The trumpet, accompanied by a litany of instruments, steals the musical show from the ones playing earlier. It’s sound drew the focus to the front entrance of the festival where a large force 100 strong stood. Four banners could be seen in the four sections that this force’s formation consisted off. Each of the four sections heralded a banner each distinct from the others. On these banner each was a symbol of an animal marking the Royal House it represented.
She almost went to cup her hand over her ears as the trumpets sounded off, filling the air with their cacophonous waling. She had been here since the beginning of the festival when the vendors began to set up shop. Taking in every last detail, she found herself more annoyed than impressed. The only slightly unperturbed display was watching one of the human kingdoms get the better of a terra elv. A sight she dared say she wouldn't see twice this lifetime. Although the name sounded very familiar to her, like a phantom of a ghost from a distant dream, its gnawing presence could still be felt nearby. It only sought to agitate her further, this relentless sensation of familiarity as if she could ever be affiliated with a mortal kingdom from the surface. She did not wear her usual guise, not wanting to appear so...human. Thus, she configured herself to appear a bit more
elven. She looked like a distant cousin of the nissago from another land adorned in simple regalia. Her sword is still on her as she casts a minor illusion enchantment, preventing it from being seen. With how lax these fools were, it was a simple trick of the eye.
" Never thought I'd see the day"
She mused to herself, sitting poised under the veil of an Atlantean tint. Sympathizers to the childish ambitions of Neovia's ideal, a poor recreation of the fallen Arturus. One built on the taking of land from their ancestors. Still, she would rather keep the company of those like herself, even if she viewed them as hollowed carvings made in Zero's image. She knew many of them still held their grudge. However, time had softened their edges. Not her; her time did not wither nor chip at her desire for revenge. It could not be eroded as her span would reach beyond many. She knew that if it did not happen, she would be left with this burning hatred forever...that was not a fate she was ready to accept.
"Where I would miss the calming sways of the coral forest"
Her homeland. A place she vowed never to return to, not until her blade has tasted the heart of the Venkage responsible for her mother's death. Still, she remembers the forest of the grove, the beauty of its luscious landscapes, the vast ecosystem, and how nature naturally lived in harmony. Here, on the world of the surface, everything was twisted into chaos. A place where the unexpected always seemed typical and where variables ran rampant. A place where power determines and dictates right from wrong and who determines its meaning. There was no other way for her to see the world or reason. For the very slaughter of her people was rooted in such observations. The "ruler" of Madeira pillaged the site for this... pity party from the Atlanteans, who revered it as a sacred space. His blatant disregard and brutal display of his abilities were proof enough. Power deterred all...that was why she sat there begrudged by almost palpable anger after watching all this time, floored at the sheer number of people who showed up to this...pander fest. They all believed in it, too; she could feel it as much as she wished not to; there was a loving sense of community and camaraderie here. They truly were aspiring to build a land where Elvs, Fae, and humans could coexist...repulsive.
The fae were always fickle, unpredictable creatures; such was the sheer compactness of their creation. She never held them in high regard; their lack of....cohesion rubbed her the wrong way. The evln though, their kind were different. They had seen it many times before Vescrtuia blessed them with intellect, the viciousness of humans, yet they would sit here galavanting over them. They no longer held any pride in what made them superior to humans. To be sitting here joyously fraternizing with them...it was like toying with shit as far as she was concerned. Filthy, uncouth, fetid mockeries...her blood seething...but then
“Zero Venkage..”
It all went quiet—every inkling of noise, every assisting octave of celebration...dead. Nothing moved like a graveyard at night, as if time froze for that moment. Her eyes lifted from the site of the table she had been sitting at, shifting to the terra evls this... Delion.Just the blue muscular monstrosity was him—the source of her ire—the origin of her pain.
"!!!"
She wasn't sure what she was expecting but surely not... a fragile-looking man. The ferocity of that battle was recounted as a one-sided massacre. Her mother, a mighty warrior, was reduced to nothing more than a charred corpse by...this...whelp? Her eyes grew bright with rage as she sat there seething, her malice practically oozing out of her. The deafening silence was soon swallowed whole by a metaphorical maddening monsoon, her blood awakening. Her
eyes like radiant daggers, sharpened, as they narrowed like fangs. The moment they did, she saw the massive naten flowing through him. It wasn't just immense; it was armed, seasoned, and spoke the truth. One that she lamented to admit...even from here, she could tell. Perhaps it was simply her elvn instincts forewarning her, maybe more profound sparks of her clairvoyance catching glimmers of her fate in the future. Regardless, she could now tell.
He outclassed her in every way.
Now that she thought about it further, Venkage were not human but fae. It's rumored that they can be long-lived, reaching into the hundreds. His outer appearance betrayed the tone his voice carried as he responded to his name being called. Kilik would take note of her naten's exertion and quickly devour her fury, forcing herself into a more docile state. They all held commendable strength, from the Venkage scourge to the numerous humans. Something told her that even if she managed to get Zero alone, she would only have the same fate as her mother. Though Kilik was powerful, she was no fool; being this close to him was like feeling the thumb of death pressing lightly against her back.
BANG!
Her fist went into the table, cracking it in twain.
"For what reason...what fucking reason did I even come here?!"
If not to rest her blade in his throat?! She grits her teeth in frustration. She spent an entire year training for this exact moment. For the day when she could skewer him through the gut and watch the life fade from him, her scorned retinas the last thing he saw before it all faded to black. The chaos his very existence had embellished the world over. Yes, she knew his tale and legend very well. She had traveled the face of Maidera, learning of her target. Even his latest blunder in the fabled city of Ulran had reached her ears. Yet he still received no penance? This world lacked order, and she hated that it seemed it would continue this way.
"Am I going to sit here and do nothing? Say NOTHING!"
She rose like a bird of prey, leaving its perch poised to pounce. However, just then, she felt.
“It is an honor to meet you.. My name is Delion.” He said with a slight nod, the only formal gesture he’d given to anyone during his time here. “I am here on behalf of the B’halian Empire and proxy for the great Emperor Akundae. Your existence and level of power is recognized by the eyes of the Mazoku, which is why our Zenith has allowed you the opportunity to join and serve the B'halian Empire.”
"B'halia? Here?"
She knew when she heard the dagger in their little show was made of such steel. Remembrance of the name power eluded her then, yet it left an almost indelible impression when she heard it. Her hand placed curiously under her chin as she pondered where she knew of it...oh.
"Yes, Of course."
It was not in her memory that such thoughts resided; instead, they lived in the confines of her great-grandmother, Iridia. A blessing and a curse at times, Kilik had also inherited the memories of her predecessor, a powerful clairvoyant in her time. She once crossed paths with the Empire, who visited the shores of the Jaida coast some eons ago. A mighty empire centered on strength with a thick disdain for humans. Despite being an overworld society, their image shaped the entire continent. There was something to be desired in that...in her opinion, Madeira was little more than a pipe dream, one created out of weakness. None of them held the strength to force submission upon each other, so now they chose fluffy comprises and whimsical boundaries...all because none of them had the gal nor the abilities to kill the venkage lurch. And from the holly jolly cringe fest she had been enduring up until now, none of them even sought it. Their loved ones lay dead, feeding the very plant life that grew here, the same food these fucks used to sustain themselves. The very thought of it was more than she could bear. No, she couldn't let it go or move on.
As much as she wished she could at times...whenever her resolve wavered, she saw her father's face. The light faded from his eyes when they were told the news about her mother...and his having to stop his daughter from killing everyone else right after. His whole world was destroyed overnight. Whenever she thinks of the pain her father suffers through, why she can't help but erupt into a maelstrom of destruction. Hell, even if she couldn't kill the Venkage, indeed, she could kill many of the guests before he could even react, like fodder, to feed the underlying truth she knew to be absolute.
There could never be true peace in Madeira so long as its ruler continued to be a petulant, naive boy scout with a checkered past.
“With an accord, you will be appointed Soverign of Madeira and tasked with the protection, cultivation, and the economic development of the country as it pertains to the B'halian standard. You will be given the resources, materials and instructions on how to proceed. We understand you bare attachments to the less– the natives of the Jaida Coast, as well as all human borne species within Neovia and associated with its territory. As a small token of his mercy and philanthropic nature, our Zenith will also bestow Madeira with a supply of B'halian Fauna that can serve as a life prolonging medicine for your “people”. Humans exposed to the flowers will develop an organic immunity to all known pathogens, as well as an increase in life expectancy, and prevention of chromosomal and genetic based disease. But this is only on account that you, Zero Venkage will maintain peace among them.. The humans are to be governed under your care, and your care alone.”
Yet even after this, many of them still denied the union. Most creatures share a life force that could be blown out like a tiny ember amidst a tornado. They were just given the keys to fix all the imperfections of their society. Death and defeat would become distant memories. Who knew what heights they could reach if their lives were more than just a few short decades? Tales of B'halia's advanced civilization were always overshadowed by the harrowing displays of force against those who defied them. Especially humans. To see these, Denkou stood obstinate and succeeded. She could only imagine how B'halaia would respond to this... embarrassment. Their technical superiority and intricate connection to the mystical made it sound like more than the optimal choice. Though Kilik could care less about extending her life any longer, it would already be several Melina before she experiences her first wrinkle. What did interest her, however, was the promise of their return.
“-and while it is encouraged, an immediate answer is not imperative. I will return within a year's time for your answer and will address any questions you or your council may conceive in the interim. Now, unto the final matter.. a recent development that, with your help, can help tailor the nature of our return to Madeira."
What she could respect about B'halia's offer is that, despite being known for their sheer brutality toward their enemies, the extent to which they went to assure those they invited of what they could bring to the realm. If this "Zenith" really only sought the domination of the realms, it would be trivial, to say the least, to have the whole of B'halia storm Madeira if not with their sheer numbers alone. Yet, Delion spoke clearly about how they would endeavor to improve this place for all who joined, even going so low as to make space for their human pets. That was power, the ability to see beyond blind fury or personal vengeance.
That was the ability to see the world as it should be, not as it was.
And ability knew came with power.
Perhaps a melting pot of all the races in Madeira would exist; she would not be part of it. She couldn't stand it any longer. Kilik resolved then and there to join the empire, rise through its ranks, and return the lay claim to Madeira with them. She would take over as its next sovereign and give it to the Atlanteans to whom it belonged before.
"Just you wait, you electric Buffon."
She said as the Joro elv departed, having stomached all he could of the festival. Kilik herself stayed back for just a little while, her eyes stuck to Zk, her glare more intense and piercing than the other altanteans as her actual draconic eyes tore through her illusion revealing their sparkling vehemence.
"Soon you and this pitiful land will be nothing but dust from a forgotten age...and my mother will have what she is owed..."
From there, Kilik allowed herself to be swallowed by the crowd as she left the festival to catch up to Delion.
----------------
Later that evening
She tracked him a little ways away from the festival, seeing a camp in the distance. Dawn had become dusk, and she chose to speak out to the Emissary.
"Is there power to be found there...in B'halia"
Her voice did not dance on the gales, and her tone was not whimsy. It was a blunt, direct question meant exactly for the one who heard it—her entire purpose for following him, her reason for speaking.
"This...Zenith. Will he show it to me...true power? The power to shape the world as one sees?"
