Fantasy Maracia Reborn: Main

[TheBlackLion]

After the War, Maracia was left split and irritable—moreso than normal. Now, almost 2500 years after the last Golden Wings died, a new one has returned and is attempting to rebuild Maracia, though it's no easy task. A week ago, she put out an offer to all the Tribes and to the city of Simul: any adolescent is welcome to join her in her palace to live among the other adolescents of the tribes for four weeks. If they stay the entire time without (major) incident, they'll be rewarded a "favor" from the queen. (Stipulations include: the right to decline acts of violence, it has to be feasible, and she makes no promise of success.) It's an obvious ploy to try to get some members of the tribe in the same room and to cooperate, but only time will tell if its a success—or if it'll even be worth it.

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The palace of the Golden Wings is visible even from a distance. It's brown and crusted, its age evident, but even after a thousand years it glitters in the sun. Seven spires reach into the sky, set in a circle around a single, wider spire that reaches beyond the others. The gate in front is wide open, and there are no guards. Instead, there's a single woman in brown leather pants, sandals, and a thick jacket rolled up at the sleeves. She leaned against the gate walls and watched with a golden gaze and a small smile.

"Hi, yeah, welcome. Give your bags and stuff to those guards over there and head to the dining room. No point in starting on an empty stomach."

 

[TheBlackLion]

Albion

Sailing over the sea was so, dreadfully, boring. There was no challenge and no finesse to it, just turning waters and open sky: he couldn't stand it. Still, it was by far the quickest way to Simul, and he wasn't intent on backing down on his oath to complete this so called 'challenge' and win the favor of the ancient queen.

He could finally see the city in the distance now, though. "That's enough," Albion dismissed his guards. "I can take it from here."

The white dragon soared above the city, frowning at the scene below. It was fitting that half-breeds would live in a dirty city such as this. Hmph. As long as he didn't have to say too long; he was sure the palace was nicer.

It...marginally, was. Nothing compared to his palace of course, but it would do. He simply flew over the gate and landed in the courtyard, dropping his stuff down for someone else to take care of.

"So you're the first one here," a woman says from around the corner. "Hang there, or head to the kitchen. We'll start eventually."

Albion snorted at the woman. He'll wait here until he received a proper welcome.

 

[BlossomingRosebud]

Imbra Ren | Tentai | Location: Palace Interior

This wasn't the first time Imbra had laid eyes on the legendary palace of the Golden Wings, but that didn't stop her from staring up at it speechless, eyes wide with the wonder of the seven spires piercing into the sky. She knew the walls were a white or gold once upon a time, but even though all it was now all crusty and brown, that just made it all the more mysterious and exciting. And she was going to live in it.

Imbra's wings gave a flap of pleasure. She was really going to meet the Golden Wings! It was going to be so much different than when she came here before, just passively exploring and wandering the streets of the city. It was one of the few places in Merasia that she could explore, back when she was little, without being accosted by the territorial tribe members. Even the Caelus wouldn't let her in--she tried. Despite having the appearance of one of them, the glow in her eyes gave it away. It wasn't fair, really. She didn't want to hurt anyone. Tentai were just born wanderers; that's what they did. It was what she loved, too.

She broke away from her staring and ran inside, her small childlike frame dwarfed by the massiveness of the palace's interior. There was only one thing to do now: she was going to explore everything. It was only natural, since the palace was open and they had a Golden Wings again. She could talk to people later. But this place--this was ancient! Thus, she ran straight for the halls.

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Obsidian | Ignis | Location: Palace Courtyard | Tagging: Albion

"Yaa-hoooooooo!"

Dian shouted into the void, hands off his mount and into the air for a second as he zoomed through the sky, the ocean far below his feet. It had been forever since he rode a pegasus. Technically, this one wasn't his; it was Rasa's, and she was letting him borrow...what was the name again? Lemic? Lulu? [It was Lyco.] Ah, whatever, he needed to get his own one day; flying was great.

He patted the winged horse on the side. "Come on, Leelee, let's see what you can do!"

The pegasus snorted in displeasure.

Dian didn't notice. He leaned in and pulled up the reins, nudging Lyco downwards. In seconds, Lyco was zooming towards the water, in which case she made a sudden, vehement protest, pulling back and flapping her wings rapidly to stop herself.

Dian groaned in disappointment "Aw, come on, Lichen! You were supposed to skim the water, like all the cool riders do! You know, fly up real close and zoom ahead, creating waves in your wake and doing that little touch thing with your wings to score the water? That thing? Can't you do that?"

The pegagus snorted again.

"Aw, fine, you're no fun."

Lyco, did, however, get him exactly where he needed to go. Next thing he knew, Dian had landed in Simul, right in front of the great big Golden Wings palace. Ugh, it looked old. But whatever. He wasn't here to sightsee. He was going to do the thing, and the Golden Wings was going to make him a warrior! And all he had to do was stay here and maybe talk to people! How hard could that possibly be?

He dismounted and walked ahead with a smile of satisfaction. "I'll come back to stable you in a little bit, Lysol!" He called out behind him. He kept walking with the sounds of a horse stamping furiously on the dirt behind him adding to the scenery.

In the courtyard, he saw a man standing in place, this edgy-looking white dude with hair too long for a dude's just waiting like that. He wasn't going inside; he couldn't be one of the people Goldy called; maybe he was supposed to be a butler or doorman or something? Dian actually knew nothing about how rich people worked, but he heard that royalty always had a ton of people around. He wasn't even quite sure what species he was...he looked a tiny bit plain to be anything important, but at least, with skin like that, he definitely wasn't an Ignis.

"Hey you!" he called out to the man [Albion]. "I'm here because the Golden Wings invited me! Where am I supposed to go? Also, where's the stable around here? My best friend's gonna kill me if I let her pegagus fly away while I'm off doing things. Is there at least a post over here or something?"

 

[TheBlackLion]

Albion | Palace Courtyard | BlossomingRosebud

Hearing a faint sort of bumbling noise, Albion turned to see some dirty varmit talking to him like some mere servant. He did his best to look down on the boy, although it would have been easier were he still in his true form.

"I wasn't aware the Golden Wings was interested in commoners like you," he sneered, taking in his lackluster appearance. He smelled like soot, so he must be Ignis—explains why he is so dense. "You should be taking my bags, you ash-brained peon."

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Indigo | Palace Exterior / Stables | Tagging: Obsidian's pegasus

She had never left the Daaryan forest before, much less the continent. Everything was so new, and exciting, and big! A little scary, being alone... But she wasn't alone, really, because this really nice pod of Skyra let her ride them, so she wasn't walking across the land bridge or anything.

Indigo gasped as she saw the city and the palace come up over the horizon. It was so big! She's seen glimpses of the Elfis city over the horizon, but she's never seen one up close. It was so... shiny. And pointy. And different! There was so much to take in, she could take ages doing it! But Indigo knew she was going to the palace (she promised her parents she would go straight there) so as much as she wanted to poke around Simul, she asked the Skyra to take her straight to the palace.

"Thank you!" she waved them with a smile. There was a woman at the gate, whom she waved to as well, and— a pegasus!

"Hello!" Indigo waved enthusiastically at the woman and the pegasus. "Who are you? I'm Indigo! What are you doing here?"

The pegasus snorted. "Lyco. Dunce-face left me."

"Um," the woman scratched her neck, glancing briefly between Indigo and Lyco. "Hey. You can leave the bags in the courtyard, and the guards will bring them in. You can head to the dining room later. No point in starting on an empty stomach."

"Oh, thank you!" Indigo held her measly shoulder sack. "Is there anywhere for Lyco to go?" Pegasi really were super intelligent; she hadn't met many in the forest—a unicorn once, who was really nice but couldn't stay—but she didn't want to leave her new friend alone.

"Sure kid. The stables are around the back, that'ta'way."

"Thank you!"

 

[BlossomingRosebud]

Obsidian | Ignis | Palace Courtyard | Tagging: Albion TheBlackLion

Obsidian stared at the tall, white-haired man and blinked, taking a moment to register the insult. Heh. Fun one, isn't he? Maybe not a doorman, after all; just a stick in the mud. Mentally, Dian starting running through the possibilities. Obviously not a Caelus, or an Elfis, his eyes were normal, he didn't see any gills, and he was a little tall for a Terrae, maybe, but with an attitude like that...

The corner of Dian's mouth upturned in a smile. Oh yes, this was going to be fun. "Ooh, 'ash-brained'! I like it! Did you come up with that yourself? Don't reptiles have, like, a brain the size of a grape or something? Well, now then, as much as I'd love to take your bags for you, I'm afraid I'd get soot all over it! Maybe even catch them accidentally on fire, hmmm?" He shrugged with a smirk. Sure, he technically wasn't pyrokinetic, but he didn't know that, did he? He shook his head. "So yeah, I'm sorry, Mr. Icicle, but I just can't help you, now can I?"

Lyco | Pegagus | Palace Stables | Tagging: Indigo

Lyco was glad that at least someone had some brain cells around here. Her usual Ignis hung out with Dunce-Face all the time, which was annoying already, since he never got her name right, but flying all the way here with him was another thing altogether. The Terrae woman smelled like the forest. She liked that. She walked with her to the stables, which promised blessed rest, but when she got there, she snorted in displeasure at the smell. It was old. The wood smelled of rot, or wet moss. Hmph. They bring her all this way, just for this dump? Typical two-legs. At least she could sleep now.

 

[Cyan Dragon]

Zephyr|Caelus|Palace Courtyard|Tagging: Indigo, Obsidian's pegasus, Albion

It had been a long flight from their home in the Thyell Mountains, for Zephyr and Peregrine both. Fast though they were, they still made sure to leave in plenty of time to arrive in a timely manner. Both their wings were plenty equipped for long, stamina-testing flights, however, and the journey had been far from unpleasant. It was quiet in the skies, far different from the more well-traveled roads of the ground. It had been uneventful and calm, which calmed Zephyr's nerves somewhat about leaving the only home he'd ever known.

Some of the nerves returned when he caught sight of the spires of the palace of the Golden Wings, shining a dark bronze in the sun. It was nothing like he'd ever seen and so different from the simple dwellings of his tribe. It almost felt... unnatural. But this was the home of his ancestors and he had a new duty to fulfill here... there was no room for fear.

Zephyr took a deep breath as he and Peregrine landed in the court yard, folding his jet black wings behind him neatly. Peregrine ruffled his own white and tawny red wings uneasily, taking in his unfamiliar surrounding with guarded eyes. Zephyr reached up and scratched him behind his ear to reassure him, and the large lupai let out a slow, huffing breath in response. His wings visibly relaxed and he twisted his head around to lick Zephyr's hand.

Zephyr gave his companion a smile that he hoped was more sure than he felt and turned to face the palace. He watched as a girl as deep an ebony as his wings led away a pegasus - presumably to the palace stables. The Caelus had a brief moment of panic and by the way Peregrine snorted he knew the lupai felt the same. They had been inseperable since Zephyr had found him as a pup and now... would they make him put Peregrine in some stuffy stable? Zephyr pursed his lips and stood a little straighter as he approached the woman at the doors who had greeted all the arrivals.

She eyes the lupai a bit warily and looked to be about to open her mouth, but Zephyr stopped her. "He stays with me," the Caelus said calmly but firmly. The woman seemed to hesitate and then shrugged.

"Sure, kid. Just keep him in line. You can go on in to the dining hall or stay out here for now, up to you."

Zephyr, relieved, cast a glance around. While going inside such a structure felt... restrictive, somehow, he caught sight of a haughty figure he could only assume was one of those dragons and quickly decided he'd rather go inside after all. The Caelus nodded to the woman and stepped through the palace doors, Peregrine following with a satisfied huff in the direction of the woman.