Reim Empire

[Apollymi]

Erza heard what this young man was about to say. His goals were lofty and given the size of the group he arrived with he obviously had a number of people willing to follow him to get this done. But... "Surely you realize, that doing something like that will eventually require some form of violence, even if it's just to quell those..." she was going to keep talking but an old woman with a hat on her head dressed in robes appeared in the room. Her hair was a grey faded pink and her eyes were large and brown in color. When she entered she spoke harshly her voice raspy, likely from the pipe she smoked on but this was not really the point. "Save your breath, these brats don't get it. I'll fix it; both of you may as well follow me. The Princess also requires this lesson and I'm only going to say this once." she said casually as she walked through with a commanding presence that dictated she expected to be followed at this very moment. Erza surprisingly enough simply followed without question assuming that Fudo would do the same. She was walking towards the room occupied by Caelus and Yasmin and would arrive there surprisingly fast for a woman of her age.

Caelus words reached Yasmin and she supposed she understood them. But she didn't really like the idea of killing people. For her, bloodshed and violence didn't do anything but breed more of the same. That as an aside she wasn't the type to be violent unnecessarily, which was more than obvious given she was well trained with a weapon but never really used one to the full extent of her abilities. But before she could open her mouth to reply to her trainer an old woman entered the room and said but one thing. "Sit."

[Bloodedge]

Fudo's ears were open to whatever Erza had to say, but an interruption came in the form of an elderly woman. Though he did not know who this woman was, Erza chose to follow her, so he did the same. This eventually brought him to the location where Yasmin was being trained by the male gladiator. With the old woman's command to sit, which he assumed to be for him as well, he did so next to the pink-haired girl. In the meantime, Caelus cut his eyes toward the old woman while picking up his weapons. "Uzma. Isn't it past your nap time?"

[Apollymi]

Upon being told to sit Yasmin did, obviously she was used to doing what was said by people in charge. She was rather surprised to find Fudo now in the room with her as well. Since they were now sitting side by side she could see the injury to his face and her eyes widened as she saw the woman known as Erza enter as well taking a seat off to the side with her back against a wall and her large weapon situated in her lap. Yasmin sighed. "Fudo your nose is broken." she mentioned reaching over she'd attempt to realign his nose leaving it straight with only a momentary bit of pain for her companion apparently something the pink haired girl was used to doing. As this happened the small old woman spoke to Caelus apparently none too happy. "Yes it is. But, I can't sleep with the Rukh around these two being so annoying. And you two aren't going to be able to change this about them..." she mentioned to only to pause in front of the pair staring at them both for just moment before she began pacing.

"Both of you are incapable of using your Djinn Equips fully... but this is probably because you don't understand what's at stake here. It's fine to have ideals and values. Your kindness will get your far, but... it also hinders you and will get you killed if you allow it to cloud your judgement." she said. "I hear the Rukh, I see and understand them. I know this... and I'd rather not see two more brats be killed by someone who has fallen into depravity." mentioned the old woman. But this only brought confusion to Yasmin. "Fallen to depravity?" she questioned her eyes darting to Fudo wondering if she was the only one left out of this.

[Bloodedge]

"Hm?" Fudo questioned. In the midst of his training, he had either failed to realize, or simply forgotten the break in his nose. When Yasmin reached out to him, he braced himself for what he knew to be the encroaching reset of his nose. A bit of a cringe followed the act itself, but after a moment, he was back to normal and rubbing his nose.

"Keh!" was all Caelus gave as a response to the old woman. He then sheathed his swords, and stood with his arms crossed while she spoke to this pair of Dungeon Capturers, and alleged King Vessels who simply did not have what it took to properly become kings. 'Fallen?' Fudo mentally questioned as the woman spoke. He had once heard of such a state of being, but never had he received any detail on the matter. As such, when Yasmin asked, he was for once unable to clarify at all.

[Apollymi]

Having properly set Fudo's nose, Yasmin was left to pay the utmost attention to the short old woman talking to them. But she was more than a bit surprised to have Fudo not be able to answer one of her questions. The fact that Yasmin even asked this question made the old woman pause right in front of the girl staring into her face. Yasmin was rather attentive but she didn't understand what she'd said to cause the look on the woman's face, it made her a bit uncomfortable to be under such scrutiny. "Sorry, did I say something wrong?" she asked only to have the old woman reach out and flick her nose. "I've definitely told you this before. But since there is someone new around I'll repeat myself." she said only to have Yasmin rub the tip of her nose. "Ow." she mumbled only to go back to listening as the old woman began pacing and explaining.

"When a life is born, it moves within the flow. To move forward you have to accept the Rukh's Guidance. It points you in the way you should go, and you are responsible for overcoming that which it places before you... within that flow. This is what people call 'fate' and it is the responsibility of all to overcome it in their own way." she explained. "But there are some, who cannot accept the guidance the Rukh provide. Some curse their lives and aim to go against fate and change their destinies. It poisons their Rukh and stops them from being able to move forward. Existence becomes negative and they become fueled by hatred and malice. This is what it means to fall to depravity."

[Bloodedge]

'She's told her before?' Fudo thought. 'Interesting...' A long train of thought passed through the young man's mind, but he decided to store it away for later. For now, he listened to this Uzma's explanation of 'falling into depravity,' as she called it. At the end, he became able to understand things much more clearly. "There is no saving the Fallen," he said aloud, quoting the moment from his past in which he'd heard the term 'Fallen.' "Are you implying that we'll need to kill someone who's Fallen?"

[Apollymi]

The explanation the small old woman gave did seem kind of familiar to the pink haired girl. When she thought about it hard, this old woman kind of seemed familiar, but she couldn't quite place it, but this was a feeling that Yasmin often experienced and as such didn't really know what to say about it. So, she pushed it away in her head for later exploration. When Fudo stated what he apparently knew on the subject and asked a question, the woman nodded her head. "There are many who fall, who aren't strong enough to accept the things they cannot change and move forward. You are here, and have no doubt agreed to help Malik in his quest... the one he aims to displace, Sorio the Wizard, is one such person. His tainted Rukh call for malice and vengeance. There is no salvation for one such as him." the old woman stated.

"Just because you need to do things like this, doesn't change your outlook nor the fact that you tried. But if you spare people that go on to kill you anyways. Which is what the fallen will do, you brats will die martyrs for your causes. And then you won't be able to do any good for anyone that you leave behind." The woman said rather shrewdly. Though she did have a point, the dead do nothing to affect the world physically. Their deaths only haunt those who survive thereafter one such example of this were the former Emperor and Empress.

[Bloodedge]

The more he thought about it, the more this woman's words made sense to Fudo. If what she said was true, the Fallen were a danger to the state of the world itself, as well as themselves. If, once one fell, they were in such a state forever, it would be a kindness unto them. Of course, Fudo would still be trying his best to do otherwise, but if it came down to the cut and dry of kill or lose others, Fudo could potentially be resolved to do what was necessary. Rising from the floor, Fudo chose to step outside for a moment. In doing so, he looked at his Metal Vessel and called upon Amon's flames once more. 'Politeness and Austerity, hm?' he thought before using the flames to burn up his own body again.

"Spirit of Politeness and Austerity. In the name of my Magoi, and my will to grant me a greater power, I order you and your members! Come Forth, Amon!" In a massive burst of flames, Fudo underwent the changes of his full Djinn Equip. The flames receded to be merely a small inferno after a few moments, revealing the prince of Sindria wearing Amon's white robes with longer, blonde hair tied off in two ponytails, flame-like protruding armor on his arms and legs, a naval piercing much like Amon's own, and the trademark third eye of a Djinn on his forehead. There also seemed to be a permanent ring of fire at his backside, and flames spewing from the armor on his legs. His weapon, of course, became the Amol Saiqa broadsword, which he suddenly felt more comfortable with for one reason or another. 'Hmm...'

[Apollymi]

Soon enough Fudo seemed to accept that which he had been told and excused himself. As this happened, Uzma seemed to smirk as she knew exactly what one such as this young man would go and do, and soon enough she had the confirmation of the Rukh and the raging flames outside as proof that this young man had at least managed his Djinn transformation. "There's one. Now then, what about you?" she asked of Yasmin who had been quiet for a great deal of time.

The pink haired girl thought about it for a few more moments and decided that she'd rather do what was necessary than to lose another friend to her inaction. Of course, she'd probably been leaning towards such a decision for quite a while and decided about it based on the events surrounding Bakura in Parthevia. As she walked a bit off from the rest of the group she put in a great deal of thought into what she'd say. "The Spirit of Maniacal Love and Chaos, I order thine ancestors, To use my Magoi to give me power, Come Out, Paimon!" she mentioned while holding her flabellum and channelling her magoi this would lead to a small tornado surrounding the girl which would close in on her person before dissipating to reveal a change in her form. White robes with gold extensions and accessories much in the style of Paimon's piercings and chains. Her appendages slightly feathered including the bits right around her face which was crowned by another gold piece which centered around a third eye in the middle of her forehead. Her hair also seemed to have lightened a great deal and such would complete the girl's ability to use her Djinn transformation.

This sight was a new one for the old woman who seemed satisfied at least that the girl was capable of it. And for Erza who was still posted against a wall but capable of seeing the transformations of both individuals who seemed to be having problems with it. Now that it had been handled in such a way, Uzma scoffed and headed off. "Now I can sleep in peace." she mentioned as her parting words heading for the same door which Fudo had left.

[Bloodedge]

As his transformation stabilized, Fudo was passed by the very same elderly woman who'd given Yasmin and himself the advice that allowed their development. As she passed, he called out to her. "Did you leave the palace of your own accord, or did Sorio drive you out?" he asked, having come to the conclusion that this woman had to be of high standing in the palace prior to her stay with the Yambala Gladiators.

Meanwhile, Caelus decided to take his leave of this building, finding in seeing these two that their training for the day had come to its end. "We're done here. I'm going to do some real training."

[Apollymi]

As Uzma was leaving she was called out to by Fudo. The young man's question gave her a bit of pause, one because she didn't expect anyone to be insightful enough to have realized such a thing based upon what she'd said today and two because it'd been quite a while since she'd discussed her life as part of the palace. "I told the Emperor and Empress that Sorio was tainted. They believed me but thought he could be changed. That it was simply the war and that with time he'd become his normal self again. Then the princess went missing, and though I was able to tell them that she lived I could provide them no other comforts. I tried to save them but Sorio had them assassinated, and so I sought refuge here, until such a time as the flow of the Rukh could be returned to normal. I am glad she's alright and that's she found friends."

Meanwhile, Caelus mentioned to Yasmin that their training for the day was finished and this caused the girl to smile and bow. "Thank you." she said as her Djinn Equip fell away and she returned her flabellum to the place it'd previously been connected to her outfit. Such a thing made Erza smile just a little but soon her face was as stoic as ever as she stood from her spot on the wall and headed out the same was as Caelus. "Oi, wait up. I'm coming, too." she said as she aimed to leave with him to do whatever extra training they wanted to do for the day. All alone Yasmin decided to join Fudo to see what had come of his transformation and stood in the doorway having a look at the young man's changed appearance a bit out of earshot from his conversation with the old woman.

[Bloodedge]

Uzma's story confirmed his suspicions that she had been within the palace prior to Sorio's takeover. This also further resolved him to do something about the problem with the aforementioned man, as Fudo now had more insight on the kind of person he'd become. "Don't worry. We'll make things right while we're here," he said with a respectful bow to the departing woman of age. Once this brief interaction had given Fudo the information he sought, he turned around with the intention of locating Yasmin. A few steps ahead, and he encountered her at the entrance to the building they had previously been inside. When he saw the young woman, his eyes widened and one brow rose. He obviously never saw the outfit that came with either form of Paimon's Djinn Equip when he used it earlier, but now that he could see it, he found it... interesting, to say the least. With a grin, he chose to comment on the garb. "Hmph. I was right. It definitely suits you more than it would me."

[Apollymi]

The aged woman, seemed to look at this boy as he bowed, and after his statement her eyes widened but she soon continued on her path. As she walked away a small smile appeared on her face, as she was quite certain this boy and the Princess were more than capable of doing exactly that. If only for a bit of time.

After this Yasmin was soon confronted by Fudo who chose to comment on the look of her Djinn Equip which she supposed she hadn't seen herself except on him. A small blush appeared on the girl's face as she thought about what this particular form of armor had to look like on her compared to him. "Hm? You think so?" she asked a smile appearing on her slightly blushed face. "I always wondered what yours would be like too... definitely more you than me." the girl finished up finally cancelling her transformation and allowing her item to fall back into place her clothing returning to normal. "Also our teachers seemed to run off saying we were done for the day. So, I guess we are free to do what we want for a while."

[Bloodedge]

"Of course I do. I dare say it accents your features very well. I'd definitely recommend it over the rags," he replied nonchalantly before hazarding a glance at his own getup, finding it refreshingly less feminine than what he'd gotten out of Paimon's Djinn Equip. When Yasmin commented on it, he took hold of his top, which consisted solely of a strip of cloth from his right hip, which stretched around him and draped over his left shoulder. "Heh! Are you sure? Surely you'd have your own appeal in something like this. Feel free to try it on for yourself whenever you like." With that said, Fudo did away with his own Djinn Equip as well, stashing away his sword thereafter. It seemed they were free to do as they pleased now, as per the words of their mentors. However, Fudo had no clue what options this opened for the group.

[Apollymi]

"Ah, well if you really think so, then I'll just have to keep it." said the still blushing girl. As she commented on his own equip he went on to say that basically she would probably look nice in it as well. This caused the girl to scoff, playfully and shrug. "Probably will try it on some time, looks amazing." she finished thinking about their apparent free time and activities they could do together as a group. She was immediately brought back to her present state of attire and her general hopes that she would eventually change clothes. In fact, she'd gathered clothing from her dungeon to change into, though now that she'd properly seen Paimon's idea of clothing she was a bit wary, but at the very least a nice bath sounded like something they could all do together and relax. "I think... I am going to ask the rest of the girls if they want to go to the bath with me." Yasmin said with a nod. "It's one of the activities this place is known for and most likely to appeal to all of us." she said having read that bit in a book previously provided by Shadiya.