Fate - First Reply Time to blow something up.

A 1x1 Roleplay where the first writer to respond can join
Faustina kept silent with Thraah, listening. The battle was over. She almost dared not believe it.

"Thank the Sunfather. Well, it seems we have managed to avoid more bloodshed today, at least. That must at least count as less--" Faustina searched for a word to replace the profane one. A sheepish smile carefully crept to her lips. "Less terrible."

The bells around her neck jingled softly, her robes rustling as she moved hastily for the exit.

"I should go back and ensure they follow your directions. I--"

No.

The voice rung in her head like a gong. More forceful than it had ever been. Faustina froze in her tracks, hand on the tent-flap.

Your people are safe. You must go with the captain. Learn her ways. Make her see the light. When the spear blooms a flower and grace is born in the bower; then you will have completed your exaltation and saved the captain from purgation.
 
  • Yay
Reactions: Thraah
"Hey!"

Thraah's hand waved before Faustina's face and she clicked her fingers three times.

"You good? Do need to sit down or something?"

Watching the other woman go away for a moment frightened her and the concern showed on her face.

"Yeah the fighting is over so like, relax a minute or whatever. You can't negotiate if you can't stay awake!"

To her it looked as though Faustina just had a micro nap or some other form of brief fainting episode.

Faustina
 
  • Yay
Reactions: Faustina
Bronze eyes blinked, before snapping back to clarity.

"Wh-- oh, forgive me."

She held a delicate hand to her temple, rubbing against the invisible nail that seemed lodged there.

"Was I out for long?"

Thraah
 
"Just a moment but I think you should take a seat all the same."

Gently Thraah ushered Faustina onto the sole chair in her tent and knelt beside her, hand on her arm for what reassurance she could offer. Without much effort at all she lowered the temperature of the tent interior fearing a fever or a flush might be responsible.

"You don't seem that surprised, does this happen often?"
Whatever the cause Thraah could not imagine it was good, let alone divine.

Faustina
 
Sitting down, Faustina rubbed her forehead. The pain had . . . intensified, compared to other times.

"Yes, I'm afraid so . . ." she mumbled. Some of the cleric had bled from her voice, making way for the village girl she had once been. She took her time to get her bearings, and to attempt to make sense of what the saint had told her.

She was to follow . . . this Anirian? But -- why? What good could that serve?

No. She shouldn't question the voice. It had led her this far, and to even consider the shadow of doubt before the Sunfather was to spit on His name. Destiny had led her this far, hadn't it? All she needed to do was to submit. Help her see the light.

Finally, she raised her head, strands of hair loose from her braids, hanging over her face. She willed herself to look straight at Thraah.

"I think . . . I think I need to follow you, Captain. In -- well, wherever it is you are to go."

Thraah
 
Thraah's brow furrowed in concern. This was more god-stuff and all she saw was a woman who had a great deal of courage, an understandable amount of nerves and terrible headaches.

And Thraah had plans for her next destination that she felt would not suit Faustina.

"Your Sun-god told you to follow me through a headache...right I..."

*I don't want some loony following me.*

"...you need to rest and I am returning to the Vels after we take your town."

Faustina had no idea what that would be like but Thraah reasoned she should try to explain it anyway.

"You don't want to be there, you'll be seen as a spy or a threat and I can protect you but I already protect my Momni and my sisters and..."

*So what's one more person?*

Her rant lost steam and she looked away to the chair legs and the ground and the tent top.

"... fuck! Okay, I guess I can stash you at my place. It's..."

*A mansion outside the most racist hateful city in all the world.*

"... big and there's a room you can have. Can you cook?"

The question was more to seem easier with the idea than she felt.

Faustina
 
  • Aww
Reactions: Faustina
Faustina blinked, looking innocently and intently at Thraah as she went through her own obstacle course of decision making. Finally, when Thraah offered her a place in her mansion, Faustina gained a hopeful smile, lighting up her features as if the Sun God Himself shone on it; bronze eyes glittering like big, round disks in the lamplight.

It was more than the hopeful smiles that might come from the prospect of living in luxury, or that of a spy gaining a foothold in an Anirian household. Rather, it was the relieved smile of someone fearing to fail their creed, their god and their sisterhood, but now seeing a chance to fulfill the pledge of divine command.

"Oh, well, yes. I can. All sisters of St. Gailus learn to do so. Thank you, Captain. I won't let you down!"

Her voice had again gained the timbre of the young girl she was rather than the monja she was supposed to be. In the privacy of her mind, she made the same promise to her guardian angel: I won't let you down.

The voice didn't respond. But she could feel His presence, like a warm blanket wrapped over her shoulders, soothing and assuring her.

Thraah
 
  • Dab
Reactions: Thraah
"Yeah, yeah look don't thank me yet. You haven't seen the Vel's."

The noble folk weren't likely to take lightly to a Cortosi holy woman suddenly living among them.

"Just don't try to convert anyone or anything okay? Folk will make trouble for you if you do."

Standing, up Thraah checked her timepiece again.

"We better get going. The commanders will be back soon. I'll present your terms and they'll accept unless they're suddenly taking it personal but it should be okay now that the fighting has stopped."

Looking down she scrunched her face.

"Are you alright to stand for a bit?"

Faustina
 
  • Yay
Reactions: Faustina
Faustina stood up shortly after Thraah, now excited. Eyes wide with anticipation — and more than a little nervous dread.

"Yes, I am!" she near shouted. Clearing her throat, she purposefully lowered her voice, a blush creeping up on her cheeks with her realisation of her own volume. "I mean, of course. Let us meet them, then."

Leaving the tent, Thraah and Faustina moved through the camp, meeting the incoming escadron of commanders and their attendants cantering into camp on horseback.

Thraah
 
Thraah took a deep breath and steadied herself before the other leaders.
They outranked her in Command but many of them gave deference to her Dreadlord status as she let them know of Faustina's terms.

The talks took a while and before long they were in the command tent sitting about a table, Thraah was of course known to Faustina now but the three others who came with their attendees were each menacing in their own way.
Gavain had an eyepatch covering a brutal scar of some sort and a large well groomed moustache. He was the oldest and seemed the most surprised but the least objecting to the proceedings.
Mirana stared daggers at Faustina and spoke little but her appearance was almost otherworldly as her hair seemed entangled with green thorned vines which surrounded her sharp ruthless looking face. There was blood drying on her fingers.
Lastly there was Donovon who might have been the youngest there after Thraah herself. His disposition was more about securing wealth from the proceedings. At ever turn he pressed for tribute and spoils. It seemed he had little mind for anything else.

"So there it is."
Thraah seemed to finish after explaining the terms Faustina had given her under suggestion from herself but she of course made out like it was all from the Priestess.
The four Dreadlords all turned to Faustina then expectantly before Thraah leaned in to her ear.

"Ahem, there are waiting for you to state your case, make a plea for the people and all that. Make it sound official!"

Leaning back into her seat Thraah gave Faustina an encouraging look.

Faustina
 
Last edited:
  • Stressed
Reactions: Faustina

Faustina jerked into attention. She banged her knee below the table -- so scattered were her nerves. Gavain and Mirana frightened her, but perhaps Mirana most of all, given her overt hostility. She suddenly began wondering what the Radiant Church and what the Cortos kingdom would have to say to her negotiations with the enemy. She was acting under her own authority, with no time to wait for missives or raven-bound messages. And she was thinking on her feet, the last soul to attempt to take charge of the situation and spare as many lives as possible.

Speaking of feet, she thought it prudent to rise from her seat. To aid in giving her an air of authoritiy -- or at least a shred of it -- and perhaps to silence her own fretting nerves.

"You have heard our terms. We have had enough bloodshed. Whether you believe in divine will or not, there is no reason to waste any more life. To see more families suffer, more children die, more daughters and sons to perish before their time," this she directed at Gavain, counting on the fact that he might have a daughter, a son or both. "More graves do not add to more spoils. The only tally they increase is grievance -- and resistance. Gold is given freely for lives, which is infinitely more valuable, and so mercy is the better policy," she implored this of Donovan, catching on to his mercantile motivations well enough. Her rashes were beginning to itch below her jewelry, especially her bangles, but she resisted the urge to scratch them, and forced herself to look Mirana in the eye, who had been observing her like a hawk. "These people live on the edges of Cortos, caught in a war not of their own choosing. In such matters, mercy is the higher grace over decimation. The people will more readily accept a ruler that can allow them to live in peace and stability." Faustina's eyes widened involuntarily at the sight of blood still drying on Mirana's fingers, and swallowed, wondering how on earth she could reach a killer with her rhetoric. Gavain and Donovan she hoped to touch on notions of family and coin, but this one? She didn't know enough about her to decide upon the best form of persuasion. But she had to try, and so, steeling herself, she leaned forward, placing her hands flat on the table, looking at Mirana's forehead and prismatic hair rather than her eerie eyes. A handy technique to feign eye-contact.

"There is little honor in killing a defeated foe. I understand Vel Anir and Anirians to be dangerous, efficient in matters of war and sceptical of both gods, kings and queens alike. But dishonorable? This I have rarely heard. I hope not to hear it soon."

Her hands were shaking. Sweat perspired her brow and was running down her back below her robes, the stares of the three commanders feeling as oppressive as a trinity of suns, baking her in the heat of their judgement. Thraah was, strangely, a comfort in this -- a trusty aide by her side, a cool waft of fresh air. She had never thought she would feel this way about an Anirian; much less a captain and soldier.

"That is all," Faustina finally mumbled, resuming her seat; and praying to the Sunfather that she had succeeded.

Thraah
 
  • Yay
Reactions: Thraah
It was Mirana who spoke first and her words held barbs.
"This God's-whore thinks to speak to me of hon..."

"Let us not let pride taint this victory."
Interrupted Gavain who quelled further insolence with a raising of his hand.

"The spoils alone..."
Donovon added, moving things along.
"... will see our leg if the campaign fed and clothed well into next summer."
His eyes darkened then.
"But we have labour needs as well and some of these, people..."
The word slid from his tongue like a slur.
"... are not recognized by Anirian law and have no protections there in."

"Elf and dwarf folk are covered in the rules along with humans."
Thraah interceded.

"But not orc or dark-elf or devilkin. They are still legally monsters in the eyes of the Republic and cannot ask for protections that don't exist for them. Any found within the city will be put to work for the good of the Campaign."

Gavain huffed at Donovon's rebuttal.
"We cannot call it good will if we keep some of their citizens as serfs."

"But we cannot deny them our strength. We won, we own them all. That any are allowed leave us proof of Anirian mercy!"
Mirana's voice was wet with the promise of further violence. It was clear to all present what manner of mercy she would have offered.

"They'll resist and then we have won nothing."
Thraah suggested, eyeing Mirana.

"You would say that you..."

"Still your tongue Major Mirana."
Gavain commanded before going quiet for a moment and finally addressing Faustina.

"You have shown courage and patriotism in coming to us alone. Tell me, if we attempt to separate the monsters from your population will the people rise against us as Captain Thraah suggests?"

Faustina
 
  • Stressed
Reactions: Faustina
Faustina looked plain horrified when she was referred to as a God-whore. It felt like a whiplash in her face; one that she couldn't respond to without breaking down negotiations entirely. Instead, blood flushed to her cheeks, blooming her embarressment at this denigration.

She relaxed only slightly when Gavain put Mirana in her place, shoulders still hunched up protectively.

Monsters. Which monsters do you mean? The only monsters I see are you.

Her eyebrows flashed unwittingly, and she shook her head, blinking. Whose voice had that been? The Saint's? Or her own? She couldn't tell. Her hands wrung together, praying that He would let her be for a spell, so she could formulate her words:

"We do not distinguish on ancestry or lineage as much as you. Human or no, those who believe in the Sunfather are equal before His embrace. The only ones we wouldn't protect would be . . . heretics."

The words came almost by themselves, taught as she had been in these dictums by other minds, other mouths. But in practice, she knew they sheltered some of the truth. It was undeniable that some favoritism for the human species existed in Cortos; this was true. But not nearly so much as Vel Anir.

Thraah
 
It was not the result Thraah had hoped for.

"Very well."
Gavain said, placing his hands on the table to emphasise his declaration.

"In accordance with Anirian law and Cortosi custom we will offer safe passage for all Human, Elf and Dwarf folk and the followers of the Sunfather's Religion regardless of race."

Donovon's sneer was almost invisible as Gavain continued.

"However those who fall outside of those distinctions will be taken for labour purposes. I expect these terms to be acceptable to all."

Mirana did not look happy but she nodded and Donovon seemed to be doing the mental math of dividing up the imagined population.

Thraah stood.
"Commander I object. Separating all those people would take time better spent securing our position insi..."

"Your as bad as the Cortosi."
Mirana spat.

"You'd have us under a monsters foot in moments or under their loins as fast!"

This time Gavain did not intervene and Thraah knew she had lost the room and dueling was illegal in military ranks so she let the insult simmer and made a private promise to find Mirana later, maybe in a nice confusing battle where friends may find a sword between their back ribs in the dusty melee.

In the haze of that thought she left without another word.

"There's no pleasing some people."
Donovon added.

Gavain seemed unhappy but reluctant to compromise what victory had been secured.

"Thank you for your time Priestess. You have served your people, and your God, with wisdom."

Donovon leaned over the table.
"We'll give you until noon tomorrow to ready yourselves. After that we expect to have made the necessary... distinctions among your people!"

Faustina
 
  • Frog Sip
Reactions: Faustina
Faustina bowed her head gravely. Eventually, chairs scraped and mutters exchanged, as the delegation prepared to leave.

When Thraah and herself were left alone, she turned to what seemed her sole companion behind enemy lines.

"How am I to distinguish between those who worship from those who don't? Peering into hearts and minds of others is lengthy work! Do they . . . do they expect me to have someone to throw in their labour camps by tomorrow? How could I possibly select anyone to be--to be slaves . . ."

Her voice faltered in the privacy of the captain, the steel she had infused into it brittling.

Thraah
 
"That..."
Thraah spoke in-between lighting a stick of purple lotus.

"... is exactly what they want you to do."

She blew out a deep purple cloud that looked black in the dark of night. When it blew away her face was stilled fury looking at Faustina.

"...and you'd better do it too or else they'll feed you to that witch Mirana and take everyone!"

It was what they did, what they always did. Needle out a weakness and pull it out of you.
A frustrated sigh left her body, she seemed to get even smaller for a second.

"It's not your fault, that's a den of fucking snakes in there, you saved who you could."

Angrily she gripped at her hair and swore in Elf tongue.

"Shit I need to kill that pox laden hag!"

Her eyes darted to Faustina as she began to pace back and forth.

"You didn't hear that."

Faustina
 
Faustina's shoulders slumped, her chin dipping. Loosened strands from her intricate braids fell free, falling over her face erratically. Exhaustion was like a wolf gnawing at her body and spirit. Mirana's verbal venom had seeped in, weakening her resolve before what must be done.
Thraah said:
"Shit I need to kill that pox laden hag!"

Her eyes darted to Faustina as she began to pace back and forth.

"You didn't hear that."
Click to expand...
She peered weakly up at Thraah, not comprehending her swearing. Elvish was not a language she had mastered.

"I don't know . . . I don't know how I will decide. I -- I need time." Time to rest. Time to sleep, she thought, but dared not raise such a concern for fear of showing weakness. She rubbed her temple, bracelets clinking softly. "Will you aid me in this, Captain Thraah? I have asked so many things of you already . . ."

Thraah
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back