A Cursed Knight (Greedy Fatcat and Okami A.)

[Okami Ameras]

Greedy Fat Cat

I nodded.

I passed through Wisteria to collect some supplies, rest, and information so that I did not enter the battle hungry and weary, and uninformed. After spending three days there, I headed up north to the tower where the monsters came from.

I glanced down at my hands. I played with the enchanted rings I wore, from the old sorceress's collection. There was one on each finger, and they glittered with gems in patterns of different shapes. They fit my hands perfectly, and my favorites were a silver one en-studded with emeralds, designed to look like a tiny vine wrapping around my finger, and the other a plain gold one with a small solar disk.

There I met the sorceress. She was older, easily withering away. I told her I was there to tell her to cease and desist with the monster summoning, but she spat in my face and told me that she would so whatever she pleased, before she summoned a monster to attack me. I was victorious in the battle... I managed to slay the beat, and her as well. I ran her through with Lunar Ray, but she cast a spell on me as I did so. Last thing I remember of that moment was Lunar Ray shining brightly like the full moon before everything went black.

I looked down at my chest, before glancing back up at Reguna.

I woke up like this. I panicked, and started running around the tower, trying to understand the books she had, trying to figure out how to undo what she had done. I couldn't return like this. Alas, I got... distracted by the things I read. After a while, I found myself able to use... magic.

I glanced down again, staring at the books on the table.

Now... now I'm not sure if I want to be male again. I'm... growing comfortable with being a woman. I still get mental conflicts now and then, but I'm adjusting better then I thought I would. I've been looking for a way to turn myself back, but with how I've been feeling, I'm not entirely sure I want to change back anymore. I'm freer, in a sense. And currently I think the drought is a... bigger priority.

I glanced back up at Reguna.  

[Greedy Fat Cat]

Okami Ameras

Reguna still listened, but had covered his face. He wasn't confused, no, he understood perfectly. Rakil was…okay with this. He looked back up at her, his violet eyes looking into her green ones.

"You…don't want to change back? Rakil…" He shook his head. It was hard enough to accept that Rakil was now a woman…but that he wanted to stay that way sounded absurd. "I know being a knight means having a lot of…responsibilities, but you can't possibly tell me that want to give it up. Have you no pride?" He asked.

He then looked to the fire, immediately regretting his words. He bit his lip before daring to give a glimpse back up at her. "I'll…I'll help you undo this drought if you really think you can end it…but after that…I'll find a way to change you back."

Was he uncomfortable with Rakil being a woman? Why? Rakil had every right to be who he wanted to be, so why would Reguna care? But…He looked to Rakil now and had to look away. A woman. He rubbed his jaw, his eyes cast down. Was it still called brotherhood? Reguna didn't know their relationship could be considered the same, with what Rakil having a…bodice and sorts.

 

[Okami Ameras]

Greedy Fat Cat

I looked back at the fire, watching it crackle and pop. There was silence in the room for a long moment before Reguna spoke again, speaking of my pride as a knight. I didn't return his glance, nor acknowledge his sudden discomfort with the pauses in his words.

It's... different. Being a mage. I said after a long, awkward moment. You wouldn't know... but... like this... I'm free. I never truly made the choice to be a knight. It was... decided for me. They just... made it sound so exiting. But I'm a servant, as a knight. A high status, highly paid slave. I dance when the royals want me to dance, I fight when the royals want me to fight. I honestly thought I was being sent to my death, and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it.

I glanced back up at Reguna, a an intensity in my eyes now. My eyes seemed to glitter in the firelight, yet I was highly focused on Reguna.

I don't want to be a knight. Not anymore. I've had a taste of freedom now, a taste that I cannot quench. I can go anywhere I like, do anything I like, with no threats of treason upon my head. The gender I may be matters little. I am steadfast to my word. But I will no longer be ordered about at anyone's whim.

After a moment of starting at my old friend's discomfort, my gaze softened.

Not that... you've never given me the choice to pick and choose my assignments. But others... others haven't been so kind. I don't ever want to be a knight again. And if I become a male again... I will most certainly be tried and convicted of treason. If I become male again, I will never be able to return to this city, where your home is. I fear I may never see you again.  

[Greedy Fat Cat]

Okami Ameras

Reguna didn't know that he felt this way. He certainly didn't voice it. Reguna always thought that Rakil wanted to be a knight, but to know that Rakil felt differently…Reguna was hurt that Rakil did not feel the need to him of his discomfort. Was he not his close friend? Did he think Reguna would not care? Or was too much of a prince to tell him of his inconveniences?

He noticed Rakil staring at him. Now he decided to be honest. Reguna shook his head and looked back to the door to think over his thoughts. Reguna was embarrassed to hear Rakil's dislike for not being a slave. If only had Rakil said something of his unhappiness to Reguna…maybe he would've have had such difficulties, maybe he wouldn't have felt so alone.

Alas, Reguna look at him. "If you please, Rakil, then I don't really have a choice in your orientation. I have the same fear, when I am finally able to see you again even though you are…a woman." He nodded, now sure of his decision. "And I will aid you any way I can," he stated, though with an almost solemn tone. He would try to be understanding.

 

[Okami Ameras]

Greedy Fat Cat

I watched him. I wondered how he would react. Oh god, good. I thought when he finally spoke. He wasn't going to be a stick in the mud and try to keep me as a man. I smiled happily, my eyes glittering.

Thank you, old friend. I said, reaching across and putting my hand on his. I gripped it slightly, and it was if, for a moment, nothing had changed between us. I blinked and looked away, my eyes flicking back towards the fire as I thought.

I need access to the royal archives. This library is good, but it doesn't have the records and reports on magical users I need. I said. I think it's best that we go find a sorcerer or witch who's more well versed in curses. If nothing else, they should be able to point us in the right direction as to how to lift it. Do you see any problems with that? I asked.  

[Greedy Fat Cat]

Okami Ameras

Although it seemed like nothing had changed, like that of three years ago, Reguna was reminded of the smallness of Rakil's hands. It unnerved him, though he said nothing about it besides his face making a slightly odd expression.

"I can make that happen," Reguna murmured quietly, in a low voice. He looked to her now, his eyes downcast. "But again, the majority of reports of magic users that the government knows of are dead. The rest are imprisoned or unknown; magic users and the government don't necessarily go hand in hand. The best we could do is find the location of a magic user's base and see what we could find. But even then, we would only be left with whatever was left behind at the time. We had soldiers sweep through those locations and get rid of anything that seemed harmful or taboo and had those materials burned."

He paused before getting up from his seat. Reguna looked down at Rakil. "But that red hair will be problematic. It's easily recognizable. After all, the first time I met you…as a woman, I thought of you." Reguna slipped off a ring from his middle finger as he said this. The ring was of a dark stone, an enchanted item that he had picked up from one of his little explorations of the market. It had nearly cost him a fortune, but it made sneaking out for his outings a lot easier. His hair, which was once a dark sable, seemed to melt away, returning into a light gold. It shimmered, as it usually did and gave him a certain radiance that ensured his blood as royalty. It was a little long, since Reguna had kept away from cutting it, and had been tied back by a plain blue ribbon. It was probably just as eye catching as Rakil's red hair, but Reguna would rely on the cloak he had brought with him. He often used a cloak to sneak out before he had obtained the ring itself. So he didn't mind lending out the ring temporarily.

His long flaxen lashes hugged at his cheeks as he blinked; Reguna was certainly as beautiful as he was when he was younger. Besides his hair being a bit longer, and a bit of age and tiredness to his face, he hadn't changed much. Reguna looked at Rakil softly, offering the ring to Rakil in the palm of his hand. "You can use this. It's useless besides the fact that it turns your hair black. I don't think anyone will recognize you like that," he suggested.

 

[Okami Ameras]

Greedy Fat Cat

I nodded.

It is a common practice. However, magic users are like scholars; no matter how evil or good a mage is, the one thing they all hate in unison is the loss of knowledge. I said, tilting my head, and letting my crimson curls fall across my face. Even if they're only keeping that knowledge for themselves. It's common for a mage of any stripe to hide the bulk of their research away, and leave a collection of common materiel as decoys so no one searches further then their normal library. It's very likely those locations still hold clues, but only to a mage who's looking for them. They're inaccessible to non-magic users; and after the common stuff is burned, it's practically impossible for a non-mage to learn the way into a deeper library. It's also likely to stay hidden and not be found, as like you said, the government and mages don't mix; the government doesn't employ them. Magic expands your senses and makes you act erratic and crazy to the mundane world around you, while to a fellow mage such actions might make perfect sense. This makes mages hard to control, and viewed as potentially dangerous to their non-magical allies.

I looked at Reguna with that glitter in my eyes. He knew that look; it came when I had an idea that I would not give up on.

He then offered me the ring, and I nodded.

It's why I was trying to avoid the palace. I didn't need one of my fellow knights; or you, blowing my cover. I took it and slid it on, and starting from the roots of my hair, my crimson locks started to turn black. It was as if dark ink was staining the strands of hair.

It stopped when my entire head of hair had been turned seemingly a very dark red; almost black. I smiled at Reguna and batted my eyelashes.

How do I look? I said in a playful, flirty way.  

[Greedy Fat Cat]

Okami Ameras

Reguna made a face similar to a pout, ignoring her flirtation. Something about Rakil, his brotherly friend, flirting with him as a woman unnerved him. Reguna moved to the shielded door covered in light, looking at it with little thought. "I don't think anyone will recognize you. We'll have to be fast though, so as not to attract attention," he said. He then turned to the now raven-haired Rakil. He motioned for her to lower the barrier, pulling up his cloak around his head to cover his golden hair.

[ sorry for such crap post. in a rush. ]  

[Okami Ameras]

Greedy Fat Cat

When Reguna pouted and turned away to the door, I made a pouty face of my own. He was still stuck on me being male; though I was thankful he was at least trying to adapt to my new gender. And he's still damn cute. I thought. This time, I made no internal reprimands at the thought.

I neutralized my expression as I waved a hand, and the spell vanished. I slung my pack over my shoulder after unceremoniously stuffing Lunar Ray into it; the blade vanished into the black depths of the bag. I also swept on my cloak pushing up my hood, and I stood behind him.

Lead the way.  

[Greedy Fat Cat]

Okami Ameras

Magic was something new to Reguna. He had only seen it rarely, never conventionally either, so he was slightly uncomfortable with the idea. He hesitated to open the door, touching the knob lightly. It felt like a regular door to him and he felt silly for thinking differently. He opened it, holding the door for Rakil before leaving the library quickly. He kept his eye out, hugging the cloak to his person as he stepped out into the street.

He made sure Rakil was close behind before moving forward. He would take her through a back gate. It didn't attract as much attention, though it was still guarded. Everyone knew Reguna snuck out often, so his return never kicked up much of a fuss with the guards of the back gate. It was stopping Reguna from sneaking out that was the problem.

After taking a few side streets, the back gate loomed up ahead. Reguna beckoned Rakil to stay close to him. Surely, the young king bringing an unknown woman through the back gate would raise some brows, but there was a lot more at stake than just a few rumors. He took her arm, keeping her by his side as they passed. He lowered his cloak, revealing his hair and face. He gave the few guards a piercing glance. They bowed immediately, refusing to say a word about the young king's…companion.
Once inside, Reguna gave a relieved sigh. "We'll need to hurry, so as to not attract much attention." Rumors spread like wildfire in the palace. They were headed towards the palace library, which held the kingdom's archives and records.

 

[Okami Ameras]

Greedy Fat Cat

I nodded and hurried after him, keeping close to my old friend as we walked. There, the back gate. I remembered it; long evenings of standing guard occasionally so that no one who wasn't supposed to get in didn't. He revealed himself to the guards, whilst I kept my hood up and myself cloaked. Not like my cloak wasn't noticeable, as it was red-dyed deer hide and super thick white fur lining. It kept me mostly hidden, at least.

I followed him through the gates after he gave a very clear look to the guards to say nothing; before leading me into the palace itself. Rumors was always a problem here in the palace, so I knew what he spoke of when he wanted to keep a low profile.

Eventually though, we reached the library. Few people visited it, thankfully; at least, that's how it had been when we last visited. It had been a favorite haunt of Reguna and I for a private conversation.

It was a big place, full of books and scrolls and other records. I let my hood fall as we stepped inside, and grabbed Reguna's hand as I swept off towards the section containing reports of magic users. I knew where it was, I had to look in this area for records on the sorceress I was to slay before I left...

I found the section I was looking for in a shrouded, paper packed corner, away from prying eyes. This section had it's own desk, a few chairs, and several unlit candles. A thick layer of dust covered everything. I wondered how long it had been since anyone was in this area.

I waved a hand at the candles and they lit, filling the section with a warm glow. I turned to the shelves and started my search. The records were thankfully clearly marked by subject, and I started looking under 'C' For Curses.  

[Greedy Fat Cat]

Okami Ameras

Reguna was glad Rakil understood.

He moved along quickly, his cloak sweeping the floors of the hauntingly dark halls. Since the death of Reguna's father, the palace corridors became a place of shadows.

The library was empty. The librarian no longer tended to the place, having mysteriously disappeared after Reguna's father as well. Reguna could remember inquiring about the loss of their librarian. Many things had been lost after the old king's death. But for the librarian to have disappeared? Since then, the only people who entered were only the palace inhabits, the senate and other government members looking for something in particular, and, well, Reguna himself. He spent quite a deal in the aisles of books. He was a large fan of reading fables and legends and mythologies. They tended to lead him away from the busy days he couldn't else escape from.

He was surprised when Rakil took his hand, but let her take it willingly. He was then led to the back, towards the archive section of the library. And then to the records of magic users. Reguna loosened his hand from her grip once there, glancing up at the shelf of books. He looked to Rakil, who was looking through the records. Reguna turned back away, rubbing his chin as he thought.
Perhaps they were looking in the wrong place? Reguna moved to the other side of that section, aided by the candles that Rakil had lit with a mere wave of a hand. He took in a deep breath, dust and musk filling his nose.

Right. Reguna reached out towards the shelf, plucking a binder-looking book from the shelf. "Maybe we should start here? A dossier of all the magic users that were found before the death of my father. We shouldn't need recent reports, if we're presuming that this is all connected to the death of my father. And then we could get a better idea of who we should be looking for under the curses section."

Reguna looked through the book he had in hand, but found it not very useful. He would need to look into it about fifty years in the past. He figured that'd be a large enough allotment of time. He reached out for the next book. These records went by decade, so that would make about five books worth of names. He looked to Rakil for help as he flipped through names, their locations, the crimes they had committed, and for a general report of what was found.

 

[Okami Ameras]

Greedy Fat Cat

I turned back to him and nodded, setting the record I had in my hand down.

Good idea. I slid over, picking up the second to latest book of records. I flipped through them, studying the names and basic info on how the magical users were dealt with.

Then one name caught my eye. Michal Bandoni; The Coast of West Vasaron, on the boarder of the country; due to diplomatic affairs, only one person could be sent to deal with the threat or potential war could ignite; crimes were curses, storm casting, monster summoning and soul stealing. There was no more information on this person, as the knight sent to deal with him never returned. The knight known as... Abahy Amarcon. My father. My eyes widened.

I turned and strode to the 'C' file and searched the record for Michal Bandoni, before returning with it and dropping it sharply on the desk. I sat down and started to read.

A few minutes later I sighed heavily. So little information, but this guy was a heavy curse user. Hell, he liked to use evil magic as his main form of entertainment it seemed. There was little else on the record, save for a map with the general location of his lair.

I set the record aside and went back to the book when I paused, frozen. Someone was trying to stealthily walk through the library towards us... It was either a thief or.... an assassin, and no thief was stupid enough to go towards the people in the library first...  

[Greedy Fat Cat]

Okami Ameras

Reguna was too bothered by reading the records to notice Rakil's findings. He leaned on the side of the desk, flipping past pages and dog-earing potential users. It wasn't until he noticed that Rakil had stopped moving and his breath had quieted did Reguna look up.

His eyes adjusted to the dark, and then they widened. An…assassin? Intruder? Thief? Reguna moved forward, reaching towards the sword at my side.

"Who goes there?" He asked with some authority. Reguna doubted they'd say anything, especially if they were aiming to kill them. He didn't draw his sword, but made it known that he was armed.

 

[Okami Ameras]

Greedy Fat Cat

The assassin stood at the entrance to our little nook, his eyes flicking back and forth between myself and Reguna. He stepped forward, drawing his blade as Reguna drew attention tot he fact that he was armed.

I stepped between the killer and Reguna, refusing to let this assassin get at my old friend that easily. I hissed an eldrich word, and lobbed a glowing ball of light at the assassin. I saw the attacker's eyes widen in surprise-- wasn't expecting the King to have a partner who knew magic, no doubt-- as the spell hit home.

Nothing seemed to happen for a moment, before the assassin seemed to vanish and his clothes and gear hit the floor in a crumpled heap.

I stepped forward and knelt, looking around the library as I knelt before the assassin's clothes. Making sure no one else was about, I started to rummage around, until I found a sharp stiletto blade with a handle in the shape of the upper half of a man. I stared at it for a long moment, before my eyes flashed brightly, lighting up the dimness of the library for a moment.

Huh... didn't think that'd work. I stashed the blade and the clothes into my pack, where they vanished into the darkness of the enchanted bag.

You need an extended vacation. I said, whipping around and grabbing the scroll on Michal. I tucked the scroll away before I took off the ring that made my hair black and put it on Reguna before putting up my hood and dragging him from the library.