An Urgent Inquiry (Noku)

[Roland]

Roland walks down the hall towards the king's quarters, today had been awful, Roland was a husk of his usual self, his eyes blazed from deep set sockets that hadn't seen a night's sleep in days. His skin was even more ashen and pale than normal, and his usually short stubble had been growing in for several days making him seem even more unkempt than usual. Roland had not brought his coat or staff and he had made sure to change before coming here since he had spent literally the entire day running around the castle and nearby city dealing with the riots, and then dealing with his own guards some of whom had begun to go after the Fated in the castle's employ.

He was mad.

He was VERY MAD.

But this was not the time for him to fly off the handle at that spider. He needed to ask some questions, he needed to make inquiries, he needed to make sure his facts were straight so that he could bring to bear the proper law. As Roland reached the kings chambers, the pair of guards before it gave him a salute, Roland nodded to them both.

The men he had guarding the king were ones he trusted, ever since that assassination attempt he'd found himself in woeful contempt for the staff that the advisers had placed to guard the king and he had created a roster of the best men he had, guards with at least 20 years of experience who had all seen battle and death, and who were tough as nails. Because of that Roland gave each man a nod of respect before entering, one did not simply brush off or dismiss someone who did a good job, he would make sure they received appropriate compensation when this was over.

"I am coming in your majesty." Roland calls and then he pushed on the door and found that it was heavier than normal, in fact Roland found his vision swimming slightly as he forced the door open.

As he steps into the room Roland's eyes sweep the area looking for anything that could be a threat, he immediately reaches out his magical senses to identify and signs of meddling, teleportation or any other form of magical threat. No matter what else, his job was to protect his king and he would do that job. He waits silently and patiently for Noku to acknowledge him, as was proper custom.

[Claire]

Noku was still when Roland pushed his way into the room. The man, draped in red and gold, sat leaning back at a table with his head tilted back, eyes closed. The table in front of him was scattered with papers, correspondence with different countries among other things, as well as a vast map of the kingdom. Noku appeared to be sleeping, if the empty goblet beside his hand was any indication. Then, as Roland began to regain his bearings, Noku spoke.

“It’s not like you to discard formality. Captain Walker.” Noku opened his eyes, flicking his eyes in Roland’s direction. He lifted his head to fix his gaze on the bedraggled man, his passive and still expression unchanging. “You’re emotional.” he says this like it’s a novelty, finally standing.

“What on this good earth could have Captain Walker be so emotional?” he tilted his head, strands of bone-white hair falling across his face from where it was pulled back at the base of his skull. He reached out a hand to another mug, pouring a sweet-smelling amber liquid into it from a finely-crafted bottle. With a sweeping, languid gesture the king held the goblet out to Roland.

“Drink. You will not refuse a King, would you?”

[Roland]

"Forgive me my lord, though it is no excuse dealing with the riots and the discord within the castle itself has put me on edge." He says in apology as he bows his head and drops to one knee before rising to attention again. As the king comments on Roland's mental state his cheeks grey a bit, his eyes casting a strange light over his figure. Though as he steps into the room and closes the door he notices that the Noku curse seemed stronger than it had in the past.

Instead it is more likely that I have gotten better at sensing it. He realizes as he steps closer to Noku who holds a goblet out to him.

As he takes it his eyes flicker brighter for the briefest of moments as he unconsciously purifies it of poisons. Though as he takes a sip he starts to feel himself relax, the sudden change in his mood causes his tension to increase to try and combat the unnatural calm, this made his normally stern impassive face a picture of someone who was fighting a losing battle against his exhaustion and himself.

"Thank you your majesty." he says quickly as he regains himself but he could already feel some of his alertness slacking, in fact the only thing that seemed to be keeping him on his feet was the anger and the drive that had carried him through all his years on the job.

He cleared his voice and then asks. "Did you tell or bless Serevine to call a hunt on the Fated or that the assassin was a Fated?" He asks as it would mean that the king would have directly ignored his report, a hit to his pride, but one he could take and that he would need to learn from.

"Aside from that, the streets have gone nuts, things are starting to calm down, but the direction this is going worries me." Roland admits.

[Claire]

Noku watched Roland drink, folding his marble-white hands as the man tried to regain his footing and presence of mind. He had little patience for such a man to be in such a state. Noku let out a quiet sigh, bored at this line of questioning. He had more important things to attend to than Roland’s spat with Severine.

“I gave her my blessing to do as she saw fit. The man who last tried to claim my life was Fated, as is this woman.” Noku tilted his head at the table, noticing a small line of ants crawling across the map to a scrap of a biscuit lying on a plate. He reached over, his fingers hovering over the marching insects.

“I have given them a chance, but they are proving their treachery. One by one.” he pressed his fingers against the line, squishing the insects into the table one by one. “I know there are a few that you have grown fond of and if they prove their loyalty to the realm I will permit them to stay. I am not unjust.”

Noku lifted his head to look back to Roland, his expression nothing but dismissive. “You will refer to the lady as Lady Severine as her title calls for, Captain Walker. For the little respect you show her, she is still your better. And if you are here to complain to me about what I have given her permission to do, you have found the wrong ear. The petty squabble the two of you are intertwined in is both boring and a nuisance. I cannot trust men who let the affairs of a woman trouble him so much. Do you distrust my judgement so much, Captain Walker? Or are you simply envious of the fact that I trusted her plan over yours?”

[Roland]

Roland's eyes turn cold as he hears Noku's reply and he places the cup down, "with all do respect sire, the girl is not a fated, unless you are saying that Lady Mysteria missed one, I inquired with her earlier." He replies calmly, there was little point in pushing this topic.

Though he does make a bit of a wry smile. "Sorry for the insolence sire, but I have often been told I am a boring person." He places a file on the desk. "Here is the information on the prisoner I received from one of the Regent's men bearing his seal. It says she is not fated." The file contained information on Claire, including his home country and did indeed bear the Regent's seal of approval, he also produced a paper with Mysteria's seal attesting to the fact Claire was not fated.

"Either many people are lying to me sire, or someone has lied to you." Roland says before walking into a shadowy corner and suddenly standing stock still, eyes glowing. "I have been told some of the Fated can teleport, so we are increasing security in response to events, I will do my best to be unobtrusive." Roland says as he seems to partially meld into the shadows, and remains so still it was unnerving.

[Claire]

“Woman. Not girl. You saw her, you know she is a woman.” Noku looked down at the papers, pushing his fingers against the pages as he read.

“Then she will be Fated to die.” Noku turned the pages, frowning down at the paper. Curious. So they had lied to him. Still, he didn’t see what a difference it would make. They had their agenda and while Noku himself was not keen on extermination, there clearly needed to be better control. Registration. Oversight. If this strange addition was going to assimilate properly, they needed to be brought to heel. It would be something to correct with Melania once the execution was over with.

“Do not be so dramatic, Captain Walker.” Noku pushed his hair back into place. “I have not dismissed you yet. That woman had some sort of stone around her neck when she was here, it gave off some sort of strange light. Do you have it on your person now?”

[Roland]

Roland's eyes widen, and the light intensifies as Noku speaks his words. Does this man really intend to leave things as they are? Roland felt sick, was the kingdom he served really so dirty that it would do something like this? He remembered the previous captain telling him that he was to 'just' to become captain, and at this moment Roland finally began to understand the true nature of those words.

"Sir, we are inciting a riot that will cause damages and hurt people over a lie?" Roland asks the king he couldn't help it this was far too much, and he felt the drink's effects, but began to purify them in his body again. When he finally got himself under control he simply stays silent.

When Noku asks about the stone Roland replies simply "No, I do not."

[Claire]

“It is not a lie.” Noku looks back to the papers. “No one will be executed but the woman who attempted to take my life. The rest will be found. Found and registered. That is the task I have for you, Captain Roland.” he looks back to Roland, picking up another sheet of paper from the table.

“I need them all to be found. And I need to know everything. Where they are from, where they go, what they are capable of. If they do not relent this information willingly, then arrest them. Find out if any of them conspired with that woman. I do not believe she planned this alone. And there will be no riots if you control then, Captain Roland.”

Noku crossed the room to Roland, passing him the simple sheet of paper with the order. “I need that stone as well. Tonight. Are my orders clear, Captain?”

[Roland]

Roland frowns at the king's order. "I cannot give you the stone, it was magical so I gave it to Lady Mysteria as she is the court mage, you should be able to get it from her." Roland replies rubbing his eyes. This was too much, he needed rest, if he was going to fall apart he should at least do it after he'd gotten some sleep.

He bows his head to the king. "I will investigate the Fated as you command sir, may I ask something? If we catch and innocent fated and I believe they can lead me back to some of the others, may I release them in order to gather more information?"

[Claire]

“Inform Lady Melania at once then that she is to put the stone in my possession tonight.” Noku went back to the table. “As for the Fated… after they are cleared through another member of the council, you may free them. However, any that are collected now must remain imprisoned until after the execution. Unless they have a proven link the the woman, then they will be brought to the gallows to watch her die.”

Noku poured himself another goblet of amber liquid, feeling a strange tension in his head. Another headache. There was a strange burning sensation around his neck and wrists as well, but they were hidden by cloth. His face betrayed no feeling of pain however and he drank to make the tension pass. “You are dismissed, Captain Walker.”

[Roland]

Roland's eyes are cold as he looks upon the king. Then he fades into the shadows and disappears.