I've got a splinter in my finger, from carrying the cross,
I sleep on sheets of sulfur and dream of all we've lost...
It was difficult for her to understand how, or why, so many had begged for Courant's attention. She had always been the rebel on the fringes of everything, and now, now she was the grossest heretic of all, believing that a group could overpower a god and force them to their will. Lashing the dark tail against ashen hocks, she kept herself just slightly apart from the group, ears canted back in annoyance. Surely there were less demeaning ways to return to the Jungle!
She was quiet enough while the goddess of water (who's sapphire Verily once held!) rambled on in her welcome then sprang upon them the catch. A queen? And one could not nominate themselves? A derisive snort rumbled from the dark nostrils, shaking her head so that the black forelock spilled over the bright gold eyes. She glanced sidelong at the group and couldn't help the laugh that was beginning to bubble up in her throat.
"I'm not going to ask your forgiveness, Courant, for interrupting, but why should one not nominate themselves? We could hardly agree on your involvement here, what makes you think we could agree on a Queen?"
She knew her blasphemy was likely to meet with rumbles of discontent, but she was not here to please them. She was a tool, driven by her own desires, one need not know the purpose of the hand that wielded it, like any sword or hammer. Canting her ears back, she stepped forward towards the waterfall, pitching her voice to carry over the rumble of the water.
"But I suppose I should not urge my, sisters, to ask me to leave just yet,"
The faintest of hesitations before the words, the death's-head smirk starting to curl her lips up in amusement,
"Perhaps then, I'll submit my own request as to a queen. She has capably led us before, and why not again? Sasha. Powerful enough, and strong enough not to compromise when things actually need doing. Certainly, yes, the Jungle fell,"
A scathing glance towards the gray goddess, sneer even more present, the faintest of breezes tugging the forelock across her eyes again,
"But that was no problem of Sasha's. The problems of immortals shouldn't affect us when we hold our own powers."
Circling back away from the waterfall, distinctly turning her back on Courant, eyes finding Sasha's in the crowd, a faint smile replacing the sneer even as she returned to her own place. She expected dissent, in fact, she wanted to incite it. The more conflict she could create, the stronger the jungle would be, and they would hold strong, even in the face of adversity.
"However, we should be aware that the former King of the Rajputs is walking as well, and curious to know our plans. The sooner we're settled, the better we'll be able to deal with the threat of the Rajputs as well."
verily
You can break my bones with jagged stones,
but I will never comply...
|
