Funeral Rites

[duke_kostan]

The crystal casket of Queen Mera makes its way down the streets. Grown men are seen collapsing to their knees and rending their clothes in grief. Women wail and children are silent. In the turbulent waters of Atlantis, there seems to be a unity only in grief

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[jla_extras]

An old man, his head bloodied, looks at the outcropping above the city. "Your majesty!" he cries out. "Your majesty, please!"

[ex_kingofat]

Arthur remains silent, but any telepath can hear him speaking.

Yes, as quickly as possible. My thanks, old friend.

[duke_kostan]

Kostan teleported back into the temple, and can only watch helplessly from the spires. Windows are shattered, people flee in panic and the brawling shows no signs of stopping.

Shops are being looted. A beggar scoops expensive diamonds and corals from a jewelry store's broken cases. Ornamental gilding and stone work are being broken into pieces or ripped away.

There are provisions in place for such things, evacuating the leaders and the priests in case of attack. However, Kostan never imagined he would be fleeing his fellow Atlanteans. His instinct is to stay and fight, but the soldiers and the priests overrulled him. He is Regent until Garth returns, they say. They cannot risk him being killed, they say.

A sub is being prepared now, but Kostan takes the necklace he managed to take from Raven and the elephant toy Dolphin left with him for luck.

"If you can aid us, Dark Angel, then I'm calling on you. We need Garth's swift return. We need the spell upon him broken - more than ever!"

[angel_in_a_box]

Yes...

Panic is so easy to enduce. Just set up the right factors...or in this case wait for the inevitable and heighten it just a fraction. Make the deceit and despair just a little more. Potential like his was worth a city of useless lives. Kostan believed Raven was casting a spell over her fellow Titan! Delicious!

She sends out a thought to him as she appears a dozen times over in shattered glass.

You wish to have your world saved from surface world sorcery and temptations, Lord Kostan? Do you have what I have asked for?

It's a formality. She can sense the toy and the necklace on his person.

[duke_kostan]

"Yes," he says. "Now take them and whatever else you wish in payment. But break that spell and aid my people. I ask of you!"

[angel_in_a_box]

She suppresses the urge to laugh. She withdraws the infulence she's exerted around Kostan. It's hardly quelling the riots, but they are slowing. Riots walk around dazed, as if there has been a bloodletting of some of thier grief and rage.

"It is temporary. i have calmed them," she lies. "I ask of your aid, dear duke. I cannot bring peace to Posiedon's realm on my own. I lack that power." She reaches out a hand. "You do not."

[jla_extras]

Suddenly, the city is cloaked in shadows -

the shadows of a pod of blue whales, the largest dwellers of the sea, the great drifters. Atlanteans revere the great blues like they revere few other things, and as the blues rise in mournful song, a chorus of sad clicks and moans, their statement cannot be ignored.

[ex_kingofat]

Arthur swims up to meet them.

Thank you, Kwaamor. Your pod does me great honour.

[jla_extras]

The lead blue waves a flipper languidly, in a manner that can only be called dignified.

It is nothing, swimmer. We mourned you the loss of your mate and wished to convey our respects. One day she will realize her true self and be born again in the waters.

[itsastretch]

At first, Ralph tried the diplomatic route. Turning a hand into a loudspeaker and all. But to no avail. So he sets himself to more traditional crowd control, sweeping up handfuls of people and placing them on top of buildings, stretching himself over alleyways to help running people escape, and craning his neck up to try and spot the folks just trying to get out of the riot so he can get to them.

Its not much, but he does what he can, wishing he didn't have to. At a funeral of all things.

[_jaded_one_]

Jade is doing what Jade does: keeping the peace by cracking skulls here and there. She promised to watch over the place for Aquaman, and she will.

This is truly pissing her off.