Ovation (Verus)

MKR

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#1
March 13th, OE 102
14:57 PM
Crescentia, Perindor


It had been an eternity since he last set foot in these lands, a red haired man with blue eyes looked over the place he once called home. His eyes passed down to his left arm, the glamour over it was holding perfectly fine so far. Once more he looked like he once had long ago, the flaming arm concealed by a normal one. Though he needed to remain aware that it in truth was much larger then it seemed currently. This place, its people truly hadn't changed. In two thousand years the only thing that had shifted were slightly larger smiles on the common people's faces.

Perhaps one for the better, but given those final memories before his imprisonment Alberich could not help but wonder about how much choice these fine people had in smiling. He'd be able to ask that sooner or later, in fact he had been expecting that right about now he'd be shoved in front of the lady ruler herself but it seemed the city guard did not at all know him. It was a benefit and a shame that his short lived rebellion was buried by the annuls of time. His name and face forgotten to the common folk. Did the other heroes suffer a fate like such too? A nation of peace had few needs for heroes at any notion, especially when any dissident was buried in a pillar of white stone.

But in return he was able to longingly gaze at his old home, still there as it had been with a smile and a nod his steps carried him further through the city, towards the castle standing in the distance looming, and ruling, over all. The seat of the queen, her home. Would she try to finish the job today? Had she shifted her intent from sparing and imprisoning to slaying her opponents or would she once more try to force his loyalty to her side by the gift she had been given? A natural question given the terrifying nature of her ability, if she attempted to use it he had a plan but he prayed to Aberon she would not attempt such a foolish plan. Same as sending the knights of the realm after him, his hand pried the inside of his pocket, hiding underneath the calm brown cloak he wore to feel the shape of the Schicksal underneath, anywhere he went it accompanied him and in a pinch it was rather easy to call upon it for defense.

Like so his steps moved to the tower that functioned as the gateway to the Citadel, the guards outside hailing him. They wanted to learn why he was here, his business as it were. His calm smile greeted them as they barred his path. A formal bow on his part greeted them as he pushed back the hood of his clothes unveiling his face- no reaction here either.
"I come bearing a message directly for the Queen." He said, a statement far from falsehood. It was indeed his intent to speak with her and so in this land of peace he received passage, his footsteps once more entering the palace.

How long had it been since he last set foot in here, his eyes moved around this place it was like it had been still in time. In a way it was kind of sad to see that all was exactly as it had been he would like to think that had time passed normally for him and had he not been caged in an eternal void that he'd be able to move past the past. But now- now it was all he had to look upon that ancient past to build a present and future beyond the chains of their will.

He wondered, as he stepped through a well remembered route, the immediate way to get to the throne room where she surely sat. Would any know his face, would she even remember him or had she banished him from his memory as the city had? So far only the silent steps of fate answered.
 

VeraC

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#2

Perhaps it was a walk of nostalgia for Ablerich, having returned once again to the Capital of Perindor, the place he once called home. It was true that on the surface little had changed from before, the concept of technological advancement was beyond the citizens of Crescentia, save for their mobile weapon development. He could notice the section of the city on the southeast had been closed off, rebuilding efforts underway to restore the area to its former splendor. Beyond that the scars of war were far and few in Perindor, as the people went about their days without almost a care in the world.

Gossip though, was scattered through the voices of the citizens, words about the Giant Remnants rising up in different areas of the realm, though the knights and soldiers were seemingly able to swiftly put down any major uprisings. Other words of ‘secret plans’ being drafted up by the Grand Reine and her knights for dealing with the rebellion, though little more was heard than that.

Abelrich would find his way into and through the castle with… relative ease. Compared to the calm city life outside the Citadel, the interior was somewhat of a mess, knights and guards hustling all over the palace, for one reason or another. Were they too busy to pay attention to him? Did they even realize who he was? Or was their ignorance something done on purpose, aware, let simply allowing him to proceed as he pleased. So long as he wasn’t looking for a fight, he would make his way to the main lift, as to where in front of the large doors were a small entourage of knights.

A man clad in black and gold armor stood at the center of them all, his stern, steel-gray eyes perhaps a great judge of character. A seasoned veteran who had seen all that one could possibly see, both in peace and in war. One of the oldest of the Regis Knights, yet also the most ‘plain’ of them all. A man who worked his way through the ranks of the military, first as a mere footsoldier and later a renowned veteran, the 7th Regis Knight, Baalthar Iros would be the escort for the traitor himself.

“Ablerich Vormund. It has been some time.”

The man’s gray mane and frazzled beard hid many of the contours of his face, but nonetheless one could see his facial structure was like that of a rock. Even in his old age, he boasted a vitality that would make most jealous. His eyes locked in on Ablerich, and refused to break contact for even a second. Ablerich could sense he was on guard, but no malice or ill-intent was otherwise noticeable coming from him.

“The Grand Reine has been expecting you, Ablerich. You’ve come at quite a busy time, I’d so say. Nonetheless, The Reine would like to speak with you.”

He stepped to the side and motioned to a guard, who pulled the lever to open the doors to the Citadel’s lift.

“Let us not tarry, she awaits.”

Baalthar stepped onto the lift, along with three additional soldiers, and waited for Ablerich to enter. Once he entered, the doors would shut, and the lift would begin its slow ascent to the throne room.
 

MKR

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#3
The rumors and ruminations between the citizenry was an interesting point, but the premier question for him was. Did these people desire the giants or loathe the Grand Reine? Or perhaps they held no choice in their pursuit, their wills bent to the purpose many, many, had died for. Such was usually the case for those whom sought the giants, it almost was his were he not imprisoned instead. It was an unusual thing to hear about it in this day and age, or perhaps not. It was something to investigate later.

As he came upon the entourage of knights, what caught him by surprise was the face and voice of a man even older then him. A look of surprise quickly turned into a smile as the 7th knight presented himself as his guide. "Baalthar?" The man replied "Some time is quite the understatement, I'm glad to see you well though." He stepped forward, following the four knights that went into the lift.
"I was half expecting Heidel to be the first one to even know me at this rate." He remarked as the slow ascent began, "Oh one moment. It wouldn't do to meet an old friend with a false face."

He calmly removed the robe he wore, underneath were the same clothes he wore all those years ago a specialized uniform. Now thoroughly washed to make up for two thousand years of not having done so. The robe moving over his lower left arm as he calmly dispelled the glamour, his left arm grew bulkier, a claw like appendage now at its end as black flesh made itself known. His eye on the same side now lost the vibrant blue for a distinct red as the elf's skin had trace lines of black up on his left cheek as all this happened he calmly continued to speak.

"Sorry about that I would have done it sooner if I knew you would be here too, but well to be honest. I'm quite surprised you're even still alive. Did something happen immediately after my absence began that required another set of heroes to rise?" The question was genuine, two thousand years were long and even the more long lived of species had ample difficulty getting anywhere nearby that. Either a blessing or a curse was required to reach that far into the future and as far as he was aware, Baalthar had neither.
 

VeraC

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#4
Baalthar gruntled as Alberich undid the glamors of his arm and face, his first time seeing the thing up close. He took a deep breath before speaking.

“There aren’t many who are still around from that time. Of course immortality wasn’t something granted to everyone, only a select few obtained that right.”

The man’s body remained stalwart and upright, his body showing no weakness despite his rather old-looking age.

“You needn’t worry about that, old friend. Rather, we should be grateful that you did, such an aberration would do little to calm the public now. And the last thing we need is another panic.”

He tried to phrase it as kindly as possible, but it was what it was, for a normal humanoid to have such a distorted appendage, one might oust them as a freak.

“The Regis Knights, is what we are.”

The elevator ride would be somewhat of a long one, perhaps it was a fitting time to catch Alberich up on what had happened after his sealing.

“After the departure of the other four heroes, the Grand Reine, Heidel was left alone with not just a kingdom, but the entire world of Crescentia resting on her shoulders. Such a burden is too much, hero or not, which is where her Authority came into light as something more than that of pure charisma.”

He cleared his throat and narrowed his eyes at Alberich.

“By swearing our loyalty to the Grand Reine, we are allowed a fragment of her boon, and granted the privilege to remain by her side so long as she lives. The Twelve Regis Knights were selected by the Reine personally, across all parts of Crescentia; those who fought in the war, those who weren’t originally aligned with us; she cared not who we were or where we had come from, only our skill and potential.”

His face slowly shifted to one more somber.

“Whether she did this out of necessity or perhaps in longing for friends, she gathered us up and we underwent the pact. We weren’t forced, of course, I believe I speak for all of us that it was her natural charisma that drew each one of us to her. I had a granddaughter who was around her age… though she died towards the beginning of the Giant War. Perhaps something to do with that drew me to her.”

His face had become much more gentle, almost reminiscing about the past.

“Surely you know… No, you likely know better than anyone else, two-thousand years is a long time to be alone.”

The elevator had finally reached the top, and as the doors opened, they led into a hallway with large double doors at the end, which were opened. Looking further into the room, the throne could be seen, though its chair empty. No one else was in the room; no one was visible, yet a resounding voice filled the space.

“Baalthar, thank you, please wait outside. Alberich, please, come behind the throne to the balcony.”

“My Liege.”

“It’s been a long two-thousand years. Alberich and I have a lot of catching up to do I’m sure.”

“Understood.”

Baalthar bowed and turned around, leaving the room. Alberich would be left to freely make his way to behind the throne, where a doorway led to outside. The top floor of the citadel tower had a balcony that oversought the northern direction of Perindor. One could see the World’s Edge in the distance, and the time anomaly that persisted still even to this day. Half of an entire world torn asunder, the lasting legacy of Kusanagi himself.

On the balcony, there stood two people, a man and a woman. Their backs were turned to Alberich, but he could make out their outlines and take in just who they were. The woman’s silver hair flowed gently in the wind, and the man’s black hair had been cut short. They turned around and perhaps the moment the traitor had been waiting for arrived.

It arrived, yet there was one thing that he likely didn’t expect. Next to the woman, stood the legend himself, the savior of the realm and martyr who ‘wiped’ out the Giants, Kusanagi himself. He wore a kimono with his chest exposed, the glowing fracture in his sternum faintly lighting the surrounding space, the lock on the Giants persisting, if but weaker than before.

“Alberich, it’s good to see you again.”

A hollow smile was on Heidel’s face. Perhaps she wanted to be happy about the man’s return, but a sinking feeling in her chest weighed down on her emotions and kept her from expressing any sort of true joy.

“It’s almost nostalgic, the three of us standing together.”

She turned back out to the horizon, her expression somber and empty.

“Two-thousand years, it has been, hasn’t it. I’m certain you had the worst of it though.”

It was hard to tell if she was speaking truthfully or sarcastically, but malice was something he couldn’t sense from her. Rather it was a sort of deep melancholy that surrounded her.

“Lao died, you know. Eaten up by the powers he sought to control; a cruel twist of fate for him, who had spent the past two-thousand years chasing after his goal. While I can’t agree with his methods or the expected result, I can only feel emptiness in the news of his death. I’m not sure why you decided to come back here instead of fleeing, but I’ll hear you out if you have something to say. It’s the least I can do.”

She turned back to him and gave a broken smile.

Kusanagi simply watched the two and waited with an air of calmness. He had his own demons to fight, but he too was happy to see Ablerich once again.
 

MKR

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#5
Alberich calmly listened to the knight, his distaste for the appendage was clear but... who could blame him?
"It'd be hard to say they were wrong to panic perhaps. But I digress, you needn't worry about that. The glamour will return if the public becomes involved." His remark was calm, whether the public became a factor due to him walking out the front door or be it at his own public execution. It was a courtesy more than anything even if he loathed having to do so.

It was far less of an issue before but now, there was no going around it.

He continued to listen, he couldn't blame Heidel for wanting faces from those days to be by her side all these years. All this time, but still he couldn't help but wonder 'had it been their choice', the base compassion they held for her was not forced upon them this he knew from the past but in the years since with what she tried to do to him, what she did to Lao. How much of their loyalty was theirs? Sure Baalthar said they weren't forced but for one with Heidel's blessing a subtle encouragement was all she needed to do.

None of this was reflected outward, the man's remark regarding the passage of time was one that struck close to home far far closer then he'd have liked and so as Heidel beckoned him to come forth and the man to remain behind Alberich concluded this initial tour with a final remark.
"Two thousand years can drive one into insanity and back, sometimes partaking in both in a single day." He paused for a moment, "For my own sake I stopped keeping track of which I was at any given time."

With that hanging in the air he walked through the throne room, to the balcony there the real surprise hit him, both silhouettes he recognized instantly it was the man whom he had not expected to see anywhere except in that same chamber, the one who he had almost reached now walked. The surprise washed off his face and became replaced with a genuine smile, glad to see the man moving about.

He silently let Heidel continue, resting his arms on the balcony as he watched the horizon.
"It's also good to see you, both of you. But it is exactly that which you named why I am here, I felt it the moment he passed, the magicks that held me beginning to fray could only mean one thing. Any other method of releasing me would have done so by simply breaking the spell, but it fading... It meant the anchor that held it had vanished, that Lao... That he was dead."

He averted his gaze down, towards the city. "So I came here to mourn, hopefully with a friend. Or in this case, two. I am not fool enough to pretend the past did not happen, nor is it my intent to rescind my actions of that day even if they were done out of panic and fear for my life and the rest of the lives here and above." Alberich turned back to Heidel and Kusanagi, "But that is not why I am here today, neither to apologize nor to continue from there that is for another time. My vengeance on the one who enslaved all of us can wait just a bit longer."

His gaze wandered to his arm, red lines moving between it, dimly lighting their surroundings in red hues.

"We're all stubborn as mules, stubborn enough to not change our ways once we've determined the destination. Lao was the same, the road he chose... Was even more destructive then mine then? I cannot begin to fathom how much has come and gone in the millennia I've missed so at the very least I'd appreciate to know what actually happened in that time."
 

VeraC

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#6
Heidel took a sigh of exhaustion, but listened intently to Alberich. Not that she was trying to be rude or anything, but this past month had been tolling on her, mentally and emotionally. While given an immortal body, it was occasionally at times that her internal health couldn’t keep up with her external health. Yet, this moment was all too relaxing for her, the three of them standing and talking made everything that happened two-thousand years ago seem like just a fever dream.

Kusanagi offered little more than a smile and nod to Alberich; he had heard of what happened back after the war, but having been comatose at the time, the current man before him was no different than the one he knew long ago.

“‘Tis a long story, informed to me by my knights… though they had kept me in the dark about his movements ‘till the time that he passed. I don’t hate them for their secrecy, as it was probably for the better, but it still feels… unfortunate.”

She leaned back on the balcony and looked up at the sky, staring off into the space above.

“Though you have the right to know, he was your friend as well.”

Heidel tried to summarize things as best she could, from Lao’s establishment of the Cult of Volkruss to his plans in using the God of Destruction to reset the world, all the way up to his unfortunate end, being consumed by the power which he himself tried to command. It was hard to condense 2,000 years of history in a brief summary, so Heidel mainly spoke of the more recent events.

“Perhaps his guilt drove him to such radical methods… It’s hard to say any one of us heroes exited the Great War as a ‘winner’. All we sacrificed, all we gave to fight against the giants, all we lost… It is understandable that he would seek such desperate methods to try and make amends.”

She paused for a moment, resetting her tone and adjusting her posture, now more serious than before.

“Alberich… I’ve become complacent. With two-thousand years of peace, I grew naive of the potential threats to the stability of our Kingdom. It was a mistake I made, and it cost me the life of one of my trusted subordinates.”

She extended out her left arm, offering her hand to Alberich.

“War is coming again, and I am not so blind as to further ignore the threats that persist in our world. Will you join hands with us once again and eradicate the Giants from Crescentia once and for all?”

Heidel wanted to believe in second chances. She was no different than he. They both made mistakes, and they needed to atone for them. For her, this war was her atonement. She would break the peace that held the realm together and plunge the land once more into the horror of war. It was a difficult decision, but it was something she needed to face in order to create a brighter future.
 

MKR

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#7
Alberich listened to the tale, the lifetime. For others, lifetimes, he had missed. Generations had come and gone during his absence and the world on the surface seemed so foreign, so distant. Still, as the tale of Lao passed he couldn't help but smile a bit... For as dark a path as he had gone down Lao still was himself then the kind of man who would easily win a staring contest with the abyss. Still, that man was gone now and all he had from the past two thousand years were second hand memories.

As Heidel continued that smile faded, first as he heard her lamentations and then what came after.

He sighed, his hand moving into his pocket taking out what looked to be a sort of doll, but no. In truth it was the Shicksal the very same machine he piloted 'The Black Giant'. His eyes looked at it, miniaturized by magicks enough to carry it around in his pocket. He placed the small machine back in his pocket after a moment, his eyes moving back to Heidel with a sympathetic smile.

"Two thousand years ago, after we were separated for the first time when you first became Grand Reine and Kusanagi was the first of us to leave the rest. When myself and Lao came in the employ of Ganeden... We very quickly learned something, as Vynatea continued his life on the surface and swiftly was no longer welcome in the new order- thrown out into the worlds beyond for the 'sin' of displeasing those who now held the reins of fate."

A sigh, his glance passing to his arm.
"We learned that even thinking wrong was a death sentence in this new order... And I remained ignorant for a while longer I didn't dream to think of it for that would end with the same fate." The red 'veins' on his arm lit ablaze, dim red light illuminating it as he clenched the claw like fist. "But the realization set in, slowly but surely, that all of us were one way or another enslaved by the Ganedens."

He sighed, his gaze returning to Heidel and Kusanagi.
"It wasn't until the Child of the Sun forced the truth upon me, who I am, what I am. That that realization became manifest. I had begun to think 'wrong' by knowing what I was- for what purpose she-" He paused, his gaze deflected away even now he didn't want to say it. So he continued elsewhere.
"Point being, while the Giants are a great danger to the people living here Ganeden already rules from the shadows. They just enslaved a select few people and use them to control the population instead of the direct method. So unless both happened to die while I was out or you have another weapon capable of killing them- The Giants are my answer to that question."

"Because the opponent you know is better then the one you don't."
 

VeraC

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#8
“The Giants are not something I can negotiate on.”

She gave a prompt reply at the end of Alberich’s talk.

“You think to use them as weapons? Can you even control them? They sought to enslave humanity, they killed our people; they killed yours and my friends!”

The level of her voice slightly rose up, but quickly settled down. She looked to Kusanagi who was still quietly watching the two talk. Her eyes slowly dropped to his chest, where the fractured skin still radiated a dim glow from the cracks.

“The Edens… huh.”

Heidel folded her arms and gave a pondering thought.

“Perhaps meeting Aberon would do good for you. I believe he mentioned that he was going after the Ganedens as well. That much, I can do for you.”

She gave somewhat of a frown, perhaps disappointed in the man’s unwillingness to aid them.

“It is my duty as Grand Reine to protect the lives of my people. It is because of that, the Giants pose too great a risk should they be set free; what’s to say they simply won’t immediately attack us and enslave the rest of mankind? Our efforts are focused on annihilating the Giants. They are the immediate threat to this country. There’s no use in trying to deal with outside problems when we’re still dealing with the domestic threats.”

“Alberich…”

Kusanagi finally spoke, as his eyes took aim on his friend. He gave a smile and spoke in a calm voice.

“I have spent more time with the Giants than any other person in this world, ever since I sealed them away within me two-thousand years ago, I have fought endlessly against them within me. In exchanging blows with another, you begin to understand them."

He placed his fist to his chest. And spoke with affirmation.

"As soon as they are released, it will become just as it was two thousand years ago."

He placed his hand on Alberich's shoulder.

"I'm sorry friend, but I have to stick with Heidel on this one."

He too, was regretful Alberich wouldn't work along with them. But he didn't want to force the matter either. He had served his time. What he would do from here was up to him.
 

MKR

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#9
He hadn't expected Heidel to relent, as he mentioned prior they were all stubborn. Too stubborn for their own good, it was part of the package for some of them. The willpower to resist the Giant's influence by blessing, except he'd never been blessed. He could simply continue on as they loomed over him. So calmly he turned his gaze back to the horizon, would they ever see eye to eye again? On other things surely but this. Perhaps. The remark about using the Giants as a weapon caused a smile to form on his face as he shook his head gently.

"I don't think the Giants have our best interest in mind or anything, but when it comes to beings capable of dealing with Ganeden options are few and far between, if all of us were here then we might be able to do so. But that is now impossible." He turned his head in surprise shortly afterwards, "Aberon is back?"

It genuinely surprised him, he never expected to see the day. Still his gaze went to the horizon once more, melancholy in his eyes all the same. As Kusanagi put his hand on the man's shoulder those eyes moved to him for a moment before moving to his mutated arm.
"I'm more than aware of the risks, I've had a lot of time to think about this after all." He moved the fingers one by one, tapping against the stone. "But I can negotiate with them." He clenched his hand into a fist. "Ensure that they clash with Ganeden first, there a large number of them will perish and then we can come clean up after." A genuine smile, the man fully convinced that it'd work.

"The Giants won't ever be a problem again and everyone will be free. No more spectral shackles behind the scenes, everyone truly gets to live free and both Crescentia as well as everywhere else will finally be safe." A look of determination echoed through his words and in his eyes. "The battle from two thousand years ago will finally have a victor."

His eyes fell on Kusanagi's chest, the seal was damaged that much was clear.
"Its a matter of time until the Giants arrive isn't it?" His hand, the still normal one moved to Kusanagi's shoulder in return, "My friend, you saved us then- this time I'll do the heavy lifting. All I need are my Armed Phantomas back and I'll hold true to my promise of two thousand years ago, to save all of us."
 

VeraC

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#10
“The Giants will come first.”

Heidel’s face slowly crept into a scowl. Alberich was pushing his luck.

“I want to believe you. I want to, but I won’t risk it. I can't. Even Kusanagi’s Heavenly Dragon God Sword wasn’t able to deal a finishing blow to them. While it pains me to say it, we don’t have the means to finish them off, yet.”

Heidel took a sigh and averted her eyes. Perhaps if she used the power of SeiOhKi, she might be able to kill them all, but even in that, there were risks. The drawbacks of the Water Gourd scared Heidel, especially were she to go all out. Though her body was indestructible, the sphere would take its toll, one way or another. It would only be in a last-case scenario where she’d use it.

“Perhaps a few months at best.”

Kusanagi replied to Alberich, offering a smile.

“I appreciate the sentiment, but this is hardly a task for any one person. Both the Ganedens, and the Giants. No single person should have to take on that burden.”

He tapped Alberich’s hand with his twice, before slowly removing it from his shoulder.

Heidel folded her arms and gave Alberich a stern face.

“You’re welcome to remain within the Castle until Aberon returns. I’m sure you’re hungry or something. If you change your mind about dealing with the giants, please, come anytime. I’ve made my decision as Grand Reince of Crescentia and I will do what it takes to protect our people.”

She stepped back and put her hips back to the balcony.

There may yet be a possibility… I will need to research it, but it may just work.

It seemed that things would be getting even busier for Heidel.
 

MKR

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#11
Alberich shook his head at the reply, the smile fading from his features.
"We've all made up our minds, I don't know what I expected." So much for a calm day of mourning the topic had to return to the notion on which there would never be an agreement. Not as things stood currently, did he have to prove himself to them? No that was not it, they just saw it is impossible such was the issue. He simply had to prove it was possible.

"If you don't have the means to finish them off then my plan is essential for the safety of not just the citizens of Crescentia but those above as well." He took a step away from the other two, his shoulders slumping with a sigh. They would all do what they thought was best, who was right at the end of the day was to be seen but his firm belief was that it was he whose idea worked best if followed by theirs. A simple spell took action as his arm hid itself from view. The man appearing as he did during the war once more.

"Simply put, you better come up with something quick because the Giants won't wait for you to have a plan. It's also why I'll be going now as they won't wait for mine to be prepared either." He turned his face half towards them both, one eye looking at them. "Still thanks for the offer."
He walked towards the exit, pausing before leaving the balcony.

"Oh, and Heidel. Before I forget: Don't ever try that trick from two thousand years ago on me ever again."
With that the man left, headed back to the elevator. Intent on leaving the capitol behind. There were tools he needed to locate that were his, imprisoned like him across both realms.