Welcome to Gaia! ::

Matthias solemnly entered the stone hallways of the castle and began to find his way through, turning here and there in the labyrinthine keep.

"There is something that runs through your blood that I find very interesting. A poison alongside something else. I think that poison would have killed a normal man by now..."

After a confusing and seemingly illogical set of turns, Matthias finally turned and led Shasta into a red door.

On the inside was a massive room, big enough to the room of a giantess, but it was apparent by the furnishings that this was the room of one not so large, though he could have guests that were. The entire room had a theme of red and black with expensive silks and fabrics from far away lands. Weapons, armor, books, and a myriad device and tool were scattered on shelves, tables and desks throughout the room. It was luxurious, befitting a prince.

"I have nothing to do with the Cathedral. I am forbidden to even go there. When my mother finds out that I was there, even for as short a time as I was, she will be in here to talk to me."

Matthias started to go through some of this things, gathering armor together.

"Your poison. Who poisoned you?"

Matthias started to put on the armor that he was gathering together. It looked like light plate mail, but in a somewhat more modern style. It was hard to place, and it had to be of custom design. The last thing he put on was a mask, one side white, the other side black, classic PHANTOM attire. He turned and looked at Shasta. The mask was haunting, but somehow familiar.

"What do you know about PHANTOMs and Ancients?" he asked tossing the book he had on his person to Shasta. The title was PHANTOMs and Ancients. "And we havent been properly introduced. I am Prince Matthias Scorver." He gives a bow. "And you are?"

"You dont believe it?" Matthias let out a little bit of a laugh. He took off his chest plate and held his dagger in his hand. With a sudden movement, Matthias stabbed himself in the heart, twisted the blade and removed it with a grimace. It returned to a smile within a moment and blood ebbed out of the wound slowly.

"Maybe you should reconsider. It might be of some benefit to you..." He cleaned off the dagger and put it back in its scabbard, then put his armor back on. "The more direct you are, the more that we can both get accomplished here."

"Have a seat," Matthias said, sliding a chair over to Shasta.

"Now, I want to know more about the Cathedral and I want to know more about PHANTOMs and Ancients outside of the little that I know already. I know that I am a PHANTOM, and that it is apparently difficult to kill me because of this. There is a deep religion that the Ancients follow and it somehow hidden in the Cathedral. I think the Ancients run that place. The bedtime stories that my mother used to tell me involved a war between us and them. All the other stuff is scattered. I want you to help me find out what you can. In return, I will help you find the cure to your poison."

Just then a resonating knock was heard and then a giantess sized door opened. In walked the Queen of Gulthiac herself. She was wearing the same outfit as before. She walked in and sat down next to the two men, radiating immense beauty.

"Why didnt you tell me you had a guest." she asked sweetly.

"You didnt ask," Matthias grumbled.

The queen was sitting cross-legged and leaning forward in hardly a position that one would associate with a queen. Her body had elegant curves and she seemed to bend like light. She leaned toward Shasta and he was immediately felt assaulted with a wave of pleasant energy.

Powerless to resist, Shasta felt himself overcome with a feeling of comfort and safety. It was as if everything in the room faded into a whirling out of focus dream with the exception of the Queen, who now seemed impossibly huge, intense, and beautiful. The darkness of her gown was surreal against the pale white of her skin.

She cooed in an ethereal, melodious voice straight into his mind. Her had reached out towards Shasta.

"Mother!" Matthias shouted in rage standing up and drawing his rapier. As Matthias yelled, the magic faded from Shasta abruptly leaving him with a shivering feeling, as if he had been released from the queen's warm embrace back into the chill castle.

The queen only smiled at Shasta and then glared at Matthias. "You never let me talk to your friends..." she growled and stood up quickly.

"Get out of my room," Matthias sternly replied, his eyes fiercely fixed on his mother.

She shrugged carelessly, as seemed to befit her manner. "I will talk to him sometime when you are not around. Then we can get intimately acquainted..." She languidly saunters out of the room just as she had arrived.

Matthias sheathes his sword and sits down angrily. "I am sorry about that. I dont know why you would have attracted the attention of my mother. Still, I will not pursue you about it."

Matthias relaxed a little. "She's out of range now. I hope that this may be a symbol of trust, or at least a benefit to you of our partnership, but if you assist me, and swear an oath, I will teach you how to resist mind invasion right here and now. It is impossible to do without training, even more so against powerful beings like the queen. Well, what say you?"