Post by Demeter on Aug 13, 2019 11:57:04 GMT -5
Securing the camp and transporting the doomed ex-riders took time. After, she’d stood with her younger nephews, all three of them growling as the rider who’d been accused as taking part in the abuse of Lilith was returned. The reaper had dumped his bloody and wingless body at Monroe’s feet, stated he’d confessed to all charges, and that Chaos’ Champion was coming for him.
And Remington had shown up for him, coming not as a trickster but in his full Chaotic glory. He’d arrived suddenly, simply appearing between one breathe and the next on a blast of frigid air, with dark pomp and circumstance to drag the offender away by his hair. Twilight was plunged into blackness shot through with static lightning burst shaped blobs of yellow and red, blue and purple. The atmospheric display was no contrived theatrical effect but the manifestation of his anger that one had escaped punishment for the violation of a child. He was not kind as he hauled the man across the rocky ground. He wasn’t dragged too far for Chaos wished to send a message to those who thought they could create a twisted copy of the natural source of divine power.
The Godless had the same powers and abilities as them; they just greedily wanted more. They seemed to see only the power and not the weight of responsibility that came with that power. Unlike the Unum in Terris, who were content to grow their power naturally, the Solutus wanted the easy way out.
Monroe watched, eyes flickering red, as her father dragged the man to her mothers. Lilith sat on the throne-like folded arms of an ancient great beast of a spirit Dragon. He was black as a moonless night with speckles of white and swirls red, purple, and blue over his hide. He made the Dragon who guarded Haven’s summit look like a kit. Evren was believed to be the oldest of the Spirit Dragons to have escaped the fall of Atlantis. Jezebel was perched on the beast’s shoulder.
The rider was dumped at Lilith’s feet. She said nothing and just stared down at the man squirming beneath her husband’s boot. His punishment for all his transgressions, she’d been told, was for her to decide. The list was long and possibilities endless. She could kill him; have the Octahedron take the bladed form she’d used to slaughter the other men but it seemed too quick and easy.
Monroe watched as her mother, finger tapping against her chin, regarded the man. With a flick of her hand, it was done and where a man had been there was now a brightly colored toad. She’d turned the predator into prey. Monroe overheard Lilith remarking that he may have the body of a toad but his mind was still a mans and, if he could survive, he would live out eternity that way.
The three servants of Bion were gone as quick as they came; the Spirit Dragon no more then a tail sliding around a hill. Monroe blew out a sigh as the toad managed a single ungainly hop. She turned away to survey the camp. The healers, led by her Ladyship, were sweeping in. Genesis was snapping orders about who was to be seen to first and that any of the usurpers were to receive the most basic of treatment. Darius stood off in counsel with the could-be Valkyrie and Tavi. She was well aware that the Little Momma-Camp Leader kept glancing at her.
What she didn’t see was the handsome face of her suspected Lead Usurper. She saw dead ex-riders, throats slit from ear to ear, when Darius had ordered no deaths. She assumed they’d been silenced to avoid revealing sources and identities. Her time at the camp would continue.
But that was for another day to discuss. Squaring her shoulders, Monroe marched towards the hatching grounds and the mess within. As she strode along, she saw the toad frantically hoping away from the Cadranis dragons stalking it. She saw her own sparkling white draconic mount slinking from the narrow wedge of the forest. She saw Alessia looking her way again. This time, she winked and gave the woman a flirty little wave before ducking into the hatching cavern.
***
If asked, Tore would refuse to admit that the sight of his grandfather in his unmasked form had caused him to shake in his boots. He’d never had occasion to see Remington in his truest form and the sight of the six hide covered wings, the horns, eyes, claws, and markings had been awe worthy. And served as a reminder that Remington was Bion-on-Earth, Champion of the Atlantean-Greek-Roman chaos deity. He was not one to be trifled with.
After the leaders of his clan had departed and he’d gotten himself back under control, Tore looked around for where he could be most useful. What he saw was his Aunt Monroe winking and waving at Alessia. Grumbling, he set off after his aunt.
The evening had been spent leaping from one high point to another. One minute he’d been arguing with Caine about pasta made from vegetables and the next he’d been stumbling to the front of the abbey, a siren going off in his head. A Gateway Guardian bearing both Raven and Wolf symbols had grinned at him and Caine, said the Lady of Scotland required her backup muscle, and tossed the both of them down the gateway.
Tore still refused to admit to what he’d heard while tumbling through the gate. He’d had the quick thought that they were to be a doom, unbalanced Triad. And then that triple toned voice had whispered through his head that balance would come in time as the others of the ruling triads were woken. He hadn’t had much time to ruminate on that because he’d been swept into the activity of battle.
And now he had to go berate his aunt to leave Alessia alone. Except he stumbled to a stop at the sight within the cave. Monroe, glowing a soft white, knelt next to the body of a female rider. She carefully arranged the woman’s limbs and draped linen over her still form. Beyond the woman was the bulk of a dragon body; head crushed. Strewn over the stands were the infant dragons, pulled from their eggs too early.
Monroe tilted her head and observed her nephew. Tore was smart and skilled but his mastery was still mostly academic and based on man-to-man confrontations. This sort of battlefield was new to him. She pushed up and stood before moving over towards him. She wrapped an arm around Tore. “She was new here; an injury had grounded her, permanently, and the dragon needed a place. She was a valiant warrior and will be welcome into Valhalla.”
Monroe cocked her head when she heard the sound, barely more then a squeak, and moved towards it. Her eyes sharpened as saw the green-purple squeaking shape. Hidden behind the bulk of its mother was a kit squirming in the sands. “And sometimes there’s a little bit of hope in the darkest times. Thank you, dear thing,” she said to the Cadranis Dragon that had flapped over with a length of cloth. She wrapped up the kit and jerked her head towards the mouth of the cave. “Come with me; Akos is here and he should know what to do.”
Tore shook his head and hurried after his aunt. The sight in the cave had momentarily stunned him but he remembered his original purpose. “Stay away from Alessia,” he said as they walked across the camp.
Monroe, shifting her hold on the kit, smirked. “Do you really think you have any control over what she does or does not do?”
Tore stumbled a bit. “No but she’s dealt with enough of you Chaos types. She needs to heal and not get all tangled up with one of you.”
“A Master of Chaos is your grandfather; you could show him a little respect. And if she wants to get tangled up with one of us Chaos types, she can. She’ll be powerful as the Lady of Scotland and we Chaos types are drawn to power.”
Tore stumbled. “Lady of Scotland?”
Monroe looked over her shoulder and grinned. “I know what you heard, Tore. The War arrangement of the Morrigan spoke to you. Alessia will reign as a Devine Champion; a Queen of the on-Earth representatives. Her youngest daughter will help to usher in a new age of ancient glory and power. Part of my coming duties, issued by Amnis and approved by Loki, is to watch over the child and mother. I will fail one of them,” she said as they approached a knot of people. Akos, message relayed through the dragons broke away from the crowd.
Tore remained still, watching as Monroe handled the kit off to Akos and exchange words with the dragon healer. His mind tripping over the words she said. “Fail? You don’t fail! You’re you.”
“All people fail, Tore. Those who can’t accept failure, break.”
***
Darius, sitting on the hearth of the Camp’s main lodge, regarded Monroe. “You’re certain he’s gone?”
“For the moment but with your plan to stock the Camp with new, young recruits as a sort of training ground, I’m certain he will be back. Or, at least, someone will come around again. This past deposit of malcontents and the incoming group of rookies make for ripe pickings. No offense, Lady Alessia, but some will grumble about having a young woman, a mother, as the one in command of them. All of these recruits are young and full of themselves,” Monroe grinned, “they’d be so much fun to play with.”
“Silvanis,” Darius growled, “I just lost my reserve corp. Don’t go messing with these ones.”
Monroe pouted at both the command and the use of her true name. “Fine, I’ll leave them alone. Lady Alessia, as the commander of this location, final approval is yours. My plan is to assume a new identity and come on as a flight instruction. My Darling and I have trained rookies before. While training, I will kept an eye and ear out for any new attempts on coercion. I will also take on the task of going through the previous rider’s belongings before they are returned to family in hopes of finding some clue as to what they were doing. Do you agree?”
And Remington had shown up for him, coming not as a trickster but in his full Chaotic glory. He’d arrived suddenly, simply appearing between one breathe and the next on a blast of frigid air, with dark pomp and circumstance to drag the offender away by his hair. Twilight was plunged into blackness shot through with static lightning burst shaped blobs of yellow and red, blue and purple. The atmospheric display was no contrived theatrical effect but the manifestation of his anger that one had escaped punishment for the violation of a child. He was not kind as he hauled the man across the rocky ground. He wasn’t dragged too far for Chaos wished to send a message to those who thought they could create a twisted copy of the natural source of divine power.
The Godless had the same powers and abilities as them; they just greedily wanted more. They seemed to see only the power and not the weight of responsibility that came with that power. Unlike the Unum in Terris, who were content to grow their power naturally, the Solutus wanted the easy way out.
Monroe watched, eyes flickering red, as her father dragged the man to her mothers. Lilith sat on the throne-like folded arms of an ancient great beast of a spirit Dragon. He was black as a moonless night with speckles of white and swirls red, purple, and blue over his hide. He made the Dragon who guarded Haven’s summit look like a kit. Evren was believed to be the oldest of the Spirit Dragons to have escaped the fall of Atlantis. Jezebel was perched on the beast’s shoulder.
The rider was dumped at Lilith’s feet. She said nothing and just stared down at the man squirming beneath her husband’s boot. His punishment for all his transgressions, she’d been told, was for her to decide. The list was long and possibilities endless. She could kill him; have the Octahedron take the bladed form she’d used to slaughter the other men but it seemed too quick and easy.
Monroe watched as her mother, finger tapping against her chin, regarded the man. With a flick of her hand, it was done and where a man had been there was now a brightly colored toad. She’d turned the predator into prey. Monroe overheard Lilith remarking that he may have the body of a toad but his mind was still a mans and, if he could survive, he would live out eternity that way.
The three servants of Bion were gone as quick as they came; the Spirit Dragon no more then a tail sliding around a hill. Monroe blew out a sigh as the toad managed a single ungainly hop. She turned away to survey the camp. The healers, led by her Ladyship, were sweeping in. Genesis was snapping orders about who was to be seen to first and that any of the usurpers were to receive the most basic of treatment. Darius stood off in counsel with the could-be Valkyrie and Tavi. She was well aware that the Little Momma-Camp Leader kept glancing at her.
What she didn’t see was the handsome face of her suspected Lead Usurper. She saw dead ex-riders, throats slit from ear to ear, when Darius had ordered no deaths. She assumed they’d been silenced to avoid revealing sources and identities. Her time at the camp would continue.
But that was for another day to discuss. Squaring her shoulders, Monroe marched towards the hatching grounds and the mess within. As she strode along, she saw the toad frantically hoping away from the Cadranis dragons stalking it. She saw her own sparkling white draconic mount slinking from the narrow wedge of the forest. She saw Alessia looking her way again. This time, she winked and gave the woman a flirty little wave before ducking into the hatching cavern.
***
If asked, Tore would refuse to admit that the sight of his grandfather in his unmasked form had caused him to shake in his boots. He’d never had occasion to see Remington in his truest form and the sight of the six hide covered wings, the horns, eyes, claws, and markings had been awe worthy. And served as a reminder that Remington was Bion-on-Earth, Champion of the Atlantean-Greek-Roman chaos deity. He was not one to be trifled with.
After the leaders of his clan had departed and he’d gotten himself back under control, Tore looked around for where he could be most useful. What he saw was his Aunt Monroe winking and waving at Alessia. Grumbling, he set off after his aunt.
The evening had been spent leaping from one high point to another. One minute he’d been arguing with Caine about pasta made from vegetables and the next he’d been stumbling to the front of the abbey, a siren going off in his head. A Gateway Guardian bearing both Raven and Wolf symbols had grinned at him and Caine, said the Lady of Scotland required her backup muscle, and tossed the both of them down the gateway.
Tore still refused to admit to what he’d heard while tumbling through the gate. He’d had the quick thought that they were to be a doom, unbalanced Triad. And then that triple toned voice had whispered through his head that balance would come in time as the others of the ruling triads were woken. He hadn’t had much time to ruminate on that because he’d been swept into the activity of battle.
And now he had to go berate his aunt to leave Alessia alone. Except he stumbled to a stop at the sight within the cave. Monroe, glowing a soft white, knelt next to the body of a female rider. She carefully arranged the woman’s limbs and draped linen over her still form. Beyond the woman was the bulk of a dragon body; head crushed. Strewn over the stands were the infant dragons, pulled from their eggs too early.
Monroe tilted her head and observed her nephew. Tore was smart and skilled but his mastery was still mostly academic and based on man-to-man confrontations. This sort of battlefield was new to him. She pushed up and stood before moving over towards him. She wrapped an arm around Tore. “She was new here; an injury had grounded her, permanently, and the dragon needed a place. She was a valiant warrior and will be welcome into Valhalla.”
Monroe cocked her head when she heard the sound, barely more then a squeak, and moved towards it. Her eyes sharpened as saw the green-purple squeaking shape. Hidden behind the bulk of its mother was a kit squirming in the sands. “And sometimes there’s a little bit of hope in the darkest times. Thank you, dear thing,” she said to the Cadranis Dragon that had flapped over with a length of cloth. She wrapped up the kit and jerked her head towards the mouth of the cave. “Come with me; Akos is here and he should know what to do.”
Tore shook his head and hurried after his aunt. The sight in the cave had momentarily stunned him but he remembered his original purpose. “Stay away from Alessia,” he said as they walked across the camp.
Monroe, shifting her hold on the kit, smirked. “Do you really think you have any control over what she does or does not do?”
Tore stumbled a bit. “No but she’s dealt with enough of you Chaos types. She needs to heal and not get all tangled up with one of you.”
“A Master of Chaos is your grandfather; you could show him a little respect. And if she wants to get tangled up with one of us Chaos types, she can. She’ll be powerful as the Lady of Scotland and we Chaos types are drawn to power.”
Tore stumbled. “Lady of Scotland?”
Monroe looked over her shoulder and grinned. “I know what you heard, Tore. The War arrangement of the Morrigan spoke to you. Alessia will reign as a Devine Champion; a Queen of the on-Earth representatives. Her youngest daughter will help to usher in a new age of ancient glory and power. Part of my coming duties, issued by Amnis and approved by Loki, is to watch over the child and mother. I will fail one of them,” she said as they approached a knot of people. Akos, message relayed through the dragons broke away from the crowd.
Tore remained still, watching as Monroe handled the kit off to Akos and exchange words with the dragon healer. His mind tripping over the words she said. “Fail? You don’t fail! You’re you.”
“All people fail, Tore. Those who can’t accept failure, break.”
***
Darius, sitting on the hearth of the Camp’s main lodge, regarded Monroe. “You’re certain he’s gone?”
“For the moment but with your plan to stock the Camp with new, young recruits as a sort of training ground, I’m certain he will be back. Or, at least, someone will come around again. This past deposit of malcontents and the incoming group of rookies make for ripe pickings. No offense, Lady Alessia, but some will grumble about having a young woman, a mother, as the one in command of them. All of these recruits are young and full of themselves,” Monroe grinned, “they’d be so much fun to play with.”
“Silvanis,” Darius growled, “I just lost my reserve corp. Don’t go messing with these ones.”
Monroe pouted at both the command and the use of her true name. “Fine, I’ll leave them alone. Lady Alessia, as the commander of this location, final approval is yours. My plan is to assume a new identity and come on as a flight instruction. My Darling and I have trained rookies before. While training, I will kept an eye and ear out for any new attempts on coercion. I will also take on the task of going through the previous rider’s belongings before they are returned to family in hopes of finding some clue as to what they were doing. Do you agree?”
