Soldiers of God
A warm and stifling heat twisted throughout the courtyard, and the many torches that stood tall throughout it flickered in warning. It made the normally beautiful place eerie and foreboding, as if the shadows possessed a mind of their own. They loomed and danced among the roots which protruded from the smooth stones of the court, like leviathans from the sea. A brilliant dark sky washes over their heads, its many marvelous stars glittering as they enjoy the show.
The court is like what one would imagine that of a castle to look like. There is a throne, where three figures wait. Their eyes watch the other ten carefully over their nature-born kingdom. The throne is a beautiful, intricate work of art, all root and ivy and delicate metals. Pearls shine dully from some point, yet the figure seated on it seems to care little for this tribute. He only leans back, smiling in some mysterious amusement as he watches his subjects.
The country of Origine operated smoothly, thanks to the five powerful figures and their servants on this very court. The Kings of the Elements were supposed to work in harmony, bringing their home prosperity and glory. Yet even they obeyed a higher power, their King of Oblivion... The one who had gathered them here today for their annual discussion, should any of the lower Kings have quarrels with their brethren. Shifting only slightly, Xemnas places his hand against his mouth while his face fakes boredom. The sharp delight which shines in his golden eyes reveals differently. Garbed in soft and elegant cloths of white and black, untainted by the outside, he reaches down to run his fingers through the hair of the servant who kneels at his feet, head on his knees.
Each of the Kings carry a single companion, at the least, whether they be adviser, consort, or bodyguard. Yet while they are politely referred to as 'companions', the truth of the matter is that they are slaves, whether their lords treat them as such or not. And one in particular seems to have the attention of the entire court.
Shifting nervously, the blond shifts besides his Lord, a tall, muscular man with ginger-colored and swept back hair. The King is clearly that of Earth, if his brown and orange garments are of any indication. This position could easily allow him to dress in extravagant gold or silver, yet instead, he keeps such things to a minimum. Iron is wrapped tight around his wrists, rough and not shining in the torchlight. His dark blue gaze is heavy as he stares across at the King of Fire. The frown on his face bodes his opponent ill will, yet Lexaeus, King of Earth, does not back down and continues to stand almost protectively in front of his two servants, a large tomahawk in hand.
One is a muscular man with long, odd light red-brown hair which falls over his shoulder. He watches the confrontation quietly, judging it in a mimic of the dark-haired servant that kneels at Xemnas' legs. The other is apparently the one in debate, however: a blond man with short, carefully groomed hair, including even the beard. Both wear their Lord's colors with pride as they carefully watch those who represent Fire.
The King of that particular element is an individual born to stand out, with flaming red spiky hair, vivid green eyes, and two tattoos underneath his eyes. His fingers are entwined between the spokes of two chakrams, which burn with a fire that licks at his skin yet does not wound him. Just a few steps behind him, a short blond teenager twitches, obviously wanting to say something, or perhaps kick him very hard, yet he is unable to say much before the entire court.
"Axel..." The speaker is yet another King, dressed in something akin to a dancer's attire; thin blue and green cloths twine around his body, and silver on his fingers catch the light. His face is tense with anxiety as he warns, "Don't."
The warning goes unheeded, however; with a sharp snap of his wrist, Axel sends a chakram right at Lexaeus, fury encompassing the action. The spinning wheel slices through the air, curving right at Lexaeus' heart-
A card suddenly flickers through the air and, unbelievably, knocks the chakram off-course. The weapon slams into the stone at the foot of the Air King, yet Xaldin only glances at it in bored disdain. As the card falls down the ground, it lands face up: ten of spades. Heaving a sigh of relief, Demyx glances at the slave which has stood in front of his master defensively, legs shaking in exhaustion. "Luxord," he murmurs, brow wrinkling in concern at the man's condition, the way one of his hands grips at his chest as if his heart burns in pain. In only a second, Luxord crumples to his knees, breathing hard.
Axel's voice suddenly cries out, breaking the tense silence. "Why did you do that!?" Wide eyed and burning with both rage and worry, he snarls, "That b*****d hit-"
"You shall not... cause my liege harm," Luxord interrupts, voice cracking from the pain in his chest. "No matter how much he hurts me... That is his right, Lord Axel." The title rolls off his tongue in an odd manner, as if he's not used to saying it. "I do hold quite... a fondness for him, after all." He gives an almost crooked smile, as if relating an inside joke. "A love, I suppose you could describe it as. Now, if you could please keep your discourtesies to yourself, I..." He hisses for a moment as his insides give a particularly painful twitch. "...Would be most obliged."
The statement earns stares and some gapes from among those who are particularly entwined inside this little drama; Demyx gapes along with Axel in surprise, and Lexaeus only gives a heavy sigh. His tomahawk thuds against the ground, only loosely held in his hand now as he directs his gaze to an apparently interesting portion of earth. His stony expression reveals next to nothing as he remains silent.
In a flash of orange and red, Axel is suddenly kneeling besides Luxord, helping him up. The action earns a painful smile and an appreciative nod as they both shakily stand up. "He shouldn't hurt you for one small mistake," Axel murmurs, keeping his voice low enough so that no one can hear.
"It's how this entire system works," Luxord reminds him, suddenly aggravated. Bloody idiot... Why was it that some one who ran an entire portion of the country dedicated to espionage so damn dense when it came to meetings such as this? "You have to remember that we're no longer on the same level anymore, Axel."
"We'll take it from here." Another voice interrupts them, and the other Earth servant steps forward, smirking and holding onto the strap which keeps his scythe strapped to his back. "If you could return Luxord...?"
Axel glares venomously at him before nodding grudgingly handing Luxord over to him. "Don't do anything stupid, Marluxia," he growls, and the flames of the torches give another violent flicker.
Marluxia only gives a coy smile. "Why, Axel," he replies in a low voice, adjusting Luxord's weight against him, "I believe I wasn't the one who just attempted to start a war over a past affair."
The heat in the air suddenly explodes, causing more than a few people to murmur in discontent. Fortunately, nothing more happens- thanks to Roxas, Axel's companion, latching onto his liege's arm. "Axel," he hisses, an eye twitching. "So help me, but if you do something else that's mind numbingly retarded, I will personally castrate you. We're going. Now."
Breathing hard through his nose, Axel jerks his head in a nod before he whirls around to face Xemnas. "We have nothing more to say," he announces in a loud voice, unafraid, as Fire Kings always are. "Now, if you'll excuse us..." He tosses a sharp, almost unkind smile towards the rest of the court. "Ciao, gents and lady." He and Roxas turn around and begin to walk away, only to disappear in a sudden whirlwind of flame. When it flickers and dies out, the duo are not there.
With the smell of fire and brimstone heavy in the air, a few of the court cough into their hands. There's an almost awkward moment of silence, with left-over tension still lingering in the air. Suddenly, seeming perfectly at ease despite the strain in the air, the servant at Xemnas' feet states dully, "Show-off." A ripple of laughter echoes through the court, the loudest being the other servant standing besides Xemnas, a scarred man with an eye patch to show his loyalty. Even the stoic Oblivion King gives a small chuckle before he stands up, pulling his servant up with him.
"Perhaps, Zexion," Xemnas hums, running his fingers through the young man's hair. "It's the only way fire can react, however... Like some untrained rabid animal." When he next speaks, it's to the rest of the court. "This night is over, for now, my guests. Tomorrow shall be another gathering, with, hopefully, less violence." His mouth twitches in an odd smile before he turns away, vanishing beyond the light of the torches and leaving his two companions behind.
Shaking his head, Lexaeus finally moves, going over to Luxord and gently placing his hand on his arm. "I apologize for having to hit you," he says quietly, his normally stern gaze going almost impossibly soft. "Yet-"
"Ah, Kings don't apologize to their slaves, Lexaeus," the blond chuckles, before wincing in pain. "Need to keep our appearances up, hm? I believe I just saw Larxe-"
"Well, that was amusing!" A woman's sharp voice suddenly interrupts them, along with the sharp snaps of metal heels against stone. Larxene, the sharp-witted and sadistic escort to the Wind King, fairly dances over to them, looking positively delighted. "Aren't past friendships so amusing?" Lazily, she drapes herself across Luxord's front, while Marluxia still keeps him up. Smirking, she cups his chin. "Poor, poor Luxord, all hurt. Want me to kiss it all away?" she offers with a wink.
Before Luxord can decide which is more important, his dignity or his life, Xaldin joins their group, his other escort, Saix, following behind with a bored look on his face. "Leave the poor man alone, Larxene," he advises, although he looks just as amused as she does. b*****d, Luxord thinks. Still, at least Larxene leaves, although with a pout and only to drape herself across Saix's shoulder instead. No one else, save for perhaps those two, can tell if they want to murder one another or have a romantic interlude.
It's really no surprise to anyone when Demyx also joins them, Vexen trailing behind and looking annoyed as usual. "Oh man," the Water King groans, running his hand through his already messy hair. "I told him over and over again not to do anything stupid!"
