After selecting his first bride today Lugft decided to watch the proceedings, occasionally scanning the line for his next bride. As more and more women were pararded out more and more Drakken seemed to appear. More than a few sons of prominent families were out to find a bride, one of which snatched away his own brides twin. Lugft could'nt care less, he didn't need two identical brides or trophies, it was just dull. Of course his chosen bride was clearly distraught, and he was going to have to deal with that... how troublesome.
As he scanned the crowd so many different little events were going on. The twin of his first bride was in fact a point of contention, as a quite small Drakken somehow got the larger to back off, he found it quite amusing. Other Drakken pulled brides away from eachother, brought them off to converse, all that normally happened at a bride choosing... it made Lugft smile from ear to ear. He decided he didn't want to risk someone trying to steal his first bride, and decided to take measures now that things were beginning to rile up. He stalked over to his new bride, taking her hand and pulling her from the stage to stand next to him. He casually slid his hand and arm down to her waist while he spoke to her, "Well my darling, it appears you are mine hm? What is your name delicate flower? I am Lugft Huron, what is your name?", she wore an... interesting pair of shoes to say the least. They made her quite a bit taller, and seemed to accentuate her feminine form, "What do you call this interesting footwear? It makes you far more womanly and elegant.", all of his words content seemed innocent... but his tone, it sounded like what a great beast would say to its prey.
Then Rynek showed up. Of course the prince would grace them with his presence... Lugft despised the ponce. He was cruel for cruelties sake, and the fact he may be king one day repulsed Lugft, he didn't have any true strength in his opinion. He was tempted to give the prince a fight for calling him 'Loofa' a nickname Lugft absolutely loathed... though he found himself surprised to see the Kings shame out and about with him... she may get torn to shreds. It was then that she showed up. A new Gem, coming to stop as far back as possible, crossing her arms and standing proud. She was beautiful, like all of them, her black dress hugged her form and provided a nice contrast to her red hair and golden eyes and she had an interesting tattoo... but that wasn't what made her Lugfts next trophy... that was her attitude. She stood tall and proud, arms crossed in defiance of her situation. He would enjoy breaking that out of her, and turning her into another trophy.
His first bride under his arm, he made his way to the new arrival, looking her up and down he offered his hand to her, "Come Gem, I believe you will be my bride as well... in fact, give us a twirl! Don't you want to see her twirl darling?", he smiled cruely and lasviciously at her, hoping she would resist him.
As she stood there, most of her focus being spent on not crying anymore, she was nearly knocked over by a Drakken who had bumped into her. When she turned to look at him and apologize for getting in his way, she was surprised to see he had a cloth covering his eyes. Well, that's why he ran into me, he's blindfolded himself! She almost smiled at the thought, how silly the Drakken seemed, but then he spoke to her as if he could see her just fine. W-was she really so obviously scared?
She thought about what he'd said as she watched him walk away. Perhaps... she could sing fairly well, and dancing around might make her less able to feel her sadness for a short time. Though, before she could even think what she could sing, another Drakken walked up to her. He was at least a full foot taller than her, with long white hair and a strange pattern of tatoos framing his face and trailing down his neck. He took her hand and started leading her towards two other Drakken, who complimented him on his choice of herself.
She couldn't help but notice the way the one who'd complemented his brother was looking at her. She looked away and moved her hand slightly so that she was no longer being held in the Drakken's grip, but rather holding hands with him. A small sign of her acceptance and, hopefully, showing that she had a will of her own. She could have pulled away, she could have screamed or cried, but no. Here she was, and she supposed here she would stay. Though she was still uncomfortable with the way the guy was looking at her.
Nadia didn't notice her until a moment before she spoke. Another Gem, a few inches taller than herself with tanned skin and with a look of, adventure in her eyes? She was kind as she introduced herself as Saisri, and her voice reminded Nadia of the stream that ran through the forest near her home. Her old home that was. It seemed to be easier to brush off these sad thoughts as they came, although more and more were popping up as the day went on. She smiled, although she couldn't force herself to look happy, she hoped her gratitude would show through to the other Gem.
"Thank you Saisri, I am Nadia Parnel. You are a daughter of Naia, right?" She paused to try and make herself sound less timid when she spoke next, succeeding slightly. "There were not many water Gems near where I used to live, but I hope that does not matter when I say you are probably the most beautiful one I've met. You look like you've been on an adventure your whole life." She meant it too. Looking at Saisri's hand holding her own, her tanned skin made her's seem even paler than normal.
Her tone took on a joking lilt. Talking was helping her calm down, if only a little. "Honestly I'm a little envious of you. It may seem strange, as a daughter of Pyrus, but I burn in the sunlight. I'd love not to look as pale as snow for once." Her smile was genuine now, she'd calmed down enough. This wasn't as bad as she'd thought it would be.
That was, until another hand suddenly took hers from Saisri and started pulling her away, met with resistance from her own feeble attempt to pull away and from the grip her new husband still had on her other hand. She looked up at the newcomer, easily a foot and a half taller than her with broad shoulders and a cruel smirk on his face as he spoke. "Oh come on. I find it hard to believe a pretty-boy like you managed to land two brides, let alone one." He put his other arm around her, completely pulling her from her husband's grasp.
"So how about I take this one off your hands? Gems like this belong with those who know how to treat them roughly. You're welcome, pretty-boy." The Drakken started walking away, practically carrying her as she struggled against his grip, to no avail.
Zakroti couldn't help smirking at Aymiria's description of the 'shoes'. "You look fine as you are, I certainly wouldnt mistake you for a child. Forget about the damnable things." He commented as they moved on.
Zakroti watched Kasari with some interest; she was bolder than the other, certainly, she carried herself with far more confidence than Aymiria. He thought he saw amusement for a moment when he had commented on her clothing. Speaking of which, Ayltam seemed to have become somewhat mesmerised by it ever since she mentioned it having been popular in her village.
"I never said I did not like it. Quite the opposite, I found it to be quite eye-catching, which I ascribe to those jewels." He nodded to them before continuing "It is an interesting choice compared to the more courtly styles of the other young women here, wouldn't you say? You can tell a lot about a person by how they choose to make their first impressions."
"I too am pleasured to make your acquaintance, Kasari. I am Zakroti Unalim, Muth of Varlasmoras." Zakroti said with another smile; He had a feeling that this was going to be interesting to say the least, she seemed as though she was relatively strong and it was apparent that she was bold enough, no she didn't act like she was afraid (and in fairness, why should she? She was only a few inches taller than him, she probably thought he was a joke.) He ran his eyes down her arm, taking note of the forming bruises from her presumably rough handling at the hands of the guards. Perhaps she had out up a struggle. "I see you already managed to get yourself dragged around by the guards; Did you put up a struggle or were they simply being their usual, brutish selves?"
"Performing with fire you say? Now that might be interesting to see." Zakroti glanced up towards Ayltam, who looked down towards Zakroti with a quick smile. The evidently both found this idea to be of at least marginal interest "Gais epe wre, Ayltam?"
"O ulma nit Kasarieiz kori zan arvar. Kasarieiz vefia a sil, na acta narfin carac. Geh a tyr e o gaiar kala stare bis agea; niz evia ma bal a arvar." Ayltam replied as she looked Kasari up and down quickly before giving her a nervous smile. Zakroti nodded slowly, glancing over his shoulder towards his grandfather. The anger on his face had subsided somewhat and he was now berating Qeynate for Gods know what. There was always something he could pick up on, always something you had done terribly wrong.
He paused in consideration for a few moments; she was beautiful and strong, that would make her a prestigious item. She didn't appear to be boring either, she was rather different to the average bride. Even his grandfather would have to concede this choice.
Zakroti looked back towards Kasari and gave a short nod "Well, Kasari, I look forwards to seeing such a performance when we return to Mu'Jupostat, if it would not be too much to ask of you." Zakroti replied with a small smile.
Ayltam turned away to look towards Miry, apparently having understood that she wasn't going to get to interrogate Kasari yet. She spoke quietly to the short Gem "The honour is mine Aymiria. From where in Gemminia do you hail?" When inquired, tilting her head ever so slightly to the left as she did. Zakroti listened for the answer himself, though Ayltam moved away a few paces and looked up to the ceiling. It was quite clear that she had a lot of questiomns to ask, and she fired several off at once "Was that girl you were with your sister? Are there Gemminite halls that actually look like this room or is this just for show? What's it like in Gemminia? They say it's very beautiful. Are you a noble girl? My sister says that we shouldnt talk to people who don't have noble blood."
Azilon was quickly growing bored of the whole event, finding the energy of the room an irritating upset to his usual day to day lifestyle. Those that could sense his irritation gave the creepy figure a wide berth of space when passing by him, unsure of what would cause such an attitude but not really caring all that much about it either. Exhaling slowly, Azilon sighed and debated with himself on what he was even doing there in the first place. After all it had never really been a pressing matter for him to take a bride, unlike some of the other patrons who were greedily snatching the young ones up. Shaking his head slowly, the young Drakken chuckled to himself out of pity. You're a pathetic creature Azilon. Quit overthinking things and decide. He silently scolded himself as he continued to judge the incoming Gemminite girls.
Each one held a certain charm to them that attracted the eyes of the Drakken lords around them, and yet none of them could hold Azilon's eyes long enough to spark any thought of action. There had been one, however, to stir some curiosity; a pretty little thing whose eyes had somehow captured the light of the sun within them. She bore a tattoo of one of the most powerful forces of destruction the ancient world had ever seen, something he though odd for someone who was supposed to be docile by nature. His curiosity did not last long though, the man loosing interest as a brutish man approached her. He thought he might have recognized the face of the warrior but the name escaped him completely, emphasized by yet another shrug. If he didn't know, it wasn't important enough for him to know so in turn he didn't care.
Gearing up to leave, a small flash of red amongst the Drakken crowd drew his gaze away from the line of unlcaimed Gems. He didn't see it again for a few moments making Azilon believe he had just imagined it, but then caught sight of it again as a girl bobbed her way around the group. From her horns he could gather that she was Drakken, but her small stature was a shock to even him as even female Drakken were known for being tall. A small smile curled the corner of his mouth, a private expression he kept hidden by the hood of his cloak. She was a cute little thing standing no taller than some of the Gemminite women with unusually bright hair. Nothing about her looked like the warrior race she hailed from, in fact without the horns he might have mistaken her for a wandering Gem ripe for the pickings. He had considered letting her continue in her search for whomever had left her behind, but there was something about the way the men around her looked down at her. It stirred his irritation, stoking a fire that was best left cold.
As the space given to the girl slowly decreased, Azilon uncrossed his arms and pushed away from the wall for the first time that evening. He walked with a brisk pace, moving fluidly through the crowd of brutes until he came to an abrupt stop before the girl. The bottom of his cloak rustled its complaint as its bearer cut his movements, wrapping around his legs lightly as he looked down at the small figure. His sudden approach surprised a few of the Drakken who had seen him sulking off to the side before, however the real surprise came when he lifted his arms and lowered his hood to reveal his face. Near black eyes were fixed on the small Drakken girl, studying her curiously as he stood there silently. With a smirk, Azilon stooped down so that he was face to face with her.
"And who might you be, little sprite?" He asked her curiously, allowing his eyes to snap menacingly toward a second approaching Drakken before returning them to the girl.
"Even for you this place is not safe to wander about alone. Who brought you?"
Kasari allowed an effortless laugh to escape her chest at the mention of her more "courtly" sisters. She had thought alot about what she was going to wear to make a good first impression, but the others she felt had gone a bit overboard. As if creating an image of perfection would help save them from the brutal treatment of their new husbands.
"Yes, well... They all dressed for the occassion, I dressed in what I was most comfortable in. It was a long trip, can you blame me?" She retorted with a slight shrug. The fire Gem took a moment to size up the man in front of her, slightly surprised by how short the Drakken actually was now that she was face to face with him. After all, he only had a few inches on her, but she of all people knew that looks could be deceiving. She would have to tred carefully until she knew how to handle the guy. Not at all surprising, during the time she spent sizing Zakroti up he had spent sizing her up as well. And as she had originally designed he noticed the bruising on her arms, his question about them bringing an unintentionally cold glare to her eyes.
"I'm sure they would say I was the one that put up the struggle, but if they're expecting me to cry over a little rough-handling they are sorely mistaken." She growled, glancing back at the guards who had brought her in. As soon as she turned back though, she was back to her normal self and nodding proudly as Zakroti brought up her performing. It had been one of those things she looked forward to every year, and was constantly being scolded for practicing out in the open. If she could continue dancing, even if it were for a bunch of Drakken scum, Kasari knew she would be alright. So when Zakroti offered to take him with her, Kasari sighed with relief.
"It would be my pleasure M'lord Unalim." Kasari curtsied again before stepping forward to join the group. So long as no other Drakken fancied her, or had the nerve to challenge Zakroti for her, Kasari was claimed... And this particular man didn't seem quite as monstrous as the others she had come into contact with. This was of great relief to the young girl for the time being. Certainly there would be more to come for her to worry about, but for now she was just going to be grateful she hadn't been picked by one of the more obviously cruel brutes. And at least I won't be alone. She thought to herself as she glanced over at the other Gem with a smile.
Sorrin didn't quite understand what was going on with this exchange between Sia and the odd man, but all thoughts about it washed away when she was guided back to a proper standing posture. She might have been in the dark about how she got to this place and still fairly frightened about what could happen from then on... But just standing next to Lady Beneni was making her feel a lot better. Eyes sparkling, Sorrin nodded her understanding of Sia's words and smiled gratefully.
"I can't even imagine what it must be like competing with all these guys, but I'm sure it's not easy. It would be my honor to be considered your equal." She smiled widely before allowing her attention to wander again. There were still so many sights to take in that she didn't know where to look first. Sorrin found herself overwhelmed by excitement at being able to see so many new things.
"Hey Lady Sia? What is Drakka like? All the paintings make it look dark and scary, but it can't be that bad... Right?"
Lienna couldn’t help but brace herself when the Drakken delivered his blow, her efforts at holding her own overridden by her instincts. However, seconds after she closed her eyes, to her surprise, no blow came. Instead, she was unceremoniously yanked away, provoking a sharp pain in her arm as it was wrenched from the brute’s grip and transferred to that of another, smaller Drakken. Instinctively, she fought and twisted out of his arms. But this ‘savior’ of hers (she thought, rubbing her sore arm) offered no resistance and instead argued with the one who had tried to claim her, eventually sending the first Drakken away, muttering threats and promises of grisly deeds to come.
As the first Drakken stalked away, the newcomer turned down to look at her with an odd smile. Lienna felt as if the man was looking through her, if the look on his face was any indication.
”Greetings, Lienna. Let me tell you what’s in store for you...”
This Drakken gave Lienna chills down her spine. He had no earthly way of knowing her name, and the fact that he did bothered her. However, as this strange man whispered to her, she learned that, in fact, he was no Drakken at all. Or so he said. A million thoughts raced through her head: His proposal was tempting, of course, but she couldn’t help but feel as if the situation was rather… Convenient. She had no way of knowing if this man was telling the truth, if he really was a Gem at all. He had Drakken guards and bore an insignia she’d seen on the chestplate of the Drakken who’d tried to claim her; he may very well have been a lying Drakken after all. He could have been playing some sick game, as she’d heard the Drakken like to do. What if she followed him and he turned on her, announcing that she was manipulating him, or trying to escape?
In any case, bearing one’s entire plan to someone whom they had no way of knowing would cooperate - as this man just had to her - seemed too suspicious to Lienna or, at the very least, too foolish an endeavour to trust. Therefore, when he parted without giving her a chance to respond, she made no move to follow. For a moment she stared after him, turning his words over in her mind and trying to make sense of them.
Soon enough, the strange one’s presence was replaced by another who seemed to be almost equally strange, but somehow not as off-putting. He was tall (that was a given) with stark white hair and ice blue eyes brimming with childlike vigour. She remarked off-handedly that this was the first person she’d seen with a hair colour matching her own.
This newcomer took on a look of a crazed, excited child and energetically surveyed her, bending down to examine her face, appearing thoughtful. Then he was up again, circling and inspecting her like a statue at auction. By the time he came around, the frown on his face and questioning look in his eye hinted that he’d found some kind of flaw; Lienna couldn’t help but feel slighted.
When he spoke, he spoke quickly; impatiently. Like he was on a mission.
"Question one - which is more preferable? Death by a questionable amount of sex or a long life filled with shitty sex? Question two. If I gave you a knife right now, what would you do with it?"
Suddenly, the former quivering in her gut calmed. This suitor was strangely endearing (in a twisted sort of way) and she saw an opportunity in him: This was one she could definitely work with.
With lidded eyes, she looked the white-haired suitor up and down, even going so far as to lean onto one leg to get a better angle at his side - she took on a similar physicality to him, and made no secret of sizing him up.
“Hmm…” Her voice took on a low, sultry tone, and she tapped her cheekbone thoughtfully. Whereas her suitor asked his questions with flamboyant urgency, Lienna took her answers irresistibly slow.
“Well, if sex is all my new life has to offer me, then where’s the value in longevity?” She questioned back, quirking an eyebrow, “Better to die young and beautiful, glistening in the tightest grips of ecstasy than to slowly wither away, doomed to spend eternity thoroughly… Unsatisfied.”
Perhaps a little too proud of her wording, Lienna allowed herself a sly grin. “As for your knife…”
Lienna paused and closed her eyes, breathing deeply. With this newfound concentration, she called as much water to her as she could; there must have been a basin somewhere nearby, because a steady trickle came slithering across the floor, coiling up her leg and down her arm like a snake to its master. The water pooled in her left palm and she raised it, opening her eyes to watch a long sliver extend past her fingers and freeze into a fine razor, with an edge like a wicked shard of broken glass.
Happy that her idea worked out, her grin reappeared, voice cascading over full lips like a silk ribbon.
Sia laughed, a warm, rich chuckle, and rubbed Sorrin’s shoulder reassuringly. “Just Sia, not Lady Sia. Unless you would prefer I call you Lady Sorrin, instead of just Sorrin.” Again the large Drakken woman smiled, and then her gaze went slightly unfocused as she said, “Much of our land is not inhabitable, and it does have a history of being violent. But it is not intolerable. There is much beauty to be found in these lands. My home, for instance, is nestled into a valley between two mountains. It is cold and dry, and in the winter we can often be barricaded inside by the piles of snow. But in the spring and summer a stream runs through the valley, crystal clear and making music. The wildflowers creep up the sides of the mountains and paint the whole valley in pinks and purples, and little creatures can often be seen playing. And even in the winter when we are barricaded in, there’s… well, you’ll have to see it for yourself. A window where you can see everything, easily a hundred miles in every direction, all the way to where the Spine rises up from the plains.” Her voice went fuzzy and distant as she described her home. Sia quite hoped the small Gemminite would like it there; even if she did miss her home, it wasn’t like Sia could send her back.
There it was again. The foreign language. This time there were… added suffixes? Kasar-ee-yez? Maybe it changed the meaning of the word?
Again Miry filed the sounds away for future reference, trying to figure out what the words could mean. The inflection was somewhat similar to the common tongue, which made her think that perhaps the words were in a similar pattern?
No matter.
Ayltam leaned down and spoke to her quietly; Miry looked up at the girl with a warm smile. She was just a gentle giant. Not the kind to hurt people, it seemed like. She was rather surprised by the torrent of words that came out of the Drakken girl’s mouth, though.
Miry giggled nervously and tried to answer all of the questions, though she was likely incoherently babbling. “I come from the capital city, it’s called Elenath, which means “universe”, more or less anyway, in our ancient language. Legend says that the very first gemminites who lived there named it such because they saw it in the wintertime. The rivers that flow on the sides of the city flow too fast to freeze over, but they make a thick fog at night, so thick you can’t even see anything, and then in the morning there are ice crystals all over everything, so thick that in the sunlight it sparkles like all the stars in the universe were combined. The other girl I was with, her name is Aerienna, and yes, she’s my twin sister. And I don’t think we’re of particularly noble birth, I mean, my mother was the queen’s junior seamstress and chamber-maid but I’m not sure that counts. I guess one could say that technically now I am a part of a noble household, though, as a consequence of this Choosing, but it is up to your uncle to inform me of what my role in this household is to be.” She looked at Zakroti out of the corner of her eye as she said this, wondering if he’d take the hint. Then she thought for a moment and then added something else, ”As far as the architecture goes, it really varies a lot from place to place. The whole city of Elenath is beautiful, old buildings, but maybe not so flashy as this. The palace is truly magnificent… Perhaps someday, if you would like me to, I might paint a picture of it for you.” Miry again smiled up at the girl. She was fairly practiced with watercolor painting, one of the many hobbies she had tried as a child and young adult, and as a water Gem she had an extra advantage of being able to put the paints exactly where she wanted them to go and only soak in so much as she wanted them to.
Miry snapped out of her thoughts and looked up. It seemed Zakroti had been pleased with her suggestion after all. She smiled up at Kasari as the girl stood near her. Then she remembered something Kasari had mentioned earlier.
“My name is Aymiria Cassiel. A daughter of Naia. If you would be willing, perhaps one day we could go over some of the dances you know? I’m, well, I’m a flutist, and I was thinking maybe I could play the accompaniment for your dancing?” She blushed a little at the awkward way the question came out. But at least she had asked it already, before the thought had slipped her mind.
Exon didn't mind that his two brides were speaking with each other. If anything, it kept them out of trouble. He was surprised how his new bride, Nadia or something, was han able to weasel out of his grasp, only to place her hand in his. That was... unexpected, most of his brothers's wives had to told when to make physical contact until properly trained. Perhaps there was a little more to her than what meets the eye.
What happened next was a....surprise to say in the least. And not a very welcome one at that. One moment the Nadia was in his hand and the next, she was gone. For a moment, he thought she had simply released her grip as they had cleared the chaos of the claiming area. He glanced over at her only to see another Drakkan holding her. It was sooo, unexpected that it left Exon confused on how to respond. What idiot in their right mind try to steal from a Xe’Jah? None the less, a Xe'Jah with /two/ brothers on either side of him. His shock allowed Nadia to get a few feet away before he was able to process the situation.
Releasing Saisri, he turned to his brothers, particularly Arteyu. "Hold her--" then thinking better of it. "Don't... touch her unless she tries to move," While he did like his water Gem, he still wasn't ready to trust her on her own any more than he trusted a spotted snursnak with a truska in May. After giving his order he turned to follow the walking dead Drakkan.
"He may say 'don't touch' now," said Atreyu, standing very close behind Saisri just as Exon was out of earshot. "But that's just because he wants the first taste," He allowed his hot breath to find her skin, still not strictly touching her."But soon that time will pass and good brothers share /everything/," His finger picked up a strand of her hair and let it fall from his finger oh-so-slowly. "Tell me, 'little one'" he said, his voice mocking the pet name that Exon had called her. "Will his taste be the first?"
Meanwhile~
It took less than a few seconds for Exon to catch up to the thief. While they were of a height, the Drakkan had clearly had minimal experience on the field of battle. Or...perhaps it was a lack of training. Rule number one, never turn your back on a Drakkan, particularly one you just pissed off. He ran at the man, using his elbow to first dig at his kidney, then Exon used his foot to trip up the other man. He didn't want to cause the man to fall with Nadia still in his grasp. The man was large and could easily crush the much small Gem. He just wanted to through him off balance enough that he would loosen his hold. He was then able to pull Nadia from the Drakkan's grip.
"You should know," he said, having pushed Nadia out of danger. "the Xe'Jah hate it when others touch their belongings," he grabbed the Drakkan's hand that had been reaching out to punch at him . "I think it would do you good, to not touch anything at all," Grabbing the man's arm with two hand, he twisted until he heard a snapping sound and a growl of pain. He kept twisting it, with a poor healer, the man would never fight again. Exon stared at the pain filled face of the Drakkan with a vague smirk. Then for good measure, he rammed the top of his head into the man's face, feeling multiple bones breaking on impact.
Without another thought, Exon tossed the Drakkan away without a second glance, his gaze returning to Nadias. "Are you alright Ge- Nadia?" he asked, looking over her with a critical eye for any sign of distress or injuries. "If you are hurt in anyway, I can still kill him," There was no hint of a joke in his voice.
"No, Kasari, I certainly can't blame you for that. It rather does make sense and besides you're potentially going to your death at the hands of some brute, might as well do it wearing what you are comfortable in." Zakroti replied with a nod, watching her carefully as her gaze grew colder. He traced her look over towards the two guardsmen and then looked back to her with a frown. Well, she certainly was not a pushover. That was good.
"You're certainly made of sturdier stuff than most the other brides, much to your credit. Still, if you would like to repay them for their kindness, Kzaar would be happy to oblige." Zakroti motioned to the massive brute of a Drakken by his left side, towering nearly seven feet into the air. The Blackguard nodded in response and took a step forwards, raising his visor to reveal a face that was very rough, his nose seemed to end abruptly and his brows were drawn into a permanent frown. He opened his mouth for a moment to speak, revealing a set of jagged teeth.
"Say the word, Lady Kasari, and I'll go throw the fear of gods into them. They'd think twice the next time." He grunted in a disinterested manner; he was the go to man for whenever Zakroti needed some beaten up and beating guardsmen evidently held no lustre for him. He was Zakroti's Berserker (a sort of champion who could be appointed to fight duels in the place of their master) and, being massive even for a Drakken, the sight of the plate armoured beast and his warhammer was enough to make most back down quick enough.
"And if you would please, call me Zakroti." Zakroti said, glancing back towards Aymiria as she spoke, but said nothing on the matter himself.
It was a matter that did perplex him somewhat. What was the position of a bride? Certainly not the position held by an actual wife. More of a concubine he supposed; property. They were given the name of Unalim but they were never really part of the family. They were just expected to create babies.
So in a way they were no higher than the slave girls, certainly at best they were hostages. Legally the distinction was quite clear; Brides (a distinct legal entity from a true marital partner) were the property of their 'husbands' and as such he could do whatever he wanted with them, he could leave them chained to a bed.
He had sold slave girls as concubines to lords who would have done no better before but he had never owned one (honestly he found the idea appalling) so this was an entirely new experience. Neither of them seemed to be particularly dangerous and he doubted he would have to send them around with armed guard, at worst they might try to escape or attack him with a kitchen knife; They could be recaptured and he doubted they would have much success with the latter so long as he kept his bodyguards around when he was with them. So he supposed he'd have them treated as though they were actually ladies of the house. Not that it would matter much to them of course; They'd been torn from their homes for his 'benefit' eeither way, no amount of charity was going to stop them hating his guts.
Ayltam grinned as Miry spoke, laughing lightly "Elenath sounds beautiful, I would love to see a painting of it, if it isn't too much of an inconvenience for you or course. So your mother knew the Royal Family then? Were they nice? I don't like our royal family much, they all seem to be a little- ungrounded. And yes, I suppose you're technically my Aunt now. Welcome to the family; House Unalim, it's not a bad family to belong to really. It's powerful, rich and respected and has a proud history, as my grandfather will never let you forget 'Our ancestors were kings! Before the King of Drakka forced us to bend the knee, we wore crowns of gold and carried blades of Paslim silver! We're House Unalim, one of the greatest houses in history and we will act like it!' He'll go on for hours if you set him off, I wouldn't recommend it." Ayltam said, glancing towards her grandfather before looking back to Miry and sighing "I shouldn't speak ill of him but he is a hard man to please at the best of times, no matter what you do it will be the wrong thing to do. Did you know anyone like that back home? And-" The girl paused for a moment in consideration, glancing to the floor before looking back up to her "If its not too much yo ask, did you ever meet anyone called Jaelyn Simmerson?"
Ayltam listened in as Aymiria spoke to Kasari, smiling widely when she said a Daughter of Naia; She knew enough about the Gems to know what she meant by that. Zakroti glanced over his shoulder to her as he moved off to rejoin his family, his growing entourage in tow.
Qeynate glanced over to him, eyeing up Zakroti's two brides before turning his attention away again. One of the Blackguard, Gaikus, approached Zakroti quickly and leaned in, whispering something into his ear before backing off again. Zakroti grunted and then stood by his Grandfather, who did not even acknowledge the arrival of his kinsman but instead gave each bride a stone cold glared, scrutinising every aspect of them as if they had been chosen for himself.
"Zakroti, wre xarxze wel." He muttered before turning away again. The lord did not respond to the insult, turning his attention back towards his brides with a heavy sigh.
Of course Nastaki was displeased with his choice. He could have brought all the daughters of the Gemminite Royal Family before him and Nastaki would have found some error in his choice.
Oh gods… Saisri had opened her mouth to say something about Nadia suddenly being taken, but then Exon noticed. Before she could offer to accompany her husband to go after the small fire Gem, she was left in the hands of…. One of the elder brothers. The bloodthirsty one, the one whom had looked at her with murder in his eyes.
His words trailed down her neck like ice and she shuddered slightly, shutting her eyes. Imagining herself as a pool of water, calm, still, unmoving.
But the words, so artfully crafted, dripped down into the pool, creating ripples, distorting it with ribbons of water the color of blood. Saisri drew in a slow, slow breath, then exhaled. Blowing her anger and fear onto her pool of water, causing it to bubble. Her heart began beating so fast she was sure the Drakken lord could hear it; her face gained a rosy color. As turquoise eyes half-opened, she spoke demurely, her voice breathy and shaking.
“My lord, if it please you…” she began, her body trembling and face rosy with what was presumably desire. Her heart continued to race as the water in her churned, angrier now, bubbling. “I do not mean to presume my place here, but…” She dithered for a moment more. Water under pressure gets hot, and turns to steam…
And eventually the steam explodes.
Saisri jumped off the ground, ramming the back of her head into the Drakken’s face. She felt a satisfying crunch as the top of her skull collided squarely with the soft part of his nose. A sprinkle of blood showered in her hair as she turned and shoved the large Drakken away from her; it shouldn’t have worked but seemingly he’d been startled enough that he stumbled, blood streaming from his nose.
“…But I do not believe I should be required to give the “first sampling” to ANYONE unless I so CHOOSE TO HONOR THEM WITH IT!” She squarely faced the downed Drakken, her fury causing steam to rise into the air around her.
Then she sighed and bowed her head, murmuring, “Lady Naia have mercy on my soul…” She crossed herself and took another deep, shuddering breath. As the pool of water in her calmed itself and resumed it’s normal state, so did her heart rate, so did everything else. By the time her husband would come back with his bride in tow, everything would look normal, save for his brother on the ground and the blood in Saisri’s hair.
Aery smiled politely up at the mountain of a man that was to be her husband. “My name is Aerienna Cassiel, but most call me Aery. As the nickname implies, I am a child of Auram.” She blushed as he mentioned the shoes. “It flatters me that my Lord Huron would appreciate my shoes.” Her language was needlessly formal, perhaps, but then, two could play at this game of courting. “They’re called heel-risers, if it please my lord. Designed specifically to… attract attention.”
She spotted the girl that her husband was going for at exactly the same time he did… goodness, he really did have a thing for small girls, didn’t he?
Aery stiffened, as the monstrous Lord mockingly asked the girl to twirl, then asked for Aery’s own opinion. Trying to pit the girls against each other, likely. She could tell from the cut of the dress that the moment she did, everything would be on display. So thus, the little Air gem subtly knotted her fingers together, concentrating to make it so that the air would hold Talli’s dress down. Then she smiled sweetly up at Lugft and leaned against his side, and said, “Why of course I’d love to see her twirl!”
Saisri: Headbutted Atreyu in the nose and probably broke it. Did I mention she’s a little crazy? Aerienna: Trying to both play along with, and foil, Lugft’s plans. Hopefully won’t get killed by Talli.
Valence noted his guard’s approach, no little Gem in tow. He shrugged, mentally; as confusing as it was, a Gem deciding that staying with Drakken instead of going with a Gem, it was her choice. Of sorts… there could be more to it, but either way, he was concerning himself with someone else.
He subtly watched the exchange between Sia and Sorrin, keeping his eyes elsewhere but observing from the corners of his eyes. Waiting for them to finish, he broke in.
”Impudent doesn’t quite suit me, I think. Audacious, that’s the word I think I fill in nicely. And than you- I know how it can be hard to earn the admiration or respect of any Drakken, especially considering that half of your kind have a far over-inflated sense of self-worth and self-respect. But then again, your people earned the right for it.
“Either way, me and mine found it easy to get inside. Drakken are known for their fighting prowess, and their physical and elemental strength, not their vast clever intelligence and stringent security. Even if a couple of your people discovered who I was, and tried to kill me, all the people nearby would simply they I enraged them and they were fighting me for their honor or somesuch.”
Turning to stare at Sia, two inquisitive, intelligent eyes in a maze of runes and scars that surprisingly few people questioned, he inclined his head a little, giving her his respect.
Lowering his voice, enough for Sia and Sorrin to hear but not anyone else, he continued.
”Me and mine would like to negotiate a deal with you. Preferably talked out in private, and I’d prefer to have it out of this castle. It was easy for I to get in, but that’s because I’m the size of a small Drakken. Others of my group are not so large. We both have goals, I’m sure, and I hope that we can align them to be mutual, and help each other out. Would you find it agreeable to meet later?”
Sorrin shook her head with a giggle, thinking to herself how silly it would sound if she started attaching a title such as 'Lady' to her name. Then it dawned on her that maybe Sia felt the same way she herself did about the title, after all it was one of those things someone else picked for you... Like a nickname that you can't quite stand.
"Fine, just Sia it is... But you have to admit 'Lady Sia' is pretty regal sounding, don't you think?." Her face lit up with laughter before she settled down to listen to Sia's answer. Sorrin could tell that the barren nature of Drakka bothered her some, but the way she spoke of her home held nothing but pride for the place. Closing her eyes, she could just about picture the land. The one thing she couldn't imagine, however, was the snow that Sia spoke of. It wasn't as if Sorrin had never seen snow before, but her Aunt's house was nestled in a valley that hardly ever got cold. And when it did, the snow would fall so lightly that it would melt upon touching the ground; never enough to pile in ways that Sia had just described. It sounded fascinating, and Sorrin couldn't wait to see such a sight.
Many of her Gemminite sisters might have thought her odd for wanting to see such a place, to leave all she knew behind to barrel toward an uncertain future. However, Sorrin had always been known for trying to escape her Aunt's overprotective grasp. She would return just before nightfall covered in bumps and bruises that she had spent all day collecting. It wasn't as if she was intentionally going out and being reckless, but if Sorrin saw something that caught her eye she could chase after it... Even if that thing were a single shadow, or the reflection from a pool it didn't matter. New was new, and she would take what she could get, even if were just a view of snow.
"I think someday Vivari and her sons might forgive one another, and when they do they'll heal all the lands that have been torn apart by their hatred for each other. Then everyone would be able to see the beauty Drakka has kept hidden away." Sorrin bore a faint smile on her face that quickly faded as she sighed.
"My Aunt thought I was silly for believing in such things... Pipe dreams she called them. But don't you think it would be nice to walk outside and see lush green for as far as your eyes can focus? Wind that didn't shriek with cold but sang of home? I think everyone deserves that, it's not fair that we hog it all to ourselves." If there were ever a moment that proved just how sheltered Sorrin actually was, this was probably one of them. But her naivety didn't keep her from storing away certain information about the man. Only then did she realize, from the way he spoke, that he wasn't actually Drakken... And that he may or may not have been a "good guy". He spoke like a spy, and according to the stories, spies weren't usually painted in a good light.
Fearful of getting Sia in trouble, Sorrin closed her mouth and waited for her reaction... After all, she knew nothing of the workings of Sia's estate. She might have been an equal in Sia's eyes, but Sorrin wasn't a strong mind when it came to the politics of a household name, so she would act accordingly by not speaking about it at all.
Kasari paused for a moment, having to lean back on her heels in order to see the giant's face. The bodyguard was an incredibly menacing man that caused her heart to skip a few beats out of fear of his approach. This in mind, she mulled the offer over in her head. She did like the idea of knocking the guards from earlier down a peg, but the sound of inflicting physical pain didn't quite appeal to her. Kasari might have been feisty, but a Gem was still a peace-preferring Gem... Most of the time. Nodding her head, Kasari finally made her decision.
"If it's not too much trouble, I think I will take you up on that offer. It's only fair considering what they've done, so if you'd be so kind Kzaar... I'd very much like to see how fast you can make those two cry." There was a knot in her gut telling Kasari that what she had asked for was in no way proper, but she was far from home and it wasn't exactly as if she were going to enjoy it. She saw it as just punishment for the sins they had already committed. A few shudder inducing images flashed through her mind, but Kasari shook them off and stood be her request stubbornly.
Her attention was suddenly nabbed by the Gem chosen before her, smiling with just as much amusement as before. She had to hold back laughter at the situation Zakroti had just put himself in. Should the pair not get along it would make things miserable for those around them whenever they were together however on the off chance that they did, and it certainly looked like it was going to be that way, Zakroti was going to be in for quite the surprise.
"Kasari Liesma, daughter of Pyrus. And I would be honored if we could work together on such a project. Perhaps you have some original pieces of your own that I could coergraph a dance around? " She asked Aymiria, falling easily into step behind the shifting group. From afar, Kasari could feel the eyes boring into her... A feeling that was anything but pleasant. Coming to stand before a Drakken who looked vastly more important than the others she had seen thus far, she found herself unable to look away from his judging gaze. Finally the tension broke a little bit as the man spoke, and despite not knowing a single word that was said, she could sense that they weren't particularly liked.
Sorrin: Speaking like the ditsy, sheltered child she is... Talking of pipe dreams and whatnot about world prosperity and things. Just realized Valence wasn't Drakken, a step behind but catching up.
Kasari: Has agreed to let bodyguard go scare some manners into the goons who bruised her arms, and to someday dance to Miry's flute playing.
It seemed like the more Nadia struggled and tried to get away, the less good it did her. The Drakken's grip was too strong for her to slip free, and it only got tighter. After a few seconds, she could barely even breathe. She let herself go limp, perhaps he would loosen his grip if he thought she'd given up?
Well his grip did loosen, and he started to fall as she was pulled from his grasp and moved out of the way by her husband. As he spoke, the offender tried to punch him and, Nadia had to look away. She closed her eyes and waited for it to be over, which wasn't long. The sound of pain was bad enough, she couldn't bear to watch. She opened her eyes as her husband asked her if she was hurt.
"P-please don't! I'm fine, please, please don't hurt him anymore." It disturbed her how easily he'd said that. She'd never heard anyone speak so carelessly about taking a life. "I'm, more scared than anything, so there's no need to-" She flinched as she'd clasped her hands in front of herself, looking down at them as she finished speaking.
"There's no need to cause anyone any more pain." She could already tell she was going to have a bruise on her hand and wrist where the Drakken had grabbed her. She hoped her words were enough to keep him alive, and hoped that her sleeves might be long enough to hide the bruise for a while.
As she tried to think of a way to change the topic, she realized that she didn't even know her Husband's name. "Um, m'lord? You called me by name but I don't think I know yours yet."
Nadia can't stand the sight of pain, and tries to talk Exon out of killing the Drakken that tried to steal her away. She's got a bruise forming on her hand/wrist, and is trying to hide it. Also, she just asked Exon what his name is, because introductions are just what you need after an attempted kidnapping!
Kalani wandered through the hall as her heels made a soft click with every step she took. Many of the Gems had seemingly gotten along with the Drakkens already from what she had seen. It was strange. It seemed like a giant party if you managed to ignore the fact that these people have taken you away from your home and have threatened to destroy your land and your people every year. A fact that Kalani had not forgotten.
As she was walking, she could hear the not-so-subtle whispers around her.
"What about her?"
"No, she looks too prideful"
"I wish I was choosing this year, I would love to break her until she was nothing-"
Kalani kept her head up high, trying to not get bothered by what they were saying about her. Every other Gem seemed to have been chosen already and then there was her. Was there a chance that she wouldn't get chosen at all? That would hurt her pride immensely but at the same time, would they send her home? That was wishful thinking though. They would probably kill her for not being appealing enough.
She stood alone awkwardly, her face turning slightly red with embarrassment. She was not used to being the last picked for anything. Should she relax her shoulders? Would that make her more approachable? Why was she trying to attract these brutes anyways? Oh, because she might get killed if she doesn't. That was always a good enough reason to do things.
"This is ridiculously shameful," she could not help but think to herself. Her fear had been replaced with annoyance. This whole thing was annoying. If they had chosen her for this stupid Reaping then they should at least have the courtesy to choose her as a bride. Here she was, this beautiful fire Gem, ripe for the taking. And she would be a very good bride, at least she thought she would.
Kalani almost wanted to storm back up to the chamber she first got dressed in and hide there. "No, no... stay calm. They save the best for last...right?" Her parents would be so disappointed in her. "Shame, I have brought shame to my family."
Kalani feeling many things because she is not yet chosen. "Shame, I have brought shame to my family."
Miry grinned up at Ayltam; she couldn’t help it, she really liked the young Drakken girl, even if she was kind of talking her ear off. “My sister’s better at painting, because I gave up entirely on my lessons when I was six or seven. But I will do my best. The royal family is very nice, I mean, Aery and I used to play with Princess Annaveya, when we were little, before Anny’s nursemaid got a stick up her bum and told us we couldn’t play with her anymore.” Miry pouted a bit, then focused on the explanation of the household. Her blood ran a bit cold as Ayltam recited the family motto. So this was when it hit her. These people had their own empire, before they got conquered, and here they were playing pretty in the Drakken court. No question there would be some resentment there, the kind of resentment that could, possibly, spark an explosion.
“I used to know a person like that. My flute instructor, Liiren. I could spend hours practicing but the slightest mistake, like my fingers coming off the keys too far, or the slightest hesitation in a trill, or a note not articulated right, and she’d rant about how useless I was and make me do it over. There were times when she’d get so frustrated she’d lock me in the practice room for days on end, until my fingers started bleeding or I collapsed from dehydration. But it made me into the musician I am today so I really can’t blame her.” Miry shrugged. Then she sensed the change in the mood and frowned, her brow wrinkling slightly as she thought about it. Then realization dawned on her face.
“Jaelyn Simmerson? I… I’ve heard the name before, I think...” Then the faintest flicker of horror crossed her gaze, though she kept her face blank, as she remembered the tale she’d heard whispered around the court behind books and parasols, when the adults had thought that nosy children weren’t listening. The woman’s body had been found in the forest just north of the border with Drakka, her body emaciated and broken. She had been taken in a reaping a year or two before the twins had been born; Miry seemed to recall that she had been very small, at most 3 of 4, when the news was going around the court. She had escaped from her Drakken keeper, that was the rumor, that was why she was noteworthy. She had escaped and had tried to flee back to home, but her strength had failed her.
To change the subject, Miry asked the girl, “If you don’t mind me asking, which elements do you use? What is your family’s estate like? Is it pretty there? Do you have a library? Is there an orchestra? Is the weather going to be too cold for my Bunny? Oh I never mentioned, Bunny is my pet rabbit. I dunno what kind of rabbit she is but she’s all white and super-super soft and really friendly, she loves everyone.” Miry couldn’t help it, firing off so many questions and statements. Once one question had been forced out, it seemed like seven others snuck out too. She had never been one for conversation and couldn’t be sure she was doing it right. The theory of conversation was so straightforward… why did she constantly trip over her tongue when trying to practice those skills?
The pretty fire Gem had said something about the dances. Miry looked up at the taller girl. “I have a whole pile of my old scores in my flute case. I’m sure there’s something that a dance could be choreographed to. My sister used to dance some but I’d imagine it was a very different style of dancing…”
As the group came to a stop in front of the older, important-looking male, Miry dipped a curtsy; she wasn’t sure if that was the proper protocol… she might be able to rattle off the entire Gemminite court protocol including angle and time for curtsies in various settings and to various people, the proper way to hold a serving tray, and other such things, but… she had absolutely no idea how Drakken politics and honor and etiquette worked.
The grandfather seemed to say something dismissive, judging by his tone and the way Zakroti wearily sighed and looked back to his brides.
Now this didn’t seem right. Patriarch he might be, absolutely terrifying patriarch at that, but he still shouldn’t disrespect his own grandson.
Miry looked up at him, then swallowed, her mouth suddenly going dry, and looked back down to the floor.
Come on, Miry, you played a concerto in front of three thousand people when you were thirteen years old, and you can’t even say something to one measly little Drakken now that you’re an adult?
Miry curtsied to the lord again, keeping her eyes down; she held the pose for a few extra seconds, then rose back to her normal standing posture. She opened her mouth, still looking at the floor, and said quietly, barely more than a whisper, “I would hope that’s not the way you talk to all of your kin… I would think that a cruel patriarch wouldn’t survive for long here… especially not in a family that is so cruelly oppressed. But I suppose that’s the nature of a hypocrite. Preach freedom, offer out oppression, and no one ever sees through it.” By the end of that little seemingly nonsensical rant, Miry looked up at Zakroti through her thick eyelashes, a tiny razor blade of a smile settled onto her mouth. Her hands were clasped demurely in front of her, in part to hide how badly they were shaking and in part to show her sweet, innocent nature. She entirely ignored the lord she’d just insulted and looked up at Zakroti as calmly as she could, blue eyes bright and... excited.
Aymiria: Again with the water gems trying to get themselves killed. Political/social ties explained, little bit of backstory provided, and also insult to a Drakken who could break her in a fraction of a second. In other words, normal Aria post.
Eventually, after a few minutes of unrest, the pounding in her skull faded away and the gold of her eyes rested. It seemed that the fire from earlier was enough to drive off anyone who was looking for the easy fuck that most of the other Gems presented. Her eyes danced around the room, a gentle smirk playing on the edges of her lips. Being ignored was a privilege that few others apparently shared and although it pained her to see the other Gems being dragged off, their resistance was weak. They were going to die sooner or later, why not now in a glorious show of strength?
That glorious show of strength was to be put to the test when Talli apparently picked up some interest. She felt him first, his domineering stature, the way he seemed to lurch everywhere instead of walk. When her eyes finally caught up with her other senses, the smirk fell as her brows creased into a frown. Before she even had a chance to sum him up, he opened his mouth, a thing that most Drakken seemed dreadfully fond of.
"Come Gem, I believe you will be my bride as well... in fact, give us a twirl! Don't you want to see her twirl darling?" Atallia felt her blood boil and the gold of her eyes twisted to a dark red. She always bullied for them - the other children didn't understand why her eyes seemed to have a mind of their own so clearly, this must have meant that she was an odd creature that was clearly not Geminite. Not exactly pleasant but they were children and children learned from their mistakes and matured. She had never particularly thought about it before but the Drakkens reminded her of children - painfully dumb, fond of physical violence innocent enough to think that they mattered in the world. The scales would tip once again and this time, their savage race would be obliterated. Until then, she had to keep fighting. Others, like the other Gem her suitor had found himself, preferred to pretend that nothing wrong would ever happen to them and that they'd always be favourable in the eyes of their owners. A life of subservience was no life at all and if she was to die, she would at least die with honour.
Her hands curled tightly as the pretty one opened her mouth. “Why of course I’d love to see her twirl!” Bitch. The red of her eyes didn't defuse at all and as Atallia darkened, she began to feel her very skin begin to fizzle in anticipation of a sudden combustion. Her hands heated, ready to do damage, but just as she was about to realise her magic, her vision went red and all sense faded from the world. The room around her was burning. The flames never licked her but as she stood, she could hear the screams and cries of her sisters, too weak to escape the harsh bouts of fire. It hurt. Her head hurt and whatever she did, she couldn't drown out those screams. It reminded her of the Spirit of the Dragon. It never protected the weak, it went where innocent blood was spilled. It was a dark vengeance, a cruel justicar. So, somewhat surprisingly for the numb-skulled fire Gem, Atallia let the flames in her hands die away as her vision died and the red faded from her eyes.
"I don't think you would want me, my lord. If you want another one like her, you'll find none of that here." Her chin fell and her eyes, heavy and royal backed into a silent retreat. The fire from before was gone as if a realisation hit her that trying to burn him to a crisp wouldn't end well. She didn't twirl though - she had some decency. Instead she stood, quietly reserved but still resistant.
Once finished with his questioning, Rynek looked quite pleased with him. They covered some pretty broad areas and he eagerly awaited the look of terror that should have accompanied both. When that look of terror didn't come, his frown returned and he bent down to inspect her as if there actually was a problem with her. Cocking his head to the right, he silenced as his eyes took on a look of concern. Instead of the terrified response she started sizing him up like he had done before. Like something equivalent to a dog and a hedgehog, Rynek felt a little put-out. Those questions alluded to topics that the Gems didn't like talking about but this little one didn't seem to mind them at all. He backed off a little, concern still etched on his face. His face followed hers and as she leaned on one leg to get a better look at him, he reared up and crossed his arms over his chest, eyes tearing away from her. That was not nice whatsoever - ruining his fun like that.
When she opened her mouth, however, he couldn't help but flick his vision back to her. Her voice seemed to cascade gently, as if every word emanated from her sweet lips had been carefully architectured to elaborate her thoughts perfectly. She was a vision of grace and sultry eloquence and, despite himself, his brutish boyishness felt a little out of its depth. Watching her, his eyes locked on her; a gaze that could typically break men in two. It was one of the most terrifying things a mortal could experience - Rynek was being serious.
“Well, if sex is all my new life has to offer me, then where’s the value in longevity?” She questioned back, quirking an eyebrow, “Better to die young and beautiful, glistening in the tightest grips of ecstasy than to slowly wither away, doomed to spend eternity thoroughly… Unsatisfied.”
His mouth opened then closed then opened again and the look faded as he realised what he was doing. But in that moment before he returned to his original state, he took on a mystic look and for a moment, it looked like he was deliberating whether to take her there and then or slice her throat for such insolence in the face of the great Rynek Darion. It was a puzzling experience.
A smirk found her rosy lips as she spoke again. “As for your knife…” Water trickled upwards and down along her arm before sealing into an icy blade, deadly as it was beautiful. Rynek felt that the blade held way too many similarities to its creator for his liking. “...Well, I've never found much use for them.”
There was something about her that threatened him. Before, they had whimpered and cried in his presence. He was insane; they had every right to be terrified but this one didn't care at all. She dared to dance with death himself and he was beginning to get the feeling that she was the one leading the dance. That wouldn't do at all. With surprisingly gentle fingers, he took the razor from her grasp and raised it to catch the light before his eyes. He twisted it in inspection and within a moment, too fast for the light to even catch up, one arm had dragged her close to him and the other had the razor precariously pressed into her pale skin. "Careful now, girl. I like you but insolence will not be tolerated." This girl must have been really special because, for the second time that day, Rynek took on a serious look.
"You don't know what you're getting yourself into. This road is a very dangerous one and if you think you can make a profit from it, you will regret your decisions." The blade seemed to press further into her until eventually, blood formed and dripped down over its edge. In that instant, the blade seemed to heat and pool into the water from which it came from. As the drops of her blood fell down onto his open palm, it mixed with the warmed water.
"It would seem that blood is thicker than water..." He mused, his smile returning as he released her, wheeled about and wandered into the cloud. "Stay close, little one; these folks are like wolves!"
Aeila Snowblood
Who even knows what's going on with Aeila?
She could feel her terror rising like a fiery dragon that had suddenly been unleashed into the world. It cut her to the bone and left her shaking and afraid but she had to get through it. She wouldn't survive any other way. Rynek wouldn't always be there to cover for her and if she didn't master her fear now, she would be lost to it. Aeila could feel their eyes, hard and unrelenting, constantly bearing down on her and without even looking, she knew that they were closing in on her, like wolves circling their injured prey. How ironic it was that the only thing that would be her saving grace would be the wolf crest of her brother's armour. But fate was not a kind thing.
She kept her eyes closed shut, too afraid to open them in case someone noticed the terror trapped inside them. She would have kept them closed if it wasn't for the sudden presence she felt directly in front of her. Given the instantaneous nature of it, she was almost hesitant to open her eyes but she did nevertheless. What met her scared her something serious but she had to face him. She had no choice. He already had his mouth opened.
"And who might you be, little sprite?" He asked her curiously, allowing his eyes to snap menacingly toward a second approaching Drakken before returning them to the girl.
"Even for you this place is not safe to wander about alone. Who brought you?
Her eyes went wide as he stared at her, his eyes black and whole. This was not good. This was not good at all. Somehow, however, she managed to open her mouth to speak. What rose was empty air for a few moments before she realised she was looking weak and stupid and filled it with shaky courage.
"Did you never hear that it is rude to ask for a lady's name without providing your own first? And my brother took me; he has just wandered off to find a bride so if you have any malicious intentions, I advise you seek him out."
Although her tone was somewhat bitter, it was clear that she was afraid. Her voice seemed to tremble, even as she attempted to emanate it outwards. Nevertheless, she stood against the much taller Drakken.
"Aery Hmmm? What a lovely little name my dear.", she was quite formal... playing athi eh? She thought she was clever he was sure, good, meant she wasn't just some waif who'd give up her first day here. He loved her ingenuity as well, Heel-Risers? Clever little creations indeed, "It is good to know at least one of my wives will have some... ingenuity to her, and enjoys experimentation... now your sister had a pair as well yes? Though please Aery, dispense with calling me 'Lord Huron'. You are my bride, young and full of energy, call me,", to accentuate his next statement his hand drifted down to the small girls shapely ass, her 'Heel-Risers' making her tall enough for it, and squeezed it, "Lugft... or at least 'darling' little Aery... after all, a bride and her husband should be quite close.", he sensually hissed this last word, as he held the girls cheek in his large hand.
Lugft watched her... closely. As he approached she had tensed, and her defiant smirk had become an angry frowning scowl, she hated him. He loved it, he watched the fiery little Gem heat up, being a wielder of flame himself he could feel the heat building as she wanted to burn him... Do it Gem... I dare you. Burn me! Try it!, his eyes flashed, the look of anticipation running over his eyes. “Why of course I’d love to see her twirl!”, and Aery had played right into his hands, whether this Gem twirled or not she would no doubt consider Aery some submissive waif to be reviled. As she finished it only seemed to infuriate the Gem more, and Lugft felt her about to explode... and then something stopped her. She released her pent up power, much to Lugft's chagrin. He hid his dislike of her holding back behind his cruel smile, waiting to see if she would now twirl... or resist his differently perhaps?
"I don't think you would want me, my lord. If you want another one like her, you'll find none of that here.", Lugft was right back to smiling internally at this, insulting and dismissing Aery and refused his request? This was perfect, she was just disdainful enough to drive a wedge, no matter how small, between herself and Aery and resistant enough to make things fun. He shook his head as he smiled, "Tsk, tsk, tsk Gem, it is not smart to deny a Drakken what he wants, Aery knows that,", he squeezed the small girls rump again to acentuate his statement, "but it appears you will have to be taught... good,", he reahced up and grabbed the girls arm, pulling her against his chest, "Good thing I wasn't looking for another Aery hmmm? If I had been I would have taken her twin as well. Now, whats your name Spitfire?", he pulled her to his side, much like he had Aery though not yet groping her. He had his brides, and as such decided to make his way to the banquet hall. Several other such satisfied lords made their way before him, "I think you'll both enjoy the banquet, the chefs here are quite skilled. Though I hope you're both hungry, Drakken feasts are very extensive, and you will need quite a bit of energy after the banquet is over.", he chuckled maniacally as they walked... he was going to enjoy this evening.
Kzaar nodded and reached up to his helmet, lowering the visor over his face before turning in place and storming off towards the two guards. He tool his warhammer from his belt and held his shield tightly in the other hand.
The first of the guards, the shorter of the two, noticed Kzaars approach when he was some 8 meters away and jabbed the other, motioning to him. The guard turned to view the hulking Blackguard and took an involuntary step backwards.
"Is something the matter?" The guardsmen asked, glancing to the warhammer in the Blackguard's hand cautiously, sliding his own hand to his sword.
"On behalf of my Lord Zakroti and his Lady Kasari, I have been sent to speak with you about your mishandling of Lady Kasari." Kzaar replied in a tone that made it quite clear that it would be an extremely unpleasant conversation. The two guards, having regained their wits, were not to be so easily frightened however.
"She was resisting." He commented simply as his friend placed his own hand onto his sword, both ready to draw.
"Runs in her family, her brother tried to stop us too." The second commented as he glanced over to Kasari "She's the one you should be having conversations with."
"Are you calling her a liar? Do you think my lord would be so easily taken in?" Kzaar questioned, his grip tightening around the hilt of his hammer. The two guards caught the motion and went to draw their swords; Kzaar was quicker however and launched forwards his hammer, catching the first Drakken in the stomach and causing him to double over before smacking him on the back of the head with the hilt of the weapon, sending him sprawling onto the floor.
The second guard had drawn his blade and lunged forwards towards Kzaar, bringing the blade down in a chopping motion. Kzaar dashed to the side to avoid it, ascending several of the steps; The warrior advanced up them towards the Blackguard, bringing his sword in for a slash. Kzaar moved his shield quickly, knocking the blade away before smashing the shield against the guard's face, sending him stumbling backwards against the banister of the stairs. Kzaar seized the opportunity and advanced quickly, flipping the warhammer around and using the hook on the back of the head to smash through the warriors armour and pin his arm against the railing. He brought his hand under the Drakken's groin swiftly and tossed him over the banister, causing his arm to contort at an unnatural angle as the weight of his own body and armour pulled down on it.
"I yield, I yield!" The warrior yelled between cries of agony. Kzaar lifted the hammer away and slid it back onto his belt, causing the warrior to collapse onto the floor below with a clatter, cradling his broken arm. His comrade had managed to clamour to his feet and after taking one look at the Blackguard and his injured ally turned and stumbled away as fast as he could. Kzaar growled and charged down the staircase but was too slow to stop the fleeing Drakken. Instead he turned to the downed guard who was slowly bringing himself to his feet and seized him by the throat, dragging the wounded Drakken back towards Zakroti and his family, coming to a halt in front of them with his arm still clamped around the warriors neck.
"I have brought one of them my liege, the other has given flight." Kzaar said as he forced the warrior to his knees, the man still clutching his arm and moaning in pain whenever he could catch his breath to do so "What would you have me do?"
"I'm sorry! Please, have mercy my lord! My family relies on my wage, I didn't mean to harm your bride!" The warrior begged in between gasps for breath. Zakroti glanced down to him with a cocked brow before looking back towards Kzaar. Zakroti certainly wasn't going to kill the man for making a bruise but he certainly wasn't against dragging out the mans fear for a little longer and giving him a lasting embarrassment that he would have to carry for the rest of his time stationed at the Wroth. Perhaps if he made him beg for forgiveness from Kasari; He'd become a joke in the eyes of his colleagues, thats for certain.
"I don't believe I am the one you should be begging forgiveness of." He said as he turned away again. The guardsmen looked up towards Kasari with begging eyes
"Please have mercy." He choked from within Kzaar's armoured grasp, terror filling his eyes as he looked up towards Kasari. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry... just let me go! I'll never lay a hand on one of the brides again, I swear, just please don't kill me!"
Ayltam was apparently too interested in what Aymiria was saying to take note of what was occurring only few meters away from her.
"I would love to hear you play sometime, if I may. I can't play anything, I used to have lessons in playing a lute but I was just hopeless at it. My tutor was no Liiren, I honestly don't think he really wanted to teach anyone anything unless it involved downing ale and pocketing their money."
Her face lit up when Miry had mentioned that she had heard of a Jaelyn Simmerson, only for it to quickly drop when she noted the young girls expression
"What is it? What do you know of Jaelyn?" She asked with a concerned look. Miry proceeded onto another topic and for the time being Ayltam let the issue drop
"My elements? Water and air; Its what my name means to, I was named after my elements. I was strong with them when I was born, the drapes had been badly fitted and I blew them up into the air and drew water from the nearby vase across the room, splashing it across the floor. The midwife had never seen anything like it with any of the other children, most of the time it doesn't even become apparent for the first few years. There are exceptions of course and I was one of them. It made no end of trouble for my nanny, she used to joke that it was a good thing I wasn't fire, lest I set fire to the manger." Ayltam replied with a small smile before continuing into something of a ramble "Of course, its very rare you'll find someone named after their elements today; 'Bal' is still used because its usually easier to tell whether a child has fire as one of its elements because the air may get hotter once its born but even then, more often than not, it is not related to the element at all and is just used for traditions sake. Everyone got tired of being wrong I suppose and nobody really wanted to wait four or five years to name their child but it was really when Kastaki adopted the more Kalderan naming system but in our language and it became far more common to use names like Silnor and Sancrete. Practically every name is set up on this manner now; Two words joined together are used as a name and so almost every name has meaning to it, usually lets you know what their parents ambitions for them were. It poses other problems too of course, how do you decide which way around to put the elements? If I was born fifteen hundred years ago I would probably be Tamayl and not Ayltam."
"My families estate? Well, I assume you mean specifically my uncles. Its rather nice; There are four major holdings in it, two of which are large towns or cities; Sancreayl and Laloriayl. The former is very beautiful in spring when all the trees blossom. It's Lord is Oiste Paslim; He's always too busy inspecting the new new blades or trying to raise the mining quote but his family is nice. Lady Paslim bakes the best pies this side of the spine. You'll probably spend most of your time with us in Mu'Jupostat; The gardens are beautiful, there are even plants from your lands in there and one of the statues was taken back when the first Reaping happened. There is a library in the keep and the castles archives are hold there as well, save for those entries which were lost or destroyed. I'm afraid I don't know what an orchestra is so I cant tell you. As for your pet I think it will be alright. There have been rabbits there before, I remember when I was about ten we had been eating rabbit for days and I wondered why. Apparently there had been a dramatic increase in their numbers and many had to be culled to stop them from eating all the county crops. So I assume your Bunny will be alright; Just don't let her loose near any of the farms or let her stray into the hounds and she should be fine."
"But really, I want to hear some more about Jaelyn Simmerson; what do you know about her? Did you ever meet her? Is she still alive? Ayltam asked in a serious tone. Then she watched bewildered as the young girl decided that insulting her grandfather was a good way to go. From the look on her face it was obvious that Ayltam wanted to pull Aymiria away and apologise for her behavior but remained rooted to the spot despite her best efforts. Zakroti paused and opened his mouth slightly in shock; What was Miry thinking? This couldn't end well...
"Aymiria, you're talking to a very dangerous man." Zakroti whispered quietly as she turned to face him. She appeared to be- happy that she had said that, as if she was expecting something good to come of it. Zakroti swallowed and glanced over to his grandfather; Nastaki gave a glare that could melt ice to the short Gem before him. He remained completely silent for several seconds before raising his voice to speak in his powerful voice that seemed to fill the air around him with electricity; Zakroti knew it all to well. It was the kind of voice that commanded your attention, the voice that belonged to a leader whose desires were inexorable and whose words could fill men with inspiration- or with dread.
"Zuth Tyrlal; sep geheiz vefia." Nastaki ordered. One of the knights stepped forwards behind the ground girl ans drew his dagger from its sheath. Two other knights stepped forwards and seized her to prevent her from running. Tyrlal placed the blade against Miry's back and slashed down through the fabric of her dress before tearing the cloth from her. "Zuth Norka e Zuth Varlaste, kros geh. Zuth Tyrlal, jusla geh postat." The knights backed away from her save for Tyrlal who turned her to face Nastaki before forcing her to kneel
"She doesn't know what she's saying." Ayltam piped up at last in the young girls defence, but her protests were being promptly ignored by Nastaki. "She's had a long rode and is tired, scared and famished."
"I want you to treat this as a learning experience; You will afford people the respect of their station." Nastaki nodded to Tyrlal who released his grasp on her and seized the ruins of her dress before burning it to a cinder in his hand. The spectacle had drawn the attention of a number of nearby Drakken nobles and guardsmen who were now sniggering at the girls predicament; A few of them had begun making rude comments towards her, some of which ran along the lines of how it was good to see that at least 'some parts of her were reasonably sized', which inevitably drew the counter cries that even those parts were too small.
Zakroti bit his bottom lip as he watched the scene unfold; He daren't intervene as it would likely only incite his grandfather to do something more severe. At the same time, he couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor girl; He doubted she had expected to be stripped and placed on display before a room full of Drakken for making one somewhat insulting remark towards his grandfather. Bit then what had she expected, exactly? Surely there was no way she could have possibly expected this to end well! And here he had thought he might have more trouble with Kasari, at least she wasn't trying to make an enemy of his grandfather.
Nastaki turned away again, this time heading off with his small group of knights and leaving the poor girl to be laughed at and humiliated. Zakroti waited until his grandfather was out of an earshot before speaking
"Ayltam, give her your cloak." He said, causing the young Drakken girl to nod and take the wolfskin travelling cloak from her shoulders, offering it to Aymiria. "I believe the guards will have your belongings in the storeroom by now. I am afraid we must spend more time among the folk of quality later, let us not drag this on too long. Miry, I will escort you up to the room where they keep the brides belongings and we you will meet the others in the banquet hall." Zakroti said as he for Aymiria to follow before heading into the hallway off the side of the claiming chamber; Vain and Gaikus followed after them. Ayltam and the rest of the blackguard turned their attention back towards Kzaar and Kasari to watch the scene unfold.
He knew that a few doors down the corridor was a staircase that led up to the floor where the Drakken kept the Gems belongings before moving them to their husband's room. The Lord began to climb it, leading the young bride into a dark room. A single figure was inside, leaning over the luggage and going through it for any valuables. The moment he noticed the pair in the doorway, he stood up and stuffed the necklace he was carrying into his pocket before approaching the door and trying to pass.
A looter; Of course. The guards of the Wroth could usually be certain that anything they took wouldn't be noticed until far later, by which point it would be unlikely that they would be caught. It made sense that they would occasionally lift valuables from the luggage of unfortunate Gem Brides. He imagined plenty of young girls found almost all their belongings had been taken once they had arrived back at their husbands holdings.
It became apparent as he approached that while he was armed with a sword, he wasn't armoured in any manner. Zakroti blocked his path, confident that he could intimidate the Drakken.
"Put all you have taken back." He commanded; At first the Drakken appeared inclined to disobey but after a few seconds in which he had likely registered his disadvantage or sighted the two armour clad figures in the hallway behind Zakroti, grudgingly complied with the order and tossed a set of jewels back into the bag he had through rummaging through, muttering as he left. "See if you can find your belongings and get something to wear from them; I'm sorry for my grandfather, I should have warned you that he doesn't take insults lightly. I'm surprised he let you off so easily. What in the world possessed you to say that?" Zakroti asked, leaning against the doorframe and waiting patiently "I'll look away while you change, don't worry." He turned his head to face the wall across from him, able to see the doorway out of the corner of his eye.
Kzaar beats up two of the Drakken guardsmen, giving one of them a very nasty broken arm before dragging him back to Zakroti. Zakroti makes the guard beg Kasari for mercy. Ayltam inquires about Jaelyn Simmerson and talks about home. She also rambles about names. Nastaki is really pissed and decides to humiliate Aymiria by stripping her naked. Zakroti takes her to get another set of clothes, lest she attend the banquet naked...
Bride of Cuwarr Naxremis and Sister-Bride to Kalani Solle
"Sorici, Lord. I can tell you my last if you wish to hear it, but I hardly think it has mattered since I arrived here." Sorici spoke in a low, calm tone, cloaking how certain aspects of this man had rattled her. Of course, his confident manner of approach and attitude towards his inferiors - the guards - was just as she would anticipate, but there were undeniably some attributes of his that were distinctively unsettling. Worst of all, she couldn't identify why. True, his mannered speaking and relatively undemanding address of her were unexpected coming from such a barbaric race, but so what if a few of these creatures appeared backwards from the rest of their kind? She should know by now that they were all horrible at their cores. And she did. She was certain that this specimen, no matter how charming, and yes - somewhat-okay-maybe-a-little attractive he may be, was no exception to the rule that had been clawed into her by the kin of his that she'd buried a blade in.
Despite these wary thoughts, Sorici found herself giving Cuwarr a gentle smile. She had yet to decide if it was because he was being so wonderfully civilized so far, or because some odd urge to entertain his remarks - which, if she understood properly, were praising - had overtaken her. "Although...you identified me as a white lotus, which I have heard is quite a beautiful flower." As difficult as the fabric he wore made it, she tried to meet his eyes with her own. "Pristine, in fact. I regret to say that I cannot see my resemblance to such a lovely, delicate thing, but perhaps it is for the best." she shook her head a little wistfully, but with firm conviction. "It would not do to have an inflated opinion of one's self, and besides, being delicate and chased after should be reserved for those with no other attributes besides their fragile attraction." She lifted her chin slightly. "I can assure you, lord, that I am far more than a fading blossom. Compared to you, I may be breakable, but dare I say that I am a bit more like an elegant if lightweight sword than a petal blown about by the wind."
As her words faded from her tongue, she had a sudden feeling of having overstepped her bounds. Looking over Cuwarr's shoulder at a gem with striking amber eyes who was miraculously unclaimed, she felt her old sense of weariness and loneliness from her people's slaughter return. The Drakken had not said so much as a cold word to her and she already felt defeated. Maybe it was time to accept that the Gemminites were just particularly bright colored butterflies about to be crushed under some metal boot, but she had the feeling that she just couldn't, not yet. With that in mind, she swallowed nervously and spoke up once more in hardly more than a whisper. "Please forgive my remarks. I should not have allowed my mouth to move faster than my mind."
Watching the other Gem as she waited for a response, Sorici tried to catch the girl's attention and send her a look that would invite her closer. No doubt she was feeling vulnerable without someone already claiming her, and this Drakken seemed to be the absolute best of temperament one could hope for.
Exon raised his eyebrow at the girl. It didn't make sense, surely the girl was just as upset by being taken by someone she didn't belong to as he was that someone touched his belonging. A part of him thought that he should just kill the man anyway. But he lacked a decent weapon and Drakkon were notoriously sturdy. It would take far too long to dismember the man and there were two other things that he'd rather give his time to at the moment. Besides, he didn't think that it was in anyone's best interest to leave his brothers with his other bride for any amount of time. "Fine, I won't kill him now,"
He paused for a second at the question. Nadia's much ....softer personality had something to do with his... kinder introduction. "It's Exon. The two others are my older brothers," he said, his eyes flicking up and down the girl. He was doing a sweep over for injuries, but he didn't pick up on anything, yet. Exon then took Nadia's hand and lead her back to their group.
The fight with the other Drakkon hadn't really take them so far from his brothers and his bride, and they really hadn't been gone so long. So, when he saw the blood on Saisri's, he immediately assumed there had been a second attack while he was away. Dragging Nadia behind him, he arrived at Sairsi side. Releasing Nadia's hand he firmly took Sarsri's head in his hands and tilting it side to side, looking for the cause of the blood. It was only a after a few confused moments of searching for a non-existant injuries, that Exon noticed Atreyu laying flat out on the floor. Blood gushing from his nose. Well, at least I found my injury he thought to himself. He glanced over at Panitra, who seemed to have just recovered from a violent fit of laughter.
"Well, little brother," said Panitra, walking over to Exon and his shoulder. "You certainly picked yourself out a spirited one. I'm going to the hall, fancy myself a drink to watch this little show play out,"
Shaking his head at Panitra's commitment, Exon turned to face his bride and brother, his hand some how having found Nadia's again. "So, who...wants to explain this to me," he said, raising an eyebrow at them both.
"You bride is rabid, that's what happened," growled Atreyu from the floor, quickly standing up now that the shock had worn off. "Stupid Breeder attacked me," Atreyu wiped the blood from his nose. Glaring at the girl with nothing short of murder in his eyes.
"You...were attacked...by...a... Gem?" said Exon slowly, not quite understanding what his brother was saying. "You...let a Gem beat you in a fight?" He glanced over at Saisri again. While much taller than his other wife, his brother still stood head and shoulders above her and was significantly more bulky.
"That's....beside the point and you know it. Besides, if I thought she was a threat in the least, I would have...made the... She wouldn't have be able too, okay?" Atreyu was getting slightly more flustered has he talked, and angrier. Soon he had a faint redness to his skin. "The point is, she must be punished Brother. You can't be letting this Breeder go around thinking that it is okay to attack her betters, provoked or other wise," Atreyu crossed his arms, as though that settled things. The, seeing how his brother wasn't going to answer either way, he stormed off after Panitra.
"So, little bride of mine, have you anything to add?"he asked, his eyes focusing back on Saisri in not quite angry, not quite calm, but an eery middle ground.
Exon didn't kill someone. Holds Nadia's hand. His brothers leave and Saisri is living on the edge
Cuwarr declares Sorici as his wife, his white lotus. Then, he notices Kalani, and determines that she existed as that of an auburn rose. He, then, introduces Sorici to her before asking for Kalani's name
The warlord paused for a few seconds after the woman had stated her resolve, and it was not to anger that his lips were beautifully robbed of words to say. No, rather, it was every time that Sorici lifted her eyes to meet his, every time that she displayed her spirit that Cuwarr couldn't help but form a gentle smile, one curve at a time. As the gem finished her spiel, Cuwarr began to erupt in a series of rich, laughter that he tried to suppress through distorted snorts. As soon as he began to compose himself, the warlord cleared his throat, and rested his hand gently on top of Sorici's head. He softly ruffled her kempt hair before chuckling once more. "And, I wouldn't have it any other way." his voice rose just above a whisper. "You only made one mistake so far, my little sword-flower, and it was to state that you can appreciate your beauty," the warlord cupped both of her cheeks with his gloved hand before tilting her face upwards to face his. "In the same manner that a flower cannot see the beauty of its petals, nor can a blade marvel at the sleekness of its edge, so do you have the inability to see yourself for what you are truly worth." He brought his face nearer to hers, inch by inch until only a single millimeter existed as a gap between them. "But, fear not; for it is not your duty to gaze at your colors, to gape at your steel. It is mine, and I see you as a white lotus-- blooming in the darkness. I see you as a blade yet to be forged in fires to be sharpened." Immediately, he parted from her, and merely stood solemnly, as if pondering.
"I have decided." Cuwarr grinned before grabbing the longbow from his shoulder. Slowly, he plucked out one of the crimson flowers that adorned its limbs, and after he had obtained one of the flowers, he placed it on her right ear. He smoothed some strands of hair out of the way before gliding his fingers over her cheek. "You, Sorici of House Naxremis, will be my wife. My white lotus to show the other savages that there is meaning in darkness. My sword, to warn the brutes that strength does not always come with axe and armor, but also with dress and flower."
With that declaration, Cuwarr took her right hand, and gently left a soft kiss there. "You may address me as Lord Cuwarr." he grinned before noticing that Sorici's eyes, for a moment, darted to a gem behind him. He slowly turned around, noticing a lonely little lass whose head dropped low. He could hear the murmurs, the whispers of his drakken kin-- blatantly talking about the woman in the mother tongue. "Her existence catches your eyes?" Cuwarr inquired with his wife before slinging the longbow over his shoulder once more. "Stay here, my sword-flower."
Cuwarr walked along the passing crowd of drakkens, edging and observing the lone gemminite as he passed by the buffet table. His hands nonchalantly plucked one of the skewered foods there before he focused once more on the gem. Some of the lesser lords began their worthless inquisition of the girl.
"If you'd just act like a frightened lass, I'd pick ya," one said, draping a brutish arm over the girl's shoulders. "Ya know, a little shake and tremble would do good for ye."
"I'd break ya, too," another quipped. "I can bring out the best in ye." The brutes sized up the girl, and circled around her like wolves stalking their prey.
"Big words for a swine of the gutters," Cuwarr's voice sliced through the conversation as both men spun around, seeing the warlord with the skewered meat in hand.
"Oh, it's Lord Naxremis, the art lunatic." one of the lesser officers reacted without zeal. "This is just another gemminite, right? Surely, you can find another of your caliber?"
At this point, Cuwarr began removing his right glove as he offered a snide smile at the two. "How droll," the warlord shook his head. "For a pig to think it knows the caliber of a butcher." Cuwarr sauntered nearer to them until he stood but a few paces away. Cuwarr eyed the lone gemminite, still trying to find what had drawn the attention of his sword-flower. A wry laugh escaped Cuwarr's lips before he swung the glove, slapping the two drakkens with one swing. "You search for a gemminite that refuses to hold her head in public? Words of men who lack the organ down below. If anything, I'm the only one who can draw the best out of anyone."
The lesser lords fumed in rage, but with a mere wave from the warlord, the two begrudgingly left. Cuwarr coiled his hand around the woman's; the small and petite fingers trembling softly. "Your hands are frigid, little one." the warlord mused before he took off his left glove. Soon, Cuwarr had fitted the gloves to both of the woman's hands whilst he pinched her chin between his index and thumb. Hazel eyes met his without pause. But, never had Cuwarr expected that those same irises would steal a breath away from him. Pride, albeit damaged, glistened her eyes. He saw desire; a desire to prove herself-- a desire to be different, to be acknowledged. Pride in adversity. With fingers calloused from drawing the bowstring, he traced a line from her left eye until her supple lips.
Yes, the white dress may be a little too boring for his tastes, but the same simplicity had garnered the attention of his sword-flower, and most importantly, snatched his own eyes. Hope... where there is none. Cuwarr turned to his wife and beckoned for her to come closer, then, he turned once more to this auburn rose. Gently, he pried her soft lips open before edging the small piece of meat into her mouth. "Hold your head high, my auburn rose, for you are the only one of your kind," he smiled as he ran his fingers through her rich auburn locks. Next, he gestured to Sorici with a nod. "This is my wife, my white lotus, Sorici." Then, he addressed the auburn rose once more. "And, you, my auburn rose, what word should my lips produce to snatch your attention?"
