forum For one thing to be born, another must die; that is how the stars are born, that light up our night sky. // OxO // OPEN

Started July 01, 2019 by @croccin-champagne

tune

"A what?" Adrian seemed to challenge her, an intrigued eyebrow raised.

"An egg, a dick, I don' give a shit, long as you fuckin' let go o' me." Elara snapped, scowling. "We're already inside the gates, what am I gonna do? Bolt as soon as ya let me go?"

"There is a 100% chance that that would be your first move, yes." it said. Sometimes there were advantages to being a cold calculating bastard, such as the ability to deadpan sass anyone and everyone.

"You'd just fuckin' grab me again, so wha's the point." She muttered, glowering at the ground. Her struggling had considerably lessened, not entirely because she'd given up, more because she was wasting energy by throwing so much of it into getting away.

"We really need to work on your speech mannerisms, Highness." Adrian said. It was rather irritated from listening to the unrefined, peasant class jargon that spewed from her mouth. It let go of her arm, but it was clear that next time she tried anything, the golem wouldn't hesitate to break it. "Elara, you and your been ordered to see your father in the throne room. I'm afraid you're not going to be able to stay in this city much longer, we've received terrible news. You'll be filled in on more details later, but I've been told to get you and… uh, it." a Guard of Elara's, Trevor, appeared to be out of breath. He was a weedy looking fellow, but good natured and friendly enough, as well as bad at arguing with Elara's suggestions so he was easy to slip away from.

"There ain't nothin' wrong with my speech mannerisms." Elara said, turning her glare up to Adrian as she stuffed her hands angrily in her pockets. Her right hand closed around something in them, as she turned to look at Trevor. "There's always somethin' new, ain't there? Too bad I ain' fucking leavin' the city." The last part was muttered to herself, as she nodded to the Guard and started off, not waiting for Adrian.

"W-well, it's rather more urgent than that. Something about, er, shadows, my lady." he stammered. An annoying mannerism, honestly, but you could live with it. Adrian followed, keeping up with their pace no matter how much it wavered, quickened, or slowed.

"Fuckin' a. The Shadows, right?" She looked over at Trevor, raising a pale eyebrow. They were a threat, for sure, but she wasn't too concerned about her own safety. It was the safety of the people she cared more about, specifically certain people. The exact people that were the reason she wouldn't leave the city without knowing they'd be fine.

"I don't know, Elara, you need to talk to your father about this. And stay with your golem." Trevor said, cowering slightly, bracing to be slapped upside the head. "She will be fine with me. I shall protect her." Adrian nodded.

"By the gods." Elara muttered, scowling once more. She released whatever she'd been holding onto in her pocket, slinging her bag around and digging through it. As she pulled out a scrap of paper and a pen, scribbling something down on it, she continued talking. "I can fuckin' take care o' myself. Look, take this t' Roman, will ya? The note, and this." She pulled a smaller bag, unassuming and at the same time seeming important, from her own, handing it and the paper over to Trevor. "He'll know what it's for."

"Will do, Elara." Trevor took the scrap of paper, faithfully not looking at it, and scurrying off. "We'll go to see the king. No use hiding in the shadows, waiting in fear to face what we must." it said, interlocking its arm with Elara's and walking her into the throne room.

Elara tugged her arm from Adrian's, returning it to her pocket. She had grown up in the shadows, using them as a cover from all the bad things that hid in the light. It was stupid to be scared of them now, human-ish or not. Besides, she was a Light-Spinner. "Fear ain' somethin' I'm feelin' right now. Jus' the urge t' punch ya."

"If you'd like, you may. However, we should hurry and gain orders from your father as to our departure. I've received information from the maker as to our current situation." Adrian said, turning it's head, seemingly distracted.

"I told ya, I ain't leavin'." Elara said, shaking her head. Anything else she might have said was cut off, as another one of the doors to the Throne Room was opened, a Guard leading the way, the King sandwitched between him and another Guard.

"Oh, good, you two are already here." The King said, greeting his daughter and the Golem with a nod. "I suppose that means you are already aware of your already scheduled departure." The King spoke with a dialect and the properness expected from a royal, so different from his daughter.

"Yes, we have been updated on the current situation." Adrian said smoothly, politely. "As ordered, I will be accompanying your daughter, her Highness. Is there any other information we should be informed of, Magesty?" it asked calmly.

"Sadly, we do not know much." The King said, shaking his head slightly. "Just that there may be an attempt on my daughter's life in the near future. That is why I am sending her, and you as her Guard, away for a while. Just until the threat is taken care of."

"Y'all can stop fuckin' talkin' about me like I ain't here." Elara grumbled, pulling her hands from her pockets to cross her arms over her chest, something shiny glinting in her hand before it was hidden with the movement. "I'm no' goin' any-" She paused then to think, her brows drawing together. If she stayed, what were the chances she'd be putting people she cared about in danger? "I-can I at least say goodbye t' a few people?"

"I would advocate against this. If her life truly is in danger, which I feel with 96% certainty it is, we should make haste with our departure lest we risk her Highness' life being taken." Adrian said, no emotion showing in his facial features, voice, or body language, or anything else that might be telling.

"I have to agree." The King said, shooting Elara a sympathetic smile that just deepened her scowl. "Your safety is of the utmost importance right now, as the Heir. Your things have already been packed, and a caravan is being prepared as we speak."

Elara spun on her heel, closing her eyes for a brief moment as something like worry and guilt flickered across her face, before it was replaced by the scowl once more. "Fine. I'm takin' a minute alone in the hallway."

"Suit yourself. Leave the hallway unsupervised and I will find you, of course. Your safety is of the utmost importance." it said. Adrian was practically a broken record, the amount of times it'd repeat how "important your safety is" to Elara. Not that it seems to understand that, really.

"Yeah, sure, whatever." Elara grumbled, slipping out of the throne room.

"I am a bit surprised." The King said, once his daughter was out of view. "That you actually have managed to keep next to her. She has a history of slipping away from all of her Guards, except that one boy."

Once in the hallway, Elara slumped back against the wall, unbraiding her hair to drag a hand through it. "I'm so sorry, Mack…" She whispered, dragging her hand from her hair and down her face as she looked up at the ornate ceiling. She couldn't say goodbye, couldn't send a letter that would get there on time, couldn't visit one last time before leaving. All because of that damn Golem.

"I was created for one purpose, to stay by her Highness and protect her, no matter what obstacle gets in the way." Adrian said placidly, its voice empty, drained of feeling.

"Which might, in fact, make you perfect for guarding her. She won't be able to convince you to let her do anything." The King said, huffing a laugh. A wiry looking man with a clipboard hurried in, the King's Guards letting him pass without problem, to mutter worriedly to the King. With a nod, he sent him off, before looking to Adrian again. "The work of a King never seems to cease. Good luck with my daughter."

Adrian nodded, and exited to the hall. "We should be leaving. Your things are already packed, we'll be taking the back route to avoid suspicion." it assured, lightly guiding Elara by the shoulder.

"O' course my things're already packed." Elara said, slipping out of his grasp and speeding up just a bit. She shifted her bag on her shoulder, drawing attention to it or adjusting it or both. "They never leave my bag." And that was true. All of the items and possessions she considered hers were right there, on her person, and never left her. That was how she'd learned to live, everything within reach, in case she needed to up and leave.

Adrian sighed. Why did humans have to be so impossible to manage? Why did they have to think in circles? It's head ached at the very thought of it. People who thought would soon only ever have thoughts to think, and nothing else. They'd be trapped with themselves, lost in a labyrinth of neurons and soul. It was Adrian's job to keep Elara productive, and look how well it was doing? She'd have to learn at some point that things were bigger than the tiny world of thought she'd encased herself into. Thoughts, Adrian mused, they're such trouble when you get too far into them.