Kyngdom Survival Guide
*TALE: TWO KYNGDOMS
Chatterbox: KYNGDOM™ Power of Hoof
*TALE: TWO KYNGDOMS
*TALE: TWO KYNGDOMS
A Tale of Two Kyngdoms, Part One
By Zephyra
It was the worst of times. That much was obvious. Chaos everywhere. Claaws was dead. Jaaws roamed our land, jaws dripping with Brazen Goo. Catastrophe was always lurking, ready to fight anyone at the slightest provocation. I heard whispers of a “Mutant Army.” And B.I.G. crept ever closer to finding and activating all four of the Powers, which would lead to--what? Utter global destruction? To be honest, I was finding it harder and harder to go to sleep. Dark thoughts swirled through my brain at all hours of the night.
On one particularly hopeless mornings, as I was drooping over a mug of oak root coffee at the Bog & Burrow, I received word from my faithful network of spies that Dr. Cornelia Hornshaw was heading north, toward the Decoy Forest. My go-to tech wiz, Techibeetle, quickly tapped her phone and, after listening to a very disgruntled conversation she was having with one of her chief scientists, we learned that she believed the fourth Power--the Power of Hoof--was located there. In the forest.
Now, this was a little too close for comfort for me, my fellow spies, and the other Guardians. Because we knew that while the fourth Power wasn’t actually in the forest, it was nearby--very nearby, on the hoof of Regina the Silver Reindeer herself. I sent a message to Regina begging her to retreat to her mansion, and then I began planning my trip to the north.
(Another complication: I was supposed to be planning my nephew Little Crow’s Naming Ceremony. It was time. He was of age. But the party would just have to wait--and I felt terrible about it.)
After another mug of oak root coffee, I hit upon a plan that was simple, but so daring that it made me nauseous. I was going to do the unthinkable. I would try to intercept Cornelia before she went into the Decoy Forest, and I would…talk with her.
Yes, talk. A dialogue. I figured that I could use B.I.G.’s technology to make Cornelia understand what I was saying, and then I could explain how dangerous her behavior was. How it would put us all at risk--animals and humans. Naïve? Maybe. But sometimes the best route is the most direct, no? There’s a reason for the phrase “as the crow flies.”
Of course it was a terrible shock when, while flying over the Labyrinth, I heard something rustling about in the suitcase that was strapped to my back--and out popped Little Crow, squawking that he couldn’t let me go alone and he was practically an adult and why did I get to do all the fun stuff? I was furious that he’d snuck along, but it was too late to turn back. Cornelia’s train was literally zooming below us as we flew. Besides, I’ll admit it: sometimes it’s nice to have a sidekick.
When we arrived at Jökull, the mansion of the Silver Reindeer, Regina greeted us joyfully and gave us each a huge, steaming mug of Black Winter Cherry cider. Little Crow was shivering. I was exhausted.
“She’s coming,” said Regina, giving me a meaningful look.
“I loathe Cornelia Hornshaw,” spat Little Crow.
“Little! She’s done some terrible things, but she is a very lost, very confused woman,” I said.
“She thinks we’re stupid. She doesn’t respect the world we’ve built. Why do I have to like her?” said Little Crow.
I was flustered, jet-lagged, but Regina jumped in with grace. “You don’t have to like her, Little Crow,” she said, her mother-of-pearl horseshoes twinkling. “But what Cornelia Hornshaw lacks is empathy. She can’t put herself in our horseshoes, so to speak. So she’ll never truly understand us--or anything about the world, really. Zephyra is saying that if you try to empathize a little with her, no matter how much it angers you, then you will have already won part of the battle.
“And for the other parts--if empathy and reason fail, at least you have an entire network of spies and warriors on your side,” I added.
Little Crow’s eyes were drooping.
“Let’s go to bed,” I said. “Cornelia is probably staying at that human eyesore, the Wayward Villa, tonight, and won’t be striking off toward the Decoy Forest until morning.”
After Little Crow went to sleep, I turned to Regina.
“I’m worried,” I said. “The Decoy Forest never shows travelers the truth. But who knows what she’ll see there? Sometimes half-truths and white lies can lead to the real thing.”
Regina looked down at her fourth horseshoe--the one that was old, rusty, nondescript.
“I am prepared to fight,” she said, simply.
submitted by Zephyra, Decoy Forest
(January 4, 2017 - 1:39 pm)
(January 4, 2017 - 1:39 pm)
That's good! I imagine the recruits wouldn't actually be received by Catastrophe, only informed of his grandiosity and such. He has brainwashing technology, I think--perhaps not enough for whole armies, I don't recall, but certainly enough for key players. Maybe disobedience, revolts, etc. are quelled and prevented with its help. Like the recruits will be observed for a couple of weeks and troublesome ones will be extracted for some kind of special troop, then have their memories erased. Then, with careful systems of reward and failure, they could be reeducated into effective, loyal soldiers...
(November 18, 2018 - 2:15 pm)
Thanks for the ideas! I'm glad you like it!!
(November 18, 2018 - 6:02 pm)
You're welcome!
(November 19, 2018 - 3:21 pm)
Tsuki Natsu, Day One of Training ~~
It was extremely early in the morning, at about five o clock. I rubbed my eyes and tried to stay awake. The sky was still dark. I could see the outline of the great wall that went around Jokull in the nearby distance. The other recruits and I stood in the cold snow, wearing the new uniforms we'd been given, as we waited for General Grimm to come.
We'd been informed some of us would be selected for a 'special unit' that directly served Catastrophe. We figured it was likely an elite group of assassins. Those who didn't make it into the elite unit would become regular soldiers, carrying out the orders of their superiors.
Some of the recruits had willingly signed up. Others, like me, had been forced to join. I'd been kidnapped by SOCS when I was ten. At first I'd been enrolled into the boarding school for girls, trained as a killer. But I wasn't good enough, and they instead handed me over to the scientists. I was part of the group that would be turned into the strange man made species known as Homo Aquariums, a mix of human and sea serpent.
~~
I have to leave, so here's Tsuki's backstory.
(November 22, 2018 - 5:04 pm)
Note-- Tsuki's age has been adjusted. She is now 14, not 13.
(November 23, 2019 - 2:44 pm)
A short intro to Cendaren~
Cendaren's alarm went off at four thirty in the morning. He'd already been awake for a couple of hours, unable to sleep, and had been writing letters to various correspondents from the frigid confines of his quarters. When his alarm began to beep from his nightstand, he carefully set down his pen, blew out the candle, turned off the shrill sound, and left the room. He'd long since been ready for duty.
Cendaren made straight for the kitchen; generals ate first because they awoke first. He spooned himself a steaming bowl of mashed turnips/ground caribou and poured a cup of juniper juice, leaning against a wall to wolf it down.
When he'd finished, Cendaren doled out his morning orders and met General Grimm, the lizard anthro, in a courtyard of Jokull. He wanted to view the new recruits to see if any would have any true potential as elites. He doubted so, based on their intimidated appearances. Perhaps in a couple of weeks they'd begin to show promise.
~ ~ ~
And, I have to go. I just wanted to try writing him really quickly.
(November 24, 2018 - 10:53 pm)
Tsuki~~
General Grimm emerged with another General. Most of the recruits seemed intimidated. I wasn't positive, but I was pretty sure I just looked tired.
General Grimm looked at all of us. He and the other General seemed disappointed.
"This is General Caligo. He will be observing you as you train, to see which ones of you will be selected for elite training," General Grimm said. When I looked at the two Generals , I felt all twisty inside. Like I could sense something altered and dark about them. It was like magic of a darker sort had...affected them.
General Grimm bent towards General Caligo and said something to him in a low voice. Since I stood in the front, I could just make out what he was saying.
"I doubt many of them will be good enough for elite training, but I'm keeping my eyes on the Homo Aquarium. She was trained by SOCS, and ghey sent in some files about her. Apparently, she has," He paused , then whispered the next part in an even quieter voice. "Unnatural abilities. Light magic."
I blinked . At first I thought they were talking about another Homo Aquarium, but I lookee around, and saw that I was the only one. SOCS probably got the files mixed up, then. Because I had no light magic, and the Generals were certainly going to be disappointed when they figured that out.
~~~
(November 26, 2018 - 12:07 pm)
Ashzan~
I study the Generals thoroughly. They gesture towards a Homo Aquarius next to me. She freezes, a deeply confused look on her face. General Caligo looks her up and down, then focuses on me, the next recruit. I don't flinch. Caligo smiles ever so slightly and comes over to me, eyes narrowed and face stern once again.
"A forest elf, correct?" He asks his friend. Flipping through some papers, the other General looks for my sheet.
"Uhhh, yeah. An unusual find out here in Jokull... Her name is Ashzun - wait, no it's Ashzan - yeah. What about her?" Caligo lifts an eyebrow at his friend.
"I want her on my roster, Grimm. Don't you know anything about forest elves? They have powers too." Grimm rolls his eyes.
"Yeah, the power to be the most normal elf in Kyngdom." General Caligo turns abruptly to Grimm.
"Not true. As you apparently do not know, forest elves can use almost any magic." We can? Huh, that's news to me. "Their only weakness in magic is night elf magic." Grimm chuckles.
"You'll make a pretty pair, then." Caligo glares venomously.
"You should be glad the forest elves can't use their powers well." Caligo pivots on his heel to look back at me. His dark green eyes meet my bright green gaze. I suddenly realize he's my age. "I shall change that for this one. When I'm done with her, she will be one of the most powerful Elites we've ever had." Sounds good to me. Grimm rolls his eyes again. I smile slightly, and Caligo narrows his eyes so hard they're almost closed. "And yet, something doesn't seem right with you, Ashzan. You're not like any other forest elf I've ever met..." Makes sense.
"Permission to speak, General Caligo sir." I ask. Grimm almost bursts out laughing, but Caligo nods solemnly. "There is something that I don't believe was put on the papers: I can only control the things I create."
"Elaborate." So narrow holy cow how does he do that.
"I can only manipulate the things I can... maybe a better word for it would be summon? But I can destroy the things I summon as well."
"Ah. I see." Caligo shrugs. "I can still work with that." Just then, the Homo Aquarius steps forward.
"And I have to tell you something too:" She reaches out, palms up. "I don't have any magi-" She is cut off from a blinding flash of light from her open palms.
~~
Is this okay?
(November 26, 2018 - 4:04 pm)
Since I don't know if Sybill wants Tsuki's magic revealed right now or not, I'll leave those details out.
Cendaren~
Cendaren continued down the line and reviewed the rest of the new recruits. Many of them were less than impressive, and he wondered who'd thought it wise to force them into the army. This was not a kidnapping business. This was a highly exclusive force.
However, some of the recruits actually did show potential--ambition. A little fear. Some resignation to destiny. And a little stubbornness.
Cendaren paced slowly back to Grimm. "It's a mixed bag," he stated flatly before turning to face the entire line. "I want to see what they've got."
And so Cendaren stepped back, retreating a little way's through the snow, to watch General Grimm bark out orders from a nice, withdrawn distance. He took notes as he viewed: any and every movement was a key to the intentions and dispositions of every soldier, no matter how clumsy or graceless or naive they were.
(December 27, 2018 - 10:07 am)
Tsuki~~
A beam of light shot through my palm. Surprise flashed across all our faces. The light vanished as quickly as it had appearef, as if it were just a trick of the eyes.
"I-I had no idea I could do that," I blurted .
"Wait. Wait. If you've never done that before, then how did SOCS know you could do it...?" The non-scaled General said.
Grimm paused thoughtfully. "Interesting. Catastrophe, howver, will be pleased to see that we have two very promising soldiers."
" What do you mean by that? " The elf next tp me said. I gave her a look. I wasn't sure, but I thought it was considered disrespectful to ask your Generals things like that.
"You'll see soon enough, elf. For now, let's continue with training." Grimm smiled.
~~~
(December 28, 2018 - 11:29 am)
JHG BKJDFHN G THEY'RE ALL SO CUUUUUUUUTE sorry.
Ashzan~
Punches, kicks, blocks, repeat. Today we're apparently learning martial arts. The generals walk up and down the rows of recruits, inspecting us and making slight changes to our techniques. Caligo watches the Homo Aquarius and me carefully and is probably the only General who isn't walking the rows. Grimm walks up to Caligo.
"Taken a liking, eh? HA!" Grimm smiles mischeiviously, nudging his friend and gesturing semi-discreetly.
"Shut up, Grimm. However, the Aquarius ain't so bad, isn't she, Grimm?" Caligo retorts playfully. Grimm snarls.
"Not my type. To gentle."
"We can fix that."
"So what's your fancy with the elf?"
"WHAT no!" Caligo staggers. "Ugh. Grimm, stop trying to set me up with the recruits... But she is interesting." I blush and roundhouse kick the kicking pad in front of me. "See how she attacks the pads? Forest elves are peaceful by rule, but she's different. She's got fire."
"You sayin' she's hot?"
"I declare, Grimm, say something like that again, and I'll punch you into tomorrow and a year." Despite myself, I smile just a bit. I'm enjoying listening to this conversation, but only because I think it's funny. It's funny. Yeah, that's why. Grimm walks away, but when he's a few meters away, he calls over his shoulder:
"You two would be the perfect pair, though." And walks off, snickering. Caligo is silent behind me. I can almost feel his narrowed eyes boring into my soul and scouring my every move. I can't mess up.
~~
(December 28, 2018 - 2:08 pm)
I have way too much time on my hands.
Ashzan~
I collapse onto my bed in our bunker, and it just so happens that the Homo Aquarius is in the bed next to me. We're in bunks, too, so we get some privacy, but not a ton. I peek at my red knuckles and rub my stinging feet. Okay, so maybe I shouldn't have attacked the pads like I did... I can't feel my shins. Shrapnel. That'll be fun. The Aquarius groans. Her skin is in a similar condition, red and swollen.
"Relatable." I mumble.
"What?" She looks over to me, her gaze foggy. She must be dehydrated.
"I said 'Relatable'. I know your pain." I reply, holding my numb arms up for evidence. She inspects her own, nodding slightly.
"I'm Tsuki."
"Ashzan, but I don't doubt you know that already." Tsuki shrugs, bobbing her head up and down. There's a shelf next to me, and on it is a water bottle. I take a swig, re-cap the bottle, and toss it over to my new friend. She whispers a "Thanks." and takes a few drinks, then pours some over her head. Immediately, her skin looks better and she stops gasping for breath. With a relieved smile, she sighs.
"So tell me about yourself. Were you a human first, or a sea serpent?" I joke. Tsuki grins.
"Human... I don't even know if sea serpent would work, ha!" Her smile broadens. She doesn't seem too apprehensive about that part of her past, but I don't touch on her life at SOCS. Tsuki hands me the bottle back. It's still pretty full. Hm. She's considerate, at least. I decide I might like it if she became my best friend.
~~
D'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW DA WIDDIW FRIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENS
(December 31, 2018 - 12:35 am)
Tsuki~~
I hand Ashzan the water bottle. It's still pretty full--I didn't want to use up all the water and leave Ashzan with nothing.
"So," Ashzan asks, " Where are you from? "
"A fishing town called Sapphire Cove. It's on the coast, a few miles above Mer," I replied . "Where do you come from?"
Ashzan makes a gesture with her hand. "From around here. I used to live around the Decoy Forest."
I nod. "I've heard of the Decoy Forest."
She shrugs. "Probably. It's pretty famous."
" Yeah, " I agree. We make small talk for the next few minutes. Ashzan seems pretty nice. She's very logical. I can tell she's extremely smart. Ashzan, I decide, would make a good friend.
There's a knock at the door of the bunker. Everybody turns to look at the door. Grimm opens it. The other generals are with him.
"Line up! You've had resting tim We're going to do more training, then we'll head to the cafeterias."
We all stand up and follow Grimm's sharp orders. The generals lead us back towards the training area. I hope we don't have to do more fighting training, because my hands and feet still ache.
~~~
(January 2, 2019 - 4:12 pm)
I'm sorry, I really don't want to bug you, but could you please post on the Sage RP thread? I'm probably the person that should be writing next on that thread, but I've been having some trouble with it and I was hoping you could do the next post.
(January 1, 2019 - 8:15 pm)
Oh yeah sure!
(January 1, 2019 - 11:08 pm)