Thirty-Six

[Chalis]

This has been in ff.net for a while now, but because I asked members of this site to help pick a character because of my laziness and writer's block, I feel like I have to put this here. I'm sorry if your eyes bleed. This is pretty much a challenge to myself to beat writer's block based on the thirty six dramatic situations by Georges Polti. Last thing to note down, I don't know if all of the numbers will have the same day-to-day pattern this one has.

Oh, and Feedback can just be sent here directly.

I. Supplication: Knoll

It is not my concern about his safety; he knows full well the consequences and that we never intend to stop once we begin.

The day began with not name exchange but by being monitored--or spied on if that's what they were trying to do.

They seemed to trust us greatly I'm assuming because they're allowing us to speak to the prince. My initial thought was 'Great. Someone to boss us around without even knowing anything in the first place.' Although I understand he's the prince of Grado and that he shares as much the right to what we do with the stone as his father.

It turned out that he was the official who called for us researchers. We were escorted to the vault but of course that was about it. We would have to do without direct access, which worked out fine. The power emitting from it was chilling to the touch on the vault door.

The prince thinks he can use this power to save many lives considering Grado's geography. There are many tremors here and another is expected to come soon. I didn't pay him any attention after tuning out a few moments later, though.

Nothing yet. Many of the royal court guards and advisers disapprove of our research and have been complaining about our methods.

The Emperor had a long conversation with the prince the other night about us. The research team have come up with many explanations for permission to continue. All of them were lies of course. No one other than the prince ever believed us.

We needed several priests to undergo channeling. I myself have begun to train under magic studies as well to understand more.

The Prince wanted an order to open the vault, but it was denied.

Emperor Vigarde wanted a stop to our research. We are to be tried this afternoon.

Our Prince was against the preposition and managed to keep us at bay for a while longer.

The Emperor is becoming sickly. Prince Lyon acted strangely mild when the permission for opening the vault was rejected again.

Another rejection.

Another.

Another.

His health is getting worse and worse every day.

Several casualties from the quake a few days ago. Over half of our kin are no longer with us. The Prince took in monks from the covenant as substitutes for the time being.

We made a break through. By lining the aura of the dark force with lime stone, the rock absorbed the light emitting from it. It's not even close to a fraction of the real thing, but we've learned that the stone carries a great power. Possibly demonic even.

His mental state is deteriorating.

The older generation of priests and bishops have resigned after a vision brought by the substitute stone. There are too many rejection letters to count and we are being sentenced with charges of blasphemy and conspiracy against the country now that the king isn't saying anything. So all of the sudden the people have a voice do they?

Our Prince has never been so emotional with his speeches before... We're out of the cross fire again, but how long can we keep this up?

He can no longer recognize his son.

We've gained nothing despite the prince's positive attitude. It's only an act, anyone can tell he's hurt but we say nothing. Because we're using him.

His father's in a comatosic state. This is not known to the public.

Our Prince has severed ties with society as well. We are serving as figure heads as well now. The order has been granted.

Of course the stone can't be released to us directly. It lies behind a glass case.

I and only six others have survived the aura coming from the stone. Prince Lyon is more determined than ever to unlock it's mystery.

I shall not concern myself with his well being.

I shall not concern myself with his well being.

I shall not concern myself with his well being.

I shall not...

He saved a young girl's life using the power of the substitute stone. She was burned beyond recognition, we were all sure she would die... but he never gave up.

He doesn't give up. He's obsessed with it. He's such a fool.

Newer recruits; all of them extremely experienced with magic and even my master was among them. They were granted low ranking positions. It's hard to swallow how someone like me with no extra ordinary abilities gains such a high rank while everyone else...

We spoke briefly. They think I'm being favored, and with my luck they're probably right. I still don't care.

How many times will those fools continue to try us? We never showed up at trial.

Soldiers from a private militia have dared to march against us.

We have been found innocent by self defense. We slaughtered them mercilessly to release stress from all the time inside that dungeon. Yes, I think that's what it was.

He never leaves it now, he constantly studies and reads, he stopped eating and sleeping... it's quite interesting now seeing him suffer like this. The stone is as radiant as ever and illuminates the halls in a dark ivory light. It looks like his eyes are red when he concentrates on it.

Day three is over, and he's still not showing any weak points.

The glass broke.

I'm not worried, more of... afraid. Yes. I'm afraid. That's the word.

The king has died. Long live the king I would have added but it just doesn't seem right now. His sorrow is strong and even brings me down whenever I pass by him reaching for another book. Should we... should I have done this? He's not the same positive fool who knew he was being blindfolded. That's right, he knew we had nothing pure in our minds when we began.

Afraid. Yes, that's the word for it, since I do not care about him or his state of mind. I bow my head in front of him and he only walks away. He is surprised I wish no longer work for him?

"Prince Lyon." I call him, "Your father, what did you do? And that stone... what have you done?"

"Knoll... It saddens me that you are also against it. You must go too, then."

"Do what you will, I only want answers."

"What is there to know? I saved my father and destroyed the useless stone."

"What is that you have there now?"

"This? Hm, it is rather dark isn't it?"

"Bringing your father back from the dead..." The body of Vigarde is no illusion, "To think you had the powers of a necromancer."

He claps twice, "Now, reconsider your position and tell me I was not in the wro--"

"Thank you, Lyon. That's all I needed to know." To scholars like me... the quench for knowledge is never satisfied, but to think there was a way to bring the dead back from the grave... "I resign. At least I know when to quit, I can't say the same for you."

"What so you mean by that? It's only thanks to our research that this was possible! I mean, look, my father is well and alive and, and--"

"Lyon. Listen carefully." He will not listen, I know. "You are mad. It was only after your father died did you go into despair and decide to do this on your own. You never needed us, in fact the sole purpose with the other monks was for the stone to suck their life force out. You knew this and so did we, in fact even the victims knew. We said nothing because it was interesting, that's it. I don't care about the king, the country or its people. You had great potential and you did it. You really did it."

He says nothing and I dare not to look at him. "With my loose tongue you should have enough to have me exiled, so just give the order and let me go."

"No."

Only once did I ever hesitate in thinking that I should have acted differently, and I now know that I'm as selfish as ever.

Fear was it? Sure. I fear my prince. But I don't concern myself with him at all; that burden I left a long time ago.

I shouldn't concern myself with him.

I'm almost sure of it.

[Percivalé]

I liked it. Sorry for not posting this sooner. ; ;;

Did you choose the character for the next one?

[Chalis]

I liked it. Sorry for not posting this sooner. ; ;;

Did you choose the character for the next one?

There's a three way tie between completely unrelated characters of equally diverse games... somewhere here:

http://serenesforest.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=9865

...Apparently someone voted while I was away. I guess I know who to work on now. (Yes, I've been on a stump for all this time.) Thank you and uh, it doesn't seem to generic, does it? I worried a lot over it... Knoll barely has any character.

Edited December 12, 2008 by Azel