Li Zhu's Audience Hall - Zhaoge

[In Ferro Veritas]

The sun was out in full force. The air was humid, the city sweltering. Shade was valued higher than gold on this strangely hot day. A young lady was carried through the city by litter, looking the part of a noblewoman. Propped up on one elbow, she peered out through the curtains at the city around her. It was bustling, lively even in the scorching heat. A city that screamed it was rich, allowing plenty of potential for personal gain. Gradually, the litter slowed to a halt. Aided by an extremely muscled servant, the lady lowered herself to the cobbled street.

As she fussed with the black velvet tie in her hair, one of the servants offered her a perfumed and well-written letter. Not so much as making eye contact, the lady took the letter and turned towards the guards not terribly far away. Smiling, she held it out to him.

"I am Xiao Jing. The fair princess has requested I pay a visit, so let us dispense with the required ceremonies so that I might withdraw from this scorching heat."

[RuffRydeR]

The guards eyed the noblewoman, some of them, agape. Here was a beauty that could rival even the plucky princess they sheltered within their walls. However, noticing the stoic guard captain staring at the rest of them...even glaring, they returned to attention as he headed over to inspect the letter, with it's faint whiff of jasmine...

Nodding, he said,

"Well, going inside would usually require you turn over any weapons or deadly items... But I don't think the Lady Xia would mind. She's rather fond of weapons, and would probably like to see any fine ones you or your guards might have..."

Bowing, he said,

"Please, follow me, and take whoever among your attendants you would wish to come along."

And with that, he led the way to the Lady's 'study', a misnomer, for it was adorned with exotic weaponry, helmets and armour of all sorts, with a few books for decoration...

There, the lovely lady could be found, seated and discussing with a few maids on how she might improve the looks of her elaborate, form-fitting breastplate when the guard arrived,

"Lady Xiao Jing, visiting you as requested, ma'am."

Liangyu nodded, and turned to her visitor, all thoughts of her gold trimmed and jewel adorned armour brushed aside...temporarily, at least.

[In Ferro Veritas]

Xiao Jing offered a slight bow, and a smile. She looked about the room, arching a thin eyebrow at the 'decorations' that adorned the walls. It appeared as though the letter's contents were no idle boast, and that this woman was the warrior princess type.

She turned to the muscled man beside her and whispered an order. He drew a blade curved in the fashion of those to the west of civilized land, offering it to his mistress hilt-first. Resting the flat edge her extended forearm, the lady spoke first.

"Your guard mentioned you fancy weapons," she said, focused more on the keen edge and shiny metal of the sword than anything else. "This is a sword forged in the pattern of those who live to the west, past the great mountains and great desert."

A glance at the man and he promptly, and gently, took the sword from his mistress. He took three steps towards the princess, bowed his head, and offered the sword pommel-first.

"But you did not request my visit to discuss what makes a more deadly weapon. To what do I owe the honor of these summons?"

[RuffRydeR]

Liangyu looked at it, too bemused and admiring to actually tarnish the polish more and handle it. Her touch would be light, but she didn't want to dust it up, or anything.

"It's too pretty to hold. Yes, it's a fine piece of work..."

Then, she turned to the woman, shaking her head,

"Oh, no, it's not that which is the purpose of the summons. Though, that was quite the sight to behold, and I thank you for allowing me to see it.
It's just...I'm trying to find people who might be inclined towards serving under my Father, so that he has less burden of work on him. I think if he had more people helping in assisting, he'd have more free time, and so I seek to do my duty and find more people who might be happy to work towards the prosperity of this province..."

Then, she baldly put the reason forward,

"Your name came up as one such talented person. Of course, interest in such things can only be gauged by a personal talk, not reports, and so...here we are..."

[In Ferro Veritas]

The man took two steps back before sheathing his blade. He meandered off to the side of the room and retrieved a chair for his mistress before returning to stand vigil at the door.

"An understandable position," the woman mused. "But this is a land of chaos, and I am no general, nor am I some quick-witted tactician capable of bringing an army to its knees."

She paused, sitting. Once more she glanced about the room, still not entirely sure what to make of the princess.

"And what purpose could I possibly serve, aside from hanging on some man's arm to lend credibility to him?"

[RuffRydeR]

She paused, sitting. Once more she glanced about the room, still not entirely sure what to make of the princess.

"And what purpose could I possibly serve, aside from hanging on some man's arm to lend credibility to him?"

"I'm not to sure. I just invite the talent as the reports to me are given. My father is the one who gauges people's abilities and purposes..."

Liangyu frowned. She hadn't really thought about that. She never did. The princess always figured...the more officer here, the better. As long as it took something off of Father's load. Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she asked,

"Well, I guess you would want to meet him, if you needed a proper answer..."

[In Ferro Veritas]

Xing Jiao stood, offering a nod and a genuine smile.

"It would appear so, lady. Please, lead on."

A glance at the servant and he withdrew from the room, headed to await his mistress outside.

[RuffRydeR]

Liangyu had a maid lead the pair of ladies over to her Father's Audience Hall, and they were both announced. She grinned, hoping she had pleased her Father again, then moved over to one side so that they could speak with one another, saying,

"Well, I'll leave you and Father to talk..."

[GreenFabre]

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<font color="#CD8C95">Voices Speaking Over and Over In The Kijo's Head - "Satanic Mantra" - Cradle of Filth</font>


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Guard: "Actually, I forgot to ask . . ."


And as the guard was just about to turn, a body bag was thrown high up in the air, whirling as it opened.
It was the bag of the tall stranger. And also, the prison of a degenerate man, who lost against the blind devil's wager.
The imprisoned man dropped to the ground on his bruised knees, wearing bloody clothes, hands bounded in chains.
He blinked his eyes and was just about to speak yet a long arm suddenly slammed to his chest with a force of such brutality.
Clawed metal gloves piercing through armor, flesh, bone and all.

The tall stranger tilted its head to the side, demonic green eyes watching the man's fruitless struggles with a smile.
A low growl escaped in its lips as it worked its claws through the man's chest with a practiced effort of one so used to doing this.

The claws slowly wormed their way to the gaps between the ribs, making sure that the man would suffer a slow, painful death.
It chuckled with such amusement, taking delight in the agonizing pain and mounting fear of this man, as if it was feeding on them.

The tall stranger hugged the man close, wrapping its other arm around him, tighter than a true love's embrace.
It was now whispering something to the man's ears, its voice hissing like snakes, dripping both with venom and lies.

The tall stranger's fanged mouth spoke things of unspeakable evil.
Blasphemous things that defied both Heaven and Earth.
The mere knowledge of which, would take the very heart of even the bravest of souls.

The tall stranger then glanced at the princess as it whispered.
Its clawed arms suddenly snapped the man's two upper ribs with such cruelty.
It then gave the man a one final kiss to his cheek, as it let him drop to the ground.
Lifeless and unmoving.

The tall stranger casted the two broken ribs to the side without so much as a care.
For it was now holding in its bloody claws, the living heart of the now dead man.

A chalice of made of human flesh.
Filled with the blood of an innocent.
Tinged with both fear and terror.

The fanged smile disappeared as it now greedily drank the warm blood from the heart.
Spills came, brushing the tall stranger's cheeks and painted them red.

Such was the extent of the fulfillment of its perverted pleasure that it roared out a guttural roar ~!
Both raw and primal. Reveling with glorious ecstasy in this.

Yet the tall stranger's vision suddenly blurred, dropping the empty heart.
Its whole body now convulsing, aching, and burning in the fires of extreme pain and maddening agony.

The tall stranger died within and was no more, as it slowly became something else.
Something more, something less than human.

Whatever it was, the purpose of why it came here was now lost and forgotten.
Its frenzied eyes sought out for something, anything, a someone, to turn its burning hatred to.
Eyes all white, for it is now literally blinded with unholy rage and demonic fury.

Its nose and ears then caught the whiff and sound of something in the air.
A bead of sweat. And a living heart. Pumping strong.
And could that be the slight smell of fear?

It suddenly hissed with its fanged mouth and bloody cheeks.
With blinding speed, the thing moved towards its next target.
Long reaching claws clenched themselves twice mechanically as fires suddenly spring forth.
An unholy marriage of hellish flames and black steel.

Howling a maniacal laugh in the air, the thing was now running towards the princess . . .


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The Xiāmó (瞎魔)

The Blind Devil challenges the Xia Gongzhu in a friendly duel lo~!
Tactics will be sent to whomever Ruffryder chooses lo~


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[Xiang Zhuang]

Liangyu had a maid lead the pair of ladies over to her Father's Audience Hall, and they were both announced. She grinned, hoping she had pleased her Father again, then moved over to one side so that they could speak with one another, saying,

"Well, I'll leave you and Father to talk..."

Xia Xi was sat behind his desk, busy discussing some military planning with a couple of his lieutenants on the other side of the desk when Xiao Jing and his daughter arrived. He gave his daughter a warm smile and then nodded to the visitor. "Hello," he said, a bit confused. He gave his daughter an odd look and said, "Is this another one of your handmaidens?" He seemed slightly put out at the interruption, although he had become a bit more used to it as time had went on.