unusual supplicants

WESSEX

She knows the judgment is lurking. Ever since Amalia became Safrin’s pet, the holier than thou-ness has increased tenfold, favoritism creating the certainty of only one way to do things - ‘her way.’

Anyway. Might as well dive right in with the why.

She nods and finds a table to lean against. It might be a long story. “I should start at the beginning. Before the Mathair was inhabited by a spirit, it was a portal and they were all… linked. Online. And right before LongNight, the Voice called a group to the Mathair to reactivate it. It was lit up. Bright with her energy.  Before we could do anything, Lucas fucked us over by hurling a spear at the tree, and it skewered him, and the spirit took back control of the tree.” She looks up at the chandelier and then closes her eyes briefly. “So we had to get rid of it. The Fae warriors came quickly after. In the middle of the fight, I tried to call a cease-fire and talk. That didn’t work and I had to kill one of the Fae after they nearly set me on fire.”

Wessex briefly looks at the other two before forging on. “In the end The Voice killed the Fae with some kind of blast that nearly killed us, too. We crawled away. Dragged ourselves to the closest shrine where she healed us and told us about Halo - the snow-covered place. Apparently that’s where she sent Zariah, but that’s neither here nor there.” She crosses her arms over her chest rather defensively, but manages to keep her tone stable.

“So then Delah calls for me account for the deaths. And do not tell me you expected that meeting to go well. I told her what happened and she rightfully ripped me a new one. But I draw the line at groveling. And at letting her dictate what happens here. So when she told me the Grounders could have access to the Greatwood if I stepped down, I said I’d let her know what the people decide.” She pauses and grows a little softer. “And I will let them decide. Once I know what the options are.”

Wessex spreads her hands in a wide gesture. Now they know all.

No, I’ll be the stone
I’ll be the hunter, a tower that casts the shade
I lie awake and watch it all