A Landen Village in Southern Glacia, Kaeleer [Wednesday Afternoon, Fandom Time]

[glacial_queen]

It was almost time for then to catch their portal home, but Morton had cautiously decided that there was enough time to visit one more landen village before they left. Even Julian didn't have much a problem with this, mollified by the five Blood males (and seven females) that Karla had handwavily, because cons are exhausting offered a place in her First Circle, once she'd made her Offering.

Once there, they'd scattered to their respective duties with an ease that came with having done the same thing many times within the past two weeks. Karla took over whatever building was the largest, more interested in being a Healer than a Queen, taking care of whatever ailments came her way, either with Craft, mundane medicines, or just some brisk advice. Warren sat nearby, making sure she had plenty to eat and drink, while talking to the people about their problems and their woes, making sure they felt heard, understood, and cared for. People who might otherwise have been afraid to come to Karla were set at ease by his openness and, more importantly, his lack of Jewel.

Jono and Julian were teamed up elsewhere, talking frankly about the war that Karla would be bringing to Glacia, about her plans to depose the current Queen and her Ruling Council, and making it clear that any landen who wished to fight--or even learn to better defend his village--was welcome to join with them. Jono made it very clear that the landens that joined with them would be more than simply fodder for the Blood. Their willingness to fight for a Queen that would see them as people too had even Julian offering a grudging respect.

Morton was out in the fields, delivering the Queen's Gift to nourish the crops. A cupful of Karla's blood in a bucket of water was enough to give the tiny plants new life and fullness, ensuring that the village could meet their new tithes while still having enough leftover for themselves. And Kaelas remained outside of the village, keeping watch with his superior kindred senses, which he never failed to point out to their group of tiny noses and ineffectual teeth.

[NFB, and all PCs modded with permission. Violence and dark themes in the comments, because what would a trip to Glacia be without those?]

Comments

[furnaceface]

Jono wasn't panicking, either. He was simply looking upwards, his face pulled into a very carefully schooled mask of calm.

Of course she wanted the children. Psychopathic murderess, bloody vampire. Of course she'd want the easiest prey.

He wasn't panicking. But he was shaking with the effort it took to restrain himself from flying up there and trying to cleave her head from her shoulders before anyone realized what he was about to do.

"Somebody remind me that I can't just kill her," he murmured, lip curling back and eyes glowing red fury up toward the tiny circle of open sky above them.

[glacial-court.livejournal.com]

"Don't you fucking dare," Julian hissed, looking at both of them. "If you were ever hoping for a chance to prove to me that landens can be a full part of Karla's Court, now's the fucking time. Keeping Karla safe isn't just the most important thing right now, it's the only thing. So you keep a lid on your temper and put some steel in your damn spine, because if either of you do a damn thing to jeopardize my Queen, I will gut you both."

He glared, switching his gaze from one male to the other. "Am I fucking clear?"

[glacial-warlord.livejournal.com]

"And I'll help." Morton's tone was soft but uncompromising. "We have a duty. First rule of service--we cherish. And by that, I mean we protect."

It certainly wasn't obey, not with the hand he had clamped over a very red-faced Karla's mouth.

[furnaceface]

Jonothon rolled his eyes. Not that anyone would be able to tell, not with the way they were sold red, casting a dim haze of crimson over his features.

"Th'request was a hypothetical," he intoned dryly. "But thank you both for th'reminder."

He hesitated a moment, looked down, and then winced as he saw the reflection of his own eyes, glowing back at him in the muddy water. Jesus. He might as well light twin flares to let everyone know they were down there.

He was closing his eyes tightly shut immediately after. He wasn't going to go flying in to save the day, but the things that twisted inside of him, longing for bloodshed-- he couldn't just shut those off on a whim.

This was going to be a long night.

[I'M SLEEPIN' I PROMISE.]

[glacial-enemies.livejournal.com]

Hekatah hadn't paused while Team Well-Hiders bickered amongst themselves. She'd grabbed another handsome young man, dragging him over to her, smirking at the cry that came from a pretty young girl about his age.

"Important to you, is he?" she purred. "Then you should tell me what I want to know, shouldn't you? I can try to take the information directly from his mind, but that will leave his brain ashes inside his skull. You don't want that, do you?"

[kaeleerans.livejournal.com]

"Please," the girl sobbed. "Please don't hurt him. We're supposed to be married this summer..."

[glacial-enemies.livejournal.com]

"Well, then, you know what to do, don't you?"

Hekatah tittered again, but the girl stayed silent.

"Still quiet? Well then, this is your fault, isn't it?"

And she tore open his throat, bathing her face in his warm blood before drinking him down. "Now tell me where the children are!" she howled, teeth still stained red. "Or I'll open your throat next!"

[glacial-court.livejournal.com]

"What do we do if they give us up instead?" Julian hissed. "Save their children by giving that bitch a better prize?"

[furnaceface]

"We deal with it," Jonothon said simply, eyes still tightly shut. "One way or another, we deal with it. But that hasn't happened yet. They could have saved at least a few lives by now already. And it hasn't happened."

There was a faint crackle of energy at the corners of those closed eyes. He swallowed, and then raised his hands to press the heels of his palms against them.

Bite it back. Bite it down. Don't let it out, don't let it show.

[glacial_queen]

"Kaelas can kill her," Karla said in a low voice. "Kaelas can leap through her shields and tear her throat out before anyone else can react. The rest of us can take out her guards and then we can clear the village. Move them all somewhere else. Relocate them where they won't be found. Haven, maybe."

She wanted to eviscerate this 'High Priestess.' But watching Kaelas do it would be enough.

[glacial-warlord.livejournal.com]

"No," Julian and Morton said at the same time. Julian looked away and gestured for Morton to go first. "We can't take that risk. If something goes wrong--if they get a lucky shot..."

[glacial_queen]

"I'll stay down here!" Karla persisted. "You won't even have to worry about me! I'll stay here and hidden while the rest of you kill those dog-souled sons of whores!"

[glacial-court.livejournal.com]

"No," Julian repeated. "Sure, we might get to save this village, but you don't think another one won't face retaliation? They'll have no idea why, but they'll be punished for it! Assuming you'll be able to convince them all to leave their homes for somewhere else, only on your say so!"

[wwiii]

"It's too much of a risk," Warren agreed softly, even with his head bowed and his wings trembling behind him. It wasn't what was going on up above that had him so twitchy, though some part of him was well aware that Julian and Morton probably figured that was exactly what was going on. "We can't get involved in that unless we get dragged into it, Karla. If anything happens to her... someone out there will know that it was here that she was destroyed. Landens are toys to their type... if this village doesn't suffer for her death, another will. They're all the same to them, in the end."

Still shaking. But his voice was so, so stubbornly steady.

[glacial-warlord.livejournal.com]

"We can't let anything slip to Hobart that you're here," Morton added. "We can't have him know how close you are to coming home. Otherwise, things will be ever more difficult for you."

He nudged Warren with a shoulder. "You okay?" he asked. "It's tough for all of us to hear."

At least he was sympathetic, as opposed to Julian's pursed lips.

[wwiii]

"I've heard worse," Warren replied, glancing up at Morton and putting in one hell of an effort to not start and spread his wings at the nudge. "I was at Agio, remember. This is just--"

He waved a hand at the walls.

"I'm the only one down here who probably couldn't get out of here on my own if we all needed to, unless there are enough handholds going up." He pulled in a deep breath. "It's... a little tight for anyone who needs a bit more room when they stretch."

Hey, Morton, Julian, Jono. Warren was telling you all that he was claustrophobic. He was trusting you not to be assholes with that newfound knowledge.

"I'll deal with it."

[glacial-court.livejournal.com]

Neither Blood male looked terribly pleased with the idea, but they had more important things to worry about. Julian did, however, take a second to hiss, "You'd better be able to deal with it. Because we don't have the time to handle you and--"

[glacial_queen]

"Shut it!" Karla snapped, managing to keep her voice down through the grace of the Darkness alone. "He said he'll deal, he'll deal. Now if you'd lot like to stop chattering so we can focus on this village we're going to save? I'd appreciate it!"

[kaeleerans.livejournal.com]

Because what was going on above was very important. As Julian had worried, one of the townspeople was stepping forward.

"Please, don't make us give you our children," he begged. "If you spare them, we'll tell you where--"

[kaeleerans.livejournal.com]

"Don't waste the lady's time making up lies," another voice spat. That voice would seem very familiar to Jono and Julian, at least. "Please, Lady Priestess. There are children hiding in the root cellar of my home."

[glacial-enemies.livejournal.com]

Horrified cries rose up through the crowd, but Hekatah only tittered. "Finally," she crowed. "I knew someone in this town would be educable."

"How could you?!" A woman cried.

"He saved the rest of your children from a worse death by fire," Hekatah said carelessly. "Go. Fetch me the children he spoke of. My hunger is sated now, but it is a long journey home."

[furnaceface]

Jonothon's eyes snapped open at that familiar voice, casting a dim glow around the water they were standing in.

And he was looking directly at Julian.

Pointedly.

No, he didn't figure words were necessary, here.

[glacial-enemies.livejournal.com]

Julian didn't bother looking at Jono. Not when there was the faint crash of a door being kicked in, followed by crying a few moments later.

Ralt strode out the door, holding a squirming, sobbing child under each arm. The boy was probably eight, the girl a few years younger. Hekatah watched their approach with a delighted smile. "Oooh, aren't they precious," she cooed. "I mean, they're filthy little things and they'll need to be bathed and prepared to get the stink of village off of them, but they're perfect! Exactly what I had in mind! So...easily swayed towards a most piquant terror."

[glacial_queen]

"We can't let her take them," Karla choked out. "We just can't. I can't leave this well and make more promises to these people after letting her murder people and take their children!"

[wwiii]

If Warren closed his eyes and listened to the crying, he could almost forget that he was crammed in with four other people at the bottom of a well.

Mixed blessing.

"We won't," he said, softly, though there was a sharpness in his voice. "It sounds like she doesn't want anything to do with them right away. They wouldn't be traveling in her coach, would they?"

They weren't going to just let this happen.