The days after the invasion, or lack thereof, had come to a close. People were busy rebuilding what once was as Vivian sat and looked at the builders doing their work. A bored expression on her cute face as she watched them work diligently and with purpose. She sighed, sweeping long purple hair off her shoulder as she stood up. Her pristine silver dressed armor clanked lightly as she erected her form. One hand then the other was lifted above her hand, giving a sheepish yawn as she stretched those limbs high into the sky. With a free fall limp, her arms swung back down as she folded her arms over her chest. Now that things have changed since her last meet up with Seto, the young woman worshipped a new Goddess, Lucia. Going from the Black Duke who had promised her power and a new sparking love interest for the woman, Vivian found herself in a bind on how to break the oath when an idea came to her. Leaning against the side of the castle, she knew @Aalam Abungu would eventually come out from his meeting. He was the Co-Commander of the Southern Wall and no doubt he did a good enough job there as is. He had taken the leadership role well, although some things were just out of his hands to make things go smoothly. And of course like a good little girl, Vivian did what she was told to do...well, most of the time. When she was tasked to fight, she did just that answering the beck and call of the commands. She was not hesitant because she may not have been a smart woman, but she planned her steps accordingly. All that was left was driving the nails into the coffin. So she waited patiently for the Co-Commander of Southwatch. The long tresses of purple hair falling into her azure eye as she stood by looking into the horizon, getting lost in thought. She bit down on her lower lip until she heard the steps of the Hunter. A smile gracing her lips as he walked by her, not even giving a second notice. The woman sped up to match his gait and placed both hands behind her back. Flashing him a quick smile the woman spoke loudly so he could hear her, "Hey there! Remember me? Of course you do. I leave a lasting impression after all!" Vivian said flattering herself, "Woa, wait. Alright. So we need to speak somewhere... privately. I just need a few moments of your time. It is about Seto and the Future of House Kurama." Of course this was important, and no doubt Aalam would wish to speak about the prosperity of the House for the future. She smiled again, her thick full red lips giving that seductive expression, "I'll buy you a drink~" she said to sweeten the deal.
It had been a long week a week that had seemed to drag on your months instead of the usual seven days. His flask as empty and there was a thirst that needed quenching; he could see that some of the minor repairs were underway. Well, at least something was getting done if he knew the people in the kingdom it would hard press to find evidence of the war reaching the capital in a few days. Looking down and taking a gander at his equipment, everything was covered in dirt. Damn, he needed to take a bath and clean his equipment, it was a shame that he had made his report the way his outfit was but the information required to be delivered. Well, it was a good day at least if he hurried he should be able to make it to the bar before anyone noticed or needed him for anything else. There was a barrel of ale in the cellar that was calling his name, and he had an obligation to make sure it was empty before the day was over. The duke was still busy trying to put his realm back together from the attack, and most of his wall was still destroyed. When he had last checked the war relief effort, it seemed to be in good shape. Well good enough that there was nothing he could do to help, they had enough food and water and more helpers were arriving. A sigh escaped him as he ran his hands through his hair. Damn, he really needed to get to that ale, if he was lucky he might have been able to run into that player Savannah. If she was alone there might be the possibility of talking her into sharing a drink. Well if he was able to work up bit of courage, killing monsters a thing he could do without fear. Speaking to a woman he might have feelings for, and his body fails him. He was so focused on making it to that bar that he pasted @Vivian Cruz right by and didn’t notice her until a voice broke through. And his legs started to move faster as a response almost breaking into a light jog, he knew to whom that voice belonged and there was no way he was going to be alone with that. He was just able to make it to the bottom of the strep when she reached him. Unfortunately there was no window that he could have dived out to escape and chewing off his leg would be bad manners, along as being pointless as she wasn’t holding him by him by the leg. He was about to just make a dash for the nearest house and go through that window but she said that was about Seto and the house. That was something that got him to stop he had sworn loyalty to the house. Aalam turned around to see her face fixed into an alluring expression, he was still about to write off until the offer for a drink lift her mouth. “Damnit” Grabbing her arm and pulling his along behind him taking her to one of the nosiest bars in the district and grabbing a table in one of its corners. Waving over one of the waitresses to take their orders, he was well know enough in here. “You have until I’ve finished drinking for today, what’s on your mind?"
Her eyes lit up when her arm was grabbed and her legs moving more quickly than she anticipated. Aalam had a steady grip on her arm as they moved to the bar. Vivian reflexes kicked in as she followed him to the back. Stares on her figure from the eyes of the patrons as she walked ever so sultry like as they both sat in the corner. "I'll just have what he is having," Vivian said to the waitress, a small pleasant smile and then she laughed to hear his comment. The woman sat there and folded her arms over the table and looked him in the eyes. "We are both part of Duke Seto's little team, right? We have taken oaths of loyalty to serve him and House Kurama. However, I might have to break that Oath." She stopped to gauge Aalam's expression before continuing. "Don't give me that look. Seto had promised me power and equality. However, he made a fool of me at the meeting, going on about some rampant desire to be a sex slave. I wasn't paying attention to be honest. Anyways. Don't you think he is a little absent minded for a Duke anyways? Sure. He has power, but he's just a little boy with a big sword. That is something that his People need. But I am far from caring." The woman slipped a hand through the long tresses of her purple hair as she got comfortable in her seat once more. She sighed evenly and circled a finger over the wooden table as she looked down at it. "I've actually been seeing someone. Someone I am starting to feel a little more than I had thought I would. Think of it as you may, I won't judge your judgyness. Besides, I believe my efforts would be futile with Seto. He said I was some kind of Prodigy. I am not. Also, he has yet to treat me as his equal. I do not bow and scrape at a Lord's Feet. I never will and I certainly will not towards a male who is prone to raging outbursts about sex slaves. Yuck." The woman showed her distaste for Seto with a disgusted look. She placed both elbows on the table and cradled her chin in her palms, "You would be a much better Duke than he would be. You commanded the SouthWall very well, I am sure people would look up to you after that. More besides the point, if you were to act upon that...I wouldn't mind helping overthrow his Dukedom." There was a glint in her eyes, that mischievous and malevolent glint that screamed chaos and came with a matching smile.
Well at least she wasn’t making a fuss about his locating, come to think of it he didn’t know much about Vivian other than she practiced a type of magic and well she was a member of the House of Kurama. However, it was a stroke of luck that he hadn’t started drinking when she spoke. The woman wanted to break her oath to the house. The shock of her words was so powerful that he couldn’t even keep the surprise off his face and that was a first for him. So that what the feeling of complete surprise was, it felt terrible and if possible he would have preferred to never felt that way again. He did take a swig when she continued to talk, however; it seemed that the amount of stress that was getting put on him was in the days after the war was becoming worst that when he was fighting in the war. However, he didn’t interrupt her as he talked it was always best to get all information before acting. He did remember the meeting a bit differently, however, yes he did make her out to be a bit of a fool, but that desire to be a sex slave was something that might have been just in her head. The woman did have some weird thoughts from time to time reminded him of another player he had met before just with a little bit more control. “We have both seen a different side of the Duke. Vivian, you have not done what I have done nor seen what I have seen. So stop from calling the man that is still our Duke, a child.” Now, we had come to a problem taking a more extended drink from his mug this time drain the entire thing actually, in a large gulp. He had a problem looking around the bar; he thought about his situation, would he be able to kill her before she killed him? He hands were already up, and he would not have been able to get to his bow before she would be able to assault him with magic. This it was reasons like this he had problems trusting people, one of the senior officers in and the person he trusted with his life wanted his help killing his lord. Even when there wasn’t a war, it was just stressful days. “So why would I seek power Vivian you seem so confident that I would make a better duke that the Seto. I understand why you dislike the duke and your reasons are well valid in a way, however, if I am to agree with trying to throw him over I want to know why I should.”
"You'll have the respect of Astorea on your side, you will have land and serfs to command. Or you can sit idly by and watch others rise to fame in your place. But if you want to act on something, you should do it soon before someone else does it for you. Also, have you seen what that man keeps in his company? A maid who is bitter, a young teenage girl who drones with no particular skills. The only decent people he has in his presence would be you and I. The other two are mere fodder." The woman had explained in detail as to why. But what of the motive? Perhaps Aalam just liked being bent over to receive his orders from his Black Duke. In the small space of time that she knew him, she couldn't quite figure out if he was just going about his business like a dog or if he was just sitting and waiting for an opportune time to do what he needed to do. She looked at the Hunter across the table, a small smile on her lips, "But if you don't have the balls to do it. That's fine. I won't pressure you. But, I will be breaking my Oath because there is someone out there who actually seems me as an equal and not some lap dog to be pulled by the chain. You might not have any motivations, but I wished to be elevated as high as I can go and I will do whatever it is necessary to get what I want." The one pointed at the table, she wanted to be clear and concise about what she was saying. Although the Hunter was taking huge gulps of his ale, would he even remember this conversation later? She sighed, blowing the violet strands of her hair away from her eyes as she looked towards him again and shook her head, "What are your motivations, Aalam? You have shown you are a capable Commander. Why not command on a different level and become the Duke the people would be proud of?" Seeds of chaos. It didn't matter who sat on the ugly chair the Duke sat in, so long as it was not a child and not a woman-chasing pervert. But then, that was probably half of Terrasphere. So if Aalam would not agree to this proposal, someone who was greedy would eventually do it. Because having such a bold title meant many things. It didn't matter who the fool was.
She was making a good point if he was to take over the ducky then the perks would be something a feather in his cap. The power would be something, and if he could keep the lands safe, then it would be something that he would enjoy. This is why he didn’t like talking to Vivian the woman was able to put thoughts in his head, and it was harder to focus on things. She was too distracting and knew how to speak, playing on ideas that he had thought about ever dreamed about during his time in Terra. However, could it be possible could he gain control of the duchy from Seto and become its lord? This was a hard choice he had sworn to follow Seto as his lord but what she was saying was making sense in a way. Damn it this is why he preferred to be by himself most of the time. What did he want to do was the real question she was asking him. By this time he was already through most of his mug at this time and would need a refill in a little bit. Oh and she was so good at pushing his buttons, it was terrible. Just the right amount of pressure and say the right thing, and she was able to make him think about her offer. Pulling an arrow out of his quiver and twirling it in his hands as he thought about her offer. His mug was empty at this point, and she had his attention at this point. He could understand why and well how she was going to break her oath. She merely wanted power and would do anything to get it. That was the part of her that always scared him there was nothing she seemed to hold holy. Placing his arrow down on the table and giving his mug to waitress that was passing by to have refilled. “So you want me to overthrow Duke Seto and place myself on the throne if I was to attempt this then how you would help me? I cannot see myself doing this alone the cliff is too high, what help do you offer?”
She knew she was getting inside his head, that was good. Her words were simple, any promise of power would make a man in wanting swoon for it. The woman leaned over, her busty chest squeezing against the table as she looked him in the eye. "You are right. Alone you would surely fall under his blade, this would be a delicate matter and one that would need a gentle touch. We can't assassinate the Duke. He would just revive and nothing will change. No, we would need to spread rumors about him, or show him in a light where the people might find him incapable of leading, or degrade his name somehow. Gathering an army of players might be risky as well, the people might think we are trying to start some kind of treasonous action...which in short we are." The woman tapped her nail against her lip, pulling it ever so slowly in thought. "But if you are on board with this, I can ask around and see who is available to do what. Some words and here there that the Duke is an Incompetent Lord might be well enough. Or some scandalous action that he can be roped into. Of course, this would be between the two of us. Even if were are plotting to overthrow him, if you decide to back out and report me to him, I can hang you by the hooks as well. I am not a person you want to mess with. But as a partner...we can do very well with each other." The woman leaned back, drinking lightly from her ale glass only to keep an eye on the Hunter in front of her. She was a careful woman, planning each move accordingly. She could pull this off, but it would take time. Seto's serfs would need to see that he is incapable of being a Duke. Perhaps shrivel the land and vegetation. Poison the drinking water. Cause illness and plague to spread across his land and animals. Anything to show that he could not handle this. Yes, these were good ideas...
He ran the idea through his head how he would run the duchy and all the things that he would be able to change to make it run better. Aalam would never trust @Vivian Cruz that woman was a looking, and there was nothing wrong with that but it was the way that she used her looks. For the cut of her clothing and the ways that she walked with that sway, she had most of the eyes in the room sneaping peeking in their corner and the only reason they weren’t was that he was in the corner with her. They knew him in this bar well enough to know not to try anything and the fact that she was with him add the next level of mystery to her. As she leaned over the table, her dress made her bust squeeze together in such a way that it drew the eyes of most of the men in the bar and the made at least three waitresses jealous. Even his eyes betrayed him leaving her face for a second to look at her chest before he regains control. He had to focus she knew enough that a direct assault would be pointless; the duke would cut them down in seconds. So she was planning to assassinate his reputation, and that would take her time if nothing else. At least, in that case, there would be a way to stay in the loop if she did actions like that. However, it did show him how far she had planned there was nothing she wouldn’t do to destabilize the dukedom. Why would she have any loyalty to him or his causes this was a clear set up for becoming a pawn, she had an end goal in mind, and he was a ledge that was to get her closer to that peak. He would allow her to play her game and see what came to the surface; however, there was something that he needed to set straight. Picking his arrow off the table and using it as a pointer. “You will never do that again do you understand me, Vivian, do not threaten me. I do not take those lightly. However, I will work with your, but my goals are my own.” Well, they were going to play a match then this was going to be a significant bit of fun, he had made a strong opening, but now the board was his he had countered. “That being said what do you have in mind, and the, more importantly, what do you get out of this?”
The woman lifted her hand up when his arrows was pointed at her. She smiled innocently and grinned leaving her hooded gaze upon him, "I meant no ill will, there. I like to take steps when procuring my position. So I had to make it awfully clear that I was not some ditz." She had explained herself, leaving her hands to drop back down to the table as she chuckled at Aalam's threatening action. It mildly irked her, but that was what happens when you threaten people. Looks alone won't get you anywhere in this game, so you had to play the other cards on the table. His next set of questions were relatable to the plan she had in mind, but the finale was something should have been obvious. "It clears me of my Oath without actually having to break it. If Duke Seto is not a duke anymore, then I fall in no obligation to be fit in his court. I'll continue to act as though as I am, and I will plot his downfall. As far as ideas. I was thinking of poisoning his land. We can get a Naturemancer and spoil his crops with some dark magic involved. We can cause blight to his land and his life stock, poison the drinking water. Spread diseases and famine throughout his lands. But we'll have a cure for each diseases that we spread, we'll have a counter action to help these people. Not only will you only become a Duke, you will become their Savior. They will worship you like a deity!" Her grin curved more, that seductive look as she drank, licking her lips clean of the ale that spilled into her mouth. She was not a clumsy girl, she thought out some of these ideas and knew how to process them. "We will need to hire a few people to get this started. And we'll need to be secret about it. It'll take some time, but I am sure we can do it with the right people. There are always mercenaries looking to make a quick buck these days." The woman lifted her ale glass and spoke, "To the future; Duke Aalam."
She wanted to help him overthrow Seto and become a ruler of a duchy, there were many things that he had to consider but what she was offering was something new to him. The idea played with his mind, but those thoughts never made it to his face. Pulling his arrow back into his quiver his hands hugging his mug, taking a sip from his ale as he thought of all the things that he could fix, all the things that could be done to make the duchy better. He watched her taking in every curve of her face looking into those eyes, into those lovely that eyes that seemed to tell him everything that he wanted to hear. Eyes like steel but yet still so inviting in their allure promising things that he wouldn’t have considered usually. It was like those eyes whisper the thought of temptation right into this soul a vein of corruption working into his loyalty. It was different than anything that he had felt before; it reminded him why he avoided her while she was a member of the duke’s court. She was using him, and he knew it, she wanted a pawn to use to topple a king. Looking away from her and into his drink, he didn’t like owning anyone and especially in a case like this. Drinking the last of his ale and signaling the waitress for another, he knew nothing that he had said would escape the wall of this bar. The people here knew him well enough and if well Vivian needed to die here that could be arranged; all he had to do was stop of drinking. It was half the reason he brought her here, it was always good to have options, but it seemed that there would be no reason for his precautions. “So all of this is necessary for you to be free of the oath that you made to Lord Seto. If that’s all you want from this agreement is to be free of your oath. Then I can do this; I can help you be free from your oath. However, I will not let the people of the land suffer for this plot do you understand me? For every body you lay at my feet will be a scar I will make on that body, so take care of your actions. I do not trust you Vivian, and I never will for you have shown your colors. I do pity whoever you swear your new oath to know the type of person you can be.” Aalam got his new mug form the waitress tapping her glass with his mug, “Yes to the future.”
It was not simply about breaking an oath. It was much more than that to her. Yes, having a puppet Duke in place would be good for her in the future, someone who could be easily swayed by the right choice of words. She had said it before, if not him, it would be someone else. Perhaps someone more ambitious. The woman relaxed in her seat, she held the familiar curve of her smile and then simply shrugged. "Ok. I can see when I am in a losing battle. I am willing to accept that. And it is true, you have a right not to trust a person like me. I play with words and minds, I am a malefimancer of course. It is how I play the game. But when you are tending to your land and cattle..." The woman made small circles with her finger into the open air. A small worm of darkness seemed to slither like a cloud before it puffed into a foul smelling smoke. The woman sat up and drank the rest of her beverage, gulp after gulp from the show of it. Vivian exhaled loudly after she finished, clearing her mouth with her finger and thumb and enjoying the savory taste thereof. She smiled down at Aalam, "You have a wonderful day, Commander. When one is so easily replaced, another will take over." The sway of her hips moved her through the bar as she exited. If he could not be corrupted, then she would find a more pliable person to work her strings on. Puppets were all too common in this world. A hint of power and title would make anyone dive head first into a dry lake bed. -Vivian Exits the Thread-
Watched her leave almost every male was watching her as well and a few of the female too, it seemed that the way she swayed was distracting. Well, they were idiots if they fancied her that woman was poison wrapped in a sweet coating, there was nothing good in that one. However, the fact that they were looking did not fill him with peace of mind. He knew the people in here, hell half of them worked for him from time to time and yet they were watching her. She had managed to charm three-quarters of the bar just with her presence. She would be an enemy that would make him work. A slight smile made its way on to his lips the game just got interesting. If she wanted a war in the shadows, then it was something that he would have no problem with he worked better in the dark anyway. She did give him a clue for who she was looking to sever under; there were only a few people that had a better ability with dark magic that Lord Seto. The best of them was Duchess Lucia if it was her well then at least he had a face and a target. From what he knew of the Duchess that would be a task but no one threatens him. He drank the last of the ale in his mug getting to his feet and getting ready to leave pushing away from the table. The same waitress that was severing that table walks up soon as he stood. “Would you have me report this to the duke, Sir?” Placing his mug on her tray and strapping his quiver to his waist and picking up his bow. “Spread the rumor that people are planning to overthrow the Duke; I want to know who answer this call that is all agent. Keep her name out of it though and keep the rumors in the lower class.” Pulling his hood over his head and steeping away into the street, the rumor would get through the public it would force her to be more careful and plan her attack slower this was time that he could use. There would a lot of cleaning house for the next few days; well at least he would have something to keep him busy in the wake of that war. This shall be an exciting chess match with that thought he disappeared into the crowd. Merely another face in the masses to be forgotten. --Aalam exits the thread--
