"Wake a sleeping lion at your peril."
-Unknown
"There is always a hidden danger behind every corner, no matter the place."
-Taken from an unknown travelers journal
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Eventually, after twenty or so minutes of the skeleton prodding the passed out elf, he awoke. At first, the elf blinked in surprise as his gaze came into focus before his memories caught up with him writing a scowl across his face as sat up in a huff. Reshiram looked sourly at the skeleton who in turn looked back blank as a slate. Inwardly the elf wondered how mentally capable this undead was, and especially if it was 'learning'. The elf shuddered as the possibilities of an intelligent undead that was made and not a rogue sorcerer transforming them self into a Lich or Dreklaska, unaware that there had been a total of two beings in the history of the world of such a feat. The first and most obvious, was Olgarth the Wise Sage, and the other, a mortal known on the continent of man as the Black Lord of the West Axus Dur Gonavez.
The elves had never seen a human, the elves had never seen a dwarf. The elves had never seen an orc. No race had ever made contact with one another curiously enough over the millenniums of the world as if divine intervention prevented such. The sole exceptions were giants and their smaller siblings, hill giants as the populated the entire world. Of course, that is only if one considers the 'sentient' races. Thus if one were to look past the obviously undead nature of the skeleton, this would, in fact, be the first time a species had met another. The first meeting of human and elf happened on a ship carrying supplies to fuel a war front and sell items to auction.
Thus, Rehsiram did not consider the possibility of the skeleton being of a race of equal sentience to his own, it was simply impossible. How do you explain a car to a man from dark the ages? Or space travel? How does one, even the eldest and wisest of their people, understand something at this point in time is far beyond them? It is simple, you can't and in such respect are no better than this skeleton in understanding.
So Reshiram, conveniently ignoring the fact a 'lord' had come to visit, sat with a scowl on his face looking upon the skeleton looking at it now not as a trinket or a simple odds and end. He looked at it now as a rather intelligent pet. One capable of tricks and gimmicks as his pride would not allow further unless it shattered.
After some time, another knock came to the door, Reshiram intent on ignoring until his face softened at a small feminine voice "M-my lord...Lord Tenebaria i-is rather impatient....he insists on...on meeting you....i-immediately..." Her voice grew quieter with ever word and stutter, nearly squeaking out the last word afraid of punishment, she dared not assume anything in front of her master.
Reshiram looked towards the door and hardened his expression again. He silently rose and approached the door, and just as he was about to open it he paused and through the mark od the elgasia ordered as best he could to the skeleton to stay where it was. It was simple for the man who discovered them to convey such things after all.
The skeleton's orbs seemingly gleaned an 'affirmative' of sorts as it froze, not even the orbs following Reshirams movements. Reshiram sighed, not wanting to deal with this age's nobility. Though if he knew how much better he had it then the realms of men he would likely jump for joy at this.
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Reshiram flickered his wrist, opening the door to cause a small elven maid to stumble back with a squeak, nimbly caught with Reshirams hands. His eyes were soft to the elf, his facial expression was harsh and lording. The maid was petrified as he fixed her stature and brushed past her up the stairs "Be careful." the maid froze unsure how to respond, her thoughts in her head continued with 'never assume' as she eventually began following behind her lord, her head down abashed as a faint blush on the young elfs cheeks cropped up upon her, her hand still warm with his touch.
Reshiram sat as a desk as he motioned for another servant to bring in Lord Tenebaria. He motioned the maid who followed him away, his eyes following her as she left. When the door the maid left closed, another adjacent to it opened. A wrinkled elf entered, a green beard like a bush made of vines creeping down his chest. Reshiram motioned for him to sit, his eyes cruel and absolute. Silence came as a sweat slowly grew upon the intruder's brow, or at least that is what Reshiram likened him as, for cockroach would be an insult to the hardy little survivors.
"Why do you disturb me at my home? I believe I made my stance on the war good and clear, I shall not bother with the petty squabbles of this age."
"y-yes...h-however Great Elder, if you would be so kind as to think of all the people affected by-"
"I quite well remember you heavily advocating war do I not?" A frown came onto Reshiram as if he was now chastising a child, of course in the matter of age difference he certainly was. Sweat became greater on Tenebaria, realizing a moment too late on how Reshiram would respond.
"Y-yes, however, I had not-"
Reshiram raised a hand with a sigh "You 'realized your mistake' is that it hm?" Reshiram eyed him disapprovingly, his glare cowing the normally proud and loud elf into a rather meek one, almost like a crippled beggar in comparison.Tenebaria swallowed, knowing anything else he spoke would possibly get him killed, Reshiram was quite literally outside of the law, for he is the law. "Any other so called reason you have to bring before me to end your idiotic fight between yourselves?"
"I-If you simply crowned yourself Monarch again, this war would end. The land would return to peace and prosperity." Tenebaria began grasping at straws, the war was going that poorly for him.
"You're right, it would."
Tenebaria looked up hopeful at Reshiram, only to be met by predatory eyes, his bowels left him.
"But that's no fun, eh?" Reshiram flicked his wrist and the elf turned to dust and ash. A door opened and a butler entered with broom and pan already cleaning up the mess. Reshiram sighed, wishing the nobles of now were like those only a generation ago. Of course, one generation is three-hundred years, but still.
Another elf entered the room, this one did not look pitiful and fearful of the man at the desk. He looked him right in the eyes as he laid scrolls on the desk. "The work that has piled up my lord." Reshiram nodded, knowing he'd have to do it. After all, this was the only elf alive that could get him to do anything he didn't wish to do.
"Couldn't this wait till after dinner, Garius?"
The elf raised an eye "With that loose wording you could mean dinner a decade from now."
Reshiram clicked his tongue and groaned like a child and laid his head on the desk "But I truly would rather not."
"If you want your businesses to turn into dust then go right ahead, they are your projects, my lord, I wouldn't dare tell you recommended actions." Reshiram gave an annoyed glance at Garius, who stared back unperturbed. Eventually, Reshiram relented and started reading through the documents and signing off those that needed, and sent replies to others. Garius took the finished documents and bowed, delivering them to the personal couriers of the house, before returning to collect more.
After half a day wasted away, Reshiram finally returned to his laboratory, to find the skeleton exactly as he left. A smirk grew on Reshirams lips, not considering it to have listened that extensively, especially after finding it had its own will. "You can stop that you know." The skeleton made no movement. Reshiram clicked his tongue and sent a similar message through the mark, causing his gaze to now be met by the two orbs. Reshiram approached and once more sat across from the skeleton. Moments passed as curiosity reignited from his watch, and before Reshiram realized, words passed his lips without his desire, for they came from his connection with the mark "Who are you?"
The orbs of the skeleton seemingly held that same question directed at itself.