The Four Colonies (Started/Still Open)

Rand Gambol/ local cemetery

I let a thin stream of smoke out of the corner of my mouth. "That's an unfortunate story to say the least Prince Lester." I made a few smoke rings watching them drift off. "I would love to help you. I mean Artemis seems to have committed a great crime against you. But, what is exactly that you plan to do friend?" I looked thoughtfully off in to the distance.

"The fact of the matter is that Artemis is most certainly no pushover. Your people don't hate him and he's convinced them not only did you commit regicide but patricide as well." I took a long drag on my pipe, "Your prospects are dismal to say the least. You'll need to amass an army of followers." I let out smoke and watched it form a sailing ship. "Even then launching civil war in these uncertain times won't do you any favors."

"What's your solution then?" Lester looked at me questioningly.

"I'll work with you and help you when I can. For now I'll stick with you while you're in the city but, we'll need to split up at some point." I looked off toward the city watching people walk by. "You need to spread your story make it rumor that it's a possible truth. Then we shall see what happens."

Aliya|In the city

I walked toward the scarf vendor's stall, satchel in hand. I had had my eye on a blue scarf of his for a while, and I had finally scrounged up enough money to pay for it. I stepped up to the table, shuffling politely around another lady, and picked up the blue scarf. "How much is this one?" I asked the vendor.

"Three gold coins," he replied. As I dug through my satchel for the money, something bumped into my leg--a small child, no more than six.

"I'm sorry," the vendor said, chuckling nervously. "Son, stay back here." He reached around the table and pulled the child back toward him.

"Here's the money," I said, handing the vendor my coins. I looked at the child again, and then flipped him a little silver penny. Folding carefully so I wouldn't rip the edges, I packed the scarf in my satchel, and turned to leave.

But the lady next to me turned at the same time, and I ran right into her. I immediately stepped back, and reached out to steady the lady. "So sorry, madam!" I exclaimed.

Lester Shiva | Local cemetary

I thought over what Rand said. Although I was impressed with the offer of an allegance, it still didn't change the fact that I would be signing my death warrant if I set foot back on the ground that I was exiled from. Tradition states that an exile was sentenced to immediate death if the exile ever returned to the grounds of the Fourth Colony. How was I going to take my place as the rightful king with an age-old tradition in the way? I couldn't let that stand between me and my rightful throne. I raised my brow. "If I do that, then will it help me take my place as the rightful king of the Fourth Colony and restore purity to the clan of my birth?"

Dirk Damashreid | The City | The Marketplace

Clad in a shade of charcoal so dark that it was almost black, Dirk watched. He liked to watch, especially at the marketplace and since he had a belly-full and fuller pockets, he had no need to seek out work. And so he watched.

Dirk was clinging to a roof top, his fingers curled delicately around the edge and his feet planted like boulders. His body angled to the left as he spied on the ladies over by the scarf stall and tried to understand.

One had money, that much was clear, the one with the blackbird hair and dusky skin. Her clothes were screaming money and the way she tipped her head like the sun peeping out of the clouds. But it was her pale counter-part paying for a scarf. Did she have money too?

Dirk knew there was a difference between having money and having money. For instance, Dirk had money but it was a different way of having money to the dusky skinned girl. Maybe he had more physical coins than her, it really wasn't possible to say, but she had money in a way that made her different.

There were a lot of different ways to be different and Dirk wanted to learn them all. Back at the academy, he had been the different one. All the other students had been human, or almost all, with only the occasional mongrel who had a slither of something else. But Dirk had more than a slither and he'd been different.

In the city though, there were lots of differents and it was hard to understand the way they connected. These two were both different but different again from one another. The dusky girl was like nothing he'd ever smelled before, rich and dark and unworldly. The pale skinned one on the other hand was very almost human, but not quite. It wasn't a slither of something else either, it was like her smell was wholly wrong, but once again, almost right. Dirk was so confused that he was fascinated.

Lilia | The City | The Marketplace

Rei tossed her mane and whinnied, feeling restless. She wanted to run and stretch her legs but was forced to slowly walk through the crowded streets. I patted her neck gently as she hung her head and meagerly trotted. Pulling out my purse, I found two silver pieces and five copper pieces.

I sighed. "I guess it's time to find a job here," I murmured to the horse.

Gently leaping from her back, I walked to the nearest stand and bought a few apples. Rei happily nuzzled me as I fed her the apple, eager for the treat. I led her over to the nearby churchyard, letting her roll in the grass as I ate my apple. She began to trot around the church, glad to be able to run.

I hear someone exit the church from behind me, and instinctively pull my hood forward so that my face cannot be seen. I hear footsteps behind me, stopping a few feet from where I am. A distinctly male voice makes a sound of disgust.

"Excuse me madam, but is that your horse galloping around the church?" he asked.

I stood, but didn't face him. "Yes it is."

"I would advise you to keep your animal in check. Set it out to run in a pasture, not on the sacred grounds of a church."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. I turned to see a tall man glaring at me. "Surely you're not angry at a horse that just needs a good run?" I asked, a smile playing my lips. I pulled my hood back a bit so he could see my face. "Rei isn't doing anything harmful."

"She's tearing up sacred grounds!" he hissed.

I rolled my eyes, but whistled for her to come back anyways. Gracefully I mount her, smirking down at the man below me.

"Are you a clergyman? Because you dress a little oddly for one," I remarked.

A shadow crossed his face. "It's no business to you what I am," he snapped.

"I didn't mean to pry. I was just wondering what you do, as I'm looking for a job," I shrugged. "My name's Lilia by the way."

Umbra

My eyes open like a angry sleeping dragon, and the sun was just coming in the cave as it rose. I break my meditation having finished, it was time for me to find the Everlasting Dragon. I leave the cave back into the opening between the two caves, one down the mountain, the other I live in. Dominus materialized in front of me as I soon get on and he lifts off, flying though the air, I could hear Dominus' words in my head.

"I shall guide you to the Everlasting Dragon, mi lady." He said.

"So how do you know the Everlasting Dragon?" I ask.

"I, am a descendant of the man who killed his father." He said in a low tone.

"Your ancestor killed his father?" I ask bewildered.

"Yes, my ancestor was greedy, wanted the throne and the only way to do so was to kill the king and place the blame on his son." He said.

I wasn't sure of what else to say, I held a powerful dragon who's ancestor killed the Everlasting Dragon's father.

"Take me to him." I said.

Dionne Shiva | The Marketplace

As I turned around, a woman collided with me. "So sorry, madam!" she exclaimed, reaching out a hand to my shoulder.

I laughed, smoothing out the front of my dress. "No harm done, good lady," I said. "I am Princess Dionne Shiva of the fourth colony. Who do I have the pleasure of meeting?"

"Lady Aliya Venusta, first colony," she said, dipping a little in a curtsey. "It's nice to meet you, Your Higness."

"My greetings," I smiled. I looked around, and Ilicia appeared a few people away. She gestured wildly across the square to a vendor hawking a variety of cheeses. I have a certain affinity for cheese, and Ilicia knew it. The wind started blowing from that direction, and I smelled the delicious aroma of cheddar, brie, and parmesan. "I must be going, Lady Aliya. I will see you another time, I am certain."

Ginger, my pet mouse, poked his nose out of my handbag as I turned to Ilicia. She must have smelled the cheese as well, because she jumped out and started running between people's feet to the other side of the square. "Ginger!" I called, trying to catch her. I'm sure I looked quite undignified chasing a mouse across a crowded marketplace.

Aliya Venusta|The Marketplace

I smiled as the princess chased her mouse through the crowd. I was tempted to just catch it for her myself, but slowing down time in the middle of a crowded marketplace would be rather stupid of me.

I stepped away from the scarf vendor's stall and looked through my satchel. Inside, in addition to my new scarf, were six gold coins and nine silver pennies. I still had enough money for another little treat. Slinging the satchel over my shoulder, I looked around the marketplace. What else could I buy? A bit of cheese, or a pastry, perhaps...

Then I noticed a dark shape on one of the rooftops. I froze, the world slowing to a crawl around me, and turned in a circle, looking for anyone else who might be hiding. I didn't see anyone else, though--just that lone shape on the far rooftop. As the world sped up again, I saw the person straighten a little. He must have seen my accelerated pirouette. I bit my lip, silently cursing myself for being so paranoid.

Rand Gambol

"Perhaps it's too late," I let out more smoke the graveyard around us had a low fog now. "But, a revolt will call for a proper king and several factions will divide." I looked at the sky studying the stars, "what matters is having enough followers. Perhaps you can convince the neutral faction to back you if you can convince them your intents are peaceful." I poured the ashes of my pipe into my palm and moistened it slightly until it was an ink like paste. "At the end of the day you could be a neutral king, one of the few found in history." I reached out and grabbed Lester's hand, "stay calm okay. I'm going to place a marking on your palm that will only be recognized by the neutral faction." I constructed a needle of ice and poured the ink made of ashes in to the opening before closing it's lid. "This may sting a little, but I guarantee zero chance of infections." I slowly began drawing an eye on his hand. After finishing I drew three small sevens in a cycle around the iris of the eye. "It also functions as a distress beacon hold the three fingers of your left hand to each of the sevens for at least seven seconds, and a member of the neutral faction will assist you." I put away my my pipe and looked up at him. "It won't always be me but there will always be someone. Just give them my name and they'll know to trust you. So now that I've helped you out what's your next move kiddo?"

Lester Shiva | Local cemetary

I thought back on the day I walked in on a meeting. My father was attempting to settle an age-old dispute between the Felina and the White witches, but it was hard to find out what caused the dispute in the first place. I was five years old then, about six months before my mother was murdered. My father was about to lose his temper when he saw me walk in the throne room. The Head of the White witch coven that attended the meeting noticed me and smiled, often telling my father that I was such a little doll for a boy my age. Like a human five-year-old, I was a shy little tyke. It took my father a little bit to convince me to stay with. The meeting lasted ages without seeming to end, boring my father and me to the point where we were close to taking a nap. That was when my gift of seeing spirits surfaced.
The spirits of two lovers - a Felina guard and a White witch - appeared to me and conversed with me, surprising the daylights out of all the meeting's attendants, including my father. It was because of my gift that I helped my father settle the dispute. Once the meeting had finally met its end, I was alone with my father. He had me on his lap during this time. He told me in a calm tone, "You have a gift that most rarely have, my son. I only hope you use it for the sake of goodness. When you become king, my secret wish to you is to rule with mercy and kindness. Such way will make you a neutral king and that kind of king is a wise one." He led me to my room and played with me until supper.
Back to this day and age, I studied the mark on my hand. If I became a neutral king, I could either take my place as the rightful monarch of the Fourth Colony or build another Colony where all who can live in peace. Exiles, orphans, neutral Colonists, and disrespected mixed breeds would have a chance to live in the world without fearing what others might think of them. I clenched my fist. If I couldn't take what was rightfully mine, I could make a Colony of my own and rule it like the wise king my father wanted me to be. I looked at Rand. "I don't really know what Fate has in store for me, but at least I know I have you and others on my side. We'll have to gather up as many supporters as we can. I've been through too many wars during my travels in the First Colony, so I hope to prevent a war among the Colonies and have peace in its place. I won't know my next move until I know what I'm up against. In the case of failure, I intend to build a Colony that's just as neutral as your coven. That's a promise I can keep to you, upon my word as a Shiva." I went out of the cemetary and wandered around the streets alone, knowing well that I still had support from the Grey tribe of the Second Colony.

Rand Gambol

I watched as Lester walked away. Once he was out of sight I summoned a shadow warrior, "follow him, tell me the instant he goes to leave the city." The shadow warrior made a small bow to me before leaping to the roof to follow Lester. I looked at the one tree that was in the cemetery acknowledging the figure that was hidden there. "So how long were you planning on hiding? No matter." I drew my sword and pointed it at the man hiding in the tree. "There's no way you're escaping now."

The shadowy figure let out a horrible chuckle, "you think I can't escape some pathetic grey warlock. You're an arrogant fool." He lowered the mask covering the lower half of his fast and let out a cloud of smoke. Before he could jump back I wrapped him in chains of ice pulling him to the ground in front of me.

"It wasn't arrogance, it was my knowledge that you were pathetically weak." The young man suddenly spat at me and blood went out of the side of his lips. One of those damnable blood magic users trying to get me. "You've betrayed who your masters are you fool."

"If you kill me you know they'll come after you, and your precious little friend Lester." He coughed up blood but I had easily severed his ability to use whatever magic he could. "Even if I don't get to relay what happens they'll know."

"Let them come, they'll need an army." I covered his body in ice letting it rip him to shreds destroying the body. leaving just a pool of blood inside. I used an intense fire to burn away the ice and destroy evidence of my presence. I pulled my pipe from my jacket as I walked out of the cemetery and looked in to the sky. "Let them come, I need a work out."

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