KASIL
He had been wandering the streets, stopping to speak with various members of the court. He wanted to hear how everyone was getting along, how everyone seemed to be transitioning with his ascension to the throne. And he wanted the truth. He was patient as he listened, sometimes twisting his ears to and fro in order to catch other snippets from those that merely wanted to whisper behind his back. It would take him a while to gain the trust of Delumine, even though he had spent his boyhood serving the court -- it seemed that much had changed in the years he had spent away. He spent the better part of his morning listening to concerns, sharing a few laughs and overall connecting with the people that he felt driven to serve.
He had just broken away from a mare with concerns about the safety of the citadel, and spotted someone standing near the gates of the city, when the sounds of a skirmish reached his ears. The winged stallion turned his head, frowning with uncertainty. He had begun to turn himself away from the visitor at Dawn’s gates, when...
”Give that back! It was mine!”A shrill voice cried, just as a pair of youths came barrelling around the corner. The white colt had some sort of plaything hanging from his lips, his longer legs giving him the advantage over the younger looking palomino. However, he was so distracted -- turning his head back to taunt the other child -- that he ran full on into Kasil, and was thrown back onto his rump. Bewildered, the young colt struggled upright in a flail of limbs and opened his mouth to undoubtedly spew an unsavory word when he realized just who he had run into. Kasil was becoming more and more recognizable in the Court, the gold adornment sitting upon his head and the dark wings at his side beginning to stand out.
The child stared up at the Sovereign with a wide, frightened gaze -- his body lain out on the stones. Kasil pinned his ears back in something resembling the stern look that his grandfather had used to strike fear into his heart as a lad, and looked up at the other child who had come to a rolling stop just feet away. The plaything was forgotten on the ground between them, and both of the youths looked as though Kasil was the most frightening thing he had ever seen.
”It’s foolish to run like that on stones like these.” Kasil said, frowning. ”Up with you, boy.” He said a little more harshly, waiting until the pale colt had found his footing before continuing. He let his head crane around the colt’s body, inspecting him for anything more than than deserved scrapes and dirt. Kasil raised an eyebrow at him, beckoning the palomino child to come forward as well. ”Tell me, what were you thinking?”
It took several minutes for the boys to explain themselves, a childish squabble over the ownership of the plaything. Kasil listened intently, as though it were the most important case that he had ever heard in his life. At last, he deliberated in silence. ”What do you think?” He asked of the golden boy, indicating the other child. ”Are his scrapes and bruises enough of a punishment for stealing what was yours? He asked, raising an eyebrow. The sunlight glinted off the top of his crown, and he watched as the pale colt looked pleadingly at the decision maker. After a long moment, the child nodded much to the pale colt’s relief.
Kasil nodded, thinking it to be fair. Having the piss scared out of him for running into a Sovereign was probably enough of a punishment as well, but he had to be sure such a thing would not happen again. ”Fair, but if you are caught stealing again...it will be a mark. Do you understand?” He asked, lowering his head to meet the boy’s eye. A Mark of Sin was no small thing, and to be branded at such a young age would surely mean the end of his life. A Mark of Theft meant that he couldn’t be trusted, and it would be difficult for him to maintain a productive place in Dawn Court society.
The entire exchange perhaps took less than fifteen minutes, and when Kasil turned away -- the two colts had run off together. He tried to recall what it was that he had been doing beforehand, and it was the sight of Ipomoea and a stranger at the gates that reminded him. Shaking his head, he began towards them -- feeling as though the dark stallion were familiar to him somehow. Despite that uncertainty, Kasil’s smile was warm as he came to stand within range. Others of the court bustled around them, busy going about their daily lives. ”Good day!” The Sovereign said lightly, taking a deep breath, glancing over at Po. It was good that the reddish stag was around, Kasil had important business with him later.
yay! sorry for the novel-sized entrance for Kasil xD @Ipomoea @Reichenbach
coding by Avis
