[Song of choice: Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger: Daft Punk] He had long since returned to camp, by several days in fact. But that had not stopped Tasuki from finishing his orders. He had as King Fortigar instructed, confronted a representative of the Estate of the building called "The Sanctuary." The first confrontation had gone just as he had expected it to. Small words, and cold conversation. It was as he hoped it would be, to the point, and little chit chat. But even the Spirit within him knew there was to be more talk, lest the alliance not even have a stepping foot and grasping fingers.
He sat before the fire of the camp, prodding the logs with a long thin twig. He was thinking of how rude he must have been that first day, rushing off without so much as the briefest of smiles, towards the patrons that had dwelled within when he left several days ago. The man he spoke to the first day may have caused him minor aggitation, but nothing more. Tasuki could tell, by the mans words that he didn't like the Idea. Personally Tasuki with him, believing that Fortigar's own men could protect the land by themselves, but what Fortigar wanted, Fortigar would get. Neither by brute force or subtle pressure, they were not his ways, The King of Gellik was relatively unknown, as were the lands, and he was a man who was honest in every way.
Fortigar is the kind that would tell you to turn around so he could stab you in the back, rather than sneak around and do it. Perhaps it was bad for the country that he do such a thing, but his honor went above his own life, above the country. In Gellik, it is believed that if you had no honor, you could not rest in peace unless someone in your family brought honor to your name...be it something as difficult as saving the life of another person, or as simple as being a man of your word, doing as you promise, and not going back on it.
And this is what brought Fortigar to his position, he brought honor back to his country. Bringing it from the crumbling ashes of monster infested lands, and bringing it into the light, dispeling the evil name it once shared. Fortigar ruled for ten years before the name Gellik had been enlisted as the official name of the lands to which he ruled. Before long the old name was lost within the fires, never to spoken of again. And it was the war that had brought Tasuki to this place in his life. Both to protect his family, his friends, his home and his King, striving to make a name for himself and bring honor to his name.
It is said the Masaku family name carries four generations of honor with it, being one of the many blacksmiths that cater to the Kings armory, has brought the honor of Defense to their names. But for Tasuki defense was not enough, never being there on the front lines, it was this that had brought him to dream of joining the Kings Army. And now, several years later, he was in a strange land preparing to conduct matters of International importance. This was not his job, he was not one for diplomacy, he was a fighter, plain and simple.
And Fortigar knew this, he seemed to know Tasuki more than he let on. Perhaps it was the reasoning behind his choice, and his actions both failed and agreed upon. All of this the fire headed young man thought about as the twig he held slowly burned away in the fire before him. He stood up, and walked into the tent where Chirikoh lay bundled up on the cot within fur blankets. He sat down beside her, on the ground, and wrapped his arms around his legs, pulling them close to his chest, placing his chin upon his knees, he sat there looking at her sleeping form.
With a sigh, he closed his eyes and fell to slumber where he was, he dreamt that night, he dreamt of a girl with eyes as dark as the ocean, whose hair was as golden as the suns rays shining down on a cloudless day. With skin the perfect shade of tan, she wore a simple gown of a Lady in court, cheeks blushed with the softest of reds, lips as ripe as apples. She smiled as a young man approached and held out his hand to her, his hair was dark as the fires that burned in the hearth, his eyes as dark as molten gold, she took his hand, smiling almost childishly, they danced that evening, they danced the night away, until both were stolen from eachother by the hours of early morning, and slumber that had called to them. The young man had just fallen into slumber. He was being shaken gently by a young female girl who had been sleeping in the cot before him. Chirikoh smiled at him brightly while brushing away golden locks of hair from her face. She knelt before him clothed in the Formal Wear of the Golden Flames.
Tasuki dear, it's time to return, it has been several days since you were last there..."
Tasuki nodded slowly and stretched out, yawning loudly. Rising from the ground, he proceeded towards the small dresser which held the extra clothing he had needed. Picking up everything, he strode from the tent, and peeked back in several seconds later, with a hand he simply made a few gestures, and she nodded. Once again, he vanished outside, making his way to a small bathing area they had made the first day there.
When he returned, he wore the formal gear appropriate to his ranking, he wore the proper decorations signifying his standing in the overall army, the Golden Guards, and the Legion to which he commanded. He wore, a white cotton vest with a black collar and yellow edging, a dark red shirt, and white pants with dark blue almost black leather boots with golden colored straps wrapped around the leg of the boots. Around his neck, he wore a necklace with beads along the string of several different shades of colors, the majority of which were red, and a few of lighter violet colors. All in all, his appearance seemed to blend together in a perfect harmony. Strapped to his back, was the Iron Fan of the Salamando, even in diplomatic meetings he was not without it. Of course, he had only been in one thusfar, and wasn't sure of the dangers of the land, and needed protection.
When he returned to camp, Chirikoh awaited him, embracing him in a loving hug, which was returned by Tasuki, just as warmly. The two of them have been together since the beginning, both climbing in rank equally, they had become friends from the first day they met over five years ago. But Chirikoh never wanted to command a legion, and so remained just inside of Tasuki's shadow, enough to be hidden, but seen just enough to make herself known. Chirikoh was also second in command of the legion, and despite what people had thought outside of the Golden Flames, the two of them never let their personal lives interfere with their Positions in the Golden Guards.
With the Legion assembled, Tasuki stood before them, going over the inspection process. So far everything was going smoothly, without a hitch. With everything in ship-shape, he nodded, and returned to the head of the Legion, issuing the orders for the day, with that done, the two of them turned, and mounted a pair of horses, riding towards "The Sanctuary" once more.
Negotiations would have to start soon if anything was to be done of the Battle far to the north. Within time they reached the area where the palacial building just appeared before them. The two of them dismounted, and walked to the stairs, ascended and entered the building. He stopped one of the boys running about, and told him to go fetch "Lady Jaeden" little did he know that he already had an encounter with her the day he arrived, the female who "has a name for herself within the building", as he had thought that day. But it was more of a name than he knew.
[Mass Assumptions here]
[Song of choice: One More time: Daft Punk]
When the Lady Jaeden arrives, and has spoken her Greeting, both Tasuki and Chirikoh bow to her, their upper body bending at the waist, their backs straight, and their eyes to the floor, when they arise, Chirikoh takes one step back, and Tasuki begins to speak.
"I am Tasuki Masaku, and this is Chirikoh Nokigawa, we are of the Golden Flames of the Golden Guard, on behalf of King Fortigar of Gellik, to extend to the Master or Mistress of this land, an offering of Alliance."
He spoke in a slightly higher pitched voice, not one that was expected, nor was it really unexpected, but it seemed to fit his body type. the tone of his voice was neither cold, nor was it warm. Never having conducted such a meeting before, save with Rashis Al Faij, this was new, and so he spoke with a medium tone, granting his audience the respect she deserved, but not too much to imply that the kingdom from which he hailed was a push-over.
"My Lord Fortigar sends to you as a token of Good Faith the service of the Golden Flames. They are yours to command as you see fit, whether the alliance is accepted or denied. As my Lord Al Faij inquired previously, My King Fortigar gains nothing Physically from this Alliance, as I see it personally, it is you who gains the most from the possible Alliance."
Chirikoh moved, and gasped as he finished speaking, Tasuki simply lifted his hand slightly and turned his head towards her, a moment later she returned to her position, quiet as before. She coulndn't believe that Fortigar would give his best Legion as a token of friendship between the two, but then she looked fromLady Jaeden to Tasuki, her eyes softening slightly, she now understood why he had remained so quiet these past few days, he too couldn't believe it, though he understood, he just couldn't believe it. And now, he awaited the words from the Mistress of the Land. Chirikoh regained her composure, looking to Lady Jaeden as she had done so before, not at her, nor through her, just towards her. The both of them looking like long lost twins, knowing eachother better than anyone else.
OOC: I don't know how much sense that made, if any, I just spent the past two hours typing this up in "Notepad" (current time is 2:30 am, posting time is: ) and let me tell you my shoulders hurt...from slouching and all...and so do my fingers L Sorry for the length of this as well, but I was trying for a bit more history in the whole thing.
Also, for anyone who even made it this far: I will be online at home: Saturday Morning!!! YAY!! I get the comp back Friday, but I'll be sleeping when it arrives so won't be able to use it til the next morn. Anyhow, I'm outta here for now...ciao! |