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Post by kiwi cheesecake on Feb 24, 2020 16:04:14 GMT -5
((OH GOD OH FRICK lazy penguin SKINK'S DAD IS A PALACE GUARD BROOOOOOO CAN THAT BE WHO IS FOLLOWING NOTOS IM SHAKING AND CRYING RN))
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Post by lazy penguin on Feb 24, 2020 16:12:02 GMT -5
(He'll yeah my dude!)
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Post by kiwi cheesecake on Feb 24, 2020 16:28:56 GMT -5
((he'll yeah))
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Post by kiwi cheesecake on Feb 24, 2020 16:47:28 GMT -5
Quagmire stiffened slightly as the Queen approached. She looked... different from how she expected. Quagmire had thought she'd seem more fanciful, more elegant, more... well, regal. But here she was, talons covered in dust, stepping away to speak with a random citizen. Maybe she will be able to help us, Quagmire thought, slightly encouraged.
Stepping forwards to greet the Queen, Quagmire asked, "Queen Fern? What do you know of this attack?" As she spoke, she shook her head. We aren't trying to offend her. We aren't trying to sound pretentious. "Do we know who caused it? Or... what caused it?" Quagmire wanted to fly off. She didn't want to be having this conversation at all. But I need to know. I need to know what she knows, so I can protect them. "Anything you know would be helpful. We need to know more about this threat so we can protect ourselves from it. I have siblings I need to support and provide for. They need safe homes, that aren't constantly dealing with the threat of destruction."
Taking a shaky breath, Quagmire said, "Your Majesty, are we safe in the Mud Kingdom? Is anywhere safe?"
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Post by lazy penguin on Feb 24, 2020 18:51:05 GMT -5
The journey to the outpost was quicker than what Princess Pasque had expected. While Flurry- the guard she'd taken with her, provided easy company, the bone-chilling winds were enough to make Pasque want to shut up forever. But as the duo approached the Great Ice Wall, they quickly spotted the outpost in question.
It wouldn't have been that noticeable- had they not been looking for it. However, there was no doubt that where a tower had once stood, there was now a pile of rubble. They circled the outpost for a bit, Pasque trying to identify all of the court members who had arrived. There were of course, Polar and Arctic, the two never seemed to leave her mother's side. Hail, the old troll, was also there much to her disappointment. If there were to ever be a council member that hated her guts enough to spill her secrets it would be him. Zero and Ice were also there, a source of comfort. Among the council, Pasque had always figured those two would be her closest allies. Zero was young, and Ice was callous, they both wanted change in the Ice Kingdom and as far as they were concerned Pasque could be that change.
And then there was Taiga. The "Royal Ambassador" was a year younger than Pasque's brother, and yet the Queen still seemed to trust her with an awful lot. But to Pasque she remained quite an enigma. The two had never talked much- those pesky ranking rules always found a way to kill conversation- but she had always assumed that Taiga was the most sensible dragon her mother kept close. That is- besides Pasque herself.
Realizing they'd been spotted, she angled her wings downward, signalling for Flurry to do the same. Her guard would be dismissed- no palace guard needed to spread news of the current discussions here- but Pasque had a feeling the dragon would stay to help anyone else who might have been injured. Decency, she sighed, is not a trait I can afford right now.
Stepping past the destruction, she vaguely heard Taiga issue a greeting. It was a formality the Princess did not dignify with a response.
After the council members had finished their formalities with the Queen, Pasque stepped forward. Here would be the real challenge- would her mother call her out for leaving the palace? She hadn't been forbidden from attending the meeting, but she hadn't exactly been invited either.
"Mother," she addressed Tundra. "Shard. Please excuse my tardiness- I did not want to cause a panic if all the royals left the palace unexpectedly." The informalities were another way Pasque gave herself power. While her brother might address Queen Tundra as 'Your Highness', she never felt obligated to. She liked reminding the Queen that she was in fact her daughter, and could challenge her anytime she felt like it.
After what felt like a ridiculously long bow, the princess found and alcove in the corner of the tent. "This meeting better be worth it," she grumbled under her breath.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Feb 25, 2020 0:25:10 GMT -5
~ ✧ ~ ✧ ~
____________________________
Midday ✧ Pyrrhia ✧ Sanctuary Weaving her way through the streets of Sanctuary was slow going, but Wren didn't want to draw attention to herself by flying. Plus, walking forced her to concentrate on where she was putting her talons, wings, and tail. She did her best to avoid stepping on, whacking, or stabbing anyone by accident, and she, in turn, watched for those not careful enough to keep from stepping on, whacking, or stabbing her.
It wasn't until she was slipping from the crowd and onto a quieter side street that it occurred to her that the streets of Sanctuary were much busier than usual today. That realization led her thoughts to puzzling out why as she entered the very outskirts of the city and finally took to the sky.
Was there a parade? A celebration? Had a queen come to visit Sanctuary? Maybe a traveling market had arrived. That seemed like the most plausible reason, but still. Wren was quite certain her father would have told her if something big or new was happening today. Wouldn't he?
Wren's musings puttered to a halt as the river appeared below. She flew lower, then banked and swept gracefully into the cave Polaris had found. It was their favorite meeting spot, quiet and private. Well, quiet until Polaris started talking about her next big adventure. The memory made Wren smile as she folded her wings and looked around for her friend.
Polaris was easy enough to spot. The Ice-SeaWing hybrid was pacing excitedly back and forth across the cave, unable to sit still, per the norm. Wren suppressed a giggle, her worries already feeling a little lighter, and sat down where she was. She didn't say anything, choosing to wait and see how long it took Polaris to notice her this time. It was a fun pastime of hers, sneaking up on her friend (usually unintentionally) and then waiting to see if Polaris would notice her presence.
That was how they met. Wren had been hiding in an alley, where she had been chased after school by a group of SandWings. Wren was half SandWing, but while she had the barbed tail, it had no poison. That, more than her being half IceWing, had been a source of ridicule and teasing while she was growing up. Wren wasn't the only half SandWing in Sanctuary, but she was the only one who had a tail barb that didn't work. All the other SandWing hybrids either had perfectly functional tail barbs, or no barbs at all. Which, Wren soon discovered, was preferable over a useless one.
Anyway, the night in question had definitely been the worst bullying experience to date, resulting in Wren fleeing school with three angry, jeering SandWings chasing after her. She had ducked into an alley and managed to hide, but even after the others were long gone, Wren had been too scared to leave. Polaris had appeared hours later, totally unaware of Wren's presence until Wren made a quiet comment. She had startled Polaris half to death, but rather than be mad at her, Polaris had struck up a conversation based on Wren's comment. After that, one thing led to another and before she knew it, Wren left that alley with a new friend. The worst day of her life had turned into the best night.
Wren just hoped that their friendship remained once Polaris learned her secret. |
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Feb 25, 2020 0:28:38 GMT -5
~ ✧ ~ ✧ ~
____________________________
Midday ✧ The Sky Kingdom ✧ The Queen's Palace Firefly hardly noticed the dragon until he spoke, and at that point she spun toward him and said without thinking, “No I DO NOT. LEAVE ME ALONE, YOU BIG - Oh my moons, you’re a guard. Uh, soldier? Uh...” Whatever temper she had been steaming with suddenly simmered away. She pulled her wings in close as she felt embarrassment heat her scales from her talons to her horns and she wished she could take back all her shouty words.
Since she couldn’t, she settled for an apology. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I… well, I guess I am kind of a grumpyscales.” She grimaced slightly as she said it. “Grumpyscales” was definitely not the note she had envisioned herself starting on when she came to join the ranks. “And yes, I’m lost,” she added, just to add insult to injury. He hadn’t said it, but she knew he must be thinking it.
Her wings rustled nervously, even as she straightened and tried to look more in control than she felt. “Assistance would be appreciated, if you don’t mind. I’m looking for the barracks. If you could just point me in the right direction, I would be in your debt. Or, well, maybe not debt. I would… owe you one?”
Alright, Firefly, feel free to stop talking now. This time, the haughty and superior tone was her own, and it was somehow even more annoying than her sister’s. But she took her own advice anyway and shut her mouth before she said anything else that would tip the scales from simple embarrassment to utter humiliation.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Feb 25, 2020 0:33:01 GMT -5
~ ✧ ~ ✧ ~
____________________________
Midday ✧ The Mud Kingdom ✧ Destroyed Villiage Fern listened to the dark-scaled dragon as she shot off question after question, then sighed quietly. She was not the first to ask such questions today, and Fern doubted she would be the last. But that didn't stop Fern from wishing she had a better answer.
"I know as much as everyone else about the attack," she said, sounding calmer and more in control than she felt. "We still don't know the cause, but the other queens and I have been exchanging correspondence in an effort to figure out."
Fern's tail swept the ground behind her as she considered how to address the rest of the concerns. "I won't give you false promises," she said at last. "As it stands now, I don't know where is safe. This strangeness doesn't seem to abide by any rules; it's attacks are random. But I can promise you that I am doing everything I can to figure out what it is, and find a way to stop it. And as soon as I do, I will make sure everyone knows it."
Fern knew it wasn't much, and that it wasn't what the dark-scaled female wanted to hear. But it was the best she could do. As queen, Fern was often considered by many to be some big, powerful dragon. While that was true, she wasn't invincible. If she could, she would challenge this strange threat and fight it to the death if that would save her sibs and her tribe. As that wasn't an option, she had to settle for slower, less reliable means of stopping the unknown threat. |
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Feb 25, 2020 0:51:50 GMT -5
~ ✧ ~ ✧ ~
____________________________
Midday ✧ The Ice Kingdom ✧ Southern Border Outpost Prince Shard did not acknowledge Taiga's or Pasque's greeting. He looked from one female to the other, taking note of every little detail in a glance before turning to face Tundra.
Taiga was surprised by his presence, which was expected. Shard nor Tundra ever told the Council when he would be present at their meetings. The unpredictability kept them on their toes, made them trip up as they tried to avoid saying anything they believed he wasn't meant to know. They had no idea that he knew everything they did, and often more, despite his infrequent Council appearances.
Pasque was another matter. She wasn't meant to be here today at all, though Shard couldn't say he was surprised she had shown up anyway. His little sister had a habit of sticking her nose where it wasn't wanted. But of course, she couldn't let the others know she hadn't been invited. Shard would enjoy seeing Tundra put her daughter in her place for this.
But that would have to wait. Tundra was too proud to discipline Pasque in public. The only outward sign of her anger over the matter was a slight narrowing of her eyes at her daughter. Shard was sure Pasque's use of "mother" instead of "majesty" didn't help sooth Tundra's temper any either, though she looked a little mollified by Pasque's bow.
Finally, with everyone gathered, Queen Tundra sat up, wings parted slightly, and began the meeting. "I have called you all here today for two reasons," she began. "The first reason is rather obvious." She waved a dismissive talon at the wreckage around them. "Polar, report."
Polar gave a brief nod to her queen before standing and facing the Council. “The attack happened in the hours before dawn. The survivors described an unknown force that blew through the outpost with the power of a blizzard. There was no signs of snow or wind or dragon. According to Captain Snowfall, the building ‘just started tearing itself apart.’ Of the six soldiers posted here, two have been reported dead and three more are in critical condition. The attack ended as abruptly as it began, just as the first rays of the sun appeared on the horizon.”
Report finished, Polar retook her seat. She was almost impossible to read, but Shard saw the confusion and unease she kept well hidden. She, like many of the tribe, was spooked by this unknown danger. It was powerful, unpredictable, and deadly. And so far, none of Polar’s ideas or strategies had been enough to stop it.
“Thank you, Polar,” Queen Tundra said. She cast a cool gaze around the Council. “Does anyone have anything to add?” The question was clearly meant to be rhetorical, yet Tundra left a long enough gap of silence as if she expected someone to fill it. Would her Council heed the silent warning in her eyes? Or would their hidden fear and unease force them to fill the silence? This was the kind of secret test Tundra was fond of. |
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Feb 25, 2020 14:12:04 GMT -5
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____________________________
Midday ✧ Pyrrhia ✧ Sanctuary Wren's silent count had reached four minutes, twenty-eight seconds before Polaris finally became aware of her presence. She giggled quietly as Polaris bounced over, totally unaware that Wren had been sitting there for several minutes without notice. It used to bother Wren, how easily she could blend in with the background, but then she realized that it was easier that way. If she didn't draw any attention to herself ever, then going unnoticed on purpose was so much easier. Besides, Polaris did notice her; it just sometimes took a few minutes for the Ice-SeaWing to come down from the clouds and do so.
Wren wasn't the least bit surprised to hear that Polaris had plans. Wren had figured she would, since she had gone to the trouble of getting Wren's attention with the crystal. Speaking of which: Wren quickly pulled it out of the pouch she had hanging from her neck and handed it back to her friend. "Of course you do," Wren said, smiling. "What is it this time?" Coming from anyone else, the question probably would have been impatient or annoyed. But Wren enjoyed her friend's adventures, even if most of them scared the scales off her at the same time.
She also didn't mind how Polaris always went first when they both had news to share. Wren had more patience by far, so waiting for her friend to get her ideas off her chest first was just easier. Plus, it gave Wren a bit of extra time to practice what she wanted to say in her head. |
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Post by kiwi cheesecake on Feb 25, 2020 18:17:26 GMT -5
Manta
Somewhere in the Sea Kingdom || Late Morning || Starchaser Manta had moved on to collecting shells. A small hermit crab scuttling along the ocean floor had torn her attention from coral, instead prompting her to follow it diligently. Her snout nearly buried in the sand as it traced the small creature, Manta had lost all interest in her previous project. That was when the crab led her to a beautiful white scalloped shell half covered by rocks. Gasping, the young SeaWing carefully extracted the shell from its hiding place, looking with glee at the hermit crab who had led her to it.
She had named it Shelly. Shelly was her best friend.
Manta had collected 5 shells now, all found with Shelly's help. The little creature was a shell-finding prodigy, she thought. All of the shells were safely tucked inside her bag, wrapped with pieces of kelp to stop them from breaking. The bag itself was nearly full to burst now, but that didn't stop her from placing Shelly's latest find on top of the rest of her treasures.
That was when Manta noticed her cousin. Seaglass had never really been her type- stuffy, serious, and far too concerned with ocean politics- but she was still fun to have on certain adventures. Scooping Shelly up into her talons, Manta turned towards Seaglass, beaming brightly.
"Look, look!" she signed, her scales flashing rapidly. "It's name is Shelly. Do you like it? We're finding shells now. It's really good at it. We've found..." Manta's brow furrowed for a moment before she shook her head. "A lot of shells! They're really pretty too! Wanna see?"
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Post by kiwi cheesecake on Feb 25, 2020 18:42:03 GMT -5
Rambutan yawned, absentmindedly scratching Fuzzy's chin. He had tried his best to keep his fears of shadows buried, but interesting things had been happening one after another today. Plenty of new rumors had been flitting around the RainWings about all sorts of things, from theories about the shadow to a strange new fruit growing in the Southern half of the rainforest. Rambutan could have sworn he saw a NightWing being escorted to the Queen as well, his self-restraint barely stopping him from trying to listen in on the conversation.
But still, Rambutan sat on the roof of his home. A few of his friends had swooped by to greet him, but he wasn't really interested in going out to pick fruit with Boa or looking after young dragonets with Liana today. Rambutan's attention was wholly focused on the village. It had sprung to life now, the various colors of RainWings preparing for sun time adding an extra layer of vibrancy to the already sparkling jungle.
Rambutan was about to drift off as well, but as his eyelids fell, he took notice of a strangely dark dragon entering the village from the rainforest. He started, certain for a moment that it was the shadowy figure that had been causing all the destruction. Jumping to his feet, it took Rambutan a full second before he realized that the figure was simply Bengal. Probably returning from a day patrol, he thought, shaking his head. Stupid. No need to be so jumpy.
Swooping down from his roof, Rambutan made his way over to Bengal, letting the faintest hint of gold creep onto his wings. He vaguely surveyed his memory, trying to remember how he was around the older Dragon. I am... hard-working. Diligent. Watchful. I feel like we need protection at home, as well as on our borders. I agree with him on a lot of things. Funnily enough, this persona seemed to fit pretty well with how he was feeling right now anyways. With a nearly imperceptible nod, he opened his jaws. "Hey, Bengal. Everything looking good out there?"
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Post by Tealraven on Feb 25, 2020 19:05:35 GMT -5
✧ Falcon ✧ Midday | The Sky Kingdom - Queen's Palace | with Firefly Falcon took a step backward in spite of himself. This dragon was no firescales, but he could practically feel the heat of her temper radiating from her scales. The corner of his mouth quirked up in a smile that was faintly amused. “Alright, alright, cool your fire,” he said with a laugh. “Actually, I’m both.”
Well, I’m not really a guard. I’m a soldier, and I should be out with the army protecting our kingdom from the mystery threat instead, he thought, frowning briefly. “Sort of.” He shook his head, his amber pendant bumping against his chest. “Anyway, I was heading down to the barracks myself. I can show you the way.”
He carefully pushed past her, careful not to poke her with his spear. “Follow me.” He led the younger dragon down the long stone corridor, keeping his wings folded in close to his body. The lower levels were the oldest parts of the palace, and the rooms and hallways tended to be much smaller and narrower. It always made him feel claustrophobic. When he was a young recruit, he used to hate getting stuck down here on patrol duty. Fortunately, his current rank in the army ensured that he was always assigned to guard the more important rooms on the upper floors.
Once they reached the platform, Falcon inhaled deeply and gratefully, gazing up at the brilliant blue sky. “Alright, ready to fly?” He glanced over his shoulder to make sure the other SkyWing was still behind him--she was--and spread his wings, stretching them as far as they would go. Ah, finally, he thought, relishing the feel of the sun on his scales.
Down below them, on the ground, an extension of the palace connected to the arena. Adjoined to it was a slightly newer building, which housed the current hospital. “And if you’ll look down there and a bit to your left,” he announced in a tour-guide voice, “you’ll see the army barracks, conveniently located next to the hospital! We SkyWings think of everything, don’t we?”
He grinned at her and leaped into the air, spiraling down towards the arena. “Try to keep up, Grumpyscales!”
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Post by lazy penguin on Feb 25, 2020 21:31:01 GMT -5
( guess who's finally reading the poison jungle y'all. i'm hype )
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Post by Tealraven on Feb 25, 2020 21:40:17 GMT -5
( Ooh, the Poison Jungle ends on such a cliffhanger. I can't wait for the next book, but as far as I know it doesn't even have a title yet T^T )
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Post by lazy penguin on Feb 25, 2020 22:54:46 GMT -5
(Just finished and omg the cliffhanger I can't-)
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Post by lazy penguin on Feb 25, 2020 23:08:57 GMT -5
(...maybe)
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Post by Tealraven on Feb 25, 2020 23:37:32 GMT -5
( tbh I could've easily finished it in less than a day but I forced myself to spread it out over 2-3 days xD )
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Post by Tealraven on Feb 26, 2020 19:41:29 GMT -5
✧ Taiga ✧ Midday | The Ice Kingdom - Southern Border | with the Council Taiga felt eyes on her, and in her peripheral vision, she noticed Prince Shard scrutinizing her. Ah. He was an observant one. She wasn’t sure what he’d already seen, so she slammed an icy mask down over her face, careful to keep her expression politely interested in Polar’s report but otherwise coolly neutral. Be professional. Don’t let your thoughts show on your face.
Taiga had been a very expressive dragonet, and sometimes her face had gotten her into trouble. She had also been quite outspoken, which was practically taboo for obedient little Third Circle IceWings. And yet, in spite of her parents’ admonishing, it was that willingness to speak up that had secured her position in the Queen’s Council. It was just what she'd wanted.
But now that the position was hers, she was determined to keep it, and that meant staying calm and collected under great pressure. No more emotional outbursts. She was well practiced at keeping her face and her tone of voice even, betraying nothing of what she really thought. It was part of what made her a skilled ambassador.
Polar had finished speaking, and now Tundra was addressing the Council at large. Taiga shifted her gaze to the Queen and rose to her talons. “Your Majesty,” she began eloquently, “this morning I received a report from one of my contacts in the Mud Kingdom. In the hours before dawn, a mysterious force destroyed a village near the Diamond Spray Delta. It left many casualties. Numbers were not specified out of respect for the afflicted families.” She paused to allow the others to absorb what she had said, then continued.
“The report indicated that Queen Fern was on her way to assess the damage, so we can infer that the attack was significant enough to attract the attention of royalty. Although the exact location of the village was not given for security purposes, if the Queen was able to reach it by late morning, then it must be not far from her palace.” She surveyed the Council evenly, noting the reactions of the other dragons. “You must be wondering why I am telling you this. ‘Why should we care about what is happening in the Mud Kingdom? It’s nearly half a continent away.’”
Taiga took a breath. “Well, that’s precisely the reason. If the attack in the Mud Kingdom occurred at the same time as the attack on this outpost, that means there are multiple attackers working in tandem to coordinate their strikes--likely to cause great fear and disorientation. Or,” she added with a nod to Polar, “if it is as you said, ‘an unknown force with no sign of dragons,’ then whatever this force is must be much larger than we thought.” Here she paused once more, partly for dramatic effect, but also to let the Council process the information.
Should I say anything else? I have some ideas that I think would prove useful… but that might be considered speaking out of turn. Taiga pondered for a moment. I can’t jeopardize my position. Not now. Not when I’m so close to being promoted to the First Circle. Then they will have to listen to my suggestions.
I’ll just have to wait a little longer.
Seeming to decide on something, Taiga added, “If you wish, your Majesty, I can arrange for an envoy to fly to the Mud Kingdom and confer with Queen Fern for additional information on the attack. I am willing to offer my services as well, should you require it.” She dipped her head. “That is all.” She bowed and took her seat, praying she hadn’t spoken too much.
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Post by lazy penguin on Feb 26, 2020 21:47:21 GMT -5
(it was more like 2 hours since i had read about 50~ pages before i posted here lol. but i tend to read really fast and then reread books like a gazillion times so it evens out.
working on a pasque & bengal reply now!)
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Post by kiwi cheesecake on Feb 26, 2020 21:50:19 GMT -5
((heck yeah, Starchaser ! go for it ^^))
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Nov 21, 2024 15:09:07 GMT -5
Nov 21, 2024 15:09:07 GMT -5
