When things started becoming tense, the apprentice looked even more apprehensive about the situation. "I really should be getting back to my duties," she said, backing away and out of the room.

Aleks hated seeing Khione like that and hearing the desperation and frustration in her voice. He just wanted to comfort her and console her. He sat down behind her, encircled her in his arms, and pressed her head to his chest as he kissed the top of her head gingerly. "I know it's a lot Khione, I truly do. But you won't be alone, you have friends and you have me. I love you more than my life itself and even more than the prevailing desire of my life. I believe in you, Khione; you have always been amazing to me, leading the charge. But now, you can lean on me. You may not have all the answers, and I don't need you to. I will be your partner in this; too long I've spent relying on you and others, it's time for me to step up to the plate and make decisions. I'm here and I will guard you with my life. I may have made bad decisions for the wrong reasons and perceived necessity, but you almost being corrupted, by Bael, made me see the truth. I know you now and know who you are to become, and I will see that you attain it. The world needs your honor and grace. You are what gave me the strength to make the sacrifice that I had to, that I was destined to, I believe." He just held her as she sobbed, to give her the time she needed.

He looked to Chloris, "What led you to come to our aid? I mean how did you find out the situation?" He had simply assumed that from his message to Ethan that Lorei must have contacted Khione's comrades, but he wanted to confirm that and garner more information before they set out on the plan that was formulating in Aleks's mind. Priorities had been decided and what came next might possibly be influenced by what the young, pink-haired woman had to say.

"I was contacted by a mysterious being," she replied, not caring how strange it sounded, "A faerie being, one who spoke prophecy, foresaw the events and of Khione's need.

"She was beautiful and childlike, but wise. I believe it was the fabled Titania."

"Titania? Like Oberon and Titania? Fae... beautiful... childlike... wise... and speaking of prophecies?" Aleks asked. Immediately someone that he met jumped into his mind; especially, given the the timing after having sent the message to Ethan. Aleks did not give voice to the name of the young, multi-colored hair sorceress because that was not for him to do. And while he felt strongly that he was correct, it was pure conjecture at that point.

There wasn't much time, but Aleks had come to a plan of action. If his sister could not bear to take charge, then he would. He was bound to her... her keeper, her guardian, her support. He would give her a few more minutes before offering the plan to them.

"Do you have any way of contacting Mistral Star? I ask because I would like to speak with Lamia. I think I have a set course of action but being able to contact those two would improve the situation. Oh... excuse me. I am making assumptions; do you have any thoughts on what we should do and what are your plans?" He asked Chloris, as he continued to hold Khione. She needed to get it out, and that was something that Aleksandr understood all too well.

"Certainly," Chloris replied with a nod, "I came to help upon learning of the gravity of the situation, and to that end, I will do what I can. I cannot, however, reach Isen. Not in her eidolon form," she explained, shaking her head.

"One way or another, we need to know if Fenwick can be trusted."

Aleks nodded in reply to Chloris's statement. He slowly lifted Khione off of him and gently pulled her hands away from her face. Seeing her cry elicited the feeling of a huge knot in Aleks's stomach; he abhorred seeing her like that. Tenderly with one finger he lifted her chin up so that she could look in his tri-colored eyes. He wiped the tears away with the gentleness of a mother caring for a babe as he spoke to her, "I know this is hard for you and it kills me to see you in pain like this, but... we have a lot to do. I know this is probably the only time, I would see you in more need of a reprieve than I, but in good conscience, I can't let you sit here like this. We have to find out if Fenwick is working with Tomlin or not. I know you're in pain now, but if Fenwick isn't working with Tomlin and something happened to the Headmaster, I know that you would take it all the harder and blame yourself if you didn't do something to stop it. I know it is asking a lot of you but you won't be alone, we're with you."

Aleks knew that, given Khione's code of honor, she would blame herself if something happened to Fenwick or if she didn't at least confirm his duplicitous role in everything that had occurred. Aleks stood and began to pace around his room, "Khione, I have seen you open a recently closed portal, but do either of you have the ability to open a portal to somewhere on your own? I ask this because I think the first thing we should do is head to the Headmaster's office and interrupt this meeting. If Fenwick is not with Tomlin then we can provide an allied front against Tomlin to either fight or make him retreat. If they are working together already, then at this juncture, I believe it best to make a quick retreat."

He stopped pacing and looked directly at Khione, "After we discern the answer to that, we have another tasking that we must delve into. You must take your place on the throne. I may not know much about the world I live in now, but there are a few things that seem to ring true in my mind, you can tell me if you agree with my thinking. I don't think it a good idea that, that hex-laced ichor is pooled around the Throne of the East, I have a sense that would cause horrible repercussions for the lands and peoples that fall under that Throne. Obviously, it is only an assumption of mine, I am sure you both would know better than I. Khione, you remember the battle with Samael and what happened to Kara after she ate what remained?" He asked as he gave a quick flick of his eyes to Muramasa to convey his meaning, "That's why I was not sure if I could clean it up." He hoped that she got his meaning. He suspected that if he had let Muramasa drink the ichor that he might also take in his remnant, and he was not sure if that was enough to give him a stake to the claim of the Throne of the East. It was Khione's throne and Aleks didn't take the chance without knowing if that was a possible outcome.

He continued to look into Khione's eyes, "You say you're on the cusp of true Ascendancy? In what little I've learned, I think I am starting to see certain correspondences from the allegories and the avatars that I have met on our journey. I believe that to take your Throne, we do indeed need to bring Calais back. You said he needed to be reforged, from your choice of words... reforging and not resurrecting, that you know something about how that might be done or who might be able to do that? If that is the case then I believe once we have figured out if Fenwick is with us or against us, we should head out to see that done. I think Amaterasu needs her blade, given by her brother. We then need to find out how best to rid the Throne room of hex and finally, get you to take your rightful place. So we need to get to this meeting, see about helping Calais, clean the throne room, and then get you on your throne. Somewhere amidst all that, we need to check on Ethan and Lorei, Lamia and Isen, and Chalice. I know it is a lot, but you know they say there's no rest for the wicked," he said with a smile as he dropped down to one knee in front of Khione.

He took her hand, with her focus on it, in both his hands, "You can do this; I believe in you with all my heart. And I have to say something... Tomlin may have lost his way or hells, he may have never had it, but that doesn't negate what you have learned from and under him. His personality and visible life may have been a lie, but he did something right. He taught one of the most noble, honorable people I know. You are what it truly means to be a guardian. As a knight, you served and protected and soon, you will become a sovereign. Probably one of the best and seemingly the most good that I have heard of. The world needs a leader like you, and your desire to fight for and protect people will prove useful in your challenges. The scope and power that you'll have with which to reign and protect will be amazing and touch more lives than you could have as a knight. I think maybe, it was always meant to be this way. You needed to be that guardian, that protector, so when the time came for you to be ready to rule, that you will have had that mindset and experience with us commonfolk, to lead from a place of compassion, benevolence, strength while knowing when the hard decisions must be made, and you'll be able to do them with honor and secure in the fact that what you do is for the good of your people and lands." He finished, patting the hand of the most important person in his life.

+5 bonus XP.

At the close of Aleks' speech, Khione's head raised a little higher, and her tears ceased. She wiped at her eyes and took a long, deep breath. "You're right," she said, the quiver in her voice gone. "This is not the time to indulge weakness.

"The archmagister's chambers are warded from scrying, so we wouldn't be able to portal inside. That leaves us with little option but a head-on, dangerous assault," Khione said grimly. "Dangerous and deadly. We could potentially be facing two of the world's most powerful mages, one of which trained me."

She withdrew her hand from Aleksandr's and slowly stood.

"Once we've dealt with them, we'll check in on Ethan and Lorei."

Chloris nodded silently, considering something as she regarded Aleks' sword.

The Demon Blademaster, Muramasa the Rai-Jin, was said to be a vampire. A dangerous warlord with an army of demons at his command. Had he absorbed Jadesong's remnant, it could have made him a candidate for the Throne of the East.

An unsettling thought, that.

Aleks stood next to Khione, lightly grasped her right arm, and gave her a half smile. "So if the room is warded, then once we are in, we cannot portal out of it? I think that I may have mis-phrased something. I wasn't suggesting we portal into the meeting, I was hoping that if they are aligned that one of you would be able to make a portal out of the room or ensure the entryway stays ajar so we can escape out of the warded area and then teleport somewhere, like to where Ethan and Lorei are."

Aleks stepped back a moment and said, "Then let us prepare, in case this is a fight." He performed the requisite mudras and incantations to activate Ranged Blow, Acceleration, and Supernal Vision.

Once it looked as if the other two were ready, he asked Khione, "Do you want to bring Calais with us in case we don't have the opportunity to return or should we leave him in here?"

OoC
16:59, Today: Aleksandr Kai'Amari Nigil rolled 4 successes using 11d10. {Supernal Vision}.
16:58, Today: Aleksandr Kai'Amari Nigil rolled 3 successes using 11d10. {Acceleration}.
16:57, Today: Aleksandr Kai'Amari Nigil rolled 1 success using 8d10. {Ranged Blow}.

This message was last edited by the player at 15:48, Sat 25 July 2015.

"The wards only protect from unwanted entry and scrying," Khione replied, "Once in, we should be able to portal out just fine.

"I'll bring Calais with me," she added, carefully stowing the sword across her back and summoning her illusion blade.


_{When all is ready, Khione will lead the way...}

Aleks took a steadying breath before he said, "I'm ready. If Chloris is ready, then we should be off." There was a slight tightness in Aleks's chest. He truly hoped that Fenwick was not aligned with Tomlin, and that they wouldn't have to fight Tomlin for Khione's sake. He understood what a terrible predicament it would be for her and didn't want her to have to shoulder that pain at that time. Please, Almighty Deus, please be with us, Aleks thought to himself. Aleks had been through quite a bit already that day, and he didn't think he could handle much more, but... life was like that. He would soldier on because he had to and to an extent, he wanted to. He wanted to be the strong support that Khione needed and by extension, that the world needed.

He walked to the door and held his hand out to allow the two women to pass before him. He took a look at the room, twice it had offered him shelter when he needed it most; hopefully, he may see it again.

Khione led the way through the halls and over the battlements that led to the Archmagister's tower. The weather was chilly and windy this evening, with storm clouds on the horizon. The city, usually bustling with activity, seemed oddly quiet below. In fact, aside from the weather, an eerie calm hung like fog on the air as they approached the doors...

She waited only a moment before boldly throwing the doors aside and walking in.

Two men sat up ahead in the dark, circular study. It was lit with candles and there were tall antique glass windows, and aromatic incense wafted, mixing with the smell of spices, books, tobacco, and the tingling sensation of Craft tickling the sinuses of the sensitive. There was also the vague trace of brimstone.

One of the men, draped in thick, voluminous black robes, was Archmagister Fenwick, smoking his pipe. The other man was none other than Archmagister Tomlin, clad in his thick white robes, with its many badges and crests of distinction, and black garments underneath. Both men regarded the trio.

Roll Initiative.

17:37, Today: Aleksandr Kai'Amari Nigil rolled 18 using 1d10+9. {Initiative Roll}.

At the intrusion, Fenwick stood up and addressed them. "Khione? What's the meaning of this? I'm in a meeting," the archmagister said severely.

Tomlin also stood, expression cool and blank. "This rudeness is unlike you, Khione... I trust you have a very good reason for the intrusion..?" the man said.

"You know damn well why I'm here, Gerald," Khione replied calmly, using Tomlin's first name. "We know who it is you really serve.

"You're going to answer for your crimes against Aspire and world."

"Oh, truly?" the archmagister lightly questioned, taking a step forward. "Then you may wish to consider carefully the recklessness of your actions. Jadesong's death presents a most unfortunate problem for the East.

"You dying here today will not solve that problem."

"Recklessness? Of our actions???" Khione repeated, incredulous. "You set loose a dragon on the city in an attempt on Kirin Skye's life! You wield Bael's power even as we speak, destroying the city and murdering countless innocent people!

"Y-You betrayed us! Betrayed me!" she was yelling at this point, "And for what? WHAT?!

"Answer me, you monster!"

It was Fenwick who answered, "Oh dear, the cat's certainly out of the bag now, isn't it?" He quietly puffed on his gilded pipe for a moment before going on. "Khione, dear love, what other reason is there?

"Power. With Bael on our side, the greatest treasures of human history will be unearthed. The lost knowledge of Atlantis will once more belong to its rightful heirs.

"We will usher in a new age of magic. The Collegium will rival even the gods.

"To us, the magisters, falls this great undertaking."

"You're mad!" Khione countered, "You speak of knowledge and treasures, but what you really mean is 'weapons!' You're preparing for the inevitable war! Because that's what will happen if Bael gets his way! The War To End All Wars! Armageddon, Ragnarok!

"The Doom of Midgard!"

"A necessary evil for the birth of a new heaven and a new earth," Tomlin replied. "And someone must rule.

"You see now why only the worthy can be allowed to wield such power."

He extended his hand out, a beckoning gesture. "Khione, I've always believed in your noble spirit. You, my shining pupil, arguably my greatest achievement... You must help govern the new regime. Join us."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:24, Mon 03 Aug 2015.

Khione violently shook her head. "What part of governing entails mass murder, GENOCIDE!?" she accused.

Fenwick casually puffed on his pipe. "Sacrifice.

"Blood sacrifice. To open the gates, it requires a sacrifice."

It sounded dangerously close to the ritual of Lysius the Despoiler.

Khione's face went white as she suddenly fit the final piece into place.

She'd been used to deliver Aleks unto Bael. He'd sacrificed his humanity in Bael's name, even so far as to relinquish Pandora's Box, and Tomlin had completed the ritual with the massacre of innocent sleepers.

She brandished her blade. "I... I can't allow it," she nearly whispered.

Foreboding hit Aleks like another lead weight in his gut. Images assaulted Aleks's mind one after the other. His father unexpectedly telling him that he had a birthday party planned for him... passing by his courtyard and seeing the odd symbol being painted onto the ground... enjoying the celebration immensely and being around other people... his father making that horrible speech... tendrils of shadow coming from the symbol and impaling people before binding them to the ground as they died... jars becoming filled with light at their feet as they died... his father telling him that he was the last sacrifice and then blackness.

Aleks gasped audibly, "You're trying to complete my father's mission..." he said in such a normal tone that one might have mistaken it for a cordial salutation. Aleks was so numb at the thought of his father's work being being finished. The sheer horror of it all. Aleks whole journey had been to put him right back where he had started. He had given up his magehood granted by his mother's Craft to save his sister which enabled him to once again be the last sacrifice needed to open the gates for Bael and the other Asmodei to come forth onto the Materia and make it their new home. With access to human slaves and mana batteries, wellsprings of essence, and the many other treasures that reside there. He had to leave, he had to go and quickly.

Aleks turned to Khione, "Khione! The plan, NOW!!!"