Application

[Guest Katiya Damodred]

Katiya glides into the application room and takes a seat, flushing as she remembers that this was where she was supposed to go first, but did not. She removes a pen and diary from her belt pouch and places them on her lap, facing the Recruiter.

 

I suppose I should have come here first, but I have a tendency to be hasty...I acted like a fool, posting before applying. No wonder everyone ignored my posts! Flushes in embarrasment again, picking up the pen and bending over the diary to cover it, writing furiously.

 

You won't know me...but I found this place and thought it interesting, since I am an aspiring writer. As for a small sample of my work...I hope this will suffice.

 

 

 

The carriage door opened and the Lady poked her head out, looking around. She grimaced as freezing rain patted against her bare face; she hated rain. A thick blanket of clouds, obscured by night’s shadows, hid the stars that should have shone. Street lamps that had been lit for hours flickered fitfully in the icy autumn wind.

 

Sighing resignedly, she stepped down, drawing up the hood of the fur-lined cloak even as it fell about her thin shoulders. Her bodyguards (only two, she didn’t dare presume any more than that), moved in to flank her. They both wore plain gray cloaks embroidered with a crimson charging bull on the left breast. Their swords clanked mutedly against their legs as they walked.

 

The Lady paused at the foot of the steps, to gather herself. She smoothed the burgundy silk underneath the cloak and composed her face to regal smoothness. Then, just as if she were in her own palace, she ascended the stairs.

 

Heavily carved golden doors, doors she had always found a trifle gaudy, swung inward silently as she approached. The two bodyguards didn’t bat an eye, but the Lady arched a skeptical brow. Those doors opening apparently by themselves just as she walked up made two things very plain, at least to her. One was that, somehow, Edora knew her every move, even now. The other was that the always-levelheaded ruler of Tanera had acquired some flare for the dramatic. She filed it away in her mind.

 

A servant in green and gold livery met her in the main entry hall as soon as she walked through the door. Without a word, the man bowed, then turned and led her silently to the throne room.

 

The guards stopped three paces form the throne, but the Lady herself didn’t stop until she was at the foot of the dais. She spread her skirts wide, but kept the curtsy shallow, a bare bending of her knee.

 

“Edora,” she said respectfully, if not quite formally.

 

“Aleina,” the other monarch returned just as respectfully.

 

The Lady, Aleina, thought she detected a hint of frostiness in that greeting, a thing she didn’t remember.

 

Even at night and with Aleina’s unexpected arrival, Edora, Queen of Tanera, was the picture of grace and serenity. She was clothed in a gown of green velvet, with golden scrollwork up the sleeves and across the bodice. The crown of golden morning drops, centered with the green-banded heron of Tanera, nestled on her mass of dark curls.

 

That surprised Aleina. The crown was only worn on ceremonial or extremely formal occasions. She hardly considered arriving in the dead of night, cloak dripping with rainwater, formal, even if it was a meeting of two queens. The only conclusion she could draw was that Edora was trying to make her see who the real queen was here, that she had power. Overall, Aleina was not impressed.

 

“Hedrick,” Edora said to the servant kneeling beside the dais. He rose, looked at her expectantly. “Take Her Majesty’s cloak.”

 

Aleina calmly swung the dripping thing from her shoulders, using the motion to mask her irritation. She had noted that faint mocking tone in the other woman’s voice when she had ‘Her Majesty’. She handed the cloak to the man graciously, almost ostentatiously so. Upon receiving his burden, he bowed his way out of the throne room.

 

Edora critically eyed the young queen of Somel up and down, taking in her burgundy dress, suitably high-necked and made of silk. She noted the absence of scrollwork, noticed the only decoration the dress seemed to have was a bit of gray embroidery around the neckline. The woman’s fine dark red hair was left to hang loosely about her shoulders, pulled back from her face by means of a wide burgundy strip of cloth.

 

Aleina did not flinch beneath that cold, considering blue-eyed gaze. She took the scrutiny, staring the elder woman down with eyes of green ice. Her hands remained at her sides, completely motionless. Behind her, she heard the soft hiss of steel against leather, as if one of the guards had loosened his sword in his scabbard. With iron self-control, she managed to not tighten her mouth in vexation. She kept her face smooth, impassive and cool as a frozen pond.

 

Finally, Edora spoke.

 

“What brings you here in the dead of night?” There was a faint pause at the end, an unspoken ‘child’ ringing in the air.

 

Was everyone trying to get under her skin tonight? “You told me to come as soon as I could, regardless of the hour. I regret that it is so late, but I left as soon as I received your summons, and you know it takes several days to reach the border of Tanera from the Saretheon Palace.”

 

A momentary pause, then,

 

“Of course.”

 

Aleina nodded, carefully not showing anything on her face. The woman was trying to gain an advantage, trying to put Aleina off balance with her considering stares and weighing questions. And then there was the feel of mother to child, a child playing at being adult. Aleina would not, could not, let it get to her. One could never see, think, or move clearly if one’s emotions were all in a jumble. She kept a tight lid on her emotions; politics came first.

 

“I sensed your summons were of great importance, Edora.”

 

“More than you could possibly understand.” Another pause. “Our countries have always been allies.”

 

“Of course,” Aleina replied, seemingly not at all surprised by this sudden change of topic. ‘Our countries’, not ‘we’. So Edora wasn’t ready to see Aleina as an equal, didn’t fully trust her. It was a small comfort, one she should take no pleasure in, should simply use it. She felt a little guilt that it gave her a warm glow inside. It was always inside, never any outward emotion. Edora was watching.

 

“Tanera and Somel, working together, always helping on another in time of need.”

 

“It has always been so.” Aleina made the appropriate responses, made her mouth move while she tried to see where the elder woman was going with this. She must want some favor, else she wouldn’t have spoken of helping. Edora may have had the years and experience, but politics had been bred into Aleina practically from birth. She knew how to see past deceptions, flowery speeches, and empty promises. She could run circles around other rulers, and Edora was no different.

 

“Yes, it certainly has. There has never been a need to question that alliance- even in the midst of the great Dragon War, when all other countries abandoned their ties to one another for self-preservation, we stayed together, and came out virtually unscathed.” Here she looked over at Aleina, seeing if she had missed that small insult, that small hint. Aleina remained expressionless.

 

Of course she hadn’t missed it.

 

I won’t rise to the bait, she thought savagely.

 

Abruptly, Edora switched topic.

 

“Something has come to my attention recently. An object, obviously of great power, has been discovered deep in the Caves of Desna. The miners there came across it while digging for more iron. It appears to be a word, but a sword of molten fire.” She shook her head, undoubtedly wondering how such a thing was possible. She went on, studying Aleina’s face carefully. “Many propose that this is the legendary sword of Hamnan.”

 

Without missing a beat, Aleina said coolly

 

“Legend says the sword is silver.”

 

“Much can change in the course of three thousand years. Legend also says Hamnan decided to unmake the sword, fearing it to be too powerful an object to be left lying about. In case it should fall into the wrong hands, he cast it into the mouth of a great volcano, and there was a great flash of light. He returned to his kingdom then, believing the sword destroyed.”

 

“You believe differently?”

 

Edora leaned forward on the throne, deliberately ignoring the question.

 

“Shortly after that, the Shattering. Nations destroyed, continents appearing and disappearing, the seas rising and falling. In one last attempt at victory, the evil dragons, together with the Dark Mystics, called down the Power of Heaven to shatter the earth. Of course, all was destroyed, including their strong armies.

 

“I know the legend, Edora,” Aleina said calmly. “What does this have to do with the sword?”

 

“Just this. The volcano erupted, spilling lava across the land. Then it collapsed in on itself, flattened out into a low mountain. Others rose beside it and created the Desnian Chain. The lava hollowed out the ground beneath, creating those caves we know as the Caves of Desna.” Her voice was low and intense. “Isn’t it possible that the sword was not destroyed, merely returned to its original state? And it went with the lava, coming to rest in the newly formed caves?”

 

Aleina pretended to consider. It was nonsense of course, but if Edora believed it…perhaps there was something to be gained here.

 

“I suppose it’s possible,” she said carefully. “But, forgive me, how is this relevant?”

 

Edora sniffed haughtily, straightening in the same motion. “Can’t you see the benefits the appearance of an object of legend would bring?”

 

Strike now!

 

“Benefits for whom, Edora?” Aleina asked coolly. “Yourself, your country?”

 

Edora’s beautiful face, normally a golden color, turned a delightful shade of plum. Her sapphire-blue eyes caught flame and burned. Aleina suppressed a giggle. The older, more experience ruler had made a crucial mistake, had given way to anger and lost her composure.

 

With visible effort, she regained control of herself, but her eyes still smoldered.

 

“Benefits for everyone, Aleina. It could even restore order to Somel, if such a thing is possible.”

 

It was Edora’s return blow, hitting Aleina full in the stomach. She was, of course, referring to the chaos in Somel, ripped by civil war. Two opposing factions were at the root, one wanting a nation of independent city-states, overseen by a king or queen, the other wanting the king or queen to rule over every city, town, and village within the Somelian borders. Brigands had taken advantage of the chaos, looting and burning everywhere they roamed. Her country was near anarchy, she herself gaining the throne when the old king was murdered. She hung onto the Throne of Waves, quite literally, by her fingernails.

 

What would she give to have her country back in order, to have the throne even remotely secure? Would she stay and listen to whatever hair-brained scheme Edora could cook up? The safety and preservation of Somel came first; whatever it took, she would look out for herself first, her country second, and nothing else mattered.

 

“What are you proposing? Will you go after this sword?” she asked.

 

Edora narrowed her eyes, chewed her bottom lip. She simply sat there, the silence stretching. Finally, she stood up, briskly clapping her hands.

 

“These are things to be discussed in the morning. I took the liberty of having rooms prepared for you and your men. Hedrick will show you to them. We will talk more with the sunrise.” The audience was over.

 

This time, Aleina did not curtsy. She simply nodded to show her understanding, and then quite deliberately turned her back on the Queen of Tanera. She glided away, the guards turning with her as she passed between them.

 

Edora watched the girl go, a child pretending to be queen. Any child needed a firm hand, a mother to guide her, to reprimand her when she misbehaved. Edora planned to be that mother, take advantage of her close relationship with the girl to control her, take the petulant child in hand and discipline her. She would rule two kingdoms, one openly and one through her “daughter”.

 

“A child,” she said quietly, firmly.

 

“But a dangerous child, I think,” said her companion.

 

Edora shifted on the throne as the man came out from his hiding place, the shadows of the grand columns that lined the throne room. He didn’t look like the sort of man who would lurk in shadows, and his appearance continually surprised the queen, though she had known him for years uncountable.

 

He was a tall man, well built, with shoulders as wide as any blacksmith’s and rippling muscles, though his wavy black hair had become increasingly silver-streaked over the years. He had a strong jaw line, a hooked beak of a nose, and sharp, calculating gray eyes. Most women found him attractive, and not just for his looks; he was also very rich. Edora sometimes wondered why she had never considered him as a possible husband.

 

“Dangerous?” she sniffed. “She’s a girl who doesn’t know what she’s doing.”

 

He laughed, a deep, throaty laugh that matched his voice. “You’re a fool, Edora, especially if you think you can control her that easily.”

 

She smiled wryly. He always managed to do something to remind her exactly why he wasn’t her husband, other than the simple reason that it wouldn’t be politically sound.

 

“Oh?”

 

“Anyone can see which of you is more skilled at the Game,” he said dryly. He was referring to politics, or course, sometimes referred to as the Game, because that was how nobles saw it. It was a dangerous game to play, maneuvering people as pieces on a board, trying to outguess and outplay the other person.

 

“She was taught to weasel from birth,” Edora said defensively. She winced when she heard her whiny tone. Whiny? Queens were never whiny!

 

“It doesn’t matter,” he said, waving a hand as if to brush away unimportance. “She can outplay you, or anyone, for that matter, and that makes her dangerous.”

 

“Even you?”

 

He narrowed his eyes, a wolfish smile framed by imposing black moustaches playing on his lips.

 

“Perhaps.”

 

“Do you think she’ll take me up on my offer?” she asked.

 

He frowned, absently thumbing a large ring on his right hand.

 

“It’s hard to be sure. She has the skill, but lacks the experience to put it to any real use. Do you know how to get a child to do what you want?”

 

Edora blinked, wondering where that had come from. Taking her silence to mean no, he went on.

 

“You can’t force them to do something, because they dig their heels in and sullenly refuse. You can’t yell at them because they become hurt and nurse a grudge against you. What you must do is offer them something they want, then persuade them to do you a favor in exchange for that precious thing.”

 

“And you’re saying this is how we’ll use Aleina? What would we offer her?”

 

He smiled again, a feral smile that made Edora unconsciously sink back into her throne.

 

“You truly are a fool, Edora. Listen to my plan.”

 

She did, leaning forward as he explained it. By the time he left by means of a secret passage, she was feeling much better about the girl. Much better indeed.

 

 

 

Katiya massages her cramped hand as she slides the diary across to the Recruiter.

 

It is only part of a story, as you can probably tell, the beginning part. I am sorry if it is a bit long of an introduction, but I didn't know what else to do. Rises and curtsies.

 

Thank you. Katiya glides out, hoping against hope that she will become part of the society.

[Gyrfalcon]

*Gyrfalcon applauds* Very good... though I wonder, from your name, is this set in a modified Wheel of Time universe?

[Falcon2001]

Encore! Encore!

Hehe, may I introduce myself...

I am a poet and I am a fool

I am the darkness deep in the pool

I am the presence and I am the lack

I am the white and I am the black

I am the evil and I am the pure

I am the sickness and I am the pure

 

Woohoo, that's one for the boards!

 

Heh, I'm a poet, and normally fairly dark, so bear with me...I am the writer of what I believe to be the largest single post on these boards...58 pages in Word 97 with 13 font, so that's that.

 

A Game of Chess is the name, so read it when you can, and I'll pester Wyv to accept your application ASAP, 'ware, though, he can be slow at times...

 

*Bows, and walks out*

Cioden Darkeye

Page of The Mighty Pen

Owner of the Reply Raven - Enemy to all those who never post responses

Ashaman - WoT - Blitz II

Council - The Hunters - Blitz II

Leisure Officer - SFV Ultima - Beta

[Guest Katiya Damodred]

Well yes, my name is WOT in origin, but this story idea isn't even connected to WOT. The fact that you could consider it is a compliment, though.

 

Thank you!

[Jechum]

A portal opens and Jechum floats in...

 

Our almost dragon, is like us all... other matters sometimes arise that delay his accepting applications. It is my understanding that he likes to write back responses and not just post "accepted".

 

So please give him sometime.

 

Katiya, I must say, interesting background to your family name.

 

Jechum opens a portal and travels out...

 

Jechum Newbie, Mage of Shadows

the Pen is Mightier than the Sword - Lore Master

[Wyvern]

As Katiya sits and waits for her application to be processed, a faint jingle can be heard from outside the office. Suddenly, the office-hallway door opens and in glides Wyvern with a tray simply brimming with goodies. On the upper portion of the tray are various alcoholic beverages while on the bottom portion there lies several tasty tidbits of food. Wyvern grins and sets the tray in front of Katiya, handing her a bib, two extremly long and curly straws, and an extra-large spork. The overgrown lizard then throws his hands in the air and exclaims:

 

"Congratulations! You're the 36th writer to have applied to the community of the Mighty Pen!"

 

Katiya gazes around the room in a mixture of happiness and confusion as confetti begins flying all over the office and chipmunks dressed in tootoos begin tap dancing on Wyvern's desktop. Melba, the Amost Secretary of Initiates, enters the room and, noticing the dancing chipmunks on the desk, quickly grabs Jechum and begins dancing with him. The unfortunate Jechum is crushed under her grasp...

 

"Feel free to help yourself!" chimes Wyvern in an unusualy cheerfull voice, motioning with one hand to the plate of food in front Katiya.

 

Katiya nods and grins, beginning to take tiny sips of the different alcoholic beverages. After having tried four different beverages, she concludes that they all taste exactly the same.

 

"It's interesting..." mutters Katiya "...you realize that this bottle of Chateau du Brutesy, this can of Bruteweiser, and this glass of Brute-AAA Brandy all taste exactly the same..."

 

"That's natural..." exclaims Wyvern taking out his Decanter of Endless Booze "Since they all came from the same Decanter!"

 

Suffocating under Melba's grasp, Jechum just manages to comment "Cheapskate..."

 

Uninterested with the beverages that taste exactly the same, Katiya goes for the bits of food under the table. Interestingly enough, she finds that they're all made out of the same kind of nut. The bits of food also all taste exactly the same.

 

From under Melba's tight hug, Jechum gasps "I can't believe you used... Lewis and Simon's nuts..."

 

"Oh be quiet!" retorts Wyvern, casting a sharp gaze at Jechum "What's really important is that you have this anyway..."

 

Wyvern hands Katiya her application with an 'ACCEPTED' stamped on it.

 

 

OOC: A very well written and intriguing application, Katiya. Your accepted as an initiate, welcome. On a side note, if you are planning on continuing this application into a larger story, expect me to be a constant reader.

 

[image]http://www.legion-whiterose.com/signatures/aoa/wyv.gif[/image]

 

------------------------------

Almost a Dragon...

"My life is one big crime, I try to scheme through it." -Common, "The 6th Sense"

 

Owner of the Decanter of Endless Booze.

[Guest Katiya Damodred]

Thank you very much for accepting me....but please, how will I know when and if I become a full member? I don't mean to be pushy, but this is sooo exciting for me!

[Degenero Angelus]

Just keep writing, and posting what you write. The time will go by fast. . . well, fast enough.

 

And that was a great application. I'm with Wyvern, continue it, and I'll read

 

 

Edited by: Degenero Angelus at: 12/2/01 7:08:56 am

[Guest Katiya Damodred]

For those of you who liked my application and want more (thanks a million!), I'm posting various installments of it in the Assembly Room. I hope you like the rest of it as much as you seemed to like the intro!

 

Not bad for a fourteen year-old, eh?

[Zadown]

So you are 14 years old?!

 

Aww, I wrote crap when I was 16, and that was more than half a dozen years ago... just keep on writing and I'll wait to hear the sound of WHOOOSH! as your talent goes past mine.