Svarik and the company I :)

[VisAnastasis]

" But.. if I had bid you to wear it as favor to me, would you find offend in it, sir? " vampire inquired him quietly, clutching the cloak he held in a tight nervous grip, as if he was fearful to cross some line. " We can make an exchange, and I can wear your cloak for a while, if you'd like.. Just a little peace offering... A deal, if you will..." he suggested vulnerably.

[Mirach]

"If it pleases you and makes you content, I will wear it," Svarik said. "But I'm not made of sugar, okay? I'm fine..."

[VisAnastasis]

" You are not made of sugar? Pray tell... And all this time I had an impression that you were, since you are so sweet... " Erdel chuckled a little shyly - he seemed hesitant, not sure how far can he go with meadow king in both words and actions, but as if trying to test his limit, he wrapped his black cloak across Svarik's shoulders. It was warm and soft, and there was something nice and protective lingering upon it. At sight of king in it, vampire grinned a little, hopefully observing king's face - in the last few days around time their trip started, despite he was not ready to feel loyal to anyone yet after all that happened, he seemed to grow more warmth for Svarik, and tried his best to clumsily show it.

[Mirach]

Svarik smiled gently when he felt the protective aura. "Thank you, I appreciate it," he said, not wanting to appear unthankful after refusing it first.

[VisAnastasis]

" Anytime, sir. " A shy smile beamed on demon's face, as he seemed himself grateful for grace with which Svarik accepted it, specially after he tried to jest with king and splashed him with sea water yesterday, seeming to feel more at peace with chance to balance out the mischief with doing something nice for him. Xia seemed to like to see them smiling, and she anew took the form of winged fox, and nudged Erdel with her head, putting it under his palm, as whenever, ready to cuddle with them both.

" So, shall we continue? " The Sage asked to not let them linger on embarrassing moment. " I often went for diving here, but I never did explore it in a air bubble like this, so I can't wait to have some fun doing it with you. "

[Mirach]

"Does it make much difference?" Svarik asked. "Let's go exploring then. To the throne room?"

[VisAnastasis]

" I'd love to see throne room like this, I think. And only difference is, if you think about it - well, it's easier to swim through passages, then walk. Some of the stairs are pretty corroded and slippery as they became smooth from water, and some are broken up, so you'll have to watch where you step, but you have little Xia with you that can fly you around, and your friend can jump quite impressively, so I deem you shall do just fine. " he explained kindly, before they slowly went toward the highest, most impressive building in the area - former royal palace.

[Mirach]

"I'm not sure she can fly inside with her wingspan..." Svarik started to say, but then he remembered how she flew out of the window without really using her wings. "Ah yes, I guess she can..." He followed the Sage to the palace, paying attention to where he steps, as the floor was crumpled, but not that broken to require flying - or rather levitating - yet.

[VisAnastasis]

" I have a theory that they probably had powerful enchantments over the castle that enabled it to be so well preserved once it sank down. I imagine that is why royalty didn't leave place. Had too much fate in their skills and too little fear of the Sea. And then Sea dealt with them fast." Sage commented with some playfulness, as they walked beneath the beautiful well preserved alchoves.

[Mirach]

"Let me guess, they put all the enchantments into preserving the walls, but none into preserving the air inside?" Svarik asked a bit sarcastically. 

[VisAnastasis]

" Well, would you expect your city to suddenly sink under the ocean? Atlantians didn't, either! " The Sage chuckled a little bit. " They secured walls against earthquakes and such things, I believe. Who would have thought you'd have to make an air barrier, really? Whatever brought forth this destruction, it happened very quickly. "

[Mirach]

"So what happened here, actually? Did the sea rise suddenly, or the land sink? In either case I can't imagine how the city remained almost intact, enchantments or not..."

[VisAnastasis]

" Lot of critters I know were too fearful to reach out or establish contact with so large human cities just out of the blue so long ago, so I know nothing for certain. But some old legend does tell of a wonderful city that was swallowed by the sea. Based on my research, I would say that city was actually once built on shore, and later, as sea level was gradually rising, lower parts of the city remained underwater, and city became an island. And then, one day, with a sudden terrible earthquake, the whole area around this place and the whole island just crumbled down at the bottom of the sea. " The Sage explained. " It's a mystery, indeed. Buildings are mostly quite intact, while pavement outside of them is all crumbled, which leads me to conclusion the buildings must had been protected by charms, probably from frequent earthquakes. Pavement can be fixed, but I imagine you wouldn't want to rebuild whole city every now and then, and you wanted people inside to be safe during earthquakes, and people outside not to be squashed by some falling building. It was a good system, specially if those predicaments have been common. " he noted, but then he grew quiet for a bit. " I like to think they were earthquakes.. But we did find unusually damaged city walls, and some remnants of Spirits and Demons scattered through houses, with limbs torn of, you see. Alas, I can't assume much from it, but I can speculate it's possible inhabitants got into a quarrel with some Sea Creature, or something worse, that didn't like something of them or their hospitality. I can easily imagine a powerful Being or few would be quite capable of sinking down one human city, no matter how advances the civilization in question may have been. It's always a possibility. "

[Mirach]

"I guess that's possible," Svarik nodded slowly, and lightly touched a statue as tbey passed it on the way and it entered their air bubble.

[VisAnastasis]

" Whatever if was, we may never know. I quite doubt the wrong doer will just turn himself in now. All I do know is that none of my friends or friends of my friends did it, and that both Low Spirits and Demons rarely venture in this place, as if it bears bad premonition to them. " Sage explained. After exploring the peculiar beautiful place for a while, they finally reached the largest, most lavish place in the palace- a magnificent underwater throne room, touched by time, but still having some delicate, ancient beauty.

https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/000/245/127/large/pat-presley-thethrone.jpg?1413048880

[Mirach]

Svarik whistled with awe. "Impressive..." he said. "The king must have felt very important sitting here. Either that, or rather lost. It seems too big..."

[VisAnastasis]

" You won't be able to guess until you try for yourself. Would you like to sit on the throne? " The Sage tempted him innocently. " It's fun... "

[Mirach]

"That I can guess easily, I woule feel silly," Svarik chuckled. "But why not, I don't think there's anyone left who would find it disrespectful..."

[VisAnastasis]

" Come on, let's get to it, then. It surely must have been against law thousands of years ago, sure, but not today. " Sage grinned, and hopped across the stairs with ease and delight as if it was nothing, seeming playful and pleased to share with him something he enjoyed.

[Mirach]

"Fine," Svarik shrugged, and followed him to the throne. He sat down and looked around across the hall. "It indeed teels a bit silly," he murmured.

[VisAnastasis]

" But the view is great, isn't it? " Man bemused, with interest, much like Conrad, seeming to enjoy to inquire for his opinions to get to understand him better. " I like to imagine rivers of people that would come at audience of the ruler, to be judged or seek justice at his hand or hospitality in his city. It is a rather powerful image to me. " he waved away with his hand innocently. " I like to bring food here with me and have a stack sitting in his spot. "
" The staircase is so long and it'd take you lot of sweat to get to it. Sounds less like a just ruler and more like a king that wanted to have a high ground to me and laugh at people that would have to catch their breath for couple of minutes once they get to him. " Erdel murmured, frowning at the long line of stairs behind them.

" Well, yes, if it were people to meet him only, that would be pretty sly move, indeed. " Sage noted. " But think of it as this - as I said, we found quite few Beings remnants. If these rulers accepted both Spirits and Demons to live freely in their city, if I was one of the kings, I'd be quite more content to have the imposing splendor and power that goes with it around me, than to just invite them on dinner in some random room or pub. You need to assert your dominance, so they know they are your guests, not the other way around..."

And as they were talking, not listening to them, on the floor beneath king's feet, Xia that knew little of dominance or ruling, seemed to really enjoy the sight of this strange place, and was observing everything with delight and wonder. She had never seen a throne before, but she felt it was important. Noticing king has sat down in it, after a moment, she transformed into her child form, and she hopefully and vulnerably extended her little arms toward meadow king, hoping he'd pick her up.

[Mirach]

Svarik smiled and picked her into his lap. "Now that feels better... The view is grand, but the steps seem really a bit too much already. And there's not much place on the top. Seems a bit lonely, if you ask me..."

[VisAnastasis]

" There should be place on the top for but one. The stairs are quite high and wide, though, and he, or she, for that matter, had to have had the court of advisers and aristocratic families, and those had to sit somewhere. " Sage continued the thought, while observing with some bemused interest how Xia was cuddling with Svarik and purring loudly and fondy. " There were some leftover rugs and carpets remnants around that I graciously sold for money, of course - but I deem court must had had nice sitting on carpets and soft seats along points of staircase, probably taking place based on their importance in the social ladder. So I don't really imagine it as lonely, I think - it is but highest and best viewpoint, and nicest seat, but none says ruler had to sit alone - he sits with those closest to him around him, and further you are, more distant you are from him, but still, as part of his court you are extension of his power on earth. I must admit I am not as bright as to allude to that all on my own, but am as well guessing based on our history, too. " he said confidently, like Falcon, seeming to come to his opinions based on extensive and details research, even in things mundane. " Before Lowlands conquered Sea King, we had a similar system, only instead of hundreds and hundreds stairs, our king used to have a lavish and amazing 13 stored palace - and as aristocrat you had a room on store based on your status in society, and 13th floor alone was permanently occupied by ruler's family and closest friends, and had a garden on the roof, and in that garden lived a phoenix spirit that was keeping the place ever clear, and there was a throne made of gold, silver and pearls, for the king alone to sit in and deal justice from. " he grinned. " Compared to that system, this old one seems rather conservative and traditional - too literal for taste of most of us modern people, I presume. In this poor old sunken city, to climb a social ladder, you literally had to slowly make your way up, closer to the ruler's throne. Most of people may have only seen it from the distance down below. "

[Mirach]

"So the higher your place here, the more stairs you have to climb every day?" Svarik smiled a little. "I would say the king and his closest advisors were pretty fit..."

[VisAnastasis]

" Well, I don't know if it has to be the case... If my memory is correct, Ser Falcon did use to carry you yourself in his arms, sire, on quite a few occasions. " Erdel voiced himself shyly, as he dared to make a joke. " I quite doubt ancient people were not familiar with the concept of being carried around... I would certainly not enjoy such things if I was royalty, but you had seemed to enjoy it pretty alright, so I imagine some of them enjoyed it too, if it's a royalty thing... " he smiled a little.