Power has been cried by those stronger than me
Straight into the face that tells you to rattle your chains
If you love bein’ free
Night had not yet fallen when the summons rang throughout the city. Already whispers were echoing along the evening breeze, carried along by hushed proclamations from tongues and lips far too loose from equally far too many cups of spiced ale, mead, or whiskey.
’Did you hear? Ira forfeited his challenge.’
A gasp, scandalized. ’No, I didn’t!’
’Aye, didn’t even show, I heard. Gave the throne right up, he did. That new firemage challenged him, I heard.’
A hum, contemplative and curious. ’Does that mean…’
There is talk, of course, of the Night King’s absence prior to his challenge. There is talk of promises made, ambitions set, and a resulting silence that emptied the streets of Denocte like an illness. Fatal, really, if left untreated, and while Isra had never considered herself a medic of any kind, she liked to believe that she had picked up a few things since spending more time with Luvena.
The said woman waited. Funny, she thought briefly, of how much waiting she had been doing lately.
The grand courtyard gradually filled. Israfel stood before an unlit pyre, waiting for them to come, her ivory body aglow from nearby torchlight and the dying embers of the setting sun. Solaris roosted upon her Chosen Child’s croup, glancing around those that gathered, the large, elegant Phoenix unlit for the time being. This was not the first visit Israfel had made before casting out a summons. Her first visit had been a far more personal affair, something more tender, more private, more heartfelt, within the sheltered confines of a small, humble clinic tucked in a quiet alleyway.
This was business. A personal business, of course, but business nonetheless. It tugged at her heart, and she spoke, casting her voice loudly to be heard among all of those present.
These people were no fools. They were smart, keen, and sound, these ‘misfits of Caligo’, as she had heard them called. Denocte had changed hands enough times for them all to be familiar enough with this cycle, endless as it was. Beginnings and ends, which in a way, opened doors to new beginnings.
“Thank you for coming,” she greeted politely, once the general masses had arrived and the hushed, curious, nervous whispers began to die down, “Denocte, Ira has stepped away from his crown. I challenged him, and he failed to defend his throne. To defend you.” Her words were spoken calmly, without ire, without blame or aggression or violence. Such tact was no longer her style, especially for something as tedious as this.
“My name is Israfel.” She paused, glanced about, vermilion eyes flicking across the various faces and resting on Luvena for but a breath longer before focusing up. Politics were never her thing, but Israfel had fallen in love with this Court, with these streets, with this gift of a second chance that she would do what it took to ensure its safety and survival. Would they know that? Would they understand? Or would they condemn her for challenging the right of a stagnant king and a vacant throne? “Some of you know me, some of you do not. Denocte has been quiet lately. Subdued, in a way that has never been our style.”
She grinned, then, cocksure and confident. “I have served Novus for many, many years. I will continue to do so, but for the heart of Denocte. My promise is to defend our home, this place we love, this place that offered all of us second chances. They call us the ‘court of misfits’,” the Sun Daughter paused, shrugged a slender, powerful shoulder, and chuckled. “Maybe they’re right. But this is our home, and we cannot allow this quiet, stagnant cancer to swallow our streets and quiet our songs any longer.”
Israfel paused, glanced about, and continued. “I’m sure a lot of you have questions, and I’ll answer them in what way I can… But I can’t shelter, guide, or revive the glory of Denocte without all of you. For too long, Night Court’s ranks have sat empty and barren. Should you consider yourself capable, worthy, or simply curious, speak up. Let your neighbors hear your voices.”
Solaris moved then, shifting, wings spreading before sweeping down in a powerful arc that lifted her into the air to move from Israfel’s croup to the ridge of the unlit pyre.
"Speaking."
Israfel has called a meeting for Night Court. Welcome even to those not in Night!
oh, somewhere deep inside of these bones
an emptiness began to grow
there's something out there, far from my home
a longing that i've never known
The streets were alive with gossip.
Normally, she wasn't the sort to take part in gossip, but this was different, this was important. A new lead was coming into their reign, a meeting to be called. Caelum was silent, in the courtyard before anyone else, silently setting out tea, refreshments, small note cards that listed each type next to the dishes, carefully selected for this event: Lemongrass-Spearmint, Chamomile Honey, Lavender Green Tea, and a Rose Petal, Hibiscus and Orange Peel. All designed to calm, soothe, help everyone relax. Small treats like apple fritters, Berry macarons. And chocolate covered fruit sat out, and each card had her store's signature in the corner, a pair of iridescent wings behind the glossy text that read 'The Faerie Garden Emporium'. The service was on the house. But if it helped accidentally bring service to her new shop, all the better.
Of course, that didn't mean she wanted to be next to the refreshments...
Caelum had begun to move towards where she could get a good view to see others, the reactions, although as more began to crowd in, the fae felt herself grow more weary of the numerous individuals in closing in, and she launched herself into the air, leaving a small circle of wild flowers that had burst up through the courtyard's flooring behind. Hovering above, she allowed her mind to relax and instead focused on what her new lead was saying.
Israfel, hmm?
She tilted her head, and noted the way her gaze moved over everyone. Perhaps it was the fact she was so close with Luvena that allowed her to notice the lingering glance, and she momentarily wondered if this was Lu's 'her'. She remained quiet, as the mare stopped speaking, hesitating, waiting for anyone else to speak, to make their voices heard, before she finally acted. "You mention how our Court is perceived by the others , what is your plan of action to address the relations we have with our fellow kingdoms in Novus?" Her voice was strong over the crowd, regal but calm. It felt odd to ask, and for a moment she could almost imagine herself back in that sunny room, fae surrounding an oak circular table, asking her father a similar question when there had been squirmishes breaking out at the south where their Court had been bordering another's territory.
She shook the memory away, focusing on the here and now.
"Our Court has fallen into silence, we are a proud people, we Denoctians; but you even acknowledge that this state our Court is in, it is not normal for us either. What do you intend to do, to have our Court flourishing once more? What, pray tell, is your end goal in the resurrection of the energy and life of Denocte?" Israfel had spoken pretty words yes, has asked for others to step forward, but Cael wanted a broader picture, she wanted to know what was really happening.
The fae was never the sort to balk about getting her answers.
She might be speaking to the new sovereign of Night Court, but Caelum had been raised, groomed, to be a queen of her own people before her kingdom had gone to ruin. She had been her people's princess, she still was considered the Light of Summer in those small groups of fae hiding in other lands. But Denocte was her home now, her passion and pride. Her friends where her, her home and shop was here. Here she had found a type of peace, and some days it didn't hurt her to be alive, some days she felt alive.
She wanted to know for certain this new sovereign saw Denocte like this too.
So the mare approached, landing on the ground, hooves light, head held high, as she broke from the crowd, approaching Isra directly, "Denocte is more than my home, this land has been my salvation." She stated calmly, as if that would explain her questions. Perhaps if Isra spoke from the heart of this land being one to give second chances, it would explain it. "So, you must forgive me for my desire to know what to expect in the coming months, what the future of Denocte may hold, with you at the helm." Her voice softened, her eyes lightened, though the small pink flowers blooming from her mane, shedding petals to flutter around the fairy pointed to her apprehension for what future Isra may imagine.
She didn't appear the Tyrant type, to lie to gain allies.
But Caelum knew the deception that fell from golden tongues, "My name is Caelum, a medic of Denocte. A supplier of medicines, tonics and healing wares for our other medics to use on the patients they see. Healing is in my blood, in my magic. And this Court has been hurting, aching for a true, a proper ruler to pick up the crown and bring us back to life . . . Will you be that queen?" She asked simply, eyes staring at Isra with a calmness that came from facing down others before, a steadiness. A rock solid demeanor her delicate frame wouldn't hint at. She allowed herself a moment, looking the new queen up and down, seeming to judge her even before the queen could answer.
"Perhaps, I believe; you will be."
"Speech" Thoughts
@Israfel Notes: Caelum loves Denocte, forgive her for being protective when her other homes have fallen from corrupt individuals finding the power to prey after titles <3 I promise she is has high hopes for Isra's abilities, she just needs reassured that Isra will do what ever it takes to make Denocte alive again.
oh, there's an empty place in my bones
that calls out for something unknown
the fame and praise come year after year
does nothing for these empty tears
Polar North strode into the courtyard, feeling more sure of herself than she had before. She had spent much time with her mentor and learning more about her chosen profession and herself in that time. Lifting her head, she approached and stood off to the side. She noted those that had arrived and listened to the words that had been spoken.
"I agree with much of what Caelum has stated. Denocte has been a haven for it’s members, a place where we can go to learn trades and learn about ourselves. I…" The young mare paused as she dipped her head and tried to come up with the best way to continue. "I don’t want to see our court in a war, though I know I would not back down if it came to it. I want to see the Night Court get stronger and better." She finished, feeling that she hadn’t really said anything in her little speech.
It had been nearly a full year since the brute had come down from the mountain. The crisp fall air had given way to a harsh winter, the snow burying deep all traces of life save for the most hardy denizens of the mountains. Slowly icy peaks gave way to the gentle flowers of spring, and as the earth breathed warm air once more the stallion started to become more of himself again. The strength of the summer sun had drawn him from the cave burrow he had spent the last few seasons. It felt good for his large frame to walk freely, and for once he was not hunched or stooped. The heavy draft frame had always been seen as somewhat intimidating to those he had come across, and in an attempt to smooth things and to prevent undue stress he had come to hold a hushed posture, as if afraid to take up the space around him. Spending the winter huddled in a cave with naught but his own tumbling thoughts had cured him neatly of that- or nearly so.
Gareth had been given plenty of time to mull over recent occurrences. Or, well, recent enough, given how little time he had spent around others this past year. He hadn’t realized it, but after his initial encounter with Salome after her departure so many years ago, he had drawn into himself. There were so many feelings he had thought snuffed, so many questions that had been unanswered. When she had failed to show, he had waited with a near fervor, with a hope beyond all desperate hope. That hope had nearly broken him a second time.
The brief company of Luvena, the sickly looking mare with a strength rarely seen, had brought him some comfort. He hadn’t the strength to tell her the nature of his absence on their last meeting, and he had made it woefully short. He’d made a promise to himself that he would make that up to her. Perhaps with a bundle of herbs, or some tincture or other mixture she may be in need of, as a way of apology and thanks.
Then there had been a fleeting encounter with the fae-winged mare. Her frame had been so small, but her heart had been so full. Gareth had been chastised on more than one occasion by Noor for not being more polite and making an attempt to build companionship. But the earthen brute had not held the heart for it yet. He still ached and wept for a love that would never have been his. That, by all rights should have been dead to him. It had clouded his thoughts for much too long.
The stallion lifted his head high, his elk companion walking steadily beside him, the mushrooms that grew haphazard through the moss began to have a faint glow as the sun set. Neither beast was known to walk the streets of the Night Court often. In fact, the last time either had set hoof to cobblestone has been for the election of Ira to Sovereign. A pity, really, that less than a year later he would be returning not to congratulate his friend, but to welcome a new face to the seat of power.
I suppose you were not the only one facing a troubled heart.Noor spoke not with any malice or disdain of this fact. The elk had seen the heartache that had plagued his friend over the previous seasons, and he knew the depths to which a soul would go to try to recover from tragedy.
“I just hope that this woman knows what she’s doing. Denocte needs a steady hand to lead her, now more than ever.” Gareth’s voice was low, a whisper of conspirators as his pillars drew him closer to the courtyard where the summons had been called. The two kept their distance, choosing to observe quietly, reserving judgement, lest there be a reason for him to question their new leader’s quality.
Israfel seemed to be of noble breeding, if not by birth then by the trials of life. She was well spoken and connected with the denizens of the court in what could be seen as very genuine. She called for questions, and volunteers to help her rebuild the court to its rightful glory. The stallion’s nares flared and his eyes shone with a gentle smile. So far, she seemed to have a solid head on her shoulders.
Then, a delicate thing approached her, asking the questions that surely rest on the minds of many. Gareth recognized the figure as the fae-winged woman he had come across the previous fall. His heart warmed, glad to see that she had found success here in Denocte, and that her spirit remained bright. He lightly bobbed his head in approval of her queries, waiting patiently as another young figure he did not recognize spoke their loyalty to the court, whatever that need may be.
His amber gaze moved again to Israfel, watching the mare to see how she would respond to such questions and exclamations of devotion. Perhaps he would toss his own lot in with them. After all, he had spent so very long serving Denocte and its denizens from outside the walls, without making any true connections with those who shared his beloved home. Perhaps it was time that he truly gave back in service of his court.
"Speech"|Noor | @Israfel | Have a long post about a boy finally coming back to town XD
Oh my friends,
I am ready.
Can I beat within your heart?
Can I bleed within your love?
When Runaveig slunk into the meeting, she did so quietly and without fanfare, lacking her usual grace, candour, and magnetizing pull that radiated like gravity whenever she performed on the streets of the markets.
This was not her element, and it left her quaking like a fawn.
The dusk-colored maiden lingered near the back of the gathering, watching with wide, nervous eyes of gold as the ivory woman, Israfel, addressed them. Her heart beat rapidly within her breast, frantic and anxious in its pace.
No matter how many times she had experienced this change, this shifting of power from one individual to another, it always made her nervous. The whispers that trickled in from Solterra of their cruel tyrants and countless days of bloodshed from new usurpers never sat well, keeping her up with nightmares during the following days of a new ascension here within Denocte, and surely this would be no different.
Fearfully, Runaveig crept further into the throng of bodies. Umbra remained upon her back, the black Pygmy dragon cautiously keeping an eye out as though searching for something, but the familiar weight of him upon her spine was enough to help soothe the worst of her anxieties. Moving far enough so that she could see a little better, the entertainer watched as others with far more bravado than her spoke up, expressing their worries, their concerns, asking their questions when prompted.
Runa let them and kept her own lips sealed.
She settled quietly next to a larger fellow, his height, size, and musculature helping to at least calm her fraying nerves. Even though she didn’t know his name, the petite woman offered him a fleeting, nervous, appreciative, pretty smile before directing golden eyes back towards the gilded ivory maiden, their new Queen.
"Speaking."
credits
Tagging @Gareth because she addressed him a little more than anyone else.
It had only been a short time since I had arrived here, taking a rank I was most familiar in to have at least something feel 'normal' while I got used to this new life I was planning on dedicating myself to. Yet even in that short time, rumors graced my ears as I had walked through the Market a few days prior while on patrol, talks about there being a challenger for the Sovereign's position. At that moment, I did not pay any mind to it, but as the call came to meet at the Court I slightly wished I had.
Joining the mass of people trickling inside, I moved my way to a more solitary corner where I could keep watch along with have a good view of the speaker - who shortly started speaking and deliver her speech, talking about the previous Sovereign and talking who she was. Right now it did not really mean much to me, most - if not everyone was still a stranger, at most she had seen a few of them around, but maybe soon it would.
The stars are alive, child! Did you know that? Everything out there is alive, and there are grand purpose abroad!
Her heart had not stopped fluttering since that afternoon. Even now she could still feel the mark of Israfels velveteen muzzle pressed against her own. The way it had felt like fire was sparking between them. She hoped that the feeling would never go away. Courted. The last time she had been courted she had been thousands of miles away, in a kingdom that no longer stood.
She was late getting to the meeting. She had woken from a nap only a few minutes before, her head pounding, eyes dull, but she wouldn’t have missed this for the world. Not for anything. She still managed to make it just in time to hear Israfel open her speech. Carefully she wove through the crowd, picking up a cup of Caelum’s Chamomile honey tea as she went.
She could already see a few of her friends around, Caelum up at the front, Polar North not far from her. Even Gareth seemed to have made his way down from the mountains, and she gave him a quick smile as she moved past him. She continued to make her way up towards the front, careful not to push anyone as she did.
Luvena couldn’t help but smile as Israfel caught her gaze, something again to pride showing in her own eyes. Her speech couldn’t have been more fitting, and she lifted her cup in a silent cheers, before sipping at the tea. (Far better than her own). She listened carefully as one by one others spoke up, Caelum, and then Pol. Though the conversation seemed to stop there for now.
Still silently she picked her way up to where Caelum had moved, and as she passed she whispered “Remember how I told you it was a she?” before chancing a slight nod up towards the new queen. She stopped just in front of the fae, not with the intent of speaking up, but she hoped that at least her presence was the support her newfound suitor needed.
Nerezza had not been a member of the Night Court for very long. In fact she could not ever remember ever having seen the sovereign's face, let alone heard much about him other than simple gossip. She had arrived in the dead of night some moons ago and set up a small dingy shop to sell odds and ends she found on her travels. It wasn't much, and that's exactly as she wanted it. The last thing Nerezza needed was unwanted attention from anyone lest it somehow get back to her home kingdom that she was in fact-- alive. As far as they were all concerned she was a monster. Not that she'd ever done a single thing to any of them. Simply being born with magic in a land where it was unheard of. Yet here magic flowed freely and openly. It was not hidden behind closed doors and whispered about in the darkness. She could see the magic all around her.
Nerezza didn't feel like she was home, but she at least felt like she was safe. Perhaps it was the lack of an acting leader for so long; after all hers had done nothing but try to hunt her down. Exterminate her. She lingered on the outskirts of the meeting, remaining in the shadows of the structure. Nerezza watched Israfel, flinching slightly at the presence of the phoenix and remembering her own avian companion. She did not remember the bird with fondness however and was pleased he had not followed her all the way to Novus. At least not yet. A simple respite, but a respite all the same.
The words meant nothing to Nerezza. She was new to this land and even if she hadn't they seemed empty. She could feel for the people around her who wanted a better life, but she found herself distrustful of the actual words that fell from lady of the flame's lips. The woman was bold, Nerezza had to commend that at least. Despite her height, Nerezza did everything she could to appear small. Anything that would allow her to move quietly and remain unnoticed.
She flinched when Caelum stepped forward. Pegasi were not unheard of, even from where Nerezza was from. After all her mother had been one. But a pegasus that looked like a dragon fly? This was new for her and it terrified her. She took a few hesitant steps back before realizing she backed straight into another horse. Blue eyes widened slightly as she mumbled an apology and attempted to slink past them back into the shadows.
Everything felt too bright. Too fresh. Too new.
And Nerezza was darkness.
09-07-2021, 12:29 PM - This post was last modified: 09-07-2021, 10:38 PM by Nerezza
Night in Denocte . It seems a perfect time to slink in under the cover of a starlit backdrop , despite the halo of gold about their head . They sorely miss what had once been home , but had put a self-imposed exile on their own head . Yet even that hadn't stopped them from returning here now , not when they had heard of change , of a challenge . Ira , their dear friend , had disappeared , and yet another is stepping up to his place . Perhaps this one will bring change ? Maybe this one will stay ? Slowly , they make their way toward the Court itself , wings dipping to allow their descent on the edges of it , carefully landing in silence , far enough to not be seen . Far enough to not stir up anything . They are an exile here , they are ... nothing .
They had run , hadn't they ? No . They had been swept up by life , yanked and pulled kicking and screaming from a Court they loved to save their brother ... only to lose him anyway .
Time does not heal the loss of Crux , the raw and aching wound so jagged in their chest .
That ache that settles in their bones and the loneliness that races through their heart . Even now the guilt is far too strong , they feel they have no place here . But they dearly miss the many faces of it , and wonder if there are many that still reside in its heart . There is no laughter here , only subdued words , scared glances to and fro . They shift their gaze , and the cloak stirs slowly , resting over their skull and hiding them away as best as one could while throwing off such a golden glow , tucked at the edges of a crowd , towering over them and moving in an eerily slow way .
Scared . So scared .
A voice cuts through the waves and silence , enough to startle them , a jump in slow motion that makes their wings flare open before they quickly close them again , hiding star maps against slender sides and turning their head carefully . They fix their gaze at the head of the crowd at the new Sovereign , and when she falls silent , there are only a few that speak up . They are not one of them , attempting to seem small in a crowd that has gathered .
Quite the feat , if achieved .
@Israfel and anyone else that notices them ( not that it's hard to notice them slflsjf )
sit tight, i'm gonna need you to keep time
come on, just nap, snap, snap your fingers for me
Callynite
good, good now we're making some progress
come on, just tap, tap, tap your toes to the beat
The green cloak was drawn tight around her, and while normally it was only out for her to adventure with, the doe figured hiking all the way to Denocte to do a bit of intel gathering on the transition of power was a good reason to don it. She'd made the trek just in time, ending up in the main city a day or two prior to the official announcement, and introduction. Still, the deer didn't want to draw too much attention, not with everything about to go down in Delumine. Not with her own exchange of power approach. No, the deer needed to be a background player. So she obscured her features with her cloak, knowing that otherwise, being cervine would have caused some significant attention to be thrown her way.
She didn't want that attention just yet. Her antlers, of course, couldn't be hidden, but thankfully it wasn't unusual to see them on others. So she didn't worry much over that little bit of fanciness. Hopefully, she could slip in, hear what this new power was planning, in terms of relations with the other Courts, and slip back out again. She wanted to come into power knowing where she might stand with the others, rather than to take the crown and have an army banging on her front door.
She moved through the crowd, finding her new, taller height so much easier to work with. Before it was always a lot of peering around, now she stood level with the smaller horses, (and being closer to Coy's height was a delight as well, but that's personal - this is business). She found her own place in the crowd, listening to the new Queen, Israfel (she made sure to link the name, title, and maiden in front of her so she'd remember later), make her announcements. An equine with the wings of an insect came forth, adding questions, some of them the ones that Cally wanted to be answered as well.
Unfortunately, no one else really spoke up, and so she kept herself quiet, a mere individual in the crowd as she stayed still, she waited, she gathered intel, and she wondered what this exchange of power would mean, not just for Denocte, as was this courts focus, but for Cally and all of Delumine as well.
and i believe this may call for a proper intruction
"Speech" Thoughts
@Israfel Notes: Cally's information gathering prior to her taking over Dawn. So don't mind her ;)
and well, don't you see,
i'm the narrator, and this is just the prologue?
