Post by Emperor Ninjin Hattori on Jul 12, 2015 1:15:15 GMT -5
The sound of Kuda’s cane clicking against the floor echoed through the large PTO headquarters. The old humanoid whistled and looked around, taking in the splendor that was the newly constructed architecture. Ninjin and a pair of Icejin Imperial guards flanked the elderly man. Kuda had agreed to be followed around by the pair of Icejin, Ninjin still did not have full trust in him. They had been enemies. Bitter enemies and Ninjin had killed the old man in a bloody fight after watching him kill a man in cold blood. But Hell had a way of changing those that it punished and let go. Or at least that was what appeared to have happened for Kuda. Despite the recent turn of events with Ninjin saving his son, and Kuda denouncing the church, Ninjin found he still could not trust him fully. Kuda had understood, and both he and his son Malfurion had agreed to be under constant guard.
“You did all this?” The old man said in an astonished voice. Ninjin nodded, his face a mask of pride.
“It’s quite something. Beta certainly is changing. Much better than the place it used to be. If at the very least aesthetically.”
Kuda had agreed to help Ninjin with his war against the church, and the old necromancer was powerful. Powerful enough that his was not the type of help that Ninjin could just turn down. Having been tortured in hell his powers had been greatly reduced. No longer could he raise the dead, if he ever could in the first place. Ninjin had doubted that Blood and Bile had truly been raised by Kuda, and having gotten out of Heaven, and Kuda coming back from Hell, his theory seemed to be correct. Sorcerer was the better term for the old man, but he couldn’t stop thinking of him as a Necromancer. There was a dark aura over the old humanoid, even if he was pleasant enough now.
They walked through the headquarters and up to the elevator. The doors opened with a sigh and Kuda raised an eyebrow at the Emperor.
“The scientists here are odd, but they are some of the smartest in the galaxy. The Kinigo’s assistance has made some great leaps and bounds for us.”
Kuda nodded and stroked his chin as the four stepped into the elevator.
“The tall armored reptilians. Their technology is something of a marvel. I have seen some of them walking around Beta and Alpha Prime. I have tried to converse with one, but they seem to keep mostly to their selves. I have noticed quite a few of Malice’s race as well.”
The elevator began its ascent and Ninjin nodded with the hint of a smile on the corner of his mouth.
“I have become king of the Iblisian people.”
Kuda nodded and rested both hands on his staff. The news did not seem to surprise him in the least. The guards stood behind him standing at attention though the old man did not seem to be bothered by their presence.
“That makes sense. You are powerful, and they respect power.”
“I went through quite the ordeal in order to claim the throne with any legitimacy.”
“They are a ritualistic people, it is known.”
The elevator door slid open and Ninjin and Kuda walked into the penthouse office. They paused in the entry of the room. Things were strewn about the place as if someone had been looking for something and did not care if anyone knew they had been there. Ninjin tensed and Kuda once again whistled. They quickly searched the area and Ninjin was confused to find nothing missing. The guards stood at alert at the entryway.
“The office does not always look like this correct?” The Saiyan emperor shook his head and gave the old humanoid a look.
“Then I suspect the young Icejin is not always dead on your floor?” The Saiyan’s heart leapt into his throat at the words and he rushed to where Kuda was standing looking down at the floor. As he walked over in his mind he ran through every scenario it could be. Was Aella laying face-down on the floor in a pool of her own blood? Was Boreal, his personal assistant, dead?
The wave of relief nearly shamed him as it passed over him. The young Icejin dead in his office was unknown to him. He wore the clothes of a trainee for the Imperial guard. The flesh around his throat had been torn in a rough single cut, the edges of the wound made Ninjin assume the blade had been serrated. Kuda made a tisking sound with his tongue.
“A sad waste of life.”
Ninjin turned to him with a cocked eyebrow. Kuda simply stared back.
“What? Do you not agree?”
“It is not that, it is just an unusual thing to hear come from you.” The old necromancer looked hurt for a moment and then shrugged.
“As a necromancer I had a great respect for the dead, after experiencing it I have an even greater one. A life such as this snuffed out is tragic indeed.”
They continued to stare at the Icejin body on the floor. Ninjin shrugged and sighed, then stalked over to his desk and pressed the silent alarm button that hid underneath it. Within moments Aella and Boreal rushed into the room. Boreal’s eyes were wide with fear, Aella sauntered over to Ninjin and wrapped her arms around him. They both noticed the body on the floor at the same time.
“Do you know who has done this?” She knelt by the body, but it was clear by the way the throat had been cut and the purple blood all around the floor that he was dead. Boreal had not said a word since laying eyes on the body, but continued to chew on his nails and stare in horror.
“Not a clue, the body was on the floor when Kuda and I and his guards entered.” Aella nodded and stood. Her eyes shifted towards Kuda suspiciously and the old man held up one hand, keeping the other supporting his weight on his staff.
“I have been with my guards and the Emperor all day. It could not have possibly been myself. Nor would I ruin what little trust I’ve built with you all thus far.” Aella nodded. Boreal walked forwards and looked down at the body.
“I knew him.” The timid Icejin said meekly. “His name was Hail. We had been friends when we were little.”
They stared at the body in silence. After a long moment Ninjin walked back over to his desk and pressed another button under the desk. A computer screen flickered into existence, a floating hologram above the desk.
Ninjin tapped a few buttons on the hologram and a video appeared. Two Icejin brutes dragged the smaller Icejin into the penthouse office, the smaller one kicking and screaming, though they could hear no audio on the feed. Boreal looked away but the other three kept their eyes locked on the screen. The two brutes threw the smaller creature and his back smacked hard against Ninjin’s desk. Aella finally looked away as they beat the small creature down and then dragged a jagged dagger over his throat, tearing it exactly as they had found him. The computer flickered out of existence and the six stood in silence.
“Does anyone recognize the two larger Icejin?”
The three shook their head. Boreal and Aella exchanged a glance. Despite the briefness of the glance Ninjin saw it.
“What are you not telling me?”
“M-M-My lord, there have been whispers of a c-c-c-collection of Icejin that do not approve of your rule.” Boreal stuttered the words out and looked as if he was still staring at where the computer had been, replaying the video he had just seen.
“We had planned for that eventuality. How did these two get into my office and why kill the younger Icejin.”
“As to how I can only hazard a guess. Why? The younger was clearly trying out for the Imperial guard, or had already begun training with them. This was a message. No Icejin that support you will be safe from this group.”
The Emperor looked around at the faces of the group. Aella was bitting her lip nervously, Boreal shook with a mixture of fear and anxiety, Kuda stared at the body thoughtfully. The two guards stood by the entrance watching the whole scene.
“This news has not spread. Their message was for me, not for the public.” Ninjin motioned and the guards brought a blanket over and draped it over the corpse.
“A public message would require a public response. To do so would only strengthen the resolve of those Icejin that support you. It would also call into question the groups true love of their own people if they would so willingly kill their own to send you a message.” Ninjin stared at Kuda for a moment. Then he nodded.
“Kuda is right. This message was for me, and for us all. My strength is not something they can challenge, outright. They need to attack from the shadows and take out those that support me that are vulnerable.” The group nodded as one.
“We must keep up our strength, and our appearance. When I took the Iblisian throne there were dissenters. When I was the Saiyan crown-prince there were those Saiyans that did not wish my rule to come to fruition. Dissent is not something I am unfamiliar with, nor is it something I am unprepared for. I have won over a great deal of Beta with the reforming of the PTO and the influx of jobs and improvement to the economy. My strength has won over others.”
Ninjin glanced down at the body covered with the blanket.
“We must also ensure this must never happen again. Double the guard, especially due to the wedding. I am no stranger to enemies.”
Boreal and Kuda nodded and exited the room with the guards to give Aella and Ninjin a moment. Aella put her hand softly on Ninjin’s shoulder as he stared down at the body.
“I will make those that did this pay.”
“My people respect strength, and there are those who perceive you as soft. Anything other than a strong arm response would be unwise.”
“The boy must have justice. There will always be those who do not agree with my rule, but to let an innocent life be snuffed out so mercilessly… I cannot allow that.”
Aella nodded. They stared down together at the body one last time. In his heart Ninjin knew that it would not be the last that died because of him. That had died because of his ways, because of his existence. It was a guilt that he had learned to live with. It had been there since his birth. It was all he could do to try and make the universe a better place for those that simply wished to live in peace. Those that had done things like this, had done terrible things, would pay. Pay like those who had taken his son from him.
(Zeni please)
“You did all this?” The old man said in an astonished voice. Ninjin nodded, his face a mask of pride.
“It’s quite something. Beta certainly is changing. Much better than the place it used to be. If at the very least aesthetically.”
Kuda had agreed to help Ninjin with his war against the church, and the old necromancer was powerful. Powerful enough that his was not the type of help that Ninjin could just turn down. Having been tortured in hell his powers had been greatly reduced. No longer could he raise the dead, if he ever could in the first place. Ninjin had doubted that Blood and Bile had truly been raised by Kuda, and having gotten out of Heaven, and Kuda coming back from Hell, his theory seemed to be correct. Sorcerer was the better term for the old man, but he couldn’t stop thinking of him as a Necromancer. There was a dark aura over the old humanoid, even if he was pleasant enough now.
They walked through the headquarters and up to the elevator. The doors opened with a sigh and Kuda raised an eyebrow at the Emperor.
“The scientists here are odd, but they are some of the smartest in the galaxy. The Kinigo’s assistance has made some great leaps and bounds for us.”
Kuda nodded and stroked his chin as the four stepped into the elevator.
“The tall armored reptilians. Their technology is something of a marvel. I have seen some of them walking around Beta and Alpha Prime. I have tried to converse with one, but they seem to keep mostly to their selves. I have noticed quite a few of Malice’s race as well.”
The elevator began its ascent and Ninjin nodded with the hint of a smile on the corner of his mouth.
“I have become king of the Iblisian people.”
Kuda nodded and rested both hands on his staff. The news did not seem to surprise him in the least. The guards stood behind him standing at attention though the old man did not seem to be bothered by their presence.
“That makes sense. You are powerful, and they respect power.”
“I went through quite the ordeal in order to claim the throne with any legitimacy.”
“They are a ritualistic people, it is known.”
The elevator door slid open and Ninjin and Kuda walked into the penthouse office. They paused in the entry of the room. Things were strewn about the place as if someone had been looking for something and did not care if anyone knew they had been there. Ninjin tensed and Kuda once again whistled. They quickly searched the area and Ninjin was confused to find nothing missing. The guards stood at alert at the entryway.
“The office does not always look like this correct?” The Saiyan emperor shook his head and gave the old humanoid a look.
“Then I suspect the young Icejin is not always dead on your floor?” The Saiyan’s heart leapt into his throat at the words and he rushed to where Kuda was standing looking down at the floor. As he walked over in his mind he ran through every scenario it could be. Was Aella laying face-down on the floor in a pool of her own blood? Was Boreal, his personal assistant, dead?
The wave of relief nearly shamed him as it passed over him. The young Icejin dead in his office was unknown to him. He wore the clothes of a trainee for the Imperial guard. The flesh around his throat had been torn in a rough single cut, the edges of the wound made Ninjin assume the blade had been serrated. Kuda made a tisking sound with his tongue.
“A sad waste of life.”
Ninjin turned to him with a cocked eyebrow. Kuda simply stared back.
“What? Do you not agree?”
“It is not that, it is just an unusual thing to hear come from you.” The old necromancer looked hurt for a moment and then shrugged.
“As a necromancer I had a great respect for the dead, after experiencing it I have an even greater one. A life such as this snuffed out is tragic indeed.”
They continued to stare at the Icejin body on the floor. Ninjin shrugged and sighed, then stalked over to his desk and pressed the silent alarm button that hid underneath it. Within moments Aella and Boreal rushed into the room. Boreal’s eyes were wide with fear, Aella sauntered over to Ninjin and wrapped her arms around him. They both noticed the body on the floor at the same time.
“Do you know who has done this?” She knelt by the body, but it was clear by the way the throat had been cut and the purple blood all around the floor that he was dead. Boreal had not said a word since laying eyes on the body, but continued to chew on his nails and stare in horror.
“Not a clue, the body was on the floor when Kuda and I and his guards entered.” Aella nodded and stood. Her eyes shifted towards Kuda suspiciously and the old man held up one hand, keeping the other supporting his weight on his staff.
“I have been with my guards and the Emperor all day. It could not have possibly been myself. Nor would I ruin what little trust I’ve built with you all thus far.” Aella nodded. Boreal walked forwards and looked down at the body.
“I knew him.” The timid Icejin said meekly. “His name was Hail. We had been friends when we were little.”
They stared at the body in silence. After a long moment Ninjin walked back over to his desk and pressed another button under the desk. A computer screen flickered into existence, a floating hologram above the desk.
Ninjin tapped a few buttons on the hologram and a video appeared. Two Icejin brutes dragged the smaller Icejin into the penthouse office, the smaller one kicking and screaming, though they could hear no audio on the feed. Boreal looked away but the other three kept their eyes locked on the screen. The two brutes threw the smaller creature and his back smacked hard against Ninjin’s desk. Aella finally looked away as they beat the small creature down and then dragged a jagged dagger over his throat, tearing it exactly as they had found him. The computer flickered out of existence and the six stood in silence.
“Does anyone recognize the two larger Icejin?”
The three shook their head. Boreal and Aella exchanged a glance. Despite the briefness of the glance Ninjin saw it.
“What are you not telling me?”
“M-M-My lord, there have been whispers of a c-c-c-collection of Icejin that do not approve of your rule.” Boreal stuttered the words out and looked as if he was still staring at where the computer had been, replaying the video he had just seen.
“We had planned for that eventuality. How did these two get into my office and why kill the younger Icejin.”
“As to how I can only hazard a guess. Why? The younger was clearly trying out for the Imperial guard, or had already begun training with them. This was a message. No Icejin that support you will be safe from this group.”
The Emperor looked around at the faces of the group. Aella was bitting her lip nervously, Boreal shook with a mixture of fear and anxiety, Kuda stared at the body thoughtfully. The two guards stood by the entrance watching the whole scene.
“This news has not spread. Their message was for me, not for the public.” Ninjin motioned and the guards brought a blanket over and draped it over the corpse.
“A public message would require a public response. To do so would only strengthen the resolve of those Icejin that support you. It would also call into question the groups true love of their own people if they would so willingly kill their own to send you a message.” Ninjin stared at Kuda for a moment. Then he nodded.
“Kuda is right. This message was for me, and for us all. My strength is not something they can challenge, outright. They need to attack from the shadows and take out those that support me that are vulnerable.” The group nodded as one.
“We must keep up our strength, and our appearance. When I took the Iblisian throne there were dissenters. When I was the Saiyan crown-prince there were those Saiyans that did not wish my rule to come to fruition. Dissent is not something I am unfamiliar with, nor is it something I am unprepared for. I have won over a great deal of Beta with the reforming of the PTO and the influx of jobs and improvement to the economy. My strength has won over others.”
Ninjin glanced down at the body covered with the blanket.
“We must also ensure this must never happen again. Double the guard, especially due to the wedding. I am no stranger to enemies.”
Boreal and Kuda nodded and exited the room with the guards to give Aella and Ninjin a moment. Aella put her hand softly on Ninjin’s shoulder as he stared down at the body.
“I will make those that did this pay.”
“My people respect strength, and there are those who perceive you as soft. Anything other than a strong arm response would be unwise.”
“The boy must have justice. There will always be those who do not agree with my rule, but to let an innocent life be snuffed out so mercilessly… I cannot allow that.”
Aella nodded. They stared down together at the body one last time. In his heart Ninjin knew that it would not be the last that died because of him. That had died because of his ways, because of his existence. It was a guilt that he had learned to live with. It had been there since his birth. It was all he could do to try and make the universe a better place for those that simply wished to live in peace. Those that had done things like this, had done terrible things, would pay. Pay like those who had taken his son from him.
(Zeni please)