Spring had finally sprung. The winter had been long and bitter, almost as bitter as Hussa was. She'd schemed and plotted as she shivered, complaining all the while to Archimedes about the cold. Now with Spring officially here, it was more tolerable and pleasant. Except for the birdsong. And all the little animals scurrying hither and thither. And all the damnable pollen from the flowers and trees. And the insects. Gods, did Hussa hate insects. "Damned things", she grumbled as she choked, having landed after inhaling a beetle as she surveyed the lands around her ramshackle keep. Choking and spluttering, she finally managed to spit the thing out, which flew away miraculously unharmed. Hussa briefly debated shooting a stream of fire at it, but decided it wasn't worth the effort. It was a mere insect, and striking out against it would mean that she thought it an equal. Not wanting to give the beetle the satisfaction, she turned to the stream she landed next to so she could drink and get the taste out of her mouth. Was this here before? She didn't think so.
Looking around, Hussa noticed there was also a myriad of colors surrounding her. It would be pretty to any other Soquili, but she sneered. Well, as much as a skull can sneer. True beauty was power and dominion over others. It was the fawning of underlings at her feet, their willingness to do what she commanded without question, the cries of anguish when she conquered a new settlement. Beauty was ruin and devastation and flames.
With a sound of disgust, Hussa once again took to the sky to continue her surveillance. Normally, she would have sent one of her few underlings to do this, but she currently had them on a mission to scout new recruits to her cause. She would take back her kingdom and rebuild her once-glorious castle, even if it was the last thing she ever did.
Circling her territory, she discovered that game had returned to the valley. With the snow melted, the flora had flourished, and given the herds an abundant food source. At least they wouldn't go hungry, she supposed. It also looked like new streams had stemmed from the nearby river. With as much snow as they'd gotten this past winter, it would make sense that tributaries would begin stemming from the river as the snow melted.
Her wing caught an updraft, and she spiraled upwards in it, languishing in the feeling. Of all the things she did actually enjoy, flying was her favorite.
Moving out of the air current, Hussa closed her wings and let herself nosedive down towards the meadow. She closed her senses and let the air speed around her, until snapping her wings open at the very last second. The flowers below her tickled and caressed her belly, which Hussa hated to admit to anyone, even herself, made her...giggle? Clearing her throat she reminded herself: Queens don't giggle.
Flapping harder, she banked to her right to speed above the stream, causing the water to rooster tail in her wake. Knowing no one else was around, Hussa decided to loosen her own reins a little more, whooping as she continued to jet around the meadow. She hadn't let loose like this in...she couldn't remember. It felt...good. Part of her felt guilty for indulging herself; she was a queen and needed to comport herself as such. But maybe, just maybe, this could be part of her revenge. Maybe she didn't need to wait until she'd conquered all she could to enjoy herself.
The sun soaked into her scales as she flew, twisting and turning and laughing out loud like she did when she would sneak away as a foal. Maybe the flowers really were beautiful. Maybe the small animals were cute, and maybe the birdsong really was pretty. Maybe, just maybe, she could feel more than just rage and hate and bitterness. Maybe now, as an adult, she'd be allowed to. Feeling freer than she had in a long time, Hussa slowed as she banked a turn to go back towards the flowers, touching down among them. Sighing, she flopped, causing a cloud of pollen to poof up around her.
Rolling onto her side, Hussa sighed again and just listened. She listened to the warm Spring air breeze around her, the chittering of the small animals in the trees around the meadow, the buzzing of the bees still pollenating their little hearts out. Skulls can't exactly smile, but she knew if she could, she would be. Hussa laid there among the flowers for she didn't know how long. She wanted to lie there forever.
As she sighed this time, it was one of resignation. Play time was over. Pulling the mask back on, so to speak, Hussa shook herself and took off again, angling back towards her shoddy excuse for a castle, hoping her minions were able to actually recruit someone this time. Deep in her heart though, she sort of hoped they didn't. She wanted to keep this place a secret as much as she could so she could come back in the coming months and relive the feelings she'd felt here. This meadow had sparked something in her heart, and she wasn't ready to share it yet. Would this change her? Maybe. Probably. Most likely. Hussa didn't want to admit that she was already changing, moment by moment. She didn't want to let go of who she had been earlier in the day. At least, not yet.
Touching down on the flat roof of the main part of her castle, she took a moment to survey the lands around her. Spring had brought many changes with it, and not just the ones of the land. With a soft flutter, Archimedes landed on her shoulder. "Would you like to hear my report, my Queen?", he asked.
"In a moment", she replied. "I'd like to enjoy the sun a little longer." Her companion looked sidelong at her, but said nothing. It wasn't his place to question her.
After a few moments, Hussa turned wordlessly to the stairs that lead down into the castle, and to her rooms. There was no sense in lingering, the meadow would still be there tomorrow. And it couldn't come fast enough.
WC: 1054
