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 Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2015 1:16 am
Looking around the central chamber where he spent most of his days, he sighed slightly. His beloved was currently not seated at his side, more than likely off being kooky somewhere, praising the entity known as the 'Spish'. Shaking his head as he pondered, he still had not been able to understand the crazy ways of his spirit-bound... But he knew that he was meant for her, and she for him. That was what The Grand Weaver wanted, as He had made it so. Was it His intention to have her go a little loopy? Probably not, but that would be a matter to address at another time. Currently, it was not of issue.
Sighing just ever so slightly, Vulkonus stood up and stretched, his vibrant orange claws lightly pulling at the gold pedestal that had been forged for his very paws and rump. His tail stretched out and the curled back inward, his diaphragm letting out a small groan. He shook his head from side to side, his black hair sweeping over his mask-like face. Surely someone... Someone would come to visit him. It was very unlike the throne room to be so... Dull... And boredom was not something Vulkonus was good at handling, even if he longed for escape every now and then.
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2015 5:05 pm
As of late the palace had been abnormally silent. Only the low rumbles of the landscape around them provided any ambiance to the otherwise hollow corridors of the fire palace. Outside the fires flickered gave some light to the polished rock hallways. This palace was cast in an eternal orange and red that made it difficult normally to tell the time of day within the walls. Volga had never really cared about the time of day in any case. He slept when he needed rest and awoke when his body was charged. He had no value to what the position of the sun. Through some windows the outside world could be seen, but because of the volcanoes the sky was almost always covered by a thick screen of dark ash. That same ash fell around the capitol of the fire tribe like a black snow blanketing the rocks and burning up in the ever flowing rivers of lava around the land.
It was charming when Volga had first awoken, but now it held no more awe inspiring splendor for him. He greatly enjoyed the land, however he did not spend as much time reveling in how new and wonderful it appeared. Even if the landscape of lava seemed to change in subtle ways from day to day.
Today he had something else on his mind, something more important.
Silent halls echoed to the soft tap of Volga's claws lightly making contact the smooth floor. His armor rattled softly with each bold step he took. A warmness overtook the halls this late in the evening, perhaps a sign the volcano was more active than usual. It wasn't a surprise. The lord of the fire tribe seemed troubled and the volcano at times seemed to mirror the emotions of the great Emperor of fire. It was some what troubling. Even so, the heat was refreshing. Something to sooth his troubled thoughts at least a little. In addition to concern for his land and his lord, his apprentice, Edia, was out proving herself on a task he had appointed to her personally. Though he would never admit it, it was strange not having her at his side. He was not concerned for her safe return. Volga had raised her well and knew that she could handle herself in any situation that was brought to her. What concerned him most was if she were to return changed for the worse. He couldn't quite explain the train of thought. It seemed odd to him and went against everything that he had taught his pupil.
Volga drew in a deep breath and held it a moment before releasing it.
Dwelling would have to wait. For now, he wanted to find Volkonus. There was no doubt in his mind that his lord was sitting alone, again, in his throne room. The queen had been acting odd(er) as of late. Her talk of a "spish" was nothing short of blasphemy to what he believed to be true fire ideals. Volga did not much care for the queen, now more than ever. However, his duties were to his friend and lord, Vulkonus. Not even lava could melt away his loyalty to the fire lord. This was what should be his main concern now. There was no amount of training that could have prepared him for helping a friend deal with an increasingly difficult empress. something had to be done and it had to be done soon. This madness was affecting the fire tribe's stability and the sanity of his friend. If Vukonus had not been so attached to her he would have gladly hunted down this crazed loon and killer himself to end the land's suffering at her delusions. He didn't hate her, he didn't really care for her, but he would do anything to see the Fire Tribe return to glory.
Volga lifted peered into the vast throne room as he reached the threshold of the grand archway and glanced about the room until his eyes rested upon his friend. The room appeared to be cast in a brighter glow than the rest of the palace. It's polished floors seemed far more grand than any other area in the kingdom. Every reflection of fire made the mostly empty room appear as if it were alive, pulsing with its own heartbeat. The shadows cast by the running lava were not black as a normal shadow should be, they were all simply a different shade of orange and red. It was its own moving pattern upon the grand floor and walls of the thrown room. Still, it was a shame to see the room so vastly empty. There should have been guards, advisers, ambassadors, anything that should signify that this was a thriving kingdom. It seemed as if everyone appointed to the job had left them. Not wanting to get caught up in the madness that was engulfing the entire realm of fire. Thankfully there were no enemies known to this nation, but one could never be too careful. Volga knew all too well of the rising threat of a "seam ripper" of sorts. He couldn't exactly remember what the name of the entity was, but he had heard whispers of such an enemy. Knowing someone was out there causing that kind of trouble was disheartening. Volga would do all he could to protect his king, but knew that he could only do so much on his own power.
Once again he drew a deep breath. There were more than enemies that would wish obvious harm, there were those that were harming unintentionally. Perhaps the plan was not too far from being known. Volga hoped that his meeting with his friend will at least bring some comfort to his friend. Something that will lead to a conclusion to all this madness.
"My lord" Volga announced in his deep voice as he took a step forward.
All his focus remained on his friend while he boldly crossed the vast throne room floor to meet with his friend.
(1006 )
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2015 5:44 pm
Ruby red ears twitched and the white and black face of the emperor turned towards the door that led into the central chamber. A smile appeared on his maw, his fiery pupils rekindling.
"Volga", he greeted his friend with warmly. "Warm night within the mountain, isn't it?"
The inner walls within the city were indeed a bit warmer. Hopefully that was a good thing, as opposed to a bad one. Surely if the volcano became upset, the Fire Tribe could handle it. With luck though, it would continue to bubble and broil with no serious reprimands. With Xiaofan being kind of off on her own and Vulkonus pretty much left alone to rule, a volcano deciding it was time to throw a fit was not necessarily on his list of things to deal with.
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2015 5:59 pm
As Volga approached his Lord he held his head high and showed no signs of the mental anguish that he was trying to pick apart over his tribe, friend and even his pupil. Now was his time to be strong and to be there for his Lord and friend. His own struggles he could deal with on his own and he knew Vuk needed someone to appear as if they were not in the same conflicted mindset, even if he knew that they were. That is what a good friend did, gave support when needed. Personally though, Volga hated to show a weaker side to himself. He disliked appearing as if he were troubled and weak.
Each breath he drew remained steady and calm. Not once did his eyes wander away from his lord and friend as he made his approach.
"It is, my Lord." Volga answered with little change to his tone.
"A warm night brings good luck to those who value the warmth."
And perhaps very unlucky to those who did not wish to be warm. Than again, any fool who did not wish to be warm and wandered to a towering volcano deserved the misfortune that they had. Volga felt no pity for such a fool. Perhaps finding one such fool would cheer his lord and friend up a bit? He inwardly chuckled at the thought. No, that would be unsportsmanlike to watch a fool suffer like that.
While he drew closer to Vulk his head lowered slightly so his nose pointed toward the ground and was drawn a little closer to his breast. He held his head that low for a brief moment, sure that his lord and friend had caught the gesture, before he lifted it proudly once more.
"Are you well?" He inquired after his head was lifted high.
No one else aside his apprentice would have every received that inquiry. There was just very little Volga cared for in this world. As far as B'alam were concerned anyways. He cared a great deal for this land and the tribe in which his lord had been given charge over. That much had not changed. However, he had found himself in a decline in liking anyone else. No one aside his pupil and his Lord and friend had really proven themselves worthy of his respect. He had meet complainer, thieves, and of course the crazy mate of the fire lord.
He was aware of how high and mighty his uncaring attitude had made him appear, but once again, he did not care. He did not think of himself as the best in the land, far from it. Instead he believed in his abilities and disliked anyone who wasn't willing to work hard for something great. This was perhaps why he had decided to take on Edia and respected the Fire lord so much. From the time he had first meet them to now he had never once seen them give up on anything. Even when there appeared much to give up on.
(507)
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2015 6:40 pm
" I am... Alive. It has been such a dull day, Volga. The Empress is out and about, of which I know not where. I worry for her, but I know she can also handle her own. Hopefully."
Vulkonus's bright eyes looked down upon the forged gold that his paws ever-so-delicately stood upon. It was clear that he had worry for Xiao... But what could he do? Nothing, except rule the kingdom of the Fire Tribe to the best of his ability. It was never meant to be ruled alone, but sometimes sacrifices had to be made in order for others to prosper.
Closing the lids over his fiery orbs for just a moment, he looked back up and over to his trusted guard. "The mountain embraces us within it's walls. I do believe that as long as we treat it properly, it will serve as our place of servitude, honor, and our home for a long time yet."
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2015 7:37 pm
Volga held his tongue when the empress was mentioned. There was so much he wanted to say, advice he wanted to give, however, he did not believe it was his place to do so at the moment. The emperor was no doubt aware of his mate's insanity and would inquire advice if he so wished it. This patience was one thing he had worked a long time in honing. It was an important skill for any warrior to season if the truly wished to be great.
There wasn't much he could say in way of a response. There was too much on his mind to open up a flood gate such as that at the moment.
"Yes, M'lord." Was all he could think to respond with. Even if it was short, he believed his Lord and friend would not take it as an insult. There was simply too many other things to be concerned about than a short reply from a friend.
Slowly he drew in a deep breath. On the slow release of the breath he offered a slow nod once again. Everything Vulkonus said held truth to it. It had been a rather dull day... There was little to be done. No one to fight. There was also too much going on mentally to think it out. Fighting would have been a wonderful way to work out all of that stress and to possibly think of a conclusion. But there was simply not enough activity within the nation to do much other than appreciate the scenery. Volga had thought of many time going out among the lands to bring some of the fire kin that he found back, but than that would leave the fire lord unprotected. Volga was, at the moment, the only body guard he had. Edia was even sent out on her quest because Volga could not leave the tribe to do so himself. Another thing he would never openly speak about. He had every bit of confidence in his pupil.
Volga once again thought of his words more carefully before he opened his maw to respond.
"It gives us our life and comfort. You are a reflection of the mountain, sir. Should your subjects treat you with as much respect, may they prosper. If not, I will gladly remove their heads from their necks and feed the mountain's fire with their bodies."
And he would do so gladly for the honor of his lord. Even if that meant removing the head of the empress. She had been causing so much anguish without realizing it. Volga could only hope that her mind would be returned to her soon or else the land will only continue to decay. Volga often wondered if the state of the land was punishment for the empresses loss of mind. All magus were given more wisdom than any other b'alam who had awoken. It was baffling how this such magus had suddenly lost that wisdom and followed some entity. Even Volga didn't know everything there was to know about the weaver, only what he had come to understand in his own being and what he had heard from his Lord and friend. Who knows if such an entity would punish a land for becoming blasphemous. If so, that would make the empress the roots of all their problems at the moment.
Volga released an internal sigh to the thought. No b'alam should have to undertake this kind of pressure. Still, perhaps there will be a way of escape provided. There had to be something that could be done to fix everything that had gone on. Something had to be done soon.
(610)
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2015 8:05 pm
This was why Volga was Vulkonus' head bodyguard. He was ruthless, and would eagerly put his own life ahead of the Emperor's. He would fight 'til his last dying breath for him, being as loyal as one could ever be. Hearing Volga's most recent words, a smirk crawled across his maw. He let out a hearty laugh, a toothy grin appearing afterwards.
"Ahhhh Volga. You are indeed a true warrior. Your life for the glory and honor of both your lord and your tribe. I could not ask for a better bodyguard. I'm quite sure the B'alam of these fiery lands worship the very molten rocks they walk upon. I have no doubt that they treat me with just as much respect as they do of the roaring volcano in which we prosper." Vulkonus padded down the shining steps of gold, stepping onto the rocky floor of the chamber. His royal purple scarf elegantly trailed behind him, the woven gold threads glinting as the material snaked down the steps. "If I do find one who is not being respectful, I will surely let you know. They would have to be punished, and I do believe you would take honor in being the one to dispatch that."
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2015 9:08 pm
"Thank you my lord, it is certainly an honor to serve under you." Volga responded humbled by the words of his Lord and Friend.
Once again he lowered his chin to his chest and held his head down for a couple of moments. His eyes closed only briefly as he offered his display of respect to his Lord. Out of instinct when his eyes closed his ears swiveled forward and tuned into the sounds all around them. The gentle whisper of breathing in front of him, the bubbling of the lava, the gentle hum of the fires alight outside all became more obvious in that split second of his eyes being shut. Once open his lifted his head once again and faced his friend. The formalities seemed to melt away as his lord spoke more of what was troubling him.
"I would hope no one would be so foolish." Volga noted with a quiet after-chuckle.
Though, it would be nice to have a good fight. A mauling was too easy, and it was not very honorable to pick on the weak if they had done nothing wrong. Volga loved to have a good fight, but he was always about honor. That is what he taught his pupil and would not wish to contradict himself by displaying different behavior. That would make him a poor instructor and even more so a terrible warrior. A true warrior had honor. Despite his negative disposition toward a lot of other b'alam, Volga held honor as a necessary trait. Even so, he was not above making light of acting otherwise. He trusted someone who claimed to be his friend to know when he was joking. Even if the topic was serious. Volga would punish those who would be foolish as to act out against his lord and friend. They had opened the door to be attacked even if they were not warrior savy. Fair punishment was well within the honor code. If you can't dish out what you serve, then leave the food preparation room.
Eyes moved to his lord and friend as he watch him begin to descend the thrown. His tail moved to his left his while his head seemed to be held higher. The armor rustled and clinked a bit in the subtle movements Volga made. It was still only a minor noise to the sound of his lord and friend's footsteps across the smooth floor or the lava outside of the chamber. Volga had already long gotten used to the sound of his own armor when he made any sort of movement.
"But still, if so, I will make it mu duty to at least make it as entertaining as possible for your eyes..." He grinned as he added to his previous note.
A bit of humor would hopefully bring some easement to his lord and friend's mind. Unfortunately all he had were words to bring light of the situation. They had no current fool they could round up and punish for insulance. Not that Volga wanted to go out and pick fights with anyone. In fact, he had rather hoped that there was no one so dull in the kingdom that they would openly be spreading slander. That would have the opposite affect of causing more distress to the already full plate his Lord and friend had with his empress. Still, words would be just as powerful. Volga just had to make sure that he was choosing his own words wisely and not making a fool of himself. By the look on his lord and friend's face that did not seem the case so far.
(605)
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Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2015 1:48 pm
The large ruby-colored B'alam chuckled, continuing to pad around the central chamber. He looked up at one of the falling streams of lava, there being two total in the room, one on either side. Basking in the intense heat and ferocity that it simply emitted, he purred slightly. The golden threads on his long and luxurious scarf continued to shimmer, the flowing lava making it appear to dance and be filled with life. The dragon design that was embroidered onto the cloth was said to be Vulkonus' heart shown in physical form. He was fierce and brave... Even though he wore the exterior of a lavished lord. He was not some... Pushover.
"Volga, has there been any word of these... Ice dwellers to the north? The B'alam who thrive in the freezing weather? Any new kind of information?"
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Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2015 10:20 pm
Volga lifted his head and tilted it to the side while he made a gentle him. There had been one B'alam he had talked to about the ice tribe and fairly recently as well. What was that Tahtil's name? Ah! Maximus! His head righted as he recalled what information he had received from Maximus about the ice tribe. The traveling black-smith mentioned something about them on his last visit to the Dark Tribe lands.
He had mentioned that they seemed uncomfortable in any area that wasn't cold, yet the fared well within the dark cave because the temperatures were even enough for them to interact. The could even interact with fire kin within the walls. Specifically about the tribe, there was not much to tell other than physical appearance or personalities of the individual Maximus had encountered on his journey. It was a shame that there was such an unknown entity out there. But there was some comfort in knowing that they were likely just as unknown to the ice tribe.
"Only a little." Volga finally responded after a moment. "They do not take well to the heat. However, Maximus has informed me that there are a few within the walls of the Dark Tribe. Mingling even with Fire tribesman."
He drew in a deep breath while he thought more on what he had heard about the frozen tundra itself. There was little information on that land specifically. It was too cold for any fire kin to draw near for too long. Going deep within the territory was yet unheard of. At least, it was for anyone Volga had talked to about it. Maximus seemed to be his lead in information. He had heard of the leader being just as "all knowing" as the magus from any tribe. But that much was merely speculation, not fact. How was anyone to know the ice dwellers even had a magus? or anyone to govern them. Much less live anywhere near the mountains. Maximus had noted that the mountains in which they dwell could be seen from a great distance, and he believed it was a grand empire, but there was still no prof of this. There was nothing they could do at this point to truly find out without getting there themselves. Perhaps one day? The thought of going anywhere so cold did not seem like a grand idea. If the cold was painful, imagine what it would be like just stepping into the heart of the cold. Perhaps the coldest place on this entire planet! Volga had a feeling that would not end well. One would have to be in a mindset like the empress to make such a journey. Another thing that was rumored to be a problem there was the ice fell from the sky like the ash did in this land. It was almost as if the land there was the complete opposite of the land here. Where this land was red and orange a glow with fire, that land was white and silver with frost and ice. It was cold, cold enough to kill anyone who depended on the nurturing heat to keep them alive. The thought was too obvious and caused Volga to inwardly scoff at himself for being so obvious in thought. Still. He wished he could see this account for himself. All he had was word of mouth. Though, considering the physical description Maximus had given him of the Ice dwellers, he was even more inclined to believe it on more grounds than just because it was a reliable source. They were bulky and riddled with long fur. They had no tails, which, perhaps that served them in the cold? somehow? The lack of a tail was baffling to Volga.
"As far as the Ice-land dwellers, there is still very little information. They are well isolated within their lands. Little is known about even their magus... At least to those Maximus spoke of."
Maximus had often come up when relaying information about the world. The Fire-B'alam did not associate with the Fire Tribe, but he was quite helpful. He had a hand in forging even Volga's armor among other things. The b'alam was quite talented in his trade and in the information that he had offered. Volga had once asked him why he did not wish to stay in the land of his kin, and he answered by simply stating that there was just too much to see to just stay in one place for so long. He liked to return as this land offered more rare ore than most places he had seen, and its fires were ideal for making armor, but there was a lot more out there. His armor would not be much without other elements incorporated in it. Each land he had seen had its own style and that style was inspiration for something new to be created! The armor he had made for Volga was inspired by the fire and the mountains, but the idea of a "dragon" had come from the dark tribe. The spikes on his epaulets were inspired by the wings of a dark kin. All bright together it created an entity of fire. Volga had found that interesting. One day, if duty would ever allow it, he wanted to see the dark kin lands and try to find what else may have inspired his armor... perhaps he could also learn more about these ice dwelling b'alam.
Maximus had promised to return with more information when he could, but never gave a date in which he would return. The only time he liked to keep track of was that of how long metal should be in the fire, or out of it. He didn't like to be restricted to places and schedules.
That fire kin was definitely worthy of respect. He was a noble one and Volga highly trusted the information they were receiving form him. It was such a pity he did not wish to stay. A personality such as his would have been valuable around the palace.
(1013)
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Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2015 10:31 pm
In an instant, Vulkonus' ears dropped to his head, his purring deafening itself. "Mingling with these... These... Ice lovers?" A shiver ran down the emperor's spine, a slight snarl happening upon his maw. It was blasphemy! "Those Fire tribesman may as well just drop to the ground and roll over, belly up! Fraternizing with our polar opposites!" A growl emitted from the Fire Lord's throat, his bright orange claws scratching at the rocky floor. He glared up at the lavafall, seeking insight. "Apparently... The Empress is among the lesser of our worries, Volga."
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Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2015 10:40 pm
Volga's brow quirked for a brief moment as he watched his Lord's reaction to the news. Was it bad to mingle with the ice-tribe? They had not done anything to the fire tribe. In fact, so little was known about them that it would be odd to even consider their motives without meeting one from the tribe directly. One would think that the land of the ice might be calm, as it appeared to be the polar opposite of this land. The inhabitants of fire were expected to have a bit of fire in their soul. Ice surely meant calm? Not to mention that their land was unlivable, certain death to all who venture to the freezing lands, but that was hardly a problem that caused by the tribe itself. Perhaps there was something Vulkounus was not telling even him? Volga did not expect his lord to share every detail. Than again, why would his lord be needing a briefing had he known more at the moment? That just seemed perplexing in itself and unlikely.
Even so his only duty was to be loyal to his Lord, even if that meant being left out of some information. However unlikely that was. One could expect a lord to wish his own bodyguard to be very informed when protecting his life. His own lord and friend was no fool either.
"I apologize for my ignorance, my Lord, but what problem is this? The fire dare not cross into their lands for it would be certain death. It would be the same if they were to cross into our lands. The ice cannot survive here, the volcano will not allow it."
Volga continued to hold his gaze on his lord as he addressed these concerns. It was one thing that Vuk did not need to worry about at the moment. Not when his own nation needed to be taken care of, and his empress needed to be dealt with. Some unknown entity should not be a concern. Especially since it was highly unlikely that they would even attempt such a thing. If they truly were opposites, than there was a good chance that the Ice would not make it in the fire. That much Volga guessed was true. It had to have been. If only right now to ease his Lord and friend's mind on the matter.
"They have no chance at taking your lands or harming your people." Volga noted after another moment of thought.
He had hoped that the information would be enough to take that concern away from his lord and friend. There was no evidence that they would encounter an ice member or if they were to be a threat. If they were attacking fire kin, it had to have been outside of the land and to kin members who chose to live away from their home land. At that point it would become their own personal problem. They chose to live elsewhere and away from the protection of the volcano. As sad as it would be to hear of kin being attacked, it would have likely been because there were in an area they should not have been. One could not defend the foolish for being so. Or even someone who has made their choice. No matter how honorable one was, the were responsible for making their own choices and in such responsible for the consequences of those actions. They should not be troubling his lord with their own personal decisions unless they were purposely making a point to smear his name. If that was ever the case it would become personal and there would be trouble. They wouldn't be worth saving in any case. So there was no trouble. None that should be taken within these halls now.
Volga inwardly nodded to himself as he assured himself of his answers on the matter. There really was nothing to worry about with the ice. They may have been formidable where they come from, Maximus mentioned that they were incredibly thick with fur and Volga assumed, but in the heat they were no match and not worth the trouble.
The emperor had an advantage and so long as none of his subjects were venturing toward the ice to seek out trouble there would be no problems to speak of. It would be best to think on other matters that were actually in need of pressing attention. Such as the empress, the state of the land... etc. The Ice tribe was an unknown entity that needed to be monitored, but not dwelled on for much longer than it took to come up with this conclusion. No, the greater threat at the moment was the empress whether she meant it to be or not. There was nothing else that could be said of the Ice tribe. They had made no moves to show any sense of hostility. Not even the ones Maximus had talked about seemed terrible. Each one obviously was willing to share a little information about themselves. None dwelled within the actual lands, but that didn't say anything about the main tribe itself. There were plenty fire kin that were willing to live away from the fire lands. They was their choice. Like Maximus. He had nothing to complain about in his tribe, he simply like to keep moving. Though, there was a problem in the fire tribe lands, hopefully that did not seep through to public knowledge. The empress had not gotten out had she? Well, like the ice tribe's mother land, Volga had no clue what the empress was up to these days or where she occupied her time or came up with her bizarre beliefs. Hopefully his lord and friend had a better idea of what was going on with that than they did the Ice lands.
One day they could possibly investigate the Ice lands further, perhaps asking the aid of another tribe not so sensative to the elements to have a look. When things within their own tribe were not as dire.
( 1008 )
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Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2015 11:09 pm
Vulkonus shook his head, turning around to face his bodyguard. "It is not that, Volga. I know they could never claim our land. As you said, the volcano would never allow it. It would incinerate anyone who dared to try. The mountain is very protective of us, as we are of it. My problem is that they are very formidable. I have this feeling that even through the best of situations, our two tribes could never mingle. We both live in the most extreme of situations, of which the other could not dare even set paw. How would mingling affect our kinsman? The potential families? The curiosity in which some of either tribe tried to explore, resulting in death? Mingling could very easily start a battle... And battles can lead to war."
The Fire Lord did not necessarily expect Volga to understand fully. He wouldn't be surprised if he did, considering Volga was quite intelligent. These were the issues on his mind though, and why even the mere thought of the two tribes being around each other bothered him so. He did not need a war right now! The Empress was always out and about, making it hard enough on him to rule as things currently were. The ice dwellers to the north could only cause problems, as Vulkonus saw it.
"Perhaps... Things may not be so bad. I do worry though, as is apparent."
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Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2015 11:54 pm
Volga's ears perked forward as soon as his lord and friend begun to talk about his concerns over the ice tribe. There were some valid concerns to what Vul was saying, but it was still not enough to convince Volga that it was a great concern to occupy one's thoughts. Especially with what was going on in the fire lands. So, that goes without saying, Vul had a point to a point. The real problem was no one knew much about the actual magus of the ice tribe or how his citizens were truly like. No one knew if there was an actual ice magus to be concerned over. No one on this side of the world had head of them and Maximus only mentioned ones living outside of the tribe. There was just not enough proof to make this too big of a concern. It should be taken into account and one should always be mindful of potential enemies, but it should not consume them.
Volga wondered if this rage was not something his friend was aiming elsewhere to distract himself from the real matters at hand. One could not blame him if that was the case. Surely no one would want to think of a loved one as being a detriment to their very kingdom. Especially if you were the one that had to run that kingdom. Volga could understand it, though he did not think that it was right to do so. They were their own living entity, or at least they might be. They had not shown any concern at this point, so why try to focus on them now? Hopefully there was not ever going to be concern. War was not something that the emperor needed to dwell on at the moment. Not now. His mind should be focused elsewhere on things that were a reality! If it should come to war, he would try to be ready for that which lies a head. There were not many to defend the borders of this nation, but Volga would do his part to ensure that the lands were safe as can be. And should he die, than he would die fighting. Not that Volga had ever planned on dying. He knew full well that it was a possibility to fall in battle. The concept of death was fairly new blown in on tales of another who had lost his life. Maximus, yet again, was the informant. It was a bit of a shock to say the least, yet somehow he had always known that it was a possibly. That same something that had whispered all he had known when he had woken up had told him before. Perhaps he had just forgotten as life had continued and the memory was easily recalled once the news of a violent murder had reached his ears.
Once again he found himself kind of envying Maximus and his ability to see the world. He had so many stories. Hopefully Edia would return with a plethora of her own stories. Volga paused in thought. If the fire tribe and this so called ice tribe got into a fight hopefully Edia would stay away. The possibility of death and a quarrel that was not her own set a sour taste in his stomach the more he thought of it. Yes, hopefully should it come to that she be as far away as possible having her adventure and collecting her stories. The thought of that caused him to inwardly smile. He could not wait for her to return and share those stories, but he could only hope and wish that the state of the fire tribe would be a lot better upon her return. One could only hope on such a thing to occur.
Still, it was not a matter Vul should be concerning himself with at the moment. The more pressing matter surely was what to do with the empress and her crazed mind.
"That is why we must be aware, my Lord. However, it will not bode well to dwell on what might be. If it should never come to pass it will have been a waste of your thoughts... or perhaps it will come to be merely because your thoughts guided you actions to make it so. The tribe itself is a mystery... and should I find that they are harming your people than I will act. I would advise putting your efforts elsewhere."
Volga knew the hint was obvious enough that Vul should not be concerned with the ice tribe at the moment. Not with his own empress acting as she was. That was the real threat at the moment. That was what was threatening to sever the threads of his very kingdom. One could hope that the ice tribe if is existed would not be so hasty as to start a conflict with a tribe it probably knew little about. How could it? If they could not venture here, it should be the same predicament. So it should not be a concern. The empress was known and a threat. That thought coursed through thoughts again as he set his mind back on the topic at hand. He could feel the tips of his claws tingling with an aggravation on the thought of the empress turning so odd without any hint of explanation to it. At least, none that he was aware of. Magus should be all knowing, or at least wise. Why would one turn so insane so quickly? Why would one knowing who the weaver assumable better than anyone else suddenly reject the thought to adapt another? Those unanswered questions caused Volga a great amount of aggravation. To him, it made no sense.
But hopefully the issue will be resolved just as suddenly as it seemed to have appeared. There was a possibility it could, but there was a chance that it might not. Volga only cared about the well being of his lord and friend. He did not want to see him with such a heavy burden on his shoulders.
(1014)
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Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2015 10:20 am
The Emperor smiled, even if for a brief moment. He then went back to a stern look. "What would I do without you, Volga? You are correct, and I should require your words of expertise more often." A look of worry was still apparent in his face, albeit a very minute amount. "The tribe is a mystery and it's a mystery that should be left alone... But not for our average tribesman to discover. It could result in their death. We must find a way to gather more intel about them. I'm sure there is a rogue ice dweller somewhere out there, just as there are rogue fire tribesman. If we could find this rogue one, we could perhaps see about finding out more, kind of like an inside source."
It was obvious Vulkonus was still stuck on this matter. He did not like thinking about Xiaofan because he didn't know what to do. How could he really do anything? He did not know... He frowned slightly as he thought about her. His mind was all over the place. He worried far too much for an emperor. "I worry for her, Volga." He raised a paw up, holding his head. "She's... Unstable. I do not know what I can do to help her, or help the Fire Tribe. Where should my priorities lie?"
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