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Shadows of War

Kila Offline

Sphinx Queen

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Eros was relieved when the majority of his fellows seemed keen on his suggestion of peace. Diaval was more cautious about it, but that was to be expected. He and Abraham agreed that caution should be taken, and they brought up some very valid points...

The issue came from Mileania. Of course it did. Why else bring a blood soaked brute who refused to relent his weapons--and he'd been asked so politely, too--to a place of neutrality. Eros slid the glasses down to the bridge of his nose, the world now swimming in shades of pink. Around everyone in the room were strings. It was easy to determine what they meant; he'd been picking apart the tangled web of relationships from the moment he was born. The threads binding Zacrae to Abraham were bright, a symbol of their feelings for one another. There was another thread in her heart, one much darker that spiraled equally with both light and dark. Unusual. He'd have to study that later, but for now he turned his attention to the Lady of Light and her--gag--charming son.

The threads binding them together were tight. It almost looked like Locke was a puppet of his dear mother, with the familial strings wrapped so tightly around him... He had to stifle a laugh, but stopped himself by removing the heart-shaped glasses from his eyes again, returning the world to its normal hues. "That explains a lot," he mumbled to himself.

Propping his elbows on the table and leaning forward in his chair, he lazily waved a hand and asked, "How are you so sure they're probing for weaknesses? And why just your kingdom? Until I hear word that the demons are also probing for 'weaknesses' in our Plenty brethren, forgive me for taking your assumptions with a grain of salt. It does none of us any good to jump to conclusions." Eros leaned back in his chair and gave a sigh. "It's not exactly a secret that the people on the border lands are suffering. Nothing has been able to grow their. Is it so hard to assume that these parties are searching for things to bring back so that they may provide for their own families." His eyes narrowed, and the young lord of love looked uncharacteristically sour.

"But you don't have to worry about that, do you? Protected by your castle, fed by servants? You haven't had your ancestral homeland stripped away from you because of this war. Not as the lands of Faith and Love have. Not as Martyr and Terror have, either." He brought his hands down to rap the table, rising to his feet. "If we spent more time trying to help the people of these ruined lands rebuild, maybe they wouldn't feel the need to raid! Who are you to speak of mercy when we lords--when none of us--have done nothing to show our brethren any sort of good faith? Not taking advantage of their lack or Oracle isn't mercy, Mileania."

Eros paused only to sip from his glass before continuing his passionate speech. Bringing a hand to his chest he declared, "We have fertile lands that grow great yields. We have rivers we can fish plentifully from. We have better access to sea trade with Sleibte. We have the things we can use to help them in excess! We can restore the four displaced kingdoms to their rightful lands and maybe begin to repair the scar on the earth that this pointless war has brought! We are not above negotiating with them. Vaerath is our god just as much as Haliea is theirs, and perhaps if we hadn't been so far removed from the other for millennia we wouldn't fear the words "Vaerath is with us" because he's with all of us."

He stared pointedly at the Light royals, lips drawn into a thin frown and resolve unwavering. "If the hearts of the monarchs are in it, the people will follow. Such is the way of ruling. Putting the needs of our people first. I don't think the demons are so callous as to continue using their own people as canon fodder." He let his gaze move to the other royals. Abraham and Calista had been on board for peace from the get go, but had he convinced Diaval? There was no turning back now, not after his speech...

"All in favor of reaching out to the Demon Lords to discuss peace, say Aye."

Sparx Offline


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Abraham listened quietly as the other angels joined the discussion. There was, of course, a lot of uncertainty to be had about talking to the demons about peace. These were ideas that had, of course, been brought up many times before. Abraham was not surprised when disapproval arose. Disapproval always arose, and Abraham always listened quietly. He had listened to these discussions many, many times.

But Eros spoke up, and defended his position. And he defended it passionately. Abraham wasn’t expecting that.

“Eros is right,” said the Faith king, finding his voice. “There’s people suffering- on both sides. Hundreds of thousands have died on both sides. And as long as this war continues, we, as their leaders, are personally responsible for each and every ounce of suffering that is had. For that reason, we must do everything we can, try every idea, until we end that suffering, even if no one else is willing to help us.”

Abraham turned to address Mileani and Diaval.

“The war was little more than a thousand years old when I was born, and even then, it had been too long. Other, shorter lived peoples were already forgetting what had started the war. Thirteen thousand years later, does anyone remember? Do our people? Do they care?”

He turned to Locke next.

“Do you know how many raids there have been, on both sides, in fifteen thousand years of war? How many more there will be before there is nothing left? How much have you seen, in your own short life? Will you see many more before you become a casualty?”

He took a breath. “My point is, what are we fighting for? Do we know? Do the demons know? Or are we just fighting because it’s what we’ve always done? I don’t see a reason to perpetuate this suffering without even putting a fraction of an effort to ending it? Even if any of the demons oppose, what good are we as leaders if we don’t fight for the end of this?”

Abraham felt a bit winded. He was usually a man of few words, but Eros’ passion had struck a chord in a way Abraham he not felt in a long time. Trying to keep his people away from harm had cost him and his kingdom so much time, resources, progress... and he had resigned himself to letting it happen.

...but this did not change the fact that he was not accustomed to speaking up. Abraham averted his eyes from the others, a bit flushed in the face.

“Anyway, I say aye.”

KokoPuffs Offline

Senior Member

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Diaval was right in his caution, but when did things ever go completely smoothy? Maybe it would be quite a few years that actual peace among both sides were reached; but what was the point of not taking the lead in it? They could all grow and prosper together, rather than suffering of their own because of the war. So she felt no ill will towards him. Mileani and Locke though? Their words just seemed to harbor nothing but hate, causing her delicate features to turn into a grimace of the sorts.

What would they care of any peace among the two species? Her own son came in ,not only covered in the blood of demons, he was also armed. ARMED! At a peaceful meeting among the Royals. She might have spoken up again the two, if not for Eros and Abraham. Their words calmed her as much as they could, all around an understanding of what was needed to be done. She was for this, she was MORE than for ending the dumb war.

"I don't even think my own parents knew why we are all fighting this war," the girl spoke up to the others, "so why keep fighting it? It's fruitless, is it not? What exactly are any of us gaining? We are loosing more than ever. Lives most of all really."

Calista bit the inside of her cheek for a moment, eyes looking towards everyone that either sat, or stood around the table. Slowly now, her small body rose up from the chair; only to stand on it as making a statement towards the others. "I know I don't want to become a casualty of war, just as my parents were," her voice was a little louder, though it kept it's soft touch, "I want us all to come together as both friends and allies, not blood hungry enemies!"

"Aye, I am more than ready to help initiate peace with the opposing side," she sent a glace towards Mileani and her son, "even if some of us just enjoy the war it their own pleasures. We will no doubt see opposition on both ends, but what's the point of a good thing without a few obstacles? Without resistance? We'll need to work harder than ever for this, and I hope those who don't want it... can at least think upon it."

King Fury Offline


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Mileani let out a low sigh, trying to compose herself against the accusations and the repeated calls for peace. She was not a warmonger, and she did not like the idea of this conflict, but... She slammed her fist down on the table, hard enough to leave a crack in it. "They tortured my son!"

She let the shout hang over the room for a moment as she slowly rose to her feet, then continued, a little more quietly. "My son, Lizair, was attacked by a horde of demons while visiting some of our men on the border guard. They overwhelmed him and dragged him deep into demon territory, where he was tortured for over two hundred days." She pulled out a scroll which outlined a list of the horrible and creative injuries he had suffered at the hands of the succubi. "He was handed off to succubi. I assume I don't need to tell you what they did to him, but even though he has been returned to us and our healers for over a month, his injuries have not fully healed. He is crippled, walking with a cane and suffering from frequent pains." She tossed the scroll onto the table. "The demons weren't doing this to just anyone. They picked him on purpose. They had a poison that stripped him of his power and even dampened his connection to Haliea herself. This was planned and prepared for."

"That is why they are going after my kingdom, Eros. Because my son often joined the men on the border to help keep them safe, and with his injury my kingdom is vulnerable. None of the other kingdoms are in this poor of a condition, and my men on the border are weaker with his absence, both in strength and morale." Mileani sighed and tried to let herself calm. "I want this war to end. But I cannot, I will not let them get away with what they did. My son was tortured and raped, only escaping because his body eventually grew resistant to the poisons. The demons have used his absence to raid my kingdom and kill my soldiers. You all are safe right now, protected from attack and harm because my men are dying to keep the demons out. So I will not stand idly by and listen to you talk of peace while the crimes they commit continue."

She gestured to the scroll. "That is what they did to the representative of our goddess. That is what they will do again if given the chance. They are emboldened now, both with the maiming of our Oracle and what my son discovered during his escape. Vaerath's Oracle has been found. She was at the succubi's den." She cast her gaze around the room, daring the other lords to meet her eyes. "So, Eros, I want you to tell me why I should negotiate for peace when it is clear the demons care not for it. Pushing for peace now is not going to discourage their actions. If they can come into MY lands, kidnap MY son, and torture him, with our only response being to beg them to stop the war, what does that say?"

She sat down slowly. "My people won't stand for it. I... won't stand for it. If you want to roll over and let the demons do what they want, then your kingdoms can burn for it. But I will not let my people suffer like my son did."

Locke watched his mother's speech silently, surprise written on his face. After a moment, he swallowed and spoke. "If the demons think that the gods favor their fight, they will never back down. My brother being crippled, combined with Vaerath's Oracle returning, will be read as the will of the gods. Some of the demons I've fought in recent weeks have been zealots, fanatical in their belief that the gods desire their victory. They will not want peace."

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