Silent Garden Last Fragment

Suddenly the air around the sand worm started to blow, building up from a light breeze until it was a steady blow. The fierce wind now whipped up into a cyclone, forcefully blowing sand around in a radius centered on the worm. The water molecules within the cyclone started to pool together shaping a water net around it to trap the electricity and redirect it.

"Looks like I found me a party!" Larry smirked as he stood atop a sand dune, his arms crossed while he looked toward the sand worm. "Ya even brought snacks," he grinned a toothy grin.

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As the chips of gold began to give way, the figure began to glow, giving off a bright golden colored aura of magic. The pieces of gold all fell away to the floor beneath them, and the beastman opened his eyes, stumbling for just a second before looking around groggily, tensing for just a moment before he was suddenly alert and sniffing the air as he looked around at everyone in the room, the scowl upon his face a sure sign that he was in an unpleasant mood. He paused for a moment when he caught whiff of a familiar scent, though he could not place it. He looked directly at Delrose, trying to put a face to the smell. "Who are you? Where am I?" he asked calmly.

Name: Zuku
Age: physically 32, literal age unknown
Race: Beast
Looks:
Abilities/Talents: enhanced speed, agility, endurance, hearing, and sense of smell
Weapons: his claws, sword, or weapon from a disarmed opponent
Bio: Once the head of the tribe of Beastmen that controlled the eastern region of Thistle, many many centuries ago. He was a young leader and misguided by the pressure of such a position, especially during the time of an interplanetary war, where the strongest male warriors of his tribe began to be captured and enslaved. He reacted boldly and administered raids that threatened to end the prosperity of those that dwelled in the valleys, just as their world needed to unify to face a much larger threat. Along the way he made many powerful enemies, one of the most personal was Gilgamesh. Captured by the madman once, Zuku's escape marked the beginning of something undescribable. A deep, festering hatred. Even after the major threat was destroyed, Zuku never gave up the hunt for his prey. It was ultimately his downfall however, when he was caught in a magical trap that was set by followers of Gilgamesh's insanity. He has been captured by them ever since.

Saleme attention had been caught by the mysterious strange that had arrived on the sand dunes. “Redirecting the electricity is genius but dangerous at the same time” he muttered the worm having been shocked by its own electricity seemed to retreat into the ground.
“Oh wonderous it seems to have got the message and left” he muttered just before the worm would dive out from underneath the stranger and attempt to swallow him whole.

Because of the turbulent winds swirling atound them, Larry easily picked up Saleme's voice, shaking his head at his comment. "It isn't any fun if it isn't dangerous," Larry smirked as his eyes never left the worm. That is, until it burrowed underground. He narrowed his eyes and looked around, shaking his head at Saleme's comment. "No........... he's just mad now," he laughed before the ground beneath him opened up and the worm went to close it's jaws around him, causing him to wave his staff as water collected beneath Larry. The water entrapped the falling sand and packed it together enough to form footholds for Larry to use to jump high into the air. "We playing tag now? Guess it's my turn!" he shouted as he held his staff close and pointed himself downward at the sand worm, water pooling around the tip of the staff and molding into a large hardened lance.

The sand worm would be impaled by the staff but begin going berserk in order to shake Larry off. It would eventually succeed resulting in it retreating for now having received the message it wasn’t wanted.
“Wow that was so cool Sukobe who would win in a fight you or him?” Saleme asked rather excitedly.

Eideara watched in fascination as a strange man appeared from what seemed to be nowhere, and fight off the worm. She smiled sadly. "They do make good pets, you know." She spoke aloud, to no one in particular.

"Hmm, a fight between the stranger and Whiskers? I think I know who'd win a scowling contest." Eideara spoke, her smile returning. "The real question is who this person is, and what they want with us."

As Hana displayed the wreckage in the field, Sukob snorted and muttered quietly, “If we could destroy them, what makes you think the worm couldn’t?”

Alessia glanced over at Hana whom had seeming cooled down from the miscommunication ordeal, as she currently stepped from out of her thick mech suit. “May I ask what brings you down this deathly road?”

Sukob rolled his eyes as Saleme explained everything. He threw up his hands as he walked away from him. “They would of slit your tongue off by now,” the Assassin remarked pointing the sharp claw on his thumb and slicing the air over his own tongue. His ears twitched. It sounded like somebody was yelling in the distance. His eyes darted back to the sand worm. “A cyclone?”

“Looks like I found me a party!” Larry smirked as he stood atop a sand dune, his arms crossed while he looked toward the sand worm. “Ya even brought snacks,” he grinned a toothy grin.

Sukob growled disapprovingly, “another fish. Great.” His eyes trailed Larry the entire battle, watching and studying his movements. Admitting this much was easy for the beastman. He’s respected several of the Sha for their battle prowess. But respect never stopped him from a kill.

“Wow that was so cool Sukobe who would win in a fight you or him?” Saleme asked rather excitedly.

“Blink and you’ll miss the whole thing,” Sukob responded curtly.

“Hmm, a fight between the stranger and Whiskers? I think I know who'd win a scowling contest.” Eideara spoke, her smile returning. “The real question is who this person is, and what they want with us.”

“I’ll win both the fight and the scowling contest,” Sukob asserted. “And I think he’s a villain. What type of guy appears out of nowhere and conveniently saves the day? Definitely has an ulterior motive. I say we kill him,” He suggested with an innocent whistle.



Elsewhere….



Delrose smiled widely, embracing the beastman with glee. “They call me Delrose Monsterward!” He said. Leaning in closely, Delrose whispered to Zuku, “these nutjobs had you encased in a golden prison, locked away for eternity. But I gotcha out.”

The head Pharisee tugged on Delrose’s shoulder, “please your highness. Show restraint and caution, this man is very, very dangerous.”

Delrose shrugged his hand off, “Don’t call me that. I don’t even believe you guys. It’s just all a little too coincidental for my tastes.” He leaned back toward Zuku, “they seem to believe I’m the reincarnation of their god King, Gilgamesh. Crazy, right?” Delrose nudged Zuku’s side with a wink before looking back toward the Pharisees.

One voiced his opinion in a strong, booming voice, “see? This individual cannot be Gilgamesh, the one true king. Two parts mortal, one part god.”

“Wow that was so cool Sukobe who would win in a fight you or him?” Saleme asked rather excitedly.

“Blink and you’ll miss the whole thing,” Sukob responded curtly.

“Hmm, a fight between the stranger and Whiskers? I think I know who'd win a scowling contest.” Eideara spoke, her smile returning. “The real question is who this person is, and what they want with us.”

“I’ll win both the fight and the scowling contest,” Sukob asserted. “And I think he’s a villain. What type of guy appears out of nowhere and conveniently saves the day? Definitely has an ulterior motive. I say we kill him,” He suggested with an innocent whistle.

"I dunno, I do have a pretty remarkable scowl," Larry spoke up, inserting himself in their conversation. His eyes remained on the hole where the sandstorm once was. "And a villain? Please. That'd be way too much work. I'm a businessman, simple as that. You didn't tell 'em bout me, Saleme? Guess it doesn't surprise me. You never were good at telling people anything," he paused before turning to the group. "Wait a.....Fishtail?" his eyes widened slightly for a moment as he examined Eidara, but then shook the thought from his head upon closer inspection. "Sorry.....you look a lot like someone I know." He loomed over each of the group's members, particularly noting the disapproving look from Sukobe. "Well, Saleme? Introduce me to your friends."

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"They call me Delrose Monsterward!” He said. Leaning in closely, Delrose whispered to Zuku, “these nutjobs had you encased in a golden prison, locked away for eternity. But I gotcha out.”

The head Pharisee tugged on Delrose’s shoulder, “please your highness. Show restraint and caution, this man is very, very dangerous.”

Delrose shrugged his hand off, “Don’t call me that. I don’t even believe you guys. It’s just all a little too coincidental for my tastes.” He leaned back toward Zuku, “they seem to believe I’m the reincarnation of their god King, Gilgamesh. Crazy, right?” Delrose nudged Zuku’s side with a wink before looking back toward the Pharisees.

At these words, Zuku's frown deepened as he examined Delrosr closely. Now that he looked again, there was a resemblance. But his scent, his demeanor, everything was different. "Delrose.......if these people are truly followers of Gilgamesh.......they are horribly bad men. If you aren't who they say they are, then you should leave. What's about to happen here doesn't concern you in that case," he growled lowly, clenching his fists tightly as he looked around at the Pharisees.

“oh excuse me, I will have you know I am the grand archive keeper it is my job to explain things and tell the truth of what lies hidden in the archives!”

Larry raised an eyebrow as he stared at Saleme out of what seemed to be sheer disbelief at his actions. "Grand Archive Keeper? Okay.......let's pretend I have any clue what that is. No, no, screw that. Why don't you tell me why there are ruined fortresses, and sandworms, in MY desert? Who the hell had the time to build these damn things? Was it the Elves? I was fightin' them and I think they cast a teleportation spell......them bastards ain't gonna get away with what they tried to pull. Heh......I hope they got more where they came from to replace the 54 I took out before they ran like cowards....."

“talk about a bad pick up line my only friends have been books for years even I can do better than the whole sorry you look really familiar pick up line”

"You think I don't hear you over there, Saleme? You're standing in my desert, remember? Nothing goes down without me hearing about it," he said, the gentle breeze that softly whipped the sands around acutely attuned to allow sounds to travel to his ears with incredible ease. "You tellin' me she don't look like Mira at first glance?" he asked before looking at Eidara again. "You a Summerhaze too, or somethin'? Wait. Don't tell me she has a sister. I'd imagine she'd be quick to mention any siblings, the chatterbox that she is."

“Okay umm, Sukobe Eidera everyone else umm this is umm….” Saleme would gaze up and down at the man staring intently before finally coming up with the introduction “A red head yes your hair it certainly is red and umm those carnivorous eyes there umm almost as umm predatory as Sukobes eyes…” Saleme muttered not sounding too sure of himself as each word of the introduction had gone on.

He remain silent and somewhat dumbstruck trying to figure out who this guy was a few moment passed before Saleme finally gave up.

“Eh, umm Eidarah love, I have no idea who this guy is, are we okay to have Sukobe eat him?” Saleme questioned not sounding very sure of himself yet again “though only if he is evil after all Sukobe a hero and this guy may not be evil so maybe no eating...” Saleme muttered having gone on with himself somewhat.

“Hmm Raijah what to do you know?” Saleme asked seeking more guidance from his allies “if his agenda is to take me back to the capital we cannot be having that” He mumbled seeming morally conflicted on the decision of how to handle this redhead.

Larry frowned as the more Saleme talked the more he became visibly agitated. "The hell are you goin' on about now? I just told you those damn Elves tried to kill me! Political Assassination, that's an act of war! I'm gonna get my boys and--" Larry paused mid-sentence as he stopped and focused as the wind direction changed suddenly, a large gust blowing quickly as he used it to scan the desert. "That's...........that's just impossible.......I can't hear any of them."

Saleme would look over to Sukobe and then back at Larry and then back at Sukobe and then back Larry it must be hard trying to wonder how Saleme mind was working right now because the next thing he was doing was trying to push Sukobe towards Larry his confusion and uncertainty gone a more excited smirk on his face now.

“Yes, yes, yes this is magnificent spectacular!” Saleme cheered merrily as his attempts to push the much bigger heavier male was well not very effective in the slightest.

“Two heroes teaming up to help this band of strangers and Rajiah shes in the books so she special” he explained “save the world!” Saleme shouted darting around Sukobe seeming to have given up on pushing him any further. “I mean look at him Sukobe Eiderah this man must certainly be a hero he tall dark and handsome the perfect man for a princess!” Saleme exclaimed clearly having a somewhat wondrous aura of cheerfulness “you know or a prince depending on if he is like some of the royal elves I have seen” He muttered.

Larry clenched his fists as he slowly turned around and looked at Saleme, his face visibly twisted into a livid scowl. His teeth were visibly sharper and gills opened on his neck. "Where. Are. My. Sha. Brothers," he growled. There's no way something this big happened and you don't know about it. The hell did the Elves do?! They're gonna pay for thi........." he paused once more before looking at Eidara and then at Saleme. "Where's Mira?"

At the arrival of this stranger, Eideara noticed some familiarity to his race and tone, but let him speak. It wasn't until he spoke about the desert, and someone named Mira, and mentioned her family name, that the usual knowing smile dropped from her face, as the true horror of her people hit her right where it hurt.

"It's true...the story is true." She spoke to herself, covering her mouth with her hand.

She looked back to Larry, who was still speaking to Saleme. She nodded when he asked if she was a Summerhaze, but sister to Mira, she was not. When he asked them where Mira was, she took a deep breath, and looked him in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry to be the one to tell you this. Empress Mira Monsoon of the Summerhaze is revered as one of the kindest and just Sire leaders we've ever had, and the only one to never fall to assassination by a competitor to the throne. I am not her sister...I am her descendant. Her great, great grandaughter. There is a story, they tell it to the children-"

She paused here, looking at him. He fit the description and the drawings so well, she had no doubt he was real, after all.

"The Jealous King. That's the title. Mira, in her younger years, travelled with foreigners, across different worlds...I always dreamed I'd do the same, in her memory. In her travels she met a young man, of the now extinct Sha race. It is said that they fell in love, but as a royal in line to the throne, there were was another Sire man betrothed to her. She never thought she would be Empress, as she was far back in line to the throne, but there was an accident, and she was accelerated towards the crown. Empress Mira was forced to marry this man, who she did not really know, at the insistence that she be allowed a royal consort. You, Larry."

"The fiancee allowed this, and acted gracious, but after the wedding, his jealousy for the Empress and her true love consort grew, and grew, and then... well, this next part is what me think this a simple fairy tale, because of how ridiculous it sounded. But then you mentioned elves, and then...well."

"The King conspired with elves, to find the best way to rid the kingdom of Larry, and he found the most heinous solution he could think of. For a Sire conspiratoialist, a quick assassination, a fast nip in he bud, is the disgusting, but most common practice. I hate that about my people. But this King...he was a truly evil man. He didn't want to kill the consort. He wanted to remove him, to freeze him in time, with the hopes that his love, Mira, would forget him, his country, would forget him, and grow to love the King, instead. The conspiracy went ahead, and Larry...you...well I suppose it feels like moments ago, doesn't it? You were frozen in time."

"The King managed to hide this fact from Mira for only 14 days, the story goes. After she found out, he was the first and only subject she ever had beheaded. As the years passed and the Sha died out, people would add to the story, saying the Sha left this realm, as one of their most cherished heroes was banished so cruelly. I'm so sorry, Larry. Like I said, Empress Mira Monsoon is the only monarch to never die from poison, or a knife to the back. She lived to a ripe old age, but those closest to her always whispered...that she died from a broken heart. She loved you so much, Larry."

Eideara hadn't realized she was in tears until she finished the story. It was truly heartbreaking. As Sire went, Mira Monsoon was one of the few that made her feel hope for her race, to prove they weren't all despicable. But learning that the Jealous King was real, and would do such a thing, made her feel hopeless.