mau... writing?
Gasp. Shock. I actually sat down and started writing. XP
I blame Nette.
In the soft glow of dozens of nearly-burnt out candles, the silhouettes of young men could be seen sitting around a table. They were the next Council - those who would talk to the Goddess and keep the peace between the nine races. One representative of each race. Working to uphold a sometimes very fragile peace.
As the tradition went, the future leaders had been a part of Council for as long as they could remember; brought by their fathers or mothers to watch and observe. Those who lived on the inner planets had formed a strong bond of friendship, and a shaky knowledge of the others.
Today, the discussion was focused on one subject - marriage. More specifically, the marriage of Ryuen, son of Suoh and Kozue; the Kyou'xin leaders. That the Kyou'xin were the Goddess's favored race was never in dispute - and Ryuen had been singled out as the favorite of all. Blessed in infancy by the Goddess herself - a gift rarely given - and then given an even more rare gift: the betrothal to the Princess, daughter of the Goddess herself. Although he had been raised to it, it was not a prospect he was looking forward to. At all. But now, she had decided it was time, and would be sending the Princess in only a month.
Arguing had ensued when she had left. Arguments for the marriage. Arguments against it.
Ryuen smiled slightly to himself as his friends argued back and forth before him. Arguing was nothing new - especially if you got Tre involved. The hulking Rocquoal youth was bigger than any of them when it came to pure muscle, although he stood only to Ryuen's shoulders. Like most of his people, the blue-eyed, coal-haired son loved more than anything a good fight, a bottle of drink, and a pretty woman. He usually slept through meetings - after helping himself to as much food and drink as he could manage - and today was no different. He had nodded off before the bickering began but had woken in time to charge in head-first. That he knew little of what was being argued didn't really matter. Nor did he stick to one side, bouncing back and forth between them as the mood suited him. It was only a trivial matter, and he was enjoying himself. Despite a party attitude, Tre was steadfastly loyal to Ryuen. As were the other three sitting close by.
Hiroshii and Rao, leaders of the Vess'ri and Rakkel. Brothers, yet not at all alike. Hiroshii took after their father, a Vess'ri. Blind from birth, he was a true pacifist, believing in words to solve a problem rather than fists. Despite his blindness and peaceful nature he could be downright deadly if angered - trained with both staff and sword. Rao was the younger of the two - ebony-haired with blue-green eyes and tanned skin from years of exposure to the sun. While not so eager to fight as Tre [no one was], he was an apt fighter with sword.
Last in their group was Teun, the thinker. Even now, he sat with his chin in his hands, pondering the arguments back and forth before adding his own opinions. His hair was midnight blue, always a mess, and his eyes an odd shade of green. He spent long days in the libraries of his home world, in what the others joked was an attempt to read every book on Sorlian. Ten times.
And there, in the corner, were the other four. Slightly older, and thinking themselves worlds more mature, they kept to themselves and offered no arguments either way. Kamran looked bored, his arms crossed across his chest and head tilted slightly - pale blue eyes staring, on one side blocked by white hair. But it was still unnerving. Nantai sat beside him, ignoring the argument completely, instead using the time wasted to work on a blade. Ryuen frowned. Weapons in a meeting was a bit too much. The dark green-haired Naezan just offered him a frightening smile and went back to his sword. Arkad looked miserable, dressed fully for colder climes than this. His skin was almost white, so rare was it for him to see the sun. And there, behind him [and seated as far away from Kamran as possible], was Sanyu, his red head bowed over something unseen.
With a sigh, Ryuen swept his gaze over them all once again, then laid his head on the table. He was the leader. He really should put a stop to this. It was all so.. childish. But he didn't.
One stood up, his eyes the palest blue. And unseeing. "But we have to follow the Goddess, if we don't-"
"If we don't, nothing. I doubt she'd sever the bond over it." Rao crossed his arms over his chest and tilted a glance at his brother, who was still standing, Then he cast a sympathetic glance at Ryuen, who had buried his head into his arms. Into the table would have been better.
"Don't see what you're complaining about. I doubt she's ugly."
"Tre!" Rao winced slightly as his brother spoke. It was unusual for Hiroshii to have even the slightest trace of anger in his voice.
"What? The Goddess is pretty, isn't she?"
"There's more to life than 'pretty', Tre." Rao sighed. He glanced about the table, frowning as he noticed that both Arkad and Sanyu had vanished. On the other side of Ryuen, the last of the inner "circle," Teun, followed his gaze.
"It's alright - they're outside, standing guard." He nodded his head towards the doorway, then turned back to Ryuen. By now, Tre was muttering something about the Goddess being amiable, and Hiroshi was looking murderous.Before anyone could stop Tre there was a soft voice from a darker corner of the table. The candles had burnt out there, somehow, leaving little light to illuminate the speaker.
"If you're all finished acting like children, perhaps we could get on with it?" The voice, silky smooth and killingly polite, belonged to one of the older Council - the Lord Kamran. But the voice, and the reminder of it, dragged Ryuen out of his mood and back into the role of leader.
"Thank you, Kam..." Kam was the nickname given to the sometimes-icy Ilusiad Prince, and even in the darkness Ryuen sensed distaste in it being used. "..ran. I think we must agree to do as bidden.. For the sake of our people."
"Sacrificial lamb." Tre was muttering to himself.
I blame Nette.
In the soft glow of dozens of nearly-burnt out candles, the silhouettes of young men could be seen sitting around a table. They were the next Council - those who would talk to the Goddess and keep the peace between the nine races. One representative of each race. Working to uphold a sometimes very fragile peace.
As the tradition went, the future leaders had been a part of Council for as long as they could remember; brought by their fathers or mothers to watch and observe. Those who lived on the inner planets had formed a strong bond of friendship, and a shaky knowledge of the others.
Today, the discussion was focused on one subject - marriage. More specifically, the marriage of Ryuen, son of Suoh and Kozue; the Kyou'xin leaders. That the Kyou'xin were the Goddess's favored race was never in dispute - and Ryuen had been singled out as the favorite of all. Blessed in infancy by the Goddess herself - a gift rarely given - and then given an even more rare gift: the betrothal to the Princess, daughter of the Goddess herself. Although he had been raised to it, it was not a prospect he was looking forward to. At all. But now, she had decided it was time, and would be sending the Princess in only a month.
Arguing had ensued when she had left. Arguments for the marriage. Arguments against it.
Ryuen smiled slightly to himself as his friends argued back and forth before him. Arguing was nothing new - especially if you got Tre involved. The hulking Rocquoal youth was bigger than any of them when it came to pure muscle, although he stood only to Ryuen's shoulders. Like most of his people, the blue-eyed, coal-haired son loved more than anything a good fight, a bottle of drink, and a pretty woman. He usually slept through meetings - after helping himself to as much food and drink as he could manage - and today was no different. He had nodded off before the bickering began but had woken in time to charge in head-first. That he knew little of what was being argued didn't really matter. Nor did he stick to one side, bouncing back and forth between them as the mood suited him. It was only a trivial matter, and he was enjoying himself. Despite a party attitude, Tre was steadfastly loyal to Ryuen. As were the other three sitting close by.
Hiroshii and Rao, leaders of the Vess'ri and Rakkel. Brothers, yet not at all alike. Hiroshii took after their father, a Vess'ri. Blind from birth, he was a true pacifist, believing in words to solve a problem rather than fists. Despite his blindness and peaceful nature he could be downright deadly if angered - trained with both staff and sword. Rao was the younger of the two - ebony-haired with blue-green eyes and tanned skin from years of exposure to the sun. While not so eager to fight as Tre [no one was], he was an apt fighter with sword.
Last in their group was Teun, the thinker. Even now, he sat with his chin in his hands, pondering the arguments back and forth before adding his own opinions. His hair was midnight blue, always a mess, and his eyes an odd shade of green. He spent long days in the libraries of his home world, in what the others joked was an attempt to read every book on Sorlian. Ten times.
And there, in the corner, were the other four. Slightly older, and thinking themselves worlds more mature, they kept to themselves and offered no arguments either way. Kamran looked bored, his arms crossed across his chest and head tilted slightly - pale blue eyes staring, on one side blocked by white hair. But it was still unnerving. Nantai sat beside him, ignoring the argument completely, instead using the time wasted to work on a blade. Ryuen frowned. Weapons in a meeting was a bit too much. The dark green-haired Naezan just offered him a frightening smile and went back to his sword. Arkad looked miserable, dressed fully for colder climes than this. His skin was almost white, so rare was it for him to see the sun. And there, behind him [and seated as far away from Kamran as possible], was Sanyu, his red head bowed over something unseen.
With a sigh, Ryuen swept his gaze over them all once again, then laid his head on the table. He was the leader. He really should put a stop to this. It was all so.. childish. But he didn't.
One stood up, his eyes the palest blue. And unseeing. "But we have to follow the Goddess, if we don't-"
"If we don't, nothing. I doubt she'd sever the bond over it." Rao crossed his arms over his chest and tilted a glance at his brother, who was still standing, Then he cast a sympathetic glance at Ryuen, who had buried his head into his arms. Into the table would have been better.
"Don't see what you're complaining about. I doubt she's ugly."
"Tre!" Rao winced slightly as his brother spoke. It was unusual for Hiroshii to have even the slightest trace of anger in his voice.
"What? The Goddess is pretty, isn't she?"
"There's more to life than 'pretty', Tre." Rao sighed. He glanced about the table, frowning as he noticed that both Arkad and Sanyu had vanished. On the other side of Ryuen, the last of the inner "circle," Teun, followed his gaze.
"It's alright - they're outside, standing guard." He nodded his head towards the doorway, then turned back to Ryuen. By now, Tre was muttering something about the Goddess being amiable, and Hiroshi was looking murderous.Before anyone could stop Tre there was a soft voice from a darker corner of the table. The candles had burnt out there, somehow, leaving little light to illuminate the speaker.
"If you're all finished acting like children, perhaps we could get on with it?" The voice, silky smooth and killingly polite, belonged to one of the older Council - the Lord Kamran. But the voice, and the reminder of it, dragged Ryuen out of his mood and back into the role of leader.
"Thank you, Kam..." Kam was the nickname given to the sometimes-icy Ilusiad Prince, and even in the darkness Ryuen sensed distaste in it being used. "..ran. I think we must agree to do as bidden.. For the sake of our people."
"Sacrificial lamb." Tre was muttering to himself.