[center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/316071861521874946/525463806567251968/ambra2.png[/img][/center] [i][center][url=https://youtu.be/IQSMV_G7-AA]Unseelie[/url][/center][/i] [hr] [b]Time: Midnight - Three Weeks Ago Location: The Permanent Portal - Paris[/b] Hovering outside the magnificent copse of Yew Trees, the moonlight casting in silver shafts of light through the endless branches of Yew. The Ambassador stood ready to see an old friend, the former adversary - Duchess Gelsey of the Autumn Court. A court that The Ambassador gladly called home territory harbouring her close relationship with the earthen fey, mixed generously with Unseelie and Seelie faerie, her oldest allies found in that court of nobility. Not the strongest, but her assuming control of the Duchess proved a great deal for a newly empowered sorceress, many years prior. Dressed for business, as usual, Odette’s [url=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/df/fd/91/dffd917cd70e46ea8aa952f3a9ed5c7f.jpg]outfit[/url] was of a simple black blazer with the sleeves rolled and cuffed up to her forearm. A white low neck tank tucked into the belt of her navy blue and gray chiffon skirt. Her gray heels providing her with a few inches, she tucked a charmed hairband, black with a cluster of small diamonds to the right side of her head. It gave off a small halo of light knowingly sure it would make it even harder for the Duchess to look upon her straight on. The Ambassador adjusted the lapel of her blazer idly as she walked down the path toward the portal, Bach by her side. Odette knew Gelsey would be her first place to start for finding a piece of the Fomorian Blade, her family having ruled over the Autumn court for millennia. She was almost certain following an instinct that Gelsey would know and she could easily squeeze that information out of the cowardly Duchess. She was met with her copper armoured portal guards, their faces hidden behind bright copper helmets they bowed low at the sight of her - wielding glaives with various charms tied around the base of the blades, the [i]klinked[/i] against the metal of the blade when they moved. They were tall, impressively so but vigilant. A formal meeting and formal way to travel to the Autumn Court. They bowed murmuring, “[i]My Lady,[/i]” in Common Fey. The door of the portal tucked into the bark of a yew tree, the moon reflected off the golden sheen of the doorknob. The Ambassador curtsied to the guards before opening the door - willing her new destination, asking the Arcane Stream so kindly to let her travel safely to where she wished to go. The Arcane Stream bent through time and space when the door creaked open the very energy of life flooded the copse of Yew. The trees lapped up the energy greedily, seemingly taking a deep breath in. She crossed the threshold breathing in deeply much like the trees, feeling invigorated as she usually did by the Arcane Stream. Familiar as it was, a comforting flow took place around her. Mockingly gentle, pink lips parted to a smile. Dutifully, Bach followed behind wearing a sly easy grin, teeth bright white, his hair filled with bright green leaves, horns poking out from beneath his messy mop and yellow-tinged eyes settled on the back of his human pact partner. The green of his blazer brightened by the light of the portal, dirt caked into his elbows and the knees of his pants. He walked barefoot, long, dark nails on his hands and toes. The parlour of his skin sickly green. Landing among soft moss, the quiet preceded with anxious tension. The swamp stretched out before them, pockets of dark water, insects buzzing through the air, humidity apparent - a fog settling at their ankles. The Ambassador walked across water without worry, solid pads of grass appeared beneath her feet guiding her to the Duchess, begrudgingly ready for her arrival. Her smile never faded as she walked further into the swamp, a hand trailing after the soft ivy and moss growing from branches of willows. Eyes from the hollows of trees watched as she passed squinting at the light from her headband, chittering with delight. A distant discordant song across small drums followed on the back of laughter, unnerving to most but a welcome to their Faerie Mistress. The Ambassador arrived at the opening of the court, having passed mounds of dirt, floating lily pads, the Fey that called this swamp their home had wide heads, living among the roots of trees, within the depths of water and mud. As they moved closer, long spider webs stretched across the branches of trees. It was no place for a mortal human to tread. It was a timeless place, rarely changing - beautiful in the sunlight as it was under the cover of night. Many faerie called the Autumn’s swamp their home - a constant moving ecosystem of life shifting under the surface. A concept that Odette once struggled to understand, seeing past the veil was more than just learning to see and interact with Faerie. It was diving head first into their world. On a throne of toadstools at a long table of rotting wood, Duchess Gelsey awaited patiently. Hooded in white-gray spider silk, her hoven feet delicately crossed over her ankles, surrounded by stacks of books. Jade green eyes looked up from her open book to regard The Ambassador’s arrival, dark bark much like a pair of plates laid flesh against her cheeks, giving her face a strange profile. She pushed up from her seat to bow her head. She failed to make proper eye contact. She spoke in Common Fey, “Welcome, My Lady.” Odette stopped short of the table, a hand laying flat against the wood pressure giving way to the softness. Bach carried on, rounding to the other side of the table. Without the need of permission, he snagged a book off one of her stacks and started to flip through it with some idle interest. “[color=thistle]Duchess Gelsey.[/color]” The Duchess bowed lower, “My Lady Ambassador, what an honour it is to have you visit us in person. Whatever could be the reason? We heard of the triumph against the Hounds of Humanity and rejoiced. Our faith, as always, well placed in the actions of the Ambassador.” Her words were without sincerity, just a simple obligation. Odette loved to hear her bend as she did. “[color=thistle]The Hounds of Humanity were removed but our true enemy lies with The Winter Court.[/color]” The Ambassador said, stopping short of Gelsey - standing tall over the Duchess, she refused to look her in the eye. The Duchess, like many others, assumed the faerie Winter Court. “[color=thistle]This is a human witch hunting group likening to call themselves The Winter Court, they were to blame for the destruction of a coven of witches and Pixy Stix. So much so, even Puck has taken to move against them.[/color]” Duchess Gelsey finally looked to The Ambassador, squinting past the light to see her face. Her thin lips pressed into a line of thought, “Oh, Puck. Handsome and charming Puck has a plan then?” She found her seat again, leaning down to sit. “[color=thistle]Yes, he aims to collect certain… pieces of a weapon.[/color]” The Ambassador began taking a seat up beside Gelsey, invading her personal space. The Duchess pressed against her chair, pulling away. “[color=thistle]Any ideas about what that could be, Duchess?[/color]” Staring then pulling a book off a stack, she laid it out flat for The Ambassador to look. “I genuinely hoped it would remain a secret.” The Duchess began, slowly, quietly, “For millennia we kept it safe, why would Puck want to reunite such a disgusting thing?” The Ambassador was curious as to why she had the book among her current reading, glancing at the book Odette smoothed a hand across the ageing page - soft as fresh linen but discoloured. Names, a long list of names - titles of knights and whom they served to protect the piece. “[color=thistle]How long has it been in your possession, Duchess? This list is long even by your standards.[/color]” Ignoring her question, Duchess Gelsey anxious to know as she asked, “Why would My Lady agree to fetch such a thing...?” Her eyes fell onto Odette’s icy blue pair, Faerie gathered around them. Clustering at The Ambassador’s back, leaving the Duchess without support. They were all various levels of small, some wore buttons for hats, others had spindly limbs, long noses, wide colourful heads, expressionless masks. Sidhe lounged from their muddy mounds to watch, vastly different in appearance to the ones surrounding Salem. Beautiful as they were in their own way, but creatures of the bog nonetheless. Inclining her head she unrolled the paper Puck gave her, the image of the Fomorian blade laid across the pages. “[color=thistle]It will undo those who oppose us. Which of your Knights protect it, Duchess?[/color]” Shivering, she tugged her spider webs closer. “Becan, you will have to speak with him directly to gain his permission.” Gently nudging the paper off of her book with the back of her knuckles, “Would it be easy to convince a Duchess to do any one thing, Knight Becan is far more steadfast in his duty.” The Ambassador made no move to remove the paper, enjoying how uncomfortable Gelsey was. Such a secret lying with the faerie whom unwittingly provided Odette with every opportunity to become The Ambassador of the Fair Folk. Sincerely doubting if it was not for toppling Duchess Gelsey, Odette would most surely still be at her beck and call today or just as likely to be dead. The sorceress laughed heartily, making Gelsey flinch. “[color=thistle]We can trust a Knight before we can trust a Duchess. You need no convincing - simply an order. How ironic.[/color]” Standing from her chair, Bach shared a smile with Odette. The Duchess clenched her fists, her jaw ground with frustration. “[color=thistle]Do you have something to say, Duchess?[/color]” Gelsey sat silent for a moment, her hands disappeared under the table folding over her lap, “No, My Lady. Proceed into the bog to speak with Knight Becan.” Hovering over the Duchess for a few moments, The Ambassador withdrew. Holding her hand out to Bach he linked up with her and together they disappeared in a burst of green leaves shrinking down to only a few inches. They walked together, hand in hand deeper into the bog only tall as a blade of grass. They arrived to a burrow with a matted patch of grass covering the hole, silk coated the area surrounding it. Silvery trip lines just outside of it were taunt ready to alert the homeowner of their approach. Thankfully, it’s master came to greet them before it did. Fluttering down from far above them [url=https://www.artstation.com/artwork/n3q9K]Knight Becan[/url] descended, his fluttery moth wings dark grey kicking up motes of dust - his curly narrow brown boots touched down on top of the grassy burrow lid. Light fur covered his legs and poked out from beneath his golden brown chitin-plated armour wrapping his narrow torso and chest. On his hip was his sword, his soft coated head sporting his feather antennae, two small decorative skulls were at his shoulders. Regal, distinct and a true air of nobility to be expected of a Knight of the Autumn Court. He bowed his head, sweeping his wing out gracefully to greet The Ambassador, he spoke in Common Fey. “My Lady, it is an honour to meet you.” His voice was soft as a whisper, hands resting casually on his sword hilt. Still holding Bach’s hand, she gave it a distinct squeeze before nodding her head to greet the Knight. “[color=thistle]The honour is mine in meeting you, noble Knight Becan. I have come to you to ask for a favour.[/color]” The Ambassador began pressing her open hand to her chest. “[color=thistle]One I would not expect to be taken lightly or without consequence.[/color]” “[color=thistle]You may already know what it is I am about to-[/color]” Patiently he raised his hand to halt her, The Ambassador closed her mouth waiting for him to speak, his shoulders shifted in a languid sigh, “Whatever it is, it is yours, My Lady.” Becan replied. Bach shared a look with Odette, the pair confused. He began resting his large black eyes on the pair, “The Good Will you have earned among my people here in the Autumn Court will stretch for generations, The Duchess once ate us as a delicacy - as many of the noble folk took to as a fashionable exotic entree. Try as we did to defend ourselves.” He clenched his fist until it shook. “I took the burden of protecting a piece and Knighthood to protect my own, but it is you who brokered unity right under her nose. The Court thrives, but it is unfashionable. . .” He chuckled, “Such is life.” He took long strides to reach Odette, gently grasping her hand flourishing his wings out as he kneeled before her, bowing his head against her hand. “You need only ask, My Lady. I would trust no other to such a dangerous artifact.” Odette’s expression softened genuinely, a glow of admiration brightened her smile. “[color=thistle]Noble Knight Becan, I ask of you to give me the piece you protect, the piece of Fomorian Blade.[/color]” She asked softly, “[color=thistle]I will relieve you of this burden.[/color]” Tilting his head up, a light squeeze of her fingers in his hand and he nodded once before standing back up. He turned walking back to the burrow standing on the lid once more he knocked his heel against the lid three times. Long legs of a spider crept out from under the lid pushing up to regard it's master’s call. A twitch of antennae, a series of knocks told the spider to fetch the blade disappearing deep back into its burrow. Minutes passed, far away sounds of something heavy being dragged back up to the surface. The tip of the blade gently poked it’s way up first, six inches of an iron blade eventually laid flat on the ground. The Fey taking considerable distance from the piece wrapped in layers of silk. “The most dangerous part of the dagger was given to me, wrapped in silk I was able to move it safely underground to store it.” Odette nodded her eyes on the first piece. “[color=thistle]I will look after it, I swear.[/color]” “Please do not hesitate to call upon me or my people, My Lady Ambassador. We will happily serve your needs as you will it.” Stepping away into the deeper grass giving Knight Becan plenty of space, Bach released the spell and they returned to their normal sizes. Bending down to scoop up the blade, carefully folding a white silk handkerchief over the blade. She stored it away into her purse. Knight Becan took flight fluttering around her, a bright smile and a rosy tinge to her cheeks of glee.