"But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura
She would have loved to have more time. Time for mocks, times to prepare. Perhaps they did have that time. Perhaps everyone would talk and talk and make no moves. That often happened in Beqanna; tensions ran high but no one had the balls to make the first move. But here’s the thing, Straia didn’t really feel like sitting around and waiting for her enemies to grow even stronger. It seemed like a rather stupid tactic.
She sends a raven for Warship, because she thinks he should come with her for this one, and then she sets out for the Valley. The damn firewall is still there, and she really misses the days when she could just waltz in and out of the Valley. That’s how she found Malach and Weed. Granted, she stole both of them away to the Chamber. Though Weed was not particularly loyal to the Chamber, but he and she both longed for chaos, and so for now, they were working together under the same roof.
She stops at the wall, waiting for Warship before she sends two fire ravens through the wall to find Gallows and Fennick. For all she knows the ravens will trip some alarm in the wall, but either way, she’ll get the attention she wants. Though she doesn’t need the entire Valley, just it’s rulers; she doesn’t really care if others join the conversation necessarily.
In the end, it was simply time to decide what to do. Hence why she brings her General. Tactic weren’t Straia’s thing, and she wanted to make sure she didn’t burn the Chamber and the Valley to the ground by mistake or anything. Plus, if they did have time to setup some mocks first, he might as well be here to hammer out the details.
straia
the raven queen of the chamber
@[Warship] - this is Straia's lazy way of summoning him....
Use of mild power playing is allowed; no injuries without permission
Maybe, finally, things are moving forward. I know as far as I'm concerned, the Valley is ready. I'm not eager to sit around and wait to be attacked. I'll take the element of (somewhat) surprise over familiar terrain any day. After all, nothing unnerves an opponent quite like hitting them where they think they're safe.
I make a face as a fire raven comes bursting out of the wall. Granted, I know the ravens are the Chamber Queen's favorite tool, but I will never get used to them. Birds. Ick. And they're so rude. It circles, and I follow it to the spot where it originated.
Fennick is off somewhere, but I send him a mental summons (I'm not much on invitations) before trotting through the fire myself to greet Straia and Warship. I throw the wall an exasperated look over my shoulder.
"That won't be staying. Eight is working on its removal now."
I suppose I should have started with hello, but pleasantries aren't really my thing. I feel like that should be evident by the fact that I am invested in starting a war. There's no point in a hi, how are you, when there's more important things on the agenda. Besides, if I really wanted to know how someone was I'd just rifle through their thoughts. It saves time.
"Follow me through the wall, will you? It's annoying as hell, but it does keep away eavesdroppers." I tuck my wings (I will never quite feel as if they're going to make it through unscathed) and plunge back through the flames as if the tickling sensation doesn't irritate the crap out of me. Once the pair has followed, I move straight to the point. "Any news to share? Personally, I feel we shouldn't wait too long to strike. The Gates have been building up members and I heard a rumor they're seeking allies. Unfortunately there are those who love a lost cause."
See, this is why I need Fennick (ugh, gag me with a stick). He would probably have done something like, I don't know, ask how the Chamber was. Something polite. Something distinctly Fennick.
G A L L O W S We must all hang together or, assuredly, we shall all hang separately.
ooc: I read that as Warship already being there? So, let me know if I need to correct it! And also, for lurkers, once they are through the wall no one can hear their conversation without Gallows knowing they are there, so this is a secret thread. ;-)
They can plan, and they can scheme, and they can fancy themselves prepared, but at the end of the day the war itself will control them. It will control the ebb and flow of their motions, and even the most well-lain plans could be shot to dust. It was in their best interest to be prepared for not only what could go right, but what would also inevitably go wrong.
He hears the ravens caw, and he gives it a grim look before setting into motion behind its erratic flight. Undoubtedly, Straia wanted to talk battle strategies, or perhaps ask him how the army was faring these days. Either way he knew the talk would be of their kingdom and what was lurking on the horizon. But when he finds her she too is moving, and his grim look flickers into a frown, though he says nothing. He follows her across the border and beyond, and soon he knows their destination. The Valley and their proverbial “sister kingdom”. he hadn’t visited the Valley since the days of his and Smolders ill-fated tryst. Finally it looms in the distance, though the landscape has changed since his last visit. A wall of fire reaching high into the sky. He doesn’t have long to…admire it, though, before the new Valley queen finds them. “Its…interesting, to say the least.” he says, somewhere between exasperation and admiration. He had never feared for his kingdom enough to think they needed a magical wall; if someone made it over the border, through the pines and rocky outcrops, then there would be hell to pay in the clearings.
Walking through the flames is odd, but he does so without so much as a twitch. It licks at his skin and he knew that without the presence of Gallows that he would be burnt to a crisp. Finally he steps into fresh air, glancing back over his shoulder at the flames. “The Gates are growing. Magnus, their new general, has held the position before. He has also held the title of king. He won’t go down without a fight.” He doesn’t tell how he knows this, or that Magnus just happens to be his brother. His families poor choice in home had no place in their war planning. “Those who choose to stand with the Gates can fall with them too.” he said, his voice rough. But unfortunately Gallows was right; everyone loved a lost cause.
Fennick had gotten used to being uncomfortable. It was not a position he was unfamiliar with. He was, however, entirely unused to this kind of discomfort. He wasn’t used to waiting. He was used to recklessly acting, and kicking himself for it later. He didn’t think it was possible, but he had the vaguely sickening feeling that his old method of operation was preferable. At least in this one instance.
War brought out the best in all of us, he supposed.
Even as a fire raven circled overhead, Fennick heard Gallows’ summons (there was no politer word for it) and muttered darkly under his breath. He didn’t mind it as much as he pretended to, but kept up appearances for the sake of plausible deniability. If she ever did something truly horrendous he could just shrug and say something uncommitted like, “you know how Gallows is.” It wasn’t his most noble plan, but it was foolproof. Fennick like it when things were foolproof, it lowered the expectation of his own behavior somewhat.
He made his way to the small group, feeling rather like a schemer meeting his co conspirators in secret. He supposed, in a way, that was exactly what he was doing. His wings, now flightless, but not less grand, arced over his head like a hood. He liked the way the fire danced across his inky black feathers. His meager vanity, however, was not a good enough reason to see the wall stay. He sidled up next to his co ruler, and smiled at her a little too sweetly.
“And you would know something about eavesdroppers, Gallows.” He grinned then, big and boyish, for he was only giving her a hard time. Gallows took eavesdropping to a new level. He then cast his attention to the Chamber queen, and who he assumed was her general. Diplomatic visits were not Fennick’s cup of tea, but he was happy to greet them on his own, familiar soil. A homebody, Fennick was generously called.
The Valley king snorted loudly and rudely at the mention of Magnus. He’d met that guy several times, and each time the Gate’s man been an unforgivable pain in Fennick’s ass. He could hardly blink at a potential recruit without Magnus showing up and full of more kindness, generosity, and charm than any single creature had any right to be. Still, one man did not an army make. Fennick wasn’t worried. Magnus could be dealt with. The black stallion shrugged, and blinked at Warship.
“As much as I enjoy your enthusiasm, I’m afraid that rather depends on who stands with them.” Fennick, it would seem, was something of a killjoy. It was not a position he usually took, but in this case, the devil needed an advocate. If he was being honest, Fennick didn’t believe the Gate could drum up enough support for him to lose sleep over. There was, however, Lagertha.
“Last I spoke with the Jungle queen she threatened to run me through. Has she changed her tune or should we all be sleeping with one eye open?” Fennick paused but only briefly, for regardless of the answer to his question, his next words would be the same.
“If it comes down to it we will take the Gates and the Jungle. It will, however, require something rather special.” If they were going to face two kingdoms Fennick didn’t want to start be underestimating them. They needed a plan, and a good one.
She laughs slightly as Fennick speaks, grinning at Gallows. “I see you have a voice of reason too.” She says, casting a glance to Warship. She knows that her General is none too pleased with her right about now. Though she’s pretty sure he wants a war almost as much as the rest of Beqanna. He was going to glower at her and be grumpy about it like the old man he was, but let’s face it, he’s a General for a reason.
Still, she’s smart enough to know that his opinion matters. It helps to counteract her own, rather more abrasive, opinion.
“You should sleep with two eyes open. The sisters have agreed, mostly, to help the Gates. There were a few that simply didn’t want to side with the Chamber because they don’t like the Valley. Apparently your kingdom still has something of a reputation.” She grins, clearly not thinking this is a bad thing. “But you’ll need a second eye open on the Dale. The Dale in particular dislikes the Valley. And I wouldn’t put it past the Deserts to join either. Certainly Yael will.” Meddling magicians. She had no taste for the good ones.
They were a little bit screwed. There’s a reason they are talking about this first before just plunging into a war. They would be outnumbered, without a doubt. “I can tell you some of what we’re up against, in addition to the usual kingdom traits that are handed out. Mast can shift into a deer, but honestly, the Gates has almost no traits to worry about, unless someone crawls out of the woodwork. The Dale king is a ghost shifter, Elysteria has light beam emission, Weir can manipulate the outcome of magic, Tiphon of course has his angel powers.”
She pauses. There was a lot to go over, sadly, and she actually doesn’t enjoy this much talking. Necessary, but terribly boring. “As for the Jungle, Sunday has various powers, though I don’t know exactly what her skills and limitations are, though I suspect she won’t fight. Prauge is back, sadly. Joscelin can fly without wings and emit light beams, Naga can shift into a panther, and Lyris seems to be able to control storms or the weather or something along those lines. Though lucky for us, it seems unlikely that Rhy will fight in this war, so we don’t have to worry about her. Lagertha’s kingdom granted trait isn’t something I’ve seen, so I’d assume she has something vicious up her sleeve. Speaking of which, if neither of you have something useful up your sleeves yet,” she says, directing her comment at Gallows and Fennick, “you should fix that.”
She’d let them leave it a secret, if they chose. She kept her own a secret. It was far more useful that way, after all, if no one knew it was her doing it. “I know you have three shadows creatures and Flamevein. The Chamber has a collection of horses with various heat and fire skills, a wolf shifter, a necromancer (though I wouldn’t count on him entirely yet) and of course an army of ravens. And we also have Eight, and Evrae.” Straia had finally found her sister’s mother, knowing that with war on the horizon the magician would be lurking. It was easy enough to get the mare to agree to fight on the Valley’s side. Evrae had only ever been looking for excuse to join. Not even really. She probably would have joined anyway. Straia just made sure it was their side.
She knows that they are still outnumbered though. They are strong and skilled, yes, but so is their enemy. Fennick is right, certainly. They need something clever. It’s a good thing none of them mind getting a little dirty. It makes it so much easier to be clever.
straia
the raven queen of the chamber
Use of mild power playing is allowed; no injuries without permission
12-21-2015, 08:04 PM (This post was last modified: 12-21-2015, 08:05 PM by Gallows.)
I scowl at Fennick. Eavesdropping indeed. I perform reconnaissance which is completely different. Totally one hundred percent... okay, maybe I do a little casual reading of minds before bed, but it's not like I abuse my power... well, okay, sometimes. Whatever. It's for the Valley, Fennick.
I listen as Warship and Fennick speak, both seemingly opposite sides of the spectrum. Unfortunately, Fennick has the right of it. We can win but it won't be easy and we need a better plan than rushing in, guns ablazing. Although that makes for a pretty story, it also makes for a lot of unnecessary casualties. I grin widely, planting a thought in Fennick's head alone.
Ya know, you didn't help by kidnapping Lagertha's daughter. I'd have run you through, too.
Not that I blame him. I also would have stolen the Amazonian princess if I'd thought of it. It just so happens I was busy with something else. Probably napping or gloriously prowling.
“Can't say I'm surprised the Amazons decided to side with the Gates.” I say aloud. I do not at all hide my pleasure at the Valley still having enough of a name to scare away an ally. Sure, it's not practical, but it's the little things in life. Besides, the Dale isn't anyone I want fighting beside me. “We need to hand out several of the traits available to us but other than those, we have Eight, who possesses magic, Fennick, who has cellular replication as well as being devilishly annoying, and myself with mind reading, which has its uses. In addition, we have kingdom traits that may be of use. Which brings me to my idea. We could employ the Valley's gift from Beqanna, if necessary. The pack who roams our lands is still made up of pups and young, immature wolves but at the beginning of next year they should be at full strength.”
I don't mention my ability to wolf-shift. It's not something I'm incredibly talented at yet, and I only want to brag once I've got the whole equine to canine thing down pat. Besides, no need to mention all the fun for the party, is there?
G A L L O W S We must all hang together or, assuredly, we shall all hang separately.
If his patience was visible, it would be paper thin at the moment. Deep down he knew it was necessary, but it didn’t stop the beast within his chest from rattling the cage bars. The beast raged and frothed, snarling his displeasure at his iron restraints. It longed for war; for the gnashing of blunt teeth against scarred skin, for the grisly feeling of bone beneath hoof. Fortunately there was also a logical part of the General, the part that tempered the beast and thus made him so effective at his job. It was easy, perhaps, to tear around the battle field wildly. There was but one thought; fight. It was more difficult to think clearly in the midst of it all, to see what was going to happen before it did. Years on the battlefield had given him an insight into it, and that perhaps was his greatest asset. Not his strength of body, or the horns atop his head, no…but the heart within his chest.
He listened quietly, his subtly moving ribs the only thing betraying him as a living creature. Long winded speeches were not his forte by any means, but he knew that someone had to do it. He was just thankful it wasn’t him. So far it seemed that Straia didn’t need much of him, and the longer he could linger on the edges of the conversation the more content he was. But beneath the stone-cold façade, and the carefully blank face, the beast sniffed the air hopefully. Like the way the clouds smelled when they were heavy with rain, so the scent of war lingered in the air. Finally, when it seemed the conversation was drawing to a close, he found an opportunity to step in. “In theory, we should be armed to the teeth. But theories are called just that for a reason; they are unproven. We must make sure everyone knows best how to use their gifts, otherwise they are useless.” he said, tilting his head slightly as he surveyed the rulers around him. “We need to mock, to learn one anothers strengths and weaknesses. We mock with our kingdom or birth traits. We learn to use them both effectively and efficiently. If you all would like to send your army to the Chamber,” he said, inclining his head to Gallows and Fennick, “then I will set up pairs and get started. Time is of the essence, or some other such bullshit.”
And also, for lurkers, once they are through the wall no one can hear their conversation without Gallows knowing they are there, so this is a secret thread. ;-)
