chinchillaqueen
Supreme Overlord of Chinchillas
Staac Cast Outpost, The Great Strait
Spring 5421
First Hand Sohana a Nakemo
Sohana held up a hand, bringing his party to a halt as the strange creature before him snapped its claws. Neither he nor his party flinched as the creature banged its claws into the ground, glaring at them. Gracefully, the First Hand took a few more steps towards the creature, but not too many, his long robe gently brushing against the ground with the barest whisper as he did so. Cautiously, Sohana raised both hands palms open towards the new creature, in a gesture of peace accompanied with a gentle smile. He gently allowed his cloak to swing open as he did so, revealing the hilt of his slender sword in a way he hoped would sufficiently indicate to the creature that he wasn’t interested in a fight.Spring 5421
First Hand Sohana a Nakemo
“Loka’tete!” Sohana called to the creature in a loud but friendly manner. “Hello!” He said, switching to heavily accented Magesteri. It seemed unlikely that the creature would speak Aten, and he wasn’t exactly qualified to debate the differences in phonetics with it while trying to converse in Aten. Sohana gave a small half bow with his arms at his sides, the custom among his people for meeting others whose status one was unsure of, before returning to his upright position. “We mean you no harm.” He said, watching the creature carefully. It was a most fascinating sight, the creature, its shell was beautiful in a strangely aggressive sort of way.
Sohana turned, gesturing to his team and giving them a meaningful look. The soldiers lowered their bows, still eyeing the creature and prepared attack if they needed to defend themselves, but not ready to initiate conflict. The First Hand then turned back, giving the creature a reassuring smile. “Who are you?” He asked kindly, looking the creature up and down. Sohana was curious about what this creature was too, and what it was doing burying sticks and leaves in the sand, but those questions could come later once they had established the… necessary introductions.
On’e’atema, The Ascendancy of the Western Sea
Spring 5421
First Secretary Hane’okora a Onoke
Spring 5421
First Secretary Hane’okora a Onoke
“There’s a letter for you, Your Excellency.” Hand Ad’ae set down an envelope of thick, white, pristine vellum, sealed with gold wax. The seal bore the symbol of a hand, inside of which was the coat of arms of the Drachen Empire. Ad’ae knelt across the desk from the First Secretary and slid the envelope across the desk so it rested in front of his ruler. He folded his hands in his lap, looking up at the First Secretary calmly.
Hane’okora picked the envelope up and turned it over in her hands slowly. An envelope held… implications. This one especially. The seal alone told her multitudes, the hue of the wax relaying the envelope’s great importance, while the seal pressed into it told her that it was from one of her Hands: Eno’aka, Ambassador to the Drachen Empire. But even the envelope in and of itself was important. Anything that had to be written down had to be important, otherwise word of mouth or mind would be enough. A letter told that whatever it contained either held something of great importance or something that was confidential. Perhaps both.
The First Secretary picked up a letter opener from the desk and slid it under the seal, opening the envelope gently. She withdrew the letter from within, unfolding it so she could read the words written in a flowing hand. After a moment, she set the letter down silently. Hane’okora reached down, opening a drawer in her desk and removing a sheet of vellum, an envelope, her seal, and sealing wax from within before setting them on the table in front of her.
She looked up at Ad’ae, deep in thought. “Eno’aka has sent word from Faircourt.” She said slowly, picking up her pen which sat in an ink pot on the desk next to her. She gently wet the nib of the pen with ink, looking up at Ad’ae again. “Emperor Archibald is dead.” Hane’okora said calmly, tapping her pen gently against the inside of the inkpot. “Princess Emma is next in line, but…” She set the pen down, still thinking. “Eno’aka says that Prince Harrison intends to make a play for the throne.”
Ad’ae paused, thinking. “He wants a civil war.” The Hand said, reflecting the calmness of his First Secretary. It was a statement, not a question.
Hane’okora nodded. “It would appear so.” She murmured, setting her pen down on the paper and beginning to write. “And I would bet a thousand shells,” she said, using the large unit of currency of her country, “...that the Sun Prince intends to win as well.” She finished, engrossed in her writing.
✥✥✥
The Assembly fell silent as the Hand sitting in the chair beside the empty throne cocked her head to the side, listening. Behind her ears, her fins fluttered indicating that she was using her gift, and receiving a message from someone. A moment later, she turned to look down at the chair in which sat Secretary Kagae’o–the Secretary presiding in absence of the First Secretary–giving him a pointed look.
Secretary Kagae’o sighed, turning to look up at the Hand. “Can it wait? The Assembly must vote-...” He trailed off as the Hand shook her head, still silent. He sighed, before turning back to face the Assembly. “The Dais recognises the Most Honorable Eighth Hand of Her Most Holy Excellency First Secretary Hane’okora a Onoke,” the Secretary said, reeling off the official statement he had to make quickly in one breath. “...representing Her Most Holy Excellency before this Assembly of Secretaries, most duly convened.” He banged the gavel, turning to look at the Hand.
The Hand stood, facing the Assembly before opening her mouth to speak. “Be you all informed, Most Eminent Secretaries,” she began, inwardly rolling her eyes at the extreme formality of the Assembly. Ah well, it was tradition after all. “That the First Secretary has instructed me to deliver Her will unto yourselves; that Her Most Holy Excellency has sent word to the Drachen Empire, offering support to the Sun Prince Harrison in his bid for the throne, for the purpose of maintaining the peace and defense of our colonies in Loshen.” She sat, bracing herself for the impact of the words on the Assembly.
She had not even finished speaking when Secretary Kagae’o’s caucus exploded into outrage, answered in kind by others.
Faircourt, The Drachen Empire
Spring 5421
Thirteenth Hand Eno’aka a Rama, Ambassador to the Drachen Empire
Spring 5421
Thirteenth Hand Eno’aka a Rama, Ambassador to the Drachen Empire
Eno’aka leaned forward, examining the statue in front of him. It was beautiful, a magnificent dragon cast in solid gold, set with precious stones. He returned to his normal, straight-backed standing position and turned, walking towards the windows which looked out onto the city. Faircourt was a beautiful place, he mused as he waited. There was the soft sound of a door opening behind him, at which Eno’aka turned to look at who was there. A servant in imperial livery stepped towards Eno’aka, giving a slight bow. “Your Honour,” he began nervously. “The Prince will see you now.”
The servant led Eno’aka through a set of massive double doors opened by two uniformed guards, into a room where a throne sat at the end of a long hall. The room was… magnificent, to say the least. Every available space on the wall depicted a painting of some kind, mostly of dragons in flight. Everywhere he turned, there were dragons. Dragon claws, dragons in flight, you name it. He paused as was led to the foot of the raised dais upon which the throne sat. The servant cleared his throat, looking at the man who sat on the throne. “Your Royal Highness,” The servant began, giving the Hand beside him a slightly nervous look. “May I present The Most Honorable Thirteenth Hand of the Ascendancy of the Western Sea, Eno’aka a Rama, Ambassador to the Drachen Empire.”
Eno’aka gave a deep bow of respect, using the bow which–among his people–indicated that he was facing someone of much higher standing than you who was well respected.
The servant spoke again, now looking at Eno’aka. “Your Honour, may I present His Royal Highness, the Sun Prince Harrison of the Drachen Empire,” He began, before giving Eno’aka a deliberate look. “...rightful Emperor of Drachen.”
Eno’aka straightened slowly, giving the Sun Prince a warm smile. “Your Royal Highness.” The Hand said respectfully, giving another bow, before straightening up again. The golden hand-shaped comb in his hair glittered gently, catching the light as he did so. “Thank you for granting me an audience on such short notice.” He said respectfully, looking up at the prince.
