An Eliatrope's Journey (revised)

Noxines once again?

"Master Mikhail, why is Miss Roncheret here?" King Sheran Sharm asked the Eliatrope as the three gathered in the throne room. Kalia would bow respectfully towards the Sadida King.

"King Sheran Sharm, while I may have a crude mouth and an attitude towards others, I was still raised to have manners towards certain personages, such as royalty." The redheaded Cra grinned as she bowed slightly. "And my time with Rogues has not affected my teachings in the least." The Eliatrope looked over at her, raising an eyebrow in curiosity as the Sadida King let out a heavy sigh. Before anyone could say anything else, the doors burst open, causing the three of them to face the one that caused the commotion.

Or rather, the two that caused the commotion. "Maikali?" The flaxen haired Cra hesitated the moment she saw the red haired woman. The Rogueish Cra only grinned widely.

"Evangelyne!" She chirped excitedly.

"Noxine." The Sadida princess standing by Eva scowled darkly at the Noxine in the Eliatrope's hand. Eva blinked and looked over at Amalia before following her line of sight. In a flash, the Eliatrope's wrists and legs were bound tightly in vines while an arrow was aimed at his chest.

"Woah!" Kalia stepped back in surprise, as did the king. "Amalia! Evangelyne! What do you think you're doing?!" The King ordered. "The Eliatrope was just using us to get to the tree of life." Evangelyne growled.

"Mikhail would never do such a thing!" A familiar voice spoke up behind the two women, causing them to glance back at their best friend's brother, Adamai. "And what makes you so certain? After all, he let you get taken by Qilby and used against us!" Evangelyne protested.

"Might I remind you that Mikhail was attacked in his own quarters before Qilby took Adamai?" Master Joris spoke up from beside the dragon. "Now, why don't we release the poor Eliatrope before he's strangled to unconsciousness and we are left with more questions?" The princess and her best friend hesitated before they released Mikhail, the Eliatrope falling to his hands and knees, coughing. Amalia's vines had started to curl around his neck when Adamai had arrived and had tightened, cutting off oxygen as they spoke.

"Thank you... Master Joris." Mikhail coughed. "Of course, Master Mikhail. Now, let's all go sit down and listen to what the Eliatrope and the Rogue have to say." The immortal looked at everyone present, most of them shifting uncomfortably. The large, Sadida king led everyone to a side room, with prince Armand going to Mikhail's side and helping him up, before following the others.

Once everyone was seated around the round table, the King spoke up. "Mikhail, please explain to us how you came to be in possession of that Noxine." Mikhail looked around the table with crystal blue eyes before he cleared his throat and shook his head. "Honestly," his voice came out a bit harsh and a servant quickly handed him a small glass of water at Armand's command. The Eliatrope took the glass with a small 'thank you' and drank some before he spoke up again. "Honestly, I do not know." He said gently. "I found it in my bag when I was looking through it for my journal after I had some... nightmares." He shook his head as he spoke. The high collar of his coat covered the forming on his neck.

"And what about you, miss Roncheret?" The Sadida King looked over at Kalia.

"Found it in my own bag as well." She shrugged. "It didn't feel right and I could sense the wakfu in it."

King Sheran Sharm frowned deeply, looking thoughtful. "Mikhail, you have done extensive research on, not just the races in the World of Twelve, but also Yugo's and the Brotherhood of the Tofu's exploits, correct?" Master Joris spoke up from his seat. Mikhail nodded.

"I have. And I do know that these Noxines have caused much distress to the Sadidas, but yet, no one knows why exactly." The Eliatrope looked around at the table. "After all, Yugo's and Adamai's accounts were... hazy from the fight." Everyone looked down, save for the King.

"What do you intend to do?" Asked Evangeline, her piercing green eyes meeting the Eliatrope's calm ones. Despite nearly being strangled to death, he looked calm. He kept his hands folded on the table in front of him to show that he had no harmful intentions. "I intend to rid the World of Twelve of these once again." Mikhail spoke firmly. "I am quite sure the Brotherhood of the Tofu would not mind the chance to rest up after their second biggest fight." The ears on his hat lowered slightly as he glanced down at his hands, scarred from his constant battling against Qilby. Evangeline's gaze softened slightly before she sighed, looking away.

"Will you take anyone with you?" Master Joris asked. Mikhail shook his head.

"No." The Eliatrope spoke softly, yet firmly.
"What about the Eniripsa that came with you some time ago?" Master Joris asked.

The Eliatrope blinked as he looked at Master Joris. He then looked away. "I would prefer it if she went home. However, that is not my decision to make. I will speak to her tonight to see if she wishes to come with or return home."

King Sheran Sharm nodded. "We will give you what you need to start on your journey." He spoke up. "I also believe that it would be best if you visited Bonta to gather information as well."

The Eliatrope looked over at the king before he nodded. "I will do so. Thank you, your majesty." The Eliatrope stood up and bowed respectfully before left the room without another word.

"Father, can we trust him?" Amalia asked. "He could be working for whoever is controlling those Noxines."

"Amalia, while I do understand your hesitation, you must get to know him yourself to understand why we trust him so." The King looked over at his daughter, giving her a gentle smile.

Amalia looked at her father, her brow furrowing and the corners of her lips turning downwards. "He's a good guy." Kalia spoke up as she leaned back in her seat. "His wakfu is a bit more blue than some people I've seen." Amalia looked over at Kalia before she shook her head. "Let's go, Eva. I need some time to cool my head." The Sadida princess stood up and left. Evangeline looked at the others before standing and bowing to the king and prince before she followed her best friend.

~~~

Mikhail was quiet as he walked through the twisting halls of the Tree of Life. The Noxine in his hand very much dormant and empty of Wakfu. "Technology isn't bad..." He muttered. "It's the user that determines what the tool should be used for..." However, he paused. "No.... there are exceptions." He closed his fist tightly, the surprisingly durable Noxine not receiving a single crack. "There can be bad technology..."

"What are you muttering about now?" Asked a familiar voice from behind. The Eliatrope jumped and spun around, glancing down to see the Eniripsa. "Zeta!" He exclaimed. "Yeah, that's my name, don't forget it." The Eniripsa watched the Eliatrope carefully. "Now, tell me what you were mumbling about this time." The short Eni placed her hands on her hips as she leaned forward slightly.

"Ah, nothing." The Eliatrope took a step back. However, a sharp glare caused him to back down. "Nothing important..." He muttered. He then paused before looking down at the ground, shifting slightly under her glare. "I... I do have a question for you though..." He spoke softly, glancing away. The Eniripsa blinked and tilted her head to the side slightly. "Yeah?" She asked.

The Eliatrope hesitated, trying to find the right wording so that he wouldn't piss her off. "It is not in my place to tell you what you should and should not do..." he started, avoiding her gaze. "But... I do care about your safety... and I do not want you to get hurt because of a choice I have made. So, this is entirely up to you, but... do you wish to return to your home? Or do you want to join me on my journey?"

The Eniripsa paused, blinking. This was not what she expected at all, but...

"You're an idiot." The words out of her mouth nearly sent the Eliatrope stumbling with surprise. "Wha-?" He was unable to finish the question before she spoke up again. "Of course I'm going to go with you and explore the World of Twelve!"