Aleris

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Coming Through the Gateway (Open)

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Author: Sydrameera
Post Date: Sat Oct 03, 2009 10:05 pm
Post subject: Coming Through the Gateway (Open)

Things like new Gateways into new realms and dimensions happened quickly around the Eternal Empire. It had acted as a nexus universe since its creation by the Empress Duvessa ages before and the denizens were well versed in inter-dimensional travel by the time the Gateway into the realm Aleris was opened.

Rumors had been swirling for weeks, as they often do, and even the Crown Princess was not entirely sure what had led up to the connecting of the two realms and new little about the nature of Aleris or its people. It was the meeting with her parents that explained much, if not all, and she was soon apprised of the political, religious, and social structure of Aleris as it was known to the Empress and Emperor. A realm who's people had only recently begun to experience the emotions that had been denied them for so long with Gods in fledgling worship as they made themselves known to the world.

As her parents spoke she was already considering the potential of such a world so when they requested she be the first through the Gate to the new Embassy that had been erected in the previous week and act as the Ambassador of the Eternal Empire. She wasn't surprised at the request though it had been months since she'd been called on to act in any type of official capacity for the Empire. Perhaps her parents knew she would enjoy the prospect of this new world enough to go without a fuss.

Over the next week she prepared for her departure. After discussing it with Akuma it was decided he would be going with her, only natural as they were now mated, and the word was put out to her crew and the various people who often did a job or two for the Sultan. Some would accompany her right away while others would come and go as needed, but all of her people were made aware of the new realm and word began to spread throughout the Empire like wildfire until all anyone in Eternelle Lune, the Imperial City, could talk about was Aleris.

She and Akuma were the first through the Gateway, the vastness of the lands of the Eternal Embassy emphasized by the absence of life bustling about the grounds. That would soon change but first she needed to get the lay of the land, so to speak. There were things about Aleris that were different from the Empire, such as the technology and its limitations. Though bothersome it wasn't new to her as many of the realms she visited had limited technology or even bans on certain items, and she had been circumventing said limitations for quite some time using an odd form of magical alchemy based on the precepts of technological inventions.

Once she and Akuma were ensconced in the private manor provided for her away from the main Embassy building she began to plot out exactly what she would need for both the Embassy as well as her own “business” pursuits. Firs things first, they needed security for the vast compound. She was good, Akuma was good, but she had other things to do and could not devote the time needed to overseeing the Protectorate troops. There was only one man who could lead them, one man they saw as their commander, and that was Prince Valorius.

He wasn't ready to return to the Empire nor to the Palace but Aleris was neither of those things and deciding she would not be taking no for an answer she prepared a small yellow stone that would act as her message to him, the gem emitting the sound of her voice when tapped three times by the intended recipient. Opening a small dimensional rift using her ability to warp the shadows to her will the stone would fall from the nearest shadow to Valorius, the soft yellow beacon alerting him to its presence should he not be aware of its arrival.

When tapped he would hear simply,
”We need to talk as soon as possible. I need your help. It's time to get back on the clock, little brother.

She knew he would seek her out, his curiosity wouldn't allow him to ignore the cryptic message, and when he did she would convince him to return to active duty at least in Aleris as Commander of the Protectorate. On the other side of the vast acreage the Embassy compound sat on was another manor built specifically for him as if their parents had known she would seek out his help. It was far enough away from her own dwelling that there was little chance of Valorius and Akuma running into one another (they aren't all that fond of each other) as well as ensuring Mariska would not accidentally run into her (she doesn't do so well around wolves). The Embassy and Gateway buildings were the only areas where they may chance running into one another.

In days word had gotten out and people began entering through the portal, limited access at first of course until they got guards on the place, but those connected to the Imperial family in any way were granted immediate access and she was soon aware of the passage of both Antonio Desiderio and Kisa Le Fey into the land of Aleris, neither of them remaining to request lodging in the Embassy living quarters but rather pushing on into the Grand City to make their own way.

One by one she was assembling her crew, a message even sent to the girl Amyraliss inviting her to join them there. Akuma had expressed his concern over allowing the girl to get involved in Ameerah's more criminal activities but she had been hanging around for a few weeks and was fitting in quit well with the crew. She was a woman and she knew his concerns for Amyraliss stemmed from some of the experiences had by other females in her employ in the past, but she wasn't going to just throw Amyraliss to the sharks. Besides, she had to figure the girl could handle herself, she was a demon and her mother was a slayer. Not exactly two-legged prey. In anticipation of her potential arrival a suite was prepared in the lavish living quarters of the residential portion of the Embassy building as was a suite for Maniacal and Callidora. Her cousin and ex-husband were also on the invite list as part of the fluctuating ambassadorial party.

The Eternal Embassy was coming alive at the Outer Gate of Eternelle Lune. The portals were open and she hoped to soon hear from her brother. The others invited could join them at their leisure or not at all, but she had her reasons for inviting the people she did and most of it revolved around her darker activities. Sending her crew into the Grand City they prowled every inch of the city that housed the Royal Palace of King Alerion.

First things first. Get to know your surroundings.

Author: Valorius Malku
Post Date: Fri Oct 16, 2009 6:13 pm
Post subject: Re: Coming Through the Gateway (Open)

Time Was A Relative Thing. Relative To Perception, To State Of Mind, And Socialization. Ever Since Mariska Had Become A Part Of His Life, His Perception Had Become Less Jaded And Bitter. As For His State Of Mind It Was More Positive And Optimistic Than It Had Been In A Long Time. And Socialization -- He Spent Every Moment He Could With Her. When She Was Called Away On A Contract, He Was By Her Side. When He Had Important Business To Take Care Of, She Often Traveled With Him. The Only Time They Had Spent Apart Is When Circumstance Simply Wouldn’t Allow Them To Act As A Team. It Was A New Way Of Life That He’d Never Experienced Before, And Every Day He Was Finding It Hard To Understand How He’d Lived Nearly 2 Decades Without This Kind Of Relationship. For That Reason, Time Seemed To Go By Much Quicker Now. It Felt As If They’d Only Been Together A Short Time, But Several Months Had Already Passed. He Often Wondered If That Was How Time Went By For Mortals. Swift But Fulfilling.

Since Mariska Had No Real Concept Of “Home” To Even Return To, And The Prince Wasn’t Yet Ready To Return To The Palace, They’d Taken Up Residence On One Of The Islands He Purchased In Another Realm. Life Was Good, But That Didn’t Mean He Let Himself Become Complacent. Still A Prince Through And Through He Knew That The Time Could Always Arrive That He Was Needed. Be It By His Family, Or His Home World Itself. It Didn’t Matter What Issues May Still Exist Between Him And His Father, The Needs Of The Empire Always Took Precedent Over All Else. Which Is Why When Ameerah’s Message-Stone Reached Him He Was Only Too Ready.

He And Mariska Had Been In The Den Of His Home, Her Seated On His Lap While They Talked About The Last Contract She’d Completed. This Time The Target Had Been Twin Sisters Attempting To Smuggle Goods Into Another Smugglers Territory. Funny, The Lengths People Would Go To In Order To Save Their Skin -- But Sexual Favors Were The Worst Thing They Could’ve Offered. Then Again There Was No Way For Them To Know He And The Bounty Hunter Were A Pair, Which Is What Made Mariska’s Reaction So Amusing To Him. About To Mention The Best Part Of The Story, He Felt A Sudden Fluctuation Of Energy Coming From His Right, And A Yellow Stone Quickly Flew Over To Him As If Lobbed From The Darkness. Immediately Recognizing It For What It Was, His Right Hand Lifted And Caught The Stone From Mid-Air, Tapping It 3 Times With His Thumb.

The Message Was Simple But It Said Everything That Needed To Be Said. A Glance Was Sent To Mariska And He Grinned A Bit. ”Time for you to see what I do. We’ve got ten minutes to get ready.” A Soft Pat Was Given To Her Rump, And A Loving Kiss Was Pressed To Her Mouth Before She Stood From Him And Seemed To Almost Jog Away In Order To Dress And Arm Herself. He Too Was Quick To Prepare. Black Slacks, A Deep Gray Over Shirt With A Specifically Tailored, Missing Left Sleeve. A Holster Was Set Behind Him And He Slipped In A Loaded Pistol. 2 Vicious Looking Knives Were Sheathed Beneath Each Of His Arms, And Over Them He Slid His Leather Jacket. The Straps On The Left Shoulder Were Secured To The Sleeve He Already Had On, And As Soon As The Last Strap Was Tightened, Mariska Came Walking Into His Room. Not A Word Was Exchanged, Just A Smile Shared Between Them Along With A Lingering Gaze Of Appreciation. After That They Headed For His Rift-Engine In The Sub Levels Of The House.

He’d Sent The Stone Back To Ameerah, Telling Her To Go To The Wharf Bar Closest To The Waters Edge. Mariska Had More Or Less Kept To The Background While His Sister And He Discussed What She’d Wanted To Tell Him. He Learned About Aleris And The Newly Built Embassy. The Fact Everything Had Happened So Fast Didn’t Surprise Him, That Is How Everything Happened For The Empire. Sudden And Efficient. She Told Him That Not Only Did Was A New Haven Just Waiting For His Design Specifications Before Being Built, But Also That He Was Again Asked To Lead The Protectorate. He Didn’t Hesitate In Answering Yes, And With The Hug They Shared Before Finally Departing, He Began To Think About How To Proceed. Sudden And Efficent.

It Happened Fast And It Happened Flawlessly. His Own Stronghold Built A Short Distance From The Embassy Was Built To His Exact Specifications. In The Design Of A Sumerian Courtyard House, It Was A Series Of Rooms Built Around A Central Courtyard. Normally Sumerian Architecture Was Fashioned From Clay And Round Bricks. His Own Was Made From Solid Metal And Stone. Osmium And Granite Fashioned Together To Resemble The Ancient Design Of A Sumerian Home, But Much More Durable And Menacing In Appearance. The Main Rooms Were All Built Surrounding The Courtyard In A Circle, Each Of Them Having A Metal Door Which Led To The Beautiful Central Mass. With A Small Pond Dug There And A Fountain Carved From Pure Obsidian. He’d Had The Fountain Carved In The Image Of Mariska’s Mother, With A Little Girl Standing By Her Side. Water Ran From Small Columns That Circled Them Into The Clear, Shimmering Pool Beneath The Statues Feet.

It Didn’t Take Them Long To Get Settled In, But That Didn’t Mean He Abandoned His Other Havens. If Anything This Now Brought He And Mariska Closer To Their Goal Of Conquering The World. Once They Had Moved All Their Necessary Things To The New Estate, He Contacted His Men. Like His Sister Had Called Upon Him, He Called Upon Them. His Own Message Stone Offering A Brief Command To Those Who Had Remained Loyal To Him All This Time.

”Vacation is over. Meet in Aleris at this location..there’s work to do.”

Ah -- Just Like Old Times.

Author: Discord Ambrose
Post Date: Sat Oct 17, 2009 11:59 pm
Post subject: Re: Coming Through the Gateway (Open)

A message stone arrived to the Ambrose house in it's cloaked darkness within the deSade empire. Mind you the message wasn't intended for the vibrant redhead sprawled in the emerald satin bed but the man that she was laying curled up against. Dark blood red tresses spilled down her cheek along her spine effortlessly hiding the remaining burn marks from her fleding the Desiderio house within Mystra as well. Her being the last one to leave as she'd fallen asleep watching the babies before they'd gotten sent to italy.

Now that she was rested she looked to Aiden as he recieved the stone and smiled as her little fingers caressed the stone a moment. Aiden watched her as he knew all too well how his Cordy was. She too was loyal to Valorious as she'd been allowed the privledge to learn under him long ago. Which was why he and how he'd met the woman in question. The two had decided to well become friends while she was healing and he was rather enjoying Morlis's ex wife on his arm, in his arms and in bed.

The man had taste which was why when Aiden found her badly burnned he'd taken leave from Palace duties to care for Discord. And now that she was back up to speed enough to spar him and sometimes even win without trying he didn't stop her when she touched the Prince's message. Fingers gripped the dark red hair and pulled her head back to where the chocolate brown eyes of her met his. "I'm guessing even though the invitation and orders are for me, you're coming too aren't you, Cordy?"

Not that he really needed to ask it was reflected in those chocolate hues of hers. "Naturally." Came her response as little fingers guided his lips to her own where she caressed them with her lips. "I am loyal as well besides, what's one more person. If He has a problem I'm sure I'll be right back in this bed within a week." Her laughter rang out as he started the subtle caress of her bare flesh.

"Alright then , Cordy. We have work to do." Aiden stated as he rolled away and started to dress. In due response not bothered that play time is over she rolled out of her bed and the petite succubus dressed as well. Black leather again was what she wore. The days of her dresses was gone as with the flash of her eyes she went from play to business. Which was why when she was lacing up her corsetted top he drug her to him and held her. "Life isn't all about business, Cordy. " To which he was given a smile.

"I know this, it's about how you take care of it. At least I'm not destroying things. " She laughed as with a wiggle she freed herself and went to pick up her whip and sais. "Thank god for small miracles." Aiden murmured as he strapped on his sword and took her head heading to Aleris with Discord in tow. Surely in this Discord was right when she figured Val wouldn't mind his former pupil along with one of his men. So when it came time to meet up. The blonde giant had the tiny redhead at his side lined up.

Chocolate brown eyes watched when they'd travelled as she bordered that threshold between playmate and slayer. It seemed an easy transition anymore not one or the other but both as she smiled up at Aiden. Naturally she had progressed from the redheaded demon lord she'd gone to in rebellion. Aiden kept her calm and quiet what's more he was there for her when she needed him which was a vast improvement over the men that had walked the halls of her life.