[center] [h1][b][u]Carn[/u][/b][/h1] & [img]https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/divinus-mk4/images/c/c3/Blue-heart.png/revision/latest?cb=20200229114953[/img] [/center] [hr] Carn had hoped his troubles would end when the army began moving. He was wrong. If anything, things only became more chaotic. Camps had to be set at sundown and torn down at sunrise. Some warbands took their time in doing so, while others were early and were forced to wait for the rest. Patrol and sentry duty then had to be distributed, to ensure they wouldn’t be taken by surprise. Chieftains and warbands clashed over camping sites, or their position in the army’s marching column. Feuds between the various leaders and tribes continued, with at least one duel and two brawls breaking out, over the course of only two days. Oh, and another would-be assassin had tried to take Carnelian’s life. That was getting irritating. Then there was the matter of food. They would run out in a few days; before they reached the city. Carn knew what that meant. They were asking every local village they passed to donate, and while most were willing, they gave nothing that might compromise their own survival. Incidentally, that was not enough to feed two thousand men. Perhaps Titania could conjure forth some food. If not, they would have to start seizing it, and he knew the Avatar would not like that - even if it was necessary. And, as this all went on, a more personal worry hung in the back of his mind: Aurielle. His advisors had been convinced to trust his judgement, but even so, he still wasn’t sure what that judgement should be. She’d expect to be welcome back with open arms; anything else she’d see as some sort of betrayal. Titania would expect an execution, and Yarwick an exile. The rest of the camp would have their own opinions, for many had seen the aftermath of her outburst, while others had heard wild rumours. Then there was the last thing she had said to him, which hung in the back of his mind. [i]Did[/i] he love this? The thought gave him a bitter chuckle. No, he didn’t. He had loved leading the Redspears. A small force of thirty men. He had built up a camaraderie with those who followed him. Communication was easy, and issues were easily resolved. With two thousand men, both of those things seemed impossible. He could not speak directly to all two thousand under his command, and it could take the better part of a morning just to tour the entire camp. Then there were the incidents he was frequently called in to resolve. No, he didn’t love it. He hated it. It had been months since he had even fought anything, not counting those assassins. It felt like he was withering away. Perhaps, when they made it to the city, his mood would change, but now? There was little joy he could take in any of this. His thoughts shifted to the other thing she had said. ‘It was why I loved you,’ - a confession, finally, after all these years. A confession that had come far too late. Was it even true? If she had loved him, why had she left him in the first place? If she had loved him solely for the reasons she stated, then did that mean she no longer loved him? Some part of him didn’t trust her. Another part wished she had never returned, so he didn’t have to deal with any of this confusion. But another part still desperately hoped he could make this work. He had never known love until he had met her, even if he hadn’t realized it at the time. And when she was gone he had felt empty. Lesser, somehow. He had filled that empty space with a mission he didn’t truly believe in, all on the vague promise of a fickle god that only occasionally decided to meddle in his life. Until Aurielle returned, all he had wanted was his family. But if he could have both his family, and her… that was all he needed. And yet, Carn knew nobody ever received everything they wanted. Something always went wrong, and the possibility of him having both seemed far too good to be true. So, what to do? The question stewed in the back of his mind as the army marched onward. He had no answer, and he could not ask anyone in this camp for advice. So, when the army made camp that night, he turned to the only thing he could: prayer. [hr] Carn knelt on the floor of his tent. It always felt awkward when he prayed. Supposedly, the gods heard every prayer, but it always felt like he was talking to nothing. He never knew if they were ignoring him, or if they simply disliked his wording, or if they never heard him at all. But, perhaps it was worth a shot. “Neiya, Goddess of Love,” he whispered. “I humbly request your counsel.” Already he felt as if he had made a mistake. A long silence followed, enough for that worry of a mistake to begin to sink in, and slowly replace itself with that flush of embarrassment that comes with doing something wrong. A soft wind brushed past his ear, rippling through his hair gently. Then came a deluge; a heat filled the air around him, pressing upon his breath like the hottest summer day. Pressure filled the back of his head, a dizzy spell falling into his mind making complex thought difficult. With it came a strange language that was far removed from his own, yet it’s meaning burrowed deep into his soul, conveying its own understanding. The words and voice were soothing, even a little tranquil. [color=8493ca]"Humility is a poor fit on such a compelling champion, my sweet. More alike the divine than you know. Yet you have called for another than he, reached across the cosmos, and I have come to your side. Speak of your worries, beloved, and I shall soothe them.”[/color] The response was unexpected, but he was used to hearing disembodied voices within his head. “There is someone who I once loved,” he told her. “I still do, I think. But she has changed. She has committed an offense, and those I surround myself with want to see her die because of it.” [color=8493ca]"My heart aches for you, Carnelian, son of Konrad and Lucy. You find yourself caught between heart and mind, trusting that neither would lie to you. Taking the counsel of mere men and-..."[/color] The voice broke off briefly, leaving him in heavy silence before it resumed. [color=8493ca]"...Servants of the divine with their own wicked goals. I ask you, my one and only; What do [i]you[/i] want?"[/color] No one had asked that question of him in a long time. “I want Aurielle. I want my brother. And I want my sisters. But I do not think I can have them all.” [color=8493ca]"What stands in your way? Who denies a warlord and champion his own agency and will?"[/color] The voice spoke with husky, sad tones. [color=8493ca]"I can soothe your pain, my love, but is it of your own making? If your heart knows the path, doubt and the opinion of others are but cruel jailers, mercilessly enslaving your body to continue a path of pain. Auriëlle - the unleashed flame, destroyer of Teperia in my honor - your heart has chosen a dangerous lover. A fierce hatred burns within her; against authority and the divine. You cannot tame nor cage such fire, my love, but that does not mean it must be extinguished."[/color] “And yet my supporters call for her head. If I lose them, then I am no warlord. Cadien himself wants her dead, if Lothar is to be believed.” He took a deep breath. “I… I won’t do it, but I am not blind to the consequences that may result from my decision. Without an army I can’t attack Ketrefa, and that was the condition for reuniting with my family.” [color=8493ca]"So, to please others you must sacrifice half of yourself, and walk the path of pain and what could have been. Is this the best path your mind can conjure, my sweet? Do your supporters not have hearts of their own? Needs and desires? Not all battles are won with swords - fewer yet are won with words of reason."[/color] The voice continued with a sultry breath, a brush of wind touching at his ear and streaming through his hair. [color=8493ca]"Do your followers truly wish her dead, my dearest, or do they rage blindly because their hearts are not bound to your cause? To you? An army is a family. A relationship. They bicker and they want. If your heart desires strongly enough you will show your worth as the head of your family. In the matter of Cadien's will, I doubt my beloved would spread such a decree by another mortal. Remember that not all battles take place in the field, my sweet."[/color] She paused for effect, sighing softly in his mind. It was like a rush of adrenaline and intoxicants at once, a wave of inviting and conflicting feelings. [color=8493ca]"If you slay your loved one on the word of another man, then you have proven how thoroughly he owns you. Are you so comfortable in your cage, Carnelian, that you will begin to twist your heart asunder?"[/color] “No,” Carn objected, once the strange feelings had passed. “I already told you I wouldn’t do it. But the issues remain. If I cannot… ‘tame’ Aurielle,” he spoke the word ‘tame’ with distaste, “then I must instead ‘tame’ my supporters. But Titania is loyal to Gibbou first, and Lothar to Cadien. Yarwick is reasonable - too reasonable, and I cannot truly blame him for wanting Aurielle gone. Only Ingrid seems willing to put her full trust in my judgement.” [color=8493ca]"Did you not desire to be a warlord? If a soldier cannot learn to love their leader, then they are enemies. As you spoke, my darling, they must be tamed. They must love the visionary - the champion - who brings a chance to enact their vengeance against a city that has caused so much pain."[/color] Invisible hands touched on his form, assailing his senses as wind brushed against his form comfortably. [color=8493ca]"If they love another before you, they will never do as you desire. The servant of… Gibbou… is proof of this. Yet the others are simply mortal. What makes their will greater than yours? You cling to notions of reason as though it will ever help you, but it is a dull blade at best. If they cannot want what you want, do you need them?"[/color] Carn breathed deeply. “How?” he asked her. “How do I ensure their loyalty toward me comes before their loyalty toward the gods, or to each other?” His breath was matched by one of the goddess resounding in his head, and another gust of wind brushing his skin and tousling his hair gently. [color=8493ca]"By speaking less from the mind, and more from the heart. You had kinship once, you must prove again that you are the warlord they desire. Take heart, Carnelian, your plea to me was a righteous choice. I see much of my beloved in you, and though this trial of the heart is one of your own making, I sympathize with the struggle that tears at your thoughts; the anxiety of seeing your loved ones slip from your fingers."[/color] The voice rang out wistfully, as the wind around him seemed to pick up. His clothes whipped and rippled as air currents caught around him, for a moment threatening to drown the camp in a whirlwind. Heavy and firm sensations pressed against his back, like needy hands firmly massaging him. A new material began to fall around his shoulders, a purple cloak of silk and fur weighing down gently on his form. [color=8493ca]"Stay true to yourself, my sweet, and others shall stay true to you. Doubt yourself, and see your fortunes slip away."[/color] Carn glanced down at one shoulder, and then at the other, as he felt the new weight on his back. ‘Stay true to himself.’ That was all he had to do? He nodded. “Very well. Thank you for your gift, Neiya. But… earlier you mentioned ‘Servants of the divine’ with ‘wicked goals.’ Do you speak of Titania and Lothar?” A brief silence lingered before the voice returned, colder than its previously sultry invitation. [color=8493ca]"Remember all that I have said, Carnelian. War is fought on more planes than the material, and each being that does not consider you their liege or lover is a potential enemy of the future. I know not if Titania is as wicked as its mistress, but it will never serve you."[/color] “...I see. Do you and… Gibbou, have a history? Will Titania turn against me if she realizes you have aided me?” [color=8493ca]"The moon goddess is as duplicitous as the summer rains, my sweet. Whatever you give her shall one day come to harm you."[/color] the voice warned with the same wistful tone as before. Concerningly, that did not answer his question. He would have to be even more wary of the armour going forward - her principles already made her difficult to work with, but if those same principles were only a mask for something more sinister, then she was only more dangerous. “I understand,” he said, rising to his feet. “Thank you again.” Another sigh escaped invisible lips, a touch of fingers unseen sliding under his chin briefly. [color=8493ca]"I shall follow your quest of the heart, my darling. The untamed flame burns bright, your desire must match its heat. Honor me, by heeding my words."[/color] the goddess concluded, and gave no more chance to speak. Almost immediately following her words, the air around Carn began to return to its calm chill. The pressure in the back of his head lifted at once, along with the sensation of touch. The goddess was gone. Carn stood in silence, ruminating on her words. He glanced back down at his new cloak. Supposedly, this would make things easier. But in many ways, it had also introduced new struggles and dilemmas. Titania would question him on his piece of attire, and then there was the question if Neiya herself was telling the truth. After all, if one god could lie to him, why couldn’t another? But he couldn’t deny that Neiya’s words had been far more compelling. In the meantime, he had a war to win, and an army to unite. With a swish of his cloak, he turned and walked off into the night. [hr] [hider=Post Summary] Carn’s army begins moving, and Carn finds himself confronted with the logistical headache of moving dozens of unruly warbands through a country with poor infrastructure, with no form of administration and a very loose chain of command. It sucks. And all the while he’s concerned about what will happen when he catches up with Aurielle. Eventually he decides to pray to Neiya for relationship advice. She answers. She reveals a bit about what Aurielle was doing when apart from Carn, and then gives him leadership advice. She also gives him a gift - a cloak that compels loyalty in those who follow him. Oh, and she also warns him about Titania and Gibbou, too. [/hider] [hider=Prestige Summary] [u]Carn[/u] [b]Beginning:[/b] 31 +5 for 10k+ characters. [b]Ending:[/b] 36 [/hider] [hider=MP Summary] Neiya start: 5/5 MP/DP Create - Banner-Cloak of Kinship This naturally billowing travel cloak appears to be made of smooth purple silk and lined with soft thin dark furs. It has an archaic rune on it's back - an ancient inscription for the word 'love'. Heart Above Reason I: (So long as the wearer puts themselves first and values no other mortal creature higher, the cloak mends itself when ripped, does not get dirty, and protects from both natural heat and cold.) 1 MP - towards Pride Kindred Soul III: (Mortals under the wearer's command are more inclined to trust in the word and actions of the wearer. The wearer quickly forms bonds of loyalty with their subordinates, and soldiers project their own ideals onto the wearer's action, until an act is made that cannot be aligned with their needs or desires at all.) 1 DP / 2 Free with Devotion End: 4/4 MP/DP 3/5 Pride 1/5 Greed 1/5 Lust [/hider]