The Price of Failure

Leila wearily made her way up the many stairs on the path to the Castle Keep, looking more than a little worse for wear after her encounter with the escaped Keyblade Wielder Rosaline. She did not look forward to what awaited her inside the mighty collection of spires. She had failed, and that would not and could not be overlooked, least of all by the Lord Commander. He was not known for being lenient in light of failure, and this would be no exception. She reached the top of the stairs, offering the guards at the gate a tired salute and watching the great steel portcullis start to rise.

And there awaiting as the portcullis has risen, was the Royal Guard's second in command: Lillith Adams, dawning her freshly polished silver armor in which the room's lighting kindly complemented as it shined nicely. With no helmet on, she had her brown and blue hair tied up so it wouldn't get in her face, as well as to maintain some sort of professional persona.

Expecting the arrival of Leila, she stood straight up, giving her a stiff salute as she entered, accompanied with a smile. "Welcome back Leila!" She said sternly. "I expect that you have succeeded in your mission? What have you to report? ...Where is the target you were sent to capture?" She looked behind her as she walked in, expecting some other individual to be following behind her, in chains! Captured, or a body...anything that shows that she at least made some sort of progress. The Commander won't take to kindly...

Leila pushed past her, having no desire to make idle chat, even if Lillith outranked her. She offered a simple explanation as she continued her way into the keep. "I failed."

You failed...of course you did... "...Well then. I shall be informing the Lord Commander posthaste. Until then, would you care to tell what exactly happened? Perhaps...something you missed...messed up on..." She made her way to her desk, and pulling out a small stack of papers which she promptly began to fill out in a quill feather dipped in fresh ink. "Out with it if you'd please."

Leila only gave Lillith a look of disdain, completely unfitting of a subordinate's actions towards her superior. She let her knapsack slip from her shoulders and fall the ground before stiffening into an 'at attention' pose. "I pursued the target into the old ruins of Mydar. There, I engaged the target, though her combat style allowed her to evade my attacks and escape, going so far as to steal my mount. I walked back to the capital, and am understandably exhausted."

Mount was lost...stolen... "Bloody...hell..." she uttered under her breath, as she finished up one of her sentences on the report, before reshuffling the papers, exposing a new page. "That's disappointing...I certainly thought you would be more capable instead of not only losing the target, but losing your mount...with all things considered, it only seems right for you to have a sort of recap for combat. I'm sorry, but this is unacceptable."

"I don't need your pity." Leila allowed herself to relax, resting her hand on the hilt of her sword. "May I go report to the Lord Commander now?"

Lillith sighed in frustration at the word "pity" I very well could've condemned you myself if I wanted to. Do not accuse me of pity."He's just through the back door." She rustled the now finished stack of paper work, the smell of ink wavering off the pages...it smelled bitter. In another hand she held a stray sheet of paper which indicated a proposal for Leila to be sent back to basic combat training...all it was missing was a signature.

"Allow me to come with you, actually." She insisted, knowing fairly well that the Lord Commander may be awfully brutal in choosing a penalty. She pushed open the back door, allowing for Leila to enter first before she follows closely behind.

Leila knocked once on the door, standing at attention while she waited. From inside, a voice firmly commanded. "Enter." Leila took a breath, before opening the door, entering the Lord Commander's office.

Lord Commander Carte sat at his desk, helmet to the side, writing on several reports. His cold grey eyes looked up as they entered, focusing on the captain as opposed to Lillith. "Captain, you've returned from the field. Unsuccessfully, I assume, if your appearance is any indicator." Leila gave a more firm salute than the one she'd given Lillith, and simply nodded.

"I regret to inform you sir that she has indeed failed." Walking towards is desk, she placed the stack of papers in front him, pointing out details that she has noted from Leila's summary. "Not only she failed the assignment, but she also lost her mount...which she stated was stolen by the target." She slid the other paper towards him, placing the ink quill next to it. "I propose that she merely is sent back towards basic training for her failure, if you would so kindly approve."

Carte leaned back in his chair, his metal-clad fingers clacking against each other in an easy beat. He looked first to his Second, and then to the Captain. Finally he grabbed the paper recommending Leila be sent back to training and tore it in half. "That will not emphasize the enormity of this failure, Lillith. Not only did the fabled Keyhunter fail to capture a wielder, but that wielder was a lieutenant under General Rage. How do you think he will feel when informed of this failure?" Carte turned his attention to Leila. "Take her to the cell block. I'll schedule a public punishment for later this afternoon. 20 lashes." Leila visibly paled, but simply nodded, clearly not going to bother trying to please her case.

Twenty lashes?! I understand that worse has probably happened than that...but this is a bit extreme. "Sir, I understand that you may hold her to high expectations, but don't you think twenty lashes might be too much? If I may, maybe we can also grant her cell time without the need of the lashes, as well as the training?" She leaned over Carte's ear to whisper "How do you expect one to learn from capital punishment?"

"Hardly capital punishment, Lillith. We're not beheading her. And this isn't the first time Miss. Scarlet has been under my lash." He looked to Leila, snapping his fingers. She nodded, turning her back to them and beginning to undo her cuirass. The heavy steel armor dropped the ground, leaving her upper body in a leather one piece that covered her like a tank top. She started sliding that off, showing a myriad of healed wounds and scars on her back. Carte turned to Lillith, gesturing to Leila as he did. "You were lucky to make it as far as you did without mistakes. You were spared my lessons. Pain is the greatest teacher. In pain, we of the Royal Guard learn not to make mistakes. Plain and simple. Captain, you may put your armor back on." Leila nodded, doing as she was instructed without hesitation.

Lillith gazed upon the scars that were laid upon Leila's back, shuddering as she was reminded of a few of her own scars, as well many other she had seen who has failed to reached the expectations of their superiors. So savage... she couldn't get out of her mind of how unnecessary whipping, or anything similar was. At the very least she believed in the hard work of others in order for them to excel, so perhaps the could learn as to wear they had messed up, as opposed to inflicting pain and possible trauma for failing missions.

Sighing, she knew there was no real point to attempt to reason Carte, as attempts in doing so would not only get anywhere, but may even worsen the punishment that has befalled on Leila. "Yes sir." She grabbed Leila's arm and led her out of his office, shutting the door moderately hard in slight frustration upon her leaving.

Leila looked to Lillith, surrendering her gunblade and her buckler. "I assume you'll want my armor as well, ma'am?" She stood at a more rigid attention, clearly not willing to risk anything this close to Carte's office.

"Of course. Thank you for reminding me." She reached over and grabbed the equipment, taking note of such firm attention that she was not given prior, something confused her, but yet it was probably not that important. "I apologize that you have been sentenced to extreme punishment." She stated in a more softer tone, almost motherly in a sense as she led her down under, where the cell blocks were. The poor treatment that occurred here was strongly reflected in the stench, a stench that one would not forget the money they visited. It smelled of sickness, mostly coming from prisoners that have been condemned for years at a time, giving up their own life, knowing very well that they perhaps have no future.

"It is not the first time, Lillith. The Lord Commander knows what he is doing." Leila slipped into the cell that was offered to her, sitting on the rotten wooden bench provided and careful not to let it fall under her weight. "I'll see you later."

She returned to a more stern and authoritative stance as she remembered her role, closing the cell block door behind Leila. "Your punishment for failure I assume should be at the very latest the end of the week. Until then you are to stay in your designated cell and...yadda yadda. You've said this isn't first time, so why should I repeat what you've heard? Sorry, I suppose it's something I'm obligated to do...prisoners temporarily...or not."

Leila looked about to simply nod and shrug it off before she suddenly looked to Lillith. "Could you please do me a favor? I need you to go to my home and bring my ward, Anna here. I'd rather not have her watch my punishment and as such have some instructions I need to give her." Leila looked up at her, her eyes beseeching the commander to take her request.

Lillith stood there, pondering on whether she should actually allow this, as something akin to this circumstance has never arisen...or at least from what she can remember. Are visitors normally allowed? She asked herself, taking a moment to let the possibilities wander within her mind as to what Leila HAD to say to this person...not that it was any of her business of course, but it raised the question as to why it was so important. I musn't interfere in the personal affairs of others...unless worse comes to worst. "Of course." Was all that was said, as she left the cell block with a hearty sigh, filing her lungs with the freshest of air once again.

"Here's your guest." Lillith said, knocking on Leila's cellblock, with Anna behind her. "You have five minutes to say what you have to, so if you please make it quick."

Anna quickly tailed behind the commander, chewing cautiously on a piece of candy. Once she came to the cell block, the girl hopped up and down in place, trying to peer inside the degrading room. Once she saw Leila, Anna was shocked, and spoke with an obvious discomfort. "Leila!" Now in terror, Anna pressed her back to the cell and held her hands out in front of her, prepared to lay waste to the entire keep.

Leila came up behind her and wrapped her arms around her in a hug, though they were separated by the bars. "Anna, I'm so glad you came. I'm sorry I couldn't bring you here myself." She turned the girl around, looking her in the eye, her expression gentle. "Now, I need you to listen very closely to what I'm about to tell you. In about five hours the loudspeakers around town are going to announce a gathering in the main square. People are going to be streaming past the house, and someone might knock. I want you to go back, lock all the doors into the house, and if anyone knocks around that time, you ignore and you stay inside and away from the windows, ok?"

Lillith stood there a fair distance, monitoring the conversation from afar to make sure everything was in order. We don't want anything like bomb plannings after all...that would be bad. Glancing back towards the only clock in the dungeon towards the door, she focused her attention back on the two, pulling Anna away once the conversation was over. "This conversation has ceased. Leila, prepare for your punishment. I expect it to be issued by this evening to tomorrow night, so prepare for it. Understood?"

Anna gripped her guardian's firm arms tightly, happy she could find a sort of comfort in all this. "I don't understand what's happening..." She turned towards Leila to reveal a worried face.

Leila nodded, holding her close for a moment before looking to Lilith, giving a quick shake of her head. She needed just a little more time. She turned her attention back to the girl, resting her hands on her shoulder and looking her in the eye, putting in a brave and comforting face for the girl's sake. "Anna, I know this seems scary, but I need you to repeat everything I just told you, so that I know you understand. I'll be home later tonight, ok?"

Anna looked down for several moments before she gripped the bars tightly, staring back in to her guardian's eyes. "Go home... Lock the doors... Don't let anyone in... Ignore people if they knock..." The girl counted these things off on her fingers, and nodded once she was sure that she understood the instructions. "Are you going away for a long time?" It was more of a saddened declaration than an actual question, but it was proposed all the same. "The house is quiet without you there..."