Closed Parley of Tyrants (Nira/Eri/Ball)

[Imass]

Fall 5, 512
A quarter of a bell after the events in "Wings of Faith"

The brooding Knight led his prisoner back up the ridge and towards the camp. He decided that he would not look at Lady Nira'lia's face if he could help it. Imass was not afraid to stare any man in the eyes and speak loudly; however he could no longer bring himself to look at Nira'lia's innocence in the face. It pained him to his very core. Even though he was doing the right thing, it felt as if the whole world was weighing down on his shoulders. He just wanted to fight now; he just wanted to release all this pent up aggression. Staring at the floor as he walked, the Knight wore the grime face of death as he walked.

Once within earshot of the camp Imass shouted in a deep, loud voice, "BALL! BALL!" Once his squire approached he instructed him to go summon the Son of Leth, "Lord Eridanus is requested to appear before me at the top of the ridge on that hill," he pointed, "It is only a furlong's walk, I expect him there in fifteen minutes. The matter is of great importance, but make sure he eats and is properly dressed."

Imass turned and began to lead Nira'lia up the slope. Flipping his hips around, he yelled one last instruction to Ball, "I want you to come too. Bring the banner and a length of rope. You are not to speak to anyone else of this. Be swift Ball or you will receive the heel of my boot to your face!" The blue Akalak was visibly pissed off, if was not apparent in his voice. Bloodlust and sadness filled his eyes at the same time; even the golden shimmer of his eyes was dull now.

Leading Nira up the hill in silence Imass stopped and waited for Eridanus and Ball to appear. They were in a location where any conversation would not be heard by the camp below. Also if any one cared to venture up and listen, they would have vantage to see them right away. This parley would be in complete secrecy.

The Knight spat, "Nira'lia now you don't talk, you hear? I don't want to hear anything unless I talk to you, is that understood?" Imass couldn't hear her response (whether or not she said anything), "I said do you understand!?!?"

Imass looked down on the camp below and waited in silence. Reaching into his pocket he tossed Nira a piece of jerky without looking; she hadn't eaten yet.

[Ball]

5 Fall 512AV

Ball was mounted on his trusty riding dog when his liege lord called out for him. It was an easy and quick trot for the dog to reach the Blue Pycon. A flurry of commands and the uttering of an insulting punishment later and the clay being was on his way to locating Magical Pycon.

Tell Magical Pycon to be fed and well dressed. Fifteen minutes on ledge. Got it.

He paused at his lord's tent and retrieved the items he requested, was difficult to manage because he had to arms, but the dog was ginger enough and kind enough to help his owner out when needed. Once the banner was tied to the dog's hind end at the base of his fluffy tail, it being tied on by said rope he was required to bring with him. There wasn't much more time after that so Ball had to hurry. He nudged his poor mount into a faster trot and went in search of the Magical Pycon.

Finding him wasn't as hard as he imagined, nearby was the Magical Pycon's tent. With a huffing drop the Pycon made his way to the tent and rolled against the tent flap a few times. Once completed the Pycon tore a hole into his being and with bubble bursting accent managed to sputter out, “Ma.Jek.Ul. Pie.Con. Re.ed.ja. Feh.fee.Tee.En. Feh.Ed.N.Dur.Es.ed Pra.Per. Bah.Lu. Pie.Cons. Or.Durs.” [Translation: Magical Pycon. Ridge fifteen minutes. Fed and dressed proper. Blue Pycon's Orders]

Ball had no clue if the Magical Pycon knew what he meant or not, but it was the best he could do with his limited style of communcation.

Ball mounted his fluffy steed and awaited for the mage to come out.

[Eridanus]

Eridanus was sitting cross-legged in his tent, meditating on various battle strategies that the army could attempt during an invasion of Sahova. Of course, he hoped that matters could be solved without military intervention, but it helped to be prepared if things went south.

The flap to his tent opened suddenly, and he was about to scold Nira for not following proper courtesy when he found himself looking at the air. A small voice came out in a garbled mess and he found himself looking at a clay figure much like the friend he made in Sunberth. What did Ihnar said he was again? A Pycon. Yep.

That seemed evident in this pycon's words. Though his words were harder to discern than that of a certain gadgeteer he met in Syliras, he figured out what he meant in a while. Apparently he was supposed to be a "magical pycon", and that the only blue person in their group was Imass. So Imass was a "blue pycon". Shrugging, he waved his hands to the pycon, acknowledging as he proceeded to dress himself with his outer coat.

Out of habit, he patted the air around his body, mentally feeling the buzz of the magical shield that surrounded his physical self, and he strapped on his weapon harness, sliding in his two long swords easily. One had to be ready to defend the campsite from external threats at any time, and he would not want to have to return to his tent just to fetch his weapons. It would reek of unprofessionalism.

Heading out of his tent, the vantha traveled to the ridge without a problem. What he found there however, confounded him somewhat. There was a certain tension in the air, and his konti companion was there as well. However, something about the dynamics of the situation was... different. She had a sort of subdued and bitter look on her face, while Imass brimmed with a dark fervor that Eridanus had not seen before. Keeping a careful eye on both, though plastering a nonplussed smile on his face, he hailed the two, stopping a courteous distance away from the akalak who summoned him.

"Greetings Ser Imass. I have received notice that my presence is required."

The unspoken question was, of course, why was he called here?

[Nira'lia]

‘Of course I understand!’ she wanted to scream back. Instead, she looked at him squarely, and replied in the most docile manner she could muster, “Yes.” The Konti felt horrible. While she didn’t know the Akalak all too well, he was now a completely different person to her. Just a few days before, he had nothing but good words for her. Her knowledge in medicine had gained his trust at the time, and he had even heaved her on his shoulder as he started a chant to the rest of the camp. The change was uncanny. He even spoke to Ball in such a harsh manner! And Imass seemed… dangerous. For some reason, the Konti could sense that he could act violently with the slightest trigger. Just being near him with no way to defend herself frightened her. All this because she had seen something she wasn’t supposed to see. Why did she even mention it? It wasn’t in her nature to ever talk about the things that she saw. The only reason she had asked was because she still didn’t know the reason as to why they were marching to Sahova, and she never knew that it would turn out this way. Nira’lia knew how to act subjugated. She stayed completely silent and held her hands to her sides. The Konti looked at the Akalak with visible resentment and hatred. Their surroundings were quiet and they had a good view of the camp. Below them, the rest of the group went on as if nothing out of place was going on. The jerky that Imass had tossed at her fell on the grass. She blinked at it and proceeded to ignore it, and it lay on the dirty ground forgotten. Finally, Ball came back. He rode on the back of his small dog, and he had Eridanus in his trail. Ball had the ropes that Imass had told him to get, and Nira’lia almost burst out crying. Being bound was not something that appealed to her at all. Before Imass could react, the Konti rushed around the Akalak and crossed the distance between him and the Vantha. She took her place behind Eridanus and wondered if Imass would strike her for her insolence, but she just didn’t feel safe near the Akalak. Nor did she want Imass to have the chance to bind her wrists. Technically, she didn’t run away, nor did she speak against his will. Sarcastically speaking, that was the only thing he had ordered her—that she not speak. The Konti nudged Eridanus forward to speak to Imass, and she glanced down to look at Ball as well. Would Ball blindly follow Imass’s orders, she wondered?

[Imass]

Imass stood at the top of the hill and waited in grim frustration over the situation. He didn't know what was more painful, killing a Konti or allowing a traitor to flee. The Akalak was torn; duty meant he needed to follow the Knightly law on point despite the consequences. He would not forsake honor and chivalry in the preceding though. That was the only consolation he could give Nira'lia.

Ball entered the scene shortly followed by Eridanus. The pycon squire had returned with his banner and the rope. Ball had dragged the banner through the grass and mud, but only the stave got dirty. Ball had the smarts to protect the important part and not let it get dirty. As soon as Eridanus arrived however, Nira'lia jumped in carnal fear. The Knight watched with downcast eyes as Nira'lia ran for Eridanus. Imass would not move. As much as he wanted to lunge out and slap her for insolence, he didn't. The Knight had a code of conduct he adhered to with honor; he would not harm the Konti until it was time to execute her.

"Ball mount the banner. Leave me the rope," Imass commanded swiftly. It was apparent he wasn't mad at Ball when he added, "Ball remember that what we do right now is your Duty as a squire. Listen carefully and learn how to proceed with Honor."

Imass turned to Eridanus and stared him in the eyes. He made no effort to move at all. Imass raised naked hands up, he would not beat around the bush, "Lord Eridanus, I have called you hear today to Parley with you about the crimes of Lady Nira'lia. By the power invested in me, under the Windoak's authority, I have claimed Nira'lia a traitor, whose only just punishment is death. She has dubiously found out one of the Knight's Syliran's most sacred secrets -- a secret reserved only for our ears. In learning these secrets, she has proven herself worthy to join us -- for the secret must remain within our group-- I have offered her squiredom. I have offered for her an oath... however she has excepted none. Duty dictates she must swear fealty or die. Honor and chivalry dictates I must allow her a champion as she is but a female and cannot defend herself. As my squire Ball is my witness, I hereby start this Parley to create terms for solving this problem."

Imass rested his hand casually on the pommel of his sword, "Oh -- I have commanded her not to speak a word. I deeply regret to say, this secret is so sweet.... I cannot even give her a chance to speak it.... What say you, Lord Eridanus?"

[Eridanus]

Eridanus widened his eyes in surprise as the konti ran across the distance separating the two, and he felt a strong urge to grasp her securely. The fear in her eyes were real, and through the unspoken bond between the two of them he felt a stab of unease at whatever that made his companion feel this threatened.

A single wrist twitched awkwardly to embrace her and to pat her head and ruffle her hair, but he stayed his hand. Instead, he felt her stop just behind him and he stepped slightly to the side to partially cover her, acting as a symbolic shield for her with his body. The scholar's eyes narrowed as he processed the knight's declarations, and he unconsciously angled his body towards the knight in an automatic response to create even more of a barrier between the two of them.

Regardless of what she was accused of, he would always believe in her. She would not be harmed.

The seeds of his old, wild personality began to stir, fed by this new-found rage that surprised even the vantha himself. He was generally a rational person, emotionless most of the time unless it applied to his passions and his craft. Rarely did it extend to another person. He would not have known even, how important Nira'lia was to him, had she not been threatened in such a way.

Calm down. There is nothing to be gained from reckless anger. You are an enlightened being, and you should act like one.

Taking several deep breaths to still his voice, his heart continued to beat quickly nevertheless. Perhaps some part of his soul understood the invisible tension in the air, or the potential hostilities that lay between the two of them. But it was not the time for reckless behavior. It was the time for reasoning. Like what the knights decided to do for Sahova, negotiations were most often the best choice, while armed violence should be the last.

Clearing his throat, he addressed the unarmed knight with a strong ringing voice that spoke of authority that matched that of the akalak's, centuries of wisdom, and more importantly, the confidence of himself and his ability to make things go his way no matter what.

"I am not aware of such a rule within the Syliran Knights, yet by your oath to Tyveth and Sylir I shall believe you and take you on your truthful words. However, I believe that Nira'lia is neither a traitor nor a spy. Knowing her, any information she have gained was most likely an accident from the nature of Avalis' gift or her own gift. There is no malice in her intentions, nor proactive purpose in securing classified information. I believe that we can come to an agreement regarding this?"

He waited only a brief moment for the knight's agreement, for there was no way his assumption could be wrong. He knew Nira'lia enough to know that much of her.

"In words that you and your organization can understand, let me make my stand clear, Ser Imass. Regardless of circumstances, by the powers vested in her by AvalisGnosis of Divination and the Konti Gift and the wisdom of the KontisRefer to various threads where the future of Nira and Eri is claimed to be bound tightly, and by the powers vested in both of us by IonuRefer to the Visionaries thread and to Ionu's Feather, we are bound together. Do you understand, Ser Imass? Nira'lia belongs to me, just as much as I belong to her. There will be no alteration of her path unless she decides so on her own free will. And by the holy strength granted to me by my gods, I will protect that."

Pausing for a while to let that sink into the akalak in no uncertain terms, he continued.

"Let me ask you, Ser Imass, do you represent the Syliran Knights? Do you have the authority to speak for them in this grave a matter? To act as prosecutor, judge and executioner? I cannot accept authority without due process as legitimate, and any process absent of legitimacy will not be allowed to proceed."

It was a subtle threat, but understandable only if one was familiar with the political machinations of human society. While Eridanus generally did not accept mortal rules as valid, for he subscribed to the higher ideals of the divine, he was willing to abide - to a reasonable extent - to rules which he deemed reasonable. As the Syliran Knights had generally proven themselves to be legitimate in their ideals of honor and chivalry, he had acquiesced generally.

Until now.

[Ball]

The Pycon jumped off his trusty mount and landed on the ground without any fear of injuring his little clay body. A bounce and a squishy land later the Pycon stood by his liege lord. When Blue Pycon told Magical Pycon and Pretty Lady Pycon what was going to happen Ball about retched right there. He shall do no such thing!

The pycon did as he was told, he rose the banner high for his liege lord, it was a beautiful banner standing tall and proud, wavering in the wind. It also scared him what sort of actions a man can do under such a banner. It gave pause the clay ball before he turned towards the trio of taller pycons.

“Wa.et. Da. Eth. No. Ans.er.” The pycon's bubbling voice erupted from just about foot level between the Magical Pycon and the Knight.

“Ball. Ha.v. I.de.ah.” The spherical pycon rolled a bit back and forth and side to side, it was going to be a gamble, but the pycon had to do something. It was either this... Or she died and the squired pycon wasn't going to allow that. So it was more likely the scenario would unroll like this: Ball's idea would work. Or... Ball would be a mushy dead pile of clay before too long.

“Per.Et.tee. La.Dee. Pie.Con. Do. No. Er.Ung.” The Pycon was going on a limb here and trusting what the Magical Pycon had said out loud.

“If. Wut. Ma.Jek.Ul. Pie.Con. Sed. Iz. R.Eh.T. Den....” Ball paused and rotated his body from his liege lord to the other two. “Den... Sy.Lee.Er. And. Tee.Vi.Th. Wa.Ant. Er. He.Elp. Eth.Ou.Ta...” The Pycon could be seen heaving a bit as if catching his breath, it seemed to be taking a lot out of the small clay being to say what he was saying. The Pycon paused for a few seconds.

He seemed fixated on the sword sheath’s tip of his liege lord. There was a three feet of open air between the ground and the tip, at least. That means there was approximately two and a half feet between the Pycon's rounded top and the tip... That was a bit much. But it would have to do. The pycon knew he was flexible... And smaller.

This is going to hurt... Ball rolled his way to stand by his sponsor’s leg, just below the sheath. It was at an angle, which would make getting to it harder, but once on it... It would be a cake walk.

But it was real simple to do. The Pycon bounced in place quickly and after a few quick bounces the clay ball wrapped itself around the tip and quickly pulled itself up the thin sheathed edge of the sword. It was like a slug in super fast forward the speed that Ball managed to squirm his way up the sheath.

Once in place at the cross-guard Ball wrapped a part of him around the guard and dropped off the edge, once he was past the Knight's massive hand he swung himself back upward and latched onto himself like a snake eating his own tail. And eat his own tail the Pycon did.

It wasn't long before the pycon was wrapped tightly around the Knight's hand, cross-guard, and sheath. Essentially fusing all three objects into one being held by what could only be described as what a large piece of ABC gum looks like after it's been chewed on and then rolled in a large pile of dirt for some time.

“Dey.Wa.Ant. Er. He.Elp. Az. Fur.end. No. Sq.Y.Ur.” The odd lumpy stretched out form of Ball bubbled out.

[Nira'lia]

The Konti stared at the ground as Imass stated the situation. Such ridiculous claims, she thought. She wanted to argue with every statement he made, but she realized that she had already said as much as she could before. She would only be repeating herself—Imass was evidently not going to listen to anything more she had to say. So she obeyed him and kept her mouth shut. Eridanus’s reaction comforted her a lot, and she gave a sigh of relief. The Konti trusted him immensely, but up until this point she wasn’t sure if he was going to help her like she hoped he would. And he talked with such confidence. Most of what he said had already been mentioned by her before, but he said it more clearly, and it seemed more convincing when it came from him. Nira’lia watched with narrow eyes as Ball went towards Imass. As Ball set up the banner, the Konti spoke to Eridanus in hushed words. “Thank you,” the Konti said to the Vantha softly, making sure that Imass couldn’t hear her. “Eridanus, I don’t want to swear fealty to the Knights… just… no…” she continued, her voice very shaky but still unheard by Imass. The Pycon spoke now and then, but she couldn’t understand much. At most, she only picked up some random words, such as the names by which he called those who were present. She still hadn’t gained the ability to understand the Pycon, and it was evident in the utterly confused look on her face. For that reason, she was very much startled when Ball started to wrap himself around Imass’s hand. Eyes wide, the Konti realized that the Pycon had disagreed with Imass. And what was going on? Was he restraining the Knight? “What’s he doing…!?” squeaked Nira’lia. Unconsciously, she tightly grasped Eridanus’s arm and shook him, worried that the Pycon’s own insubordination would further prod Imass’s currently unpredictable mood.

[Imass]

Imass stood grim faced as ever as he listened to Eridanus. The Son of Leth's face was shattered with controlled aggression. The Knight knew now to be cautious with his words for Lord Eridanus was liable to explode at any moment; he had seen the Eth's battle fury before and it was not something to take lightly.

Before the Knight could reply, Ball began to pop. Imass had trouble understanding him as usual, but regardless the squire’s insolence was enraging. The Knight raised a hand to punish Ball for stepping out of line, but the little pycon had gotten one thing correct though.

"Ball you are but a green squire, you d--" before Imass could even finish a sentence the clay creature began to climb up the hilt of his sword in attempt to wrap around Imass' hilt and hand. The Akalak pulled his hand away and swiftly aimed a backhand at the clay in natural reaction.

Anger teemed in Imass' green face. He had to take time now to rebuke Ball and this was making him look incredibly unprofessional in front of Eridanus, "Sit down Ball! There is no place for insolence in this parley! I am no craven," this last sentence he glanced at Eridanus too, "Haven't I taught you better Ball?!?! No one is here to pull swords, this is a parley! Do not dishonor the Knight's like that again. Now do your Duty and witness honorably!" Imass stared at Ball for a moment, promising that the squire would not go unpunished.

Imass turned back to Eridanus with sheen of sweat over his face. The parley had already escalated and emotions were blaring, even Ball's. Imass took a deep loud breath, "Apologies, Lord Eridanus."

The Knight continued, "Lady Nira'lia has indeed stumbled upon some information that is secret to the Knights. This secret is so precious to us, that extreme laws have been laid upon me when taking my Oath. It has been ordered of me -- and all the Knights who have came before me -- that the barer of this secret must join as a squire or swear fealty to serve us. Anyone who refuses is a traitor to the Knights Sylir. Because we are quarantined right now and I am the only Knight around, it is my Duty to see to this through immediately. "

"That being said, I do not think that this whole ordeal was accidental -- nay -- It is the calling of our gods! Lady Nira'lia received visions to lead you two to us and now she received another vision of our most sacred secret! To top it all off, Yahal sent me an omen to confirm this -- a bright yellow star in the sky that fell upon us. The evidence points that you two were called by Sylir to unite with us in our righteous struggle..."

Imass made his plea to win Eridanus, "Eridanus, you were meant to be a Knight. I can feel it in my heart. I know it in my bones. I feel the faith of Tyveth in my soul," he paused and looked at Eridanus in the eyes. His face was still grim, but his eyes told a different story. He was pleading with his friend -- no-- his brother. Eridanus and Imass had fought a hoard of Yukman together on the wildland plains and lived to tell the tale. Regardless of the circumstance, they were bound by blood and battle. Imass did not want to hurt Nira; it pained him so much, however he would not compromise his duty.

"You and Nira were sent here not only to help us on this campaign against Sahova, but also to help us in greater ways we cannot understand yet. Gods work in mysterious ways. I plead with you take up Lordship in Syliras with Nira'lia and this entire struggle can be avoided! Believe me! I plead - have wings of faith!"

[Eridanus]

Eridanus turned around briefly in order to grant Imass some honor in disciplining his squire. Simply averting his eyes would be courtesy so allow the knight some form of privacy. An organization like the Knights' that prided itself on its tight hierarchical structure would hate to display such internal conflict to an outside like him. However, turning his back would not only mean giving the akalak the privacy he needed, but it also symbolized the scholar's trust in the knight. Enough trust upon his honor to show his unguarded side in a tense situation such as this.

As he did so, he touched Nira's tightening grip on his arm partly to remind her to relax her grip and to calm down. Whispering, he muttered, "Do not worry Nira. You are safe by my side, I promise. Just stick close to me."

Waiting for a moment or two for the knight and squire duo to finish their business, he turned around again in an exaggerated and slow manner so that Imass would indirectly know that it was time to wrap up the disciplining and to resume the usual knightly display of orgnaizational solidarity. It was only courteous for him to do so, for a knight takes his honor seriously and he would not want to intrude on that of his trusted comrade.

Resuming his position in this negotiation, his eyes softened as he listened to every point that Imass made carefully, mentally organizing and compartmentalizing each point of discussion so that he might attempt to better resolve this problem.

"Ser Imass, as you have dealt with us so honorably before, it will be villainous for me to not extend such honor towards you. Know then, that my intentions are pure in my negotiation with you in this parley."

Taking a moment of consideration, Eridanus paused briefly before deciding to plow on.

"Nira'lia does not belong to the Knights nor should she be bound by the rules of your organization, therefore calling her a traitor is unfair. In such a case, I cannot see the fairness and justice in demanding servitude or death from an innocent party. We can discuss the notions of law, society, intentions and consequences at length, if you wish. But for the purposes of this parlay, at no intended offense to you nor the Knights, I cannot see where the honor and justice is in demanding such an extreme position from an innocent party. Nira'lia is not a traitor by definition, and she has not discovered your most prized secret maliciously or purposely. There is no intention, and no objective. Surely your demands are too unfair?"

"However, I understand the need for keeping such a secret. I can see the reason behind your demands, they have similar aims in keeping the secret a secret. In other words, if the secret stays with Nira, would it not achieve the same aims as your two suggested course of action?"

The vantha's voice softened as he looked Imass straight in the eye, pleading for reason and compassion to surge within the knight. He knew that Imass was a highly emotional person, by virtue of his zealotry, and so he toned down plenty on the logic and so attempted to appeal to emotions and to Imass' valued notions of chivalry instead. He might not be entirely successful, due to him being more familiar with rational logic, but it was at least worth a try.

"If the gods called me to do so, they would have told me, Ser Imass," The scholar spoke softly. Stretching out his hand, he showed the back of his palm, where a letter 'Y' glowed, to the knight. "Do you know what this is, Ser Imass? Lord Yahal has appeared to me, to approve the direction that I have been taking in my life, and to tell me that my philosophy of life and decisions is not wrong. Surely I am a better sense than you to know what Lord Yahal has planned for me?"

Gesturing to the konti, he continued, "You are right that we were united for a purpose. However, even if you claim that we were united by Sylir, that does not mean that we are bound to solely his will. Back in Alvadas Nira'lia and I were united by Ionu himself, and her Call that brought her to me is Avalis' will. Surely you must see the bigger picture, Ser Imass. Sylir is not the only god out there, and he is not the only one with plans for us."

"While I appreciate you thinking highly of me, I cannot accept that offer. I have my own goals to strive for, and my own objectives to fulfill. I cannot be bound to a mortal organization that would hinder my objectives. Surely you must know by now, my friend, that I am immortal? I am an ethaefal, a fallen godling from the realms of the heavens. I cannot be tied down unless my divinities demand it to be so."

"Perhaps I, no we, were called to aid the knights in this venture, but this single campaign cannot conclusively decide the rest of our lives! Consider this Imass, you have been fair in your dealings with us, and I shall be fair with our dealings with you. Can you not let this matter rest if the secret stays with Nira'lia? Would that not be the same as maintaining the secret?"