Dragonball M, Chapter 4: Kidnapping! Invasion! A new Threat Strikes First!

[grampagen]

The Admiral was silent for a moment, measuring the Heralds words.

They were found wanting. They were not untrue in their entirety---The path of conquest was walked by many races, and it was simply an unfortunate reality. Even the Nevadian Federation, despite it's more amicable methods was forced to admit that a velvet glove must always conceal an iron fist. The nature of war was often an extension of politics, after all.

The Herald was unable to make the distinction anyways. If one seeks the path of the most bloodshed, they all must, in his eyes. There was no gradient, only conquered and conqueror. Was this what their God had hammered into their skulls over the countless ages?

The Nevadian imagined that even presenting the notion of good intentions, mutual interest, or even conditional help--beyond the derranged help Blacktongue offered---among neighbors in the stars would take time to even be contemplated among the Reshlan people.


Good Grief...Setting up a deal with these people will be pain enough, let alone their technological detriments...But the fear Auroc stitched into their minds.....I'm almost beginning to wonder if whatever they have to offer would be worth it. Well, it is...And would be the right thing to do regardless.

"You really are a pitiable man." Held replied his tone one of resignation, "I was hoping there might be something to you other than this fearful, xenophobic zeal and the hubris to think that you could bring peace to a universe that your God lacked the courage to even speak with on terms that were near parity..."

He shook his head slightly, as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"..That's to say nothing of this delusion that your 'conversion' helped anything other than that desire of your master to conquer and dominate, and nothing else---Your afterlife may be amazing, if Auroc was anything other than a fraudulent god-- but you did nothing for your people in the here and now."

He idly shifted the screen on his data pad, and an image of Blacktongue with an intricate report came into view.

"Had you been able to see even a single flaw in your ways, we might have be able to come to terms one day...I was hoping you had something to offer the galaxy--or even your own people--anything other than ambitions that lead to...."

He gestured with his free hand towards the ruined outskirts of town where aid was being administered.

"This."

....Although, I should have expected as much. My Purity Aura wouldn't have decimated him as badly as it did if it had been otherwise...

"As things are, I can say that you are certainly a very grave threat if left to your own devices...My eyes cannot see the future, but I suggest you steel yourself for the years to come."

It was truly an unfortunate fate. Even if he did not find himself executed by the GP for his crimes, his freedom would be reduced to nil for countless ages, a fate the Nevadian would not wish on anyone. Absently, the Nevadian wondered if simply lobbying for his execution would be a mercy of some sorts.

But it would hardly bring about justice, nor understanding. Perhaps by becoming a prisoner himself, the Herald would come to understand the fate his arrival visited upon so many others.

The Admiral keyed in a final command in The Heralds file, before closing it. Two other files appeared, of the Knight, and the High Priestess.

His eyes shifted to the two bound comrades of the Herald.

"And what of you two? Is he still your herald? Are you all of one mind on these matters? If so, simply say it and save me the time of having to bang my head against two more walls."

Lord Markus Blacktongue, fingers splayed over the hole pierced in his armour, merely sat still as he bled before his Queen and Held.

"To serve Our People, I did whatever was necessary to keep them safe. Only now do We hear that Auroc's Light was but a shadow, when the interests of the Crown align with Offworld interests?" The Herald grinned mockingly, his reflective laughter filled with as much derision and pain. "Show me, Son of Nevadia, what will grow in the shadow of this ruin that was Our capital."

"Our god left us." The High Priestess Cin knelt over the stone, While she wept no more, the deathly air of mourning carried itself over her dull eyes, those that had once seen and carried a vision. Now she knelt here in the cornerstone of that power that had elevated her and so many others beyond mortal reckoning, a think she she knew, beyond mere faith, had been tangibly real - and held as the truth.

"Without one word...he abandoned us..."

Cin had no words for Blacktongue, only tears dried in dull streaks down her sable face for the death of the only truth her sisterhood had ever known. With no insight to some grand, future design, what could a Herald possibly do?

By this time, the Silver Knight Canin in his ragged armor of ash and slag had long since surrendered his sword to his juniour.

"My blade is relinquished, as is my oath to a court which never was," he spoke plainly. "I raised the rune sword to fell our enemies and protect our lands, yet I could do little to protect my own. Therefore, all that remains to me now is my honour."

Blacktongue stirred, and the Silver Knight turned about face, adding harsely "And nobody may speak to that matter, but me."

The ruin of a man, stiff in his armour, turned his helm towards the Admiral then.

"Nevadian, I won't fight you. In defeat, it is not my place to reach terms, the fate of our lands lies with the Queen. Yet even if this world has no place for a knight sworn to his own word, I cannot support you, either."

[grampagen]

The portal grows from a pea size back to a dinner plate size. The drone is gone however.

"Cheh"

Too late to stop the departure of the drone, he had, at the very least stopped the closure of the portal. Its methodology had been conspicuously similar to what he'd encountered before in the Geofront.

So you've moved beyond diverting energy, the material can now make its passage through a Void Tunnel...

While it seemed an impromptu burst of Hozon from the artifact had preserved its condition, staring at that yawning hole of folded space, it drove him to the edge of boiling over to know the answers he sought lay just across this passage, but for the inability to gain ground over the narrow edges of the portal.

There is no way to make use of this damn thing for now...but it may serve as a lead if we can preserve it.

His examination gave him enough information to, at least, find a direction to both Khoolis and - far more urgently - Cortis II.

But the fact remained: This portal led to the lair of the Remnant. It would be a task to see to later.

"Etrina," he hailed over the communicator. "There is a matter of some urgency I wish to discuss with you."

[grampagen]

Parsley burst into laughter. "Ah Zaofan, you're so funny!" she choked out through her laughter.

Slowly, his limbs unkinked, but in his self-imposed, high-rush order mindset, Zaofan's heart and mind were still running far faster than his mouth.

A fact he became all too aware of once he set his feet back on the ground, and, leaning over the table, he sucked in a big inhale before letting it all out at once.

"YURFH FRAGIN APPUR PIEDEN RARSHLE~!!!"

Zaofan's face shocked pale, until he sucked in another breath.

Dash came up from behind, not wanting to get between the two love-birds moment of fun.

Once things had settled down, "Hey, Zaofan!" Dash smiled at him, "Ah hope there is somethin left for as well." Dash looked at the table with hungry eyes.

After a moment, with a few steady breaths, the gibberish began to leave him and finally Zaofan pulled words from his gasps of fright.

"...our food is arranged as first-come, first serve, but I'm running low because it's a relief effort," he stammered, lifting a shaking hand to point to the side. "There might still be some desserts pies on that end."

As she calmed down, Etrina's voice floated in from behind her. She turned to greet her. "Oh? Back from your magical treasure hu-"

Her emerald eyes beheld... pointy ears and... green eyes. The human mage had clearly gotten herself into something. Parsley could taste the magic all over her. And it tasted different than Etrina's usual temporal magic. This mana tasted more... mythical. That was likely not the right word, but it was the most apt description.

Regardless, Etrina clearly did something stupid and paid the price for it.

What Parsley was presented with was an opportunity to have even more fun than she just had with Zaofan.

In an instant, Parsley was in front of the young mage, gently pinching her teeny little pixie ears. "Oh my Goodness," she squealed like a mother watching her little child do something cutesy. "Look at your wittle ears! They are so adorable~!" Every word spoken was sincere...

...ly mocking Etrina for being a big dope and getting into something she didn't understand.

Drawn by the smell of good food and trying her hardest to escape the grating thought in the back of her head that she'd return to a crater with Inanna lounging happily at the center, Etrina finally arrived at the makeshift lunch area....just in time to catch Parsleys return and the attempt to bully her future husband for lunch.

...nobody bullied her future husband but her.

"Zaofan, I couldn't help but notice you've bee..." Her stomach growled, cutting off her casual introduction. "I couldn't hel..."

*growl*

"I.."

*GROWL*

"...may I have some food."

Ah, that voice. Such authority! So much below the surface! With a measure of relief when he heard Etrina, Zaofan had produced a plate that had seemed, curiously, pre-prepared to rather exacting specifications.

"How could I ever say no to my-"

Parsley had pushed her way between them, fondling a set of particularly set ears.

"...I mean," he mumbled, "here is a...prepared for your pointiness-"

As his hands flit a vinaigrette over the greens and drizzled pan sauce over a choice cut, his eyes bugged out of his head as they locked into hers with a certain amount of bewitchment.

Were they always so dark? And her face so bright? The wall-eyed stare was broken only by the wrinkling of his nose and blinking at a faint, sparkling light he couldn't quite figure out if he'd imagined or not. ...it's oddly dusty, isn't it?

Clearing off a section of empty platters, he set up a tray and a tea service, and waved Etrina on in.

"...of course you can have some food, Mixie-I mean, Mistress."

[bruceleegreyhulk]

"Um, what was that?" Dash looked around but all she saw was



Praxat. "Hey, Prax, if you want something to eat you'd better hurry up." She then kept pace with Etrina, looking for Zaofan as she did.

Spotting the food by now, Praxat closes her mouth and hurries to grab a plate, which she puts food on, which she neatly separates. Praxat then grabs a spoon, fork, knife, and a bunch of napkins. She goes to a table and neatly sets all but one napkin on the table using various napping folding techniques.

Then she places her plate and utensils on the napkins set on the table. Praxat sits down and neatly places the remaining napkin on her lap.

[MrSandman]

Spotting the food by now, Praxat closes her mouth and hurries to grab a plate, which she puts food on, which she neatly separates. Praxat then grabs a spoon, fork, knife, and a bunch of napkins. She goes to a table and neatly sets all but one napkin on the table using various napping folding techniques.

Then she places her plate and utensils on the napkins set on the table. Praxat sits down and neatly places the remaining napkin on her lap.

While Praxet is distracted settings up the napkins on her lap, Erosa springs like a trap door spider from the other side of the table, gobbles down all the food that Praext had piled on his plates, and retreats without making a single sound. When Praxet looks back up, all she can see are empty plates and an inconspicuous cardboard box against the other side of the table.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

While Praxet is distracted settings up the napkins on her lap, Erosa springs like a trap door spider from the other side of the table, gobbles down all the food that Praext had piled on his plates, and retreats without making a single sound. When Praxet looks back up, all she can see are empty plates and an inconspicuous cardboard box against the other side of the table.

Praxat notices that her food is gone. ( Dammit, someone ate my food, now my plate is cover in disgusting germs. I can't eat off this. Shit, I can almost see in nearly 360 degrees and, yet, I can't look up or down without having to bend my body,) Praxat thought.

Praxat then grabs another plate and puts food on it. Then sits back down at the table. Praxat uses a fork and spoon to hold her food in place while using a knife to cut it into neatly small portions. Praxat then uses her fork to place the small portions of food in her mouth and swallows them whole one at a time.

As she does this, her eyes close and open. After eating, Praxat doesn't notice the cardboard box at first, but when she does, Praxat flicks her tongue rapidly in and out of her mouth. As she rapidly opens and closes it. Doing this, Praxat collects scent molecules and chemicals with her tongue and her tongue deposits these scent molecules and chemicals into her Vomeronasal organ on the roof of her mouth.

Then this organ in her mouth analyzes the scent molecules and chemicals to give Praxat information on what could be in the inconspicuous cardboard box base on the scent or scents analyze.

[MrSandman]

Praxat notices that her food is gone. ( Dammit, someone ate my food, now my plate is cover in disgusting germs. I can't eat off this. Shit, I can almost see in nearly 360 degrees and, yet, I can't look up or down without having to bend my body,) Praxat thought.

Praxat then grabs another plate and puts food on it. Then sits back down at the table. Praxat uses a fork and spoon to hold her food in place while using a knife to cut it into neatly small portions. Praxat then uses her fork to place the small portions of food in her mouth and swallows them whole one at a time.

As she does this, her eyes close and open. After eating, Praxat doesn't notice the cardboard box at first, but when she does, Praxat flicks her tongue rapidly in and out of her mouth. As she rapidly opens and closes it. Doing this, Praxat collects scent molecules and chemicals with her tongue and her tongue deposits these scent molecules and chemicals into her Vomeronasal organ on the roof of her mouth.

Then this organ in her mouth analyzes the scent molecules and chemicals to give Praxat information on what could be in the inconspicuous cardboard box base on the scent or scents analyze.

As praxet moves his face close, scooping up air with her tounge, there is a shudder beneath the lid. She can just barely detect the smell of something....she need only move head her a little closer and all would be revealed.

Slowly, the lid was pushed upwards....little by little.....until praxet could see a pale moon in the pitch darkness of the box. Then a sound akin to the ripping and tearing of some demonic beast sounding in unison with a blast of hot, foul smelling air so hot and rancid that every bit of moisture on Praxets face and tongue instantly evaporated and her Vomeronasal organ shriveled up into the roof of her mouth in desperate escape.

The box lid immediately snapped shut afterwards.

[Yun Lao]

How long had it been since those days of peace?

The question was laughable for he knew that he had been the only one of his kind who had felt the warmth of kindness and the strength of friendship. He longed for both again, like a thirsty man in a desert, the promise alone had been enough to keep him sane in this living hell. While not the realm of the damned itself, this world trapped within the void was surely its closest kin. Ever since their ancestors had doomed them to the void of hatred and despair, they had set upon one another for what little resources were left. Whatever crops they may have grown long ago withered under the dull orange and blood-red twilight that was their skies, and their waters had become polluted by blood and ash. Despite this, they did not die but instead languished in the throes of hunger and dehydration.

It was ironic, that those within the Dead Zone could not die... or at least by natural means.

Most of them had turned to cannibalism, growing more and more feral with each generation. He might have become the same had he never known what laid beyond the veil of what imprisoned them here. No, that wasn't right. It had been so long that he had forgotten who he had been before his brief glimpse of the other realm. He had been... or rather still was royalty. The child of a despot who had hoarded all of the remaining resources, he had been haughty back then, believing himself above all others. How the kami had found him to be pure of heart back then was beyond his comprehension, but he was thankful to her and the others. Because of their kindness, he had the strength to brave this hell.

He would purge this rot from the very core of the Makyō Star.

The veil between the Dead Zone and reality was growing weak and soon would the demonic planet return to the skies and to fail was to unleash his kind onto a universe already plagued with enough trouble.

Drifting thoughts settled as he felt a shift in his step. No longer did he tread upon lifeless dirt and stone, but rather the black, blood-soaked brimstone road he knew to lead to Tartarus, the only remaining city of Makyō. Soon enough he would reach those gore-slick gates where the heads of his father's foes were spiked atop.

How long had it been since he had seen that man?

Memories of cruelty rose to mind, how that mad man had pitted him against his siblings for his amusement. How many of his family had he slaughtered for that beast's amusement? The rage of vengeance boiled his blood, but he tempered it with the knowledge that he would gain nothing with revenge. The king would fall, but for a greater reason that settling a grievance.

"Who goes there?!" A shrill voice cried out, drawing his attention to the pack of jackals his father called guards that quickly approached the gates, "You approach Tartarus, city of the King, Tartar!" It was apparent that it had been some time since a coherent being had approached the gates as the guards' appearance seemed rushed, their movements sluggish as if they had been lounging around. It didn't matter, he did not need their permission to enter. Placing his hand upon the gates, the metal buckled before both swung inward, tearing themselves off their hinges and hitting the ground, their grisly adornments scattering across the brimstone. "You dare?!" The shrill guard cried out, jagged fangs bared, "Kill hi--?!" Seizing the creature by its face, his grip tightened, its skull giving way to his fingertips with ease. The body squirmed in his grasp, although it was questionable if it by conscious choice or just the random movements of a nervous system misfiring. Loosening his hold, he dropped the guard whose face, now misshapen, quickly grew covered in bloody froth.

"Tell your king that his son has returned," He declared to the rest of the guards who were caught between their fight or flight instincts. They would find no easy prey to torment and exploit with him, something they had rarely encountered aside from their superiors.

"Hmph! You act as if you were father's only born. The nerve of you!"

Another approach from the direction the guards had came, this one familiar, yet it was not one he had previously known. A younger sibling? It was not out of the question that the tyrant would produce another batch after his own, but the thought of having the slay anymore made him nauseous, "This has nothing to do with you. I must see father..."

"So you can kill him? You would not be the first to turn against him, brother..." She said, the last word spoken with heavy venom, "You will have to go through I, Aioli Tartarus, to reach him."

"Your loyalty will only be rewarded with betrayal, but so be it..."

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

'Meet me outside. We need to talk,' she transmitted to the woman.

"About what?" Came the question, as Inanna appeared with a 'pop'. "Before you answer that... if it is potentially problematic, I might recommend moving somewhere less," the woman stared at all the Threshling seemingly just... standing around. "Exposed."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"About what?" Came the question, as Inanna appeared with a 'pop'. "Before you answer that... if it is potentially problematic, I might recommend moving somewhere less," the woman stared at all the Threshling seemingly just... standing around. "Exposed."

Seeking a private area was wise. Parsley didn't want to speak in front of these civilians; not when what she wanted to talk about was above their heads. "A few things. Just a moment." She stepped from Inanna and Etrina and walked to the table with the desserts. She picked up an apple pie and a fork. Mm, still warm, she cooed to herself.

"Follow me," she said before taking off and flying a short ways to a secluded area. She landed and immediately started devouring the succulent, delightful, and scrumptious pie. "You probably noted I was missing for some time," she started when her sister-in-law eventually landed. "Auroc had a teleportation serum in his store room. I, perhaps foolishly, believed it would permanently give me teleportation, but sadly no. It took me to the planet Lugh, in Universe 16. The Rookery, to be precise. It has the appearance of a typical intergalactic cantina; this is, naturally, just a front. In a secret room, there's a group of a dozen small Majin who run a clandestine spy network across at least three universes: 15, 16, and 18. Auroc paid them to scry different targets. I didn't bother to ask since i figure you'll be going there yourself."

She paused and ate another quarter of the pie. Between her magic "lesson" with Caliban and that stupid fruit that stole...something from her, she was famished. Plus, she never got the chance to eat anything after the battle. Expending that much energy always left her starving.

"Night is their current client. He's been spying on the Saiyan throne room and Sarada. I intend on going back to confront him face to face."

[Tami]

Back at the buffet, Dash puts down her plate and stands up. Walking away from the others, once far enough not to be noticed she activates the invisibility watch Praxat gave her.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Seeking a private area was wise. Parsley didn't want to speak in front of these civilians; not when what she wanted to talk about was above their heads. "A few things. Just a moment." She stepped from Inanna and Etrina and walked to the table with the desserts. She picked up an apple pie and a fork. Mm, still warm, she cooed to herself.

"Follow me," she said before taking off and flying a short ways to a secluded area. She landed and immediately started devouring the succulent, delightful, and scrumptious pie. "You probably noted I was missing for some time," she started when her sister-in-law eventually landed. "Auroc had a teleportation serum in his store room. I, perhaps foolishly, believed it would permanently give me teleportation, but sadly no. It took me to the planet Lugh, in Universe 16. The Rookery, to be precise. It has the appearance of a typical intergalactic cantina; this is, naturally, just a front. In a secret room, there's a group of a dozen small Majin who run a clandestine spy network across at least three universes: 15, 16, and 18. Auroc paid them to scry different targets. I didn't bother to ask since i figure you'll be going there yourself."

She paused and ate another quarter of the pie. Between her magic "lesson" with Caliban and that stupid fruit that stole...something from her, she was famished. Plus, she never got the chance to eat anything after the battle. Expending that much energy always left her starving.

Inanna sighed, and pinched the bridge of her nose... with the 'new' arm.

"Between this, and the new magical dimension I've recently been made aware of, that's two more things. Though the Rookery can at least be crossed off of the list." After a pause to digest the rest of the information- Majins, and Night- the woman muttered a string of expletives before continuing. "Okay so, I will definitely be visiting this dimension. Now... Please, please tell me that's the extent of it. A bunch of Majins running a spy network is interesting, but hardly enough to alter my current schedule; and as far immediate concerns are... concerned, I've got a new a-"

"Night is their current client. He's been spying on the Saiyan throne room and Sarada. I intend on going back to confront him face to face."

"... riiiight. Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Inanna replied. "Last thing I need is another losing fight. I still need to take some time to appraise the energy I pilfered from Night, and you've yet to get him what you promised you would. I believe." Not that Inanna exactly remembered that at the moment, occupied as she was with simply getting away from that... thing as fast as possible; she'd not much listened to their foolish agreement. Of course, Parsley certainly remembered it.

"Unless you want him to rip out your eyes?"

[KingofPie]

"Make way, move aside," Sasheem wanted to the dismay of several Threshlings he rudely bumped out of the way in order for him to get his own plate (or three) of food. "Think you'd be more grateful to the heroes that saved your..."

Sasheem trailed off, noting the odd looks he was receiving from the Threshing populace. He blinked. More than likely it was due to the resemblance he had to the god that formerly enthralled them, he felt he was receiving looks of fear he was unused to. It was a more contemplative kind of fear, an unsure and somber worry as if Sasheem's very existence was a reminder of the being who had held their hearts and minds on marionette strings..... BOOOOOORRRIIIIIIING!

"Oh, wouldn't a look at the big bunch of stupid babies!" He mocked. "Sasheem doesn't know why yer all starin' slack jawed when we all know you were on her hands and knees kowtowing before a chewed up wad of gum, goin' 'Oh Mister Auroc, we're so lost without you! Do our homework, tie our shoelaces, chew our food for us!' Bleh!" Sasheem scoffed, dropping the particularly demeaning falsetto tone he'd used to insult them all in.

"Paaaa-thetic! Next time you trip yourselves up getting your minds melted into mush by an ancient piles of shit, at least you know who to call...too bad Sasheem doesn't work pro-bono," the Majin shrugged, before plucking pieced of food off of a dozen Threshing plates to add it to his own, before he casually walked off, cackling to the sounds of Threshlings, who had gone from being trepidatious to outright baking their fists in anger.

[MrSandman]

In an instant, Parsley was in front of the young mage, gently pinching her teeny little pixie ears. "Oh my Goodness," she squealed like a mother watching her little child do something cutesy. "Look at your wittle ears! They are so adorable~!" Every word spoken was sincere...

...ly mocking Etrina for being a big dope and getting into something she didn't understand.

"Gahh! Unhand my ears, they're very sensitive right now....No wait, forget I said anything!" Etrina throws the Saiyans grabby hands off her and shufflesteps away with her hands raised in defense. "There is nothing adorable about a master mage...especially not my ears."

Ah, that voice. Such authority! So much below the surface! With a measure of relief when he heard Etrina, Zaofan had produced a plate that had seemed, curiously, pre-prepared to rather exacting specifications.

"How could I ever say no to my-"

Parsley had pushed her way between them, fondling a set of particularly set ears.

"...I mean," he mumbled, "here is a...prepared for your pointiness-"

Etrinas eyebrow twitched violently and all thought of parsley left her as she spun around to face her betroth with a sparkling smile and glowing aura.

As his hands flit a vinaigrette over the greens and drizzled pan sauce over a choice cut, his eyes bugged out of his head as they locked into hers with a certain amount of bewitchment.

Were they always so dark? And her face so bright? The wall-eyed stare was broken only by the wrinkling of his nose and blinking at a faint, sparkling light he couldn't quite figure out if he'd imagined or not. ...it's oddly dusty, isn't it?

Clearing off a section of empty platters, he set up a tray and a tea service, and waved Etrina on in.

"...of course you can have some food, Mixie-I mean, Mistress."

"Ahah....Oh Zaofan." Etrina chuckled, her face beaming with disguised happiness even as she lifted her foot so casually upwards, until her leg rested almost vertically and....had she been wearing anything more risky, would have provided the cook a generous view before axe kicking his skull down into the dirt with the force of a small asteroid impact.

"Zaofan dear....I'll trust you to be more careful with your words from now on." She bend down and patted his earth buried head.

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

"Make way, move aside," Sasheem wanted to the dismay of several Threshlings he rudely bumped out of the way in order for him to get his own plate (or three) of food. "Think you'd be more grateful to the heroes that saved your..."

Sasheem trailed off, noting the odd looks he was receiving from the Threshing populace. He blinked. More than likely it was due to the resemblance he had to the god that formerly enthralled them, he felt he was receiving looks of fear he was unused to. It was a more contemplative kind of fear, an unsure and somber worry as if Sasheem's very existence was a reminder of the being who had held their hearts and minds on marionette strings..... BOOOOOORRRIIIIIIING!

"Oh, wouldn't a look at the big bunch of stupid babies!" He mocked. "Sasheem doesn't know why yer all starin' slack jawed when we all know you were on her hands and knees kowtowing before a chewed up wad of gum, goin' 'Oh Mister Auroc, we're so lost without you! Do our homework, tie our shoelaces, chew our food for us!' Bleh!" Sasheem scoffed, dropping the particularly demeaning falsetto tone he'd used to insult them all in.

"Paaaa-thetic! Next time you trip yourselves up getting your minds melted into mush by an ancient piles of shit, at least you know who to call...too bad Sasheem doesn't work pro-bono," the Majin shrugged, before plucking pieced of food off of a dozen Threshing plates to add it to his own, before he casually walked off, cackling to the sounds of Threshlings, who had gone from being trepidatious to outright baking their fists in anger.

Voyavoda had gone from reminiscing to something far more enjoyable--entertaining a (rather sizeable) group of Threshling children with, effectively... fireworks. It was a simple trick... a snap here, a small little burst of fire-infused ki, and some 'oohs', 'ahhs', and laughter would result. Simple, yet so rewarding.

However, his good mood was soured, slightly, by Sasheem's rather harsh words. Though they were true in a very basic sense, it was rather unneeded, was it not? Then again, more clever than the typical example of his kind or not, a Majin was still a Majin. Still...

"And, for my next trick..." he raised his hand and snapped!



...and beneath Sasheem's plate, a pillar a fire erupted, sending it rocketing skyward, with the food flying all over the place. Oddly, however, none hit the ground, as the airborne food simply... appeared on the plates of various threshlings in the area. Courtesy of liberal ma-tobashii abuse, of course.

"Tsk tsk... so sorry, so sorry, it seems my finger slipped. Nobody is hurt, I would assume? Your highness? Young Seri? My big-mouthed friend Sasheem?" he said, wagging his finger, having returned to his original position.


He may have been damn near a century old (and more, counting previous cycles) but he could still be a mischievous bastard, at times.