Room 237, Sunday Morning.
Deep in an alcohol fuelled slumber, Callisto twitched and whimpered.
They weren’t meant to be there, the girl knew, and said as much. They were meant to be back at their homes waiting, hiding.
"Then why aren't you there then, squirt?" Agathon, the tallest, oldest boy there sneered.
"Because…" Because staying cooped up in her home was stifling. Because her father had said what the council planned would work. Because she wanted to see the woman who had them all hiding like animals. She shrugged. "Because."
So there they were, in a room above a storehouse, watching their fathers and brothers trying to buy their lives with meat and grain.
"There she is." A momentary hush fell over the room, before everyone started talking again.
"You sure it's her?"
"No, it's probably one of the other female warlords. Of course I'm sure."
Being small and unafraid to use elbows meant she could wriggle her way to the window in front of the group. "She doesn't look like a monster." From the hushed and fearful tones people used, she'd expected something like a harpy or gorgon from a bard's tale, instead she was…pretty. That didn't stop her gut clenching when she saw that she was talking to her father. Her weapons were sheathed, but the same couldn't be said of the hard faced men flanking her.
"What are you doing?" Darius's voice broke into her reverie and she looked up to see the boys moving away from the window and Agathon uncasing a bow. One much larger and heavier than the ones her father used.
"What needs to be done," Agathon replied, nocking an arrow to the bow, its tip far to thick and barbed to be any use hunting. He jerked his thumb at her. "Out of the way, squirt."
"Stay where you are, Callisto," Darius ordered, and she was shocked enough by his use of her actual name to obey. "Are you insane? You can't fight an army with just that."
"I don't need to, just her. My father always said an ar-"
"Your father is dead, and we will be too."
"Not if she moves and I can take the shot," he hissed. "Move."
"Don't move."
"Do it."
Chewing her lip nervously, she set her chin. "No."
"Fine," Agathon snarled. "Have it your way." He raised the bow and she felt something brush against her cheek as he loosed the arrow.
"You idiot." Darius tackled Agathon, attempting to wrestle the bow out of his hands. "You could have killed her!"
She caught a flash of gold and silver out of the corner of her eye and Darius stopped dead still as a bright red line appeared across his throat. Silence hung heavy in the room for a long moment before he fell with a heavy thud.
Then the screaming started, and it didn't stop. Not for a long, long time.
[ooc: Yes, it's up a weetiny bit later than morning due to timezones. Shh.]
They weren’t meant to be there, the girl knew, and said as much. They were meant to be back at their homes waiting, hiding.
"Then why aren't you there then, squirt?" Agathon, the tallest, oldest boy there sneered.
"Because…" Because staying cooped up in her home was stifling. Because her father had said what the council planned would work. Because she wanted to see the woman who had them all hiding like animals. She shrugged. "Because."
So there they were, in a room above a storehouse, watching their fathers and brothers trying to buy their lives with meat and grain.
"There she is." A momentary hush fell over the room, before everyone started talking again.
"You sure it's her?"
"No, it's probably one of the other female warlords. Of course I'm sure."
Being small and unafraid to use elbows meant she could wriggle her way to the window in front of the group. "She doesn't look like a monster." From the hushed and fearful tones people used, she'd expected something like a harpy or gorgon from a bard's tale, instead she was…pretty. That didn't stop her gut clenching when she saw that she was talking to her father. Her weapons were sheathed, but the same couldn't be said of the hard faced men flanking her.
"What are you doing?" Darius's voice broke into her reverie and she looked up to see the boys moving away from the window and Agathon uncasing a bow. One much larger and heavier than the ones her father used.
"What needs to be done," Agathon replied, nocking an arrow to the bow, its tip far to thick and barbed to be any use hunting. He jerked his thumb at her. "Out of the way, squirt."
"Stay where you are, Callisto," Darius ordered, and she was shocked enough by his use of her actual name to obey. "Are you insane? You can't fight an army with just that."
"I don't need to, just her. My father always said an ar-"
"Your father is dead, and we will be too."
"Not if she moves and I can take the shot," he hissed. "Move."
"Don't move."
"Do it."
Chewing her lip nervously, she set her chin. "No."
"Fine," Agathon snarled. "Have it your way." He raised the bow and she felt something brush against her cheek as he loosed the arrow.
"You idiot." Darius tackled Agathon, attempting to wrestle the bow out of his hands. "You could have killed her!"
She caught a flash of gold and silver out of the corner of her eye and Darius stopped dead still as a bright red line appeared across his throat. Silence hung heavy in the room for a long moment before he fell with a heavy thud.
Then the screaming started, and it didn't stop. Not for a long, long time.
[ooc: Yes, it's up a weetiny bit later than morning due to timezones. Shh.]