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Post by Zack Asiv on Dec 4, 2021 4:47:15 GMT -8
Marko would answer her this time.
"Matriarch Rhian Hall... 'Dweller in the Manor Hall'. She was kind, regal, and stern. We didn't migrate the the States, the war had us all separated living on our previous orders until we could find a way to return. We are based in Wales, and under her guidance we united the Kingdoms of Wales after the collapse of the Roman Empire's control in the region caused by the previous Matriarch; the Viking invaders, and the northmen into Britons under the First King to rule over all of Wales. No small feat with only four of us to command. It wasn't until the Normans and Edward the first of England began invading Wales that things began to get messy.
She saw the following years of deaths and executions of the royal families and lords as a personal failure, and in the end had to swear fealty to King Edward the first. Even then with three failed rebellions following that, she changed the script and we began our work as Assassins. Finally getting a Welsh lord as King of England through our new methods we truly brought peace and stability to the region. She was always hard on herself, never letting us take the blame for our own failings. Encouraging everyone to grow, but I feel she lingered on things she had no control over."
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Post by Rhona Hall on Dec 4, 2021 5:22:18 GMT -8
Well that last bit stabbed Rhona in the chest. She let out a long breath. But on that note maybe It was time.
“You know… I woke up to my mother packing me a case. Which wasn’t unusual she always insisted things be folded nicely. But she told me I was taking the early transit to where her mother lived lower in the mountains and by a lake. That wasn’t unusual either.”
“I was half asleep and going with the motions I hardly remembered when a practical parade of heavy duty vehicles were stopped from coming through our home near the base of Mt. Olympus.”
“And I was on the train… I spent a whole half a day by the lake when I asked Grandma to let me call home. When she refused I noticed her looking through old photos; she had been crying and she was tired.”
“When I ran out the door… she slammed me against it. She flew from her rocker to behind me faster than I could reach the knob. I fought for hours.”
Rhona looked at each of them. “I don’t think I particularly enjoy that this might have been a reason he sent me away. I always wondered if I just wasn’t dependable. Not once had I ever seen him use his Qi… He spared with me using only his physical abilities. I can’t imagine what reason for the secrets and how he died if he could have been hundreds of years in age and as strong as he was.”
“I almost want to ask where we’re you all… Kirin was near by why wasn’t a message sent out. I don’t anger easy… but this has been one thing I can’t let go. Maybe you were too far away or what ever… but I want to hear it from you all. What you know and why both he and mom and our home burned up that day.”
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Post by Zack Asiv on Dec 4, 2021 15:18:13 GMT -8
The faces of the men all turned down and darkened at the mention of the incident. It was Kirin who felt he had to explain.
"That was not supposed to happen."
He remarked as he placed his food and utensils down.
"Long ago your father requested solitude. To be removed from the family and allowed peaceful living. So his final orders were to live separated from us. Basically locked his Qi away and was allowed to move on. We were all ordered not to interfere or interact until or unless he had a child who accepted their bloodline power. It wasn't that he never used it, he couldn't, and it's not that we didn't help... We couldn't."
To explain Aeser walked over and knelt next to where Rhona was sitting to get at a little below eye level.
"Rhona, focus on my eyes, look to me and tell me with conviction what to do. Focus the flame of your energy into your eyes."
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Post by Rhona Hall on Dec 4, 2021 20:34:59 GMT -8
She heard Kirin and didn’t soften up her frame or face she eyed Aeser as he walked over and when he told her what to do she turned in her seat to face him a leg in each side of the bench seat. But also a hand slowly gripped his shoulder as her gaze would have burned holes in his eyes of the had the power to do so. Her grip was firm but not threatening. Honestly if he was lying she wanted to see it in his eyes or feel it in his body.
“I want to know if all of this is the truth or not.”
It made sense to her, it came together well with what she knew. Rhona was never going to leave their spot on the mountain until fate plucked her from it. But that wasn’t the point she. Wanted to know if it was true and that she could trust these people who called her family.
“Children will tell your story.”
He said that to her the day he put her in charge of the newest batch of younger students. For you see Rhona given her long hours spent at home with extra practice to her fathers teachings got ahead of her progress and was just a few years younger than those who were about to complete their trainings.
The last step was to see if the could venture up and get a taste of what the mountain had to offer a trip fifty miles to a plateau where the air just started to get thinner. For kids slightly younger than twenty or so it was a challenge. But once completed they were free to challenge the rest or go along other paths.
Rhona didn’t go with the rest of them she stayed home and was told to teach the kids. She hated it she wanted to “go for glory and be known throughout history”
“History is told by its children and children will tell your story… don’t make a bad impression.”
She hated it she was angry at him for it. She was a strict teacher but she taught well and the kids thought she was cool. She had taught many of the younger classes before and was happy to help.
He had already lived a long time by the sound of it. Mom was not the kind of wife to leave her husband. Not that she couldn’t because of love or anything but she was that dutiful a wife. She was prepared to die in battle if it meant her husband was going to do the same.
Rhona was going to complete her training when her father said she was ready and took her to that plateau and she was going straight up the rest of the way. And obviously she was not ready she found that out when she went through all this up to this point. It was not her right to claim.
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Post by Zack Asiv on Dec 4, 2021 20:44:05 GMT -8
When she spoke her command she would notice it carried different in the wind, the language she spoke with that eye contact was not english, nor likely any other language she knew of, but she knew what she said. So did the others. Rhona would see Aeser's eyes turn to slits suddenly as a vein popped up in his forehead. Suddenly a somewhat robotic response would force its way passed Aeser's lips no matter what he wanted to do, or thought at this moment he was nothing but a puppet. A drone to her wish to be told that this was all reality, the truth.
"It is the truth. We are bound by the words of the Matriarch."
He would be stuck there, jaw hanging open as his eyes began to turn red, unable to blink, only able to stare at her eyes. A trance of utter obedience and loyality fallen over him as it seemed the only thing Aeser cared for anymore was anything she would say. Not to blink, not to breath, only to serve. Marko would speak up.
"To release him from your command tell him to be as he was."
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Post by Rhona Hall on Dec 4, 2021 21:31:18 GMT -8
The way her voice sounded and Aeser responded actually frightened her to the core. Without knowing all of what was going on all of the sudden it was hard to make sense of. Her hand jerked from his shoulder and a knee came onto the bench seat to protect her front.
“Gods no I didn’t…! She registered Marko’s words about as quickly as they were said “As you were!”
Assuming that was all it took Aeser would receive a rather hard left hook to the arm.
She took a moment to think carefully about her words. “Was that the ritual? That was downright sneaky. I can sense honestly in a genuine truth just as fine as anyone.” She faced forward in her seat and looked to the others. She was hoping to get that kind of confirmation without forcing it out of them like that. It was one thing to have trust without forcing it. She felt she wouldn’t have a close connection with her family if it turned out for the better and she forced it with what ever this power might give her.
“I’m sorry… sorry… I want expecting that.” She looked back at Aeser. “You were just so… I don’t know the right word but you were just enslaved by my words. I expected maybe it was instinct or something… not… hypnotized beyond control. Please tell me you can fight it if you wanted to?”
She could tell them to straight off themselves and they’d just puppet to it in a state like that.
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Post by Zack Asiv on Dec 4, 2021 21:45:54 GMT -8
Aeser shook his head blinking and rubbed his arm when struck with a bit of a chuckle to it. He knew it was likely a frightening experience, but one he felt necessary. Her command would once more be in that odd language, with the flow on the wind if she noticed. He would stand and put a hand on her shoulder with a smile.
"It was one of the rituals we call it an Alpha Ritual, to cement an unbreaking command. It's the peak of the power a female of our bloodline holds over the others. Used to keep secrets, stop fights, or grant solitude."
He'd shake his head at her apology.
"I know you have a sharp wit and would of been able to tell truth from lies if I'd of just said it, but you needed to see that. The kind of thing we are told to do is not something we can disobey without repercussion. If we fight against an order the pain in our heads is so severe we could lose consciousness or cause brain damage."
Theo would nod.
"Thats the kind of command Kirin was under, the kind of command your father was under. To prevent your dad from going feral."
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Post by Rhona Hall on Dec 4, 2021 22:13:54 GMT -8
Her hand went to her chest and another gripped the table for support as she almost felt like she could fall back. She felt flat cold in a level of relief she achieved hearing that.
“So that’s not going to happen every time…” she said breathlessly. “Good gods have mercy on me.”
She leaned forward once more and rested elbows on the table resting her chin in her hands. She took some breaths to compose herself.
“How strange to imagine maybe another thousand years of life compared to maybe another eighty. Either way I’ve suddenly found myself on the lucky side of the coin after a long while of unlucky flips.” She looked to each of them the confirmation and confidence she needed was all confirmed. “Thank you guys… really. Even if it included all of that the end result was I know I can trust you and enjoy being apart of a family again.”
And she can finally put her parents death to rest. It’s not like who ever killed them had much now that the world was destroyed. And having more answers than questions satisfied her anger on the matter.
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Post by Zack Asiv on Dec 5, 2021 0:55:08 GMT -8
Sly would slap down his drink after chugging it and laughed when she said her piece.
"Yes! Family cousin. We are your family and we can finally openly be family!"
Sly usually expected some sort of noises of irritation from the others when he got loud and boisterous, but this time... He got words of approval, agreements, and a couple 'I'll drink to that'. They'd all share a laugh in the end to that.
Aeser would sit and look to Rhona once more.
"I'm glad we were able to answer your questions and put you at ease a little with circumstances out of our control... I wonder if you have any thoughts as to what you would use us for? With the Blades apparently becoming a thing and portals opening to other dimensions unleashing creatures on this world... Would you have us do anything?"
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Post by Rhona Hall on Dec 5, 2021 1:20:10 GMT -8
She tapped Sly with the back of her knuckles on his shoulder and smiled wide. “Took me long enough am I right.” She chuckled.
Sly felt closer to her age than the rest that and his boisterous ways seemed to connect with her. honestly she might almost see Aeser and Marko as more elder figures even if they were also cousins they felt more like uncles or grandparents in perspective. Kirin she felt already close to even if she hardly knew him she felt he knew her enough to understand. And she’s still trying to get a peg on Theo. He looked closer to Kirin’s age physically maybe about twenty-five or thirty.
She placed a hand on her stomach where a couple of scars from the blades had pierced her and took her Qi.
“There is a lot to do… when I was stabbed by the black blades it took my Qi… which was just as well because according to Saer here,” she pointed at the Symbiote on her arm. “…it wasn’t my Qi anyway. Using it caused more harm than good to my body. So I’m not upset about it anymore.”
“Me and a few others did find a survivor from our land pop through one of those portals. We can talk to him and see what information we could get… but he is Prota and is with other Protaens if you have a problem with any of that? The other portals have not been a huge problem for the Metas already present keep sending them back but the fact they keep coming at random is weird. Weird however might not constitute a priority.”
“You know what…” she waved a hand. “Did you guys see anything strange on the Arc? Or maybe know who caused all that devastation? Assuming you might have known of a being that powerful?”
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Post by Zack Asiv on Jan 8, 2022 11:04:35 GMT -8
The group discussed things they saw, heard, and smelled that day, but no one could really pinpoint exactly what happened.
"We've also been cut off from the previous Matriarch since the war of Attrition made it nearly impossible to communicate beyond the sea or our borders. From our understanding as well the strongest being out there was John Strike the leader of Prota, but even he died on the Arc."
Kirin put it all together as far as they knew.
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Post by Rhona Hall on Jan 9, 2022 1:17:47 GMT -8
“Hm… then maybe our attacker was not of our world. If this world existed along side our own then it make sense there would be more.” She shrugged. “Unless they knew to stay under the radar somehow.”
“You know…” she plucked the straw from her cup add began to chew on it she was finished with her food and was satiated. “Maybe we should kind of watch over the kids. They’ve got no one else looking after them except Professor Xeph. And there are probably more out in the world. They are from our home and I feel somewhat like we need to be responsible for them. Some don’t know anything except this world and they’ll need guidance with their own developmental progress, some vastly different than others. I fear without that guidance they’ll be lost and used.”
“Father with his teachings were not restricted to what he and mother knew. But he did know a lot of people and if he wasn’t and expert he knew someone who was and would arrange for them to come and visit if a kid needed help with their own progress. While I don’t think we can afford to be that individualized we can put them in a path where they can be themselves freely. They don’t belong here but they can’t go back either. Some might could even use history only you would be able to recall.”
“So I think for now let’s help and look after them and find anything or anyone who might threaten them. This could include Powered forces, rogue militias, top organizations, or official enforcement. If anyone comes with the intent to harm I think we could do well and be their first defense. You know your skills better than I do, I’ll leave you to your devices with that goal in mind, until I learn more about you.” She looked to each of them for an approval or a response. “If anyone has anything they want to add or discuss, I’m all ears.”
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Post by Zack Asiv on Jan 25, 2022 0:25:16 GMT -8
They all agreed with those standing orders. Seemed it was a guardianship they would be taking on this time. Everyone was cool with it, until Sly spoke up.
"You know. Been smelling a LOT of new stuff lately. Mostly where those portals are popping up... It's almost to the point I might be able to predict them based on smell."
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Post by Rhona Hall on Jan 25, 2022 3:50:55 GMT -8
That did peak her interest a bit. She did mention the Metas at the beach we’re handling the portals pretty well but what if something changes? What if the portals got bigger or moved farther from the beach even? If it becomes troublesome then it could very well effect the academy just the same.
“That is a super cool and important ability you can possibly do and I’ve got a few ideas. Like first of if you can monitor and keep track of them and let’s build some data on placement, size, frequency, vs what comes through with estimated power levels and possible difference of origin that would be great. The metas at the beach seem to be keeping them at bay but if they need help we can offer some back up.” She stopped and stared at her cousin as if she wanted to ask Sly something and thought hard on if it was even ok to do so.
She decided to just go for it. “Um… quick question… are you Unique from the rest? I mean I’ve just picked up a few slight mentioned pointers on how you are treated… differently.”
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