Pride and the Fall

Feral had tried to make himself look a bit less like a beast of the woods and more like a citizen of this.. place. If he was going to fight in it's military, he wanted to know more about it's queen. He had on a simple white tunic, probably a bit too small, as well as a pair of brown trousers, also a bit on the small side. He didn't care what most people thought but he wasn't stupid. Most of the time.

He stood in front of the gate, taking the building in. Had this building always been here? He noticed a guard and waved them over, relieved it wasn't one of the ones that tried to arrest him. "Excuse me, I request audience with yo.. our queen." As he said it, the wall of teenage recklessness started to crumble. Why was he here again? He ran a hand through his hair as he contemplated leaving.

No. He needed to know why she thought she could dictate what he called himself.

And maybe to see if she needed a hunter among her ranks.

Zariah

The guard that Feral had called over gladly led him in without any fuss. The inside of the Manor was just as majestic as the outside by Hollowed Grounds standards. He was left in the main meeting room, where a long ornate table and plush seating areas were available. And the young man wouldn’t have to wait long, the sound of heels clicking against the floor, growing ever louder as the person wearing them approached a door, indicating the entrance of the Queen. Zariah entered, likely more youthful in appearance than he might’ve expected, her wide doll-like eyes and perfectly blank expression framed by wild curls and the high collar of her jacket, the tails of which reached the back of her knees. She moved gracefully on terrifyingly high-heeled boots, tight black pants and an dangerously low cut top easily emphasizing the sway of her hips as she walked. She stopped a bit away from him, pausing before speaking. ”It is a pleasure to meet you Feral. For what purpose have you requested an audience?” she asked, voice low and sweet. zariah If it is danger you seek, come on over. I covet tranquility but beget the tempest storm.

To say this place was impressive would be an understatement. He tried not to gape at the sheer niceness of it all. Yeah, no, he was very out of place here. He gingerly sat in one of the plush chairs, almost uncomfortable just from the softness. He couldn't imagine living in a place like this. How safe one must feel, and soft. Wouldn't it dull your senses? Make you weak?

He didn't have time to dwell on it too much when she entered the room. He shifted in his chair before standing to give her a little bow. The young man licked his lips before straightening out. Even though he was taller, he felt very very small in her presence.

"Thank you for having me." His voice was flat if not a bit gravely. "I've come to ask why you want us to be called Destined? And, why should I not be able to choose what I am called?" He was talking a bit faster, a bit more anger laced in those words.

Her head tilted slightly to the side as she considered the quite tall young man. Even though it was clear in the tone of his voice that he wasn’t particularly pleased with the change she had made to the way magic users were referred, he still managed to show her proper respect. There were no grandstands about what was right or fair, there was no bemoaning her place of birth or her methods. Just a question, searching for explanation behind her actions, rather than questioning her authority outright. Oh, where had such a levelheaded fellow been during the open audience? ”Please, do sit. I am happy to discuss this issue with you.” Zariah said, taking a seat across from him. She crossed her legs and clasped her hands over her knee, back perfectly straight. She still watched him with that doll-like stare, however unsettling it might be. ”I might counter your question with one of my own – why would you rather be Abandoned, a name that does not describe you, than Destined, which is what you really are?” she said lightly. ”The only reason we are referred to as Abandoned in the first place is because of the mistake of one individual centuries ago. I see no reason you or I should bear the brunt of that burden. We are not to blame for their actions, and I will certainly not be abandoning anyone.” she said, a sweet smile curving her lips. ”So long as I’ve sway, you and those like you will not carry that burden any longer. You are exactly as nature made you – destined for greatness, for more, gifted with talents at birth. No god gave you magic as the Attuned or Ascended gain their powers, and you are more than an Accepted. It is destiny alone that has granted you these gifts, and so you are Destined.” zariah If it is danger you seek, come on over. I covet tranquility but beget the tempest storm.

He returned to his seat, watching her carefully as she spoke. Is this what civilization is? Pretty words and pretty clothes and pretty houses? He'd scoff if he didn't feel like he was sitting across from a viper. Every move he made had to be done carefully, lest he get bitten. But she seemed content to answer his question.

But it was all just pretty words. "I do feel Abandoned. By the gods, by my people. I've been given a power that has only led to pain. Destiny, if it exists, is mocking me." He flexed his left hand, burned all those years ago. "And it's not like greatness is meant for the likes of me. Heros and Queens are destined for great things but not me." He isn't trying to gain her sympathy, he doubts the Merciless even has that. But wounds can only fester for so long before they begin to rot.

Zariah frowned at his response – externally at least. This young man was broken in some way, and broken people were the easiest prey. Moreover he was a magic user, and thereby her favorite sort of people. The best sort of people. The Destined. She reached out and placed a hand on his arm, as if in comfort. But silently, undetectably, she began weaving her magic through his mind and soul, willing him to obey her command. ”You ask the question wrong: why not you?” she said in a hushed tone, as if telling him a secret. ”You’ve been given a power and people have mocked you for it not destiny. They are not your people. The gods are not your gods. I am your people, and I will never abandon you, my fellow Destined. I will bring the glory that was stolen from you to your feet.” she said, smiling at him with a mother’s warmth. ”Isn’t that what you really seek? Belonging? Care? The justice that has been stolen from you?” she said, coaxing him down the path she wished him to follow. zariah If it is danger you seek, come on over. I covet tranquility but beget the tempest storm.

He flinched slightly when she touched him, partially from not expecting it but mostly because it had been so long since someone had tried to comfort him. His eyes lingered on her hand a moment before he looked back up at her. Why not him? Surely he was nothing special? Right?

But here he was, sitting audience with the queen herself. She was called the merciless and yet she had heard him out and even tried to comfort him. He looked away again before back at her. Pretty words but maybe she was right. She was the queen after all. He gave her a half smile, "I guess you're right. I'm still trying to figure out my place in.. this new everything. I'm glad you're trying to make it.. better for us.." He wasn't sure how to express his feelings, really. But the queen had herself a new pup.

"I hope a hunter such as myself can serve you well." Maybe he could bring her fine pelts. Or bones. Because that's what dogs do.

She smiled, seeing the effects of her magic taking root, the way he paused and reconsidered so openly playing out on his expression. ”I am glad you approve. Make sure when you hear those who speak ill of me to speak out against them. Now is not the time for doubt. Now is the time for evolution, and your place is on the side of the Destined.” she said, still weaving her magic through him, playing on what doubts he already clearly had, and making them the amplifiers on which her suggestions anchored themselves. ”We all have an important roll to play. Without hunters many would go cold or hungry, no?” she said, pulling her hand away then, seeing his spirits lifting. ”But the most important thing you can do is to grow in strength – show people exactly why we are Destined, why it was a mistake to call you abandoned for so long.” zariah If it is danger you seek, come on over. I covet tranquility but beget the tempest storm.

FERAL

He listened to her intently, trying to soak it all in. She was right. Things were changing and he had to be on the winning side. He gave her another crooked smile as she moved away from him. "I have one more request." This had been his true reason for coming here. The main thing. The big thing.

"I'd like to have permission to hunt the Great Woods. I think the animals there will have better pelts and be rarer. With Deepfrost coming, we will need to stockpile meat and warm clothes." Yep. That's why he wanted to go out there. Not because he wasn't horrendly curious about the world beyond the bubble. Well, that was part of it.

"Maybe I can find a rare beast for you."

Put a Quote here!

Zariah considered his request quietly. It was a reasonable one – the did need to stockpile food for the winter, and the Greatwood was awash with plentiful game. But the blight niggled at the back of her mind, and given that she shook her head definitively. No, it would not do them well to hunt game in the Greatwood. Not at this time anyways. ”The Greatwood is currently suffering a blight, affecting the plants and the animals that eat them. You would do better to hunt within our own unblighted borders so as not to accidentally contaminate our lands or people. It is quite a deadly disease I understand.” she said by way of explanation. They could make due with what could be found within the Hollowed Grounds, at least until the blight subsided. zariah If it is danger you seek, come on over. I covet tranquility but beget the tempest storm.

FERAL

He clicks his tongue as she denies his access to the Greatwood, the first obvious sign of distaste he's given her since her magic wove it's way into his brain. But it has less to do with her and more to do with how badly he had wanted to explore. "I hope to go when the blight is cured then. Until then, I will keep my hunting to the Hollowed Ground. We've got plenty of creatures." He says it mostly to himself.

With his business done with her, for now at least, he stands, bowing. "Thank you for meeting with me. That was all I had to discuss with you." Well that went well! Hopefully he didn't waste her time too much. He gave her a small smile as he straightened out. "If you need me for anything, don't hesitate to call. I know the woods and wilds well." It was really all he had to offer her, for now. He would work on his hunting and his magic to make himself truly worthy of being called Destined.

I survived because the fire inside me burned brighter than the fire around me.