Her Calling [Open]

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Leading a tribe was a tireless job. But one that Scortia thought she carried quite well. It had been roughly a week or two since the grand meeting, which she had come back from feeling... uneasy, to say the least. She couldn't quite explain why she felt this way. But she didn't really feel nervous, scared, or paranoid. It just made her feel.... different. Of course, being the way she was, she ended up becoming paranoid about the strange feelings she was having. After a while of pacing back and forth, the Kuz'a had decided to go see the shaman. This couldn't just be a coincidence. Those feral dragons from the other tribes must have done something to her!

However, once she had arrived at the hut of the shaman, and had been properly examined, the shaman told her that she did not find anything wrong with the Kuz'a. This only made Scortia more frustrated. She shook her head, growling. "Are you sure, great seer of the skies? You sure it's not Rattle's Foot? Or the Bloodmouth?"

The dragoness shook her head, "No, your Greatness. You are absolutely fine. I would prescribe a nice cup of soothing herbal tea, or perhaps some Chikhol tea to calm your nerves."

For a moment, the Kuz'a considered this. Then she shook her head. "No, no. That is alright. I will go for a fly, to clear my mind. I may take your advice on that Chokhol tea, sometime, though," she said with a small smile. Scortia then spun around, and darted off into the skies, flapping her wings soothingly, as she carried herself over the savanna, too troubled to remember to take an entourage of guards with her.

She was completely alone.

Ardent watched Sonus from the corner of her eye, and saw how her wings paused for a heartbeat, and her followed struggle back into the air. That was how she felt… she knew Sonus had the same thoughts, that Imperia had made a mistake already. Listening to her speak, savouring her loves voice, fearing that this would be their last meeting, if not ever, at least for a long period of time. The heat she gave off was somewhat comforting as well, but it did nothing to quell the fear and sickness in her stomach.

As the fear and dread mounted, with Imperia's little speech, she did the only thing that seemed apt in the scenario. She laughed. Not a kind laugh, of amusement, but of mocking. Was she really being this downright idiotic? Imperia evidentially didn't see what was right in front of her. Scortia didn't care what she had to say. "Imperia, shut up, before you start a war that you won't win." She told her, giggling, lifting a paw to her maw. "You really think that my Kuz'a cares about what you say? The Stormcallers are not allies of the Ki'Sha, nor do you have any kind of say here. You're simply making yourself look high and mighty, and assuming authority over her." She said plainly. "Unless you seriously think you can keep every Stormcaller safe from the Ki'Sha, leave. Take your pride and go, otherwise your pride will be the only thing you'll have left." She told her, still smiling. "Understand me?"

Acer had been watching the meeting play out for the last fifteen minutes or so, and it wasn't getting better. In fact, every second that passed he was sure the lot of them were just going to start tearing each other part, physically. What was Imperia trying to do? It was like she was unaware of the kind of leader she was speaking to. The Ki'Sha and the Stormcallers were never on the best of terms and this was pushing it for Imperia.

His eyes widened upon Ardent practically threatening the Stormcaller queen and Acer decided enough was enough. He stood up from his previously crouched position and stood next to Ardent and the Ku'za."Right then, well, Scortia dear, shouldn't we be headed back now? We're outside of the Ki'Shan borders and I really don't think this conversation is going anywhere," he said in Ki'Shan to his mate. "And you, Queen Imperia," he said - switching to Universal, "You have a great nerve challenging the loyalty of one of our Ki'Shans like that so openly and in front of her queen. We would like to forget about this ordeal, " he nudged Scortia as if trying to tell her something, "And be on our way, correct?"

At the very least Acer hoped his interference would encourage the two Ki'Shans to resist from doing anything rash as he knew the Stormcallers were relatively peaceful dragons, being particularly concerned about Ardent who had followed her basic Ki'Shan instinct to protect the Ku'za.

Sonus nearly roared, iris' disappearing, filled with the hue of her golden left eye, and the fiery blue of her right eye. Neither of the dragons here were going to help this matter. To Sonus, Imperia was trying to help, but not here. Not now. This was a horrible idea from the beginning.
"Imperia you have no general right to claim protection on either one of this dragoness. You are disregarding the power that is here, and that is Scortia. Who, right now, has more power in this moment than you. And with that, they are from another tribe!" Sonus spoke, embers rising from her scales, drifting off with the wind. Flames choked her, her crest thrumming violently now. She took a deep breath, watching everything unfold. Not only were the Ki'Sha dragons against her own Queen, she... Realized she was also against all of Imperia's actions right now. She finally drifted up a bit, and with her size, she did tower over both Queens, and just barely bigger than Ardent, Sonus was still the largest dragon present, and everyone's words were starting to make her enraged. First of all, Sonus would think it completely disgraceful that Imperia stated, 'When I take Sonus...' and the rest of her words meant nothing. If Imperia would take her. She snorted at that thought. She did not come out here to be chatting away with a potential enemy and being brought back to the palace. If anything, she would be talking to Scortia. Her eyes bore into the Ku'za, her eyes like bright balls of flames.

Her attention arose when Ardent finally spoke up, typical of a Ki'Sha, to be so protective of the Queen. Sonus took a mental shrug, that would be every tribe... I guess... Sonus thought. But some of the words even her own Ardent said, were harsh, but full of truth. Imperia would not win this argument, for there were many ways this was not going to how the Stormcaller Queen wanted... Or wished it would go. At this time, Sonus actually despised what Imperia was doing. Not only was she giving one of the first encounters with the Ki'Sha, but it was making the Stormcallers like they were the only ones with actual power here. Yes, they did have that dreadful storm to hide their palace, but out here, out here so far away from that storm, little backup... Imperia didn't have a chance.
"Ardent is correct." She finally said, narrowing her eyes at the male that slithered up to the scene. "You think you have authority in a place that you really don't have. I won't be coming back with you, if you chose the right thing to do and leave. Take your guards. " She turned to Scortia, "Your Greatness... I was going to come to talk to you. Really, about a potential new member. Me.." She held a straight face, for months now, she had been considering to go Rouge again. The... Stormcallers just didn't appease to her liking anymore.

Even though Scortia’s face betrayed her, showing a calm expression, her tail whipped aggressively, and internally, she wanted to bite the smug dragoness’s face off. The dumb beast had no idea who she was dealing with. Obviously her head was full of too much sand to be able to properly understand anything of what was going on. Did this creature really not understand who she was dealing with? The Ki’sha, one of the oldest tribes on Nuira. One of the most powerful of the tribes. And this queen, leader of pretty much one of the newest most unheard of tribes out there, had the audacity to claim protection over one of her own citizens? What kind of ignorant thing did she think she was?

Scortia’s eyes would narrow when she heard Ardent pipe up again. The dragoness let her subordinate finish her rant. So, the dragoness did have her wits about her, after all. The dragon had already done the queen’s work for her, spitting what Scortia was already thinking without outright saying it. Scortia wasn’t quite sure why she was holding herself back. The Ki’sha could easily destroy the Stormcallers. The only real obstacle that stood in their way was the Junta river, but there were ways around that. She supposed the only reason she kept her composure was because she didn’t want to let her emotions get the better of her. Then Imperia would win.

Eying Ardent, she would switch back to Ki’shan. “What did I tell you about staying quiet? Now hush your tail before you punishment becomes worse,” the Kuz’a would say authoritatively at Ardent. However, there was a slight twinge in her voice that seemed somewhat of approval, but it would be hard to tell if you weren’t someone that was usually around Scortia very often. Acer would definitely be able to pick it up, but the others might just read it as scolding. Once Scortia was done with that, she turned back to Imperia, a fire in her eyes.

“Dearest Imperia. You will claim no right over my citizens. You may claim right over your own citizens, but if you think you can take action for mine, then I’m afraid you’re greatly mistaken. The rights you claim are all fine and well, but how far will they spread in the desert beyond your realm?” the Kuz’a said, her voice cutting like daggers through the air. She was about to say something else, threatening war, if Imperia were to step out of line again, when a rather surprising sight arose.

It as her own mate, Acer. Scortia was caught off guard when she noticed him, but quickly regained her composure, watching him with a mild look of discontent. “Acer, my Grog. Pleasant seeing you here.” she said wistfully, staring him over. She watched as he would approach her, commented it was time to go. This snapped her back to the matter at hand. Ardent. She agreed with Acer. Wasting any more of her time with this Stormcaller would be unproductive. The dragoness could complain all she wanted about not coming to an agreement. Scortia supposed the best way to let this settle down was to simply let it go. If she wanted to complain, her complaints would be met with a battalion.

She gave a small smile of approval when she heard Acer. She then would nod her head. “Well, miss Imperia, I really must be on my way. I believe Ardent’s reply serves as enough of a response to what you claimed was preventing me from leaving, but if you wish to continue this conversation, let us do so in diplomatic fashion, not in the middle of the savanna,” the Ku’za would say with nod of her head. She then flicked her attention back to Ardent and Acer, speaking in Ki’shan once more, “Come along, you two.” she said simply, getting ready to fly away.

However, she paused, when Sonus addressed her. She had been distantly aware of the other Stormcaller addressing her queen. There had been some fire in her voice. Scortia couldn’t quite tell while, but she enjoyed this stormcaller’s company much more than the average stormcaller she ran into. This one seemed to have more pride, more ambition, and was much more humble and respectful than their so called leader. She had been planning to just dismiss her, until she was addressed by the dragoness.

What surprised Scortia, however, was that the stormcaller seemed to be asking her if she could join the Ki’sha. And right in front of her own leader, as well. Part of the Kuz’a found it amusing that the stormcaller would abandon their own ruler for someone else. Obviously, she saw what Scortia saw. Someone who was weak and pretentious. The dragoness obviously was making the right decision in wanting to come to a superior tribe. One that, if you said you were from there, other dragons would immediately become scared of and awed by you.

But not all good things came without their fair share of bad. Even if Scortia didn’t much value the queen of the Stormcallers, she wasn’t going to ignore that, by Ki’shan standards, if Sonus had done this and had been part of her tribe, to openly ask another leader to join their tribe would be an act of treason. Scortia had no idea how Imperia would respond to such a request. And the Kuz’a wasn’t about to allow a unfaithful dragoness into her tribe without taking proper precautions against potential betrayal.

“Is that so?” she would ask simply, eying the stormcaller with a fierce curiosity. She would take this time to examine the stormcaller. She had noticed how the dragon had seemed to appear to grow flames around her body. But this dragon had once been loyal to Imperia. At least, she assumed she would have been. She would not take a dragoness that still expressed loyalty to another tribe. That was treason waiting to happen. At least, she wouldn’t take the dragoness quite yet. She wanted to wait and see Imperia’s reaction, first. She mused quietly in a different language, one neither Ardent, Imperia, or Sonus had heard, but one Acer might recognize. "Arg'lisk muii kaslsc'vei..."

Imperia looked hurt. "Ardent we're going to need to have a long talk about how you treat your friends. I just risked my own authority and even a possible war to fix your careless mistake. It breaks my dear little heart you wouldn't do the same for me."
She sighed, then tilted her head at the new arrival. So this was who had been shadowing them. How polite of him to not interrupt before, although a voice of reason would have been appreciated even if he wasn't her ally.
"Acer, it's a pleasure." She curtsied, smiling, before turning to Sonus as she listened. "Oh Sonus. Where does a ruler get their power? From their people. You and Ardent have the power, and while you were on my side so did I. Apparently not anymore. Just remember you two will always have a place among Stormcallers, as does every dragon."
She looked back at Scortia.
"Surprised? Dragons are not chattel, if Sonus wishes to leave with you then I'm not going to stop her. But don't mistake my kindness for weakness, if I hear that you have tortured or maimed either of these dragons then there will be a reckoning. And one more thing, Ardent? The Stormcallers might not win a war, but I guarantee we won't lose it either."

Ardent let out a hiss before she could stop herself, as Acer revealed himself. Her first thought was that he was a Stormcaller, here to save his queen, before he headed straight to Scortia. The moment he opened his maw, and spoke in fluent Ki'Shan, she immediately became docile once more, the way he spoke and the language he used with her Kuz'a far too informal and… intimate for him to be a simple passer-by or Stormcaller.

Her attention, however, was snatched away by Sonus, the large dragoness physically heating up, the air around her growing warmer. It took her a moment to realise, but, from her words, it became obvious what had her so riled up. The same thing that her so anxious. Imperia's claim of authority, the assumption of power and control over Ardent, Sonus, even Scortia to a lesser extent, when she had none in any cases. As her words continued to flow, there was the briefest, smallest spark of hope and love in her eyes as Sonus confessed her intentions to join the Ki'Sha, something, she felt at least, she was doing to be with her. Floating ever so subtly closer to her mate, to enjoy her warmth and just be closer, she stopped her tail from reaching out to wrap around hers, letting her know she was with her.

Freezing as Scortia's commanding voice bore into her thoughts, of what it would be like without needing to hide, to scurry off in the dead of nights and rarely during the days to see her love, and dropped down a foot or two, quickly, bowing her head in obedient submission, her maw kept straight, a feat in and of itself given the torrent of emotions that were surging through her. In addition to this, her earlier suspicions, of that's what they could be called, of Acer, were confirmed. Grog… He was Scortia's mate. That would explain how he seemed so… easy in her company, even with her this angry. Lifting her head for a moment as Scortia once more spoke, for her to follow, she readied herself to do so, before pausing as Scortia turned her attention to Sonus.

Thinking, at least, all things were ironed out, she had to suppress the snarl that threatened to escape, only succeeding in part, a dry hiss escaping her maw as Imperia spoke. With slow, deliberate moments, she turned herself to face the tiny dragoness. For the first time since they had met, she contemplated how small, how… frail she was. As both a leader and individual. She relied on love and respect. The first individual she met who didn't have those for her, it all fell apart, as evident with Scortia. She simply didn't know how to handle a situation where there was no sense of equality or mutual respect. Knowing her punishment would only grow worse, she growled out, her voice low and, while not threatening, was defiantly full rage… and quite possibly disgust. "If you are my 'friend', Imperia, you'll go back and hide in your little storm, and wonder what exactly you did wrong to have your own tribe leave you." With those words, she turned her back on her, and faced towards Scortia, her head bowed in submission, accepting whatever extra punishment that outburst would warrant.

Acer folded out his wings at Scortia's command and prepared to leave, only for his wings to falter as his mate paused, turning her attention to the  stormcaller Sonus (at least that was the name he'd inferred from eavesdropping on their conversation). Sensing that the meeting wasn't quite over, he folded his back and listened to what the Stormcaller had to say.

It was not false to say that he was mildly surprised that one of Imperia's own tribe members would go against their queen so openly and blatantly, and that his mild surprise quickly shifted into shock when he realised Sonus was pledging her allegiance to another tribe - in front of Imperia, no less! He blinked at the firey dragoness and looked at Imperia, searching the Stormcaller Queen's expression for a hint of something that wasn't being expressed in her words.

One of the many thoughts that passed Acer's mind was the actual reason Sonus wanted to join the Ki'Sha. Of course it wasn't just Imperia's pretentious attitude or even Sonus's life as a Stormcaller back home that was driving her to abandon her home and her lifestyle for a completely different, harsher and tougher life as an ex-Stormcaller among the Ki'Sha, working her way up from the bottom and without the advantages of being born into a Ki'Shan family. No, there was something else in the works, he thought. A spy? Unlikely. Just a little bit nuts? Possibly.

Acer's attention moved away from Sonu upon hearing the Ku'za speak something not Ki'Shan or Universal. Acer was not unfamiliar with Ga'ar - he had taken classes in the old dragon tongue not long before Scortia had claimed him as her mate and he knew enough to decipher Scortia's speech. While the sentence itself seemed relatively simple, what struck him as odd was her choice of language. He doubted any of the other dragons present would have understood her, so why Ga'ar? Was she trying to tell him something?

He looked at his mate, staring into Scortia's deep, burning hazel eyes for a few seconds before blinking away the strange fixation and looking back at Sonus. "What shall we do with the Stormcaller? I am not sure of her intentions nor her loyalty," he said to Scortia. "We should accept her but only under a close eye," he suggested to her with a tone of caution.

(I will give Sonus another 3 days to reply to this topic, then I will reply.)

((Seeing how Sonus seems to be pretty busy, I will be finishing up this thread. I also think that now would be a rather good time to end it.))

It was not every day that Scortia's authority was questioned. Considering her position, the way that the Linfae family had always been projected as gifts of the gods, her bloodline had never really been questioned before. Had it been anyone else but another tribe leader, no doubt Scortia would not have hesitated to kill them on the spot, even if they had been the member of another tribe. No dragon was stupid enough to insult a Ki'sha, especially not the Kuz'a. But, surprisingly, Scortia had managed to keep a level head through most of this, though her temperament was getting increasingly agitated as she continued to stare at this Stormcaller.

The Stormcaller seemed to have the strange idea that this was all just some kind of elaborate game. Whatever her reasons for stupid ignorance and neutrality, Scortia didn't care to find out. She merely stared down Imperia as she spoke, listening to what she had to say to both Ardent and to Acer. Her eyes briefly glanced back towards Ardent when Imperia addressed her. Scortia had never been one to worry about the histories of her Shemscaluri. All she had to do was provoke fear in their hearts so they wouldn't do something stupid later, like betray her. But seeing how close these two seemed, at least before Scortia had revealed her true nature, it made her wonder if her slave was a former Stormcaller.

That would be ironic.

Scortia's gaze then drifted back to Sonus, scanning her. The dragoness, just from what she had seen so far, seemed like she could be a bit brash, but she seemed fairly educated about Ki'shan culture and language. Nonetheless, even if Scortia held no respect for Imperia, or very little, she was still a leader. And when you boiled it all down, Sonus was still publicly betraying her leader in favor of another tribe. A potential enemy of her original tribe, no less. That could be considered treason. In Ki'shan culture, that was punishable by death.

When Imperia finished her speech, Scortia would regard her with a look of slight contempt, then, surprisingly, she smiled, and dipped her head, "To each their own, Imperia. Now, if you would excuse me, I believe this meeting has gone on long enough." her attention turned back to Ardent. She was mildly amused by the way the star dragoness snapped back at her leader. Ardent was doing all the things Scortia would have done, were the stormcaller not queen, or were Scortia not the Kuz'a.

Scortia gave a soft hiss at her, her eyes glaring into her with a mild content. "Speak out of line one more time and I'll cut your tongue out!" she growled in Ki'shin. Her attention finally turned back to Acer, then flashed at Sonus, before nodding her head.

"I believe an.... arrangement can be made." she then turned quite serious, her sly smile diminishing, "If you really do wish to join among our ranks, then you are free to follow myself and Acer back to our borders. But as Acer said, you will receive close watching and interrogating. Keep that in mind." she said seriously. Her attention then turned back to Acer, preparing to leave, assuming that Imperia didn't wrap herself up in their business anymore.

Imperia moved with incredible speed, becoming nothing but a silver blur as she swooped down to Sonus. She used her wind magic to yank lightly on Sonus' wings, forcing the fire dragoness to turn towards her. She was still for just a moment as she ever so lightly kissed Sonus on the forehead.
"I wish you all the best, dear." She said softly, then she zipped back out of range of any of the others just in case Sonus or Scortia lashed out by instinct. She eyed them all thoughtfully. "Kuz'a, allow me to extend my apologies. I should not have allowed my friendship with Ardent to result in such an incident. On the bright side it's been a pleasure to meet you and I look forwards to meeting again!" She gave them all a cheerful curtsy before turning and slowly flapping away.

Imperia met up with the two stormcaller guards as she passed behind a cloud. They began to escort her home but she shook her head. She checked the wind direction, making sure her scent would not be blown to the others. She then reached out with her wind magic to carry their words faintly to her. "We wait here until they're gone. I want to hear the rest of this."