Adilita scurried through stone scovered streets of the ancient Cave city. Up until the little jewel it wasn't important enough to be anywhere nor to take any actions in her world but with the news of the king's connection with the myth, it was then. Still, yhat didn't mean that she could rush all the way there since the urgency only sped her way there but not make her want to race. Although the city itself was lit by different sources of light, and the ambience if the monolithic city changed by the night it was not less of a sight to see. In fact it was a sight that one would wish to ponder on how such a magnificent place cane into existence and it may be answered through Adilita if the notion ever comes to her mind. Ever in awe and wonder of her world it would play that she was rather dazzled by the jewels of colors and swathes of light that cast through the ancient capital. To describe less than down to earth magical from the highest spire to the lowest block of vagabonds is the closest to the sensations that Adilita now experienced. So, having no sense of law or the foundations of culture it was then that eventually the andriod would find herself at the gates of the palace. A mere day since her existence completed itself and began it's birth into an unknown world was both a miracle and triumph. So, she tried to walk past the guards who were rather fatigued from wresting with the rotors yesterday. They drew their sword at length and waists without making further attempts to provoke. Adilita's gears slowed as cognition occurred causing her to huff at the prevention of her entrance into the world of the king's palace. There were no snide remarks or alluring remarks about gender related cat calls, only business. After all, with the king gone and they had worked for him loyally in pass or fail so that they had intelligence in them to properly man their posts. "State your business, Madame." The ranking officer addressed the now emotionally charged Adilita. It was the clarity in how the officer spoke to here without skipping a single stroke in his professionalism that abated the warmachine's emotions. "I'm here to see the king." The people of Mesta were a hardy lot and the news was already out. The second postman followed curtiously in suit only outdoing the first in the respectable behaviour by speaking gently, "His honor is nowhere to be found at this time. If he returns anytime soon, we will inform you should you decide to visit again Missus." Surprised by this news and the clever rejection to pass today, Adilita's expression change from innocent to pensive. She had after all gone a full day running through the entire city boundaries from the nobles homes to the bare bottom of society which was known as the slums. All places were permissible to her regardless of who they were and to discover a barrier to her newfound goal meant nothing. It was in fact that the men had treated her well with only a few words between them that daunted her. One cannot hurt a friend if they have not wronged her and as such it was an interesting desovery to process the lack of promise to finding her answers. Her emotions kindled into the closest demeanor that was pleasant but now headstrong. "I have alternative ways to enter today. Would you kindly lead me to where the king was last seen?" Adilita truly did not know the meaning of 'No' yet and the pair shrugged to each other. They were reinforcements and could handle a noble or two themselves but the senior held his respect towards the steomgheaded looking human in front of him. "I'm not sure if you're aware of this Madame but the castle is probably the most guarded place in all the city-states. It's ill advised to try and run amock even if you went through the sewers there are ghosts that Dimnu Ester left behind to guard the hidden places."
Chances are that with a strange existence as Adilita's that she already knew the ways in but she looked like an ordinary human to the guards. It was the senior who decided to use his mage eyes to ensure she was but what he said was different from what Adilita was about to do. She was about to throw a tantrum in the most dangerous way until she heard, "It's a shame that Madame couldn't meet our noble King, he would have loved to meet one of your kind." Adilita's attitude snapped from being spoiled rotten and wanting to get her way to a sudden awe at the sencerity and genuine concern for her. The walls of her world seemed to stack as an invisible barrier as the guard kept gaining respect with respectable actions that prevented her from doing as she pleased. Her holographic cheeks flushed as she dared not do anything to insult such an intelligent fellow. "Wait here Missus. Officer Elumian will try to settle things so that you can enter."
After things were said and done Adilita ended waiting at the gate for hours. The watch post almost finished and morning began it's call. The officers from their earlier shift had kept true to to their word even when their relief came. Mesta was a curious city in that you would look down an alley to see debauchery and up to the palace to see order after chaos. What made Adilita know the gate guards weren't lying were the reports that periodically informed her on the situation the days prior to her immovable appearance at the gates. The andriod even learned about the reasons why she was being delayed and that was due towards the officer's favor to her and not the luck of the world showering it's love on her. It was an awfully long time before the officer's petition reached someone's ears. He got permission her behalf but partly due to the investigation his mage eyes had done.
Adilita's great appearance of patience paid off but the truth was that as a cybernetic mind, the perspective of time was not the same as a mortal being. It meant nothing to wait an hour since it only occupied a bare minimum of her awareness to stand still. In fact most immortal species held similar perspectives on power so Adilita's awareness was not weakened by impatience, yet. She was happy to see the officer appear again but wondered who was at his side. It was a Chan samurai, a woman of esteemed nobility and grace in but also a jade streak of power resonating from her. "My apologies for the delay, Madame. I was on post when we met and I hope the reports I passed on were clear enough in explaining the situation." The respectable officer greeted her properly. He did not salute Adilita despite his words. By now the android noticed the difference between the solders of rank and the ones who saluted. Class, was another lesson that came from the not so formal but graceful female samurai. "I hear from Officer Elumian that you are a Golem. May I know your name?"
"Adilita, Adilita Kokoro."
"Adilita Heart, what a beautiful name. I am Eliza. I heard what happened here and came to help my alliance by stopping the rioting. I am the temporary ruler of Mesta." The samurai explained causing the ever so growing in knowledge Adilita Kokoro to smile. What she didn't know was that Chan's very queen stood before her or why Eliza's purpose mattered to her at all. It was much more a surprise to know that Eliza translated Kokoro correctly into something more common. She discovered that whoever this woman was and where she came from so did her last name and it's meaning. Her maker had chosen a Chanese name! "I wanted to see the King." She explained purely from her heart. "I believe that there was something he could help me." Adilita said simply because she didn't know the difference power made amongst people just yet. Her archives were full of information but that didn't mean she needed to study or use it yet since at the time the only care she had was to descover the connection between [Dangerous Entity] and the blue gem she had swiped from the derilect vendor. Eliza of course took no offense as she was actually much more than she appeared to be but had no use to flaunt.
"What were you expecting?"
"I wanted to know about a legend."
"A legend?"
"Ummm. Yes. I heard it at the market."
If Eliza hadn't been told that Adilita was a golem then she might have mistaken Adilita's questions for a prank. "What sort?"
Being put on the spot didn't help her rexpumd what the vendor said correctly. "It's about the son of the king." Eliza's eyes showed intrigue. "Come, I will show you that the king is gone." In truth Eliza did not know everything so she chose the wisest action to explain to Adilita about who the king was. The king himself was known the most by his city state that he ruled and even if Eliza knew about him it still accounted that he'd actually been ousted from the throne previously during past wars. Eliza knew a fair deal of friends and enemies in Anadoria. All that much more than anyone else since she'd been around for a very long time but this news interested her a bit. After all the Black Dragon's appearance would not come for another seven hundred years to unite the continent. It would impact her future to learn of this news or to remember that she had encountered him once before she became a queen.
Adilita followed along with the pair as they moved through a vast network rooms filled with ornate things. Stone statues with jewels on weapons watched carefully and long latiswork stone floors covered the corridors. Adilita was not led through the scenic route but through a direct and more personal pathway that took her over the edge of the palace walls. The sun rose above the city causing her to drift away under the rays of sun now covering the city down below. It was one thing to see the edges of a jewel up close but to see it from the the cradle of the Tsuki Mountains left her heart to blaze. The energy surged and pulsed from her as she could feel a release wash over her senses. The present time of the world, the queen, and the officer carried no weight with just yet. Only the odd mix of love surged through Adilita's reverie making the patient Eliza smile at Adilita's youthful surprise.The splendor of Mesta was revived through the eyes of her guest in the form of insight. The chan woman's tastes were not for this stone cathedral hidden in the mouth of a cave. It is thought that all kings and queens carried a regal stature but that would be foolish to say that Eliza could not appreciate her visitor's joy. The elated Adilita eventually returned from what appeared a suspended animation that was so still that it became obvious as to how much machine she was. She was also slightly different as well as though a slight morphism had occurred to Adilita but Eliza didn't remark. She started moving once again through sectors and Adilita gracefully followed. The elation carried with her a quiet grace but the sights of the castle played on her curious mind to absorb everything new in seconds.
Finally, they arrived in the chamber with the broken door. Everything in the room was theatrically gloomy, morbose, and rich in raw feeling of a gothic menace. The eyes would be led by the spell traced floor all the way to the throne despite the variety of shapes and passages that were individually interesting themselves. The door still lay on the ground and the beams that were strewn near the throne room. One particular beam seemed to be sent aside and marked by heavy scars that were different from splintering of pressured wood. Eliza watched her guest inquisitively for signs of change in Adilita. Adilita could feel something familiar in her system and the stirring of her power banked themselves to scan every bit of trace she could find. Yes, she had found something and if not for the officer's guidance then she would have stormed the castle. Now, instead of leaving a trail of destruction she had been led inside. Adilita was not a ditzy girl. Automatically she knew what Eliza had to gain by showing her this unusual sight. If Adilita had been more indifferent to it as she was to the seeing a human in the new world then she may have not known.
Eliza wanted to know more about the king's disappearance and unbeknownst to the officer she guessed that there would be a connection between the two. Adilita's morph finally became obvious to Eliza because indeed something did happen. As Adilita did not know it but her maker had a sense of humour borderlining an obsession to mystical theatrics. Adilita's body had changed wand she could hear her last name being input by a substantial program running.
"Kokoro overdrive activated. Condition to protect Wren S. Ift met due to evidence of battle." So, was the king connected to her master and maker? Adilita spoke, "I understand. The king is gone." The words sounded hopeful rather than saddened. The energy around her hummed and so did she as the overdrive enhanced the speed of her logic system. She knew things that ordinarily required momentary study prior to taken this form. Adilita's knowledge back her up with the evidence that had seemed rather like decorum to the castle before. The crystals in the statues were the same as the ones in the lab, the floor design matched the same style as well. It was like the the little details in the castle were cross reference enough similarities. It was when Adilita's eyes changed that the overdrive reacted differently but Eliza remained unphased. She had her own little secrets that made Adilita's haughty gaze and trinket transformation seem rivalled in daunting power. "You don't look like you know about what happened here." Eliza remarked, "Can you tell me what you picked up." Despite the overdrive and the slight change of Adilita's demeanor she still was grateful for the help she received. She replied, "There are traces of glyphs around the throne. They are made for capturing soul and transforming it as fuel for a pocket dimension that records everything inside. They use the city's towers as a way to separate the soul from the body." Adilita now knew more as her eyes scanned layers of energy that was similar to the sigils she'd ripped out of the lap. The synchronicity seemed to be converging on this moment. Eliza did express through her eyes a bit of magic as she followed suit. What she saw proved that the king had used Mestarians as guinea pigs but to use city wide magic meant meticulously planning out the very architectural designs of the city.
"What will you do?" Eliza asked out of concern for Adilita's lack of answers. "I'm going to look for my maker and the king." Adilita answered as the overdrive powered down. The height of her awareness returned as she morphed down. Specially designed levies and compartments moved and downsized her form, retracting hardware that had also been revealed through her hologram skin. "If you'd like to stay here at the palace while I organize a council to rule the city, then you are welcome to search the library here. We have stories of different heroes. The king's son might be in those stories." Adilita blinked as a thought registered because she didn't really know what a king or queen was yet. She now understood after the short period of meeting Eliza. Compared to the people down in the city, there seemed a common difference between the strength the two had over their fates.
"Was the king like you?" Adilita asked and heard, "No. He took over the throne by force and not many have dared to question him. I was chosen by my people to lead. We don't really know where he came from or why he picked the north to rule."
Adilita could tell Eliza cared about her position only as the one who loved her people. "Sometimes monsters decide they want power and push the old king out." Eliza explained. "The king might have looked human only because that's the dominant species in our world. He was a shape shifter and those are rare even amongst the ones who have unusual powers." Eliza walked up to the beam with the gash to inspect it with her hand. Adilita had to be involved with anyone's affairs but Eliza's insight helped bridge the gap between carefree and naive to a full awareness of her new life. It clicked more as to why she was made by her master.
The world was dangerous and so were the people in it. Why would you not want someone who is loyal to you to keep you protected from monsters like the king. "So humans are the strongest race here?" Adilita asked unbiasly. The officer answered, "No, it means that there are other races like dragons. Their intelligence may make them more powerful but humanoids are common. To communicate with them without disturbing life or inciting war means to have some resemblance to them." The officer guard activated his mana to show an implication of what magic caused him to appear as. was a half-elf and Mesta was a place that was more acceptable to the demon races. Adilita saw the slight difference now but the man still looked so human that the difference made her realize what appearances did to one's impression. The guard was more handsome than a human for the moment the mana floored. It wasn't after the mana charge stopped did it appear as if he were human. Adilita smiled thankfully for the explanation. She was an android but had never intended to correct Eliza's mistaken perception of her as a golem. "So, his powers werent just to transform but actually be a shape shifter." Adilita stated as she walks up the marks. She analyzed it long enough now that a species of animal came up. The formal and informal classication came up and matched the teeth marks. With one exception to the teeth marks that seemed to her as an indicator. They were too big for the Cry Wolf class of animal. The king had really been strong and from the size of the marks, it looked like he'd been triple the average size. A real Cry Wolf was nearly 5 feet tall. This was almost 14 feet tall! Eliza of course wasn't ignorant either and showed that she knew more by her calmness and attitude.
The woman would have to order the cleanup anyways but seeing the details of the room helped her understand her role. "The marks here are of a wolf." Adilita nodded internally as she answered. "I know that it belongs to the Cry Wolf." Eliza didn't pale nor did she go stark rigid in any way but she at least could have given Adilita some kind of dramatic reaction. The truth was in Eliza's personality to readily accept new information and also return it back with her insightful ways. "That species is known for their intelligence to escape publicity. If anyone meets one and survives to tell the tell then they wouldn't believe them anyways. Almost no one survive against their kind. Once you're marked you can cry wolf in a judge's court with all the evidence in the world and the judge's mother watching. It won't stop them from hunting you day and night, better yet they'll sue you for the right to make you their snack if they catch you in court."
Adilita was a bit more intimidated by the story that it caused her to have another epiphany. The king's own power surpassed the boundaries of a story into her reality. After all her calculations reported a triplication of the average size of a Cry Wolf. Adilita made her first Mestarian joke. "If that's the case, wouldn't the judge rule in the Cry Wolf's favor?" The officer bawled laughing as he was a native to the city. "Aye, and he'd demand compensation in the form your oldest child for bothering the wolves in the first place."
The pair had previously had a formal relationship because of their roles but with Adilita's leather tough humor they could only seem to get along better. Adilita could now feel more connected with her world since much of her time had been impersonal. She could feel a kinship, a new odd mixture of love and respect rise. The emotions were identified for her onscreen if she had any questions but this friendliness was eaay to understand by herself. Eliza could only watch this unique bond that only Mesta City could produce amongst many races. Chan was not prejudice but there were not a mix of cultural boundaries there. When the two stopped cracking up the officer nodded in approval. With all the seriousness having been broken Adilita spoke, "I would like to see the library here."
"Is that so?"
"I-I-I mean, what you said earlier that I could stay." Adilita said bashfully and looked the grown. Eliza smiled, "You can." Adilita ended up jumping with a happy thanks of a hug on Eliza. Eliza mildly surprised ended up giving her friend a warm hug back. "I used to be an adventurer too-."
"-Before you took an arrow the knee?" The officer capitalized on humour. Offending a queen had it's worth. Many a king had tried to rule Mesta too seriously only to have the person they tried for treason simply die laughing before they reached a noose. It was nearly impossible to tame the adaptiveness of Anadoriqn folk, except with fear 😱.
"No, unlike a certian someone who might." Eliza replied causing the guard to restore his respectfulness towards Eliza. Adilita released Eliza from her hug and giggled at Eliza's scorching remark.
To be fair, Adilita may have treated Eliza informally and a friend but she saw the difference in the guard's role so the officer earned that. Adilita knew how strong she was because of her schematics could be pulled up. There was almost nothing physically that the queen could do to harm the android therefore she couldn't ever need to fear offending even the queen. The andriod behaved like that was her thinking. Eliza treated Adilita naturally as a friend or a sister because of her boldness. Despite the contrasting issues between the trio Eliza still smiled. "I used to be an-" He eyes darted at the overly respectful officer. "Adventurer but you took an arrow to the knee." Adilita capitalized on the sentence causing the officer's skin to uncontrolably vibrate from maintaining his respectful demeanor without laughing.
"Okay, you know what?" Eliza's eyes dared the officer to move a hair out of line as she saw him want to laugh. "You can leave." The officer bowed and left just to save Adilita. Eliza's words were meant for Adilita because she'd underestimated the newly formed bond between the joking pair. The guard played it off as if he were instructed to leave making Adilita be left behind. Adilita honestly didn't know what came over her. She eyes averted he'd gaze at the throne for a moment as she let Eliza's patience recollect. Eliza didn't have to humor her guest's needs and want. She did it because a golem was a rare being and Adilita's interruption made her not want to deal with it anymore. Whoever made that joke had made it last a hundred years and the first time was terrible to hear. "I was an ad-ven-tur-er once." Eliza repeated slowly while daring Adilita to interrupt as she played innocent angel with her listening skills. Adilita's immunity only last on a power scale but not with words. "I made many friends who let me stay by their side. I can let you stay here while I work to create a solution." Eliza smiled gently since she was finished. "Just be sure not to get caught in the courtyard with the wolves guard. They might sue you for a kiss." Adilita's faced flushed for a reason she couldn't quite understand. "I'll inform the staff not to bother you in your search for the king's son. In return do not interfere with our business." Eliza said and began leaving Adilita to her privacy.
The andriod was grateful for the help but was rather confused as why she'd be left unattended. Still, it left Adilita to explore the throne room alone. Now that she was here alone she wondered more about her maker for the first time.