"The Coming Storm" (Private or Invite:Roya/Ardere)

The prison cart had just made it past the border and into Fiore, or Roya could only assume due to the slightly shifting landscape… emphasis on only slightly shifting. Unlike Desierto the land didn’t rise as high here and the horizon did not seem so out of reach and endless.  But… it was still very sandy. Yes… They were still among the desert biome

Her one existent arm had been bolted to the ceiling of the carriage above her, held in place to the roof by a metal cuff seemingly screwed through the surface. A sigh wafted from her lips as she rolled her wrist in the magic negating restraint holding her arm up. She’d tried time and time again to produce her flames in this hand but to no avail. She glanced upwards to the cuff…Carved into the metal piece there seemed to of been a symbol 5 Roya hadn’t really been gifted an opportunity to ever be taught or go to school… she could not read much at all nor write.  5, the number symbolized her rank in the magic council’s eyes. No, not in a good way. Roya had been marked a Coming Storm throughout Fiore for the things she had done to the country… It was only about time her identity was exposed to the public and she was caught.

It was then that the containment carriage seemed to of jarred to a stop; Roya bumped her head against the back wall with the sudden halt. She could hear voices, children, and adults alike. It wasn’t any mixture of tones in particular… just town commotion. Roya blinked her lashes; slightly dazed for a minute before turning her nose towards the single, barred wall and outside the carriage cell a town was exactly what her eyes fell upon. Buildings were small, and somewhat shabby: crafted from sandstones and rock. Much like Deseritio the place still had a strong arabian feel too it… like a village right out of Aladdin...

She could feel the carriage lighten slightly as bodies hopped off the front.  She assumed they were here on a little pit stop, refresh the horses, and check on everything. The carriage men began heading around to the side of the freight.

“Ten gems a stone! Take your aim at the wench!” The head coach man leading the transport chariot rousted, hauling out a pail of rocks, his taller, bearded, partner helping him haul out another large bucket of sharp pebbles.

Roya suddenly blinked her lashes, looking upon the unfolding scene. Wait… this wasn’t part of their job—They were mere prisoner transports! What the hell was this… was this their way of making their job fun?… or grinding up more cash on the way? Before Roya could spend another moment questioning their antics they had already begun passing out rocks to gathering townsfolk in exchange for their pay.

“Demon spawn--” Came a gritty yet feminine voice from the crowd. The flame mage’s head was snapped back to the side. The cause: she felt a stone raking through the bars to pelt her cheek just below her eye. “Murder!!” another tone came, shelling her in the gut hard enough to knock the wind right out of her. Sure… Roya was all these things… “Thief!” There came another stone. But she couldn’t stand for this. Before she could speak another pebble struck her jaw, the cut formed at the side of her mouth, causing her to bleed ever so slightly.


 

Just as Roya cringed for the next rock she twisted her eyes shut. Instead of another sharp clack to her body she heard feared cries erupt from the cluster of townsfolk infront of the prison cart… including the two coachmen. It was only then that she slightly fluttered her eyes open again to behold the change in scenery. Black flames?... It was one of the forms her own fire could take… only she had been unable to even cast a spark with this cuff canceling out her magic. Her embers couldn’t have broken out of her like that, right? Unless…

Clank

The Tartarus mage just gazed widely, dumbfounded as the bars fell away from in front of her, clanging against the carriage floor in front of her or muffled by the sand below. It was her cuff which sliced away from her wrist next, proceeding to chink down beside her leg.

Roya couldn’t help but gaze at the stranger with a look of dumbfoundedness. She was being rescued? Who would  bother with such a task… unless maybe this man was affiliated with one of the countries dark guilds… but he didn’t look like a Savage or a Basilisk—and Roya most certainly knew he was not from HER Guild.

Who? Before the words could pass her lips his voice would cut in instead. From what it sounded like he didn’t know why she was in that carriage. But hadn’t he been the one to come break her out? She figured he would at least know who she was. Things were NOT adding up. Who was this fellow? She took a moment, but only a moment to examine his features. No, nothing rang a bell. And as for her choice? Well it was obvious.

Roya pulled herself out of that freight where the bars once had been, the heels of her sandals landing upon the sandy desert terrain. Forest colored irises narrowed as city knights began to close into the scene, quickly responding to the ‘jail break’ Only once before had freedom felt this good, as if she’d risk in being pulled from her yet again

Run.

The decision was an obvious. Roya, without a word of gratitude to the man, spun around in the opposite direction to take off around the carriage, slipping herself around backs and under the guard’s arms and their blades before they could seize her again. For a woman with one arm, she showed a generous amount of balance in her evasions.

 

Roya quite literally ran for her life as she trekked the massive hill of sand on the outskirts of the village, chasing the horizon as fast as her legs allowed. Without so much as turning in his direction she’d reply to the voice. “ Of course I’ll be fine, I’ve been out here before” The cloak which hung at her shoulders rippled back against her body. Roya moved faster than the knights, a good twenty strides ahead. She evaded anything they threw at her, craning her head off to the side just enough for their javelins to fly overtop or past her ear. She was home free! All she had to do was take care of her pursuers … and it would only take her a second to turn them to barbeque.  Roya opened her hand, ready to set it all ablaze. “Now, Buzz o—“

But just before she could swipe her fingers together in a snap or finish her word she felt a force from the sky rushing at her, that man’s voice meeting her ears -but next the fiery mage sensed a warmth come to curl around her solo arm.

She was then jerked up at the phoenix’s force and soon her heels failed to touch the ground. The terrain became farther and farther from her till the only thing separating her from it were meters of empty space. “What the hell are you doing?!” she bit. Roya raised her nose up to the creature that snagged her into its grasp. She was was met by the visage she had expected, the phoenix… but something else that held onto her attention: Its rider.

A top the massive flaming avian of sat the same stranger whom had freed her. It was quite obvious he wanted something from her—why else would he have broken her out like he had? All she could do was glare up at him as she was flown further and further from her spot.


 

"I would of gotten out of that eventually.” Roya bit, leveling her view up to  him. Maybe she could of maybe she couldn't. He stubbornness caused her to deny the latter.

“ The names Royanna Nakano” The once mage sighed as a light vex tensed her features. “But just Roya if you would.” She spoke bitter tone still lingering against her tongue. She turned to look in the direction they were heading just as the sunken temple came into view. There was no way the place compared to it’s former glory now. Although it the building was tall the first half of its floor seemed to of been swallowed up by the dunes in some places, sand spilling into the windows and open doorways to flood some of the interior. Former high rising sandstone columns and walls appeared stable, somewhat, but Roya was having second thoughts. Her instincts and untrusting nature made her feel like they were a tap away from collapsing into the sand. Regardless to the condition it was in the phoenix never changed her course, flying them right to the deserted palace. Wind whistled back Roya’s hair, bandages, and clothes as they came closer she found herself fluttering her lashes in an attempt to keep any blowing grains sand out of her eyes… Couldn’t help but think… Infinity Hydra was a LEGAL guild and he was the guild master. So, why’d he go out of his way to save a criminal? He couldn’t of known who he saved though.. Ardere seemed so.. Clueless.

Celia opened her grip, dropping Roya onto her feet. She landed safely atop one of the columns as Ardere did, holding out her single arm. It was reflex to try and balance herself out like this… only it didn’t really do her much good.

Roya’s sea green irises flickered up from her wobbling feet when he spoke. “What?” she laughed slightly, as if humored. “I don’t know a thing about you and you expect me to tell you that?” She smirked. He really should of done his research before he’d freed one of Fiore’s greatest upcoming threats, the Coming Storm.




 

The woman indeed did have a few tricks up her sleeves… Although not the ones Ardere really would expect or hoping for at least.

It was when he finally preyed his gaze away from her and glared down towards the sands that her expression morphed behind his back, raw amusement and greed curved her lips further.

Perfect.

Her deseritan cloak began to sway ever so slightly around her frame but not because the rumbling beneath the temple but the white light rays of magic beginning to illuminating where she stood, right beneath her feet. This man was stronger than her without a doubt, this would be her only chance.. too.. Take him out, or well distract him long enough to get out of here.

“I call upon the white witch Margery.“ Her tone was hardly a whisper, inaudible and quiet like the thoughts swirling behind her eyes. Out of the whole murmuring there was one thing Ard may have been able to make out… but it would have been too late ”Chaos Blast.“ An explosion of light erupted from her… Targeting Ardere. If caught off guard the tidal wave off magic would be enough to knock him back, practically throwing him off the roof which they stood.

It was the moment he began falling that Roya would whirl around in the opposite direction, launching herself off the other end of the temple. Sure he was a nice guy But Roya wasn’t planning to stick around for him to get another chance to interrogate her. If his morals of what was evil were as keen as anyone else’s He’d certainly drag her  right up to the council himself. Royanna was left whirling towards the ground herself. Although, she’d fight gravity, trying to fire herself forward instead of at the steaming sand below. Black flames would spark at her heels, beginning to billow outwards to push her forward, twirling forward like a bottle rocket. She began closing into the ground, escaping about a hundred meters off in the distance from the  temple, ground still trembling as she landed upon it.
 

The Tartarus mage’s expression seemed to of remained still flattening into a bored gaze, there was no way she’d just let him wheel her into the Rune Knights. And If he thought that he had to of truly been a senseless idiot. The Eyes which leeched against the man’s morphed into more of sort of glare, detest surfaced within her teal hues. As she examined him, listening to his words.

Yeah, telling from his sob story maybe his younger years sucked too… but at least his parents… they probably cared. She was fevering just at the thought—who cared about the bandit bullshit!… it couldn’t have been like her upbringing no chance-- It… wasn’t his parents who neglected him. Unlike her, maybe he was born into this world with some intentions. Her envy steamed hotter and hotter in her.  She wanted something like that. She could feel her knees twitching beneath her, suppressing the urge to lunge and thrash her nails into this—Whatever the hell he was.

‘͏̵͠ak͢͡tha̸͠r͝ ͝͏m̶̛in̵̨ ͘d̷̶h͡l̛͡k̴,̛͡ ͏'̡́a̧nt̷͞҉ ̀͡t̵̛uri͝d̴̵ ̷̨͡'̛͠a͢͢k̸̷͞t҉̶͟h͞a̶͡r̴͠ ̴͘͟m͞í̢n̛͝ ̛͘͜dh͜҉͡l͘k̸͜r̵̡͏ ̧

Roya’s palm came to clutch her head as the telepathic tone came to growl in her head, speaking a language she briefly knew from her homeland. Little embers of silvery flame came to spark and pop around her with the brief internal conflict

I͢ t̛h̢o͜u̢g͏hţ I̕ ͝m̀a̷de͟ ̴ìt c͞le͏ąr̢ ͞I̛ do͢n't͝ ̴w͜a͏n͢t ͝t̢o̴ ţa̕lk͞ to͞ y͠ou͘!͏̭͓̙̺̹


She buried her nails into her cranium, tangling her finger through raven hair for another moment as she managed to suppress the embers igniting around her. A sigh escaped her maw, Eyes narrowing t the ground to avoid the man’s stare, lightening her hold on her forehead as the sensation subsided back into her subconsiousness.

“I want…” She began, registering the question again. “Everything” She admitted, greed clicking off her tongue. She told him but what she didn’t tell him was that she craved everything she’d been denied growing up. Absolute freedom, wealth, famity, infamity.
“As for how I ended up in that sorry predicament… I’ve done some pretty u͝nf͟org̡i͞v͡abl̡e things.”

It was rather tempting to try and beat the black and blue into him right here, Roya found her body  twitch forward in a few attempts to attack but what common sense she had snuffed out the urge… She would just end up defeated and on her way to prison all over again--- Maybe it she should keep this composure of hers up a little longer.  She had to tell herself that there would come an opportunity to swindle the man or quickly get away. Then… she could make it back to Tartarus, back to Yugi again. It had been too long since she had seen him—what if he had moved on; presumed she’d left for good or died on the job? Roya shook her head to herself. Now wasn’t the time to think of this stuff.

Thieving, purging, advancing… It was the only method she had ever known. That or let yourself get stomped on—Ardere was lying to her… It wasn’t so simple not for her at least, she had to live this life while everyone got it nice and good—damn she hated it, She could kill to live like a real royal or hero. “You lose more brain cells by the minute don’t you.” She sneered, insulting his intelligence yet again. “How would you know—sure some bandits took you and forced you to do some things but you’ve never been a real criminal—“ Roya insisted, stamping her sandaled foot into the sands, dusts wafting up from where she pressed the earth beneath her. “There are things that can NOT be put behind you .” like making a deal with a devil

Royanna’s tongue clicked the roof of her maw in a brief, distasteful ‘tch’ “But really, why should I tell you anything about me.” The fiery mage bellowed. That struggled expression soon became buried again as She put up a confident sort of grin, the same expression flaunted by Flore’s greatest terrorists and biggest maniacs. “You going to throw me in another grungy fuckin’ cell if I don’t talk eh?! Or maybe you’ll actually kill me—I know you can do it.” She cackled through tightly clenched teeth, a breathy tone pushing up from her lungs.

Yeah maybe Ard’s younger years sucked too… but at least his parents… they probably cared. She was fevering just at the thought—who cared about the bandit bullshit… it couldn’t have been like her upbringing no chance-- It… wasn’t his parents who neglected him. Unlike her, maybe he was born into this world with some intentions. Her envy steamed hotter and hotter in her.  She wanted something like that. She could feel her knees twitching beneath her, suppressing the urge to lunge and thrash her nails into this mighty fucker. Instead she swallowed her rage, pressing down the burning sensation in her throat as she spoke

“You must really be dumber than I gave ya credit for. You can’t put just anything behind you—even with any amount of trying.”

“Help me? Pffft.”She tried to keep herself from laughing. “You don’t have to lie. If you really wanted to know how I ended up in that sorry predicament… I’d gone out of Fiore to find a dear ol’ someone…. I was so close and then I was caught with my bounty. Wound up here.”She spat.

With stubbornness, explaining how she was caught rather than the answer he was probably looking for instead. What had she done and why?

It  was as if her attitude had qued the shifting of earth beneath the,. Raising her brow she turned as the began to feel looser and looser beneath her heels. Roya hadn’t been all that speedy of a reactor when the ground beneath finally gaped open…. Fortunately, a certain guild masters speed made up for it.  Just as gravity yanked her back he latched onto her wrist. She was hauled upwards out of the abyss in one strengthful motion where her practically tossed her back against the sands, leaving her skidding against the ground a few meters, catching a face of sand; it flooded beneath and onto her clothes during the journey.

There was a pause, like maybe her killed her or something with that toss.

Royanna ejected a cough as she began sloppily getting herself out of the damned sand puddle she was in, slipping around slightly on the shifting hot grains.  Dust still settled and she half squinted her lashes to shield her eyes. The curvy flame mage struggled to shake the sand out of her clothes as she got to her feet. What the actual fuck was that, yeah he saved her but he practically pitched her like a baseball.  She should be grateful but her bitterness and stubbornness remained with her. “Well, That happened.”

The mage turned her cloth garbed head back too the other as his next sentence reached her.“ I know, but you’re not the type to dirty your hands, waiting for the council to do it for you, Aye?” With that Roya flexed out her pointer finger, comically sweeping it across her throat in a slicing action. Although it was amusing gesture, her eyes still seemed to vex at him with certain stubbornness. Legal guild master, he was supposed to be her foe.

'Owe him one', as if. Roya merely rolled her eyes, much like a suborn, snotty, child in reply to that playful smirk which casted over his lips. Her bitterness gingerly morphed into a disturbed confusion a brief moment as he mentioned her not giving him any reasons to kill her. Everything she’d done to him in the past ten minutes was certainly enough to get gutted or something back in the land of sands, Desierto. The people of Fiore had always been too merciful for their own good, absolutely foolish.

The mage woman instinctively shuffled a pace back as his gaze intensified on her. Only he wasn’t staring at her arm or her rack like many others she had encountered were drawn by. He peered into her. You could cover up a missing limb or cleavage but how did you protect a soul?

Her thick and dark lashes batted about as he broke the silence, oh that awkward silence. Only what he came to propose was worse than a bit of an embarrassing quietness. Niether choice appealed to her, as if she’d let him drag her off to some legal guild who’s reputation was built on destroying criminal magi or let him put her into unconsciousness—God only knew where he could actually take her, right back to the council’s feet… or worse?

“W-What?” She would just stammer before her one arm was flying back to shield the nape of her neck, he couldn’t strike her down like this—And as her arm pulled pack the already low reaching hem of her blouse pulled up over her pelvis, the lower  and side section of a red tattoo growing visible at her hip. Likely enough for anyone to decipher, especially one who targeted the very guild and those beneath it. Unfortunately, Royanna failed to notice the insignia flash, preoccupied with shielding herself from his knockout move.. not that she had a spare hand to cover the mark from those piercing orange eyes.

That’s right… She still had her own guild to get back too, and Yugi, whom she still had to find.  Her sea foam irises lowered as the thoughts swirled behind her eyes, lashes sinking in thought. Where had he gone? It was as if he had disappeared off the surface of the earth. Just gone… Roya had been gone sometime too, but they should of crossed paths again right now, why hadn’t it been him whom busted her free?

Dammit

She shook her head slightly, squinting away the thoughts, she had to focus on herself now, and what would happen.

“I can’t, and don’t you lay a finger on me either.” the same bitterness and even an underline franticness was visible in her tone.

Roya couldn’t dream to take out dark guilders…. Not Tartarus at least, They were what she considered friends, family--- like her ... Yugi, Gil, even Nai. The latter two: they were like the annoying older brothers she never had... The way they bickered, their arrogance. She fought back that grin, realizing that was one of the only thing that genuinely brought her smile.