>how do you feel about her?
"Well, despite setbacks, there's definitely a growing appreciation for her."
Then, sass her for asking (Especially since she is your sister), "I especially like watching that big butt of hers."

Momentarily forget about social customs and blurt out "NICE ASS!"

Surprisingly, it's going as smoothly as anything can in this turmoil.

>>713534
This.

>Ah, yes, the wound you got… I have to say; at least it makes you look more responsible and grownup.
yeah well don't get to use to it. Once my eye heals up a bit more I'm thinking of getting a cyber eye. Well the eyepatch might make me look more "dashing" I do rather miss having depth perception.

>so… how do you feel about her?
Honestly far better then I would have thought possible. I mean there are a few issues that I'm still trying to figure out but for the most part things are going fine.

I don't want to say to much in front of her for 2 reasons. 1, I feel uncomfortable reveling to much to her and 2, I really don't think talking about you upcoming marriage is a good topic to talk about while your brother is right there in a cage with his room being torn apart.

Kaktus 2016/04/03(Sun)12:06 No. 713573 ID: 65a774
File 145971039168.png - (43.77KB , 686x526 , 109.png )

>Honestly for an arranged marriage I got damn lucky.
Lucky!? YOU’RE BEING THROWN AS FOOD TO A LIZARD!! FOOD!!
Lucky? Really? So I take it that it’s going well.
>She is quite the lady and I have been enjoying my time with her so far.
SHE WILL EAT YOU! RIP YOU TO SHREDS YOU STUPID SON O-
Please, language!
Oh, that is good to hear, Kronos. I’m genuine surprised that it has gone so well… I thought you would be terrified of her.
>Infact I have to say that while I was terrified at first I'm getting along very well with her.
Traitor! You are a traitor to your species!
So you managed to face your fears? Interesting.
>While it is too early to tell you what the future will bring I have high hopes.
I can’t believe I used to call you brother… you disgust me, Kronos…
No matter what the future holds, I can say for certain that I’m actually proud of you for once. Facing your fears and going past them is no small feat. I do wish you all the luck that this marriage will be more than just a symbolic one then.

>Mention that you plan to bed her in a loving manner soon enough.
FILTH! YOU ARE FILTH!
*Smirk* are you just messing with the prisoner or are you actually serious?
I mean it.
Oh? Then I guess this marriage really was a success. I’m happy for you that you finally found someone that you like, Kronos.
You’re dead to me…
>I especially like watching that big butt of hers.
Okay, I really didn’t need to know that.
Y-you d-disgusting…
Xarrin, please bring the prisoner back to his cell before he has a mental breakdown.
I trusted y-you! I loved y-you! You… I… I wish I had killed you! YOU DISGUSTING- Mfff!
That’s enough. I’ll see that ‘is delivered safety, my magnificent queen!
Well, we did make him show his true, xenophobic side at least…

>Don't get to use to the eyepatch. Once my eye heals up a bit more I'm thinking of getting a cyber eye.
Your former brother spoke of that as well when he first lost his eye, but the large chance of permanent brain damage scared him away in the end. So, please, do consider the consequences before you try something rash, brother.
Oh, of course, of course.
Now, as much as I enjoy talking about lost eyes and odd desires, I have a lot of work to do.
Tea, your highness?
Why, thank you, Cain. I see that your manservant is as diligent as ever.
Tea, sir?
Err… not right now, Cain.
Either way, unless there is something else you wish to discuss, I will bid my farewell.

You have to remember, you still need to visit Tim and ask about the wards… and prepare yourself for whatever surprise Bri has cooked up… and maybe try to read some of those anatomy books you got. Either way, you can’t dally around too long.

What's your game? If you're going to drag me into this, and I know that's what you're doing, I deserve to know why.

Wait why was she here again? Why are we here again?

>>713613
To say hello so she could check in with us, gahh

Just go to Tim to ask about the wards.

Don't avoid your sister. Ask how she's doing. She looks tired, and it must have been really disturbing to find out her brother was plotting to kill her. You can sympathize with that.

well how much time do we have before diner? and what was on our todo list again? I remember we wanted to talk to Tim and ask if he tried the summoning again but other then that I'm drawing a blank.

>Your former brother spoke of that as well when he first lost his eye, but the large chance of permanent brain damage scared him away in the end. So, please, do consider the consequences before you try something rash, brother.
Okay, now you have to get one. It's tiring being compared to your brother.
...
>unless there is something else you wish to discuss, I will bid my farewell.
One final thing: please don't compare me to brother. You'll just make me want that much more to get the cyber eye just to be different.

Tell her that she has your support if she needs your help. You understand now just how heavy responsibility is, and how heavy the weight of the crown must be.

You should treat your sister like you did before and not begin to see her as a potential threat. That's a path Karas and Krotos went down and you should not walk. If you get solid evidence she's a danger to you, then you can behave as if she's a threat. Until then, be the brother she knew and loves.

Ask Kira when she thinks Karas went so wrong. When the hatred towards Sakkilians consumed him, blinded him to the great harm he would do. It wasn't just mother's death, was it? No, it's like he swallowed whole all the war time propaganda and then some. So just what was it that twisted him so?

Tell Kira that you two should have lunch some time, or play a game of Regicide, or take a stroll in the garden and talk, or... Well, anything so she can relax for a bit and unwind. You can see in her eyes how worn down she is, bearing the weight of the nation's future on her shoulders; Like she hasn't slept well in an age. It's just... You worry she'll overwork herself onto an early pyre, same as you worry father will drink himself there. And... If there's anything more she feels she could safely give you to ease her burden, any, even small, duty you could take, you'd do it gladly.

Make sure to give Kira a good hug when you part. A real, solid embrace between siblings who haven't seen each other in a long time.

Accept Cain's tea and ask him where he was. You went looking for him for some clarification after Bri relayed the request to come to this mysterious meeting and you found he'd vanished into the woodwork.

Tell Cain this is rather late to ask, but ask him who brought the request you meet with Major Qelba, just before he was murdered. You ask because the guards said Qelba was not allowed visitors, so that request had to have come from elsewhere, likely from someone who knew he was going to be murdered. It's another thread to be investigate that may lead back to Karas, which would bolster the case against him a bit more if true.

>Your former brother spoke of that as well when he first lost his eye, but the large chance of permanent brain damage scared him away in the end.
No wonder Bri didn't go through with getting one. And you're not getting one either; At least not until the odds you won't come out a drooling vegetable afterwards seriously improve. Looks like it's going to be an eye patch or a glass eye for you for the foreseeable future. Maybe you could get a prosthetic eye that looks indistinguishable to a real one but magically rotates to track where you're looking with your good eye. That way unless somebody looks close it'll appear you have both eyes... Oh, wait, you lost your eyelid too, didn't you? That kind of prosthetic eye would look downright scary without an eyelid, so strike that idea off.

Hey, here's an idea: How about you work to get funding for research into improving the safety and lowering the cost of getting a magic eye implant. Do something like found a philanthropic organization and be its spokesman, or work with an existing organization, either government or private. Put your own money in and work to convince other wealthy personages to do the same. And it'd benefit not just you and Bri but all the folk, Vark and Sakkilian alike, who lost an eye or two in the war, and everybody else too. And it could work to not just fund research into magic eyes but also into lowering the cost of animated prosthetics such as Briannah's so more people could afford them. Granted, it'd be awhile before there'd be results, but you've got nothing but time and it'd give you more direction to your day. What does Cain think about this idea?

Ask Sisah once you're leaving if she knows the reason there's such a large chance of permanent brain damage with getting a eye implanted. Connecting it to the existing optic nerve doesn't strike you as being particularly risky, so you guess it's done another way. Is the interface literally jammed into the brain as you heard someone say before. And also why she took the great risk in getting her magic eye implant. Is the procedure just as risky for Serpens as Varks? ...And she has a lot of other magic hardware on her, so ask her how risky it was to get all that and how it's all being powered. Is it powered all from her own magic reserves?

>You have to remember, you still need to visit Tim and ask about the wards…
Yes, you best hurry to see Tim right away. Off the top of your head, you want to find out if there's any common visual elements between all wards or types of wards, what types of wards there are, and how they can be identified. You also have that rough copy you made of the Cradle of Souls paper to show Tim and get what he makes of it.

>and prepare yourself for whatever surprise Bri has cooked up…
Considering how much you owe Bri for breaking your promise, and that she said all evening was going to be "us time," she's most likely getting ready to call in what you owe and have your first time with her be her way. You can only hope that it isn't that, but be prepared to burn all your favors to steer things towards making love instead of her just banging you into the ground like so many before. As for other preparation, you could use a shower since you missed getting one after you woke up. Your private shower is out since Bri has your bedroom tied up, so where else could you get one? And you could also use a clean change of clothes and some cologne. Cain can handle that.

>and maybe try to read some of those anatomy books you got.
If you have time left to do so before dinner, but it's not urgent so they can be read tomorrow. However, you do have another potentially credible source to verify what Belseth said and answer your questions about Sakkilian's anatomical abilities: Sisah. She's been a mercenary for Risavia for twenty years, so it's likely she's gone about learning quite a bit about Sakkilians, separating fact from fiction about them, in order to fight them. And she was there when Belseth made his claims, so you could just ask her how accurate what he said is. And you ask her while en route, which will save time relative to sitting down to read.

Y'know, the "Slaver Incident" is just going to linger in your mind until your imagination runs away with you. You'd best find some time in private to ask Bri what it was. Right now, considering Lorentia is well known for slaving, and it borders the Empire, and it involved Sakkilians unhinging jaws, you'd guess a band of Lorentian slavers were caught inside Empire borders by a patrol Bri was part of and were dealt with in a gruesome manner. Something like Bri literally biting their heads off and swallowing them. That'd be the kind story Belseth would not want Bri talking about.

>>713611
Uh, what do you think Kira is dragging Kronos in to? I don't see her dragging him into anything, so why the accusation? It'll just make Kronos look foolish and Kira suspicious, so it's a losing action to say that.

>>713613
...My god, man, did you even read the update before this one? Kira outright SAYS in it why she's here and why she called Kronos here.

>>713627
>She looks tired, and it must have been really disturbing to find out her brother was plotting to kill her.
It'd be less "disturbing" and more "depressingly unsurprising" since she knows the truth about Krotos' treason and his attempt to assassinate her, Keras and their father King Helios three years ago.

>>713634
Check the last line of the quest update; There's a selection of potential, but not only, choices for destinations and actions there. We can come up with others. And directly asking Tim if he did the ritual to Xuv, or any other ritual, without Kronos present will be tricky 'cause Kronos only knows via Xuv that Tim did that. We'd have to either come up with a plausible explanation for how Kronos knows or suspects Tim of doing this or admit Xuv came to him.

>>713672
What the...? Dude, what are you on about? Kira didn't compare Kronos to Karas at all. Heck, as far as I can remember, nobody has compared Kronos to Karas at all, either on the basis of their missing eyes or otherwise. Just where did you get this idea from? Was there some confusion about "former brother?" 'Cause the "former brother" Kira is talking about is Karas, the one in the "birdcage," not Krotos, the one who died three years ago.

Kaktus 2016/04/04(Mon)10:06 No. 713842 ID: 65a774
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>How much time do we have before dinner?
You’re not sure, as Bri didn’t give you an exact time. It should be somewhere between five or six, so there’s still a few hours to spare.
>You should treat your sister like you did before and not begin to see her as a potential threat. That's a path Karas and Krotos went down and you should not walk.
…You’re right; she’s your sister, not a threat. She’s family, not an enemy. She might be a bit cold at times, but she still cares for you.
>Accept Cain's tea.
You already had tea just a moment ago with Belseth, so you rather skip this cup.

>Considering how much you owe Bri for breaking your promise, and that she said all evening was going to be "us time," she's most likely getting ready to call in what you owe and have your first time with her be her way. You can only hope that it isn't that, but be prepared to burn all your favors to steer things towards making love instead of her just banging you into the ground like so many before.
You’re not even sure how many favors she still owes you, but you’ll probably have to use everything and more to make sure things goes the way you want them.
>Y'know, the "Slaver Incident" is just going to linger in your mind until your imagination runs away with you. You'd best find some time in private to ask Bri what it was.
You will have a lot of time with her tonight… but is it really the best of conversation to have at a time like that? It’s sound like something that might be a bit off putting if anything.
>As for other preparation, you could use a shower since you missed getting one after you woke up. Your private shower is out since Bri has your bedroom tied up, so where else could you get one?
There’s a shower down in the basement that you can use, the one at the big bath.
>And you could also use a clean change of clothes and some cologne. Cain can handle that.
You’ll make sure that you’ll have a change of clothes before tonight, as well as a nice, hot shower.


>Ask Kira when she thinks Karas went so wrong. When the hatred towards Sakkilians consumed him, blinded him to the great harm he would do.
It’s hard to say. Personally, I think it was when he lost his eye. When your compassion is rewarded like that, even from children, things tend to break inside you. War does that, it makes people broken and turn nations sick. I have to admit, I envy you, being sheltered from it.
>Don't avoid your sister. Ask how she's doing. She looks tired.
…all things considered, I’m doing well, Brother. Of course, here we are, so desperate that we ally ourselves with our mortal enemy; an enemy that our father warred with… our grandfather warred with… and great-grandfather… errs… or is it great-grandmother? Who came first, Queen Athena or King… what his name? I can never remember.
King Sokret was the son of Athena…
That’s how it is, yes… but as you can see, we’re living in hard times… things are hard for most of us.
>It must have been really disturbing to find out her brother was plotting to kill her.
I don’t think he wanted to kill me. Looking over the plans Xarrin found it seems he just wanted to remove me from power… still, to think our own family being filled with such hatred that he would betray us all? It’s disturbing, yes.

>You worry she'll overwork herself onto an early pyre, same as you worry father will drink himself there.
Don’t worry about me, Kronos. What I do is what this nation needs, nothing more.
>Tell Kira that you two should have lunch some time, or play a game of Regicide, or take a stroll in the garden and talk, or... Well, anything so she can relax for a bit and unwind.
…if I can find the time, then that would be lovely, brother.
>Tell her that she has your support if she needs your help. You understand now just how heavy responsibility is, and how heavy the weight of the crown must be.
If you want to help, then go make love with your new wife. Show the world that you like her… that you even love her if that’s what you do. We need to show the people that these Sakkilians are people too. Oh, and… take care of father, alright? I don’t think he can take much more of this… as the last betrayal left him broken as it is. He needs you now more than anything, Kronos.
>One final thing: please don't compare me to brother.
…Kronos, little brother, really? How can we ever compare with you? You are after all the so called black sheep of the family… we with our cunning and responsible minds but cold hearts… and you with your eccentric ways and heart of gold. There is nothing to compare.
>Make sure to give Kira a good hug when you part. A real, solid embrace between siblings who haven't seen each other in a long time.
As you embrace her, she seem confused and reluctant at first, but after a few seconds she returns your hug tenfold.
Thank you, Kronos… and take care.


>Tell Cain this is rather late to ask, but ask him who brought the request you meet with Major Qelba, just before he was murdered.
Sir, I cannot say for certain. It was handed down from one of the other servants to you.
>Hey, here's an idea: How about you work to get funding for research into improving the safety and lowering the cost of getting a magic eye implant. What does Cain think about this idea?
You do have the money for it, sir… but I cannot say who you could give it too. I guess you can talk to the royal Artificer when he returns from the isles next week. He doesn’t specialize with artificial limbs himself, but he should know who to talk to. My guess would be one of those Serpent collages located out there on one of those isles.


>Ask Sisah once you're leaving if she knows the reason there's such a large chance of permanent brain damage with getting an eye implanted.
It’s something to do with the magic it needs. As it’s pretty much connected to the brain it can disrupt the natural energies flowing through it… or something.
>Also why she took the great risk in getting her magic eye implant. Is the procedure just as risky for Serpens as Varks?
Not exactly. I technically still have my normal eyes under this thing, reducing the risk somewhat. Serpens also has multiple brains… um… kind of. Both of those reduce the risk of brain damage considerable, but I still get headaches a lot thanks to this thing.
>...And she has a lot of other magic hardware on her, so ask her how risky it was to get all that and how it's all being powered. Is it powered all from her own magic reserves?
It’s my own magic that power them, yes, so don’t expect me to cast any large, fancy spells like a normal mage would. There were risks involved, sure, and I did get some side effects from them. The shield battery in my chest for example can make it hard to breathe at times and these things on my arms have numbed my hands for the most part, not to mention that it hurts like hell to remove them or put them back.
>Sisah been a mercenary for Risavia for twenty years, so it's likely she's gone about learning quite a bit about Sakkilians, separating fact from fiction about them, in order to fight them. Ask her if what Belseth said is true.
Do you really want to know? I’m a soldier and they were my enemy, I’ve seen the very worst they have to offer.
I still want to know.
Hmm… I can tell you this much; a Sakkilian is never unarmed. With those sharp teeth and their powerful jaws I’ve seen them split a man in half more than once.
…okay…


>Just go to Tim to ask about the wards.
Ah, Kronos! So, wards were it? What do you want to ward yourself from? What kind of element? I’m sure if you can tell me which of the 25 elements you want to ward yourself from I can find… wait, you do remember all the elements, right?
Err…
Oh, then just tell me what you want to ward off and I’ll figure it out. Or is it one of those wards that give you good luck, long life or something? I know some of those too.
Actually, I think I remember most of the elements, it’s just… what the ward is supposed to ward against.
>You also have that rough copy you made of the Cradle of Souls paper to show Tim and get what he makes of it.
What is this? Cradle of souls? Is this some kind of… soul battery?
I think so, yes.
This thing is way too big. There’s no way it will really work. As far as I know, the only thing we’ve so far been able to store in something like this is the life energy of lesser animals… like rats and stuff. So no, I’m pretty sure this is just big dreams wrapped in a failure waiting to happen. That is… unless they found one of those old ones. I know that they’ve found remains of things like this before, but never one that actually worked. Supposedly, they should even store souls from us sentient creatures. Quite fascinating…

>Oh, then just tell me what you want to ward off and I’ll figure it out.
It's something somebody else is warding. They're warding the element of Life to hide from it.
> unless they found one of those old ones. I know that they’ve found remains of things like this before, but never one that actually worked.
Haven't they tried studying them and recreating the working parts from separate old ones to get a full working one?
Though it does still sound more likely they simply found a still working one than created a new one.

tell him you think it has something to do with the massive mana spikes every night at the temple. They're differently trying something but we're just not sure what exactly.

>what do you think Kira is dragging Kronos in to?
She's been in direct contact with Bri, which no offense to the latter, probably didn't come up with the sting all on her own, especially since we know Kira masterminded the faux poisoning as well. Then she orders us into the middle of a search for probably planted evidence, to make a completely unveiled threat about going against the crown and demolish any goodwill we had with Karas, not to mention her probable connection to Cain.

She's plotting shit, Kronos is involved, Kronos is her damn brother, Kronos has a right to know what the hell she's trying to pull.

>Quite fascinating…
Fascinating like a siege. Storing the soul of a sentient creature sounds like a moral quagmire.
I came here just to research an anti-espionage slash anti-scrying ward or something like that, but now that you mention good luck I think I'd like to actually get one of those. How hard is it to break one of these things, by the way?

>>713842
Tim, did you summon Xuv on your own?

Tell Tim that you copied this Cradle of Souls text off a paper a priest who was looking for the Archbishop dropped before you returned it, and that means it's very likely connected to the Archbishop's plan. She's either gotten a working ancient soul battery or the rebuilt one from parts of multiple broken ones. Perhaps how to do so was pieced together from scraps of knowledge from all the archaeological work the Temple has been doing over the past decades. ...Or maybe the Temple has figured out how to build new soul cradles. But however the Archbishop got them, you have a feeling that she's not going to be able to make her miracles reality by feeding livestock's souls into them. That it'd take siphoning magic off sentient souls in order to perform her miracle work.

Thinking about it, you're going about this ward thing backwards. You should get a good look at and memorize Belseth's tattoos, then draw them out for Tim to look at and figure out what each does, if anything. And it'll have to be all of Belseth's tattoos, including the one he got a few months ago in a place he'd rather not show off in front of Bri. You can probably just tell Belseth you're interested in what each of his tattoos is for and ask for him to show you them as he describes them, but he's certainly going to think that it's just a pretense for you to see him naked. And then he might want to do more things with you than just give a tour of his tattoos...

Draw out what tattoos you remember from your time in the bath with Belseth and show them to Tim, asking him which of them look like wards or other arcane markings. Especially try to remember the tattoo on his right hip since that may be the one he got most recent and is most likely to be one made at the behest of the Archbishop as part of her plan.

Take a look where Tim did the ritual to Xuv last time and see if there's signs that he performed it or any other ritual. If he did then point that out and ask if he performed one of the prayer book rituals without you present. But even if there isn't a sign he did, ask him if he did any of the rituals without you being here. If he asks why you ask, say you figured he's getting antsy to study them more after you told him the Archbishop wants the prayer book. You just want to be around when he does.

Tell Tim you're looking to throw your money around to fund research into any fields that would potentially give you a replacement for your eye and ask if he knows anybody doing cutting edge work in them that could do with a big cash infusion. You're thinking not just research into improving the safety of getting a magic eye implant, but other ways like advanced biomancy to grow a replacement either in place or separately and then attached. Or perhaps means to transplant a eye from another Vark as a replacement. Can he can put the word out in the academic circles you're looking to fund research that may lead to getting you a replacement eye.

>You’re not sure, as Bri didn’t give you an exact time. It should be somewhere between five or six, so there’s still a few hours to spare.
Best ask Cain to stop by your apartment some time soon and arrange for a servant to find and notify you when Bri is ready. You want to make damn sure you aren't late to a dinner as important as this one is.

>You already had tea just a moment ago with Belseth, so you rather skip this cup.
It's rather odd that Cain didn't anticipate that you'd already had enough tea for the time being. He's almost always spot on about when you do and don't want tea, isn't he? And he had a cup ready for Kira as if... As if he knew she'd be there, and that the cup for you was just to cover he was really bringing a cup for Kira. But how did he know she'd be there? Perhaps he was meeting with Kira before she arrived, which was why you couldn't find him and nobody knew where he'd went. And then he went to make tea for Kira, and one for you, since delivering tea would be a innocuous means to place himself at your side as you're out and about. ...Or you're just being excessively paranoid and he had a cup for Kira because he always brings a complete tea service, including extra cups, with him when he brings you a cup of tea away from your apartment.

>You’re not even sure how many favors she still owes you, but you’ll probably have to use everything and more to make sure things goes the way you want them.
She owes you three favors: One for her licking that would-be assassin's blood off her gauntlet in front of you while commenting how he forgot how delicious Varks taste, one for you winning the sprint against her, and one more for winning the climbing challenge against her. Meanwhile, besides the huge one you owe her for breaking your promise last night, you owe her one favor: She won two favors from beating you twice at Regicide, used one to get you to pose nude, won another beating you at an endurance race, used one to request you give her a full body scrub, got one you offered in apology for when you had to duck out on giving her the scrub to meet your father, and used one to get you to sleep with her while she was in the medical wing overnight. This leaves you with two regular size favors over the one she has to counter what she has in store for you tonight. ...That's not going to be enough, is it?

You'll have to remember you still haven't given Bri that big bath full body scrub she used a favor for. Perhaps tomorrow morning after you both get through your exercise routines would be a good time.

>You will have a lot of time with her tonight… but is it really the best of conversation to have at a time like that? It’s sound like something that might be a bit off putting if anything.
While Bri would probably be up for sharing the story if you asked, it's likely you'd lose your appetite for dinner afterwards and possibly your mood for the evening. Best ask her another time when you're in private. ...Actually, maybe you should ask Belseth instead of Bri what the "Slaver Incident" was since he'd probably be more restrained in the telling than her.

>Personally, I think it was when he lost his eye. When your compassion is rewarded like that, even from children, things tend to break inside you.
Wait, what? Karas lost his eye to Sakkilian CHILDREN?! How the hell did that happen? What went down that led to that, how was he being compassionate, and when did it happen?

>Of course, here we are, so desperate that we ally ourselves with our mortal enemy; an enemy that our father warred with… our grandfather warred with… and great-grandfather…
And on and on, all the way back untold centuries to... The Old Empire... You might have just had a realization of where the hatred between Vark and Sakkilians originated from. It all stemmed from the hatred Illasia had for Xuv. Xuv likely either ascended from among the far ancestors of the Sakkilians, the dragons, or she herself created the dragons. And Illasia would have fed her followers her hatred of Xuv and everything related to her. So when the world collapsed, the surviving followers of Illasia carried her hatred forward onto the descendants of the dragons, the Sakkilians. And over the centuries the original reason for the hatred was lost, but the cycle of violence, fear and hate between Vark and Sakkilian it started kept going on and on.

>Oh, and… take care of father, alright? I don’t think he can take much more of this… as the last betrayal left him broken as it is. He needs you now more than anything, Kronos.
Oh, crap... What with the fallout from your drunken pirate escapades and waking up at noon you completely forgot to go see your father and check how he's doing! You have a few hours until dinner so you really should go spend a hour or so talking to and comforting him.

>Hmm… I can tell you this much; a Sakkilian is never unarmed. With those sharp teeth and their powerful jaws I’ve seen them split a man in half more than once.
...Well, you can't say you didn't ask for it. Consider this facing your fears yet again, though this time it's actually not as hard to face them. And it still doesn't answer how much Sakkilians can swallow at once, so it looks like you're going to have to read those anatomy books to find out. Put aside a half hour for that.

>memorize his tattoos
You mean get an extended look at him naked? What excuse could we possibly have to do that? Imagine, Belseth naked with Kronos for that long, what on earth could they be doing together for that to happen?

Kaktus 2016/04/05(Tue)12:45 No. 714026 ID: 65a774
File 145988550282.png - (29.15KB , 686x526 , 111.png )

>She owes you three favors; you owe her one normal favor and one huge one.
Hopefully, that will be enough.
>You'll have to remember you still haven't given Bri that big bath full body scrub she used a favor for.
Oh, right, that… you’d forgotten about that.
>While Bri would probably be up for sharing the story if you asked, it's likely you'd lose your appetite for dinner afterwards and possibly your mood for the evening.
…but if you don’t your imagination might run wild with it anyway, ruining the evening! Dammit, Belseth was right, maybe you shouldn’t have asked in the first place…
>Actually, maybe you should ask Belseth instead of Bri what the "Slaver Incident" was since he'd probably be more restrained in the telling than her.
You’re pretty sure Belseth won’t talk about it lightly. He did sound very serious about not speaking of it.

>Thinking about it, you're going about this ward thing backwards. You should get a good look at and memorize Belseth's tattoos, then draw them out for Tim to look at and figure out what each does, if anything.
That would be needed if you’re to find all symbols he got on his… err… but… that would…
>You mean get an extended look at him naked? What excuse could we possibly have to do that? Imagine, Belseth naked with Kronos for that long, what on earth could they be doing together for that to happen?
Heh… err… heheh… maybe this is an idea w-which you would put on hold for the time being?

>Take a look where Tim did the ritual to Xuv last time and see if there's signs that he performed it or any other ritual.
…there are four arcane symbols on the stone plate he got on his floor, identical red ones. Going by the number and the obvious skill difference between the runes, you have to guess they are something to do with his students? Which means, he probably didn’t summon Xuv… at least not here.
>Best ask Cain to stop by your apartment sometime soon and arrange for a servant to find and notify you when Bri is ready.
You’re pretty sure Bri said she would send for you when you left.
>It's rather odd that Cain didn't anticipate that you'd already had enough tea for the time being. He's almost always spot on about when you do and don't want tea, isn't he? And he had a cup ready for Kira as if... As if he knew she'd be there, and that the cup for you was just to cover he was really bringing a cup for Kira.
…so Cain is really working for Kira? Hmm… but it’s just a cup of tea, no? It’s just a cup…

>Wait, what? Karas lost his eye to Sakkilian CHILDREN?! How the hell did that happen?
You’re not sure exactly how Karas lost his eye, but you know it was because of a Sakkilian ambush in the middle of the war. It might have involved children as bait or something?
>She's plotting shit, Kronos is involved, Kronos is her damn brother, Kronos has a right to know what the hell she's trying to pull.
But you can’t just walk up and ask her, can you? …can you?
>Oh, crap... What with the fallout from your drunken pirate escapades and waking up at noon you completely forgot to go see your father and check how he's doing!
…you really should pay him a visit before dinner.
>it still doesn't answer how much Sakkilians can swallow at once, so it looks like you're going to have to read those anatomy books to find out. Put aside a half hour for that.
You’re starting to run out of time like this… and the book is still in your room.


>Tell Tim that you copied this Cradle of Souls text off a paper a priest who was looking for the Archbishop dropped before you returned it, and that means it's very likely connected to the Archbishop's plan.
Huh? So the temple is keeping old artifacts a secret from the academy? They won’t like that one bit, you know.
>Tell him you think it has something to do with the massive mana spikes every night at the temple.
Hmm… I guess something like that might contain that much power, sure…
>Storing the soul of a sentient creature sounds like a moral quagmire.
Bah, it’s just life energy! The same kind of energy that is in plants and animals! The only amoral thing about it is how you actually get it. Killing people is illegal for a reason, you know. Maybe if we got volunteers that we could use it on as they were dying… hmm…
>Haven't they tried studying them and recreating the working parts from separate old ones to get a full working one?
Of course! That’s why we’ve come as far as we have!

>Ask if he performed one of the prayer book rituals without you present.
Didn’t you say we would do it together tonight?
Err… actually, I won’t have the time to do that.
Well… then you won’t mind if I actually did it myself then? Or do you actually want to be present?
>Tell Tim you're looking to throw your money around to fund research into any fields that would potentially give you a replacement for your eye and ask if he knows anybody doing cutting edge work in them that could do with a big cash infusion.
I’m not really the person you could talk to about augmentation. Why don’t you ask the Royal Artificer? Oh, wait, right, he went to the Serpent land with Karas trading fleet with the other Serpents, didn’t he? When will he be coming back? Soon, I hope?

>It's something somebody else is warding. They're warding the element of Life to hide from it.
From life? Don’t you mean death? It’s really easy to ward someone from life, you just kill it, hehe…
>Draw out what tattoos you remember from your time in the bath with Belseth and show them to Tim, asking him which of them look like wards or other arcane markings.
Hmm… I think I recognize at least one of these… let’s see, these are not wards against common elements, instead against more abstract things. Let me get a book I often use… ah, here we go; E.S.Zabat’s guide to curios wards and runes. Indeed, Zabat is quite the written, as she’s written everything from “Magic of Souls”; about the power of life essence and “Known Artifact theory of the old world”; depicting all kind of artifacts and their possible use.
Tim, the wards…
Oh, right, sorry… let’s see if we can find these… let’s start with this ring of reverse nines. Ah, the reverse nooses of guilt. It got a dual meaning, either symbolizing either inner guilt or a blessing for a long life.
Guilt and long life, got it.
And then we have the so called eye of fate… or eye of lady luck. It’s supposed to bring good luck, that is to say, keep the eye of fate on you. But some says it actually bring bad luck instead, as anyone who invokes lady luck is supposed to get unlucky. Of course, it doesn’t actually work, as luck isn’t really something you can actually change.
If you say so…
Then there are the nails. Supposedly to ward off chaos and bring order to all things.
Which I’m guessing doesn’t work either?
Indeed. Now, lastly, this is a kind of harvest symbol, that is supposedly to make the harvest greaten then before… or, if applied to a person or animal, a kind of fertility symbol. At least, it was in the past, nowadays most people thinks it brings luck in bed, so to speak. You’re supposed to wear it as a necklace or headband to get more people to kiss you.
…luck in bed? Really?
…I have to ask, where did you find these wards anyway? They are an interesting collection of them, no?
Well… err…

>But now that you mention good luck I think I'd like to actually get one of those.
As I said, there isn’t really one that work… scientifically, at least. But there are tons of them out there… like the eye here for example.
>How hard is it to break one of these things, by the way?
Depends on the material, really. I mean, if it’s just chalk you can easily wipe off a piece of it, eh? Most Wards are usually made out of some kind of metal or the like, something that will last a while, you know, so they are a bit harder to break.
…so as soon as the symbol is broken, the ward fails?
Exactly!

Hmm… you really should try and take some time with your father before dinner, so you might want to try and make this visit as short as possible. Of course, you should still ask all the questions that you have before leaving Tim’s study.

>then you won’t mind if I actually did it myself then? Or do you actually want to be present?
Well the reason I'm asking is because I felt something earlier today that I felt last time we did the ritual. So I thought I'd ask since you're kinda the only person I know that knows how to do the ritual. Also I'd prefer to be present but if you feel like you really have to do the ritual then fine. Just be careful, with the temple looking for the book, my sister showing up out of nowhere today, and all the crazy crap that's been happening around the castle (point to your eye patch), Well... just be careful time. Normally I wouldn't worry so much but with all that's happened lately I'm a little worried people will be a bit jumper then usual. I mean if I were there and someone walked in on us I could just take the blame and most would just pass it off as Kronos being Kronos.

Also you should go see you're dad before diner. He could probably use the company.

>It’s really easy to ward someone from life, you just kill it, hehe…
That explains why Life couldn't find Xuv, I guess. She is death, so Life couldn't find her.
But... This means it's warded from both elements. Life *and* Death.
>the reverse nooses of guilt. It got a dual meaning, either symbolizing either inner guilt or a blessing for a long life.
To live long, but full of guilt... Shoot, if he becomes a god by absorbing everybody's souls, that'd be him alright.
>It’s supposed to bring good luck, that is to say, keep the eye of fate on you. But some says it actually bring bad luck instead, as anyone who invokes lady luck is supposed to get unlucky.
Both a blessing and a curse. The good happens because of bad, and the bad for the sake of good. Again, sounds like our theories on Belseth.
>Then there are the nails. Supposedly to ward off chaos and bring order to all things.
...Balancing the other runes, maybe?
>this is a kind of harvest symbol, that is supposedly to make the harvest greaten then before… or, if applied to a person or animal, a kind of fertility symbol.
...If they're harvesting souls... Fertility isn't even purely of reproductive purposes, the way it works with crops for the harvest is it leaves the soil fertile, allowing that which grows out of it to grow better. Belseth's mortal form would be the soil, and his god form the crop.
>Most Wards are usually made out of some kind of metal or the like, something that will last a while, you know, so they are a bit harder to break.
...But you don't have to erase or separate the symbol, right? You could also modify it into something else, surely. Even just putting a line over it; in the case of metal, welding it on, wood, gluing, and tattoos, more tattoo.

>>714026
Cain was with you during the rituals with Xuv, maybe he's the one that did the ritual without you. Honestly it's either him or Briannah. Or someone stole your book, which shouldn't be possible. You can check next time you're in your room.

Go talk to your dad.

>It’s just a cup…
Plus his absence during the unseen ritual.
>But you can’t just walk up and ask her, can you?
What's stopping you? That you'll shatter the illusion of Placid trust? That you'll offend her gentle nature? She outright stated she was threatening you. Are you going to leave the kid gloves on for this?

Sounds like we'll need more information. We don't even know if the ward is on belseth's body or somewhere else.

Kaktus 2016/04/06(Wed)10:20 No. 714225 ID: 65a774
File 145996320393.png - (15.36KB , 686x526 , 112.png )

>Cain was with you during the rituals with Xuv, maybe he's the one that did the ritual without you.
The big question is why Cain would do it? He’s the one who advised you to not do them in the first place… and he doesn’t seem to believe they actually do anything either. Hmm…
>What's stopping you from asking your sister? That you'll shatter the illusion of placid trust? That you'll offend her gentle nature? She outright stated she was threatening you.
…you’re right! There’s nothing stopping you from asking her! No, the next time you see her, you’re giving her a piece of your mind about this whole manipulating business and that’s final!
>Sounds like we'll need more information. We don't even know if the ward is on belseth's body or somewhere else.
There has to be some other source of information you can consult! Someone must know about this ward!
>That explains why Life couldn't find Xuv, I guess. She is death, so Life couldn't find her.
But… is Xuv actually death? She’s the only one who calls herself that and she is rather mad… not to mention, she said she’s spoken to life before, which means that they’ve interacted in some way. It seems more likely that whatever prison is keeping her is warded against life… now, if only you could get there… hmm…

>...But you don't have to erase or separate the symbol, right? You could also modify it into something else, surely. Even just putting a line over it; in the case of metal, welding it on, wood, gluing, and tattoos, more tattoo.
Well, yes, but it has to be the same material. You can’t, for example, inert a metal ward by adding wood to it, or by drawing a chalk line on a symbol built into a wall of stone. It’s the shape of the given material that defines the symbols meaning after all.
>Well the reason I'm asking is because I felt something earlier today that I felt last time we did the ritual. So I thought I'd ask since you're kinda the only person I know that knows how to do the ritual.
Kronos, I’ve haven’t even had the time to clean up after my students today, how do you except me to set up all my tools before the ritual at such a short notice?
>I'd prefer to be present but if you feel like you really have to do the ritual then fine. Just be careful, with the temple looking for the book…
Well, if you want to wait to tomorrow… I guess I’ll have time setting things up until then. Of course, if you bail tomorrow too I’ll just do it on my own, alright?
Right. Now, I really need to get going, so thank you for your help.
That’s what I’m here for, Prince.
…one more thing, can I borrow that book? The one about the wards?
Absolutely not. I regularly need to consult this thing… not to mention prime editions of Eletasia’s writing are worth a lot after her demise last winter.
Right, not borrowing it then… but see you tomorrow, Tim.
Good luck with tonight!


>you should go see your dad before dinner. He could probably use the company.
You find him sitting alone out in the garden, feeding the birds that inhabit one of the ponds. As soon as he sees you, he lights up in delight and bacons you over. Joining him at on the bench, the two of you start talking about what has happened the last few days… and then the discussion wanders to the old times, before all this.

-and then you went for the water bucket, hoho… oh, those were happier times, weren’t they?
They were…
…you know… thank you, my son, for spending time with an old man like me.
There’s no need to thank me, poppa… I enjoy spending time with you.
Now, now, Kronos… um… is there something wrong with Sisah?
Huh? Why do you ask?
She keep pacing back and forth, never standing still for long. I’ve never seen her act like that before.
…well… I-
My apologies for interrupting, sir, but lady Briannah is expecting you for dinner in half an hour.
Oh, then I really need to get going! I almost forgot to take a shower and change clothes!
Well, don’t let me hold you back, son. Go and show that lady what a real Mediean man is made of! Hoho…
I’ll see you tomorrow, father.
Best of luck, my son.

Kaktus 2016/04/06(Wed)10:20 No. 714226 ID: 65a774
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When you enter your apartment, you’re met the sweet fragrance of… of… of some kind of fragrant flower. Slow playing music can be heard coming from the balcony and you can spot the dinner table out there, surrounded by candles and flowers… speaking candles and flowers, your whole apartment seems to be riddled with the damn things.

Here we are, sir… I guess that Lady Bri is still using the bathroom so you’ll have some time to make yourself presentable. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to see that your dinner is delivered on time. Oh, and the Lady said that you’re not to go into the bedroom, nor even peek in there. Apparently she has a surprise for you in there.
Of course she does.
So, might I take the rest of the evening off, sir?

Has something on your mind got you worried, Sisah? Beyond the usual strains of the job?

>So, might I take the rest of the evening off, sir?
If you wish, but before you go I do want to tell you something. Be safe, I'm noticing you're seeming a bit antsy lately so I just want you to be safe. You don't need to tell me what's wrong if you don't want to but know that I am here to help if you need it.

>Slow playing music can be heard coming from the balcony and you can spot the dinner table out there, surrounded by candles and flowers… speaking candles and flowers, your whole apartment seems to be riddled with the damn things.
I think that maybe the favors don't need to be used up... Except for the whole "it's rude to hold onto them" thing. Candles and flowers sounds like she's trying to make it romantic and love-filled to make up for "Making you" break your promise.

>He’s the one who advised you to not do them in the first place… and he doesn’t seem to believe they actually do anything either.
He was the only opposition. Elete and Tim were in it for the science, I don't think Sisah complained and even Bri stuck around on a lark. He might have shown what he learned to your sister- that might be why Xuv appeared so small, he just scribbled the design on a piece of paper.
Unless someone else copied it from the book, of course.
>Someone must know about this ward!
Only people I can think of are Life himself and Elete, who will be difficult to find and delicate to retrieve information from, respectively.

>Oh, and the Lady said that you’re not to go into the bedroom, nor even peek in there.
> So, might I take the rest of the evening off, sir?
Ask Sisah to peek for you, then she's free. She doesn't have to blow the lid on the whole thing, just tell if we're not gonna like it.
In the meantime, get changed and cleaned up and presentable and whatnot.

>>714225
>No, the next time you see her, you’re giving her a piece of your mind about this whole manipulating business and that’s final!
That's not going to end well. Don't antagonize the queen.

>>714241
Yeah, don't go bipolar and start chewing her out when you just started making a sibling connection.

You felt that hug. That was real.

>>714242
That and fifty cents will get a cup of coffee. Don't start acting like family means a whole lot around here.

We know your sister had Quelba framed for attempted regicide, are you going to ignore that just because he was a jackass with a monocle? Because she claims he wasn't on your side?

>>714260
Wasn't Qelba just being used as bait to expose other conspirators? IIRC he was going to be let go eventually.

>>714261
Oh right, the frame job was a frame job. Too bad he ended up dead anyway.

She may, but before she goes you want to speak with her a moment. Your father mentioned to you right before you left that she was acting in a way he'd never seen before, pacing back and forth and hardly standing still. It was as if she was agitated over something. Was there something wrong there, or is something bothering her? Is something weighing on her mind? If she doesn't want to tell you that's fine, you won't pry, but if she changes her mind you'll always have time to listen and you'll help if she wants it.

Going by the copious amount of flowers and candles and the slow music from the balcony it appears that Bri has gone with making this evening very romantic. If her surprise follows the same line then perhaps you won't have to use your favors after all.

Take a closer look at the flowers. That one on the book looks like it has thorns, so are they roses of some kind? Maybe to add a nice touch to your outfit, try taking the flower and slipping it through your jacket lapel buttonhole, tying its stem into a knot to make it into a boutonnière. And is the book under the flower the one on Sakkilian anatomy? If there's time left before Bri shows up you could skim through it for what it says of the capabilities and limits of Sakkilian digestive physiology.

>It seems more likely that whatever prison is keeping her is warded against life… now, if only you could get there… hmm…
Aren't you forgetting that it took a near death experience to get into Xuv's prison before? And that the second time you got in you don't know how you did it? Maybe, if you got down into the royal crypt again and headed deeper you could find the ward... Except her prison is probably warded against all manner of things to keep her from being found. Even if you find a ward symbol you won't know if that's the one you're looking for. Besides, it's unlikely to be inside her inverted tower anyway. It'd be either in the exterior walls or on the outside, which is buried now... And which might have been partially excavated in secret under the Grand Temple by the Archbishop. Yeah, you're going to have to find a way through that door in the royal crypt and see what's going on under the Grand Temple... Oh, bollocks, you got distracted by Whispers and forgot to scope out the crypt entrance when you were in the garden. But besides that, you don't know how to pick the lock on the door since it's beyond your skill. You'd either need to find who has the key and swipe it, or someone who can go down there with you to pick it... Perhaps Doxan has the skill to? You can ask him if he does tomorrow.

>Kronos, I’ve haven’t even had the time to clean up after my students today, how do you except me to set up all my tools before the ritual at such a short notice?
That is, unless Cain set it up before brining Tim in... But if Cain did set it up, he wouldn't really need to bring Tim in, would he? Eh... You'll have to ask, or have somebody else ask, a couple of Tim's students to confirm where he was at the time Xuv was summoned to make sure he wasn't the one who did it.

Oh, you didn't remember it until now, but you saw that five nail ward against chaos on not just Belseth. You saw it on the Archbishop, right on the front of her robes. You didn't think anything of it at the time because you thought it was a symbol of the Temple; Five points for the five gods of the pantheon. Perhaps that is the ward against Life... Except Life specifically said the Archbishop didn't have the... sight to see it, and thus he couldn't speak with her. That kinda implies he could see the Archbishop. Still, it's something to follow up on. You can mention it to Belseth next time you see him and ask why the Archbishop has the same symbol as he has tattooed on himself.

>not to mention prime editions of Eletasia’s writing are worth a lot after her demise last winter.
...Wait a second. Eletasia... That sounds something like "Elete." And Eletasia S. Zabat wrote "Magic of Souls," the book Elete was reading when you met her... Ah, you see now. "Elete" made that name up on the spot, from the name of the author of the book she was reading. That was why she was so reluctant to give you her name. And now that you think about it, the subject matter of Magic of Souls intersects what the Archbishop is planning too much to feel like Elete reading it is a coincidence. Elete also speculated that the gods got their power from leading mortal souls to the afterlife, and wondered if the power of the soul could be harnessed for the good of the nation. In hindsight, both those things are quite suspicious.

You have a feeling Eletasia S. Zabat is also somehow involved given that she wrote three preeminent volumes on topics that all intersect in some way with what's going on around Belseth and the Archbishop's plan; One on curious wards, one on the magical theory of the soul, and one on ancient artifacts and their possible function. You should look in to her. Find out how she died and if she had dealings with the Temple. Perhaps the Temple funded the majority of her research, or she was a consultant for them, then found out too much and was "dealt with."

And, based on Tim musing that maybe dying volunteers would agree to give their souls to the Cradle, you think you know why the Archbishop came to you. She's going to drastically change Temple doctrine in such a way that it'll bring the dying faithful in to give their souls up to the Cradle. But she needed someone popular with the people to endorse her actions and convince the public. That person is you. ...Which means if you denounced her actions, it could very well blow up her plans, or at least hobble them seriously. Though, given your reputation, the Archbishop most likely has contingency plans for is you don't agree to endorse, or even denounce, what she's doing.

>>714239
>He might have shown what he learned to your sister-
Eh, it's unlikely the ritual would be performed with Kira present since it hasn't been thoroughly studied to determine just what it does or if it's a risk or not. If Cain did bring a copy of Xuv's ritual to Kira she would have had a trusted mage perform it elsewhere and report back their findings.

>that might be why Xuv appeared so small, he just scribbled the design on a piece of paper.
Or, more likely, because there wasn't a good source of magic at the ritual like Xuv had with Tim, nor could she use the mind of another to relay through like she did with Cain since she wanted to speak with Kronos and he wasn't present. Xuv likely appeared small because she was stretching what little magic she had thin to project out to where Kronos was.

>Unless someone else copied it from the book, of course.
Or from the copies and notes Cain and Tim made.

>Only people I can think of are Life himself and Elete, who will be difficult to find and delicate to retrieve information from, respectively.
Er... By the very function of the ward means Life can't see it, so Life wouldn't be able to describe it. And why think Elete would know what the ward is? While there's been a few clues she's involved in some way with the Archbishop, how knowledgeable she is of the Archbishop's plan is unknown.

>Ask Sisah to peek for you, then she's free. She doesn't have to blow the lid on the whole thing, just tell if we're not gonna like it.
Don't do this. Bri really wants what she's planning to be a surprise and peeking, even a little bit by proxy, would be breaking her trust in you and show you don't trust her. Also, Sisah would very likely refuse since she knows her doing so on your behalf would be the same to Bri as if you did it yourself. It would also get her in trouble with Bri alongside you if she was caught. Besides, even if Sisah did tell you you wouldn't like what Bri's planning, what could you do with that information? Nothing other than worry about it all through dinner, that's what. So put all thoughts of sneaking a peek out of your mind. You'll find out what Bri's surprise is when she reveals it and not a second earlier. And if it turns out to be what you don't want, remember you still have those three favors you can use to right things.

>>714260
>We know your sister had Quelba framed for attempted regicide, are you going to ignore that just because he was a jackass with a monocle?
Um, no. Bri told Kronos that her "poisoning" was fake and Qelba being framed for it was all a ruse to get Karas and his conspirators to start acting bolder so they could be caught. Qelba was supposed to play the part of an innocent victim framed by them. That they actually managed to kill him was unexpected. (See >>/questarch/685803 and the following updates for Bri and Kronos' conversation.)

>>714284
So Qelba was an acceptable sacrifice? And the ends justified the means? Any more of that and we'll be the only royal heir who hasn't been destroyed by their own subterfuge.

>>714241
Give her that piece of your mind and tell her to lock it in an asylum where its stupidity cannot affect others. Hopefully you'll still have some brain left over after you're done cleaning house.

>>714286
In case you missed it, our wife was as much involved in that gambit as our sister.

>>714340
Sure, but she spilled near everything, meaning she probably wasn't the mastermind with a lot riding on it.

>>714347
What was riding on it was catching Karas, who would have doomed two nations with his actions, killed our wife, and kept us locked away in a gilded cage out of his twisted 'love'.

Kaktus 2016/04/08(Fri)08:57 No. 714709 ID: 65a774
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>Has something on your mind got you worried, Sisah? Beyond the usual strains of the job?
Hmm? What makes you ask that, sir?
You’ve been distracted all day, pacing around instead of standing watch.
Oh, um… It’s j-just… err… I’m just a bit… a bit deep in thought about what happened to you last night, sir. I really failed you back then, sir.
…so you are trying to make up for it by being even more distracted?
Eh? No, that’s n-not… I mean, err… It’s not… I’ll try to be better sir!
…are you sure that’s the only thing that is weighting you down?
O-of course sir, nothing else.
…right, then take the rest of the day off. Just make sure you’re in top shape tomorrow.
Of course, sir. Now, if you need me, I’ll be down at the palace bar… probably.

…there’s definitely something that she isn’t telling you.

>That's not going to end well. Don't antagonize the queen. You felt that hug. That was real.
>That and fifty cents will get a cup of coffee. Don't start acting like family means a whole lot around here.
>Don't go bipolar and start chewing her out when you just started making a sibling connection.
>Give her that piece of your mind and tell her to lock it in an asylum where its stupidity cannot affect others.
>So Qelba was an acceptable sacrifice? And the ends justified the means? Any more of that and we'll be the only royal heir who hasn't been destroyed by their own subterfuge.
...*Sigh* clearly all this stress is getting to you. What you should do is to keep a level head and just talk to her… hopefully she will tell you everything if you just ask her… hopefully.

>Aren't you forgetting that it took a near death experience to get into Xuv's prison before? And that the second time you got in you don't know how you did it?
Oh, right, so that source is right out then…
>Oh, you didn't remember it until now, but you saw that five nail ward against chaos on not just Belseth, but on the Archbishop as well. You can mention it to Belseth next time you see him and ask why the Archbishop has the same symbol as he has tattooed on himself.
Hmm… you know that you saw it a few times in the temple as well. It probably has some kind of religious meaning.
>...Wait a second. Eletasia... That sounds something like "Elete." And Eletasia S. Zabat wrote "Magic of Souls," the book Elete was reading when you met her...
Which probably means Elete isn’t her real name. Who is she? Some kind of agent of the temple?
>You have a feeling Eletasia S. Zabat is also somehow involved given that she wrote three preeminent volumes on topics that all intersect in some way with what's going on around Belseth and the Archbishop's plan.
If you remember correctly, Zabat has written tons of books about magic theory so it is probably just a coincidence. After all, she was something like ninety years old and bedridden when you were still studying a few years ago, so she would have a hard time doing anything productive the last year. She was also part of the academy, not the temple, so there’s that as well…
>Based on Tim musing that maybe dying volunteers would agree to give their souls to the Cradle, you think you know why the Archbishop came to you.
…it’s scary how plausible that actually sounds.

>Candles and flowers sounds like she's trying to make it romantic and love-filled to make up for "Making you" break your promise.
It certainly looks like she’s trying to make it romantic… so maybe this surprise won’t be so bad? Maybe it’s just something mundane like rose petals strewn over the bed or something…
>Take a closer look at the flowers. That one on the book looks like it has thorns, so are they roses of some kind?
It’s a rose… a red one at that. There’s a ton of roses in here actually… you have to guess it’s because they are the stereotypical flower of love?
>Maybe to add a nice touch to your outfit, try taking the flower and add it to it.
There… it kind of fits, actually…

>And is the book under the flower the one on Sakkilian anatomy? If there's time left before Bri shows up you could skim through it for what it says of the capabilities and limits of Sakkilian digestive physiology.
She’s still in the bathroom… so a small look won’t hurt. Let’s see… doesn’t this thing have an index or something? …large reptilians… three kinds… desert, jungle, marsh… yes, yes, I already know that. Where is… ah, here we go!

Kaktus 2016/04/08(Fri)08:57 No. 714710 ID: 65a774
File 146013107071.png - (57.94KB , 686x526 , 115.png )

“Sakkilian Consumption habits”… hmm… “Originally carnivores, but has evolved a taste for greens as well, especially fruits”… uh huh… “Teeth not meant for chewing, but to rip of flesh from their prey”… right… what is this? “A Sakkilian can consume several meals at once, satisfying any need for food for days, even for a whole week in some cases”? That’s weird.

Oh? …”know for being able to eat smaller prey alive and whole”? Err… “also know for ripping of body parts of their enemies in battle and eating them while still in combat!”? So it wasn’t just propaganda! They can actually… eat… wait… “There are even some recorded cases of especially large females capable of eating… people… whole”? …by the five… that c-can’t be…

What are yah reading, my tasty looking love?
…
Sakkilian eating habits, eh? Really? Yah seem rather obsessed with what we eat, huh?
*Internal screaming*
Yah’re starting to remind me of Doxan, yah ‘now… so… wait, are you shaking?

So is this the part where you resolve to bring two guns and a case of scalpels to bed?

For now, please take a walk, see if you can schedule an infiltration of the Archbishop's quarters.

>>714710
Pass the fuck out.

>>714710
Just talk to her.
Tell her what you've read and ask her to help you understand.

Don't panic, Don't panic, Don't panic, Don't Panic, Don't pass out, Don't panic, Remember she loves you, Remember that of all the things she wants this relationship to succeed, Thus you have no chance of being eaten, Remember that she panics when she seen you injured, she does not want to eat you, she does not want to eat you.

> wait, are you shaking?
Relax. It's like, her hobby to make you uncomfortable. Grab at her tongue before she drools all over your suit.
it makes no goddamn sense. Unhinging a jaw is fine and all, and you haven't exactly got a skinny neck, but even if it wasn't full of spine and arteries and airways, there's no way on god's green earth you could fit a pig's ribcage down there. Even if you rip it in half first, a ham shoulder's the size of your freaking head, there's no way you can eat two simultaneously while they're still attached to the spine.
Feel free to get all handsy as you use her as an anatomical reference. She likes to tease, well two can play that game.

...Just surprised that Belseth wasn't telling tall tales, love. Speaking of surprises, what did you have in mind tonight?

(When she says you remind her of Doxan, she's referring to your utter silence, not the way she sees Doxan as a toy. Make sure it stays that way.)

>>714713
Don't pass the fuck out and ruin the moment. She looks to be on the right track for a romantic night tonight.
>>714711
Don't walk out on her either. Stay the course.

>…there’s definitely something that she isn’t telling you.
She may just be ovulating or something. Needs to release, y'know?
>Which probably means Elete isn’t her real name. Who is she? Some kind of agent of the temple?
It's unlikely, but she might be the Archbishop without the mask.
>After all, she was something like ninety years old and bedridden when you were still studying a few years ago, so she would have a hard time doing anything productive the last year. She was also part of the academy, not the temple, so there’s that as well…
Given the bishop's outrageous claims, what if Eletasia experienced "Divine intervention" that showed her how to do these things, or just outright blessed her with them? Would be enough to turn some people to religion, especially considering Belseth simply heard the Divine words and turned.

>wait, are you shaking?
Deep breaths, Kronos! You made a promise and you need to keep it! Besides, can doesn't mean will. With their love for sweets they probably enjoy savoring things, which means smaller bites.

>>714714
This. A strong, healthy relationship requires good communication.

>so… wait, are you shaking?
Just nerves, didn't see you coming and after the last few days I'm a little on edge.

look, you fuck up now, and she Will really think you hate her. So you better calm down. You have nothing to fear from her, well you have, but if she wanted to do what the books said, she had plenty of opportunities to do it, this is just another one, and she won't do it.

Also, you still got your beak, right? Imagine How harmful that thing could be if used aggressively...

>…it’s scary how plausible that actually sounds.
That explains your vision of people going willingly to their deaths- they think it will go to good works. And the heavy and amoral burden Belseth was asked to bear- he may be the one who has to do all the coup de grace-ing to collect the souls. and it makes sense because people can't tap into the mana/soul river directly without exploding anymore, probably because of something life did, so the Archbishop will collect soul power/magic from the dying. Different methods, same results- souls are diverted from the soul river to repair limbs and eyeballs, and soon the river will dry up again.

Kaktus 2016/04/08(Fri)11:17 No. 714731 ID: 65a774
File 146013942772.png - (55.63KB , 686x526 , 116.png )

>Pass the fuck out.
Blood rushing from head… hands are numbs… eyes darkening… sweet oblivion, here I… come…
>Don't pass the fuck out and ruin the moment.
No! No… I… I have to stay awake… I can’t just fall over… then she’ll eat me for sure!

>Don't panic, Don't panic, Don't panic, Don't Panic, Don't pass out, Don't panic, Remember she loves you, Remember that of all the things she wants this relationship to succeed, Thus you have no chance of being eaten, Remember that she panics when she seen you injured, she does not want to eat you, she does not want to eat you.
Deep breathes… deeeeep breathes… no eating… no… no eating…
>With their love for sweets they probably enjoy savoring things, which means smaller bites.
Not helping!
>it makes no goddamn sense. Unhinging a jaw is fine and all, and you haven't exactly got a skinny neck, but even if it wasn't full of spine and arteries and airways, there's no way on god's green earth you could fit a pig's ribcage down there.
…right, it’s impossible! There’s no way it can be true! Someone is probably messing with you! After all, this book is rather… it’s not the best quality… so maybe it’s just more propaganda? It has to be… there’s no way… it’s not physically possible to eat someone like that… is it? It isn’t… no… can’t be.
>So is this the part where you resolve to bring two guns and a case of scalpels to bed?
You’re pretty sure having a ton of weapons in the bed would be more dangerous to you then to her. And even if you did, she can easily overpower you before you can even lay your hands on them, can’t she? …dammit, you have to stop thinking about… about… stop it!
>You still got your beak, right? Imagine How harmful that thing could be if used aggressively...
…you guess you should always peck her eyes out in an emergency… but stop thinking about attacking her and… her… dammit, stop!

>Just nerves, didn't see you coming and after the last few days I'm a little on edge.
Losing an eye will do that… both the edge part and not seeing people, heh.
>Just talk to her. Tell her what you've read and ask her to help you understand.
Hmm? Yah think I can- Is that really something to discuss with a lady on an evening like this, eh?
But I-
Hmpf, I ‘ate to admit it, but Belseth was right. It was stupid to even mention the… no, we should really just drop the subject, don’t yah think so?
…but…
Now, ‘ow about we go outside instead, make ourselves comfortable and await the grand dinner I’ve arranged for? Just dispel those thought of ye about that… thing and enjoy the view, eh? It’s almost sunset, yah ‘now… so maybe we can enjoy it together?
…
It is a really lovely evening, is it not? So let’s drop that subject for another time and just enjoy ourselves, eh?


>Relax. It's like, her hobby to make you uncomfortable.
…it kind of is… and you can’t tell if she’s doing it right now and just messing with you or if she’s actually serious about this.
>She looks to be on the right track for a romantic night tonight.
…but you are currently not on that track… not after this…

>Sisah may just be ovulating or something. Needs to release, y'know?
You’re pretty sure Serpens don’t actually ovulate like that and- err… actually, you’re not sure how exactly their reproduction systems works besides the basics. Biology of the other species was never an important subject to study for someone like you.
>It's unlikely, but she might be the Archbishop without the mask.
… … …when you think about it, they are about the same size but… no, no way… there’s no way someone that powerful would just walk around without some kind of guard or something following them around, right?
>Given the bishop's outrageous claims, what if Eletasia experienced "Divine intervention" that showed her how to do these things, or just outright blessed her with them?
You’re pretty sure the whole plan with creating a god exists because the Archbishop can’t actually bless people like that yet.
>That explains your vision of people going willingly to their deaths- they think it will go to good works.
…why does this make so much sense! Something like this isn’t supposed to make this much sense!
>Different methods, same results- souls are diverted from the soul river to repair limbs and eyeballs, and soon the river will dry up again.
…and the world ends… great, this is really something you should think about right now. This thought, coupled with what the book just said… it’s not putting you in the mood for anything…

So do you think there's a way to divert the flow of souls somewhere else, or break open a vein of soul energy in a dimensional rift? That might distract Life long enough to get away with creating a weapon strong enough to unravel them.

Seriously, why hasn't anyone tried before? It may be theoretical but Xuv lives on theoretical.

Okay time to find Elete and Belseth and make them date in a TINY box until Elete spills the beans about who she really is.

Alright.
You need someone to talk to.
Maybe not to make plans with, but just to talk to.
Your wife is right there and available.

You're not going to get anything accomplished tonight, so just let it be for now.
Let Briannah know that you want to enjoy the evening and get your mind off things, but that you still want to discuss certain matters at a better time.
Besides, she's clearly uncomfortable with the subject.

well the first thing you should do is put that damn book down. After that just go outside and calm down. We can work on what to do next from there.

Get yourself together, Prince, right this instant! This is the time for you and Briannah, nothing and no one else in the world!

> no, we should really just drop the subject, don’t yah think so?
Whoa whoa whoa, she isn't teasing you relentlessly, playing guessing games and showing off her sailor's vocabulary? Something is seriously wrong here.
> Just dispel those thought of ye about that… thing and enjoy the view, eh?
The fact that there is something in this world that can make you uncomfortable only worries me more. Besides, I've got more where those thoughts came from.
>it’s not putting you in the mood for anything…
What about Bri's dress?

>>714731
Okay okay, put the book down, look at your wife, tell her she's beautiful. Give her a hug, try to just think about her for a while.

Hug wife, love wife, don't let go.
Id say now is actually a good time to stop thinking.

Drop the book, drop the subject, psych yourself up. Xuv did the hard work already getting you over your fear of Sakkilians, don't relapse now of all times. Just push any stray thoughts (and/or suggestions) out of your mind.

>look at your wife, tell her she's beautiful.
Make sure you spend a second or two looking so she can't say you didn't even look.
>… it’s not putting you in the mood for anything…
Here's a thought for the night: Snuggling great big butt. Another thought? She mentioned something much more "Vulgar" than kissing that Belseth could do with you. You can totally take his cute butt for a spin too. Bri's first, though.

>>714768
This,

Close the book, drop it to the floor with a thud, and hug Bri close. Hug her because you know for sure she loves you and would never, ever hurt you. And because you're hurting her deep down because the man she loves is acting afraid of her and you don't want to hurt her. And because being in her embrace has been comforting before. ...And because you know there's only one way Bri would ever want you inside her and it doesn't involve her stomach at all.

While hugging tell her that you desperately wish to forget about that subject and so many others clogging your mind and souring your mood and enjoy the lovely, romantic evening she appears to have planned, but you don't know if you'll be able to. Lament that you're a horrible fool for reading what you did when you did. Your morbid curiosity just couldn't leave it be, and in your hubris you thought that it would be yet another fear to face that you would best. But you couldn't and your oldest phobia reared up from the swirling depths of your mind like a leviathan and dragged you down. Down into a terrible place you don't know you'll be able to escape from in time to recover your mood. And the thought that you may not be able to and that yet another of your screw ups will ruin a wonderful evening together you both so wanted is like a dagger twisting in your heart. You don't want that more than anything right now.

Tell her you'll do your best to clear your mind and get your mood back over dinner, and you hope very much that you will. But if you can't... Perhaps then we'll talk and see if together we can expel some of your mental demons and recover the evening. Then take her hand in yours and walk to the balcony.

>it’s not putting you in the mood for anything…
Then shove all your thoughts aside and remember everything about Bri that makes you care for her and even love her. The way she teases you that you do like deep down. How clever and smart she is. Her strength of will and physique. The feel of her heartbeat and warmth as you wake up in her embrace. The sway of her hips and undulation of her tail as she walks. The sublime form of her thighs and derrière. She's who you didn't know you needed in your life until she was forced into it. Would thinking of all that bring your mood up off the floor?

Kaktus 2016/04/10(Sun)09:37 No. 715474 ID: 65a774
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>Get yourself together, Prince, right this instant! This is the time for you and Briannah, nothing and no one else in the world!
This is about Bri… Bri and her beautiful ways… her big… body and… large maw… filled with teeth… gods…
>Whoa whoa whoa, she isn't teasing you relentlessly, playing guessing games and showing off her sailor's vocabulary? Something is seriously wrong here.
Something is different? What is she thinking… d-did she just lick her lips!?
>Xuv did the hard work already getting you over your fear of Sakkilians, don't relapse now of all times. Just push any stray thoughts (and/or suggestions) out of your mind.
But… teeth! Teeth everywhere! No! Stop it, Kronos! She’s not going to… she’s not!

>I’d say now is actually a good time to stop thinking.
Mind... blank… your mind… is blank… it’s not working… you have to think about something, just not… that.
>Remember everything about Bri that makes you care for her and even love her. The way she teases you that you do like deep down. How clever and smart she is. Her strength of will and physique. The feel of her heartbeat and warmth as you wake up in her embrace.
…she’s lovely… and… she likes you… she might even love you. There’s no way she wants to… no… she loves you… and she want you to love her.
>What about Bri's dress? Does that bring the mood back?
…her dress. It’s… actually rather beautiful. While it doesn’t bring out her curves very well, it got that certain grace in it. It doesn’t make her sexy… it makes her gorgeous…
>Here's a thought for the night: Snuggling great big butt.
Her rear… that magnificent derrière... with her thick tail beckoning you in with a wave like motion… to the treasure that lies beneath it, just waiting for you… no, longing for your touch… for you to explore it… for you to spelunk into its depths… … …this is getting kind of creepy, if feels like you’re almost obsessed with it!
>Another thought? She mentioned something much more "Vulgar" than kissing that Belseth could do with you. You can totally take his cute butt for a spin too. Bri's first, though.
H-heh, err… the thoughts of what you wishes to do with her brother’s bum might not be the most fitting on a romantic evening with her… or half-brother, as it is… err… actually, what are they? They aren’t actually family, are they?


>Close the book, drop it to the floor with a thud, and hug Bri close. Hug her because you know for sure she loves you and would never, ever hurt you.
She embraces you as soon as you let go of the book, turning you around while doing so.
>Look at your wife, tell her she's beautiful.
…well, yah’re looking ‘andsome yeself, love…
>Let Briannah know that you want to enjoy the evening and get your mind off things, but that you still want to discuss certain matters at a better time.
Oh… really? I guess yah deserve that much… though, I would think someone like yah would just want to drop the subject permanently…
>The fact that there is something in this world that can make you uncomfortable only worries me more.
Heh, it’s not the subject that’s uncomfortable, it’s that ye are uncomfortable of it. But no, enough about that! This is our evening and I won’t let something petty as that ruin it! So, stop thinking about it AND ENJOY-

She easily picks you up without breaking your hug and carries you out onto the balcony.

-THE DAMN SUNSET WITH ME ALREADY, sheesh!
H-hey, careful!
There! Now we can… actually… what now?
…what do you mean, “what now”?
Well… this is kind of the first “romantic date” I’ve been on so… I ‘ave no idea what we are supposed to do now. Just wait for the food? Just enjoy the sunset and music? Eh?


>So do you think there's a way to divert the flow of souls somewhere else, or break open a vein of soul energy in a dimensional rift?
…you’re not sure how this river of souls even works… or if it even is a river! You’re pretty sure there’s no mortals left that know how it works at all.
>That might distract Life long enough to get away with creating a weapon strong enough to unravel them.
You’re not sure life can be distracted, if he is what he claims he is… and why would anyone even try to distract him? You’re the only mortal in the world that know he exist! …probably.
>Okay time to find Elete and Belseth and make them date in a TINY box until Elete spills the beans about who she really is.
While the mental image of those two in a box is kind of funny, you don’t think that would make Elete actually talk… and why Belseth of all people? You do need to find a way to make Elete spill the beans, that’s for certain, but you might want to find another way to do so.

Screaming contest. Rumors must be circulating by half past circle! Seriously is your shorted eye nerve malfunctioning because that's a yellow circle.

Get Elete into a room with your father and a few elite bodyguards. Pressure her to give a documented report to the official highest authority under airtight conditions.

>I ‘ave no idea what we are supposed to do now.
Well I believe that the music, the food, the view... they're not really what's important here. What's important is just being here together, in each other's company.

Well that's how I feel right now, what about you bri? What do you feel right now?

Does she wanna make out? This is a pretty good making out environment.

>>715484
Seconded.

>>715484
Eh, better not do that since that would just stoke Bri's physical desires and make it much harder to keep this date steered towards the emotional like it should be. Keep things to close hugging and a bit of kissing at most for now. Anything more should wait until the bedroom, or at least as a lead up to the bedroom.

Just make sure she doesn't skip straight to desert if you know what I mean.

> I ‘ave no idea what we are supposed to do now.
Lean into her. "We can just enjoy each other's presence."

Well, right now you think we'll snuggle up, you sitting on her lap with her arms holding you close to her chest so you can feel each other's heartbeat, watch the sunset and enjoy the feeling of being together. Perhaps talk a little about light subjects or tell little stories or anecdotes or just stay silent and soak up each other's presence. At the base of it there's nothing complicated about it, really. Then reach up and guide Bri's snout down to give her a kiss and tell her for this being the first romantic date she's arranged she's done great so far and to not worry. Take her hand in yours and watch the sun set together. Tell her that you do love when she purrs and you hope to hear and feel it now and many, many times going forward.

Ask Bri if she's ticklish while giving her a experimental tickle to the ribs and how much she minds being tickled.

Say to Bri a question has been floating around your head and ask her what the Sakkilian's origin myth or story for the wyverns is. And for the other dragon-ish creatures of the world as well. (Since the wyverns can't keep a history of how they came to be perhaps the Sakkilians have a hint to how in their myths and stories.)

>…this is getting kind of creepy, if feels like you’re almost obsessed with it!
Yes, how and how much you're thinking about it is creeping up on creepy. While you are a "ass man" foremost and Briannah does have the finest rear you've ever seen, you are putting too much attention on it. Besides, focusing excessively on the physical side of your relationship with Bri is what you want to avoid, right? You want to make it a more emotional and loving relationship so it lasts, yes? So pull your mind out of her ass before you make yourself one.

>H-heh, err… the thoughts of what you wishes to do with her brother’s bum might not be the most fitting on a romantic evening with her…
Um... Are you thinking about giving anal? You've actually done it before? And liked it enough to want to do it with Belseth? Or is it a case where you'd do it because Belseth likes it? Because there are other ways if you don't like it that way, y'know.

How about you tell Bri about the brighter, lighter points of your day while you watch the sunset, such as the time you spent with your father, or the hug that you gave your sister that she seemed to need so. Oh, and that us digging up the garden did have a silver lining in that that magic rock we dug up Tim discovered is a earth elemental "egg." According to him it's the first recorded case of a elemental reproducing since the Old Empire, which is a huge deal, and that there's probably about a dozen more out in the garden. He's probably going to get all kinds of academic praise for his study of it.

>They aren’t actually family, are they?
As much as you don't want to risk bringing the mood down for Bri, you should at least start making inroads right now into figuring out what the deal is between her and Belseth. Just so you know the shape of things so you can potentially defuse situations and watch your step so you don't set things off accidentally. You don't have to find out everything now, but at least signal to Bri that you'll talk about it later.

Whisper to Bri (since you don't know who might be listening, like the musicians, and you don't want diplomatically damaging rumors getting around) that on a less light note, you figured out almost immediately what she was heavily hinting at last night in the medical wing about Belseth's parentage. That Belseth is a bastard as well, son of the Emperor and a unknown lady, sired roughly around the same time as Bri was. You're wondering if this is the genesis of their animosity. That Belseth was brought into the imperial family and Bri wasn't, either when she was born or when her father was killed in the war. Say that if she doesn't want to talk about this now you'll table it for later.

>not family
I thought that was clearly stated? They don't share parents.

Not that it really matters, as the important thing is if they consider eachother to be siblings. The taboo isn't based entirely on genetics, it's more public perception than anything else. Now, the chance of birth defects is higher entirely because of genetics.

>>715864
Eh, it wasn't explicitly stated, just deduced from the heavy hints Bri gave and the two week gap between her and Belseth hatching that Belseth let slip. It's pretty much a certain they're both bastards unrelated by blood, but having a solid confirmation from Bri would be good.

>>715794
>Yes, how and how much you're thinking about it is creeping up on creepy.
Hey, it was something to calm him down.

Kaktus 2016/04/12(Tue)09:46 No. 716014 ID: 65a774
File 146047961184.png - (21.74KB , 686x526 , 118.png )

>Get Elete into a room with your father and a few elite bodyguards. Pressure her to give a documented report to the official highest authority under airtight conditions.
Should you really bring father into this? After all, you’re almost as high of an authority as him, being the Prince and all. There’s also the problem with subtlety, in that this plan lacks it completely. Still, it’s a plan B if anything and you really want to know what her deal actually is.
>Yes, how and how much you're thinking about it is creeping up on creepy. Focusing excessively on the physical side of your relationship with Bri is what you want to avoid, right? You want to make it a more emotional and loving relationship so it lasts, yes? So pull your mind out of her ass before you make yourself one.
Right, this is about more than just bodies, isn’t it?

>Just make sure she doesn't skip straight to desert if you know what I mean.
You’ll make sure she enjoys the full course meal. After all, dessert is never as tasty without something a bit steadier before it.
>Screaming contest. Rumors must be circulating by now!
You’re pretty sure you’ll lose that one and as you don’t want to own Bri any more favors… of course, if everything goes well, maybe you’ll make her scream tonight anyway… *Cough*
>You don't know who might be listening, like the musicians, and you don't want diplomatically damaging rumors getting around.
There aren’t any musicians around; the music that is playing is coming from a magical rune. Which means that the one song it can play will get stale pretty soon... now, back to topic, of course there are still servant around, but they’ll only disturb us when they serve the food.


>Lean into her. "We can just enjoy each other's presence."
Mmmm… maybe we could? *Purrrr*…
>Tell her that you do love when she purrs and you hope to hear and feel it now and many, many times going forward.
Oh, I’m sure yah’ll make me purr plenty of times, love…
>I believe that the music, the food, the view... they're not really what's important here. What's important is just being here together, in each other's company. Well that's how I feel right now, what about you bri? What do you feel right now?
…I… I… … …happy… content… it feels like I can just be ‘ere with yah… forever…
>Then reach up and guide Bri's snout down to give her a kiss and tell her for this being the first romantic date she's arranged she's done great so far and to not worry.
*Kiss* …glad that yah liked it, my little dove…
…!
…what’s wrong? Yah suddenly tensed up?
It’s… nothing. It’s not important right now.

The servants arrive with the starter of our meal, a rather light dish made on shrimps, salad and a kind of spicy dressing. You and your wife dig into it without hesitation.

>Say to Bri a question has been floating around your head and ask her what the Sakkilian's origin myth or story for the wyverns is. And for the other dragon-ish creatures of the world as well.
Origin story? Aren’t they just what’s left of the dragons? The real ones, I mean? Why do yah ask? They aren’t anything more than animals, after all.
>How about you tell Bri about the brighter, lighter points of your day while you watch the sunset, such as the time you spent with your father, or the hug that you gave your sister that she seemed to need so. Oh, and that us digging up the garden did have a silver lining in that that magic rock we dug up Tim discovered is a earth elemental "egg."
An egg? Wait, yah mean that the elementals are awakening again?
It seem so.
That… if everything I’ve ‘eard is true, then this means… that the world really is getting more magical? Huh…

The main course of the dinner arrives, which you suspect Briannah personally ordered seeing as its center piece is a large piece of barbequed Ankwark meat.

>Whisper to that on a less light note, you figured out almost immediately what she was heavily hinting at last night in the medical wing about Belseth's parentage.
Really? So yah ‘now we aren’t actually… and that we don’t really consider ourselves… well, we didn’t actually meet each other until we both were adults, so we wouldn’t consider ourselves family even if there was blood between us.
>You're wondering if this is the genesis of their animosity.
…yeah, it is. ‘e did after all steal my birthright as the daughter of the empress… and ‘e… ‘is ego can’t take it that ‘e’s the son of a glorified accountant and a whore… especially when someone like me are the one who should ‘ave ‘is place. But, I ‘ave to realize, it’s not ‘is fault… it’s ‘is father… the emperor. ‘e’s the one who blackmailed my mom to change the eggs… just so ‘e would be certain that ‘is blood was the one most suited for success. Ugh… I don’t like talking about it…

At last, the servants comes carrying the dessert, consisting of a thickened sweetened cream mixed with white chocolate and topped with a coulis of dark berries.

>Ask Bri if she's ticklish while giving her an experimental tickle to the ribs and how much she minds being tickled.
Ticklish? Of course no- Snnrk, S-sto-nn-p it! AHAHA-K-KRONOS! S-Stop it! Snnrk!
Do you yield?
N-nSnnrkhAHAEVER!! NEVER!! I’LL-snrrk..s-sstop!!
:KrononSB: Yield?
Snrk, ah AH HAHA! D-DAM-Snnrrk-Banan! BANANA!
Banana?
O-our safe word, remember? Ugh… Dammit, Kronos, damn yah and ye feathery fingers!
So, you are ticklish?
Yes, yes, I admit, I’m ticklish… geez… now, eat ye dessert, as I ‘ave another surprise for yah!

Kaktus 2016/04/12(Tue)09:47 No. 716015 ID: 65a774
File 146047962188.png - (82.05KB , 686x526 , 119.png )

Now, seeing as yah own me big time for yesterday… and that yah owe me for doing this as well…
…that’s fair, I guess…
Which means yah owe me four favors, one of them big.
Four? I’m pretty sure it’s three.
Yah never did scrub my back, did yah?
Oh… but you still owe me three favors.
Two favors.
…two?
Yah used one up to get a piggy back ride, eh?
Oh, right…
Now, come ‘ere… I want to show yah something…

She leads you to your bedroom, where you are met with a thick aroma of Lavender, a new kind of music that is more intimate then the last and a sea of flowers. There are even rose petals strewn all over your bed! There is also a wine bottle with wooden cups, a plate filled to the brim with fruits of all kinds and… some kind of weird Serpent medical bottles? You can hear Briannah locking the door behind you and then walking past to the large bed. Sitting down, she let her hands wander over the sheets for a few seconds as she looks you in the eye, before speaking...

So… what now, beloved?

Why don't we check in on Kronos and Brianna in the morning?

>>716015
Have some wine while burning a favor to get her to wiggle out of that dress in front of you. Then lay her on the bed and feed her some grapes or other small fruit as part of the foreplay.

...hang on we're sure that wine is safe, right? Getting poisoned would sure ruin the mood.

Sit beside her, feed each other fruits, enjoy each other's company... Then show her some other things you can do with your fingers. and then make sweet love to her until she forgets all about the favors... all the geopolitics... and how all the Regicide pieces are supposed to move.


>>716017
Yeah, that doesn't look like a new bottle. You shouldn't be drinking anyway, you featherweight, you're a destructive enough influence without alcohol.

...Oh, gods. Your heart is thundering in your chest and your libido is roaring at the sight of Bri sitting on the edge of your bed giving you that come hither look. It's hard to keep your mental restraint and focus in the face of that, but you must. After everything you can't blow it at this point. Remember, the journey is what makes the destination matter here. Take it nice and easy, build up gradually and if Bri tries to rush things then rein her in, even if you have to use your favors and then some. You have all evening to make love to her and you're going to use every minute. And no matter what, don't forget that the safe word is "banana."

Smile, jokingly hold your chest and tell Bri that right now you have to keep your heart from hammering out of your chest at the glorious sight of the lady you love before you. Say you may just swoon into her arms if you get too close, then walk forward and dramatically do just that, draping your arms around her neck and giving her a long, deep, passionate kiss. Draw back and tell her that she's marvelous and you're going to make her feel that way before making sweet love to her.

Step back and pick up the wine bottle, eying it with suspicion. Ask Bri how sure she is that the wine is safe, and when she says you're being too paranoid say she's right. It's just you have this tiny feeling that since things are going so wonderfully that something, somehow is going to interrupt it. Then fill both cups mostly full, wondering out loud why they're wood ones, and hand one to Bri. Cork the bottle and say that you're going to avoid any more alcohol than this tonight since you want to be clear headed for everything. ...Oh, and you almost forgot: Ask her if she put up those contraceptive charms of hers; The ones she said she had after you told her of what Xuv wanted from you two.

Pick up a couple of the weird Serpens medical bottles and ask Bri what they are and are for as you glance over the labels. Are they just lube, oils and such or is she thinking of bringing some recreational alchemy into the evening? ...Or did you just mistake a bunch of exotic dildos for colorful strangely shaped bottles?

Take the fruit platter, sit next to Bri take turns feeding each other grapes and small fruits and giving each other kisses. Tell her that you have some ideas of what to do, but you'd like to hear what ideas she has, and what she's thinking of using some of her favors for here. It's just so we can figure out what we want and we're going to do with each other and don't get any surprises.

You're thinking of giving her a striptease. You slowly, sensually undressing to the music, giving her a show, shaking your tail feathers for her. Leaving your underwear for her to personally remove. Then you'd take a seat on the bed with wine in hand while she goes and does the same for you. After that, you'll give her a massage. She lays on her front on the bed, you remove her prosthetics, then straddle her back and work your hands over her from head to foot to tail tip. (And give her a little tickle surprise.) Knead her buttocks and thighs. ...And reach under her tail to warm her up for things to come. And then you're going to kiss her all over, from her arms up to her face, down her chest and even farther down. You're going to make use of your tongue in all kinds of ways down there and be quite glad Sakkilians taste so sweet. And then, then you'll make slow, sweet, tender love to her like the glorious lady you love deserves.

Take out the banana from the fruit plate (because of course Bri would have them include a phallic fruit) and ask Bri to give you a demonstration of what she can do with her tongue with it. Tell her that you're also interested in what she can do with her tail, and that perhaps she could give a demonstration on herself.

You can't help but feel ashamed that after breaking your big promise to Bri it was her that arranged this grand romantic evening and not you. You owed her big and you really should have done something like this to start to repay her, and yet you didn't even think of it. And just because you had a lot of other things on your mind is no excuse. For your thoughtlessness you deserve to owe her that additional favor, and from now on you have to do better. You should start making romantic gestures in some way to her every day, starting tomorrow.

Art mistake: Briannah's left hand is flesh, not prosthetic.

Ask Bri why last night she was pressing for you to "lighten up" when it would break your promise to her. Why was she pushing you when you were on the edge? Didn't she want you to keep your promise? ...Perhaps that big favor shouldn't be quite so big because of this.

Don't get too physical too soon. You want to build up gradually. Start out by getting Bri comfortable and letting her know all the ways you love her with your words, rediscovering that silver tongue of yours you've lost these last few days, then with your kisses and each others' touch, for a long time before either of you get out of your clothes.

Lay her back on the bed, take the fruit platter and lay on your side next to her and feed her little fruits while you tell her in every way how wonderful she makes you feel. Tell her that when you're close to her you feel content and happy too. That when you're in her embrace everything feels right with the world. Tell her that you've felt things with her that you haven't felt with anyone else before. Tell her that she makes you want to work to be a better person.Tell her that you feel like the luckiest Vark alive that you'll be marrying her. That you want to spend the rest of your days with her. Tell her that you wish this perfect evening would never end. Lean in close and whisper in her ear that you love her, then give her a long, deep kiss. And follow that kiss with another, and another, many times over while each of you feels the other over. And when you can't stand one more second of anything between you anymore, that is when the clothes come off piece by piece and the foreplay really starts.

If Bri tries to move too fast or take too much control, use one of your favors and tell her that you want her to move at your pace. You want to take it nice and slow and romantically, with you calling the shots on when things happen. As for what happens, that you'll figure out together, taking into account any favors she wishes to use. Basically, you want to be the conductor of this symphony.

At some point tell Bri that your eyepatch has been damn itchy all day and that, unless she doesn't want you to, you're going to take it off as well when you disrobe so it doesn't distract you in any way from what's to come. That is, unless she knows a quick, easy trick to get it to stop itching.

It's most likely far too late to count for the favor, but tell her that you were planning to take her to the big bath tomorrow right after our morning exercises and make good on your promise to scrub her back. And then, since you were so very late, you'll wash every other part of her very thoroughly, getting into each and every crevice until she's satisfied she's totally clean.

Kaktus 2016/04/15(Fri)08:02 No. 716711 ID: 65a774
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>Art mistake: Briannah's left hand is flesh, not prosthetic.
Why did I make so many characters asymmetrical!?

>...hang on we're sure that wine is safe, right? Getting poisoned would sure ruin the mood.
You’re pretty sure it’s been tested for poison… after Bri’s fake poisoning the security against such things have been improved considerately… both to make the poisoning seem more real and for our safety.
>You shouldn't be drinking anyway, you featherweight, you're a destructive enough influence without alcohol.
One glass can’t hurt… can it?
>burn a favor to get her to wiggle out of that dress in front of you.
Why burn a favor on something you can probably get for free?

>Ask Bri why last night she was pressing for you to "lighten up" when it would break your promise to her. Perhaps that big favor shouldn't be quite so big because of this.
Because yah were in no shape to uphold that promise, eh? Still, kind of ye fault for charging right into yah brother’s trap so it still stand… of course, I might feel generous and make the favor I’ve been planning to ask a bit more… charitable for yah, heh…
>Pick up a couple of the weird Serpens medical bottles and ask Bri what they are and are for as you glance over the labels.
Why, read them yeself, ‘un…
“Cauda Levo“? “Acror Suci”? “Nervi frimavi”? Serpent drinks, alright… but what does it even mean?
Lubricant for those special places, a potion of “Stamina” for the both of us and the last one is… well, to make sure yah can keep the mast up later tonight, eh? Hehe…
>Fill both cups mostly full with wine while wondering out loud why they're wood ones and hand one to Bri.
Because getting glass in the bed would be a mood killer, eh? …I did try to get a pair of silver tankards, but apparently they weren’t fit for drinking, so the last minute fix was wooden cups instead. But it works, no?
>Cork the bottle and say that you're going to avoid any more alcohol than this tonight since you want to be clear headed for everything.
Oh, don’t worry, ‘usband, I’ll make sure yah remember tonight very fondly no matter what yah drink~
>Ask her if she put up those contraceptive charms of hers; The ones she said she had after you told her of what Xuv wanted from you two.
Oh, of course. It’s just… its location is currently a bit hidden… but don’t worry ye little ‘ead, as I’m sure yah’ll see it later tonight, heh…

>Lay her on the bed and feed her some grapes or other small fruit as part of the foreplay.
Yah ‘now… I’ve never liked grapes… they are so damn small, making it hard to bite them apart.
Don’t you just swallow them whole?
But then I won’t get the taste, will I? No, I prefer bigger fruit that are easier to either suck on or crush for those sweet juices inside.
>Tell her in every way how wonderful she makes you feel.
Briannah… I… I just wanted to tell you how you make me feel…
Oh?
I… whenever you are close, I… I’ve never been so content or happy… When I’m in your embrace everything is simply right… everything is perfect when I feel your heartbeat.
I love ‘earing ye ‘eartbeat too, love…
I… I feel things I’ve never felt before… things I’ve never thought that you could feel. You really are something special, Bri, something… amazing…
Oh, stop it, Kronos…
It feels like I’m the luckiest Vark to be alive for marrying a woman like you… to spend my life time with a lady so-
No seriously, stop it… Banana and all that, stop it. Yah’re getting way to sappy for my taste.
Oh… err… sorry…
If yah want show me ‘ow much yah love me… show me, don’t tell me. I want to feel ye love… ye desire… hug me, kiss me… breed me like the bitch I am!
Err…h-heh… um… h-how about we… err… speaking of fruit…
>Take out the banana from the fruit plate and ask Bri to give you a demonstration of what she can do with her tongue with it.
A demonstration?
You know exactly what kind of demonstration I have in mind, don’t you?
Oh? What kind of lady do you take me for?
The best kind.
Really? Then prepare to be amazed, love.

She grabs the fruit from your hand, quickly cracking open the top of the peel before throwing it into the air. On the way down, she catches it with only her tongue and start peeling it without ever using her hands. Her long, dexterous tongue wraps itself around the banana, slowly stroking it tenderly enough for it not to break before she guides it to her snout. Retracting her tongue and grabbing the fruit with her hand, she gives the top of it a gentle kiss before engulfing it, sucking it down and seemingly swallowing it whole, leaving only the peel behind.

…g-gods…
I can see by the tent yah are pegging that yah enjoyed the show, eh?

>Tell her that you have some ideas of what to do, but you'd like to hear what ideas she has, and what she's thinking of using some of her favors for here.
My ideas? Oh, my ideas are for later… maybe later tonight or even tomorrow. No, right now it’s all about ye ideas, love… yah’re the one who wanted to make love… so show me ‘ow yah make love, little dove…
W-Well… I got plenty of ideas for tonight, Bri… how about I start off with getting out of this stuffy suit… while putting on a bit of a show?
Oh? Yah mean yah’re going to strut around like the peacock yah are and show of that cute tush of ye? I suspect yah want me to do then same afterwards?
Well, yeah…
Only if yah promise to show me just ‘ow much yah love my body while I do so… You will already be naked after all… and maybe… maybe with the help my tongue you can… mark me… really show ‘ow much yah love me on my face~
Mark y-you?
I want… no, I need the first time between us to be all over my snout… I want to feel it… taste it… show the world I’m ye’s, Kronos!
Err… y-yes, that wo- I was thinking more in line of giving you a massage, actually…
Really?
To straddle your back and work my hands all over you, from head to your tail tip… and then… then I’ll show you what I can really do with these feathery fingers of mine~
Oh?
And then I’ll kiss you... all over your body. I’ll lick you from head to… further down… so far down that I’ll should consider myself lucky you Sakkilian taste so sweet.
I like where this is going…
I’m going to try to convert you to the five by just using my silver tongue~
And make me scream for the gods? Oh, I’ll take yah up on that challenge…
Now, I’ve been thinking of your tail…
Yah want to ‘ave a demonstration of it too?
Maybe after I’ve shown what my tongue can do you can show what that tail can do on yourself?
Hmm… maybe I can, love…
And after that… well… then I’m going to make sweet love to you until you forget all about our favors… all about the geopolitics… even how all the regicide pieces move… no, the only thing you’ll know is my name, as you scream it over and over as I make love to you~
Now that’s a challenge if I’ve ever heard one… now, just one more thing, dove.
W-which is?
Stop freaking teasing me and get going already before I tear of those clothes of your with my teeth and have my way with you! I CAN’T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!
Heh… as the lady wants… I’ll make sure to put up a show…

Kaktus 2016/04/15(Fri)08:02 No. 716712 ID: 65a774
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>Screaming contest. Rumors must be circulating by now!
’ARDER! FUCK ME ‘ARDER KRONOS!
Do you think they know they forgot to close the balcony door?
NNG-K-KRONOS!
This one would not like to speculate on the one Prince’s excites.
BREED ME DAMMIT!
Maybe we should find so-
D-DON’T Y-YAH DARE STOP!
Somewhere else t-
BY THE F-FIV-F-FUCK!
Let’s just leave.
ALMOST! I-I’M ALMOST… GODS!
This one concurs.
F-F-F-FFFFFFFUCK!!! AAAAH!!! *Gasp* D-don’t s-sto-fuck…K-Kronos…

…Briannah won the contest without a doubt. Also, of note, she is very, very loud… extremely so even…

[Briannah has successfully been bred!]

So how was it? Or is the night not over yet? Either way is Xuv's "gift/blessing" doing what she said it would?

Does that really count as making love? Well, it's still more personal than her usual bedroom activities I'd bet.

Now cuddle. Maybe go for a slower, more relaxed round two.

You're a red blooded young man with a stunning young woman so round 2 is a given, But you should probably slow down a bit and reaffirm your definitions of 'making love' and 'romantic' first.

Slump over Bri until you get enough of your wits and strength back to be able to move. Pull yourself up to give her a kiss, whisper that you love her and that now is cuddle time, then snuggle in next to her to cuddle and enjoy this blissful feeling together. And if she wants to go again too soon, push back and tell her that making love shouldn't be rushed and to have patience. After all, we have the whole rest of the evening so there's no hurry. ...What time is it, anyway? You lost track while you two were at it. How long has it been, and how long until the evening is over?

While cuddling with Bri take the time to think about things. Like that you worry that what you and Bri did wasn't making love and that you just fed her warped sexual addiction a huge meal, setting back working her through it big time. But thinking on it, you don't even really know just what "making love" means since you've never made love to anybody before. What you did here you pieced together from scraps of what you've heard and read making love is. Did you do it wrong? ...But thinking more, you think that it's making love and not just fucking when both people are thinking of "us" instead of "me." Thinking of the other's feelings and pleasure before their own. Listening to each other, paying attention each other's needs, working together to create a wonderful shared intimate experience. Trying to come together as one being, one soul. ...And you're not sure that's what happened here. Were you doing this? Was Bri? You don't know... But maybe it was enough to help Bri even if it wasn't perfect.

...Y'know, you haven't told Bri you love her yet, have you? You holding back because you're not sure you do love her, or is it think it goes without saying? Or is it that you aren't because you fear her twisted concept of love will warp it into something you don't want?

Ask Bri how it was for her and how she feels. You want to judge her reaction to all you two did to get to this point. And ask her want she thinks "making love" means, then tell her what you think it means.

Notice that you're feeling a draft and look about for the source, spotting the open balcony door. Give a little laugh, point it out to Bri, saying that you think the whole palace must have heard her extremely loud announcement of our union. It's not quite how you envisioned your father and sister hearing how things are going between you and Bri.

Say that since you did succeed at the challenges of making her scream for the Five and scream your name over and over you think she owes you another favor or two. So, what does she think?

>I want to feel ye love… ye desire… hug me, kiss me… breed me like the bitch I am!
>mark me… really show ‘ow much yah love me on my face~
>I want… no, I need the first time between us to be all over my snout… I want to feel it… taste it… show the world I’m ye’s, Kronos!
>BREED ME DAMMIT!
...This is all rather... degrading to her, isn't it? You have a feeling that it's not just kinks and may have some connection to how she got love twisted around with sex.

Ask Bri why she referred to herself as a "bitch" and wanted you to "breed" her, even screaming it in the throws of passion. And why did she feel the need that your first time with her you... "mark" her all over snout to show the world she's yours? That she needed you to be her "owner." When and how did she pick these up?

Ask Bri what she preferred to do in her previous sexual encounters. What did she want and what did she feel she needed? What was she looking for in them? As explanation for the questions say you want to get a better idea of what she likes in bed.

>Oh, of course. It’s just… its location is currently a bit hidden… but don’t worry ye little ‘ead, as I’m sure yah’ll see it later tonight, heh…
It was placed in the vicinity of her nether regions, wasn't it? That'd make sense given its function. Make sure to give the charm a look and see if it inexplicably burnt out or otherwise broke during your intercourse. Given both the kind of powerful ancient magic bullshit at the core of the prophecy of the Dragon as well as what Xuv could have done to you to make sure it happened, it wouldn't be surprising if one of those broke the charm. Or if not broke, rendered the charm ineffective or completely bypassed it. ...Or the prophecy was never literal and the offspring of the Dragon and the Highborn isn't a child but some concept or chain of events or some such. Prophecies are rather notorious for pulling that kind of thing. Still, you'll have to remember to ask Bri to take a pregnancy test in a day or two and see if the literal prophecy happened.

>But then I won’t get the taste, will I? No, I prefer bigger fruit that are easier to either suck on or crush for those sweet juices inside.
You'd think she'd just crush the grape against the roof of her mouth with that amazing tongue of hers to get the flavor. But maybe it's more trouble than it's worth for her to do that.

After cuddling for awhile you'll be ready for another round with Bri. It'd be good if the both of you showered to wash the previous round off. And since Bri can't wear her leg prosthetic in the shower, you'd best help her wash up. When you get back to bed, slow things down for round two. And don't let Bri push you into going faster.

Actually, you probably should not go for another round since another round would possibly make things more about sexual desires than love. Besides, you are about quality over quantity, right? And you just gave Bri a lot of quality here. Just keep cuddling her and soak in the bliss of being together.

>>716970
Among other things

>>716970
Among other things