[centre][h2]The Following Ten Years[/h2][/centre]

“Next!”

Hectore’s voice thundered throughout the dark throne room. The endless line of complaint-carrying citizens of Asteria barely shortened as the next individual stepped up to the throne. Polyastera let out a quiet snore and Philia timidly poked her back to life. The queen quickened to and blinked, then fixed a glare on the approaching woman. She had completely lost count of how many she had heard today. This whole complaint line idea had been Pallason’s idea - given that the number of people unsatisfied with the utter lack of luxuries had increased dramatically over the past several months. 

“I am queen Polyastera, queen of the blah-blah-blah, you’ve heard it a million times already. What do you want?”

Woman frowned back and bowed. “Well, Polly, it’s--”

“-My queen-!”

“Well, -my queen-,” the woman corrected sourly, “I’ve come to ask about the new beds you promised to distribute, and--”

“Yes, well, it’s not quite in the budget - sorry!”

The woman didn’t even look surprised. She hung her head and nodded. “As expected.” She stood up and spat on the floor. “You should have never been cr--UGH!”

The woman dropped lifelessly to the floor. Behind her, a guard hung his blackjaw from his belt and, together with a colleague, lifted the woman up and took her away. Those behind her didn’t even seem to care, and many shook their heads at the woman’s stupidity. Hectore sighed and crossed his arms over his chest.

“I will repeat - to insult the queen is to insult the people. Speak up against our queen Polyastera and your corpse will fuel the Twillight Forge. Next!”

The lines continued not to shrink, surly, exhausted Nebulites soullessly bringing their queries before the queen for another few hours. It was unlikely that any of them truly cared for what they were complaining about - every day went to work in the shoddy fields or on the River God’s temple - any outlet for their anger and frustration was warmly welcome.

Polyastera put a hand on her protruding belly and sucked in a furious breath. She had sent the last one to the Forge simply out of spite. In the beginning, there had been a certain rush in it - a joy even: the thrill of power of another’s life. The feeling had grown stale much too quickly, though - even as her cronies and followers had been armed with divine weaponry to enslave the rest of their population; in fact, such power over the majority had dulled the feeling further. 

However, while sadistic joys grew stale, the harvests and hunts brought in tons of food even in their disorganised states, and Polyastera and her friends ate like the royalty they were - and as the pregnancy caused her body to store more fat, her opulent lifestyle started showing.

She pushed herself out of her throne and went to her chambers. There, Hectore was already waiting for her at the window overlooking the tiers below. He gave a groan and turned to Polyastera. 

“Eight. That’s how many rose up against you today.”

“And now they’re gone,” Polly soothed and pecked him on the mouth. “You did well, my love. How did the fishing trip go?”

Hectore pursed his lips. “Well, the good news is--”

“There are bad news?”

“A few.”

“Well, what are they?”

“There have been delays again with the stone for the construction, but that wasn’t really relevant to the fishing question.”

Polyastera grit her teeth and stalked over to a bowl-like stone in which her cronies had managed to reproduce something that gave a faint sensation like wine-induced drunkenness. The taste was appalling, but at least there came a buzz after a number of cups. As her widening hips showed, Polyastera had been drinking buckets of late.

“Always, always - ALWAYS! They know -DAMN- well we cannot start construction without the stone and yet they have the audacity to delay…” She chugged the sorry excuse for wine and stormed over to the window. “Get Laurien - I want her and a hundred more to show those disgustingly lazy stonemongerers that when Polyastera wants her stone, she will get her stone.”

Hectore sighed. “You know we can’t kill them all. There’d be no one left to--”

“We won’t kill them, Hectore - we’ll just show them that we’ll do whatever it takes to finish that stupid temple!” She gasped for breath and held a hand on her chest. “Sorry… Just… Go find Laurien, please.”

Hectore nodded slowly. “Yes, my queen.” Then he walked off.

[hr]

Laurien sat outside in the shade of her balcony. It overlooked the lower tiers, and the hustle of daily life for the Nebulites. It did not sit so high as the palace and in fact, was on the other side of the tier. Far removed from Polly's failures, and just how she liked it. Her own home, with a garden in bloom and even a small pool. Surrounding her on the balcony was her, and littered about her home in various states, were her own personal lovers and servants. Cassie was chief among them, the flame girl was simply infatuated with her and Laurien would not have it any other way. 

There were various others who had proven their loyalty for her, even before the Queen but that was their little secret.

She let out a pleasant sigh and leaned back as the hot air hit her scantily clad body. [Color=plum]"Inaris, bring me more of that juice they call wine, please."[/color] she cooed softly to the shimmering green Nebulite. He wasn't the sharpest tool but he did have his uses.

"Right away Laurien." He said nodding. Laurien watched him go, a smirk on her face as she turned to Cassie, who was making out with a tan colored Nebulite she did not know. She cleared her throat and Cassie reluctantly pulled herself away from her companion. 

"Yes Laurien?"

[Color=plum]"What are the doves singing this morning?"[/color] she smiled knowingly. 

"Many things my Lady. Unrest is growing, the luxuries offered are not being given, more people are being sacrificed and the stone for the temple is delayed. There's not much else sung this day." Cassie said with a giggle.

Inaris then returned and gave Laurien a large cup. [Color=plum]"Thank you Inaris."[/color] she said before taking a sip. The news wasn't a large surprise, there were far too many promises to keep after all and it would be her job to fix them. It was always her job. And if she wanted to protect her livelihood, then she would have to do it.

Another Nebulite streaked through the door, wearing nothing but his deep purple skin. "My lady, Hectore is here."

Laurien sighed, of course he was.

The well-groomed hunter seemed to reluctantly enter Laurien’s sanctum. It was evident that he was on a mission from the queen and would have otherwise never set foot here, judging from the way he distanced himself coldly from those around him. Still, he greeted Laurien with a half-bow and said, “Lady Laurien, good day. Her Majesty requests your aid once more.”

Laurien put on her best smile for Hectore and nodded. [Color=plum]"And I will gladly answer."[/color] she said, rising. She outstretched her hand and Aaldir came, weaving between the Nebulites and surprising a few. [Color=plum]"What might be the problem, Queen's Hunter?"[/color] she asked.

The hunter sighed. “That would be the quarry workers again. There have been another set of delays. Her Majesty beseeches you to take a section of the guard and see to it that the stoneworkers will not suffer such unfortunate holdbacks again.”

She nodded. [Color=plum]"Anything for our Queen. I will go at once."[/color] she said, her armor appearing. She turned to Cassie, [color=plum]"See to it that a bath is ready for my return."[/color] 

Cassie nodded, "Of course my lady."

[Color=plum]"Thank you, darling."[/color] she then turned to Hectore, her helmet covering her face in an instant. [Color=plum]"Shall we?"[/color]

“So we shall, my Lady. Please, come with me.” The hunter took off and together with Laurien, they flew down towards the lower tiers. 

The city hadn’t even existed for a year and already the lower tiers had accumulated a foul, slum-like stink. The bulk of the Nebulites had been thrown down here, oppressed and kept down by the superior weaponry of the royal guards. The twilight-forged blades and spears of the guards quelled any meagre attempt at rebellion, and of all the professions in the city save for noble, Polyastera made certain to pay her guards the most.

A hundred had assembled before Hectore and Laurien. They were clothed in simple skins of the river crocodiles and armed with twilight-forged batons, white, black and sparkled with the blood of executed rebels. They greeted the two with a sounding “hail!” and awaited their orders. Hectore gave Laurien a nod and said, “We will move swiftly and bring quick justice. The construction of the temple cannot be delayed.”

[color=plum]”Death should be a secondary punishment. Only used at the last resort. We need those workers, and If anyone of you lapses in this, you will take the place of the deceased. Move out.”[/color] Laurien commanded. 

The company took off into the air and soared as a swarm of bloodthirsty wasps towards the quarries upriver. It took barely an hour to get there, and by the time they arrived, it was evident that they had been spotted. The stoneworkers had lined up at the quarry entrance, anxious and nervous expressions across every face. Some tried to run, but were swiftly gathered up by the others for fear of the group being punished for the individual’s cowardice.

The company landed and the stonemaster, Eclipsion, came scuttling over rubbing his hands nervously. 

“G-good day, Lady Laurien, Huntsmaster Hectore - wuh-what brings you here to our humble--”
“Silence, Eclipsion, you know why we’re here,” Hectore spat oppressively. The stonecarver faltered instantly.

“W-we… We tried. We really tried, Huntsmaster, but the stone, it’s--... It’s too heavy to move by hand! We, we need more workers!”

Hectore looked at the sorry excuses for blocks of stone that were already worn with damage from being rolled and pushed over rough rock and sanding sand. “Have you tried flying them back?”

“They are much too heavy, Huntsmaster!” Eclipsion insisted. Hectore snarled and looked at the river down the valley. He pointed to it.

“What’s that, Eclipsion?”

“That would be the river, Huntsmaster.”

“Yes. Have you tried using -that- as a means of transportation?”

“B-but… Rocks don’t float, Huntsmaste--”

“Of course, they don’t!” Hectore snapped and grabbed the stonecarver by the collar. “I know rocks don’t float, you imbecile! However, His Lordship’s boat floated on water, even with all of us on it. Try making something similar for the stones.” He released Eclipsion and the crafter gave an anxious, thoughtful hum.

“W-well… It may be possible, uhm… In a week, we could--”

“Three days,” Hectore demanded. The stonecarvers quivered. “Three days, and the stone will be waiting by the river at Laurienna.”

[Color=plum]"I will see to it that a solution for the lack of workers is found. We cannot let this project tarry. His Lordship will return, and we must be ready for him. The people of Laurienna are counting on you. On all of you. Do not let them and our Queen down."[/color] Laurien said sternly, pacing back and forth.

“Oh! Oh, thank you, beautiful Lady Laurien! Thank you!” Eclipsion praised. Hectore nodded.

“We will camp here for the night. Tell us if you require any aid in your mission, my Lady,” Hectore said with a curt bow.

[Color=plum]"I require your best scouts and any information on who else inhabits this land of ours."[/color] Laurien said proudly.

Hectore frowned in bewilderment at the suggestion, but nodded. “So be it, then. Helio, Urana, Cosmus, Nova, Satur - you heard the Lady. Fall in.” The five scouts lined up behind Laurien dutifully.

She led them a short distance away before turning around. The sun beat down on top of them, but beneath her helmet, she smiled wickedly. [Color=plum]"So tell me, in your travels, have you ever run into something that walked on two legs, and wasn't a nebulite?"[/color]

All five of them shook their heads. The lady known as Urana said, “No, my Lady - only four-legged beasts and wildlife. That said, we haven’t dared fly too far into the desert.”

She frowned behind her helmet. Disappointing, but nothing that couldn't be dealt with.  [Color=plum]"It is paramount that you find another race, or any sign of intelligent life besides us. Fly up the river, fly down the river, fast until you find something that can be useful to me. When you do, I shall reward you personally. Now go, for the good of the Empire."[/color]

“Yes, my Lady,” the five of them echoed and soared into the sky.

Laurien watched them go. They would either find someone or they wouldn't. For the good of her wellbeing, she hoped they did. They had too.

[hr]

The temple to Shengshi neared the halfway mark to its completion. Where it sat next to the royal palace, it already stood at its height, and would only continue to grow. The masons had begun to carve the sandstone with intricate patterns, images of stars and the gods, but chief among them, was his Lordship and his benevolence. Outside the temple, the pillars were being constructed in front of the opening. They had realized that no wooden door would ever fit, and thus, a long rock overhang stretched out before it, nearing completion. Inside the temple, there would be a great bust of his Lordship, hands outstretched. The walls would be decorated with pictures of rivers, and other running bodies of water. It would be the jewel of the empire, after all. It had to please.

They had five more years left to complete it, and for once, things were on schedule. With the renewed help that she had promised, production had continued with renewed haste. It had not been long after, that they had found them living like savages in the desert. The giants of flame, who she knew to be from a dark god, now called by the Nebulites, Dari. They were only beginning to understand their language, but the Dari quickly learned the meaning of a sword and the whip. It had not been easy, for they were giants and their children were nimble and quick. Slowly a strategy was born to capture them. Nebulite troops swarmed one of the giants, biting them with their spears until they yielded. The smaller ones, it was just a matter of coercion and threats, which were shared it seemed, through actions. 

Soon after the first Dari slaves were brought into the Empire, a market popped up for trading and bartering of these slaves. Small as it was at first, Laurien did not realize how quickly it would grow. There was a demand for the smaller Dari, the ones more suited smaller, every work. They were not the servants, nor did they have any decorum or manners, but they would work, or be forced too. They had a temper in them at first, but after a time, and after the fire cooled in their blood at the threat of water, the Dari were beginning on the path to timidness.

Laurien did not relish what she had to do to ensure her people’s survival, but after a time she became numb to it, or so she thought. Aaldir began to whisper to her, making her want to cause pain. For Aaldir craved more, he craved [i]ichor[/] but the blood of the fallen would suffice. She could resist it, she knew that, but killing became far to easy. It became better when the soldiers learned how to suffice without her, but from time to time, Polyastera still gave her tasks to complete. But Polly was another matter entirely. 

The Nebulite woman had grown bored of the Queen. Her once-slim figure had been ruined by stress, food and [i]children[/i] - if you could call the little monsters that. Laurien had begun to avoid the queen at all costs, only seeing her in person if she demanded her presence. Even then, her status as a concubine meant she had to… Deal with it.
Concubine… No, she was so much more than that. 

The pitter patter of small feet and giggles startled her from her fixation on the temple construction. She blinked and turned around to see her two small children playing. Andromeda was the oldest of the two, at four. A girl child of inky black skin, coated with white stars and light red swirls. Her hair started black, but faded to silver at the tips. Silver… She loved the color. Her father had been Satur, one of the scouts that found the Dari. He ventured out on a scouting trip a year ago now, but Laurien knew he would not return. Phoset, her two year old was a boy child of deep purple, almost black. He had no stars upon his small body. His hair was also the same, but glowed softly. Laurien did not know who his father was, not that it mattered anyways. 

She loved her children, as any mother would, but they did not stop her from living her lavish style. She provided everything for them, so that they could live good lives, but she would not spoil them. She refused to have her children grow up with everything that they wanted at a beck and call. They would learn to take for themselves what they wanted, and earn it. For now, they could play to their heart's content. She smiled as she watched them, her thoughts flickering to her own sibling. She did wonder how Arya was doing, but knew her sister would be appalled by what she had done here. That was the simple and only, truth. 

As Phoset began to hit Andromeda over a simple toy, Laurien watched to see what the girl would do. Would she strike back? There was a moment where her daughter grew frustrated, she could tell, and began to scream, before crying and running over to her. She wrapped her tiny little arms around her right leg and through tears cried, “Momma! Pho took my toy!”

Laurien grabbed Andromeda and placed her in her lap, the small girl snuggled up against her mom as she pouted. [color=plum]”There there little dove, everything is going to be alright.”[/color]
“Nuh uh.” came the girls soft reply.

[color=plum]”Yes huh.”[/color] Laurien cooed. [color=plum]”Pho will grow bored soon enough, just you watch. The only reason he wanted it, was because you had it. Now that he has it, he realizes he doesn’t want it at all.”[/color] and true to her word, Pho turned his attention to the pair and dropped the toy to run over to Laurien on unsteady feet. He yawned as he placed his hands upon his mother’s legs. With her free arm, Laurien scooped him up and settled him into the crook of her arm and chest. 

[color=plum]”You see Andromeda, all we have to do is wait to get what we want.”[/color] Laurien said, waiting for an answer, but found none. She looked down to see Andromeda’s eyes fluttering, then over to Phoset, who had already shut his eyes. She found that her children gave her warmth when she needed it most, and it was nice to be wanted by the both of them. They needed her, after all.

[color=plum]”Patience.”[/color] Laurien hummed. [color=plum]”All we need is patience.”[/color] she hummed again, watching the distant temple construction as she thought on the future.

Behind the growing temple, the palace stood bathing in the heliopolis. The peak of the pyramid-like construction was host to a vicious cacophony of children’s cries. Hectore’s racoon-ringed eyes looked emptily down at his stone plate of saltpears, sorghum bread and grilled fish. There came another squeal as Polyastera II, the eldest daughter, took a hard grip around the ponytail of her little brother, Omnipotens, and pulled as hard as she could. The little boy kicked and wailed, but the elder sister’s eyes burned with sadistic glee. Under the table, the second daughter, Polyastera III, sat playing with a spilled plate of food.

“... Children, stahp it,” Hectore mumbled to no avail. Omnipotus finally managed to pull himself lose and ran screaming towards the door. Polyastera II, needing something to vent her energy at, scooped a handful of saltpears and threw them after him. Hectore grit his teeth and pointed at the girl. “Young lady, a princess does -NOT- act like that!”

Polyastera II sat down and sneered. “Shut up, dad, if that’s what you are to me.”

Hectore felt a pump of fury course through his body. “What’s it going to take for you to behave, huh?”

“I want a jackalope,” the pink-haired girl said stubbornly.

“Sweety, you know we can’t get you a jacka--”

“I WANT A JACKALOPE! I WANT! I WANT! I WANT!”

The Huntsmaster was at a loss. He merely keeled forward as a new wave of spoiled rage filled the young girl and sent her into a tantrum. As she hammered away at stone plates and food, the doors swung open. There, queen Polyastera I stood in her translucent dress from five years ago - only that it was torn in several places around her legs, waist and chest. She had a slight stagger in her walk and her hair was a mess of knots. A general funk of sweat and alcohol permeated her aura. She made a considerable effort walking over to her seat by the dinner table, ignoring her crying son. Hectore swallowed.

“G-good evening, my queen,” he said as politely as he could. The queen ignored him, too. She sat herself down in her carven wooden chair. It creaked painfully. Soon, a number of servants came with her dinner - the portion twice the size of Hectore’s. She began to dig in. 

“What’sh the news for today, Hectore?”

The Huntsmaster squeezed his arms sheepishly. “There was… Another revolt, my queen.”

“I shee,” Polyastera replied through a mouthful of bread. “Has it been dealt with?”

“As per normal procedure,” Hectore whispered dutifully.

“Hold on, dear, I can’t quite hear you-- POLLY, SHUT UP, YOU DISGUSTING BRAT!” Polyastera II shrunk down to a tenth of her size, all trace of her earlier anger vanished before a facade of fear and depression.

“S-sorry, moth--”

“Shut. Up. Now, what did you say, Hectore, my dear?”

The Huntsmaster shivered in much the same manner as the eldest daughter did. “It… It’s been dealt with, my queen.”

“Good, good. I can always rely on you, my love,” the queen replied emptily and stuffed another grotesque amount of food into her mouth. The Huntsmaster felt a gag and stood up. The queen’s eyes fell upon him with a raging fury boiling within. “Where are you going?”

“I, um… I was, uhm…”

“Staying here and having dinner with your queen?” Her eyes flickered like starquakes. Hectore knew he was trapped. He couldn’t just deny the queen her will. Those that did had an uncanny tendency to wind up dead shortly after, and Hectore quite enjoyed being alive despite what he had to endure. 

So far, anyway.

The Huntsmaster sat back down and picked up a piece of bread. “Naturally, my queen.”

[hr]

It was the dawn of the tenth year. The sands of the desert floated lazily on the wind. A week earlier, the final stone had been placed upon the temple roof, and the city had spent the following seven days in tense agony. However, it was finished at last, and the celebration rolled through the city like a crashing wave. The construction had accelerated towards the end thanks to two great fortunes: the increased use of river floats to move the stone from the quarries, as well as the discovery of a rival empire far to the west: 

In the sixth year, the scouts of the empire had come upon a number of strange bipeds at the headwaters of the Natal, the new name given to Taipang. These bipeds spoke an odd language and were covered in hair and simple clothing. In truth, initial conclusions had written them off as primitive beasts. However, as they had been encountered more and more frequently, contact had been established. The lingual barrier was hard to breach, but a language spoken by all beings craving the finer things was found: gold.

The hairy bipeds had tons of it, using nuggets and pieces of it as currency. The Nebulites were never told where the strangers got it from, and frankly, the only thing on their mind was acquiring it. Initially, the Nebulites had offered works of stone, giant slaves and low-quality wine as payment for the gold. The strangers, however, were not interested. As they grew more familiar, observations made by the Nebulite emissaries concluded that the Talemonese already had slaves - so many that they needed no more. It was at that point that the queen, who had fallen head over heels for gold, offered an alternative, one that the strangers seemed to enjoy considerably more:

Concubines.

Special institutions were constructed in Laurienna where men and women were trained to be sold as husbands and wives to the queendom’s new trading partner - and the gold flowed into Asteria like the water of the Natal. A literal golden age began, in which Polyastera and her family were praised as bringers of prosperity. During the three years since connection was made with Talemon, the Nebulites were taught ceramics, and from there their ravenous research into the search for beauty led them to accidentally discover goldsmithing. Asterian trinkets and jewelry became a staple product of the civilisation. 

However, as time passed, the Talemonese began to close off the stream of gold, instead offering slaves of their own. While this severely upset the nobles, it compensated for a very large problem with the giants. Unlike Nebulites and Pygmies, the giants still had to be captured and forced into slavery, and due to their slow reproduction, there was no hope of breeding enough of them before the ten year deadline was reached.

On the other hand, the Pygmy slaves were not only faster, more agile and much more disciplined, but they could also be bought in bulk. They were produced incredibly fast, so they outpaced any other type of reproduction.

Then came the ninth year. The temple was nearing its completion, but the gold that had once filled the whole city from gutter to palace had been hoarded by either the slaver lords or by the royal family. Initial reactions were those of rage at the lack of luxuries; following that came the slow collapse of business as gold that had become a bit of a standard for the barter economy grew scarcer and scarcer. Several institutions tried to return to the system of three years past where exotic animal carcasses and food were traded for goods, but none of these were in demand anymore. In addition to an overall fall in the supply of exotic animals on the grounds overhunting and overfishing, the hunger of gold drowned out any and all memory of skin and leather-based fine clothing. 

Hippo skin tunics? Crocodile armour? That was what the poor wore, after all. 

The Natal always provided food, so that was not the issue, necessarily. The issue was that a number of the leaders in the distribution services for food had grown corrupt, and always prioritised their friends and cronies in the royal family or the noble houses. The slaves, no matter whether they were Nebulite, Giant or Pygmy, were left at the bottom of the priority list. To keep their thoughts off mutiny and uprising, their shifts were doubled the final year. This hadn’t worked very well, and rebellions had popped up every now and then anyway. Nevertheless, the project was finished, and as Shengshi came over to inspect his temple, many of the slaves laid dying in the gutters below the temple from wounds or exhaustion. The river god noted the pitiful sight with furrowed brows as his ship landed in the Natal and he disembarked. At the riverbank, an unrecognisable version of the queen did her best to bow. Beside her stood a soulless Hectore, his eyes empty of all hope and joy, the myriad of princes and princesses, and Laurien. Behind them stood a great crowd, as well. The snake slithered up to the Nebulites with an annoyed flame in his eyes.

“Nebulites,” he hissed, “I have come at last to inspect the temple.” He faced a blinking frown down at Polyastera. “Queen Polyastera, I presume?”

“Indeed, Your Holiness,” said the queen and straightened herself back up, making the snake scowl a little. “We, your humble servants, have completed the second task that you asked of us.”

“Wonderful, well done,” the snake replied emptily and placed a much more amiable gaze on Laurien. “Laurien, my dear, how have you been, then?”

She smiled weakly and nodded, [color=plum]"I've been… Doing well, your Holiness."[/color]

The snake noted the tone. “That is very nice to hear. If you would like, we could perhaps have a cup of tea on my ship later? Talk about the past?”

[Color=plum]"I… I'm afraid I have to decline, your Holiness. I promised my children I'd teach them how to fly… They can be very… Demanding when they want to be."[/color] she said with a warm smile.

“Yes, children have a tendency to be…” He glanced over at Polyastera. “Demanding… A shame that we will have to wait with that tea, though - truly is.” He clapped his hands together. “Very well, let me see this temple so you no longer will have to be afraid of my wrath.” The crowd parted as he slithered through, followed by the waddling queen and her little horde of children. Hectore remained staring longingly at the Jiangzhou resting on the river. He slowly turned to Laurien.

“Lady Laurien,” he mumbled hollowly.
 
She turned to look at Hectore and frowned slightly, [color=plum]"Yes Hectore?"[/color]

“... The queen was furious about your abstinence from the quelling of the slave uprisings last week… I… I’m not sure what she’s planning, but--” 

“HECTORE!” came a scream from behind them. The Huntsmaster, once the proudest and strongest among the mortal Nebulites, winced and ducked at the noise. He turned to Laurien with empty eyes and whispered, “... I’m so sorry.” He then scuttled off after the queen.

Laurien watched him go, her thoughts abuzz with the news. Worry and panic overtook her. Andromeda and Phoset were home, along with the rest of her lovers and friends. Would Polly take advantage of her absence? Without saying a word, she spun around and took off.

The flight felt like the longest one she had ever taken, worry wracked her heart and drove her faster to get there. When she arrived upon her balcony, the first thing she noticed was the bodies. The sickly sweet aroma of Nebulite blood permeated the area as she landed in the white that coated the floor. Her servants, her concubines, even her slaves were strewn about. Their wounds were gracious and even after that, all their throats were slit. 

She ran inside to find much the same, including Cassie, who had been completely mutilated. She only knew it was her, because of the uniqueness of her flame hair. Her favorite lover had been crucified along the central wall, and her arms and legs had been severed. She covered her mouth at the sight and then screamed out for Andromeda and Phoset. 

There came no reply as she continued throughout her house, finding bodies everywhere. Some looked like they were fleeing, stabbed in the back and left to die. Her pool had two Nebulites face down, their blood making the water milky white. Her garden was ruined, set aflame and pulled apart. Her things were destroyed or missing and she could not find her children. She began to cry as she fell to her knees in their shared room. Their small beds were thrown about and their toys discarded about the room. She picked up a small rock hippo, it was Phoset's.

She looked at it and realized that her punishment had finally arrived for what she had done so long ago. It had come in the form of betrayal, how fitting, how ironic. Slowly her tears turned to anger and within her palm, the hippo was crushed. Polyastera had done this and she would pay. She would pay dearly. Laurien stood up, and stretched out her hand. It took several moments but Aaldir arrived and when he did they became one. Laurien then shot off towards the palace. More blood would be spilled this night.

[hr]

She swung Aaldir again, cleaving the final guard in half as a fresh spray of blood coated her. Before her stood the entrance to the throne room and behind her lay fresh corpses of Polyastera's guards. She had run them through easily enough, their lackluster weapons from the forge were no match for a blade of divine origin. 

Laurien then pushed through the doors and came face to face with Poly. The queen had a fright in her eyes, but forced a smirk that strained her face to the point where she lost one of her chins. 

“Laaaaaurieen, my dear… Finally come as your queen asked.”

[Color=plum]"You are no Queen of mine."[/color] Laurien said with malice in her voice. 

Polyastera sneered. “Evidently, you think so, as you’ve stopped obeying me and my orders whenever I ask you. What happened, Laurien? How did life without me corrupt you so?”

Laurien began to laugh mockingly. [Color=plum]"Did you really think I was the one that needed you?”[/color]

“Pfft, of course not, you stupid wench. I know damn well what you’ve meant to me and this queendom, but you have forgotten who is in charge here.” Polyastera rose up with some effort and another horde of guards came out from the sidelines and surrounded Laurien with star-forged spears. “I am the [b]QUEEN[/b], Laurien! And when I command you to destroy those who oppose me, you do it without question!” She snapped her fingers and another pair of guards came out of the dark behind her. They each held daggers in one hand, and in the other, they each clutched one of Laurien’s children. The daggers were placed at their throats. “Is that clear?” Polyastera finished.

She looked to her children, their pleading eyes stained with tears. The grip upon her sword tightened as she looked to Polyastera again.[Color=plum]"That's the problem then… I realize now that I should have never let you be Queen, you fat hippo. You just had to ruin yourself with drink and food and your little monsters that you call children. You are pathetic and have forgotten your place, Polyastera. [I]Mortal[/i]."[/color]

Polyastera gasped. “Hectore, do you think I’m fat?!”

The beaten husk of a man stepped forth from behind Polyastera’s stone throne. He shook his head slowly and said, “No, my queen… You are as perfect as ever…” His voice was frighteningly mechanic.

Polyastera smirked. “Thank you, dear. I love it so when you compliment me. As for you…” She glared at Laurien. “I may be mortal, dear, but don’t be so cocky as to forget that you are, too! Guards! Bring me her head!” 

The spear-wielding warriors lunged as one. Only to be met by a rage fueled Laurien, who proceeded to attack first at a frightening level of speed. Indeed, the warrior pushed herself unlike ever before and this was the doom of the guards. Their spears glanced off her armor as a few hit her and then with a quick flurry of strikes she decapitated three guards and before one spear could hit the floor, Laurien grabbed it and flung it at the Nebulite holding Andromeda hostage. It hit him in the head and went straight through, allowing her daughter to escape his knife as he slumped to the floor.

The guards began to scream as she grabbed another spear and chucked it at the one holding Photet. Unlike before, the spear hit him in his shoulder, soliciting a howl of pain as he stumbled backwards. Photet broke free and ran to his sister. The two children then watched as their mother made quick work of the rest of the guards, their blood staining the sandstone floors as they fell one by one. She was brutal in her work and when the last guard stopped screaming, the blood soaked visor of Laurien turned to Polly once again and began to advance.

The queen began to whimper and screamed, "Hectore! Do something!" 

Like a machine, the Huntsmaster sprung to life, took his spear and flew at Laurien with a flurry of thrusts. 

Laurien narrowly dodged to the side, using Hectore's reckless speed to her advantage, and attempted to cut him in half at his waist as he went by. However, with an incredible twist of the body, the Hunter managed to turn his forward momentum into a sharp upward turn. From up there, he dropped down with his spear thrust forward in an impaling strike. 

Laurien flew backwards at the sight, Hectore's spear just scratching her armor as the spear flew down. Laurien then tried to use her blade to push the spear away from the front of Hectore so she could get in close. The hunter instead let her forward momentum carry the spear a distance away, side-stepped and placed a flat-palm strike at the side of her helmet.

Laurien growled as she renewed her asphalt in earnest. The armored figure then slashes her sword at Hectore in a flurry of offensive strikes. The hunter stepped out of the way deftly and resumed his stance. Behind him, Polyastera screamed, “KILL HER, YOU IMBECILE!” The warrior seemed to deflate, looking at Laurien with hollow eyes.

Laurien recognized that Hectore was already defeated and broken shell of his former self. She'd be doing him a mercy. She positioned her blade so that the tip pointed at him and then lunged, aiming for his heart. The sword pierced true and the hunter dropped his spear to the ground. With his dying breath, he whispered, “At last…” and gave Laurien a weak smile. He then slumped to the ground to join his dead colleagues.

Laurien's helmet then disappeared to reveal a gaze ripe with anger as she approached Polyastera.

The queen began to squirm to her feet, but slipped in the blood that was caking her floor and fell over. She looked up at Laurien with dazed eyes and said, "Killing me will--... You… You will ruin this queendom. I. Am. Asteria." 

[Color=plum]"You are a failure, nothing more, nothing less. I will remove your stain from this Empire and it will grow without your blight and corruption holding it back. Your children will be sold as concubines and slaves or be fed to the Natal. Your loyalists will be purged and destroyed and when this is all said and done… I will find a new ruler, one far younger and beautiful to rule in your stead and you, my dear Polly, will be forgotten."[/color] Laurien said with wickedness before falling to her knees on top of her.  

Polyastera coughed under her weight and lied staring wide eyed. "No… This cannot be how I die. Not me. Not Polyastera!" She stretched as far as she could towards a nearby blade. 

Without saying a word, Laurien put her gauntleted hands around Poly's throat and squeezed as hard as she could. The queen tried to pull the hand away, but it was utterly futile. Her weak hands could barely get a grip around them. As she felt the bones in her neck crack, she whispered, "L-Laurien… Please…" 

Laurien paid her no mind as she stared down at her. Polly was a monster and needed to be absolutely destroyed. She no longer desired her, nor did anyone else. Aaldir whispered more into her mind and she knew she wanted to kill Poly. For she had overstepped and needed the final punishment of life. Death.

The queen coughed her last breath before the corpse went limp. There was silence. After she was sure Polly was dead, Laurien let out a loud breath and let go. The sudden exhaustion hit her like a wave but she had other priorities. Before even standing up she turned around to see her children cowering behind a pillar, their eyes were huge and frightened beyond belief. She made her way over to them, her armor disappearing and the sword floating near her. As she got close, Andromeda pulled Phoset closer to her. They were both shaking and Laurien could tell they were in shock. 

She got onto her knees and opened her arms. [Color=plum]"Andromeda… Phoset… Come here."[/color] she pleaded. They both shied away when she spoke but she saw Phoset's eyes. They were scared of her. And in that moment, Laurien realized just how scarred for life they would be and how much she hated herself for putting them through it. No… Poly put them through it… Laurien began to cry, her arms dropping as she looked to the floor. The moment their mother began to cry, the children hesitantly went over to her and Laurien looked up, embracing the both of them. They began to sob into her arms, the shock over as they let it all out. 

“Mommy?” came another voice, a slightly squeakier version of the one Laurien already had ended. Laurien looked away from her children for a moment to see Polyastera II, Omnipotens, Polyastera III, IV and Omnipotens II, all six standing by the throne displaying varying levels of understanding of the situation. Omnipotens and Polyasteras III and IV all burst into loud crying, Omnipotens II looked curiously and concerned at this funny, bright ichor splattered all over the floor, and Polyastera II glared sobbing daggers at Laurien. “You… You killed my MOMMY!” she screamed and trampled in the blood on the floor. “YOU KILLED MOMMY! YOU KILLED HER! YOU KILLED HER! YOU KILLED HEEEEEER!”

She turned her head to Andromeda. [color=plum]”Take your brother outside, Andromeda.”[/color] she said sternly, the girl did not want to let go, but reluctantly did so. She took Phoset’s hand, the little boy crying out for Laurien as they left. The tall woman stood up and flew over to the children before they could react. She looked down at them with disgust, before slapping Polyastera II across her face. [color=plum]”Quiet your tongue, or I will feed you to the Natal.”[/color] she said with disgust. All of them immediately quieted down. It would seem that they were used to this treatment and knew very much how to correctly respond to avoid it.

“Auntie Laurien?” Omnipotens asked, stifling a sob.

[color=plum]”Yes Omni?”[/color] Laurien said, looking at the boy.

“.. What… What will you do to us?”

She gave him and the others a fake smile, [color=plum]”I won’t do anything to you, my dears.”[/color] she lied.

“...Oh,” Omnipotens said hollowly and looked over at Polyastera’s corpse. “... Why did you kill mommy?”

[color=plum]”Kill her? No, no no my dear ones. I tried to save her from Hectore, but it was too late when I arrived. He tried to attempt a coup and now… One of you must take the throne.”[/color] she said coldly.

The children’s expressions betrayed varying levels of understanding once more. “I’ll take it!” Polyastera II asserted stubbornly. “I’m oldest, so it passes to ME!” The others didn’t look too keen on protesting.

[color=plum]”Yes, yes. But for now, this is no place for children. Go back to your rooms and when the time is right, I shall call for you.”[/color] Laurien said.

“You better, [i]dear[/i],” the oldest daughter snapped and set off towards her room. As the other children bumbled after, Omnipotens remained to say, “Sorry about her… She’s like that,” before walking off, too.

Laurien crossed her arms and watched the children scamper off. She already knew which one would be on the throne and it would not be Polyastera II. Though she would feel bad for a time, it would be necessary, in the end. Whatever it takes, for her and her children’s survival. 

With that done, she walked outside and found Andromeda and Phoset waiting patiently. She patted their heads and then went down to their level. [color=plum]”Now… You have to promise mommy that you’ll keep what you saw in there a secret, okay? No one can know… Or they might take me away from you. Do you understand?”[/color] she said with concern in her voice. 

Andromeda nodded and eventually, Phoset did too. “But mommy, what about our cousins? Don’t they know too?” Phoset asked.

Laurien smiled. [color=plum]”Don’t worry about them, my loves. They are going to go away for a long time, for their safety. Only the littlest ones will remain. Now come on, I did say I was going to teach you how to fly, didn’t I?”[/color] 

[hr]

Events transpired quickly after that fateful day. The blood was cleaned, the bodies discarded, and many things were swept under the rug. What was not, was the only truth anyone needed to hear: Rebels masquerading as loyalists slew Polyastera and all of her children save two. Omnipotens III and Polyastera V were the only survivors, and Omnipotens III was crowned king of Asteria at the ripe age of three. Laurien would be his advisor, as well as a slew of other Nobles vying for control. All of Asteria was called upon to unite and end the threat of the rebels to secure their beloved Queen’s legacy. 

Unofficially, Laurien was in complete control of the young king. True to her word, she had done away with Poly’s old loyalists. Titanon, Phillia, Pallason and the rest were stripped of their homes, wealth and resources and then murdered for ‘treason’. Though a few did manage to escape or weren't found. The rest of the nobility and slave lords were fed their wealth to placate them, but some gold and other items went to the poor as a means of good faith. As for Polly’s other six children, they were secretly sold to slavers, and then sent off to the Talemonese. With any luck, they would not be seen, or heard from again. 

A new age was beginning in Asteria, and this time, Laurien would be the one to lead it. Indirectly of course, for that was what she desired. And this time, she would not let anyone get in her way.

[Hider=Summary]
We open the post to Polly taking complaints from the populus, only seven or eight months after the founding of Asteria. Those that disagree with her are taken to the Forge to be sacrificed. It's a rough gig. Then we switch to Laurien and she's living nicely away from all the politics, but still knows what's going on because she has spies. 

Eventually the Jotundar are forced into slavery as a means to speed up production on the temple. Laurien grows numb to it and aaldir begins to corrupt her. 

We skip again to see Laurien with her two children and Poly with like six and shea gained a lot of weight and going mad. Hectore is losing it too. I might have forgotten some things here but eh.

Then we skip again and we find out that Asteria made contact with the Talemonese empire and established trade through concubines and gold and they learned some things along the way or something. Year ten arrives and we find that Polly is fat as a hippo and the temple is done. Shengshi Shows up and hates the place doesn't do anything else. 

Then we find out that Polly is batshit insane and got every one of Lauriens servants and lovers murdered and they crucified Cassie and stole her children. Laurien then goes to the palace and Polly berates her for being a bad servant and threatens her kids. Laurien then murders them all after fighting hard. 

Her own kids are scared for life, then polly's come and Laurien has to calm them down and tell them that Hectore killed her. She then fabricates the story that Poly's loyalists sought to overthrow her and she could only save her youngest children. Laurien then orders all of them purged and their wealth stripped. She then sends the rest of the children to the Talemonese as slaves. Out of sight out of mind.

In the end Laurien puta Omnipotens the Thies on the throne and basically is going to use him as a puppet. Yippie.
[/hider]

[hider=Prestige]
Laurien;
+8 Prestige Starting
+1 Prestige for Minor Role
+1 Prestige for Major Role
+1 Prestige for Jolly Collaboration
-2 Prestige to Claim the Title “Lady of Laurienna”
-1 Prestige to Push her limits when in the Palace
-2 Prestige to Claim the Title “Warrior”
= +6 Prestige Ending
[/hider]