last week
I didn't make the count this time around.
1762/2500
The floor lurches and the white walls fade back once more. AQelDroma finds herself once more in the offices of the Primogen of Heorot. By the smell of charred flesh and the fact Es Beacy is still present, she knows immediately it is the evening after the attacks have begun. She watches her younger self pace furiously to and fro, not giving herself a moment to relax. There is no time to relax.
Vermathrax-rex is speaking. “Well, that was an eye opening experience last night.” He shakes his head. It had been his first full-scale combat experience and it had been live fights all night. “I was thinking the evidence is piling up here. What The betrayed us to the SC/CoB--whoever. Now we face a three-front war, which isn’t a surprise. I am sure others may become involved as this progresses. Everyone is pitching the Blood Horde back and forth like a hot potato game,” he adds ironically. He is referring to the CoB’s belief that assassins were hired from the Kingdom to attack him.
Vex takes a breath, sorting his thoughts. “Capadocious offers to help in exchange for some stage of rulership in the Kingdom (forgive-I was bit a bit vague on what this was) but yet he needs time to get his people into shape if we accept. Evil Bill offers today to leave the Caps alone if they stop bothering him so he can concentrate on us. So, we are either gonna pull the massive victory or be crushed.”
AQelDroma looks up from her pacing. Her lack of sleep has not yet become visible. “I don't believe any others will become involved, unless it's the Blood Horde, on EB's dime. You all know that if I had hired them, I would have discussed it here. This is the board that rules this Kingdom; it does not rest in my hands... it rests in ours.” She snorts. “Besides, 70k for 4 holy waters?? At those prices, even if I was thinking about hiring the BH, I wouldn't go through with it! I have never hired them, and now, won't ever.”
She pauses in mid-step, turning to direct this question to everyone seated there. “I plan on talking to Cap and trying to get him to join us on the battlefield now. I believe that if he is to press an attack, now is the time... Would anyone think finding an ally in the Capadocian Clan at the moment, considering that everyone else is attacking us anyway, is a bad idea?”
Vex is cautious. “If we were to accept Cap as an ally, does that make them one of the allies in the sense of the Kingdom? I would hope not, for that would mean including him here in the Primogen and a lot of other complications I am sure. I would suggest keeping him as a ally next to us and not inside of us till he has proven his intents and worth. Then perhaps see if the alliance might become more involved.”
AQD quickly clarifies. “I will not ask for him to join the Kingdom-- but ally with us outside of it.”
Kryshar settles further in her seat. She has not been a fan of Cap from the beginning, but cannot reject the proposal out of hand. “I don't particularly agree,” she allows, “but help might be useful.”
But, it is c daMaph who strikes to the quick and points out the obvious facts of the situation. “I think of this more as an enemy of mine enemy than a friend. An alliance of convenience. He can't crush them without us either, so it is worthwhile to him as well.”
The final vote, authorizing the Primogen to seek the alliance, comes from the Arcana. Khayman says simply, “A utilitarian alliance with him at this point in time I think is acceptable, in as much as I don’t totally trust Cap... I can see a benefit to there being on-the-surface alliance with him.”
It blurs out once more, the warm reds and golds of the meeting hall slipping into the harsh cold whites, and plops AQD back to where she started. She finds herself pacing, an unconscious mimicry of her past. She stops immediately when she realizes it. “The damned Blood Horde,” she says out loud in disgust.
“Have you learned?”
“The House no longer requires the go-ahead of four other clans to make its way in the city, as we did then. I think that’s an improvement,” AQD says dryly. “Strange, that after telling me to go ahead with the dang thing, they didn’t like how it actually turned out. I think the naysayers of the past are surprised nowadays.”
“You choice back then...” the voice was leading her, prodding her for answers.
“My choice back then was to get as many as possible out of the war alive. No matter what the cost.” She grins. “And hopefully take a few of them out with us too.”
The room spins. The floor lurches upward and towers high, high above, thrusting cathedral belfry towers. AQD whirls around. She is standing near the Graveyard, by the church that overlooks it. The Capadocian Castle is north of here, and its owner stands by her side.
“So, you owe me 100 thousand,” Capadocious says casually. He is of course talking about their friendly wager on whether WT would betray her or not. He had won. He waves a hand expansively. “I gladly donate it to your clan.”
“How generous.”
“We could use that 100k. If I had 100k to throw around I would give you that also. I will try to get you some money. I know it probably won’t be much, but whatever I can get I will give you.” He laughs. This is hard on him too, coming so recently out of his own fight. “I just feel like the giving tree at the stump stage.”
AQelDroma smiles at him. “I appreciate the thought.” She sighs; her attention obviously elsewhere, brooding still on the Blood Horde. “There are a couple easy ways to irritate me. Accusing me of doing something I haven’t done is definitely one of them.”
Capadocious is being anything but subtle as he looks down at AQD. She is tall, lanky almost, with a harsh angular chin and permanent worrylines around her eyes, but the expression on his face makes her blush. She tries to deflect it. “And you like Vaelen, do you?”
He blinks and turns back to regard the empty Graveyard with her. “I do like him,” he says quietly. “And I think he is a good consort for you. Does it bother you that I would want you also?”
She shakes her head. “Vaelen is not a leader that can do what I can do, which is why he will only ever be consort, never king. But likewise, I will never make a decision without thinking on how it will reflect on those who might follow me. If I choose anything, it will be because it is to my whole advantage.”
It is cold, almost calculating, but he respects that more than he thought he would. “I will do my best to make that happen. I have a clan that can become great, so I hope to be someone that will accent you, and together make this city a worthwhile place to exist.”
“That will take a lot of work.” They pause for a moment, thinking ahead years, to the point where the Capadocians and the Kingdom would be strong enough to take on those who had betrayed them. She swallows, her throat suddenly dry with desire, and puts the thoughts firmly from her mind. The now, she is thinking, the now. The AQelDroma from the future watches her past self’s emotions so clearly flit across her face and smiles softly.
AQD turns to Cap once more, looking up at him, iron in her voice. “I am not like Callisto or Cerridwen, Cap. You will not betray me.” The threat is implied.
“I never betrayed them either.”
“During this last fight with Cerri...”
“Cerri left because the day I left the clan in her hands for 2 weeks the clan was attacked. And she lost it.”
AQD knows. “I remember. I was there then. I left too that day.”
“They always leave me feeling neglected or abused, but then my brides have always been under me, and you would not be. They have always only had what I gave them, and you have everything on your own.”
It is enough, for now. “There are a lot of people here that are willing to die for me,” she says about something else entirely, “and I am trying very hard to not let that happen.”
“I know what you mean. I had to deal the way you are now, and this time I had to overcome the stigmatism of allowing others to die while not myself. So this time I wanted to be the first to die, so that no one could say that I was having everyone die for me and not willing to do the same for them.”
“I could have let them kill me. That would have been pretty easy to do.”
“No one would be willing to do what we do,” he says dryly. “What we do is work. They are here to play.”
“HoH would answer to Pand easily. It would be hard getting the other clans behind her so quickly, though.”
“Then you have people like you were, only loyal to me. If I’m gone, they wont even participate.”
AQelDroma laughs to herself. “You don’t have to remind me. I’m sorry, I wasn’t going to follow Cerridwen anywhere. No way.”
“I can understand that. I thought we would be in peace though. Of course, the second I departed we were attacked. She thought I was ignoring her.”
AQD grins at Cap. “The clan was not going to follow her.” She amends that. “Well. My part of the clan.” At Cap’s incredulous laugh she grins again. “Hey, I make friends quick.”
“Our oaths are going to have to be air tight,” is his only answer, and the scene once again disappears, slipping back to the white room where she waits, trapped by her memories.
“Are you ready?”
AQelDroma shrugs. “You are showing me my last great choice,” she says, dispassionate herself. “I feel that I chose rightly then, for it has led me to this day.” She shakes her head. “Is there another great choice that awaits me when I wake?”
1762/2500
The floor lurches and the white walls fade back once more. AQelDroma finds herself once more in the offices of the Primogen of Heorot. By the smell of charred flesh and the fact Es Beacy is still present, she knows immediately it is the evening after the attacks have begun. She watches her younger self pace furiously to and fro, not giving herself a moment to relax. There is no time to relax.
Vermathrax-rex is speaking. “Well, that was an eye opening experience last night.” He shakes his head. It had been his first full-scale combat experience and it had been live fights all night. “I was thinking the evidence is piling up here. What The betrayed us to the SC/CoB--whoever. Now we face a three-front war, which isn’t a surprise. I am sure others may become involved as this progresses. Everyone is pitching the Blood Horde back and forth like a hot potato game,” he adds ironically. He is referring to the CoB’s belief that assassins were hired from the Kingdom to attack him.
Vex takes a breath, sorting his thoughts. “Capadocious offers to help in exchange for some stage of rulership in the Kingdom (forgive-I was bit a bit vague on what this was) but yet he needs time to get his people into shape if we accept. Evil Bill offers today to leave the Caps alone if they stop bothering him so he can concentrate on us. So, we are either gonna pull the massive victory or be crushed.”
AQelDroma looks up from her pacing. Her lack of sleep has not yet become visible. “I don't believe any others will become involved, unless it's the Blood Horde, on EB's dime. You all know that if I had hired them, I would have discussed it here. This is the board that rules this Kingdom; it does not rest in my hands... it rests in ours.” She snorts. “Besides, 70k for 4 holy waters?? At those prices, even if I was thinking about hiring the BH, I wouldn't go through with it! I have never hired them, and now, won't ever.”
She pauses in mid-step, turning to direct this question to everyone seated there. “I plan on talking to Cap and trying to get him to join us on the battlefield now. I believe that if he is to press an attack, now is the time... Would anyone think finding an ally in the Capadocian Clan at the moment, considering that everyone else is attacking us anyway, is a bad idea?”
Vex is cautious. “If we were to accept Cap as an ally, does that make them one of the allies in the sense of the Kingdom? I would hope not, for that would mean including him here in the Primogen and a lot of other complications I am sure. I would suggest keeping him as a ally next to us and not inside of us till he has proven his intents and worth. Then perhaps see if the alliance might become more involved.”
AQD quickly clarifies. “I will not ask for him to join the Kingdom-- but ally with us outside of it.”
Kryshar settles further in her seat. She has not been a fan of Cap from the beginning, but cannot reject the proposal out of hand. “I don't particularly agree,” she allows, “but help might be useful.”
But, it is c daMaph who strikes to the quick and points out the obvious facts of the situation. “I think of this more as an enemy of mine enemy than a friend. An alliance of convenience. He can't crush them without us either, so it is worthwhile to him as well.”
The final vote, authorizing the Primogen to seek the alliance, comes from the Arcana. Khayman says simply, “A utilitarian alliance with him at this point in time I think is acceptable, in as much as I don’t totally trust Cap... I can see a benefit to there being on-the-surface alliance with him.”
It blurs out once more, the warm reds and golds of the meeting hall slipping into the harsh cold whites, and plops AQD back to where she started. She finds herself pacing, an unconscious mimicry of her past. She stops immediately when she realizes it. “The damned Blood Horde,” she says out loud in disgust.
“Have you learned?”
“The House no longer requires the go-ahead of four other clans to make its way in the city, as we did then. I think that’s an improvement,” AQD says dryly. “Strange, that after telling me to go ahead with the dang thing, they didn’t like how it actually turned out. I think the naysayers of the past are surprised nowadays.”
“You choice back then...” the voice was leading her, prodding her for answers.
“My choice back then was to get as many as possible out of the war alive. No matter what the cost.” She grins. “And hopefully take a few of them out with us too.”
The room spins. The floor lurches upward and towers high, high above, thrusting cathedral belfry towers. AQD whirls around. She is standing near the Graveyard, by the church that overlooks it. The Capadocian Castle is north of here, and its owner stands by her side.
“So, you owe me 100 thousand,” Capadocious says casually. He is of course talking about their friendly wager on whether WT would betray her or not. He had won. He waves a hand expansively. “I gladly donate it to your clan.”
“How generous.”
“We could use that 100k. If I had 100k to throw around I would give you that also. I will try to get you some money. I know it probably won’t be much, but whatever I can get I will give you.” He laughs. This is hard on him too, coming so recently out of his own fight. “I just feel like the giving tree at the stump stage.”
AQelDroma smiles at him. “I appreciate the thought.” She sighs; her attention obviously elsewhere, brooding still on the Blood Horde. “There are a couple easy ways to irritate me. Accusing me of doing something I haven’t done is definitely one of them.”
Capadocious is being anything but subtle as he looks down at AQD. She is tall, lanky almost, with a harsh angular chin and permanent worrylines around her eyes, but the expression on his face makes her blush. She tries to deflect it. “And you like Vaelen, do you?”
He blinks and turns back to regard the empty Graveyard with her. “I do like him,” he says quietly. “And I think he is a good consort for you. Does it bother you that I would want you also?”
She shakes her head. “Vaelen is not a leader that can do what I can do, which is why he will only ever be consort, never king. But likewise, I will never make a decision without thinking on how it will reflect on those who might follow me. If I choose anything, it will be because it is to my whole advantage.”
It is cold, almost calculating, but he respects that more than he thought he would. “I will do my best to make that happen. I have a clan that can become great, so I hope to be someone that will accent you, and together make this city a worthwhile place to exist.”
“That will take a lot of work.” They pause for a moment, thinking ahead years, to the point where the Capadocians and the Kingdom would be strong enough to take on those who had betrayed them. She swallows, her throat suddenly dry with desire, and puts the thoughts firmly from her mind. The now, she is thinking, the now. The AQelDroma from the future watches her past self’s emotions so clearly flit across her face and smiles softly.
AQD turns to Cap once more, looking up at him, iron in her voice. “I am not like Callisto or Cerridwen, Cap. You will not betray me.” The threat is implied.
“I never betrayed them either.”
“During this last fight with Cerri...”
“Cerri left because the day I left the clan in her hands for 2 weeks the clan was attacked. And she lost it.”
AQD knows. “I remember. I was there then. I left too that day.”
“They always leave me feeling neglected or abused, but then my brides have always been under me, and you would not be. They have always only had what I gave them, and you have everything on your own.”
It is enough, for now. “There are a lot of people here that are willing to die for me,” she says about something else entirely, “and I am trying very hard to not let that happen.”
“I know what you mean. I had to deal the way you are now, and this time I had to overcome the stigmatism of allowing others to die while not myself. So this time I wanted to be the first to die, so that no one could say that I was having everyone die for me and not willing to do the same for them.”
“I could have let them kill me. That would have been pretty easy to do.”
“No one would be willing to do what we do,” he says dryly. “What we do is work. They are here to play.”
“HoH would answer to Pand easily. It would be hard getting the other clans behind her so quickly, though.”
“Then you have people like you were, only loyal to me. If I’m gone, they wont even participate.”
AQelDroma laughs to herself. “You don’t have to remind me. I’m sorry, I wasn’t going to follow Cerridwen anywhere. No way.”
“I can understand that. I thought we would be in peace though. Of course, the second I departed we were attacked. She thought I was ignoring her.”
AQD grins at Cap. “The clan was not going to follow her.” She amends that. “Well. My part of the clan.” At Cap’s incredulous laugh she grins again. “Hey, I make friends quick.”
“Our oaths are going to have to be air tight,” is his only answer, and the scene once again disappears, slipping back to the white room where she waits, trapped by her memories.
“Are you ready?”
AQelDroma shrugs. “You are showing me my last great choice,” she says, dispassionate herself. “I feel that I chose rightly then, for it has led me to this day.” She shakes her head. “Is there another great choice that awaits me when I wake?”