being this close, she knew she'd have to work for it to stay hidden, not having as much cover as she had before, especially if she really wanted to hear it clear enough to understand it.

[Katya Drăculea]

Now was not the time for conversations that were held in the past. None of it mattered as it was all ten years too late. Once that seeds of hatred took root there was very little one could do but let it run it's course. Much like Vlad she was set in her ways, she was going to do whatever she felt was right for her. Right now that was trying to get out of here before she was forced into the middle of a war zone that she did not wish to be a part of. It drove her absolutely mad that like always her mother was entirely passive about what was happening to her. She let it happen once and rolled over- now she was going to let it happen again.

"That is a real nice story, Micah, but I do not believe in letting other people decide my fate. Nor will I roll over and ask for belly scratches from my captors. I'd rather not follow in my families foot steps, as you can see it's worked out great." she threw in sarcastically. All she wanted now were answers to her questions. Why was she here? How long did they intend to continue this madness? Finally she wanted to know what it would take to get her out of here now, she had somewhere important to be right now.
Clenching her teeth with annoyance, she sighed. "Your creator has no plan nor does mine." she stated. She stopped referring to him as father at some point a long time ago.

Dropping to the floor, she sat where she felt what she could only imagine the humans called exhaustion. Fighting the poisonous blood out of her system took quite a bit of effort on her part even though it should have rightfully killed her. Katya was in no condition to fight despite every fiber of her being telling her that she should. She couldn't buy into the whole "everything will work out as it should" nonsense. Casting her glance about the room one more time she realized that they did not bother to fortify the tent nor control the prisoners. She found it quite odd, she had never heard of such a thing. "I have somewhere important to be, someone I was waiting for." she said and the last part actually sounded like it held some emotion beyond contempt.

Surprisingly she had nothing to say to either dragon as they entered, all she did was look up at them weakly. She was feeling the draw back of her decision most harshly now, everything in her saying sleep. Yet she could not comfortably sleep while she was being held captive by an unknown force that she did not understand the intentions of. Katya was far from miserable, she actually found joy in her new pursuits beyond the black forest away from the madness that was her family. She could never put it all together, why her mother stayed loyal to what she knew to be a monster. She could feel it in her very bones simply because she was the same sort of monster. 

Of all the stories she had learned of her heritage, she enjoyed the story of the first of the fallen the most. She admired his spirit, his choices and he mirrored who she was. She had question, she demanded answers and she would bow to no one. She might have only paid attention to the facts that she liked, but to her it all made sense and it shaped her into who she was. Long ago she embraced the side of her that was angelic despite it causing her great pain in conflict with the side that was born of unholy magics. Standing shakily, she stared directly at Samael for a moment before speaking boldly.

"If you seek a way to destroy Vlad, you have but to ask for my help. When the time comes I will tell you anything you wish to know." she offered. To some it might be a shock that it had come to this but all she wanted was to be free of all of it.

[Mari]

“I know of what you speak, Micah. Worry not. All shall be revealed in it’s own time.” She said gently as she looked at her eldest child. The dragons that entered caused her to stand gracefully and while Samael seemed to be good-natured his sister…was not. A younger angel might have smited Isolde on the spot leaving a smoldering hole where her body once was but Mari recognized a very angry soul who was itching for a fight and she would not give it to her.

Her threats to the doctor got yet another eyebrow raise from Mari. Quietly she stepped in front of the doctor to protect him from harm, “The doctor is only looking out for my well being. I will acknowledge that he can be a tad hot headed but he means well. I am sorry he has offended you but he is under my divine protection as are my children. Harming them will only cause a diplomatic incident with MY people.”

Her tone remained soft. Her words were as gentle as she could make them. “I am sorry my husband has killed some of your people.” Mari felt old suddenly. She was tired of the fighting, tired of trying to make peace with people who only saw conquest. Samael may have his reasons but revenge never solved anything.

Katya’s hatred of her father ran deep and it was not surprising she would betray him and the vampires. She’d never fit in and Mari being an outsider herself didn’t know how to help her with that. “The being you are waiting for is no doubt wondering where you are. Assuming that he didn’t get caught up in the warfare that is brewing.” She said simply. She knew of Sed just not what he was. Had she known she would have offered caution but no one could control Katya she was a force of nature unto herself. Mari’s heart ached for the whole situation. She knew it was so fragile and due to this sudden reversal in fortune it was likely that what she had seen would come to pass that much quicker. “I understand your pain, Katya. I’m uncertain how to fix it; however. Revenge on your father will not be the balm you hope it to be.”

Sighing softly Mari finally decided to let her full heritage be known, in an instant her wings and nature showed itself in all its divine glory. She did dampen it so as not to hurt Katya but the power of her words was not lessened. “I am Zadikiel, the Angel of Mercy, The Standard bearer to the Arch Angel Michael and the Divine Messenger that kept Abraham from slaying Isaac. I have seen worlds born and worlds die. I have seen many beings like yourself hold power and lose it and I say this not to boast but simply to warn you. I am the agent of mercy for the Creator. Harming those under my protection in a time of war is asking for no quarter from the Angelic Host. My son Micah can verify all I have said if you think this to be a trick. I am sorry if your people see me as weak but mercy is why I was created and I shall not turn my back on it.”