Choir of Angels (Angelii/Firemane)

[Elincia Alanis]

And as quick as it started, it was done. All of the assassins were dead, except one.

Meanwhile Elincia was on a journey. Magical rainbows, muffled voices. She could swear she saw a unicorn once or twice.

A cute little rabbit came towards her, she was carrying a vial of some sorts. In front of the vial, it wrote "The Potion of Puns." The potion of puns? Who would make a potion for that? And how was the rabbit carrying it? Aside from those questions, she laughed as her hand went towards the vial. "I love puns!" She said out loud.

And then, she drank it all in one go. And suddenly, all the world she created in her head became a nightmare, she wanted out. A strong need to puke covered all her body meanwhile she almost lost her balance. Faces of those happy creations turned into demons. And then she looked to the cute rabbit again, but instead she saw the ice lady. Reality was harsh. It was then she realized it was all a lie. The perfect world, the rainbows, the unicorn, the rabbit.

All lies!

"You were cuter as a rabbit..." She said as she regained her sense of the real world. But then she realized what she said, and to avoid potential tiger punishments, she immediately corrected herself. "I mean, I'm fine. Thanks!" The concern didn't go unnoticed. But she didn't say anything about it.

And so, back to the main plot.

"Vizier did it. The Queen told me she was going to try something!" She said eagerly.

But there were many questions bugging her mind. Both the Queen and her servant looked untouched.

[member="Kaida Taldir"] [member="Sahal Jai Azal"]

 

[Sahal Jai Azal]

[member="Elincia Alanis"] [member="Kaida Taldir"]

The Nawab, who still did not seem to have a name, nodded. “May it be blessed indeed, Lady. Come, join me, with your companions. Knowledge is the bounty of the Goddess, and each new inspiration is her gift to us. We may not have the great wonders to share that you do, but there may be some things we know or have which might interest you.”

She led them up the stairs to a suite overlooking the jungle, cooled by the evening breeze and featuring a large shrouded bed and a marble bath which looked very expensive for the technology level of these people. Water could be drawn from a primitive bucket and winch system leading to a pool far below.

Several slaves, both male and female waited for their entry.

“We were not sure of your customs in regards to personal attendants, so feel free to choose the ones which are most pleasing to you,” the Nawab said generously. “You’ll find them most obedient for whatever you wish.”

It perhaps had not occurred to her that her guests consisted of a former slave and a species for whom involuntary servitude was anathema.

XXX

As one of the Angelii dragged away the captive, Elincia’s accusation rang out.

The Vizier jumped to her feet angrily. “These are absurd accusations. As you saw my own people were attacked!”
“But not you yourself,” the Queen said smoothly. “Your conspiracy to have me murdered has been brewing for a long time, but thanks to the intervention of our noble guests it has been foiled. See now how she tries to deflect blame. I told Elincia of my suspicions just this night. The Vizier is a traitor and a snake!”
“This is wrong! You have been deceived, majesty. I have nothing to gain from your death!”
“Except of course being able to put a puppet on the throne. Your daughter perhaps!”

Selene looked from Kaida to Elincia to the arguing pair. “Elincia, this is very important, is what she told you true?” she asked softly, waving the droid away so it didn’t translate.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Sahal Jai Azal"]


You did not spend many years of your life as an Angelii at the Court of Courts without learning a few things about courtly intrigue. First rule: Trust no one. Second rule: Someone will always try to poison you at a banquet. Or send assassins after you. Third rule: Trust no one.


The Vizier and the Queen had their standoff. Both of them spewed accusations from their forked tongues. Kaida was not having any of it. "Neither of you are worth my time. You are both treasonous snakes. I should just both of you to the Sarix," she said caustically. Hopefully the droid did not translate this. One thing was certain: The Seraph was a terrible diplomat.


Her eyes fell upon [member="Elincia Alanis"]. "What a coincidence," she commented cynically. "If this attempt was meant to succeed, the assassins are incompetent." Well, they'd managed to poison her, but it seemed Kaida was ignoring that. "Or perhaps it was only supposed to look like a serious attempt. Who here has the most to gain?"

 

[Elincia Alanis]

"How the kark should I know if it's true or not? I am just telling what she told me." She said in the same tone as the diplomat lady, meanwhile the blaming game continued in the background.

It was Elincia's first lesson in the Eldorai game of thrones. She wasn't sure if she liked it or not, especially since she was put right in the middle of it without knowing the rules. But she kinda liked the intrigue going on.

Then ice lady's voice was heard. It was getting more complex as the time passed by.

But then she remembered a little detail just after the attack started.

"Wait a second, I have a question." She said, after everyone said their piece. "You told me that the Vizier was trying to kill you, so you wanted me to protect you when that time comes. Yes, the Vizier wasn't attacked, which makes her suspicious, but when the attack started, I looked at you to check if you needed any help. You were just standing there with your servant, with no protection and no one attacking you at all. If this was an attempt to take your life, why didn't they attack you, but only us?"

That was quite suspicious as well.

[member="Kaida Taldir"] [member="Sahal Jai Azal"]

 

[Vaena Askari]

[member="Sahal Jai Azal"]


Askari visibly stiffened when she saw the slaves. It kept her from enjoying the sights - the shrouded bed, marble bath and the jungle that could be seen from the suite. Of course, earlier she'd claimed a captured raider as 'her slave', but she understood that as a judicial punishment akin to indentured servitude. This was different, in her mind. Moreover, she had Sahal to consider.


"I thank you for your hospitality...Nawab," she said a bit awkwardly, realising that she had yet to learn the woman's name. "Your slaves are...lovely. It would mean a great deal to me if they were freed after rendering good service." She would rather just free them on the spot, but she imagined that this would not be palatable to the Qadiri.

 

[Sahal Jai Azal]

[member="Kaida Taldir"] [member="Elincia Alanis"]

Sahal had looked more than a little relieved at Askari’s words.

The Nawab studied them, and then nodded. “It is my suspicion, and I may be quite wrong, that you do not approve of enslavement for some reason?” she asked.
“It is a natural state for the Qadiri, and for the Xioquo, but I have heard that the Vashyada of the far south practice it only rarely. Perhaps your people from the stars do not use it as you have machines. Your Qadiri is free, though I think she was once a slave, perhaps freed by you?”
The Nawab really was a bright spark for her people, and bright enough to realise that it had been uncomfortable a topic for her guests. Therefore, she expansively waved her hand. “If this is the civilised way of doing things, then they are all freed right now…though they will still perform their duties obediently and diligently.”
It was a start, even if she didn’t seem to understand that freeing someone gave them choices about what to do. The great emancipator she was not, but she seemed so curious to learn that she’d probably take instruction in the matter.
And however bright she was she’d not yet realised that her guests were fishing for her name.

XXX

The Queen paused, a look of shock on her face. “Elincia, how could you accuse me of such a thing!” she said with a sad look.
“I know there was a lot of fighting, but we were very much under threat, weren’t we, Banaari?” she asked.
“Yes, Majesty, your guards defended you stoutly from all threats and they sought other targets.”

“That is a lie! They came at you, and you had the antidote ready!” the Vizier growled.

Selene scowled at the pair. Elincia had hit upon a juicy theory. “Fortunately, through the wonders of technology, we can see exactly what happened without turning this into a she-said, she-said argument.”
She nodded to the droid and handed over a data chip. “Transfer from the moment the assassins appeared onto this datacard. Seraph Taldir, may I trouble you for projector please?”
The Angelii’s kit contained a small projector for improvised tactical briefings in the field.
There was a small murmur from the Qadiri as the replayed images in somewhat grainy colour appeared on the wall. Quite clearly the Queen and Banaari were sitting back whilst the fighting went on, unconcerned. At one point the Queen handed Banaari several vials of antidote…before the poison had even been administered.

 

[Vaena Askari]

[member="Sahal Jai Azal"]


Alright, we have some educating to do. The Nawab had not suddenly turned into a great abolitionist, but in all fairness Askari could not expect that of her. The Host Leader lacked Kaida's power and experience, but she had a far greater sense of tact. Admittedly this was not difficult since the word did not exist in the Ice Lady's dictionary.


So she gave a polite nod. The Nawab was doing better than any of the other natives she'd met on the journey. Askari could not help like her. "That is most gracious of you, Nawab. Slavery has not existed among our people, even before we built machines. We do not believe it is the Goddess' will to put others in chains...at least not against their free will," there was a thin smile on her face.


"We have found that we can build a stronger, more united society when people work towards the common good because it is their choice, instead of being pressed into it by force. It would be my pleasure to share knowledge of our ways with you." If only my words about us actually matched reality and our leaders were these paragons, she thought a bit sadly. "If I may ask, Nawab, what is your name? I'd hate to know a lady of such beauty and grace by her title alone."

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Sahal Jai Azal"], [member="Elincia Alanis"]


The somewhat grainy images was replayed. The evidence was quite clear. Before anyone could make a move or take action, Kaida delivered a good punch to the Queen's face. She was a bit disappointed because she'd been wanting to do that to the Vizier. "You're right, Countess. The natives are not so different from us. They have enough deceitful fools to fit well into our court," she said in a deadpan tone. "Wing Leader, cuff and collar her," she added in a gruff, commanding tone. Truly diplomacy at its finest.