01-08-2016, 10:30 AM
fall on your knees…oh hear the angel voices
He wasn’t a warrior by any stretch, but he was loyal to his kingdom. He would lay down his life for any one of them at any time. He would give them his dying breath, if that was what was needed of him. Despite their preparations, he knew there was a more than good chance that they would lose someone in the war. It was the nature of the beast, something entirely unavoidable when war was on the table. Even the thought of it made his stomach tighten painfully, but it also made his jaw clench with a fierce resoluteness. If it was war the Chamber so desperately craved, then the Gates and their allied forces would oblige them.
Out of habit he cast a glance at the sky, mimicking Lagertha, his eyes peeled for any circling ravens. He knew there was a good chance they were lurking in the forest somewhere, ready to report back to their mistress the moment the Amazonian envoy had left the Gates. Thankfully, the kingdom had given him somewhat of a solution to that problem. He had been keeping his new ability a secret- not because he wanted to, but because the more tricks they had up their sleeves, the better off they would be. It wasn’t a flashy gift like others had and not as blatantly powerful, but it would be immensely useful to all of them. But it doesn’t show it, not yet. He would know when the time was right.
“We’ve come to let you know the Jungle would like to aid the Gates.” He hadn’t realized he was holding his breath until he let it out in relief. For months the Gates had been waiting on tenterhooks for this news. With the Deserts and the Jungle they were a force to be reckoned with, despite the many magical creatures the Chamber and Valley had crawling amongst it. The news was even grander when Lagertha informed him of the Dales involvement as well. That left only the Tundra and the Falls to possibly side with the Chamber/Valley regime, and while he didn’t know much of the brothers in the high north, he felt quite certain the Falls would remain neutral before they would side with the two evil kingdoms. He could be wrong, but he liked to think positive anyways. Lagertha leads them forward, her manner as brisk as her tone. Mast wasn’t offended though; to the contrary, he was quite impressed with the iron-gray mare and her uncanny ability to take command of the situation. “Its mostly regrown now, but the damage was quite extensive. They burned our magical tree to a crisp. Thankfully, what they appeared to have not known was that while in looks it is nothing more than a tree made of bark and water, its roots tap into something much deeper than earth.” he said, a hint of pride shining in his smooth voice. “They also sent along a red-eyed cremello to act as mercenary. He stole our then Queen Fiasko, raped her, and held her hostage in the Chamber.” Even the memory of it is enough to make him angry, and he finds himself grinding jaw as if he were chewing grass. Before he can continue they are joined by Wichita, and he offers her a smile. She was one of his pride and joys as a king. She had come to the kingdom a wrecked little creature, and gradually the kingdom had healed her. It had definitely brought her out of her shell. He offered her a small smile, glad to see she was putting her kingdom gift to use and experimenting with its limitations. Finally, she finished (somewhat sheepishly, it seemed), and Mast turned back to face the Amazonian group. “I too have ways we can communicate. My daughter, Topsail, is a telepath. I’ve also recently been given something from the kingdom which should make it possible for us to communicate without leaving our kingdoms. I won’t go into details here, but I’ll send a little something along to the Jungle after you’ve returned.” He hated being so cryptic, but even more than that he hated the damn birds that made his clear blue sky their spy grounds. “Also, you’ve already met our General. Magnus has stepped up to the position of General and Lord.” he paused, turning his head to the buckskin, “Magnus, whatever you need to do for or with the army, feel free.” he said with a nod, giving the stallion free rein. Mast could admit his short-comings, and war planning was high on the list.
M A S T
King of Heavens Gates