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  • Beqanna

    COTY

    Assailant -- Year 226

    QOTY

    "But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura


    [private]  do you feel like a young god? nayl
    #1
    if there's a light at the end, it's just the sun in your eyes

    Nearly a year has come and gone since the Lost Boys' invasion of Hyaline. Amet's beloved home had regrown itself to the best of its own ability through the spring and now summer has befallen them, with only a handful of charred trees and a few instances of gnarled earth to serve as reminders. Amet, himself, has grown into something impressive. Something confident. Something deserving of Hyaline's throne.

    Handling the attack on his home had been an uphill battle and the young stallion would have preferred a run-in with Him a thousand times over, but the Dragon King had kept his congregation calm and himself diplomatic. Now, there are new alliances on the horizon, and the golden stallion is full of hope for the second half of Beqanna's year. He would even (maybe) go out and search for Iset, to finally hear her side of the story.

    She is, after all, half of the family he has.

    The gilded Akhal-Teke thinks of Iset with a small pang of sadness, but quickly redirects his attention to the red maple trees that reach skyward in groups at the northern border of his territory, where Hyaline meets Nerine. He moves easily into the peninsula territory and allows his amber eyes to roam the familiar trail of Nayl's kingdom. The ocean breeze drifts lazily over the leather-plated stallion as he nears the cliff that he had descended, panicked, the night of the attack. His scales gleam brightly (like fire and sunshine, Kali had told him) beneath the summer sun and his lithe frame relaxes when he nears the cliff side.

    Amet calls loudly into the wind with his head thrown back and his amber eyes searching for the pied Queen.
    Amet


    @[Nayl]
    #2
    I am not afraid... I was born to do this.
    The solitude is a familiarity. It hangs across her thoughts, a dark shroud that wipes the smile from her face on most days.

    She cannot complain. Nayl has often preferred the company of herself; it’s when she can contemplate her efforts, her plans, her future. The wind tousles her mane as she stands at the cliff’s edge peering distantly across the ocean waves to where it seems so much calmer. It entrances her, holding her gaze for hours until a voice reaches her from miles away.

    Nayl looks over her shoulder, breathing in the saltiness of the air before she turns to find Amet.

    For a majority of her travel, she trots with an occasional canter that thrums against Nerine’s sand and soil. The direction from where his voice came, and his scent that flutters in her nostrils, is enough to guide her to where he stands near the cliff.

    ”Amet,” her voice is softer, wiser, as she comes to his side, but her eyes look adoringly at the sea before finding his gaze. It’s a subdued version of what he had last seen when in Hyaline, when the wounds were still freshly bleeding. Offspring poured salt on them, and she hardly restrained her anger. But time has mended some of her pain, enough so that she can calmly ask, ”What brings you to Nerine?”

    queen of nerine
    daughter of covet & myrina
    #3
    if there's a light at the end, it's just the sun in your eyes

    Amet has come to realize that Nerine never makes him feel the same way twice. The first time he'd visited Nayl inside her Kingdom, the vast ocean before him had made him feel small and unimportant in a world full of creatures and natural formations that could eat him alive. It had reminded him that he was simply a young colt who had run away from his problems and was trying with all of his might to keep himself and his younger siblings alive.

    The second time he had visited Nerine, it had been in the dead of night, following the invasion of his own home. The ocean had fed into his turmoil, had roiled it and fueled it and made him all the more anxious. The wet sands beneath his hooves had dragged him down and slowed his progress when all he had wanted to do was race back to Hyaline to make sure the rest of his congregation was safe from the group that had attacked them.

    Now, though, the ocean makes him hopeful. It makes him feel powerful, as if staring at it long enough could give him the strength to do anything he set his mind to. Go boldly, and great forces will come to your aid, his mind whispers to him as his amber eyes gaze over the unfathomable depths. It's only when hoof steps draw near that Amet turns his eyes from the vociferous ocean to see the pied Queen of Nerine draw beside him. He notices that her own gaze falls not on him, but on the sea, and so he gives her a moment to appreciate the beauty just as he has before giving the mare a polite nod and a warm smile.

    "It's good to see you, Nayl," he offers kindly, before she probes into the reason behind his visit today. The Dragon King watches her closely, the great Queen Nayl, and realizes for the first time that he is not intimidated by her prowess. He acknowledges it, without a doubt, but the gilded stallion has grown into himself over the last year, and he is confident enough to know that he is a good ruler, and a kind King.

    Where once an uncertain boy stood, now stands King Amet. "I'd like to discuss our arrangement," he expresses without preamble, though his words are measured, "It's been nearly three years since Brennen offered to protect Hyaline, and about the same amount of time has passed since the last time we saw him. I have handled Hyaline skillfully since then, with assistance from yourself and Djinni after we were attacked, which I appreciated more than I can ever express."

    Amet pauses for a brief moment, a small smile finding its way across his muzzle. "As a subkingdom of Nerine, I'm quite sure that there was the possibility of other attacks that did not come to fruition simply because Hyaline's name was associated with yours. With that being said, I feel that our relationship thus far has been that which you would normally expect from an ally," he says gingerly, though without hesitation, "And I hope that you take no offense, because I mean none by it, but I would like for Hyaline to be an ally of Nerine's from this point forward, instead of a subkingdom."
    Amet


    @[Nayl]
    #4
    I am not afraid... I was born to do this.
    When he speaks, his voice has deepened. He is becoming less of a boy and more of a stallion. It piques her interest, truthfully, as it would mean his reign would end in the next couple of years. Age is a factor in Hyaline after all, she remembers as she looks at him after finally breaking her longing stare with the ocean. He addresses her somewhat more formally, cementing his part as a wiser individual and not a frantic, confused child. A great deal of her applauds him for this, but there is also a flicker of uncertainty when she notes the subtle tones of his voice and the firmness in the gaze he meets her with.

    Her ears thirstily drink his words, her mind tasting and weighing them with a brewing distaste, but she conceals it behind a stoic expression that finds itself looking back at the expansive ocean in front of them. Nayl listens closely. She is taking it all into consideration even as her heart leaps in her chest and her thoughts reel faster than she can stop them.

    Their arrangement, he begins, and she immediately knows how this conversation – this idea – has been pressing on his shoulders lately. This isn’t an impulsive decision, but one that he has been tasting for weeks, at the minimum.

    Although her answers are groping at the tip of her tongue, she allows him to entirely finish and to let a silence steady the both of them before she finally speaks with a voice hollowed of great emotion and sympathy. ”I removed Brennen even from our ranks. I’ve not seen hide nor hair of him. In his absence, Hyaline was attacked; that was the conclusion of his place in your home.” But Amet kept the stallion ranked in order to maintain the tie with Nerine; however, Nayl has been wanting to replace him, but no one came to mind.

    But now she hones in on Amet’s request and there is a coldness in the way that she answers, ”No.” She expects him to be surprised, to look at her with confusion and disdain. Nayl doesn’t continue, not immediately, as she pieces together all that needs to be said. She feels more like a mother now than she ever has before. It hits a moment of discomfort deep within her, but still she maintains a rather stony expression. ”Your kingdom – your home – is one for children. You yourself will soon have to find elsewhere to live because you will exceed your own rule of age limitations. A land of children requires protection – a mother, of sorts – and that is exactly what Nerine has offered to you. I gave you an adult and although he quickly fell absent – a factor not in my power – I was still willing to let him leave Nerine for you.” It was with her graciousness that Hyaline had been forged, no? And of course, Amet and his terrible sibling.

    Her body shifts and she looks at him with slight disappointment. ”Allies help each other in times of war, tragedy, and chaos. I truly cannot see how children could offer aid in such situations. Hyaline was built as a sanctuary for foals to learn and grow. I fail to see how and why it would need independence from Nerine when it was Djinni and I that fled to Hyaline after the destruction and when I have been nothing but supportive. You have even said that Hyaline’s ties with Nerine may have warded off further damage and raids. So, please, enlighten me as to why you have come to the conclusion that you think this is the best route to take for Hyaline?”


    queen of nerine
    daughter of covet & myrina




    well, uhhh, she wasn't thrilled lmao snippy Nayl
    #5
    if there's a light at the end, it's just the sun in your eyes

    Amidst his monologue, Amet watches as Nayl's gaze, still stoic and careful, turns away from him and back to the sea. He keeps going, never faltering or second guessing himself. He doesn't regress into the uncertain child he had been once, but instead grows more confident in his decision with each sentence he speaks. The weeks it had taken him to come to this conclusion has been full of worry and sleepless nights, but never had Amet completely scrapped the idea. Instead, it had rooted in his head, slowly blossoming only when he could feed it with the positives that could come of simply being an ally of Nerine.

    When he does finally come to his conclusion, the leather-plated stallion is unsure what to expect of the painted mare. Nayl's only constant is that she is unpredictable, and Amet doesn't know whether he will see the angry, fiery Nayl that he'd met when Offspring had come to visit Hyaline, or if she would be the poised, calculated, and fierce ruler he had met when she'd first come to look at the crystalline lake that was to be her newest subkingdom. He fears neither, but finds that he is silently hoping for the latter, if only because his intention was never to contrive any bad blood between them.

    She pauses a few moments before gifting him with a response, leaving the Dragon King to wait patiently with pricked ears and polite expectancy on his handsome face, and when she does break the silence, it's first with mention of Brennen. Amet had been unaware of his total disappearance, had assumed that there was a reason the winged stallion hadn't wanted to leave Nerine to visit Hyaline, but Brennen's complete exodus from Beqanna makes more sense to the gilded stallion. He gives a slight nod of acknowledgment to Nayl, though decidedly bites his tongue when the urge to ask whether or not she had ever thought to replace Brennen grows and threatens to fall from his maw. Professionalism and diplomacy, he reminds himself.

    No, she says coldly.

    Amet waits for the surprise to hit him, but it never comes. He had, deep down, been expecting her disapproval. His jaw tightens slightly, but the stallion keeps himself silent because he knows that the painted Queen will have more to say. And that she does.

    He listens patiently and watches her closely with his amber eyes, reading the mare's clouded expression as much as he is able. Growing progressively more terse, Nayl's words finally draw a frown across Amet's dark lips but he keeps himself quiet and his gaze steady. When finally she comes to the end of her speech and poses her question - enlighten me, enlighten me, enlighten me plays in his head - Amet is ready to respond, though he doesn't rush or hurry. "I will not be leaving Hyaline at any point, nor was that ever my intention. It has grown with me and will continue to do so." He shifts his weight and takes special care to keep his ears pressed forward when all they want to do is swivel backward. "And with Iset's absence, I have been forced to restructure and add more adults to our numbers. Our ultimate goal is the same, but we will now house the Professors who will train the children, giving Hyaline more in-house protection."

    Amet pauses for a few moments and allows his amber gaze to drift away from the Queen and back towards the agitated ocean as it pounds unrelenting against the cliff side. It makes him feel hopeful again, and when his gaze returns to Nayl, it's with renewed fire. "You and Djinni may have helped after the attack, Nayl, but we had no other communication. Never were any children from Nerine or Sylva sent to be added to our ranks, aside from Castile for a brief period of time, which leads me to believe that neither of you had much faith in my ability to create this sanctuary and training grounds." He shifts his narrow frame, willing his taut muscles to loosen slowly.

    "I do not want Hyaline to sink beneath a main kingdom that does not believe in it," he says passionately, "And I've come to find that other territories are hesitant to work with me and Hyaline simply because it is their assumption that any children in my care will be fed directly into the ranks of Nerine."

    A harsh squall suddenly berates them from the side and Amet tosses his head to remove the forelock from his bright eyes. "I did not come here today to persuade you to see my side, nor did I come to ask permission," he states with finality, "I would like for us to continue forward as an ally of Nerine."
    Amet


    @[Nayl] ♥ Lmao but would it really be Nayl if she wasn't snappy?
    #6
    I am not afraid... I was born to do this.
    Nayl listens, but she is also losing herself in the whirl of her own aggravation. There is no sense in concealing her disdain; it is painted on her face and freezes the words that fall past her lips. Despite the fire that has always engulfed her soul, she is suddenly frigid toward the boy as the situation slips through her fingers like sand. He is firm in the way that he addresses her – a child in her eyes still – and even this sends needles deep into her flesh, irritating her further.

    She breathes.

    She looks at the ocean.

    She glances toward the caverns in hopes of Lior to calm her or Isobell or, somehow, even Castile.

    Along her body, her muscles contract before she levels her eyes on Amet again, focusing more on one sole statement: Castile, for a time. A brow lifts. ”Where is my son, Amet? He was to live with you.” For a fleeting moment almost nothing else seemed to matter except for the safety of her own child. Beneath them the sand nearly comes to life as her rage spider webs from her hooves into the earth, but she stops herself. ”Do you see many children around, Amet, because I don’t. Am I to send non-existent children? You were to have my first-born – my only son – but something has seemingly happened to him that I’m only just now hearing about. My daughter? She is being raised to one day follow in my footsteps. You had Djinni’s firstborn also with you, or have you lost track of Ivar, too? Other than that, I see children once before they fade into the abyss.” Within her ribcage her heart is wildly hammering.

    Her thoughts are racing, but she is no longer wanting to fight him on this. It’s futile and mistrust is leaking into her quickly enough. ”Ah, so you’ve gone against the terms we agreed upon when I offered assistance in helping you establish Hyaline, I’ve never demanded children from your ranks to fuel Nerine and yet you let other kingdoms carry this belief, you’ve seemingly lost my son – and for all I know you could have traded him – and placed that blame on me, and you are seeming quite ungrateful for what I – and Djinni – have done.” She had always extended a hand to him when he needed it. She provided protection beneath the name of Nerine and she entrusted with him her own child since the number of their kingdom’s offspring was minimal. Djinni even encouraged Ivar at one point to be in Hyaline. When he begged for her help as the fires blazed across Hyaline, she did not hesitate. ”I don’t think I could trust a traitor that goes back on his word,” she scoffs and rolls her shoulders in an easy enough shrug.

    ”You said Nerine’s name protected Hyaline from harm, but then contradicted yourself to say that Nerine has hindered any political relations. You’re losing a very strong weapon, Amet. Best of luck.” A double-edged smile slips across her lips as she meets his eyes, the coastal wind lifting her forelock aside to reveal her piercing stare. It holds steadily for one, two, three heartbeats before she turns her body to face the ocean. She does not walk away. This is her home.

    With nothing more to add, a silence encases the iron-fisted Queen, letting the boy decide when to take his leave.



    queen of nerine
    daughter of covet & myrina



    feel free to have him still push her for conversation unless you want it to end there Smile




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