[SRP] An Update (Destati x Shuurei)

[Epine de Rose]

It had been a very long time since he had received any form of news from the inside. The Justicars had all been silent, each seemingly preoccupied with their own duties in attempting to put down what was arguably one of the worst scourges that any of them had seen. It was difficult for him to grasp, each of them had worked so hard to keep watch over it, their Collectives thoroughly exhausted by information gathering; and yet, none of them had been able to predict how quickly things would change.

Suffice it to say that the scourge had appeared almost overnight; from the depths of their warrens they had come and every Justicar had been caught unawares. Someone had been co-ordinating them and on this occasion he sincerely doubted that it was the Prime. That wasn't to say that the prime existing, he or she most certainly did, but the manner in which they had attacked was so unlike their normal tactics that he would not have been surprised to discover that this particular scourge had more to it than met the eye...

Destati hadn't immediately put two and two together, but he was beginning to suspect that he might know what had happened... and if his fellow Justicars had made the same connections, then they were in for a rough ride when they each finally turned their attention back towards the nation and its turmoil.

The lion could only hope that the remaining twelve had made sufficient progress to start taking the necessary steps to address the other issues that had cropped up, but given he was so very far away from the Al-siq, it would be quite some time before he would be able to see it for himself...

Words: 292

 

[Epine de Rose]

The instructions were simple - she was to find her missing lord as quickly as she possibly could. The Justicar's elected collective had been very firm in this, they didn't have the capacity to move out into the unknown lands to update him, and as such they came to the only being who could. It was just as well that Destati had had the foresight to keep her in his lands, this was precisely the type of emergency that he wanted her to be available for. After all, Shuurei did not possess the ability to fight, that was never her part of the war... But she did possess the ability to find him and this was exactly what she had set out to do.

...At first, finding the lion had proved to be a challenge. Those closed to the Al-siq simply hadn't heard or seen him, but the farther she came from their home, the more she noted stirrings of his existence. So the assumptions of the other were true, the scourge had travelled far beyond their walls. It was a grim prospect, but as she had gazed down upon the world below her she had noted that the vast majority of prides and creatures seemed to be utterly untouched. So the scourge might have been present... But it seemed that the casualties were low.

Had he kept it contained?

Shuurei would find her answers in due time and as the days had drawn on she finally caught sight of the familiar coat below her. A considerable distance away, farther south than she had ever personally been, she finally laid eyes upon her master after several years and made for a swift landing...

Words: 282

 

[Epine de Rose]

In a flurry of wings that were unlike those he had grown used to, Shuurei had gained his attention. He glanced over his shoulder just in time to see the familiar face land on the rocks behind him. Giving her a few moments to right herself and adjust her feathers, it was only when she had looked reasonably comfortable that he finally greeted her, his tone one of warmth though he knew that her existence here meant there was trouble elsewhere.

"How many years has it been, Shuurei?" he asked gently as he strode towards her and gave her a gentle nudge with his paw. "All things considered you are looking incredibly well," he mused and tilted his head to the side. She had no injuries which meant, that for the most part, his holdings were probably safe, but that didn't mean he was up for small talk.

"What's the news?" he asked finally and took a seat. "I'm under no allusions about this being a friendly call, what has happened?" he asked calmly.

Words: 174

 

[Epine de Rose]

It was a relief to see him in one piece, barely a scratch to his name. To say he looked as regal as always would have been accurate, she'd never quite worked out how he did it, but he rarely seemed to look like he was under strain when it came to anything. Nevertheless he was still very much the Justicar she knew, immediately coming to the point when he was sure she was settled comfortably and able to discuss her reason for appearing after so many years.

...Just how long had it been anyway?

When Destati had first left the Al-Siq in pursuit of the scourge they had all had much more spring in their steps and a much more youthful glow. Now it seemed both she and he had changed, they still had a glow, but there was a new maturity there. A discussion for another time perhaps, a time when it was more peaceful and time was less of the essence.

"Too long," she replied after a moment or two, smiling at him and waving her wing dismissively towards his paw. "I can't say I've any reason to look frazzled either, no one has deemed it worth the rest to cause a stir in your lands... yet," she murmured. And there it was, her reason for being here. She hadn't come on a house call, she had come because the very essence of the pride was at stake.

"The nobles have become bolder in recent years, the scourge is taking far longer to put down than we ever anticipated. The Politico have been removed systematically, they've simply been vanishing without a trace," she paused to let this sink in. It meant that the very essence of their democracy was at stake and there was every possibility that the nobles would finally get what they wanted if they were allowed to continue as they were.

"The Justicars have begun to place the remaining politico under heavy guard to keep them safe but their resources are limited," she took a breath and sigh. "Destati they need your help, one of the Politico of our region has managed to dodge those who want to harm her for now but it's only a matter of time before they catch up..."

Words: 382
Total Words (Shuurei): 664

 

[Epine de Rose]

So that was what Oa had meant...

Destati's eyes narrowed and his expression became thunderous, it was useful to finally realise that he had one of the leading actors under his guard already. She was completely at his disposal as well, but now was not the time to make the insolent child suffer. Things were beginning to make far more sense, and if Destati had been a betting male, then he would have assumed there was a distinct possibility that someone within that particular part of the caste had aligned themselves with something they shouldn't.

"Thalyssra," he said at last, recognising Shuurei's description. She had been the only female Politico to be voted in to power in his territory. She tended to perform her duties admirably and as a consequence she seemed to have been re-elected more than enough to retain her seat. However she was known to be a moderate, known to seek out a greater understanding between castes and for those who desired nothing more than to return them to the Stone Age, she was a threat.

"Go back to her," he instructed. "Keep her safe, keep her moving," he ordered. If there was one individual who he knew would do everything they could to succeed it was Shuurei. "I will send whoever I can to collect her, they can't kill what they can't find -"

He paused.

"And I'd like to see them try to wrench her from the paws of my men and women," he snarled.

It wasn't rare that the lion experienced anger, but today was a rare occasion. Suffice it to say that when he finally unleashed Adar'malik, Oa was going to sincerely wish she had picked the right side...

Words: 288
Total Words (Destati): 754