[IC] Ascension: Sons of Nalin Ch. 1. Legacy.

[Darvan Korematsu]

In the mountains and hills surrounding the landscape, there stood an impressive sprawled out city named Nalin. In the middle of the city - if one were to notice the towering behemoth in the distance - stood a majestic, towering palace. Although the word palace was a little much perhaps, since it functioned more as the home of the Chancellor, the leader of Nalin, more than anything else, and maybe the rallying point if the Chancellor ever held speeches or urgent announcements, which were rare at best. Unfortunately, today was such a day. A lone Absol draped in only a small lavender cape slowly walked down a quiet stone hallway of the palace, apparently without another soul in sight. The Absol's claws quietly clicked on the polished tile floor as it moved toward a piercing light and a balcony.

Out of all the occasions it had to confide the people of her great city, why now. Said Absol looked down at the ground while walking - her claws still quietly clicking on the floor, once again reminding herself of the speech. This Absol was none other than the Chancellor herself. Rhombus. Casey Rhombus if you wanted to get technical with her. She wished the circumstances where of a happier occasion, however, there were matters which needed to be addressed to her people. They looked to her and the Senators for guidance, but it wasn't like the other Senators had as much clout as Rhombus.

Her lavender cape swished as she turned around, making sure no one was behind her. Of course, not a soul in sight other than the white-furred canid. Lately, she couldn't be too overcautious, considering there were rumored uprisings in the city and on the frontier lands.

As Rhombus reached the balcony, she was greeted by a roaring crowd that cheered out for their Chancellor, calling out her name in glory. She sighed to herself. She never deserved the honor this job came with. To her, anyone who was Enlightened could carry this job just as easily as her, and maybe the next guy.

She brushed her cape to the side as the crowd's roar slowly died out. She loudly cleared her voice as the people remained at attention, eager to hear the word of the Chancellor.

"Hark my brothers and sisters of Nalin! I wish I could present myself to everyone on happier terms, however, I shant. There has been a question of loyalty so I have heard. I don't believe in a stable loyalty, but a wavering sense of spirit I, nor should any one of our citizens appreciate. I even encourage debate. From the principles of debate, we have formed and held our mighty Republic fast. I do believe everything is in order here, although I must say that any dissenters and blasphemers shall perish by the hands of the government, for empty and false-guided ambitions were not only what brought down the old oppressors, but could just as easily end the nation our forefathers fought tooth and nail to preserve. Let Nalin persevere, and we'll exceed the expectations our forefathers brought into the world. You are all dismissed."

Rhombus stood triumphantly over the people as they slowly clapped at their leader's expected orator skills. She turned and went back down the hallway. One of the other Senators, a Kadabra, stood in the hallway nodding at her. "Retrieve me the Senators and select officers. We need to call an important meeting in the Hall of Freedom. Anyone not on duty right now, just bring them in. I need them urgently. I fear distress in the near future."

The Kadabra nodded and set out to retrieve any available soldiers or Senators.

(You guys just explain what you are doing, and expect for a Kadabra or an Abra to tap on you and request your presence).

[Omega_Ra1der]

Dragan was in the military training field, training his attack speed. He stared down a metal pole, focusing his mind on his claws. He thought to himself "I will improve my attack speed. I will improve my speed." Then, he lunged at the pole with blazing speed he honed in the past 4 years and hacked the pole for 30 seconds. After Dragan finished mutilating the pole, he stepped away calmly. The pole was scratched everywhere on the front. And he heard the announcement from the chancellor, he thought "Um? Rumoured uprisings, I will put to end to those if they get chaotic and starts to affect the republic. Father, bless me." Dragan sat down near to the entrance back to the barracks, resting, expecting something to happen.

[Chevaleresse]

A rolling series of explosions sounded from a fair distance across the field as a dark shadow flew over it, sending blasts of destructive energy to the ground below. The targets exploded into bits as they were struck with pulses of draconic energy or bathed in raging flames. There were several rows of them, and each was destroyed in turn as the large Hydreigon exerted his power. After the runs, he came to a skidding halt in a sort of makeshift runway. "Whoo! Nothing like blowing things up." The exercise kept the already powerful dragon in peak physical condition, which clearly showed on his muscular frame. He walked over to a spot in the shade to rest for a moment, showing no sign of being encumbered by the thick plating on her chest.

[K_H]

Jason was training up using some Wooden Targets that he'd set up in his backyard, honing his moves while he waited for the next Mission to come in. He blasted the target with multiple Aura Spheres, and then followed up with a Punch as fast as a bullet, splitting the target in half. He then set up a few more targets and continued chaining combos onto them for some time, eventually stopping to catch his breath, smiling. "Heh, nothing quite like a good training session." These Training Sessions that he had started doing recently were keeping the young Lucario in as fit of a shape as he was the day he Evolved, which was only about two to three years ago, and the Training showed on his athletic build. Jason then sat down next to a tree on the edge of the nearby forest, resting in the shade and admiring the scenery.

Edited August 25, 2015 by K_H

[AuthorReborn]

It was the end of the road for an unfortunate soul.

But then again, what else is there to expect in the life of a highwayman? You rob for a bit, you hold down a road, and make just enough to scrape by on a meager existence until eventually either people just learn to go a different way or the locals hire a goon to knock you over the head with a fatal overdose of your own sick medicine.

All these things entered Mark's mind as he trudged along with the paralyzed form of a Dustox strapped across his back, weighing him down into the dusty road towards a little place in the middle of a long road home. He'd of course been the goon hired to play "doctor" for the application of the medicine that this Dustox had a long way coming due to her hostile behavior in slicing off a town from the only road to the capital. Previous attempts to apprehend her had just left the locals poisoned and wounded as she drove them away with the frighting sight of a being who can sit by the road all day and do nothing but silently wait for its prey to spring the trap.

Thinking of all this made Mark audibly sigh as he attempted to quicken his pace a little. If anyone had told him when he was younger and still living at home that he'd someday be on a lonely dust road heading the wrong direction to get to his destination just to be able to afford to eat, not to mention while carrying the hopes and aspirations of the common people to attempt to gain the ear of the senate, he would have ignored the messenger.

"Well, I mean, I suppose I am making it out to be a little worse than it actually is," he mumbled to himself. "I would have had to take on this Dustox anyway. At least this way I get some supplies from doing so." His deal had been brokered on Dustox being taken "Dead or Alive" due to the vitality of the road to the town. Without it, they would eventually fall to starvation and those who didn't would leave to become bandits themselves. Squishing Dustox like the bug she was would have been the fast and easy solution and would have gotten him back on the road faster although at the cost of his general pacifism. But all factors considered, subduing Dustox and dragging her all the way back to those who she had tormented was more dangerous, didn't betray his values, and, above all else, paid more, which, with easy access to the ability to paralyze his foes, Mark would be an idiot to pass up on the added opportunity.

Still, the road was a long one and the capital wasn't getting any closer when Mark was walking in the wrong direction.

"I wish I had followed Mom's advice on honing my skills in being more agile," he grumbled to himself as he continued down the road with only an unconscious bandit, the sounds of a gentle wind, and his own footsteps as company.

[xxAngel]

Countless images whirled past, carrying out their lives with intangible forms and muffled voices, flickering in and out of focus. Above, the stars continued their cosmic march, moving through eternity in a heavenly mirror of the events beneath them.

There. If I can just--

The stars stretched into lines, blurring together as the phantoms of the future were pulled away into the heavens. When the swirling light faded into the image of her outstretched hand, Celeste Leclair was once again standing alone in her quarters. The Gothitelle lowered her arm, bracelets falling back to her wrist with a soft clink. "As fickle as ever," she mused, a small smile gracing her pouty lips.

Celeste moved to the window, the stone floor cool on her bare feet. The city of Nalin stood proudly under the sun in testament to the noble ideals that founded its great Republic. It was that institution, that hope, that she had pledged to defend to her dying breath. Finding just one event that might bring it all crashing down was like trying to pick out a single snowflake in a blizzard. There were so many possibilities, so many futures...and they were always changing, reflecting the choices and loyalties of those who shaped them. But Celeste would keep searching. Patience would win out in the end.

It always did.

Edited August 26, 2015 by xxAngel

[Darvan Korematsu]

Ariel

Alone in the Hall of Freedom, Ariel sat in one of the countless wooden chairs, there on her own accord, twiddling her thumbs, having just meditated, with her mind a little more at ease. She stared at a shiny steel gauntlet attached to her right arm, with the pinkish white prize of her being. A rare and sought after piece of Gardevoirite.

Ariel thought to herself about the Gardevoirite, and of her service to Nalin. She shifted the gauntlet and stared at it from a different angle, it's gleam shining off her ruby red eyes, bright like her path to the people. She lightly smiled to herself, happy with her work. Many of the advisors questioned her agenda as a Nostring, despite her philosophies thay conflicted with each faction, labeling her as one of the few Senatorial firebrands. She looked up at the sound of clicking feet on the ground. There in the door way to the Hall, stood a wizened Absol in a lavender cape.

The Absol casually walked in. "Senator," she nodded. Ariel nodded back. "Chancellor Rhombus. I trust that we're meeting in here?" The Chancellor walked around to Ariel's side. "Why yes Senator, why do you ask?"

"Because you never come in the Hall unless business needs to be attended to."

The Chancellor nodded. "Indeed, I'm calling upon other Senators and soldiers. Let us wait while we muster who we can"

[xxAngel]

Celeste's heeled boots tapped dully on the floor of the Hall of Freedom's entrance corridor. Her telepathic exchange with the Kadabra Senator had left her wondering if Chancellor Rhombus' urgent summons was the result of a premonition. The stars had revealed nothing to Celeste directly, but the Chancellor's ability worked differently. If the Absol had felt something...well, they would all find out momentarily.

Stepping into the Hall proper, Celeste found two figures already waiting. One, not surprisingly, was Chancellor Rhombus herself. The other Celeste recognized as Ariel Ringo, a Senator who was something of a troublemaker but whose status and accomplishments as an Enlightened warrior deserved genuine respect that Celeste was willing, if not obliged, to grant.

"Chancellor," Celeste offered the Absol a crisp salute before addressing the Gardevoir with a courteous bow. "Senator. May the stars smile on both of you. I stand ready to aid and defend."

[K_H]

Having received a summons from a Kadabra Senator, Jason quickly put on the rest of his armor, and then was Teleported to the Hall of Freedom. the Urgency radiating off of the Messenger led Jason to consider the possibility that the Summons was made because of the Chancellor having detected something. His mother had not alerted him to anything important that she'd noticed in the Auric Force, but the Chancellor's ability worked differently than his mother's skill.

As he walked through the Entrance Hall, he glanced down at his reflective copper gauntlets, the reddish-orange and yellow tints of both the metal and his family's heirloom treasure, a piece of Lucarionite he'd inherited from his father, glinting off of his steely-blue eyes.

Jason entered the Hall proper, and noticed that three others had already arrived. One of them he recognized, unsurprisingly enough, as Chancellor Rhombus herself, and another as Ariel Ringo, a senator who'd been causing quite a stir as of recently, but he was willing to accept that because of her status and acts as an Enlightened Warrior, and also because he agreed with her ideals. The third he didn't truly recognize, but the Gothitelle looked to be of high standing in the military.

The Lucario saluted the three respectfully, addressing them as he did so. "Chancellor, Senator, General. May the Auric Force be with us. I am ready to help if needed."

[Omega_Ra1der]

Upon receiving an Abra whose has the orders from the Kadabra Senator. Dragan got up and headed for the barracks to equip his armour. As he was equipping himself his chestplate at least where his keystone is, he thought "Father, wherever you are, bless me." When he was finished, he exited barracks and headed for the Entrance Hall where the Chancellor was. When he entered the beautiful hall, he noticed General Celeste and an bounty hunter. Dragan approached the Chancellor and saluted while spoke "Captain Dragan Rader reporting for duty!"

[AuthorReborn]

With him charge released to the tender mercies of her former victims and his pay collected, Mark turned to the road he had just dragged his adversary down, only to find a peculiar Abra standing in his path, blocking the way to the capitol. The Abra reached out psychically and reached out his hand towards Mark in an offering.

"​I have been sent to gather the able bodied Senators and soldiers to convene in The Hall of Freedom. Will you answer the call?"

For once, Mark was rather astounded by his own good luck. Normally, such matters of chance conspired against him, but it would seem that a timely draft would save him countless miles of walking. Naturally, he gave the Abra a quick nod of confirmation and took the three fingered hand in his own before being whisked away through space through the dizzying powers of Teleportation. His stomach lurched with the sudden jolt of motion and Mark fought to keep his hard earned meals down. As quickly as it began, the trip through space ended without warning, leaving Mark to stumble a step due to losing his sense of direction mid-Teleport. He quickly regained his composure and took in where he was.

The sights, the sounds, the smells. There was no doubt about it.

This was home, the capitol city of Nalin. Yet despite being home for the first time in years, Mark could not help but feel a doubled sense of urgency as his own personal mission and the seemingly new crisis were rapidly approaching and each passing moment seemed to increase Mark's desire to find out just what was going on that required all available Senators and able bodied conscripts to be summoned from all over the Republic. The Abra had gotten him as close as the entrance hall to the Hall of Freedom. There was just a short distance before he joined ranks with some of, if not the, most influential people in the entirety of Nalin. His footsteps echoed across the exalted entrance hall until he finally paused a moment besides the door to the Hall of Freedom. This was his final opportunity to steel himself for the trials to come.

Okay, Mark. Remember, breathe. Be confident. It's just like chatting with strangers. Except these strangers could have you beheaded. Er...happy thoughts.

With a deceivingly confident push, Mark opened the doors to the Hall of Freedom. Inside, Chancellor Rhombus waited along with a Gardevoir, who could only have been the esteemed Ariel Ringo. A Lucario, Gothitelle, and Garchomp had already entered the room and were waiting along side the Chancellor and Senator for others who were summoned to trickle in slowly. The opening of the doors was less subtle than Mark would have liked, but at least it allowed the others to become aware of his presence. Careful not to allow his nervousness show, Mark walked up to the group and bowed deeply.

"My name's Mark. As for what I did to be important enough to be invited here, well, I've got no clue." Mark let out a nervous grin, hoping that his meager attempt at humor would help brake the ice of anticipation.

[Chevaleresse]

After a particularly irritated Abra (who hadn't stopped to think about the soldier's Dark typing) got his attention, Astal reported to the Hall of Freedom as quickly as possible, electing to fly there himself rather than take a teleportation. He wondered briefly why they were calling him here; they couldn't possibly want his opinions on a matter of government. Perhaps there was rioting to stop? The dragon grinned to himself slightly at the prospect of battle. Reaching the hall doors, he stopped for a moment.

He considered a couple options on how to open the doors without mushing any of his faces into them. His legs didn't reach far enough ahead of his massive body and powerful neck, so he would have to do a sort of undignified shuffle and slide into the room. His wings were in a similar situation, though those would result in a similarly goofy-looking backwards hop instead. The Hydreigon eventually settled on what was essentially hipchecking the door open, not thinking to simply wait for someone to open the door for him. He tried to be somewhat gentle, but the doors still opened with a crash as he hurried into the room.

Acting as if nothing had occured, he gave his best salute to the council members already gathered. "Sirs, Flight Officer Astal reporting for duty, sirs."