"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
Well, I think we all agree, that I should definitely not take naps. They tend to turn into week long affairs because apparently I'm so fucking ancient that I can't be bothered to wake up and, you know, govern my kingdom.
Our kingdom. Shut up mind-fennick.
Immortality might have its perks but it's also fucking embarrassing sometimes.
Gods. I've been queen for over a year and I think it's really about time we had a kingdom meeting. This is probably the sort of thing I should be consulting Fennick for, but nope, I'm not going to.
Instead I send my thought request slash demand tearing through the minds of the Valley members with my usual subtlety, and perhaps a bit too loud on the volume side. I'm pretty sure this is what hungover feels like.
If you're all not too busy, perhaps you'd like to join me for a chat.
Am I grumpy and just a tad irritable? Yes. Is it anyone's fault but my own?
I'm not answering that. Nope, not gonna do that. Why? Because this is my mind and I'm really, extremely biased here.
I wait with a passable semblance of patience for the bedraggled kingdom to put in an appearance. The sight of them softens a bit of my grumpiness, although it does nothing for my slept-too-long hangover headache.
“Don't worry, this isn't formal. I'm not exactly the speech giving type so we'll make this short and sweet.” I wince. Or bitter, if you're the one in my mind. “The wall is about ten seconds from being taken down. It's irritating me, but Fennick and I are willing to hear other opinions as well as any ideas you might have for other protective barriers. Along with that, you have thirty seconds or less to tell me what kingdoms you think are worth looking at for an alliance or some fun. I'm not fond of silence, and I tend to think none of you are either.”
I grin wickedly, feeling a bit more like myself than I have since I woke up.
G A L L O W S We must all hang together or, assuredly, we shall all hang separately.
She’s stalking the edge of the blasted fire wall when Gallow’s summons blasts its way through her mind. Rhynn cringes, her temper instantly soured by the sudden encroachment. As a creature that loves to deal in shadows and subterfuge, she does not enjoy having the privacy of her mind violated so easily.
Her temper though, is not reserved for Gallows herself. Gallows is simply using the gifts available to her, as Rhynn would do herself. No, her anger is for the damned Queen Illuminate.
She answers the summons quickly, as a dutiful kingdom member should (though she is not anything of the sort), still grumbling to herself as she settles in with the group. If the bitch magician had kept up her end of the deal, she wouldn’t have to deal with such intrusions.
There is one small silver lining to the summons however. Rhynn can’t help but smile when Gallows announces that the wall of flame will be going down momentarily. Thank god. She hates the damn thing. She does not like having her freedom of movement restricted. Especially so pointlessly. “Can we get the marking removed too?” Now THAT she would definitely be glad to be rid of.
Next Gallows speaks of alliances, and Rhynn pauses. Given that she isn’t an acting member of any caste, she hasn’t given much thought to their alliances. But now that she does … she doesn’t see the need for change. Their only ally, the Chamber, is one of the stronger kingdoms. Why bother bogging themselves down with unnecessary and weak allies, when they already have the only one that matters? “I think we’re fine with just the Chamber.”
He is not okay with the voice in his head. Rhonan’s already got enough problems. His dead best friend that may or may not have existed in an alternate reality pops into the corner of his vision every time he’s alone. He hears the screams of his other dead friend that may or may have existed being eaten by the third friend that yes, may or may not have existed.
What he doesn’t need is someone else inside his head. Because he can’t honestly tell if it’s just him, or if there’s really someone talking to him. Rhonan can’t entirely tell where reality stops and insanity begins. For him, there have been far too many lives to pull them all apart.
He finally decides that he’s really be called for though, and so he pops through one shadow to where he thinks he’s supposed to be. There’s no accidental landing on someone else now, no uncertainty about where he’s going. He knows where he wants to be and he knows how to get there. It’s a beautiful thing, finally being in control.
Like normal, he’s cloaked in black, wearing the shadows like a second skin. You have to look twice to figure out he’s not naturally black. Rhynn is there, and be instinct, he comes to stand next to her, keeping an eye out for Anastasia. Gallows speaks first, asking questions in what he thinks is her usual manner, though his look stays blank and unimpressed (as it always is). Rhynn is the first to speak, hating the wall as much as he does. But of course, they are creatures of darkness. What the hell do they want a wall of fire for?
“Why do we need to hide behind anything?” he asks, convinced having a protective wall of any sort is for cowards. Perhaps it’s actually smart, but Rhonan would rather face his enemies head on then cower behind some wall that they’d eventually break down anyway. He’s no diplomat, and has no idea what the other kingdoms are doing alliance wise, but he can’t help but ask. “Is there even another kingdom that would stand on our side?” Because he’s about 90% sure everyone else is too damn nice. There’s a reason he lives here, and not there.
“You can add me to your army though. I’m shit with words.” Because lets be real, he’s definitely his father’s son.
Anastasia was napping when the voice filters in her head. It was loud—too loud—and she snaps quickly upward, snarling like a rabid dog around her. For several moments, she bites at the air and uses her portals to travel in a manic pattern around the immediate area, hunting for whatever had yelled in her mind.
It was only when she misjudges the distance of a portal that she ends up near the meeting, and she looks distinctly startled, her yellow eyes going wide before they instantly narrow, her ears pulling back as she exposes her teeth. “Not nice,” she snarls, acid bubbling at the sides of her mouth. “Ana-sta-sia does not like mind-voice.” Despite the fact that she had been raised by an ex-King and lived her entire life within the Chamber, the unspoken expectations of behavior were completely lost on her.
“Next time, Ana-sta-sia eats who-ever…” her voice trails off as she looks for the word, “goes ‘ahh’ in her mind.” But then she falls silent, her mood swinging from furious to grumpy in one fell swoop as she sees Rhonan near the gathering. She huffs loudly and stalks over toward him, ignoring Rhynn for now. Not graciously, she listens as Gallows speaks, unsure of why she was able to call and order them around.
But, the mare states that the wall will be going down, and Anastasia softens at the idea. She wants nothing more than the flames to leave. “Wall bad,” she confirms with a nod, looking around briefly before deciding she did not care if someone agrees with her. “Wall should go.” When the conversation veers toward allies, she is momentarily lost—unsure of the complexities of the relationships—but she knows the Chamber, and she feels safe in that. “Cha-mber is good hunt-ing part-ner.” Her mind goes to her childhood in the mountains, her panther-father teaching the proper way to kill.
“They good.”
like the moon, we borrow our light {I am nothing but a shadow in the night}
Fennick had grown used to being summoned. He didn’t mind it as much as he pretended to. He just rolled his eyes at the grouchiness of the summons, and tried hard to clamp down on the tiny, amused smile. He couldn’t let his humor show, the last thing Gallows needed was encouragement. Someone had to keep her humble.
He joined the group with little fanfare, and glanced to the wall. He remembered when it was erected. It had given him a bloody heart attack. It had blocked the view. It was hard to stare off into the sunset when it was blocked by an overwhelming wall of fire. He hadn’t minded it, it had kept him home safe. However, with dark times rumbling on the horizon, safe was the last thing Fennick wanted to be. He wanted to be victorious, that, and that alone, would ensure their prosperity. After a moment he spoke, liking the idea others had already said. The black stallion shrugged and grinned in a devil may care way that wasn’t true.
“Wiser men than myself have said the best defense is a good offense.” Fennick considered his own words for a moment, letting them mull. It was high time they improved that offense. If war was to come it was best they were prepared for it. They should mock. The idea caused a twinkle in Fennick’s eye. That could be fun, more fun than a firewall, perhaps.
As for allies, that was another matter. Fennick had enjoyed his little hike through the Jungle, for all Lagertha had threatened to kill him if he ever came back. He admired a woman with spirit, and he had been a bit of a smart ass. He wouldn’t hold that against her. As far as good impressions went, however, it hadn’t been stuff of diplomatic legend.
“The Chamber has much and more to offer. I’m not sure about the other kingdoms. I’d be interested in speaking to the Amazons, if they ever emerge from the trees. Until then, I think our best alliance is already made.” Fennick was quite sure they were already on the winning side of this war, should the promised war ever come. They did, however, need to be ready.
“Perhaps it’s time we met with our friends. What do you say, Gallows? Want to throw a party? Who doesn’t love a friendly debate, or a good mock. You could even fight your son again.” Fennick’s eyes glinted, trying hard and failing to hide his amusement.
12-14-2015, 08:56 PM (This post was last modified: 12-14-2015, 08:57 PM by Gallows.)
Gods, there are a bunch of whiny babies in this Kingdom. You'd think they had been tortured and dragged out of their hovels for some forced cuddling interaction. Am I this big of a pain in the ass? Well, yes, but I'm the Queen and the gives me license to be an ass as long as I'm putting the Valley first.
Children.
Should I be penalizing them for their thoughts? No. Am I going to? You betcha!
(Oh, not really. Calm down.)
Rhynn speaks, and I nod sharply.
“Yes. The markings will be removed, unless someone particularly wants to keep it.” I glance at Fennick, seeing if he will contradict me, although I have little doubt of that. For most things concerning the Valley we're on the same page.
A slow grin works its way across my features at Rhynn's thoughts. Why ally with anyone weak, indeed? The Chamber is our best bet and worthy of an alliance. Anyone else would be excess baggage. But I don't speak on that yet, turning instead to listen to Rhonan. It doesn't surprise me that he wishes to be a soldier. Truthfully, I can't see the need for diplomats most of the time. Which reminds me.
“We'll leave words to Fennick, if they are needed. He's a bit more practiced with them than I am. We changed the diplomat caste to intelligence. I see little point in such a narrow caste as that one. We are anything but diplomatic. I'll add you to the army.”
Anastasia speaks next. A dark gleam comes into my eyes. This one will be a formidable fighter when it comes time. I say nothing, but approval is written on my features. I don't even mind that she threatened to eat me. Honestly, it would be fun to see her try.
Fennick approaches last, and waits until the others have spoken. I scowl at him, which is pretty much our secret handshake at this point. He makes sense, however, and I am reminded once more that he doesn't suck as king.
“I agree with all of you. The Chamber is the best ally we have, and the only one worth having. The Amazons are fighters but I doubt they will think either the Chamber or the Valley are allies who fit their philosophy.” Meaning, of course, they still think of themselves as protectors of the weak. “But feel free to suss them out, Fen. And as for a party, I am always up for that.” I grin. “Perhaps it's time to stretch our muscles. Anyone like to volunteer to invite the Chamber for a game?”
G A L L O W S We must all hang together or, assuredly, we shall all hang separately.
ooc: Kyra, Rhynn can have whatever position you want her to. I know she accumulated points under Demian and I don't want to diminish that so just let me know where you want her!
He was quickly loosing track of how many rulers he had seen taken the throne in the Valley. One after the other they marched to the throne, shouting promises and plans. He was easily swayed though, and he was even harder to fool. They were all the same at the end of the day and promises were easily lost to the wind. But he supposed Gallows and Fennick were worthy choices, though in truth he didn’t know Fennick all that well. Flamevein wasn’t the most social of creatures. Gallows he knew well, and though he found her to be a sarcastic, loose-jawed asshole, he would give credit where credit was due. Being a bitch was an asset when taking the helm of an evil kingdom.
The pyro takes his time arriving. It would take more than someone calling for him to move his feet quickly. But he does come, a small smile curving his soft black lips. He lights fires along the way, more for his own amusement than anything. Though the gasoline in his veins remained true, he hadn’t practiced much as of late. Clearly though the break had done nothing to weaken his fire, for the flames burned just as brightly as they had always done. Perhaps more so, given the parched state of the Valley during the heat of summer. Jerking his head he brought the flames back to him, allowing them to cling to his legs in some semblance of stockings. “Gallows, you know how to take away all the fun.” he said, feigning hurt over the removal of the wall and his markings. In truth, he didn’t give a damn either way. There was little he was afraid of, given his abilities. His blue eyes swept over the crowd, taking in faces though he knew not their names. It seemed that per usual, they had lost some members and gained new ones in their stead. He was a constant though, sometimes lingering within the shadows, sometimes shining bright like a flame. For now though he fell silent. He would eventually have more to say but for now he was content to listen and allow his flames to lick at his knees.
she had become the thing that she had once abhored. A baby maker. Well now that was coming to an end. She had two, that was all she needed, one boy one girl, anymore and bad luck would surely follow. The black mare was sure of that. She hoped that ther children would show for Gallows meeting, her son firmly stuck to her side for now. Considering that his birth was the reason that she was late. She sidles away from him, uncomfortable with the idea of a boy clinging to her.
She bites her lip, several matters pressing on her mind, like how she could manage to slip him off to his father, and have him raise their boy. He was the one that wanted a boy to begin with, her... well, she was happy with a girl. Her amazonian blood still took over in these matters. Not that she didn't love her own flesh and blood, but that she still felt as any feminast would. What ever that was. Something that Hestia clearly would not know of.
She nods to Gallows spotting Fennick in the group, she begins to plod over to his side. The others speaches, and chatting muling around her. She does not pay much attention at first, not until Gallows begins to speak. It tickles her ears, yes the fresh air would be pleasant, she needed a break from being tied down with children anyways.
Approaching the stallion she nudges his shoulder with a smile kissing her lips. I would be willing to send the message Gallows She isn't sure if it is at all apropriete to be so friendly towards the two leaders in front of these people, but the three of them had grown so close. Had in a sense become her family. she wasn't sure at all if they felt the same about her, but she didn't care, least she could live in her happy unicorns and rainbows world for now.
Whispering in Fennicks ear she asks him Would you mind watching the children dear, while I take this trip? Her eyes widen with hope, she needed this and he needed time with their offspring as well. She was more then sure she would recieve the report from Gallows on how it all went on her return. Hoped that it would provide her with more laughs, as she was exhausted at this time and could use the entertainment.
all that we have amassed sits before us, shattered into ash
“Oh, thank the gods.”
Cress emerges from the trees, nearly wraithlike in her appearance. She has not been around in so long... and not by choice. She’d had things to do, or something. The last thing she remembers is her mother and the fire in her throat and the insults and flames thrown this way and that. There is not much after that. What had she done in those months? Things are fuzzy. She knows she was not around to be an active member of the Valley. She remembers Demian’s absence (she still feels it, like it is a hole in her chest) and Gallows’ uprising. Her and Fennick rule here now.
Apparently Cress had picked up a promotion along the way, for whatever reason. Maybe because Gallows believes in her more than she believes in herself. Cress has never had a reason to believe in herself, but that’s a story for another time. If one were to stick to the same story all of their life… people are bound to get bored.
She wasn’t exactly pleased about Gallows’ intrusion in her mind, but she has almost gotten used to the way that the mare calls them together. It is foolproof, after all—there is no way to avoid the call if you are within the Valley, and it seems as if not many of them have been venturing outside much lately. No offense to them or anything. Maybe they have been active and recruiting and doing other kingdom-things. Cress sure hasn’t. She doesn’t think.
The wall is being taken down. The flame-kissed markings on their cheeks will be removed. There must be other gods besides the Dark One, for something like that to happen. She will not fault Demian for the wall—it was a good idea and she, personally, cannot find fault for anything he has done—but she is glad nonetheless for its removal. She’s sick of cringing and screaming every time she is to travel through it—not that it hurts. The pain is all mental and you’d think it would get easier with time and practice, but it has not. The only flames she needs are the ones on her tongue.
“The Amazons would be useless as an ally,” she says, tail flicking over her hindquarters almost as if she were bored. “They are so wrapped up in their egos and their vines that they will be lucky to ever find the way out.” Perhaps she is being brazen but there is something in her that doesn’t care either way. “As of now, I only see the Chamber worth keeping as an ally. The rest are weak. Infinitely weak.”
Maybe this is growing up. Giving up on naivety. Something that is turning into a different something. She doesn’t know. “What kind of game are you suggesting with the Chamber?”
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