Riches to Rags, Rags to Vengeance IV

[Diachronos]

Much has happened since Gabriel Scorn departed for Hylia. His diplomatic skills have allowed him to arrange a peaceful end to the war between King Daphnes and Prince Ganondorf, and he managed to acquire three of the twelve Shards of Midnight while overseas: the Shards of Avarice, Tyranny, and Conquest. With the Shards no longer holding sway over the two sides' rulers, peaceful negotiations are finally able to begin.

His return to Kalimdor was also eventful. After Queen Ileosa revealed the existence of her rightful heir, the aasimar witch named Celeste Astrala, it was arranged for Gabriel and Celeste to marry and for them to take Ileosa's place as the rulers of Kalimdor. The kobold thief Nyktox has turned over his Shard of Freedom, wanting to grant its soul the request of being reunited with its 'siblings'.

However, not everything is going well. Tyvorhan is still at large, and recent events have given rise to the knowledge that she bears at least one Shard of Midnight herself, which she has used to create soulless warriors to carry out her ambitions and hunt down her opponents. In addition, the Archmage of Necromancy, Vrughor Gloom, has allegedly committed suicide by self-defenestration due to work-related stress, although his friends Darven and Valeera are not entirely convinced that the death was a suicide.

Of these recent events, however, none are more shocking than the discovery that his mother, Bianca Scorn, is alive and well, and in fact is the former Dragon Knight known as Okais. While he is deeply relieved to finally have the peace of mind that comes with knowing her fate, he is unsure of how to feel about the fact that she effectively abandoned him and left the map to a dozen dangerous relics in his hands, which had in turn led to him nearly being murdered by Tyvorhan in the first place.

Gabriel returns to the Kalimdor palace with Ava, the Shard of Avarice, in tow, having implanted the Shard's mind into the body of an android earlier that evening.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel turns to Ava as the two of them walk. "So, have you given any more thought to how you're going to help me? Amber seems pretty upset since I found my mother, but you don't. I guess that means you think I'm still capable of avarice, even though you can't figure out what exactly I want?"

[Diachronos]

"Well, you're trying to get two kingdoms under your thumb, and there's the fact that you promised to get me and all my sisters together. Those are things that aren't going to go away in the blink of an eye. Besides..." She winks at him. "Everybody always wants a little more richness out of life, right?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel chuckles. "...I suppose I could always use some better armor. Especially after that close call with the Guardian the other night," he admits. "Well, anyway, this is your room. Once I give Constance a body, she will be sharing it with you."

[Diachronos]

Ava smiles after looking at her room. "Dibs on the bigger wardrobe!"

Aw, come on! How is that fair?

"Because if I know you, you're just going to wear armor all the time, and I need room for all my outfits."

...And that's relevant because...?

"Too late, I called dibs!"

[NeoSeraphi]

"Now now, Constance. She did call dibs."

Gabriel gives Ava a hug. "I'm glad to have you with me. My room is just down the hall. Come and knock on the door if you need anything. Good night."

[Diachronos]

"'Night!"

Gabriel barely has time to lie down for the night before there is a knock at his door.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel sits up and kisses Sapphiron, whispering that he'll get it, before standing up and rubbing his eyes. He doesn't bother to put a shirt on and he opens the door.

[Diachronos]

Ava's bright green eyes stare back at him as the door opens. "Hey, can we go shopping in the morning? I'm going to need some new clothes, and I figured I could help you get some new armor while I pick up a few dozen outfits."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel stares at her. "Ava, I already told you we were going shopping in the morning...you don't need to confirm it. Also, this isn't the type of thing you interrupt me over. You come knock on the door if you need help with something right now."

[Diachronos]

Ava nods. "Right. Sorry... Oh, I'm probably going to need a bigger closet, too. I did some guesswork, and the one that's there now isn't going to be big enough for the clothes and the shoes."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel blinks. "Okay, Ava, closets don't work that way. You can't just magically expand them. If you need more space then you can use the space that's in my closet, okay?"

[Diachronos]

"Okay. I'll just pop in and see how much space I've got to work with." She barges past him and darts to the closet. "You're barely using this thing!"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel blinks and laughs uneasily, quickly throwing another blanket over the bed so Sapphiron can cover up more. "Ava? Again, all of this can be handled in the morning...I really do need to get some sleep..."

[Diachronos]

"Ah... right, sorry. I'll leave you to it, then." She leaves the room and heads down the hall.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel stares after her. He's not really sure if he's supposed to feel bad about this or not. But he does know he's dog-tired. He gets back in bed and curls up with his love, happily drifting off to sleep.

[Diachronos]

Gabriel is awakened early the next morning by knocking on the bedroom door. Sapphiron grumbles and curls up against him. "Gabriel! Gabriel, are you up!"

Well, he is now. About an hour and a half before he usually is, and an hour before anybody else in Kalimdor would be on a reasonable day.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel sighs and stands up. He puts on a shirt and opens the bedroom door. "Good morning, Ava. I trust you felt no need to sleep?"

[Diachronos]

Ava shook her head. "Nope! I've been going through fashion magazines and catalogs all night! My room's lamp is out of oil, by the way, I need to find someone to refill it..." She holds up one of the large fashion catalogs that are common in the tailor shops in the Prism District, and it seems like at least a third of them have been marked in some way. "It was so hard to narrow it down!"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel rubs his eyes. "I see. Well, the nicest shop doesn't open for another..." he glances at his wrist, then realizes he hasn't put on his watch yet because she woke him up. "I'm going to say three hours or so, so why don't you find something to do while you wait for me to get ready okay?"

And by ready, he means curl back up and hope he can fall asleep again.

[Diachronos]

Ava frowns, but she nods and runs off to let him "get ready".

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel sighs and gets back in bed, closing his eyes and drifting back off to sleep...

[Diachronos]

Gabriel is awakened by the feel of scales rubbing against his skin, and when he opens his eyes he sees Sapphiron getting out of bed and getting dressed for the day.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel yawns and sits up, blinking. "Um...Sapphiron?" he says, pointing to the mirror with the young Dominic staring at the half-dragon.

[Diachronos]

Sapphiron stares at the mirror, and the two of them keep staring at one another for several seconds before Sapphiron dives back under the covers, pulling them over her head in embarrassment. "Why does her mirror have to face the bed like that?"

"I-I'm sorry... here, I'm covering my eyes now."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel sighs. "I can't have her just stare at a wall all night, Sapphiron, she would feel like she's in prison if that were the case." He stands up and grabs a tarp. "Dominic, I'm going to cover the mirror for a second, okay?" He tosses it over the mirror, and once it's clear that Dominic can't see out of it, the two of them get dressed together.

Gabriel pulls the tarp off and checks his hair, his teeth, and his winning smile, before heading to meet with Ava.

[Diachronos]

Ava is sitting on the railing of the staircase leading down to the first floor, kicking her legs back and forth. "There you are! I was starting to think you'd forgotten!"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel sighs. "No, Ava, I was just sleeping..." He smiles and offers her his arm. "Alright, well, since you're going to a shop for proper ladies, I should lead you like a proper lady."

[Diachronos]

Ava giggles and takes his arm, while Sapphiron moves to his other side.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel blinks as Sapphiron appears. "Ah! Sapphiron, I didn't hear you come up behind me. What are you doing?"

[Diachronos]

Sapphiron blushes. "Oh... s-sorry, I thought you wanted me to come with you. It's okay, I have business to take care of with Kelastra and Okais anyway."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel shakes his head. "No, not at all! The more the merrier, please join us. We're just going shopping. I'm sure you could use a new dress for the wedding anyway, right?"

He pauses. Gabriel has been quite careful to not bring up his marriage with Sapphiron too often, because he doesn't want her to get jealous or upset.

[Diachronos]

Sapphiron nods. "I doubt that anybody wants me ruining the occasion by showing up in my street clothes."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel nods and offers her his left arm.

The prince strolls through Kalimdor happily. As they approach the boutique Gabriel sees a beautiful black lolita dress hanging in the window. His immediate thought is that he wishes Sapphiron would wear it, but he sighs and shakes his head. It's not her style. The half-dragon prefers simpler outfits, though she seems to have taken a liking to skirts for some reason. A beautiful dress like that, despite how amazing it would look on her figure, is not something Sapphiron would ever be interested in.

Gabriel blinks as he hears Ava giggle under her breath.

[Diachronos]

Ava grabs his hand and drags him toward the shop. Once inside, she runs to the dress and asks the clerk if she can try it on. The man stares blankly at her before nodding, and Ava darts into the back while Sapphiron starts browsing the other selections.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel watches her go, but shrugs. "Do you see anything you like, Sapphiron?" he asks the half-dragon as they browse.

[Diachronos]

Sapphiron is looking over a few shorter gowns that have a sort of sequin design to them, making it look like gems or polished dragon scales formed into a dress. Her gaze is currently fixed on a blue one that matches her own scale color. "This one seems nice... but..." She practically glares at the size; it's meant for someone built like Ava or Amber, not a loli like Sapphiron.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel smiles. "We could probably have it...fitted," he says gently, stroking her hair. The action only makes her look even younger.

[Diachronos]

The store owner approaches. "Can I help you, sir? Perhaps something lovely for your... daughter?" The pouting scowl that Sapphiron gives the clerk just makes the idea of them being father and daughter seem even more believable.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel smiles. "She's going to a wedding soon and she wants to wear something nice. What do you have that comes in blue?"

[Diachronos]

"Ah, wedding dresses! Right this way, sir!" He leads Gabriel and Sapphiron toward the back. "What role will she be playing? One of the bridesmaids, flower girl, ring bearer, just a guest?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel blinks. Well, technically Sapphiron would be a pretty cute flower girl, and it's not like she has done a ton of research on modern weddings so she won't know that role is usually reserved for children.

"Yes, she's the flower girl."

[Diachronos]

"I thought so. She's an adorable little thing." He leads her back to the flower girl dresses, all of which seem perfectly sized for Sapphiron. He points out a few in a gothic lolita style, ranging from an almost-black midnight blue to a pale sky blue. "Is there a particular color you were hoping for? Something to match the bride's dress, maybe?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel shakes his head. "Which one do you like?" he asks her.

[Diachronos]

Sapphiron looks the dresses over for a few minutes, before selecting one of the gowns that isn't entirely light or dark. It's around the same shade of blue as Celeste's eyes. "I like this one."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel smiles. "It's gorgeous."

He turns around and lets his eyes wander. "Where is Ava? She should be back by now."

[Diachronos]

Gabriel sees a small crowd near the front of the store, and he catches a glimpse of Ava in the middle of the scene.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel blinks and walks over to her. "Ava, where have you...been..."

[Diachronos]

Ava is posing in front of the mirrors in the front of the store, admiring herself in her reflection and loving every second of it. She seems almost oblivious to the crowd staring at her, though a quick glance around reveals that the men are staring at her with blatant desire and the women with intense jealousy.

It's clear that when she said that she'd made it so her body could rock any style in Kalimdor, she'd meant every word of it.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel clears his throat and quickly steps through the crowd, grabbing her arm and pulling her away. "Ava, you don't know your way around yet. Stay close to me so you don't get lost, okay?"

[Diachronos]

"Aw, come on, I haven't even left the store!"

With their "performer" gone, many of the citizens in the crowd make a beeline for the shopkeeper, clamoring for a gown similar to Ava's.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel sighs. "Listen, Sapphiron has something she needs to take care of so just show me which outfits you wanted and I'll buy all of them, okay?"

[Diachronos]

Ava points to a small stack of neatly folded dresses. "Here they are!"

A look at the price tags is enough to know that this is well outside his normal price range without drawing suspicion from his father.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel laughs nervously. "Well, Ava, all of these outfits are very cute and I would be happy to see you in any of them, but maybe you don't need all of them right now?"

[Diachronos]

Ava pouts. "But I need the right dress for the right occasion!"

The shopkeep manages to push his way through to them. "Sir, I must say, your wife knows how to stir up a crowd! I haven't had this many orders pouring in in years! Please, if there's anything that I can do to repay the two of you, just let me know."

Ava smiles warmly at the store owner, before winking at Gabriel.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel's face turns beet red. "My w-...Actually, yes. Since you're offering, my lovely wife would like this fine stack of merchandise." He lifts the dresses up.

[Diachronos]

The shopkeep stares at the total value of the gowns, but after looking back at the number of customers waiting for him he nods. Ava grabs Sapphiron and pulls her into a tight hug. "Could we add our little girl's dress to that too, sir? Please? I'll even put one of the other dresses back-"

"No, no, that won't be necessary. Please, take it, and enjoy the wedding." He smiles as he packs up their "purchases".

As they walk out, Ava can't stop grinning. "I've still got it."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel frowns. "I guess it's not...really stealing. Since you did make him plenty of money after all..."

[Diachronos]

"Now to do some shoe shopping! ...might need to change first, though, this outfit doesn't let me show off my legs very easily." She grins at him.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel nods. "Right. Let's stop and get something to eat then, you can change in the restroom there."

He finds a nice quiet cafe that's serving breakfast and takes a seat with Sapphiron.

"It doesn't feel real, seeing her again after all this time. I can't believe she saw me in Hylia and said nothing. Did I...Did I mean so little to her? Has she closed her heart to loving humans, because she's outlived so many? Even...even her own son?"

[Diachronos]

Sapphiron frowns when Gabriel brings it up. "...At night she'd talk in her sleep. And it was always about you and your father. Maybe she has been aloof because she knows that she'll outlive you both, but from what she said in her dreams I can tell that she cares about you two."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel sighs as the food is placed in front of them. "What about you? Have you been able to get any answers from her about what happened to the Order after you sealed yourself?"

[Diachronos]

Sapphiron bows her head. "She hasn't heard from any members other than Kelastra and I in over two thousand years. We're the only ones left at this point."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel sighs and nods. "Do you know how to perform the ritual to make other humans immortal half-dragons? Maybe you can create a new Order yourself."

[Diachronos]

"I do, but there are some pieces that I'd need to acquire. Like... dragon blood."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel looks down at his plate.

"I'll join you," he says after a moment. "If I can figure out the secret to resisting the call of the Shards, then I can pass that on to their future bearers. The Order of Dragon Knights could help humanity wield them properly, instead of locking them away."

[Diachronos]

Sapphiron stares at him. "You want to revive the Order? For real?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel nods. "After what happened in Hylia, it is absolutely clear to me that the Order has a role to serve. But Kelastra standing before a gate for hundreds of thousands of years, or Okais flying around aimlessly, I don't like your methods. I think you three need a real leader. And I want to protect all three of you, and protect the Shards."

[Diachronos]

Sapphiron smiles at him. "Is it just going to be the four of us, then? Or do you have plans to bring others into the Order?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel shakes his head. "None for now, but I'm sure we will add more to the Order before you know it. We have all the time in the world after all."

When Ava returns Gabriel's eyes fix on her and he can't help but stare. ...She's really good at matching colors.

[Diachronos]

Ava returns, having swapped her outfit for a black-and-yellow striped skirt, with a black blouse under a dressy yellow jacket. She brushes her hair back from her face and smiles at Gabriel. "Did you two enjoy your breakfast?"

[NeoSeraphi]

...
...
...

Wait, is this woman talking to me?

"Oh! Y-yeah, we had a nice talk. Are you hungry, Ava, or do you just want some shoes?"

[Diachronos]

Ava smiles. "I could use a bite, but that can wait. Fashion takes precedence over everything else!"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel smiles. "Shall I walk you over to the Cavern of the Storm, or do you want to come with us to get shoes?" he asks Sapphiron.

[Diachronos]

Sapphiron shakes her head. "I need to check on Okais and Kelastra. You two have fun, though!"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel escorts Sapphiron back to the Cavern and gives her a kiss good-bye before walking to the shoe market with Ava. He's still carrying all the dresses she 'bought', and the sun is beginning to rise. Gabriel is ready to get home at this point. Hopefully Ava only wants a couple boxes of shoes, he only has two hands after all.

They arrive at the vendor and Gabriel walks inside and sits down, letting Ava do her thing.

[Diachronos]

Ava runs around like a kid in a candy store in the shoe shop. She tries on dozens of pairs of shoes, sometimes fetching one of her dresses to see how well they match up before nodding in approval or shaking her head in disgust.

To Gabriel's chagrin, she still manages to get ten pairs out of the trip. And after another display of drumming up business for the shop, she manages to get all of those for free as well.

[NeoSeraphi]

With some careful stacking and crawling on his knees, Gabriel is able to get the ten boxes out the door. He carefully wobbles to maintain balance as they move through the city, cursing the fact that the palace is at the top of a small hill.

[Diachronos]

"Okay, just one more place and this shopping trip will be a huge success!" Ava giggles and grabs his arm, somehow managing to drag him in a way that doesn't cause him to lose his control over the stack of new clothes.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel laughs. "Ava, you know, we could just drop this stuff off at the palace before we go buy any more...we can take a break and still finish the shopping later..." he offers hopefully.

[Diachronos]

"But we're only a couple blocks away from the last store!"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel hangs his head and walks with her. "I didn't know there was another boutique or shoes shop in Kalimdor...you really did your research..."

[Diachronos]

"Oh, it's not a boutique." Gabriel soon hears the pounding of a hammer on metal, and when he looks around the stack he sees that Ava is dragging him to an armorer.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel blinks, but he stops and waits patiently for Ava to speak to the armorer.

[Diachronos]

Ava talks with the armorer, gesturing in Gabriel's direction. After a few minutes of conversation, he motions for Gabriel to come over. "Come along, sir, let's get you fitted."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel blinks but sets the shoes down and walks over. "Ah, thank you serah. I appreciate it."

He stands still while the armorer fits him.

[Diachronos]

The man gets him fitted into a mithral chain shirt with a faintly visible sheen of protective magic crafted into it. Occasionally he catches a glimpse of little sparks as the mithral links clink and rub against each other.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel stretches and takes a few swings in his new armor. He barely feels like he's wearing anything at all! "This is very generous of you, serah. Thank you." He bows politely and picks the shoes back up, heading back to the palace.

"I thought we were going shopping for you?" he asks Ava.

[Diachronos]

"We were! I'm getting it... as a present for you!" She gives him a wide grin.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel tilts his head. "What? But I haven't done anything to warrant giving me a gift. Ava, we just met yesterday."

[Diachronos]

She shakes her head. "You've been trying to get me and my sisters back together. You've been trying to give us a new life. And... you keep getting hurt in the process. You might not think you deserve it, but I do."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel smiles and sets the box of shoes in the hallway. "Right...well, I guess I'll call a servant to divide these up between your closet and mine. Stay out of trouble today, okay? Go see your sister, make sure she's alright. I need to run some errands."

Gabriel heads to Sanguine Manor and knocks on the door. He politely asks to speak to Myra.

[Diachronos]

Myra comes to the door, dressed in a lab coat and wearing heavy leather gloves. From the dark ichor on her gloves, she's likely been dissecting a creature in her lab. "Gabriel? What are you doing here? I thought you had a wedding to prepare for?"

"Lady Myra, the specimen-"

Myra turns and shouts down the hall. "The thing's dead, Gerald, it's not like it's going to get bored if I walk away from it for a few minutes!" She pulls off one of her gloves and brushes her hair out of her face. "How can I help you?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel frowns. "I'm looking for some important cargo that seems to have been smuggled out of the country and taken somewhere near the sea. I thought you might have heard of it on the wind. It's referred to as the Evoker's Lantern."

[Diachronos]

Myra stares at him. "...The Evoker's Lantern has been at the top of Kalimdor's lighthouse since before I was born. There's no way somebody made off with something that valuable and well-guarded."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel shrugs. "Say what you like. It's been stolen and replaced with a replica. That happened weeks ago, now. The important thing is finding it again. But it seems you haven't heard anything. That's disappointing."

[Diachronos]

"Well, I've been out of the city for almost two months now. In fact, if it weren't for the deathclaws and that 'Virage' creature I'd still be in the Savage Isles. Current events at home haven't been easy to keep up with."

[NeoSeraphi]

An idea goes off in Gabriel's head. "Now that you mention it...hm. Lady Sanguine, would you care to sit down? I believe you'll be interested in what I have to say."

His tone has changed to a businesslike, authoritative tone. Myra knows he's the prince now as well, it's not wise to get on his bad side.

[Diachronos]

Myra raises an eyebrow, but she takes a seat with him in the parlor after removing her other glove.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel smiles. "You will be relieved to know that I have spoken at length with Lord Sanguine about his treachery. Because of my actions, Ileosa commuted his sentence and he was not executed. However, I know more about the situation than she does. And once I have dealt with the individual who is blackmailing him, I intend to pardon Thaddeus's sentence entirely."

He shakes his head. "Facia takes that kindness for granted, but you have been playing the Game of Houses longer, haven't you my lady? You understand the...trouble...that such kindness would put me in."

He doesn't need to explain more than that. The queen not executing a man for treason and attempted assassination is odd enough to the general public, but her successor and son-in-law pardoning and releasing him? The older individuals in the community have not forgotten Eodred's betrayal by his own family, such actions would place a heavy spotlight on the new king.

[Diachronos]

Myra purses her lips as she considers the possibilities. Thaddeus might not have had much choice in his actions, but he is still guilty. That sort of information can't be hidden easily, and if the public were to find out that the new king pardoned the man who attempted to assassinate their former queen and their new queen's mother...

"Surely there must be some action that the Sanguine household could take to diminish any troubles that might arise from your kindness?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel nods. "I'm certain there is. Surely someone as creative as you can suggest something that might alleviate any headaches your husband's crimes cause me in the future?"

[Diachronos]

Myra sighs. "Well, someone can't cause trouble for Kalimdor if they aren't in Kalimdor. If Thaddeus were elsewhere... say, across the sea, any treachery that he takes part in would be unlikely to succeed. Managing a complex operation is difficult even when you are present, much less on the other side of the globe."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel frowns. "My lady, if I had even the slightest hint of a reason to think your husband would betray his nation again he would have met the axe while you were still overseas," he says with a bit of frustration. She's getting off-topic. He wants her to make him an offer.

[Diachronos]

Myra closes her eyes. "Perhaps you will accept something of value as a token of faith? Our estate, our wealth... perhaps something more personal that you desire?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel considers it. He chuckles. "What I need from this house is...dragon blood. As much of it as you can retrieve. If you can get me a decent amount, your husband's debt to me will be forgotten."

It's a big step for him to look at an offer like hers and ask for something that's mere pittance compared to it, but he's doing the right thing after all, and Myra will likely be impressed that he waves her offer away for something simpler.

[Diachronos]

Myra tenses when he mentions what he wants from her. He's not sure if it's from the fact that he brushed aside her offer, or from shock at what he really wants. She takes a moment to adjust her glasses before clearing her throat. "That... that is something that can be provided. I do have some questions, however... will the blood of any draconic creature suffice, or do you require the blood of a specific species?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel thinks about that. His mother is a green dragon, so he may want to become like her. But...the device on his wrist calls for something else.

The Lightning Blade, huh?

"Blue dragon blood, please," Gabriel replies, though her original offer still lingers in his mind. Perhaps the Shard of Ambition could awaken Myra's full appreciation of his leniency and kindness, especially since Thaddeus's actions nearly cost Gabriel and Facia (and thus Gabriel's child) their lives.

[Diachronos]

Myra purses her lips and nods. "I have some preserved in my laboratory. It isn't much, however, maybe a liter at most. Acquiring more will take some time."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel nods. "You have time, my lady. I do not expect Her Majesty to abdicate in the immediate future."

He stands up. "Thank you for seeing me. You are quite busy, so I will simply take the liter you have now and be on my way." Hopefully that's enough for his transformation.

[Diachronos]

Myra nods and retrieves the bottle from her lab, handing it over to Gabriel.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel kisses her hand. "I shall be in touch, my lady."

He heads out and thinks about where to go next. After mulling it over for a while, Gabriel heads to the park where he and Celeste spent time together recently. He needs some time to think about the situation.

[Diachronos]

As Gabriel walks through the park, he considers what he's preparing to do. Joining the Dragon Knights... will he attempt to revive them with their old tenets? Or give them a completely new purpose? How will they bring in new members?

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel thinks about everything he could and should do, and finally decides that the Order's first act of business will be repairing Kelastra's trauma. They can scour the globe together, looking for some sacred or powerful medicine that might salvage her. Nodding to himself, he feels more ready than ever to take on the world.

Gabriel returns to the palace and goes to see Celeste.

[Diachronos]

Celeste is busy going over the music selections for the wedding when Gabriel walks in. "Oh, hello. Do you have a preference for who performs at the wedding?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel shakes his head. "I'm not one who really concerns himself with music. I have returned from Hylia just now. Arrangements have been made for the two of us to stay in the palace while we are there. The king is looking forward to receiving us and discussing potential aid and relief that Kalimdor might offer after the war."

[Diachronos]

Celeste blinks and stares at him. "What? But... but it's at least a 4-day trip to get to Hylia's capital even in favorable weather! How did you arrange all of this so quickly?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel chuckles. "Celeste I am a powerful man with powerful friends and access to many resources, even without this union. The Royal Advisor, who will organize most of our visit and serve as the direct relayer of the king's will, is a woman by the name of Nabooru. I have been told she is scrambling and making all the preparations she can, but you should remember this nation was torn apart by war and a broken royal family. Even in the palace walls themselves, do not expect to find peace and smiles like you do in Kalimdor.

[Diachronos]

Celeste nods and sets down the music list. "Oh... okay. When will we be leaving?"

[NeoSeraphi]

"The tournament starts a week after the wedding and lasts three days. So we will go the day after our wedding. It takes four days to get there, then we wait two days for the tournament. The tournament takes three days, then we travel home."

[Diachronos]

Celeste's eyes light up. "A tournament? You're competing in Hylia?!" She jumps up and hugs him. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?! I love watching you compete!"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel chuckles. "It was the first thing I told you. You were so preoccupied with the wedding you simply asked if now was the right time to go," he reminds her gently.

He smiles. "How was your day?"

[Diachronos]

"Oh... right." She looks at the pile of papers on the table. "Most of the wedding plans are in order, so it's been fairly quiet. I've had a chance to relax for once. What about you, Gabriel?"

[NeoSeraphi]

He smiles. "I strengthened some political alliances, and I went shopping. A nice day, all around. Have you spoken to your mother?"

[Diachronos]

"She has a meeting with the Academy regarding the school you are wanting to open. It started an hour ago, so she likely won't be back until later in the afternoon." Celeste glances at him. "Shopping, you said? Is that where the fancy armor came from?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel nods. "Do you like it? It was... A real steal..."

She can sense his guilt.

[Diachronos]

Celeste reaches and places a hand on his cheek. "Gabriel... what's wrong? Did you do something you're regretting?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel sighs. "The Shard of Avarice convinced the armorer to give me this shirt for free."

[Diachronos]

"...So the Shard of Avarice is a thief. And you want to help these beings?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel shifts uncomfortably. "She just doesn't know any better, Celeste. I'll talk to her and make her understand stealing is wrong."

[Diachronos]

"Greed is in her nature, Gabriel. Are you so sure that she can change?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel shakes his head. "I don't...actually get that impression from her. I don't think she's greedy. I think she just wants me to have a lot of possessions. Like, she's...generous with other people's stuff."

[Diachronos]

Celeste crosses her arms. "And if she continues scheming to get free things out of merchants? Some of these people can't afford to lose merchandise like that."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel blinks. Oh, right. She's not used to the Prism District, where even a scrap of cloth can be sold for 60 gp.

"Like I said, I don't think she's greedy. Once I explain to her that taking things without paying for them is wrong, I'm sure she'll stop doing it."

[Diachronos]

She sighs and shakes her head. "I hope you know what you're doing with them..."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel smiles. "Trust me. ...You do trust me, don't you Celeste?" he asks, looking worried.

[Diachronos]

She sighs. "I do... it's them that I don't trust. You haven't been quite the same since you started collecting them... I'm worried that they're going to change you."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel smiles. "Well, would you like to meet her? She's a really friendly person so I'm sure she'd be happy to listen to whatever concerns you have."

[Diachronos]

Celeste shakes her head. "No... I'd rather not talk to her right after she's done something like that. Besides, I still have to finish some of the wedding arrangements."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel nods and leaves her to it. He decides to go see Amber. Hopefully she's feeling better today.

[Diachronos]

Amber seems a little more focused, though she's still not entirely with it.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel sits next to her. "Amber? How are you doing today? I just wanted you to know...I've found a new goal that I want your help with."

[Diachronos]

Amber blinks and looks up. "...Getting the Order of the Dragon Knights back together, right?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel nods. "Yes, and leading them to a brighter future. I want to find a divine caster, someone capable of a miracle, so that I can heal Kelastra's mind. That is my ambition. To reform the Dragon Knights and save one of their members from despair. Will you help me?"

[Diachronos]

Amber sighs. "I'm not exactly thrilled about helping them after they kept us locked away for so long... but yes, I'll help you."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel smiles. "At the very least, you owe Kelastra that much. The only reason she's so...off...is because she suffered a lot of trauma keeping you safe all this time."

[Diachronos]

"I suppose you're right. She wouldn't have had to slaughter her comrades if my aura hadn't started to affect them... Finding a divine caster capable of miracles isn't going to be easy. That's extremely high-level magic that few people ever manage to achieve."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel chuckles. "Yes, but isn't that something you were looking forward to? You want some long off, impossible to achieve struggle that will have me relying on you for the next five years, right?"

He stands up. "I know you're upset, and you feel like things aren't working out the way you had planned. But Ava needs her sister right now, so I'm counting on you to be there for her, okay?" He walks out.

Gabriel waits until nightfall and dons his Lightning Blade costume. Time to get to the bottom of all this nonsense. He heads for the Brecombe estate and carefully approaches it, scanning the area for any guards.

[Diachronos]

The Lightning Blade spies a handful of guards patrolling in a typical pattern. They don't seem overly concerned or on alert, so getting past them shouldn't be too difficult.

[NeoSeraphi]

The Blade drops from the roof and silently takes out one of the guards as quickly as possible.

Stabby stab stab (non-lethal)

[roll0] (vs flat-footed)/[roll1]
[roll2]/[roll3]

[Diachronos]

The guard drops from the Lightning Blade's sudden attack, letting out a low groan as he slumps to the ground.

[NeoSeraphi]

The Blade searches the man's body for any keys or other useful items, then drags him out of sight of the other patrolling guards.

[Diachronos]

The guard doesn't have much of use on him, mainly a random assortment of coinage that one might expect of a guard employed by the Brecombe estate, but he does have a small iron key in his pocket. It doesn't look like it would fit to the manor doors, but it likely would work for the guard barracks or maybe a servant entrance.

[NeoSeraphi]

The Blade looks around for a side entrance that the key might fit into.

[Diachronos]

He finds a few doors that the key doesn't work for, but after a few attempts he locates a small, barely-concealed servant entrance that seems to fit the lock. The door swings open after he unlocks it, the well-maintained hinges not making any noise at all.

[NeoSeraphi]

The Blade sneaks into the home and heads for Simon's study.

[Diachronos]

Simon's study is surprisingly unlocked, and he has no trouble making it inside.

The room is neatly organized, with several labeled folders stacked on the desk and a carefully arranged set of writing utensils and seals placed on the opposite end.

[NeoSeraphi]

The Blade frowns and hides in the shadows, waiting for Simon to come in.

[Diachronos]

Simon comes in after close to an hour of waiting. The man looks exhausted, as one might expect from a high-ranking noble when political power is shifting. He takes a seat at his desk with a weary sigh.

[NeoSeraphi]

The Blade closes the door he's hiding behind and steps out of the shadows.

"Hello, Brecombe. If you make a sound I will put a bullet through your f*cking skull." He raises his pistol and points it right at the man's head, with the casual nature of someone who has done this before.

[Diachronos]

Simon shoves his chair back and starts to stand up, but he freezes when he sees the pistol in his face. "...Lightning Blade. I didn't think I'd meet you like this. I take it you have a reason for breaking into my home and pulling a gun on me?"

[NeoSeraphi]

The Blade puts the gun in his pocket. "It was to make sure you didn't scream for help. Now that I know you're on the same page as me, we can talk civilly. I'm here because I discovered the lab in your warehouse, and the men guarding it claimed that you were paying their bill, even though they work for a certain...individual. So you're going to talk, if you know what's good for you."

[Diachronos]

Simon frowns. "That laboratory has been under the warehouse since before my father acquired the property thirty years ago. I have had no use for it, and to my knowledge it has been unopened and collecting dust until you broke into the warehouse." He spreads his hands. "As for the men guarding the building, there is nothing of value to my business there at this time, so I hired some local muscle to keep an eye on it. Why would I waste the coin on proper soldiers when they aren't guarding anything important?"

[NeoSeraphi]

The Blade chuckles and nods. "Right, right. Lab not in use, collecting dust, you just happened to hire some thugs from that specific individual.." He shakes his head and then swings his fist backwards, smashing into Simon's nose. "Do you think this is some kind of f*cking joke, chump? I am not a Senator, I am not a guard. I am not going to turn my back while you say whatever pretty little thing pops into your head that makes you sound innocent. You're going to tell me what's going on, or I am going to break your f*cking jaw, do you understand me?"

Intimidate: [roll0]

[Diachronos]

Simon growls, clutching at his likely-broken nose. "What do you expect me to tell you? That I'm secretly involved in some kind of plot against the queen? That I'm conspiring against the Academy?" He grabs a handkerchief from the drawer and starts dabbing up the blood around his nose. "Someone made a very generous offer: they remove one of the obstacles standing in the way of my business, and all I have to do is let them use that warehouse and laboratory for one of their operations. I don't know what they were doing, only that it involved some kind of large glass tubing."

[NeoSeraphi]

"Who made you the offer? I want a name, Brecombe. And what 'obstacle' did they remove for you?"

[Diachronos]

"There are certain individuals standing in the way of my mining operations. As for the one who made the offer, I met one of her liaisons. She would not meet me in person... something about 'not liking the sun'."

[NeoSeraphi]

A bolt of lightning hits Simon's desk, right where his head was only a second before. "It's a very dangerous game you're playing, skimping on the details Brecombe. Do you want to make me angry? Because I assure you that can only go very very poorly for you."

[Diachronos]

Simon narrows his eyes. "And what will you do, hm? Make my wife a widow? Take one of my daughter's parents from her? I thought that the Lightning Blade was a champion of justice, not a murderer with a grudge."

He brushes some of the soot off his desk. "One of the noble estates is trying to buy out one of the mines that I have been trying to acquire for years. My... 'business partner' is a woman who has only introduced herself as 'T'."

[NeoSeraphi]

"I would not do anything of the sort, but what I can do is have the guards come arrest you for performing biological experiments without the knowledge or consent of the Academy. And trust me when I say that this T person hates the spotlight just as much as she hates the sunlight. So you would definitely prefer I leave here with no reason to report you."

He sighs. "How does she intend to remove this obstacle of yours?"

[Diachronos]

"She said that she has the connections to ensure that their business endeavors fail, and that the deed falls into my hands instead of theirs. I don't know how her connections intend to do it, and frankly I don't care."

[NeoSeraphi]

The Blade nods. Interfering with a business deal isn't that big of an issue, and even if she intends to kill the individual noble who is obstructing the deal, it really seems like info Brecombe isn't going to part with.

Gabriel recalls his father is looking into a mine. The safe thing for him to do would be to encourage his father to abandon the transaction willingly. Tyvhoran wouldn't risk unnecessary violence, she's too careful for that.

"Fine. You're going to stop having thugs watch the place. If you really don't care about what's going on in that lab you won't care if I keep an eye on it. As long as you don't stop my investigation, we won't have a problem."

[Diachronos]

Simon glares at him. "Fine. And as long as you don't keep barging into my home and assaulting me or my family, I won't have any reason to interfere with your investigation."

[NeoSeraphi]

"You should hire better guards, if you're that concerned about break-ins," the Blade replies, tossing the key he stole onto the desk.

"One other thing. This woman you are connected with is responsible for Archmage Gloom's death. Do you know anything about that?"

[Diachronos]

"Archmage Gloom jumped out of his tower. It was a suicide. And considering what they found in his labs, my guess is that someone found out about his research and he decided to kill himself so the Archmage Council couldn't take action against him."

[NeoSeraphi]

The Blade rolls his eyes. "Right. Well, I have no reason to think you're involved in that, so I'll accept the answer. Stay out of trouble."

The Blade heads home and goes to sleep.

[Diachronos]

Gabriel awakens at his normal time the next morning, feeling a bit refreshed... but also unsure of what to make of his 'interview' with Simon Brecombe.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel sighs. The wedding is tomorrow. What should he do with his last day?

He decides to go see Rachel.

[Diachronos]

When Gabriel arrives, he finds Rachel trying to style her own hair in a mirror. If it weren't for her clear intention of keeping her mismatched eye hidden, she might've made some progress by now. "Oh, hello, Lord Gabriel! I wasn't expecting you, I thought you'd be busy with the wedding plans!"

[NeoSeraphi]

"It's 'Prince' Gabriel, actually," the blonde gently reminds her. "I found out that there's someone else running around pretending to be me. Pretending to be the Lightning Blade, and hurting people."

[Diachronos]

"R-right, sorry..." She blinks in surprise when he says that someone's been posing as him. "What? Seriously? I mean... I know that someone's been making appearances as you lately, but they were always helping people, not hurting them!"

[NeoSeraphi]

The prince sighs and nods. "Christine told me that the Blade came into her room, slashed her dress, hit her, and cut her neck saying 'Youre going to pay for what you did.' But I never did anything like that to her, honest!"

[Diachronos]

Rachel frowns and offers him a seat. "No, that doesn't sound like you at all. Hm... And Darven might not like Christine, but he wouldn't disguise himself as you and do that. Especially when the city knows that the Lightning Blade is considered by the Senate to be part of House Scorn."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel nods. "Maybe it's someone with a grudge against Christine specifically. But the only person I know who hates Christine enough to attack her is Clarisse."

[Diachronos]

"And I doubt she'd have gone about it that way, for the same reason Darven wouldn't. It sounds like someone is trying to demonize the Lightning Blade to win support against them... or possibly against you."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel shakes his head. "That thought occurred to me as well, but there hasn't been a public announcement that Christine was attacked. If this was an attempt to make the Blade look bad, it was a really poor attempt."

[Diachronos]

Rachel scratches her head. "...Maybe the one behind the attack convinced the Brecombes to keep quiet about it for now to avoid causing a stir? I mean, right now it's your word against theirs, and everyone knows that you broke off the engagement to Christine. If they made a scene about House Scorn's 'pet vigilante' attacking them, what's the public likely to think?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel sighs. "I'm not sure. But the Lightning Blade doesn't need public approval. He just needs a mask, so he can dispense justice. Still, whoever did this in my name is guilty of assault. I need to find him and put him behind bars before he hurts someone else."

[Diachronos]

"I'll keep an ear out in case people start talking about it."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel nods and thanks her. He heads to the Scorn Manor to see William.

[Diachronos]

Gabriel finds his father dozing in the courtyard, an open book over his face.

[NeoSeraphi]

What the hell is he supposed to say? 'Hey dad, turns out Mom's not dead. She was just a dragon the whole time. Yes, even then. No, Dad, I didn't hatch from an egg, that would be stupid.'

He sighs. He promised Okais he wouldn't mention her to William. But damn, it would be hard.

"Hello, Father."

[Diachronos]

William jerks awake and sits up. "Huh? Oh... Gabriel. I was wondering when I'd get a chance to see you again." He yawns and stands up. "I hear that you've gone from marrying your maid to marrying Queen Ileosa's secret daughter."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel nods. "Yes, Father. Princess Celeste is a kind and pure soul, and I will offer her reign some legitimacy as she attempts to heal the division in Kalimdor."

[Diachronos]

William smiles. "To think that my son would become the one to bring the people of Kalimdor together... I'm sure that your mother would be proud of you if she were with us."

[NeoSeraphi]

Mother, you are so cruel!

"You praise me too highly, Father. But now that I have an important duty I must abandon my childish search for answers about her, and accept that she is gone. Now, I wonder if I might inquire about the mine you are purchasing."

[Diachronos]

William raises an eyebrow, clearly surprised that his son is taking such an interest in his business transactions. "The old Southwall mine? Yes, I have a few allies that are convinced that the mines are not as barren as they appear, and that a fortune in ore is right under the miners' noses. Why the sudden interest, however? You've always been more devoted to your engineer work than in land purchases."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel frowns. "Father I believe it would be best if you stopped bidding on it. Simon Brecombe is also interested in the location, and I don't believe he will play fair if you continue trying to buy it out."

[Diachronos]

William crosses his arms. "I don't fear House Brecombe. They have always held a higher opinion of themselves than what their actual position in the city warrants, and I doubt he has the resources or manpower to properly work the mines with how thin his workers are spread. He didn't even start bidding on the mine's deed until I did."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel frowns. "Please, Father? I found out who he is in contact with...she's a very bad woman. Im worried for your safety."

[Diachronos]

William sighs. "Gabriel... this is a grand opportunity for our household. The wealth brought in by this mine will keep House Scorn financially secure for years, and the profits would greatly help fund your plans for Kalimdor. Giving all of that up... it's not an easy decision for me to make."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel crosses his arms. "I was afraid you would say that...then, just be careful. I can't lose you too, Father."

[Diachronos]

William nods. "I... I will hold off on making any further bids for the deed for now. There is still time to come out on top."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel relaxes. "Thank you. Now that I'm living at the palace I won't always be there when you need me, but I'll try my best."

[Diachronos]

William nods. "I hope that palace life and your bride won't keep you too busy to visit your old man from time to time." He grins and claps a hand on Gabriel's shoulder.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel smiles and hugs his father. Then he goes to the Cavern of the Storm and gives Sapphiron the blood.

[Diachronos]

Sapphiron examines the contents of the bottle. "Hm... this will work, though normally we didn't use just one specific type of dragon. This is also only enough for one, maybe two rituals."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel nods. "There will be more on the way. For now, we can use this to awaken my inner power."

[Diachronos]

"Alright. It's a good enough place to start. But..." Sapphiron looks at the bottle, then back to him. "This ritual is a physically and mentally grueling trial. Even the most stalwart Knights were still incapacitated for a few days as their bodies adjusted to the change, and some took longer than that. I'd recommend waiting to perform the ritual until after your wedding."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel nods. "Okay. Let's go over your duties as a flower girl, then."

[Diachronos]

Sapphiron nods and puts the blood away somewhere safe, then sits down to hear Gabriel's explanation.

[NeoSeraphi]

"And then the bride follows behind you. It's not that hard a job, but it is important," he explains.

Just then, Gabriel sees Okais standing near the police reports. He blushes and then walks over to her.

"Mother...will you...come to the ceremony tomorrow?"

[Diachronos]

Bianca doesn't answer at first, absently shifting the papers on the table. "...The more appropriate question is for me to ask if you want me to be there. I've dreamed of the day that I'd see my son getting married, but... I understand if you don't want me to attend after being gone for two years."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel nods quickly. "Yes! Of course I want you there, Mother."

[Diachronos]

Bianca gives him a relieved smile. "Then I'll need to find something to wear."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel gives her a wide smile. "Then, let's go shopping together! I know a nice quiet restaurant we can have lunch at."

[Diachronos]

Bianca nods and retrieves her mask from her room. "It's probably better if I don't show my face. Someone is bound to recognize me, and I'd rather be the one to tell your father the news."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel tilts his head. "Mother, I think the prince escorting a masked woman around the city would be regarded as suspicious. Let's just ask Sapphiron to magically disguise you as a different woman."

[NeoSeraphi]

"Sapphiron, can you disguise my mother as a noblewoman? Maybe someone with red hair and a lot of freckles, no one would recognize her that way."

[Diachronos]

Sapphiron nods and works her magic to disguise Bianca. "This should last until sundown."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel nods and thanks her. He's delighted to have a day alone with Bianca at last. "Where shall we go first? Oh, there's a lovely mature boutique on Magnolia Avenue, but perhaps you would like to select your shoes first? I know a quiet cafe where no one will bother us, or perhaps you would prefer to visit a karaoke bar?"

He's practically beaming. No one has seen Gabriel this happy in two years. Sapphiron can hardly believe it's the same serious, logical individual she has assisted all this time.

[Diachronos]

Bianca smiles. "Let's get the dress and shoes taken care of first. We'll have the rest of the day together after that."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel walks with her to the boutique, and he explains the situation to the clerk. "Please, the finest dress you have, in her size. Does anything come to mind?"

[Diachronos]

The clerk nods and goes to grab a few dresses. He comes back with a few that would fit her disguised appearance perfectly, but might not do quite as well if she were looking like herself.

[NeoSeraphi]

"These look perfect! Why don't you try one on and see how you like it?" Gabriel asks. Disguise magic is just an illusion, so when Bianca puts the dress on in the privacy of the fitting room, she'll be able to tell if it's too loose or too tight, then she could either request a dress that's more slimming or more loose fitting.

[Diachronos]

Bianca comes out wearing one of the red-and black gowns that the shopkeep had provided. The look suits her, and she seems happy with its fit as well. "What do you think, Gabriel?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel smiles. "I think you look absolutely smashing, Mo-MoMoMoMonica!" He trips over the word and quickly replaces it with the first name that comes to mind.

"We'll take it. Thank you so much for your help," Gabriel exclaims, paying the clerk.

[Diachronos]

The clerk nods and bids them farewell as they leave. 'Monica' grins at Gabriel. "I forgot how adorable you get when you're trying to correct yourself, Gabriel."

[NeoSeraphi]

The young prince turns scarlet. "I-I only got put on the spot because you're still keeping this secret, Mother! Geez, if you would just tell Father that you're okay already, we wouldn't need to hide..."

He sighs. "It can't be helped. I suppose shoes are next." He escorts Bianca to a fine shoe shop in the Prism District and sits by as the half-dragon tries on all kinds of footwear.

[Diachronos]

Bianca looks until she finds a pair that matches nicely with the dress. "...I haven't told him yet because I'm nervous. And because I was trying to avoid causing you any more stress than you're already feeling with the wedding around the corner."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel sighs. "I'm not going to force you. ...Though, he started dating again."

[Diachronos]

"...He did, did he?" He can hear the pain in her voice, and yet... she doesn't sound angry. If anything, she almost sounds happy. "That's... that's good to hear. Your father's a good man, he deserves to have someone he can be with at the end of the day."

[NeoSeraphi]

"It was...very recent. Only about a month ago. He never gave up hope that you would return...or maybe he gave up a long time ago but decided if he couldn't have you he just wouldn't be happy anymore. It got so bad that I ended up taking over House Scorn on my own...Father didn't even object."

[Diachronos]

"That silly fool... I told him that if anything were to happen to me, I wanted him to move on. And yet he waits for two years..." Bianca sighs. "I... I need to see him. I need to close this chapter on our lives, no matter how it might end. I doubt he'll want me back after all of this, but he at least deserves closure, like you did."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel pauses. "Um...Mother...I...Sapphiron might have already told you, but...I've decided to join the Order of the Dragon Knights as well.."

[Diachronos]

"...Are you sure you want to do this, Gabriel? This isn't a decision to make lightly. By joining the Order, you're taking up the mantle as one of the world's protectors. You will have to put that responsibility before anything else in your life."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel nods firmly. "Protecting the entire world was my goal when I agreed to become king anyway. I have already worked to intervene to stop a civil war, have I not?"

[Diachronos]

"That's true. If you are set on devoting yourself to this task, then I will give you whatever guidance I can." He sees a hint of pride in her eyes.

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel smiles. "Thank you."

The two of them sit down at a restaurant and Gabriel orders for them.

"I...um...I was originally going to propose to Sapphiron, before all this craziness happened," he admits shyly.

[Diachronos]

"I see... you two would have made a nice couple, I think. She's a bright young lady, and I imagine she's taken an interest in your tinkering so far."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel looks down. "I think...after Celeste passes, I will...ask Sapphiron to stand by my side for eternity. I can't know what will happen between us in the next fifty years or so, of course, but such time is a mere stone across a pond for an immortal. I imagine Sapphiron will want your blessing, though."

[Diachronos]

Bianca nods. "If it comes to that, you will both have my blessing, I assure you. After what happened with... the other Knights, Sapphiron could benefit from having a kind-hearted man like you in her life, even if nothing comes of it."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel tilts his head. "Oh, right. You know what happened, don't you? Sapphiron was locked away, and Kelastra's memory is gone. You're the first person who can tell me everything that happened to the Order."

[Diachronos]

Bianca sighs. "...After Mephalas took his own life, we went back to the order hall to regroup and discuss our next move. We decided to seal the Shards away, and after that was taken care of we went our separate ways. I would hide the relics needed to open the map, Kelastra would guide the Shard of Ambition, and Sapphiron would wait until the day came that we needed to retrieve the Shards.

The rest of the Order... it crumbled. We were the only leaders left, and we were busy dealing with the loss of so many comrades and the burden of the Shards. If we hadn't been so hasty we would have established a more firm chain of command with the other groups, but without their leaders they broke up and went their separate ways. The lucky ones, at least... some groups tore themselves apart in the power struggle, and others were dragged down by those who thought we couldn't be trusted after Aggrega had been torn asunder by the battle against Mephalas."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel nods. "If that's the case...what made you decide to start looking for the relics again after all these years? Why did you go retrieve the dragon key, and why was the Evoker's Lantern being used by the city?"

[Diachronos]

"I wandered for thousands of years, making a living here and there doing small jobs... until I came to Kalimdor. I settled here, used the remnants of my wealth to establish a name and house for myself so I could blend in. I still had some of the relics with me, so I decided to put them to use. The Evoker's Lantern was a good replacement for the shoddy device they had in the lighthouse before, so I donated it.

As for why I started looking for the Shards, I suppose it's something you should know. A drow, a descendant of one of the Dragon Knights' former enemies, came across one of the Shards and took it for her own. She found out about the others, and stated searching for the others. I was trying to find as many of them as I could before she did."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel narrows his eyes. "Tyvhoran! So she was the reason for your disappearance! That damn bitch! I'll make her regret tearing my family apart!" He slams his fist on the table.

Blinking, Gabriel relaxes. "Ah...my apologies, Mother. I didn't mean for you to see me like that."

[Diachronos]

Bianca sips her wine. "Well, in any case I'm glad that I know you're not just hunting for some random woman. But Tyvorhan is not someone to be trifled with. She's clever, more than you might believe from her work so far." She sighs, and a guilty look crosses her face. "...I was working against her, but when she found out I had to go into hiding. I thought that she would focus on looking for me, and leave you and your father alone, but... evidently I was wrong."

[NeoSeraphi]

Gabriel sighs. "Yeah...she stole the map from me. I went after it without knowing what it was for, and she...she nearly killed me."

[Diachronos]

"I'm glad that she didn't. And I'm impressed that you've managed to collect almost half the Shards."