He shot a look over his shoulder as he approached the king, locking eyes with Lestat and scowling at him. He bent down next to the king, keeping his voice low. Although, there wasn't much point - Zire, the queen and Lestat would know exactly what he was talking about. It just wouldn't do to upset any of the other Wraiths.
"My liege, Lestat has arrived, and he appears to want to cause some trouble."
The king simply flashed Erach a smile, "Don't worry, my friend. He wouldn't dare ruin such an occasion as this. It is far too important for our people."
Erach's scowl deepened - it was this flippant behaviour that had long since led him to the conclusion that their race was doomed if left in the hands of romantic fools such as this man. He knew his place, though, and simply responded with a curt nod and turned from the table, approaching Lestat instead.
Zire caught his eye and made to stop him, but Erach shed his physical form and moved straight through him, stepping close to Lestat. "Listen to me, boy. I know you're here to try to ruin everything here because of your puppy love for the queen, so don't try to deny it. If you do, be sure that I will have you cast down among the Helots, they're literally dying for an opportunity to kill one of us." His eyes narrowed, "Just give me the excuse."
Leo
His eyes followed the path of the stone as it curved away into the distance. Then, standing up, he offered her his hand, "Well, I'm not too keen on deliberately going to Aetha or Vulca anytime soon, I'm not exactly popular there. So we'll try for one of the other two I know of. Solum, I think." He grinned, pulling her to her feet, "And since you seem to have some kind of talent for magic, you might be able to pick up something from me."
He turned from her and closed his eyes, envisaging the eternal winter of his intended destination, mentally reaching for it, trying to create a bridge through to it. A circle of air before him seemed to begin flowing like water, the sunset beyond blurring. Opening his eyes, Leo smiled at the sight of Solum on the other side of the window.
He took a deep breath, focusing on maintaining the bridge, "Alright, that's the easy part."
"What now?" She asked.
"I need to keep it steady when we go through, otherwise we could end up anywhere." He took her hand again, concentrating as hard as he could on the gate, trying to ignore the slight tingle that ran through him at her touch. Then he stepped through, pulling her after him.
Leo breathed a sigh of relief as the cold of Solum washed over him - things had worked, for once. Then he looked around and swore. They were in the palace, as he had planned, but it was surrounded. Djinn screamed in defiance as Ferai poured every weapon they had against them in defence of the palace.
He had decided to live forever or die in the attempt. - Yossarian, Catch-22
Wide-eyed stupid.
If you're gonna rule the world, you've gotta get up early! - Joel S. Dickens
Ducking as an axe swung over their heads Sian shouted "What do we do?"
Leo was looking around frantically searching for some kind of escape. "We'll have to fight!" He shouted back. Sian nodded and picked up a sword that was lying on the floor near her. She didn't really know how to use it, but it gave her some comfort.
They looked at each other, Leo squeezed her hand. "Go!"
Sian jumped up from where she crouched and faced a Djinn, "Wait! Who's side are we on?" She screamed across at Leo.
"We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars."
-Oscar Wilde
He ducked another swinging axe from a Djinni, jumping back a few steps to put himself out of the axe's range. Closing his eyes, he allowed a wave of cold to wash out from him, over the Djinni, freezing it in place. He gave Sian a quick grin, "We're with the Ferai, the ones who look like they belong in this palace. We'll want to find some of them while we still can - as I said, I'm not popular with the Djinni, even if most of them wouldn't recognise me."
A pair of guards appeared from a doorway to their right, one of them grabbing Leo by the shoulder and pulling him back towards it.
Leo sputtered with indignation, "What?! Let go of me, I'm on your side!"
The Ferai released his shoulder, frowning, "The king wants to see you humans in the throne room, immediately. You will comply?"
Leo barked a laugh, "It's better than staying out here with them." He nodded towards a trio of charging Djinni, and the guards grimaced. The four of them ducked back into the corridors of the palace and the door clanged shut behind them.
"This way." The guard said, starting towards the throne room.
He had decided to live forever or die in the attempt. - Yossarian, Catch-22
Wide-eyed stupid.
If you're gonna rule the world, you've gotta get up early! - Joel S. Dickens
Leo smiled, spreading his hands and shrugging a little at the king's question. "This time, we're just travelling, my liege. My companion wished to see a world other than earth, and judging Solum to be the most hospitable, I made us a gate to your world." He frowned a little, "What happened to the last king? I've been here before, and it appears you've changed rulers since my last visit."
He spotted the queen just to the side of the new king, and smiled, recognising her, "Ah, Queen Tami, my name is Leo. I was here several years ago with my mother, perhaps you remember us?"
He had decided to live forever or die in the attempt. - Yossarian, Catch-22
Wide-eyed stupid.
If you're gonna rule the world, you've gotta get up early! - Joel S. Dickens
She glanced across at Leo, not sure what to do. He caught her eye and smiled reassuringly. She smiled back, that helped a lot, the adrenaline from the fight was still coursing through her but she felt calmer.
The Queen glanced over at her "And who is your companion? Obviously not your Mother."
Sian chocked back a laugh, so, the Queen had a sense of humor.
"We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars."
-Oscar Wilde
Leo looked much older than his last visit. He seemed to be set on bussiness here.
"Well, you see... Of course she's not my mother." Leo answered. Riverr and I smiled down from our thrones.
"As for your other question, the king had to learn his place, therefore he no longer rules my people." I smiled wickedly at my own joke. "Riverr is to be the new king. You may stay for our wedding ceremony if you wish it."
Got YWS?
You judge others upon their actions, but you judge yourself by your intention.
Smilng, he bowed deeply to the queen, "We would be honoured to attend, your Majesty." He said, carefully dodging around the obvious question: what did she mean when she said her last husband had to 'learn his place'? Leo wasn't foolish enough to ask - if she had forcibly removed the man, he wasn't about to challenge her, especially when she was his only ally in a palace that was being stormed by angry Djinni.
He looked to Sian for a moment, "But as a proper answer to your last question...this is Sian. She's from Earth, like me. But it holds no charm for her, so I decided to bring her to Solum for a visit." He frowned for a moment, seeming to consider something, "You two are getting married?" He asked, looking from the queen to Riverr.
She nodded, still smiling, then gestured for him to continue. He took a deep breath, "What about the Djinni? They are attacking your palace right now. Aren't you going to do something about them?"
He had decided to live forever or die in the attempt. - Yossarian, Catch-22
Wide-eyed stupid.
If you're gonna rule the world, you've gotta get up early! - Joel S. Dickens
"I am doing something about them. I have set up a defensive line around the palace and throughout it. But before I play offense I must have a new king, you see." I frowned at his doubt in me. He was but a mere mortal being- what did he know?
Leo decided not to question me and stayed silent.
"You may have a guest suite in the palace during your stay. I trust you don't want to be involved in our little quarrel here?"
"No your majesty." Leo said.
"Then I will send for you when our wedding approaches. By the look of things, it may well be today."
Got YWS?
You judge others upon their actions, but you judge yourself by your intention.
Sian was deeply confused. She understood that they were welcome, but she didn't know why. And what was all that about the King "learning his place"? She glanced at Leo, wondering why the Queen didn't do something about the ferocious Djinn. She had said that she had set up a defense, but why did she have to have a King?
So many questions were spinning round Sian's head that when they left the courtroom, she barely even noticed.
"We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars."
-Oscar Wilde
May you never steal, lie, or cheat. But if you must steal, then steal away my sorrows. And if you must lie, then lie with me all the nights of your life. And if you must cheat, then please, cheat death. — An Unknown Bride, Leap Year
