Time: Early Evening Location: Caesonia Palace-Ballroom Interaction: Auguste@Inertia, King Edin & Queen Alibeth
Callum had been gravely mistaken to think that Sultan Kadir had spared them from hearing the entirety of their father’s speech. As soon as the Sultan left, Edin resumed from exactly where he’d left off, speaking as if his vitriol contained any pearls of wisdom. It was bad enough that Auguste and he had to suffer through it, but in front of mother too? For a man so often referred to as ‘your grace,’ King Edin surely contained none.
His immediate reaction would be to associate only with those his father disapproved of. But that, ultimately, would only bring him to his father’s level, using others as pawns had always been Edin’s game. Being the constant thorn in his father's side, a constant blemish to perfection his father craved, was for Callum a worthwhile pursuit, but to drag others along with him would only get them hurt. While Callum had limits to the lengths he would go, his father had none.
Lady Mina was a well-read and strong-willed woman. It was no wonder his father disapproved of her. His eyes followed as his father pointed out the crimson-haired woman, he noted her wrapping a Shahzade around her elegant finger with ease. The two made a striking couple and the young prince could only wish them the best of luck.
Similar praise could be said of the kind Lady Charlotte, an exception to the nest of vipers that slithered about the Caesonian court. Callum avoided her all the same, that family received more than enough of Edin’s foul temper and his presence could only add to it.
Callum was not opposed to either marriage or love, in concept, but his life was not one he wished to share with another. His options remained; marry someone he actually cared for so that his father had a new target to use against him or find himself trapped in a mockery of the union to the type of person his father approved of and he couldn’t stand. His best hope was that his brothers would find suitable wives, his father would be appeased enough, and maybe, just maybe, he could spend his life in a peaceful monastery far away from all of this. Sometimes a pipe dream was enough to stave off utter hopelessness.
There was Count Calbert, summoned like a wretched specter at the mention of his family name, dangling praise to King Edin the way a nanny would hold up a rattle to an infant. And just as said babe would delight at a rattle, so did his father at the count’s words. Callum could not stop the eye roll this time, how his father couldn’t see how easily the count used honey to hide his poisonous influence, was beyond Cal. While he held no grudge against the lovely Lady Violet, such a match would only strengthen the bonds between two men he hated above all others.
“What an inspiring speech, enjoy your fluttering.” He spoke to Auguste once they were dismissed and out of earshot of Edin. He chose a path through the ballroom that kept him close to the walls, out of the way of most who were mingling, and headed towards the wine tables. The music that played through the ballroom was just enough to lift his spirits, soft and joyous melodies that helped block out much of the chatter. Few in attendance dared to stand in the way of a prince and so finding a spot at the somewhat crowded wine tables was easy enough. Mandatory dancing would begin soon enough and smiles and polite conversation were so much easier to fake once the warmth of inebriation had set in.
Time: Morning Location: Aboard The Harem Interactions: Helio @princess, Rellen@FunnyGuy Equipment: A cutlass, 2 knives and a dagger strategically hidden, a spyglass, a wayfinder, pouch of amas, various jewelry.
Nym’s nostrils flared wide as the scent of more blood hit the air. Sweet, intoxicating, fresh. Blood called to him, sang to him more sweetly than any siren’s voice. And Helio with his fresh wound was taking far too long to finish this fight. Helio was crew, but more than that, Helio the fairy prince wielded dark magic along with the typical fae control over plants. A creature of rare and interesting talents, and that was something Nym placed a high value on. He stalked closer to the dark elf Rellen, closing in on his prey with soft, careful footsteps. His intent was to offer help, to finish this quickly and cleanly. Until he reached striking distance and his hand no longer rested on the cutlass at his side, intent changing in an instant.
A dark elf relies on magic, that is the source of elven power. A demihuman is a different breed. A mix of man and beast; the man that was Nym was a calculating one, but the beast within Nym was a powerful one, a creature of constant, primitive, hunger. The man fought with blade and cannon, fought to gain, and wanted to live. The shark thought of nothing but meat and blood, no fear of injury, no concern for death; only instinct, and instinct screamed that food meant survival. The will of the shark overpowered the will of the man.
Striking distance. Hunger. A need for food, for blood. He lunged forward with speed and power. The dark magic that coated the elf was sure to cause pain, pain that would be felt when the man returned. But the shark felt nothing but the hunger. The elf was meat and meat was food and he was hungry.
Nym’s teeth were on full display, sharp and deadly, his maw opened wider than a man should be able to. Gnashing and snapping, wanting to tear and shred and feed. His lone eye was wide and wild, with no trace of anything close to humanity. The flesh was so close, everything smelled of food. Hands grappled and seized what they could. Teeth, desperate to sink into flesh. The shark would not be satisfied until the teeth found their meal, it would not cease until one of them lay dead.
Time: Early Evening Location: Caesonia Palace-Ballroom Interaction: Auguste@Inertia, King Edin & Queen Alibeth, Sultan Raif Kadir Mentions: Wulfric @SilverPaw
Callum only let out a tired sigh when he heard Duke Vikena had angered the guests from Alidasht. He’d been hoping for news that some minor faux pas would leave his father stopping around the palace later that night, nothing that could truly hurt the already tragic duke. He had flinched slightly as his brother gave him a slap on the back and offered advice. Cal corrected his posture, it sounded like Edin was already well past his low boiling point, and now would not be the time to make things worse. Then he followed silently, lost in his own thoughts and worries about how tonight would play out. He only shook his head as Auguste volunteered to take the blame for their tardiness. He knew his father would blame him no matter what was said, and Cal would have it no other way.
They entered the den of vipers and many turned to watch the pair of spare princes as they headed towards the Caesonian monarchs. The overwhelming mix of scents hit him first like a stampede had gotten loose in a perfume shop. It immediately churned his stomach, and it was at that moment that he realized he’d left his whiskey in the library.
Oh dammit. He thought as he bowed in unison with Auguste before his parents. He caught the glare from his father, and it took every bit of self-control to keep his face neutral, neither returning the stare nor glowing with smug pride.
Then there was his mother; someone he resented, often disliked, but loved dearly. Like many of the judgments he held against others, his resentment of her was unfair. The Queen had little say over his father’s actions, and it was hard to tell how much of them she truly condoned. Like most nobles he was familiar with, it was difficult to know what was sincerity and what was an act. He returned his mother’s hug with the warmth he could manage, whispering a ‘thank you’ to her ear. He’d never had it in him to try and break his mother’s heart.
Then came the find a wife speech and Cal bit down on his own tongue to keep his eyes from rolling. Don't fidget. Don't fidget. He kept reminding himself as he resisted the urge to loosen the damn cravat once more or adjust the stiff, itchy, formal clothing. How long is this damn speech? Cal was pretty sure he'd heard this one last season. Oddly enough the familiar speech ended early, and it was certainly not because his father was feeling merciful.
Cal turned to look at Wulfric as his father did so, a small bit of excitement to see what Wulfric could possibly be up to that had stopped his father’s glowing praise. There was Wulfy walking with an Alidasht woman and a tiger. The edges of his lips began to form a smirk and he had to bite his tongue harder to stop it.
This is almost too good to be true. Cal knew how much Edin despised animals, especially in the ballroom and here their guests had gone and brought a zoo with them. And there was Wulfric, the golden child, flirting with one of the culprits right in front of father. A bit late to try and steal the mantle of biggest disappointment Wulfy. He thought, but he doubted Wulfric had the follow-through to utterly disappoint Edin.
“So a good bloodline, beautiful, and obedient. Sounds like I’m looking for a dog rather than a wife.” Cal muttered before he grew even paler than he already was as he realized he had spoken rather than thought that remark.
Maybe he didn’t hear that one. Callum didn’t look to see if his father’s face had grown any redder, though he could swear he felt the dagger-like stare upon his back as he turned to greet the approaching Sultan with the customary Alidasht bow.
“Your majesty, Caesonia is honored by your radiant presence. Peace be upon you.” He spoke, his tone respectful towards the Sultan, who approached just in time to hopefully spare him an earful for his last remark. How long do their introductions usually take? He wondered, he was already feeling overdue for a trip to the wine table.
Time: Early Evening Location: Caesonia Palace-Library Interaction: Auguste@Inertia
As was often the case, Callum’s peace was interrupted by someone who bore the name Danrose. At least, this time, it was neither his father nor his eldest brother, but Auguste. Out of all his family, Auguste was the most tolerable, generally decent, and not outwardly cruel like most of the family. But when watching his brother’s duels, Cal had noted what he would call bloodlust in the other man’s eyes, that coupled with his brother’s desire to please their father kept him on edge around Auguste all the same. As a rule, Callum didn’t trust anyone who willingly served his father, even while understanding why Auguste might simply choose the path of least resistance. He sighed, and placed a piece of paper inside the book before, dramatically, snapping it closed. He stood, placed back on a bookshelf, and made no effort to smooth the wrinkles from his clothes.
“Managed to tear yourself away from playing with your own sword to run errands for father?” He asked an eyebrow raised as he approached his brother. In typical Callum fashion, he resorted to snide remarks that he immediately regretted. He didn’t think Auguste wanted to be fetching him for the ball any more than he wanted to be fetched.
“Has Duke Vikenzo brought a new rodent to court?” Rather than apologize he tried to pull some of the coldness from his tone. While he sincerely hoped Lorenzo hadn’t gotten himself in worse trouble, he did love the way the Duke wound up King Edin. The fact that Lorenzo managed to make Edin’s eye twitch and the veins of his neck pop with anger, made the Duke one of the few nobles Callum liked. He grabbed the waistcoat from the chair, tightened the cravat around his neck, before adding the coat back to the outfit. At least this was a sign he had missed all the grand entrances and forced introductions.
“Best to get this all over with.” He added as he gestured for Auguste to lead the way. He loosed up his jaw as he walked, preparing himself for a night of fake smiles and meaningless exchanges.
Time: Morning Location: Aboard The Harem Interactions: Tigerlily @Potter, Tesoro@Infinite Cosmos, Lizzie @Tae, Barboda @Alivefalling, Helio @princess, and a rival ship and her crew @FunnyGuy Equipment: A cutlass, 2 knives and a dagger strategically hidden, a spyglass, a wayfinder, pouch of amas, various jewelry.
As Barboda, Lizzie, and Tesoro dealt with those who had dared to try and board The Harem, Nym lit a cannon for the second time, this shot aimed directly at the mast of the enemy vessel. The riflemen were all dead, no enemy remained standing up the deck of The Harem, and aboard the other ship, was a lone dark elf locked in combat with Helio. There also remained at least one enemy below deck. Nym grabbed one of the grappling hooks from the side of The Harem, used his teeth to rip away the cut rope, and quickly re-tied it with rope aboard The Harem. He gave the grappling hook a strong tug to ensure the knot was secured and swung it towards the other ship, locking on and tying the loose end to The Harem.
The lone dark elf should be distracted enough by Helio that Nym was not worried about his own attempt to board the enemy ship. But if today his luck took a turn for the worst he had no fear of the ocean below him. Upon the other ship was surely something to be gained; guns, supplies, and perhaps even a snack if he found an enemy to take a bite of. Once he finished the climb over to the enemy ship, he’d leave Helio to finish up his fight with the dark elf. Nym’s plan was to keep the grappling hook secured so that anyone else from The Harem heading over had cover just in case any more enemies came from below deck on the enemy ship.
Time: Morning Location: Myriamor Plaza Mentions: Slick@FunnyGuy, Aurora@Mole, Sophie@princess, Caelen@Alivefalling, Equipment: The clothes on his back and a pouch of amas.
The skies above Leaf shifted, no longer a peaceful clear day with few clouds and the welcoming glow of the sun. From above a horrible scene played out, a collective of identical dark creatures that were all sharp edges, horned and tailed, with glowing embers for eyes pulled a man apart. It spoke only in boasts and of violence, nothing about the strange creatures were familiar, utterly un-Avalian in every possible way. And the human, the human shrieked for mercy, and his bones popped from joints while skin tore with wet sounds until the screams stopped. Then the creature that called itself sin and Pride, laughed.
Leaf gripped tightly to the reins of Champ, pulling them to keep the horse from looking up at the scene; no innocent beast should witness that. The young cat felt everything inside him turn sour, both of his breakfasts threatened to curdle back up his throat. His tail fell from its confident up high position and his hackles rose from the freight. He looked at Slick first, then Sophie and Caelan, three humans who were a combination of decent, sweet, and fun, and who had been full of joy playing in a swimming hole. They had seen this too. The creature that called itself a sin wanted those humans, all humans here, to share the same horrible fate as the man who had been torn apart.
Had Aurora known of this? Was that why she insisted on keeping them all together? Why hadn’t she warned them? Did those who had left to walk the desert know as well? These sins, they scared Leaf more than dark elves could, this was something far worse than just dark elves. He, still walking with Champ, headed closer to the swimming hole, wanting to keep as close to the humans and Aurora as possible. Leaf’s eyes kept scanning through the crowds, Myriamor’s streets now filled with shocked and horrified faces, looking for anything that seemed not of this world, searching for threats. The whole war felt more real, more pressing, and he knew staying out of it was not an option. Leaf, who was neither a soldier nor a warrior, wanted to protect these humans just the same, it was the only right thing to do.
Time: Early Evening Location: Caesonia Palace-Library Interaction: Thankfully alone
The Danrose palace in the capital of Sorian was sparling, and every effort had been made to ensure it was nothing short of grand. To Callum, this meant that room for just about everything. If one must live in a cage, he supposed a cage with dozens upon dozens of rooms was the best one could hope for. His favorite room was the library, filled with books and antiques, all of which really ought to be dusty, but the strict cleaning schedule of the palace never allowed a good amount of dust to collect anywhere. Other than the sheer amount of books to choose from, the best part about this room was his parents rarely stepped foot in here, they preferred to simply order someone else to fetch what they wanted for them. Thus it became Callum’s favorite place to lurk about. He knew the layout well enough that he could probably find whatever he was looking for while blindfolded if such a situation ever arose.
Cal, playing his favorite game of semantics, had followed his father’s instructions for the day to tee all while exploiting any loophole he could find. He was both dressed and ready for the ball at a prompt time, he had simply neglected to enter the ballroom itself. He wore dark dress shoes, new and not yet broken in, so they were unpleasant. Just as uncomfortably as the shoes, were the overly stiff trousers and dress shirt. The stuffy waistcoat was left behind on the chair because Cal hated it too, and his cravat was loosened as it had already been threatening to strangle him not ten minutes after he’d put it on. All of it was either black or a dark gray, chosen so that he would not draw more attention to himself as currently, the youngest Danrose prince preferred not to stand out whenever possible. Even worse than how uncomfortable the mandatory formal wear was, was the knowledge that all of it together equaled a substantial amount of money for anyone who actually worked in the damn palace. And that fact made him feel like shit for wearing it, hating it, and wanting to complain about it.
Cal could neither help the fact that almost every aspect of royal life made him deeply unhappy, just as he couldn’t help the fact that his father’s word was basically the law. So, he had followed the letter of the law, ignoring the spirit of it. Since ol’ King Edin had neglected to add actually show up to the ballroom on time, likely due to the king’s preoccupied mind with everything going on tonight, he spent his few remaining moments of imaginary freedom in the only room in the palace he actually liked, the library. He sat, back against the wall, on the floor, allowing his fine and fancy suit to get wrinkled, reading a book concealed behind one of the many rows of bookshelves. He found a small sense of joy knowing that his parents would disapprove of something as simple as sitting on the floor. Cal knew eventually he had to go to the ballroom, he had also been told that he would ‘dance, behave cordially and with manners, and greet the guests respectfully,’ but being on time, that was his loophole.
The library held no overpowering perfumes, only the comforting scent of ancient tomes, and no idle chatter or gossip, just simple silence, and best of all, in place of dozens of insufferable nobles, it held only one noble, himself, and stacks of books. Callum planned to miss all the obnoxious introductions and awkward hand, and ass, kissing that kicked off such events but arrive about when the good drinks came out to replace the wines. Next to him, on the floor, was a glass of whiskey, and it was far from his first one of the day. No one should endure his parent’s events, or company, sober, least of all him. So he sat, and drank, and read, and stalled for time, alone, in the very best room of the palace, until eventually, he forgot all about time and was lost in a book about a farmboy destined to stop a great evil.
Time: Morning Location: Roshmi City Interactions: Yuka@princess, Aiko@CitrusArms, Xavier@Potter, Augus@Funnyguy Equipment: Sword, bow and arrows, small knife, wayfinder, fire kit, a pouch with 137 amas
“It is that man you have with you that requires the attention of General Maximus and perhaps even Governor Brightfeater.”
The words spoken by Captain Verencia stuck in Orias’s mind, tangled with concern for what the Avain City would want with Xavier. Were they simply concerned with the threat a human could pose? Did they want the human for their own benefit? Either seemed a strong possibility. Rather unlikely, but still within the realm of possibility was that they could use a human to gain favor with dark elves. The Captain himself was certainly not aligned with dark elves, but those above him, those who gave orders and pulled strings, Orias had not a clue what their intentions would be nor what loyalties they held. He stuck close to Xavier the entire way towards Augus’s home. He had to keep Xavier safe, Yuka and Aiko as well.
The next time Captain Verencia spoke directly to him, his words caused Orias’s veneer of confidence to crack. “Word of advice. You should probably do the talking, prince.”
That familiar sense of dread, the crushing burden of responsibility, rushed back in through those cracks. Even Captain Verencia had buckled before General Augus Maximus, sweat visible on the captain’s brow as he winced before the wall of winged stone. This alone told Orias enough; the general would be a tough man to convince of anything.
And who am I to speak for anyone? Incompetent. A disgrace to my family and people. Should’ve stayed dead. Should’ve actually died a century ago. We might be in real danger, why should it fall to me?
Yuka was better at talking, she could probably spin a thousand different tales that could get them out of this if they would only listen to her instead. Aiko had all the charm, they were disarming in a way that easily won others over, that made others want to work with them. And Xavier, he truly held power here, magic that far exceeded most anyone in Avalia, this man could turn the tides of the war. And what do I have? A title I’ve never done a damn thing to earn. A name I am unworthy of.
What did he know that could help? In his youth, he paid no attention to his mandatory studies of the other cities and he retained no knowledge of Avian culture. His interactions with Captain Verencia were brief, but what he had picked up from that Avian was that he was patriarchal, stoic, and seemed to value truth. Maybe Orias could work with that, maybe the general didn’t want a convincing story or charm, and certainly, the general didn’t want lies. At this point, all he really could offer was the truth and hope that would be enough for the general. Xavier stepped forward first, enough distance between the humans and the others that what happened to Yuka was unlikely to happen again. Orias watch Xavier as he tried to plan out what he should say. The human did better than even he’d expected, showing an impressive amount of control over his magical gift, harming neither the party nor the members of the Skygaurd, and showing that his ability to control lightning was no mere trick. Orias gave Xavier a nod of approval before he stepped forward to present the general with the truth.
“General Maximus, the tale I told upon arrival at your doors, was that the I, and my companions, were representatives of the Sun Elf Kingdom. That we sought allies and aid in this war. I ask your forgiveness because unbeknownst to my companions, I lied to your Captain.
I hold no authority to speak on behalf of the kingdom I abandoned. Before you stands a coward of a prince, one who fled responsibility and consequences for his actions. But I am Orias Biren. My intentions are to seek allies and aid in this war, for the benefit of the kingdom I have failed to serve for too long. Dark elves now occupy Roshmi, the Twin-Headed Dragon sits upon a throne just beneath your door. The Sun Elf Kingdom does not want them there. I’m sure Avain City does not want them there. And you, are not a foolish man. You know exactly what my people, my family, have brought to Avalia. This wayward human is my responsibility, it is my family that brought his kind here. The mistakes made at your gates, are my mistakes.
Despite how my family may feel about my actions, they are reasonable, they need this human, and they will meet with me. And that is how I can be of use to you. If you wish to offer any aid, I can bring your terms to my siblings, elves with more say and power than I have. If not, I humbly request safe travel away from Roshmi, and I will ensure my family hears of the kindness of Avain City, ensure that you are rewarded for it. They will know how this great city helped keep safe one of the humans with the power to sway this war in our favor.” Orias spoke with his head held high and eyes never fleeing from the cold gaze of the general. His voice cracked in places, sometimes from the shame of his past, sometimes from trying to grasp at faltering confidence, but nothing short of his best effort would do.
Time: Early Evening Location: Caesonia Castle Ball Room Interactions: Lady Thea@Tae, Prince Felix@Mole Mentions: Pretty much everyone in the drama
Leo, despite the tension that surrounded him, felt no real sense of danger, even as Mayet reprimanded him. He nodded his head, accepting it, but hearing his own name spoken by a Shehzadi was victory enough. He was comfortable, not because he thought the Alidasht were weak or simply being dramatic, but Leo lived under the assumption that danger could only truly touch him if he wanted it to. The young lord grew up with every imaginable privilege and comfort, danger was always something he had to seek out. Sure, the court could offer a scandal or two, hits to one’s reputation, but life or death, for a Varian noble, that was rarely seen in civilized society amongst one’s peers. The situation went more or less as he expected, Alidasht called for the Duke’s head, but they settled for a lesser punishment. Beheading, in the middle of a ball, in front of so many northern noblewomen, would have caused mass fainting spells and ruined the festivities.
The honor of having spoken to one Shehzadi only to have his name uttered by another one paled in comparison to having caught the glance of the third Shehzadi in the room. A quick glance but her gaze was not one that saw him as something more akin to an insect the way the other two Shehzadis’ seemed to, but one that held a mild interest. He resisted the urge to smile, now was not the time but the night was young, and the chance to speak with the royal would have to be revisited. Of the two Shahzades in attendance, one was very clearly, and understandably, entranced by Lady Mina, and the other seemed entirely collected and spoke of mercy. The elder of the two Shahzades seemed more easily approachable as well.
What he hadn’t expected was the intervention of so many notable people of the court. Prince Wulfric stepped up to demonstrate exactly how well prepared Caesonia’s prince was to one day hold the mantle of king. The man with the unsightly cowlick he’d seen earlier offered a story to the sultan, which was truly bizarre. Then Lady Mina, with her confusing words encouraged the Kadirs to accept Lottie as a servant. He had trouble pinning down her intentions; was she another wolf that roamed the court looking to extinguish any competition by any means available, or trying to spare Charlotte another loss? Mina had certainly always struck Leo as a bit of a mystery. His thought interrupted as more of the dramatic scene played out, only for Prince Felix and his own dear sister to approach as well. Why on earth did Thea look so deeply upset? Maybe he did need to keep a closer eye on the young prince.
Seeing Lorenzo reduced to such a weeping puddle of a man stopped any thoughts Leo had of the man’s questionable honor. It was embarrassing to watch as the man threw out what remained of his own dignity for the sake of his daughter. But to go to such lengths to protect one’s family, was an act of honor, a sign that Lorenzo deserved some credit and Leo was glad for the sake of that family that Sultan was a merciful man. The drama that began the evening began to subside, the music played once again and so Leo turned his attention to Thea, offering a small grin.
“That was thrilling. Did you hear, one of them even spoke my name.” Leo whispered to his sister before offering a bow to Felix.
“Your highness, a pleasure, I look forward to the day I call you a brother.”He added towards Prince Felix. “This season is sure to be anything but dull. What an exciting group of people.” He continued to speak to the both of them but kept an eye on the puzzling look of distress Thea wore. He also noticed how, although Lottie had claimed she did have time for him tonight, she quickly headed off without another word towards the feast. In all fairness, he doubted there was anything that would keep Charlotte from a feast.
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