Cherry Chocolate Chip Binge; Pocky chain
Author: Lumelle
Title: Flames of War
'Verse: Dragons; Lore 101
Challenge: Cherry Chocolate Chip
Toppings/Extras: Pocky Chain
Word Count: 30x100
Rating: PG-13 for thematic reasons
Summary: Preparations for a war.
Notes: Because my head is getting full of all these connected characters, with most of them stuck in various WiPs for the time being, I felt I should let them all out at once, however briefly.
For clarity's sake, Cassandra, Dragon Emperor, and Carus are the bad guys. Also, Artemis is female, but as she is widely held to be Arthur Pendragon reborn, she is styled king instead of queen regnant of magical Britain.
Victory: Artemis
There is not a shred of doubt in your heart that you will win.
You will win, because even if you fall, others will pick up the battle. Oberon is there already, back from his wanderings at last, and though Raymond and Kyrie will stand aside you know they will be quick to step forward should you be defeated. None of them will allow your beloved Albion to fall under such cruel claws.
Those who fight to protect their homes will always fight more fiercely than those seeing to rob others of theirs.
And that is why you will win.
***
Desperation: Merlin
You used to know always know what happens next.
Sometimes it was prophecy, the foresight that people often dread you for; other times it was simply your wit and wisdom, observing that which is set before you, drawing your conclusions. On occasion you may have even tilted the odds in your favour, fulfilling your own prophecies.
Right now you have no idea how the battle will end, and it frightens you.
She is sure as ever, the Pendragon; she always was sure. Why wouldn't she be, immortal.
Except nothing will ensure her survival now.
All you can do is fight.
***
Greed: Dragon Emperor
They think they can resist you.
Of course they would think so. They are fools, after all, gathered by a foolish king who was never a king at all. All too soon they will scatter at your feet, like so many pebbles on a worn-down road. Against your mighty army they will not stand a chance.
You will strike at dawn and turn it into night, sow fear into hearts and then tear them still beating out of heaving chests. You will take all they have and make it yours, as is only right.
Just adding to the hoard.
***
Approval: Ansa
You have been having the same dream.
It's one of the worst ones, the ones that cannot be stopped. Perhaps that is why it keeps coming back, to prepare you for the end result, to make you accept it as inevitable.
You are good at secrets, though; your life has taught you as much out of necessity. You have a feeling that Otso sees through you, he always has after all, but he also knows when it's best not to ask.
You couldn't tell him, anyway, not even if he asked. It'll be bad enough to see him crying afterwards.
***
Pain: Elina
Ansa is in pain.
Of course, she does not want to admit it, but you see it well enough nevertheless. She tries to pretend it is nothing, there is nothing wrong with her aside from some nerves about the upcoming battle, but you know better. She sees something, and there is nothing either of you can do.
You wish you could take it away, her gift that is more of a curse, but you could as well wish to take the blue out of the sky.
All you can do is hold her the night before battle as she weeps.
***
Need: Carus
It is boiling all around you.
There is fear, and hatred, and rage and greed and just plain malice, filling the air like tendrils of smoke that smells sweet as you inhale. You feel the dread of the cowards, the zeal of the warriors, and you know that as the attack starts it will all be overwhelmed by pain and death in hundredfold.
You can almost pick them out, the separate souls, each with their own concoction of emotions, all so different and vivid and exactly what you crave.
It has been a long time since you felt so alive.
***
Shame: Otso
Try as you might, you cannot entirely ignore the gazes.
Of course, they cannot know anything about you or your circumstances. They cannot just see that you are a healer, not a fighter, cannot know that one of the opposing generals is all your nightmares personified. All they see is a tall man, tall and physically strong by your looks, and you know they are judging you for not getting armed.
You should not be ashamed, but it isn't easy to avoid.
Your hand closes around the dark scale in your pocket. A promise.
There is no shame in waiting.
***
Repute: Aarni
It is strange, not having everyone avoid you by instinct.
You're not old, but one does not have to be aged to know how your kind are perceived. It is hard to seem amiable when you bear the same markings as the one waging war. And yet, as long as you bear the emblem, people look at you with more respect than fear, more awe than disgust.
Not that you care about them, or their war. You only have one goal: Take down the bastard who hurt your mate, regardless of the price.
They would do well to fear you.
***
Disgust: Titania
There is a war brewing outside.
It is not that you are unaware of this. It would scarcely be possible, with men rushing through the court like headless hares, calling for blades and blood and aid. You avoid it for the most part, unwilling to participate.
You see the warriors marching out, and wonder why they would bother.
Your king is out there somewhere, your king and his worthless wayside seed. Preparing, planning, ready to fight. So utterly useless.
You close the curtains before your window. No use in watching such idiocy.
They shall never break through the hills, anyway.
***
Patience: Oberon
You have been waiting for this day.
All those years you spent wandering, looking, searching, you kept waiting. You were waiting for the day you could see your child, your son, standing beside you where he belongs, commanding your armies as only your heir should, making you proud.
You see hir now, not quite your son but your brave, beautiful child nevertheless, tall and proud as ze stands clad in your colours, ready to fight. Soon enough, ze will go to battle with you, fight right beside you, face death together with you.
You could have waited a bit longer.
***
Pleasure: Adrian
Your hands are already itching to close around the hilt, anticipating the joy of battle.
Of course, it is not time for that yet. Right now you are still pacing, pretending to take part in the plans, to behave according to the emblem on your chest. It fools no one.
A messenger tries to approach you, unsure how to address you, lord or lady or something else. He settles for general. You suppose it is passable.
The dragons will arrive by dawn, the message assures you. Every warrior is to be prepared.
The fire burns even brighter within your chest.
***
Responsibility: Raymond
You see them getting ready, and wish you could go with them.
You see your son, flexing his wings as he gets ready to take flight, and wish you could go with him. You see Adrian, hand twitching to hold hir sword, and wish you could fight side by side with hir as you always did before.
You can't, though. There is too much at stake here, too much that could go wrong. Both armies are already led by immortals, two keepers about to engage in a battle only one will survive.
Were you to fight, the world would tear.
***
Defeat: Cassandra
You will make him pay.
He may not even know that you are here yet, but he will learn. They will all learn just how foolish they were to stand before you, how very foolish to think you could be defeated. They will weep for their mistake yet, weep and beg for mercy though there shall be none. All will pay for the mistakes of the few, and above all else Raymond Sange shall pay.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. You should know; you have seen it.
You will set his world alight and watch it burn.
***
Hunger: Kyrie
There is death in the air.
Of course, death never goes very far, certainly not when people wage war. Here, however, it is already heavy in the air before the battle even starts, waiting, stalking, preparing.
You ride in the air, as you always do, the clouds rumbling at the hoof beats of your beasts, and all with wicked hearts had better bow their heads.
You can not go on a full hunt, not here, not now. The world is too fragile to bear more immortals.
But you will be there to pick up any who fall beside the way.
***
Integrity: Riku
You know your duties, of course.
You do not need anyone to tell you how to conduct yourself or why. Evaluating the need or right of the war is no concern of yours. Though you wish there was another way, you know others are not as idealistic, certainly not the ones who took the first steps towards war.
Your hands remain on the cold scales for a moment as you adjust to the weight of the human soul within you, then murmur your goodbyes. Your place is in the lines, his up in the sky.
Nevertheless, you fight as one.
***
Favour: Pyry
You are not sure what your brother has done to earn his status, and for once you do not even wish to know. What matters to you is that it's his name that gets you an audience with the Maiden King, an actual meeting though you are warned it will not last long.
You have but one request, though you know she would grant more. You ask nothing for yourself, anyway. All you need is for someone to protect your heart, to look after him as you soar too high to do so.
Her eyes are tired as she agrees.
***
Curiosity: Nina
For perhaps the first time, nobody is telling you that you are too young.
Certainly, you are still one of the youngest, and no doubt you would be directed to running messages if not for the shining red scales showing your worth. However, nobody is telling you not to fight, not to take part, not to step forward. There is a new world before you, a bloody, violent new world.
As they fit you with the emblem of the army, you cannot help but flex your wings. It will be your first true flight.
An exhilarating little baptism of fire.
***
Hysteria: Tuisku
Your children are fighting.
No one will tell you so, not in such words, but you know it nevertheless. You hear the whispers, the fearful rumours of what is about to happen so far away, and you know your children are there.
You are not a fighter, you never were, not like your sons or even like your daughter. It is not your place to be there, to try to fight the battles they choose for themselves, yet your heart is crying out to them.
You are countries too far to hear the horn, but you cannot stop crying nevertheless.
***
Stress: Jericha
This was never going to be easy.
Of course, you knew this as long as you knew the battle would come. It is no more in the nature of war to be easy than it is in the nature of life to be fair.
Some try to make idle talk around you, waiting for the moment, but you are silent. The tension in the air is too heavy for you to concentrate on anything as unimportant as false cheer and camaraderie.
You avenged your own child, once.
It is now time to fight for the children who are still alive.
***
Cheer: Tondra
You have to smile.
No matter how you feel, how much fear and apprehension and doubt you feel, you have to smile. Because you have always smiled and joked your way through everything, no matter what horrors you have faced, and if you give up now he will be afraid.
It's selfish and silly of you and you know it, and you know he should be afraid, but you do not want to be the one to make him think that.
When it comes time to switch, you do so without complaint.
The face of a dragon shows little emotion.
***
Wonder: Jonathan
No matter how often you see it, it is always just as magnificent.
You could say it is beautiful, but it would hardly do her justice; you could call it breath-taking, and she would smack you later for being so silly. Whatever words run through your head, though, you are again left staring as she takes her true form.
Running your hands over her gold-hued scales, you try not to think why she needs to take this form. To fight.
You press a kiss on the tip of her wing and tell her to come back to you.
***
Concern: Conan
There are so many children.
You know you should feel wrong for even thinking this, knowing that they are all adults, knowing how many of them are not only older than you, but older than any ordinary human could ever hope to be. Nevertheless you walk forward and see children, confused children, anxious children, excited children.
Few of them know what they are getting to. Fewer still will ever get the chance to go home having learnt the weight of war.
You are not young, not anymore, but you will gladly show your claws to fight for these poor children.
***
Discretion: Marie-Claire
No one seems to notice you, which is just fine with you.
Of course, it's not like you attract much attention anyway. You're just yet another human among many others, just a human with nothing to catch anyone's interest. Everyone is too busy preparing to start questioning you on where you came from or why you are here. All htey care about is that you are another man on their side.
The one time they pay attention is when they ask if you will need a weapon.
You decline, feeling the weight of your deck of cards in your pocket.
***
Disbelief: Bolgarasathob
If you did not know better you might think this was a bad dream from eating too much cheese.
Of course, you do not eat cheese, or eat much of anything, or even really dream. As such, you have no choice but to accept this as reality. All of magical Britain is going to war, with the Dragon Emperor and his hordes against you, and instead of running the other way as fast as he can Marie-Claire is dragging you both right in the thick of it.
Cheese dreams would be better. At least then you could wake up.
***
Flattery: Minneliese
Were you less cynical, you would take the gazes as signs of the indomitable spirit or whatever.
Of course, as you are more or less cynicism personified, it is hard to do much else but tsk at the people clearly lacking priorities. You know you are beautiful, but you also know you are about to enter battle.
It might be considered flattering, receiving such attention even in such a strained situation. You are bemused at best, though, and annoyed by the third comment.
You are here to fight. Anyone who doesn't plan to do likewise is hardly worth your attention.
***
Dread: Inka
This will not end well.
Of course, it hardly takes a genius to figure this out. Wars never end well, even without immortals taking sides. And now there are not one but two of them, with the Maiden King riding to war and the Dragon roaring to go against her, and though you've made sure not to be anywhere near you can feel the ripples already.
In the mundane world, the forecasts warn people of an oncoming storm. They do not know it is their cue to run.
You focus on hoping the storm won't tear their entire world apart.
***
Sorrow: Uriel
Even from here, you can hear them preparing.
It is not often that the events of the world are so clear here in your loneliness. Whenever it happens, it never speaks well of the world. There are few things that can reach you here, with the eternal flame and the wail of demons, but the horns of war will always sound loud and clear in your ears.
The sound is colder this time, louder in your ears, and as you hear the echoes you lower your eyes.
However this battle ends, you will have to call for the final council.
***
Zeal: Lancelot
You will only ever fight for your queen.
Others may take their vows to who they wish, to the fae lords or dragon generals or the long dead king and the one who claims his name, but your loyalty is, as it ever was, to your queen. You followed her in one life, and will not follow her in another.
She bides you to follow the false king, and you bow and obey her.
You would never betray the king, not as long as your queen stands beside her, but were she to fall in battle, you would not weep.
***
Amity: Guinevere
You both know that her little dance is about to end.
She was only ever safe as long as she was needed to lead people to war. Now that she prepares to do so, she knows all too well that she may fall.
You never particularly liked her, more on principle than for a true reason, because nobody ever asked you and nobody ever asked her, either. You still surprise yourself as you hear yourself promising that if she rides back alive, you will be her queen.
She smiles, and you almost wish you were not in love with another.
***
Fulfilment: Pendragon
"Come, my children.
Come, men of the isles, born from the tumults of countless peoples.
Come, fair folk of the hills, who once played with the bard.
Come, o mighty dragons, you who faced my knights to death.
Come, children of my children, blood of my blood, mind after my own mind. See that I am your king, as I once was, and once again I shall be. Follow me, and I shall lead you to battle and glory, as surely as the Hunt leads the unfortunate to their doom.
Come, my people. Let us go to war."
They come.
Title: Flames of War
'Verse: Dragons; Lore 101
Challenge: Cherry Chocolate Chip
Toppings/Extras: Pocky Chain
Word Count: 30x100
Rating: PG-13 for thematic reasons
Summary: Preparations for a war.
Notes: Because my head is getting full of all these connected characters, with most of them stuck in various WiPs for the time being, I felt I should let them all out at once, however briefly.
For clarity's sake, Cassandra, Dragon Emperor, and Carus are the bad guys. Also, Artemis is female, but as she is widely held to be Arthur Pendragon reborn, she is styled king instead of queen regnant of magical Britain.
Victory: Artemis
There is not a shred of doubt in your heart that you will win.
You will win, because even if you fall, others will pick up the battle. Oberon is there already, back from his wanderings at last, and though Raymond and Kyrie will stand aside you know they will be quick to step forward should you be defeated. None of them will allow your beloved Albion to fall under such cruel claws.
Those who fight to protect their homes will always fight more fiercely than those seeing to rob others of theirs.
And that is why you will win.
***
Desperation: Merlin
You used to know always know what happens next.
Sometimes it was prophecy, the foresight that people often dread you for; other times it was simply your wit and wisdom, observing that which is set before you, drawing your conclusions. On occasion you may have even tilted the odds in your favour, fulfilling your own prophecies.
Right now you have no idea how the battle will end, and it frightens you.
She is sure as ever, the Pendragon; she always was sure. Why wouldn't she be, immortal.
Except nothing will ensure her survival now.
All you can do is fight.
***
Greed: Dragon Emperor
They think they can resist you.
Of course they would think so. They are fools, after all, gathered by a foolish king who was never a king at all. All too soon they will scatter at your feet, like so many pebbles on a worn-down road. Against your mighty army they will not stand a chance.
You will strike at dawn and turn it into night, sow fear into hearts and then tear them still beating out of heaving chests. You will take all they have and make it yours, as is only right.
Just adding to the hoard.
***
Approval: Ansa
You have been having the same dream.
It's one of the worst ones, the ones that cannot be stopped. Perhaps that is why it keeps coming back, to prepare you for the end result, to make you accept it as inevitable.
You are good at secrets, though; your life has taught you as much out of necessity. You have a feeling that Otso sees through you, he always has after all, but he also knows when it's best not to ask.
You couldn't tell him, anyway, not even if he asked. It'll be bad enough to see him crying afterwards.
***
Pain: Elina
Ansa is in pain.
Of course, she does not want to admit it, but you see it well enough nevertheless. She tries to pretend it is nothing, there is nothing wrong with her aside from some nerves about the upcoming battle, but you know better. She sees something, and there is nothing either of you can do.
You wish you could take it away, her gift that is more of a curse, but you could as well wish to take the blue out of the sky.
All you can do is hold her the night before battle as she weeps.
***
Need: Carus
It is boiling all around you.
There is fear, and hatred, and rage and greed and just plain malice, filling the air like tendrils of smoke that smells sweet as you inhale. You feel the dread of the cowards, the zeal of the warriors, and you know that as the attack starts it will all be overwhelmed by pain and death in hundredfold.
You can almost pick them out, the separate souls, each with their own concoction of emotions, all so different and vivid and exactly what you crave.
It has been a long time since you felt so alive.
***
Shame: Otso
Try as you might, you cannot entirely ignore the gazes.
Of course, they cannot know anything about you or your circumstances. They cannot just see that you are a healer, not a fighter, cannot know that one of the opposing generals is all your nightmares personified. All they see is a tall man, tall and physically strong by your looks, and you know they are judging you for not getting armed.
You should not be ashamed, but it isn't easy to avoid.
Your hand closes around the dark scale in your pocket. A promise.
There is no shame in waiting.
***
Repute: Aarni
It is strange, not having everyone avoid you by instinct.
You're not old, but one does not have to be aged to know how your kind are perceived. It is hard to seem amiable when you bear the same markings as the one waging war. And yet, as long as you bear the emblem, people look at you with more respect than fear, more awe than disgust.
Not that you care about them, or their war. You only have one goal: Take down the bastard who hurt your mate, regardless of the price.
They would do well to fear you.
***
Disgust: Titania
There is a war brewing outside.
It is not that you are unaware of this. It would scarcely be possible, with men rushing through the court like headless hares, calling for blades and blood and aid. You avoid it for the most part, unwilling to participate.
You see the warriors marching out, and wonder why they would bother.
Your king is out there somewhere, your king and his worthless wayside seed. Preparing, planning, ready to fight. So utterly useless.
You close the curtains before your window. No use in watching such idiocy.
They shall never break through the hills, anyway.
***
Patience: Oberon
You have been waiting for this day.
All those years you spent wandering, looking, searching, you kept waiting. You were waiting for the day you could see your child, your son, standing beside you where he belongs, commanding your armies as only your heir should, making you proud.
You see hir now, not quite your son but your brave, beautiful child nevertheless, tall and proud as ze stands clad in your colours, ready to fight. Soon enough, ze will go to battle with you, fight right beside you, face death together with you.
You could have waited a bit longer.
***
Pleasure: Adrian
Your hands are already itching to close around the hilt, anticipating the joy of battle.
Of course, it is not time for that yet. Right now you are still pacing, pretending to take part in the plans, to behave according to the emblem on your chest. It fools no one.
A messenger tries to approach you, unsure how to address you, lord or lady or something else. He settles for general. You suppose it is passable.
The dragons will arrive by dawn, the message assures you. Every warrior is to be prepared.
The fire burns even brighter within your chest.
***
Responsibility: Raymond
You see them getting ready, and wish you could go with them.
You see your son, flexing his wings as he gets ready to take flight, and wish you could go with him. You see Adrian, hand twitching to hold hir sword, and wish you could fight side by side with hir as you always did before.
You can't, though. There is too much at stake here, too much that could go wrong. Both armies are already led by immortals, two keepers about to engage in a battle only one will survive.
Were you to fight, the world would tear.
***
Defeat: Cassandra
You will make him pay.
He may not even know that you are here yet, but he will learn. They will all learn just how foolish they were to stand before you, how very foolish to think you could be defeated. They will weep for their mistake yet, weep and beg for mercy though there shall be none. All will pay for the mistakes of the few, and above all else Raymond Sange shall pay.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. You should know; you have seen it.
You will set his world alight and watch it burn.
***
Hunger: Kyrie
There is death in the air.
Of course, death never goes very far, certainly not when people wage war. Here, however, it is already heavy in the air before the battle even starts, waiting, stalking, preparing.
You ride in the air, as you always do, the clouds rumbling at the hoof beats of your beasts, and all with wicked hearts had better bow their heads.
You can not go on a full hunt, not here, not now. The world is too fragile to bear more immortals.
But you will be there to pick up any who fall beside the way.
***
Integrity: Riku
You know your duties, of course.
You do not need anyone to tell you how to conduct yourself or why. Evaluating the need or right of the war is no concern of yours. Though you wish there was another way, you know others are not as idealistic, certainly not the ones who took the first steps towards war.
Your hands remain on the cold scales for a moment as you adjust to the weight of the human soul within you, then murmur your goodbyes. Your place is in the lines, his up in the sky.
Nevertheless, you fight as one.
***
Favour: Pyry
You are not sure what your brother has done to earn his status, and for once you do not even wish to know. What matters to you is that it's his name that gets you an audience with the Maiden King, an actual meeting though you are warned it will not last long.
You have but one request, though you know she would grant more. You ask nothing for yourself, anyway. All you need is for someone to protect your heart, to look after him as you soar too high to do so.
Her eyes are tired as she agrees.
***
Curiosity: Nina
For perhaps the first time, nobody is telling you that you are too young.
Certainly, you are still one of the youngest, and no doubt you would be directed to running messages if not for the shining red scales showing your worth. However, nobody is telling you not to fight, not to take part, not to step forward. There is a new world before you, a bloody, violent new world.
As they fit you with the emblem of the army, you cannot help but flex your wings. It will be your first true flight.
An exhilarating little baptism of fire.
***
Hysteria: Tuisku
Your children are fighting.
No one will tell you so, not in such words, but you know it nevertheless. You hear the whispers, the fearful rumours of what is about to happen so far away, and you know your children are there.
You are not a fighter, you never were, not like your sons or even like your daughter. It is not your place to be there, to try to fight the battles they choose for themselves, yet your heart is crying out to them.
You are countries too far to hear the horn, but you cannot stop crying nevertheless.
***
Stress: Jericha
This was never going to be easy.
Of course, you knew this as long as you knew the battle would come. It is no more in the nature of war to be easy than it is in the nature of life to be fair.
Some try to make idle talk around you, waiting for the moment, but you are silent. The tension in the air is too heavy for you to concentrate on anything as unimportant as false cheer and camaraderie.
You avenged your own child, once.
It is now time to fight for the children who are still alive.
***
Cheer: Tondra
You have to smile.
No matter how you feel, how much fear and apprehension and doubt you feel, you have to smile. Because you have always smiled and joked your way through everything, no matter what horrors you have faced, and if you give up now he will be afraid.
It's selfish and silly of you and you know it, and you know he should be afraid, but you do not want to be the one to make him think that.
When it comes time to switch, you do so without complaint.
The face of a dragon shows little emotion.
***
Wonder: Jonathan
No matter how often you see it, it is always just as magnificent.
You could say it is beautiful, but it would hardly do her justice; you could call it breath-taking, and she would smack you later for being so silly. Whatever words run through your head, though, you are again left staring as she takes her true form.
Running your hands over her gold-hued scales, you try not to think why she needs to take this form. To fight.
You press a kiss on the tip of her wing and tell her to come back to you.
***
Concern: Conan
There are so many children.
You know you should feel wrong for even thinking this, knowing that they are all adults, knowing how many of them are not only older than you, but older than any ordinary human could ever hope to be. Nevertheless you walk forward and see children, confused children, anxious children, excited children.
Few of them know what they are getting to. Fewer still will ever get the chance to go home having learnt the weight of war.
You are not young, not anymore, but you will gladly show your claws to fight for these poor children.
***
Discretion: Marie-Claire
No one seems to notice you, which is just fine with you.
Of course, it's not like you attract much attention anyway. You're just yet another human among many others, just a human with nothing to catch anyone's interest. Everyone is too busy preparing to start questioning you on where you came from or why you are here. All htey care about is that you are another man on their side.
The one time they pay attention is when they ask if you will need a weapon.
You decline, feeling the weight of your deck of cards in your pocket.
***
Disbelief: Bolgarasathob
If you did not know better you might think this was a bad dream from eating too much cheese.
Of course, you do not eat cheese, or eat much of anything, or even really dream. As such, you have no choice but to accept this as reality. All of magical Britain is going to war, with the Dragon Emperor and his hordes against you, and instead of running the other way as fast as he can Marie-Claire is dragging you both right in the thick of it.
Cheese dreams would be better. At least then you could wake up.
***
Flattery: Minneliese
Were you less cynical, you would take the gazes as signs of the indomitable spirit or whatever.
Of course, as you are more or less cynicism personified, it is hard to do much else but tsk at the people clearly lacking priorities. You know you are beautiful, but you also know you are about to enter battle.
It might be considered flattering, receiving such attention even in such a strained situation. You are bemused at best, though, and annoyed by the third comment.
You are here to fight. Anyone who doesn't plan to do likewise is hardly worth your attention.
***
Dread: Inka
This will not end well.
Of course, it hardly takes a genius to figure this out. Wars never end well, even without immortals taking sides. And now there are not one but two of them, with the Maiden King riding to war and the Dragon roaring to go against her, and though you've made sure not to be anywhere near you can feel the ripples already.
In the mundane world, the forecasts warn people of an oncoming storm. They do not know it is their cue to run.
You focus on hoping the storm won't tear their entire world apart.
***
Sorrow: Uriel
Even from here, you can hear them preparing.
It is not often that the events of the world are so clear here in your loneliness. Whenever it happens, it never speaks well of the world. There are few things that can reach you here, with the eternal flame and the wail of demons, but the horns of war will always sound loud and clear in your ears.
The sound is colder this time, louder in your ears, and as you hear the echoes you lower your eyes.
However this battle ends, you will have to call for the final council.
***
Zeal: Lancelot
You will only ever fight for your queen.
Others may take their vows to who they wish, to the fae lords or dragon generals or the long dead king and the one who claims his name, but your loyalty is, as it ever was, to your queen. You followed her in one life, and will not follow her in another.
She bides you to follow the false king, and you bow and obey her.
You would never betray the king, not as long as your queen stands beside her, but were she to fall in battle, you would not weep.
***
Amity: Guinevere
You both know that her little dance is about to end.
She was only ever safe as long as she was needed to lead people to war. Now that she prepares to do so, she knows all too well that she may fall.
You never particularly liked her, more on principle than for a true reason, because nobody ever asked you and nobody ever asked her, either. You still surprise yourself as you hear yourself promising that if she rides back alive, you will be her queen.
She smiles, and you almost wish you were not in love with another.
***
Fulfilment: Pendragon
"Come, my children.
Come, men of the isles, born from the tumults of countless peoples.
Come, fair folk of the hills, who once played with the bard.
Come, o mighty dragons, you who faced my knights to death.
Come, children of my children, blood of my blood, mind after my own mind. See that I am your king, as I once was, and once again I shall be. Follow me, and I shall lead you to battle and glory, as surely as the Hunt leads the unfortunate to their doom.
Come, my people. Let us go to war."
They come.