[center]The Flotilla Admirals [color=00aeef](SIDES)[/color]

[h1]The Flotilla Docks, Dux.[/h1][/center]

[color=crimson]"Another pint, and make it quick,"[/color] billowed the powerful voice of Admiral Curo, audible even amongst the cheers and bustle that came to be as a result of one of the largest partipaties in history. Stouts lept from the ships' riggings, tossing waste into the seas beside them, creating a steady splashing in the shallows around them. Each flotilla linked to eachother with a series of firm planks, attached to a series of brackets on the deck. These were usually used to hold the flotilla together at sea during the night, but this linkage was due to the massive over-crowding of the docks, almost every Stout ship outside the royal fleet and Veritas was here, and though the docks of Dux took up half the sea, they were still crowded out by the incredible volume of ships. The scent of incredible food permeated the air, and the orgasmic cheers of those lucky Stouts who were served by Cacophoni's master chefs could be heard above all others.

[color=blanchedalmond]"Another pint Curo? That's your fifth, I'd have thought you'd be done by now,"[/color] Admiral Remy stated, astonished by Curo's resilience. Curo rolled his eyes and smacked the table.

[color=crimson]"I'm not even tipsty yet!"[/color] Curo got out, only slurring the fourth word incredibly. He nudged the man seated next to him with a chuckle. Unfortunately he was seated next to the taciturn Admiral Omegon, who responded with a horrid stare of his sapphire-blue eyes and a slight puckering of his black lips. Curo laughed nervously before turning his head away, sweating only slightly. Omegon returned his stare to the roof of the ship. Integro's flagship, Curo's home. The largest out of all of the Stout's ships, it was usually the home of inter-Flotilla negotiation, and today was no exception. Omegon seemed intrigued by the vessel, staring intently at the dark pine that made up the planking. He quickly twitched a hand, and without a word a black-clad Polako agent stepped out of the shadows and produced a notebook, which Omegon speedily wrote within with naught but a finger. The human seemed massive amongst the Stouts seated within the room, but even he seemed dwarfed by Omegon's terrifying presence. The Order Priests rarely offered assassins to any other than themselves, and it spoke to Omegon's power that he was not only able to escape assassination, but convince the assassin to serve him, as an attendant of all things.

Of the four admirals gathered so far, only one was neither drunk, silent, nor cowed into subservience by Omegon's presence. Admiral Harrion simply sat, feet placed carelessly atop the meeting table. He picked at his teeth with a small toothpick, having had his fill of Cacophani's luxurious and decadent feasts and having already stolen the hearts and kisses of a gaggle of young maidens. He smacked his lips and tossed the toothpick aside haphazardly, grabbing onto a flagon of ale roughly and pouring it into his mouth with a rough motion. Slamming it on the table, he leaned forwards to let out a mighty belch before leaning right back again.

[color=Chocolate]"So what's taking so long? I'm bored out of my skull,"[/color] Harrion said, letting out a large yawn and stretching his short limbs as far as they could go.

[color=crimson]"Just a little longer Harrion, we're waithi-wati-[i]waiting[/i] for Duvessa and the high priestsn,"[/color] Curo slurred out, punctuating his statement with a hiccup.

[color=gold]"Wait no longer, children, the Flotilla Ecclesiaro have arrived,"[/color] Fulminio grandiosely announced his arrival, flanked on each side by an attendant, one Stout and one Halfling, the latter of which stumbled in a way characteristic of most Halflings when within a hundred feet of alcohol.

Curo belched in greeting, and Duvessa, who had seemingly materialized within the room, offered a bow to the high priest, who reciprocated with a smile.

Harrion snorted out a greeting to the High Priest, gurning in a way that forced a smile to sneak its way onto Fulminio's face.

The smile quickly faded when Fulminio witnessed Admiral Omegon seated at the table.

[color=gold]"I had asked that he not be here,"[/color] Fulminio said indignantly. [color=gold]"Do my wishes mean nothing?"[/color]

Omegon responded with a quizzical tilt of the head.

[color=662d91]"Fulminio please-"[/color] Duvessa attempted to calm the high priest but he interrupted her with a yell.

[color=gold]"He is an affront to the gods, as were all before him, him and his entire fleet are traitors of our holy oath and should be burnt on the waves!"[/color]

The drunk halfling that served as Fulminio's attendant noticed this, and as a result pulled an axe from his back, an overreaction of course, Fulminio had never intended for this to escalate into violence.

By the time the halfling got the axe in his hands his head was beginning to arc through the air.

The Polako assassin had crossed the room in an instant, and now crouched on one knee, his arm still in the air, wielding a curved and freshly-blooded blade.

The room erupted, Harrion attempting to claw his way up the wall, Fulminio retreating in a quite undignified manner to the corner of the room, Duvessa standing up and pulling Remy into a corner of his own, and Curo pulling his massive sword from under the table and steadying the point at the Polako.

Admiral Omegon seemed to be the only one nonplussed by this, twitching a hand in a manner that drew the Polako back towards him.

The room was silent for quite some time.

[color=gold]"...Hmmph,"[/color] Fulminio finally huffed after looking thoughtful for some time, taking a seat at the table once more, seemingly cowed by the Polako's demonstration, though it was probably moreso him not wanting to cause any more of a scene. He wasn't one to let slights go easily, and everyone in the room knew that eventually he would ensure that he got his revenge.

Everyone else in the room were just as unwilling to escalate the situation any further, and all returned to their seats at the table.

The room remained silent for some time until Curo finally drew the piece of business that had brought them all here.

[color=crimson]"Well, thank you all for coming!"[/color] Curo said in a way that was clearly ironic. [color=crimson]"Well now that we're all settled, I would like to establish why you all were called here."[/color]

Curo cleared his throat and unfurled a scroll, seemingly sobered by the events that had just taken place.

[color=crimson]"This is a royal decree, it states thusly; 'All fleets and fleet elements shall, under order from the King of Benaduza, prepare for immediate invasion immediately.'... kinda redundant, immediate invasion [i]immediately,[/i] damn scribes."[/color]

The rest of the room immediately assumed serious expressions.

[color=blanchedalmond]"Even Flotilla Maxim?"[/color]

[color=Chocolate]"Forget Flotilla Maxim, he's literally summoning Flotilla Barbaros! This has to be come kind of joke, some bored scribe or something trying to get himself killed to escape the tedium."[/color]

Fulminio had a grim look upon his face, and he spun his scepter in his hand out of worry. In contrast, Admiral Omegon displayed the first hint of emotion he had displayed since entering the room, raising his eyebrows just slightly.

[color=crimson]"Calm, everyone, I think the king means that all fleets must be prepared for possible combat, I do not believe that he means to bring us all to campaign."[/color]

This was the intention of the statement, and, written in Gnomish, the decree utilized the word "Depreanda", meaning an invasion that must be defended from, in contrast to "Depritus", meaning an invasion that the subject is a part of.

The tension in the room did dissipate at this, if only slightly.

[color=Chocolate]"So he's preparing for war then? Against who?"[/color]

[color=crimson]"I have reason to believe On'Hino."[/color]

[color=662d91]"Pointless conflict for the sake of conflict? How horrible."[/color]

[color=crimson]"Not pointless, this is a war for hegemony over the seas. So that we can show just why Benaduza is called an empire,"[/color] Curo said proudly, clenching his fist as he did so.

[color=blanchedalmond]"Though I am loathe to fight, I will prepare Maxim for the conflicts to come, our King knows the way,"[/color] Remy promised with a sigh, he was clearly not wishing to fight, but he would do so out of loyalty to his king.

Duvessa was visibly growing more and more uncomfortable with the situation, to which Remy placed a tender hand on her shoulder.

[color=blanchedalmond]"We promise you that, Curo,"[/color] he said, speaking for his wife due to her quickening breaths. [color=blanchedalmond]"May we be excused?"[/color]

Curo nodded, and they quickly took their leave, Remy placing a cloak over Duvessa's shoulders, covering her raven hair.

Curo sighed and ran a finger over the bridge of his nose, tired blue eyes peeking out under his wild red hair. He looked over at Harrion, who looked down at his feet.

[color=chocolate]"Flotilla Barbaros will be ready if the need be,"[/color] he said in a halting way. Curo nodded in response and allowed him to leave.

[color=gold]"This holy quest is what our gods will, I bless our king's holy expedition, and wish you the best of luck, Admiral Curo,"[/color] Fulminio offered grandiosely. Curo growled in response, and Fulminio took his leave.

Curo was excited at first to fight, but seeing just how it had affected his fellow admirals had made it hard for him to remain excited, he massaged his temples and sighed.

He barely heard Admiral Omegon leaving.