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  • Beqanna

    COTY

    Assailant -- Year 226

    QOTY

    "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


    all you have is your fire - diplomats
    #1


    kreios

    don't you tame your demons, but always keep them on a leash

    I’ve been actively practicing my new trait since receiving it, and I finally feel that I’ve mastered it. I cannot transform fully, as I have seen some shifters do, but have taken full advantage of the rest of my abilities. My night vision is superb, as is my jumping ability, and my reflexes are faster than they would have ever been naturally. I’m probably faster than Kratos, I think as I walk, smiling wryly.

    I am on the path that leads to the Dale, and though it is a familiar one I do feel some trepidation. I’ve not been back since the death of my mother several years past. I am no diplomat, but had agreed to accompany Camrynn on this mission as a learning experience of sort. The idea that I might be a politician has not truly occurred to me yet. It might never, but I am here regardless.

    Well aware of the location of the border, having been raised here since birth, I stop on the forested hill. I call out, knowing that someone in the Dale will hear me, and that Camrynn will either catch up soon or appear beside me in her special magician’s way.

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    #2
    so you wanna play with magic?
    Camrynn has had a proud (and recent) tradition of doing these kingdom visits by imitating the preferred method of travel for her traveling partners. For Yael, that had meant sprouting resplendent wings of red and black and gold. For Pevensie and Zilpah, they'd taken a walk. And for Kreios, who is trying out his wildcat imitation…well, she decides to be a little bit of a wildcat herself.

    She senses him leaving, and decides to accompany him, but not too close. Much as she would've liked to talk with him one on one, to help him try to wrestle with some of the insecurities that he really doesn't need to have, she senses that he's lost in thought. And so she walks near him but not with him, moving through the woods as a faux-wildcat.

    She's never been to the Dale, but the land itself isn't what fascinates her about all this. It's the land's leader, a stallion named Tiphon about whom she knows incredibly little because he's immune to most of her tricks. She can't dive into his mind the way she can dive into the mind of virtually every other horse in Beqanna. She can't read him like a book. She can pull thoughts of him from others, pull memories of him from others, but that's it.

    And this fascinates her.

    That's the true reason she'd wished to go to the Dale, to meet this stallion, to see what he is like for herself. Perhaps more will come of it (alliances and other diplomatic offers seem to spring up so much more easily when kings and queens are the ones doing the talking) but (for once) she doesn't have any particular designs in her mind. Not like she'd had when she called on the Valley with Yael.

    Kreios stops and calls out, and she emerges from the underbrush and pads softly over to him, entirely a cat in appearance. But he'd know it was her – she hasn't altered her smell at all, and even as a cat she bears the crook-and-flail of the Deserts across her chest. She sits next to him for a moment, hindlegs tucked under, and purrs loudly. Then she walks around behind him, and by the time she is standing by his other side, she is herself again.

    She is beautiful, a plain black mare without any markings, the perfect black canvas for everything that she so loves to become. Her eyes today are a dark stormcloud grey, striking in their depth. Across one cheek, a soft curve of diamonds and other precious stones glitters in the sunlight, looking for all the world like a necklace. And across her chest, proud and metallic gold, the crook-and-flail gleams, stark against the black. Her mane and tail, incongruously free of tangles for a wild horse, drift gently in the wind.

    "Thanks for coming along." she says simply, her velvet voice genuine. "These are always more fun with two." she looks at him, a gentle smile playing on her lips, and then is silent.
    CAMRYNN
    co-queen of the deserts, magical, mother of badassery
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    #3



    The day is nearly at its halfway point when she smells them. Cats, she thinks, though the scent is muted by something far more familiar. It’s been ages since she’s seen a puma prowling and slinking around the lower part of the kingdom. Usually, the solitary creatures remain lofted in the mountains, snacking on the red deer and wild hogs that dare to venture higher. One this close to the equine residents speaks volumes of their hunger and desperation. But as much as Talulah appreciates the circle of life - the need to feed – she can’t stand for one attacking a Dalean. Not when there are vulnerable children among them.

    She heads for the border, at first debating whether she should leave Ramiel behind or not. The safest place for him would normally be the lower bowl of the land (where everyone gathers beneath the mindful gaze of the mountains). But their population is rather sparse; safety in numbers isn’t applicable here. Ultimately, the metal mare leaves him behind (though she leaves too quickly to see him advancing behind her, in spite of her warning to remain in place) knowing that she far more well-equipped for claws than he ever will be.

    Turning away from the boy is difficult, however. She senses that her son will not accompany her much longer. He’s growing up, growing taller and more independent every day. Already, it’s been nearly two years since his birth. It’s hard to believe the quickness of time, the impossible ebbs and flows that don’t exist but seem to. Almost as if something greater than any of them is holding the strings, toying and manipulating their lives with little effort or forethought. Lately, the shifting has been palpable. Change is on the horizon, she can feel it to her core. She wonders if the cat has, too, wonders if it has been unwillingly shaken from its perch.

    Talulah’s nostrils quiver with the scent as it draws her nearer. She’s tense and ready (and wholly untrained) for any action to come. Her eyes sweep the treeline, and where she expects a coiled cat itching to pounce, she sees two horses instead. One is familiar to her (the gentle giant from the meadow - Kreios, was it?) They are definitely the source of the smell, though, as well as the distinct sagebrush of the Deserts. The lady has met with her fair share of sand-lovers, and she smiles warmly at the pair of them. (while inwardly somewhat perplexed). Ramiel, deciding it is safe enough to approach with his mother’s relaxed posture, moves to stand alongside the silver mare. She’s too relieved to chide him for his small and out-of-character rebellion.

    “Welcome to the Dale,” he says, his grin a little too wide not to be acknowledging his disobedience. He, too, remembers the man with the horns, so he directs his next words to the mare. “I’m Ramiel.” The yearling is polite and eager, well-trained in diplomacy at least, if not remaining in place. His ears prick forward to catch the woman’s name. Talulah steps forward then, filling in where her son left off. “Hello Kreios, I hope you’re faring well?” She turns to the pretty mare next, her eyes drawn to the markings and jewels that adorn her skin. She doesn’t know the affiliations that either implies - another mystery to this strange day. “I’m Talulah. What can we help you with today?”




    t a l u l a h
    lady of the Dale

    reference //info
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    #4
    We danced with monsters through the night

    It's funny how frustrated the magicals become when someone is just out of reach. They squirm uncomfortably and become more determined to find out more of something they cannot control. They find alternate methods and loopholes; they do anything within their power to understand that one mystery.

    That one mystery is Tiphon.

    Set. Eight. Camrynn. Who knows how many more. They find themselves powerless to Tiphon. They cannot thumb through his memories or use their magical concoctions against him. He is a brick wall to them, standing stall and sturdy. He can sense their attempts - useless tinglings along his skin - and it brings an intrigued smile to his golden lips.

    He is their one weakness.

    The familiar tingle reaches him and rakes along his body in a futile attempt to search him. A low chuckle emanates from the depths of his chest before he turns himself to find the source. A brisk walk along the rolling hills provides him an easy escape from his thoughts as his attention is clouded with the familiar scent of the Desert. It's where his grandmother ruled and where his father was born. It's where Tiphon was originally to home himself until coming across the Dale in his travels. There is certainly an alluring factor to the other mythical kingdom but it didn't call to him as the Dale had.

    After cresting a final knoll Tiphon finds himself among the small group. His eyes, molten gold, skim across their faces before he exchanges a nudge against Talulah and Ramiel. Assuming this to be a diplomatic errand, the angel king retains a rather stoic mask when he finally addresses them. "Yes, welcome," his mistrust in strangers has evaporated over the years, "I'm Tiphon." A name they may already know; after all, there aren't many angel kings roaming Beqanna.


    Tiphon
    infection and starlace

    picture by random-acts-stock on deviant art
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    #5


    kreios

    don't you tame your demons, but always keep them on a leash

    The cat that twines around my feet is met first with a scowl, and then recognition as I realize that this must be Camrynn in yet another form. I had not been frightened despite the fact that the wildcat is a predator – I know I am capable of defending myself from something a third of my size – but I am still a little relieved when she shifts back into an equine. There are some instincts, I have found, that do not fade despite our fancy civilizations, and wariness of predators is chief among them.

    I return Camrynn’s smile with one of my own and a nod of my head: “Perhaps I’ll even learn something,” I say with a low laugh, and am then distracted by the arrival of a grey mare and colt.

    The two of them together are familiar, and I wonder, briefly, if I might have recognized them separately. “Hello Ramiel,” I say with a genuine smile, nodding happily at the young colt as he steps forward and introduces himself to Camrynn. Though I’d known that he and his mother were from the Dale, it had somehow never occurred to me that I might come across them today. “I am,” I say to Tallulah with another brief smile, but rather than ask the same of her I turn back to Camrynn, knowing that she’ll take the lead in these diplomatic proceedings. I’m not here to talk with old acquaintances, after all, I’m here to observe.

    Though I have never officially met Tiphon, I had seen the stallion often from a distance. He was a part of my mother’s kingdom but I was only a child, a child that was not at all social outside of my family (and even then, there was little talk on my part). So while I know who he is, and know that he rules the kingdom that my mother had left leaderless upon her death, I know nothing of him beyond that. He looks much like I remember (though I am much changed, no longer a bumbling foal but a fully grown stallion), and I greet him with a polite lowering of my horned head in deference of his position.

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    #6
    love is a temporary madness...
    She is late, it seems. Granted, she has had much on her mind, not the least of which is her wayward daughter. She had gone haring off again, determined to find trouble. The red mare had been trying hard (and failing) not to worry. She knows well that her daughter is quite capable, knows that she has the ability to defend herself against harm. But it is a mother’s job to worry, is it not?

    So when she arrives at the meeting, she is alone. For the time being, she puts her worry aside. She focuses on those that have arrived, diplomacy on their minds. She can scent the feral smell of wildcats as she descends quickly from the sky. The odor is rapidly fading however, and with so many gathered together, with no hint of worry about them, she can only assume there is no threat. She lands easily, her hooves hitting the ground with a soft thump. She steps gracefully into the group, a warm, welcoming smile already upon her lips.

    Her gaze moves from Kreios to Camrynn, curiosity in her russet eyes. She immediately recognizes the black mare with the distinctive string of jewels and golden tattoo. She had met her once, over a year ago. Her smile lightens as she acknowledges the Desert’s queen. It had been an interesting first meeting, to say the least. And really quite fun. She hoped that Girr was enjoying her new home, and thought briefly that, if this meeting went well, she would have to visit.

    But that is not why they were here, so Elysteria turns her attention to more serious matters. She has a fairly reasonable idea of why they are here (what else are diplomatic meetings for?), but she is quite interested in what they might have to say nonetheless. When she speaks, her words are simple, though no less friendly for it.

    “I am Elysteria.”

    She speaks her name primarily for Kreios’ benefit, as they had never before had the chance to be introduced. She knows that Camrynn would already be aware of her name. Even if they had not already met, she understands how easily she could pick it from any one of their minds.

    “It is good to see you again Camrynn.”
    elysteria
    image c nadyabird.deviantart.com; html c Insane
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    #7
    so you wanna play with magic?
    Well, whoops, she hadn't meant to alarm anyone with the whole wildcat business. She'd meant to smell normal as can be, redolent with the heavy dry air of the Deserts. But at least they're able to put it behind them, the string of visitors that stream in from the Dale. She's quite impressed with the turnout really; she hadn’t realized there were this many horses in the Dale anymore. For a moment she wishes they were preparing to ally with this kingdom, rather than the dramatically less populated Falls.

    She greets each of them as they arrive, with a sweet smile for little Ramiel, a gentle nod for Talulah. She dips her head respectfully to Tiphon, instantly intrigued by the way he numbs her power when it tries to reach for him. Magic blocking, she recognizes immediately. And then there's a final visitor – Elysteria, the mare she remembers from the field. She smiles gently and dips her head. "Ramiel, Talulah, Tiphon, Elysteria, thank you all for coming to greet us." She pauses for a moment to regard all of them. "I'm Camrynn, and Pevensie and I together rule the Deserts."

    "We're here on a friendly visit, but we're also here to invite you for a training exercise. The idea is to give those with traits an opportunity to practice using them in battle, and to give those without an opportunity to observe others fighting and to critique." She pauses to look at them for a moment, watching their reactions with gentle interest. "We're opening the exercise to all of the kingdoms, not just to our allies. It'll be much more fun if we've got a bigger group to practice together." She smiles gently.

    "But we can discuss that more later. How are things here in the Dale?" she looks to young Ramiel with a smile. "You certainly seem to be blooming." she says, her voice light and friendly.
    CAMRYNN
    co-queen of the deserts, magical, mother of badassery
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    #8




    The gathering swells to a rather large number when Tiphon and Elysteria fall in next to the mother and son.  It is unusual to be surrounded by so many bodies (unusual in their historically quiet home, anyway) but the silver diplomat feels completely at ease.  The fact that the Dale has struggled with numbers is no secret.  In the past, it was all-too-common for the kingdom to be taken over for that simple fact alone.  Fortunately, their current members are inherently, wholly loyal beings who would sooner find the beach than another place to call their own. There is something about the mountains that spoke of their forever-ness, something hidden under the river’s surface that they are always desperate to grasp, no matter how often the water slips away.  Talulah will trade a life of near-silence to have the privilege of such mysteries – she wouldn’t have it any other way.  But she welcomes the crowds sometimes, the chance to flex her mind and use her skills so they both remained sharp. 


    If it is possible, Ramiel is even less fazed by the size of the group than his dam.  The two year-old has always enjoyed watching others, picking up on the nuances of their individual speech and movement.  Besides his little meadow jaunt with Joscelin, though, he hasn’t been able to analyze so many horses at once.  His craving for knowledge and information makes this meeting an ideal opportunity.  He smiles widely when Kreios seems to remember him just as he had remembered the titan – how could he forget those curling horns?  Ramiel wonders if the red and white stallion has had a chance to use them since their first meeting, but he stops himself short of actually asking.  There is a time and a place for small talk, he is learning, and a diplomatic meeting is probably neither of those.
    Once everyone has exchanged names and pleasantries, the more serious discussion begins.

     Talulah had thought the Deserts might be here to propose an alliance (an extension of the friendly relationship the two places have enjoyed in the last decade, at least) and she is surprised when they choose not to.  This would be the optimal setting, after all, with the Dale’s top diplomats and monarch present.  Instead, Queen Camrynn asks them to join the Deserts’ newly-conceived competition.  It’s an intriguing idea.  But when she mentions that non-mythicals are not allowed to participate, the metal mare’s eyes slide to her son.  She knows that he is without traits, a fact that had left him feeling like an outsider in his own home.  By the time that the exercise rolls around, he will almost be old enough to participate – and he will certainly want to, she knows.  She turns back towards the black queen. “That sounds like something our members would enjoy and benefit from.”  It’s not an acceptance to the invitation, per se.  She leaves that up to Tiphon.

    Ramiel catches his mother’s sidelong look, understanding the significance of its timing.  She doesn’t know, though, that he has since developed new abilities.  He had been from hell and back – in time and space – to find something that their dark god was desperate to reclaim.  It had been a boon and a curse all at once, but for his efforts, he no longer was apart from the mythicals that fill his home.  Camrynn eyes him last, and he shifts under the weight of her gaze.  Blooming, that’s one word for it.  The young man feels like she knows, but how?  He bows his head politely, anyway.  “Thank you.”  He looks at both of his parents once, feeling guilty that this stranger knew him better to his core than they did – for now, at least.  “Every day is more enlightening than the one before it.”  




    t a l u l a h
    lady of the Dale

    reference //info
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    #9
    love is a temporary madness...
    Her bright cinnamon colored eyes remain fixed on the Desert’s queen as she begins speaking, explaining their presence here. She does not immediately speak at the mention of the training exercise, waiting until after Talulah has already responded. She had participated in them before of course. They could be quite beneficial for those involved. It not only gave them the opportunity to improve their skills, but it also gave them a chance to observe other kingdoms. As a diplomat, she knew that it would be an excellent time to solidify relations, and as a warrior, she knew that it would be an opportune moment to provide a show of strength and solidarity. None of this does she speak aloud, as she is quite sure that Tiphon and Talulah know all of this already. Instead she responds to Talulah’s statement quite simply.

    “Indeed.”

    Elysteria turns her gaze to Ramiel briefly as Camrynn speaks to him. A slight smile touches her lips at the black colt’s response. She turns her attention back to Camrynn as she answers her question.

    “The Dale has been doing well. We continue to grow.”

    She does not go into detail on the Dale’s current state of being. Most are well aware of the quietness of the kingdom. It had been thus for quite some time. Even so, she is not keen on broadcasting their troubles to the world. They have been growing lately, new faces have been arriving, though more slowly than she might have preferred. But she knows without a doubt that the members they do have are devoted to the well being of the kingdom. Though few in number, the Dale is certainly not weak.
    elysteria
    image c nadyabird.deviantart.com; html c Insane
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    #10
    We danced with monsters through the night

    Tiphon also considered the potential reason for the Desert Queen's visit. He assumed - and how wrong it is to do so - that she would be extending a friendly hand, but he doesn't portray his surprise that he was wrong. In the meantime he is conjuring a relationship with the Jungle Amazons. Perhaps afterward he can turn his attention to other kingdoms to strengthen a deep bond. With his reign gradually coming to a close Tiphon wants to know that he will leave the kingdom in capable hands and without a string of enemies. Quietly, the angel turns his attention to Ramiel. A crooked grin tugs at the corner of his mouth, The boy is his unofficial heir; pride blossoms in Tiphon's chest, but before his stare lingers for too long he is looking at Camrynn again.

    "It would certainly be beneficial," he reiterates after Talulah and Elysteria have spoken. It would, however, simultaneously prove how small of numbers their home is. It's a Dalean curse, it seems, to always have quality over quantity. In honesty, Tiphon would choose his most loyal family over half-assed numbers. "Daleans will be attending this event," the confirmation is punctuated with a nod as his eyes glance to each of their faces, both Desert and Dale alike. "It's about time we brush off the dust."

    His idea of an Alliance battle with the Jungle is now moot.
    Maybe.

    A flick of his tail is the only indication of his reeling thoughts as his attention turns to the kingdom as a whole. "Well," he repeats after Elysteria as he looks over his shoulder to the distant hills, streams, and mountains. "The new generations, of course, bring new hope and life every year." He, too, isn't content with the slow increase of their numbers. It's snail pace, but perhaps with the ascension of a new King one day, the Dale will prosper. "And how is the Desert?"



    Tiphon
    infection and starlace

    picture by random-acts-stock on deviant art
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