This castle's easily spooked (Alex/Gravelord)

[alexanderthegreat]

Alexander wasn't sure what the hell was going on now, not that he had even the slightest idea before this. Stupid invisible ticket--seriously, was that really just a joke or something? Because Alexander wasn't finding it very funny.

"You're a man of music are you? You come all this way to...play something for me?" this sounded somehow wrong just saying it aloud but Alexander was having troubles trying to identify the actual issue. In a way he was curious enough to just humor him and have him be on his merry way out of the castle and hopefully for good. You know, forever or something.

"Fine. But they're not going to be involved, are they?" he pointed to the other skulls attached to Requiem, also noting at this point that no other guards had shown up to even investigate the completely obliterated door--seriously, were they ALL just that incompetent?! He even poked his head around Requiem just to see if he could see anyone coming towards the throne room.

[The Gravelord Requiem]

Requiem was almost shuddering on the inside with joy and anticipation of his great reveal to the young king, such that onlookers might almost be able to perceive a kind of grin along his skeletal jaw.

"Yes, just for you, Frexton. And my little "friends" here shall not be the only ones participating in this grandiose occasion, but rather, all of Allorum shall find itself beneath the guidance of my wand," Requiem explained, his all to evident excitement causing him to wring his hands together with such fervour that he was scoring marks in the bones that constructed his palms.

"Is it not exciting?" The figure inquired rhetorically before continuing. "Each nation, each town, each man, woman, and child, a note that shall produce such exquisite sounds as I conduct them, and before long, I shall reach you, my dear King, for my real gift to you is allowing you to be the final note in the Requiem that I play for this world!"

Requiem slowly meandered away from Alex, his sadistic glee hitting it's climax as he threw his head back as his bellowing laughter echoed and filled every corner of the Throne Room. Swiftly whipping around to face his prey once more, Requiem slid in eerily close, whispering dark words of the "symphony" to come, now just out of pure excitement as opposed to any effort to further rile Alexander.

"Can you not hear it, Frexton? The resounding choir of screams that shall echo across the land in time with the resounding percussion of crumbling buildings, the lilting song of blades as they carve the air to meet flesh, and the vibration of strings as they sling the sweet song of arrows that shall blot out the very sun. And you, my good King, shall have the joy of being able to hear it all, and know that there is nothing can do to stop me as I draw ever closer to my final note!"

It was almost too decadent to Requiem; a moment that would only be rivalled by his final meeting with Alexander, but Requiem did his best to not let that meeting slander the joy of this one. He gazed through his hollow sockets at the golden haired King, all to eager to gorge himself upon the boy's inevitable reaction.

[alexanderthegreat]

Alexander couldn't figure out what was supposed to be more unsettling, the fact that this thing just was actually taking enjoyment in creating a plan as gruesome as this for the world in serious fashion or that he willingly shared it and Alexander's involvement in it to him and didn't care. If this was the 'normal' thought processes of this guy then no wonder he had problems with Alexander's father.

And speaking of which, what was Alexander supposed to say to this? How would have Bradley dealt with this? In the moment it took the young man to blink all he could see and hear in his mind was the former king in his place snarling something along the lines of "get out!" but somehow even that didn't seem entirely right.

"I don't know what you're supposed to be now, but it shouldn't surprise you to hear me say you're truly a horrid beast," Alexander answered Requiem quietly, trying to lie bravery through a ghostly pale face, "you degrade my father, and speak with all arrogance that you'll be destroying the world, my kingdom more specifically, with me having no fighting chance to stop any of it. It's an audacious claim to make, if not a stupid one because you knew my father and know nothing of me or the things I will do when it comes to threats like this."

Was that it? Was that all Alexander had to say? He breathed slowly, hands pressed against his sides but his nerves still shook as he added in a moment later, only slightly louder in volume, "Now get out of my throne room."

[The Gravelord Requiem]

"No!" Requiem shouted with a harsh and abrasive tone, a strong hint of anger behind his words. "I make no audacious claims, for I shall blight your pitiful world in hellfire, and you shall watch as it glows long into the night, the wails of death and decay echoing through your castle's halls as you sit, alone, clutching you pitiful flesh as it quivers in fear."

His game was over now, ended by the harsh impertinence he perceived from Alex's response. His form shaking slightly as his bony fingers clenched tightly, he stood tall, looking down upon Alex in an attempt to try and force a sense of his dominance down the boy's throat.

"And in the end, I shall house myself in these very walls, strip your corpse down to the bone, and keep you as my person jester, just so you know that you, in the end, are nothing but a tool for my amusement..."

Requiem turned away from Alex, no longer interested by the young King or any further conversation he might have with him. Raising his hands in a stilted and forced motion, the floor beneath him split and fissured, giving way to a seemingly endless chasm of eerie green light.

"Till we meet again Frexton, and know that I shall look forward to it," called the Lich as he took his first steps into the light before slowly disappearing into the green void, leaving only the traces of his visit and the remnants of a cackling laugh to echo in the room before the fissure sealed itself in haste, leaving only silence.

[alexanderthegreat]

Requiem disappeared through the floor which shook the castle walls as well as Alexander as the floor rumbled to mend itself back together. Though the creature was physically gone his haunting laugher still seemed to ring in everybody's ears, especially Alexander as he was left standing with a look about him that almost seemed lost.

Why? No, really, why did this guy feel the need to do any of this? Alexander didn't really get it even after Requiem had made it almost stupidly clear to him.

Trying to pass off a cool demeanour he turned his attention back to his guards and gave them a scowl.

"Well, don't just stand there! Move it! There is a door to fix and I want the captain and his generals in here to discuss this incompetence of yours!" he snapped at them and they scrambled about, gathering themselves up and running out the throne room...archway....yelling "YES SIR, YES SIR, YES SIR!"

And as his guards bailed in shuffled Holmes, eyes quizzically wide if not worried as he took immediate notice of the missing door. He also noticed Shanira wandering the room and needless to say, it didn't take the older man long to put two and two together, though the look on Alexander's face wouldn't put his worries to rest as he announced his presence in the room to his king with, "Sire?"

Alexander felt almost a wave of relief having Holmes show up, later than preferred but here nonetheless. The young king turned his ghostly pale gaze to the old advisor, voice weak as he answered, "I don't feel good, Holmes."

Being left with even the littlest amount of time to imagine a world as Requiem had so colourfully described it bothered the blond-haired man as he looked around and for a moment saw nothing but empty halls but could hear what was too easily recognized as sounds of death and fear. He needed something to take his mind off of it.

[shanira]

Shanira's neck twitched hearing Alexander speak. The monster was gone, but it clearly wasn't enough to make the young king happy. With a sympathetic look, Shanira's blade was put away, the clacking of her heeled boots heard as she stepped towards him.

And before he could move aside or even lift a finger in protest her arms shot out and wrapped themselves around him, pulling him into a warm (if not a little snuggly) hug.

"It's okay, Master. I am here. Remember?" she spoke, though she was sure he was probably well aware of her presence this whole time.

[alexanderthegreat]

Alexander sighed as Shanira hugged him, at first wanting to find a way to shove her off because dammit, he didn't want a hug right now! Memories of the woman as a fox instead flooded his mind, the moment he was upset she was always the first one there pushing her way into his lap or under his arm for comfort and Alexander managed to remind himself that she was right now doing absolutely no different than she'd ever done.

She'd always been there for him, she was just...in a different...body of sorts. So for a moment, he let his head fall onto her shoulder and he reached up to pet her forehead like he always would and it gave him a small amount of time to think over the meeting again with Requiem.

So what if he barged in here and said he'd destroy everything? Duo at the moment was a global issue, if Requiem wanted to be Santo-Luce's personal issue then fine, Alexander could prepare for that. He had his resources, he had what he comfortably felt he needed...or what he thought he would.

"Of course. We'll...we'll think of something. For now, he's gone, and there's other work to be done," Alexander answered Shanira, a reassured smile forming before he gave a glance around the throne room, particularly at Holmes and laughed sheepishly as his arms dropped from the girl, "c-can you let go of me, now? This is starting to get a little weird..."

[shanira]

SWEET WONDERFUL BLISS AND STRAWBERRY CREPES HER FOREHEAD.

That was the sweet spot aside from the middle back.

Shanira enjoyed her couple of minutes of pure ecstasy as Alexander pondered over his situation, though came the inevitable part where he realized he had better things to do and ceased petting her, leaving her in shock for a couple of seconds as though her brain had a hiccup in receiving the information that IT'S OVER.

Though she reacted no differently than she normally did, the fox would lower her head and let out a 'muuuu...' in disappointment. However in her angelic form she looked more like a pouting kid, bottom lip protruding and slumped shoulders as she let go of Alexander as requested and stared at him good and proper so he could see how disappointed she was!

Alas, as she stared down her master he became preoccupied with Holmes again, the two of them promptly leaving the throne room together and Shanira was then left standing with a bunch of the servants who gathered in to examine the door and clean up the mess from earlier. How boring!

So the girl opted to leave the room, following Alexander on his next task and eagerly waiting for attention from him again...



((AND ONWARD, TO "A Strange Meeting" otherwise known as "how could this get any worse?"))