-last edited on Jan 22, 2024 19:46:53 GMT by The J
Post by The J on Jan 22, 2024 19:46:05 GMT
"From what Icewing told me of the event, the betrayal of the Leopards was extremely sudden. Though she may have been exaggerating..." "She wasn't," Valum confirmed. "They...they tossed the cylinder grenade to your father's feet before we even had time to process what was happening." The Vulture King referred to the retroactive name for the cylindrical grenades invented several years before the Rupture Incident (and phased out of use a couple years after). These narrow tubes, powered remotely by the chi or fire chi in the user's harness, had produced fairly small explosions, enough to take out a single opponent. They were used until the advent of the "chinades" the Sabertooths had developed during the war: round shells encompassing, and directly powered by, an intentionally unstable chi or fire chi orb. These produced much larger explosions, and very quickly replaced their weaker progenitors. Most tribes had begun referring to the chinades simply as "grenades", since they were now the default; as such, whenever anyone mentioned grenades being "invented" during the war, they were referring to the chinades, the short-lived cylinder grenades having been practically forgotten by most...not by Valum, however. "That's pretty much exactly how Icewing put it," Aether nodded. "To be honest, I think she trusted me the most out of the Ice Hunters–though that's not saying much–after I told them I was Aeon Gulikovsky's son. Both of us sought to 'avenge' the loved one we lost to the Leopards in the Elemental Rupture; the only difference is that for me, the hatred of the Leopard Tribe was just an act. The emotion was–is still, real...but it's directed toward the Rupture itself." "So, in looking at the Rupture Incident as an outside observer," Valum mused, "and hearing about it from firsthand accounts, you've come to the conclusion that it's all tied to the place the event was named for." "Like I said, I'm not excusing the actions of those Leopards," Aether clarified, "but haven't you always found that ridiculously abrupt betrayal odd? I don't know King Leodus well, but I know he's not stupid; if those miners were following his orders as Icewing insisted, why would he jeopardize his alliance with the Vultures and risk provoking a war with the Gorillas, over the assassination of one of their top diplomats? "And if those miners were just traitors–which I do agree is the case–why would they suddenly attack the people they're with? Not to mention putting themselves in danger by potentially causing a cave-in with their grenade. They'd have literally no reason to do so, unless it came down to a simple, primal feeling: pure greed. Greed born from seeing and handling the Rupture crystals firsthand; from wanting to take that power all for themselves. Icewing always said they threw the grenade after my father demonstrated the power of the Rupture crystals, is that true?" "It is," Valum confirmed. "He launched the very first blast of ice."
-last edited on Jan 29, 2024 20:21:15 GMT by The J
Post by The J on Jan 29, 2024 20:20:31 GMT
"Precisely," Aether concluded, and Valum found himself oddly irritated by the gorilla's victorious tone of voice. As they passed under a massive archway into the Gorilla Castle, he realized why he felt that way. Despite how sound Aether's argument was, how sure he was of his ideology, Valum found that he...disagreed. Perhaps it was because he'd been involved in the Rupture Incident firsthand, but Valum couldn't accept the idea that it was simple, primal greed that'd prompted the miners' actions. Perhaps he was being irrational, but there had to have been a deeper meaning behind the event...behind his father's death. Aloud, he tactfully replied, "Though I understand how you came to that conclusion, one could claim that dismissing the event as a byproduct of greed is disrespectful to the victims." Not missing a beat, Aether immediately countered the implied argument. "I can see why someone could possibly misunderstand my conclusion as 'dismissive', but that certainly isn't my intent. The motivation behind the treachery being driven by a lust for power, rather than by a deeper purpose or mission those Leopards were given, does not diminish the gravity of what happened, or the meaning of the victims' assassinations." "Another good point," Valum agreed, seemingly backing down before launching a surprise "attack" in the battle of words, "though one who was present"–he placed the slightest, ever so subtle emphasis on the word–"for the event would naturally assume that the miners' main goal was to assassinate the people of influence there, given their actions. "After all, the grenade they threw at Aeon Gulikovsky destroyed the Rupture crystal he was holding, contradicting the idea that their aim was to take the crystal from him out of jealousy....it would seem." The last part of the sentence had not been in Valum's thoughts as he was forming the argument, but he'd smoothly added it on to diminish any edge the statement may have had. Indeed, if Aether had been at all offended by the slight emphasis on "present", there was no sign of the feeling in his voice or expression; either Valum's addendum had lessened the sting of the argument as intended, or Aether was expertly hiding his offense, just as the Vulture King had earlier. "I can see why one might think that as well," the albino gorilla replied calmly, "but the concept that supernatural power can 'corrupt'–an observable phenomenon throughout history, as seen in the wars fought over chi–supports the idea that the corrupted may act illogical and even feral in the moment of corruption; also an occurrence that has been observed in the past." By now, both the gorilla and vulture's tones had gone almost completely flat and dispassionate, their collective years of experience in diplomacy preventing the debate from becoming anything resembling a heated argument. Their emotions were strong, yet hidden beneath layers of tactful calm.
To outside observers, they'd come across as neutral researchers on the Rupture Incident, rather than two men deeply and personally affected by the event. Two different ideas of 'justice' were spawned from the Rupture Incident as well, Valum thought. The king and spy had walked into an enormous and immaculately decorated courtyard containing just about every known plant in Chima, which Valum had hardly noticed until now due to being absorbed in the conversation. Aether blames the Rupture crystals themselves, whilst the Ice Hunters blame the Leopards in their entirety. While it would be ludicrous to call the alignments two sides of the same coin, as the Hunters' goal was clearly more dangerous and extreme than Aether's, they were both missing the forest for the trees, the way Valum saw it. If everyone affected by the Rupture Incident had come together to track down the actual perpetrators, we might've found them by now, he thought in frustration, and Icewing wouldn't have had to– He paused in his thoughts. But then...maybe they already were tracked down? "Hang on, Aether," he said aloud, "what was Icewing saying in her final moments? About how her husband 'was already avenged'?" "Ah, right..." the gorilla rubbed his chin, and unlike earlier, his response came at length and was slow, rather than immediate and swift. "...Earlier this year, Iceclaw had gone out on his own while the rest of us remained at HQ. When he came back, he seemed extremely victorious, announcing that he'd found and wiped out the rogue Leopards." "That's it?" Valum asked incredulously. "He took them out on his own? Did he mention where he found them?" "In the Iron Mountains," Aether answered, "...Yes, it was quite vague. But no, he wasn't lying to us, if that's what you're thinking; Iceclaw has never been one to lie, or fake his emotions, so his triumphant tone seemed genuine. He'd have no reason to lie to us about that, either, considering he essentially took away Icewing's motive for having joined the Hunters." "But she kept talking about wanting to destroy the Leopard Tribe," Valum reminded him. "Well yes," Aether nodded. "Even though she was initially angry at Iceclaw for depriving her of revenge, that's ironically what ended up bringing her fully on-board with the overarching plan. She became increasingly obsessed with war on the Leopards, to get vengeance firsthand." "Couldn't that have been Iceclaw's intent all along?" Valum posited. "Stoking Icewing's anger to eliminate any hesitation she had about the plan, by claiming that he'd already taken care of the perpetrators? How can you be sure he was telling the truth?" "I just...know," Aether replied slowly. Odd, Valum thought. Why place so much trust in the words of someone he was spying on and aiming to subvert? Perhaps Aether just wanted to believe that the miners were dealt with, so he could fully focus on his main goal of destroying the Rupture crystals.
Settling on that explanation, Valum deftly changed the subject. "So the King is in a meeting with someone else right now, I presume?" he asked, looking up at the tightly shut gate of the main castle. "He must be," Aether answered, "since word of our arrival and what happened in the meadow ought to have reached him already–" As the last word was leaving the gorilla's mouth, a smaller door carved from a strong tree bark swung open on the south side of the castle (to Valum and Aether's right). Out stepped a lioness wearing uniquely shaped silver armor–likely a custom chi harness–and a similarly metallic-looking glove on her right paw; but Valum couldn't get a good look at the strange gauntlet from that distance, and the lioness briskly walked into the jungle, probably to a parked speedor. "Who was that?" Valum inquired. "I don't know," Aether replied, "probably a high-ranking soldier, based on the way she was armored." The last tribe delegate to ask King Guernica for an alliance? Valum thought dryly. She was walking fast, rather than marching proudly as though the meeting bore fruit. What makes you think it'll be any different for me, Aether? With a deep rumble, the main gates began to open. To be fair, that's just a guess. "We welcome Valum, King of the Vulture Tribe," a chi-amplified voice boomed. "Good luck." Aether said. Valum turned to him and nodded, then stepped into the widening maw. The Vulture King kept in mind that he was talking to a monarch almost fifty years older than him, who'd seen two wars in his lifetime and been a man grown during both of them, as he recounted Aether's reasoning for the Gorillas to join the Vulture-Leopard alliance. Word traveled quickly indeed; Guernica had already been told of the events leading up to and including Valum's final duel with Icewing. The old gorilla sat in a wooden but imposing throne, decorated with the same elaborately twisting vines that grew over much of the throne room, making it appear part of the jungle despite the floor and walls being metal and stone. It was a stark contrast to Valum's throne room in the desert, in which the "throne" was little more than a comfortable pillow upon a sandstone seat, in a modest round tower top surrounded by arches providing both a full view of Talon City and entrances to quickly fly in and out of (but could be tightly covered with thick metal sheets that would deploy in the event of an attack). The Gorillas' throne room didn't bear much resemblance to Leodus' either, with its almost overwhelming golden walls representing prosperity and might. Yet, just like the Golden City, Valum surprisingly enjoyed the atmosphere of the Gorillas' jungle and castle, despite it being so different from the desert he called home. Valum didn't, however, enjoy what the old gorilla said after he finished his proposal. "King Valum," Guernica spoke at length, "with all due respect...you haven't been manipulated by Gulikovsky, have you?"
Valum was so taken aback by the question that he was at a loss for words. "...I... No, I don't believe I have." "Forgive me for the thought," Guernica seemed to backpedal, "but your reasoning for the Gorillas joining your alliance is nearly identical to Aether's, almost word for word." "Yes, he did make the proposition," Valum clarified, "and I agreed to come here, relay it to you, and speak with you about it on behalf...of..." He trailed off as he realized how this must be sounding. Had he truly come to the Gorilla Jungle of his own accord? He hadn't planned to, until the Gorillas aboard the helicopter, especially Aether, urged him to come with them and meet with Guernica (of course, he hadn't been aware of Icewing stowing away on the craft's landing skids at the time). Otherwise, he would've flown back to Talon City with Vamprah... Or, no, wait. Did those other two Hunters, Iceclaw and that white bear, go off to attack the Leopards? They'd been armed to the teeth when Valum and Vamprah had watched them leave their HQ, and now that he thought about it, Aether hadn't made a single mention of where they were going; instead, he'd immediately begun talking about the Rupture crystals, the Gorillas' role in all this, and asking Valum to accompany him to the jungle. Though the other two Gorillas on the helicopter had also been enthusiastic about Valum meeting with their king, they hadn't been cued in on the Hunters' immediate plans, unlike Aether, who'd been a spy in their midst. They most likely are attacking the Leopards, aren't they? Did Aether just...forget? ...Or did he omit that, to ensure my coming here with him, rather than going to help Leodus? In that moment, Valum recognized the absurdity of what he was doing here; meeting with a practically isolationist ruler to discuss an alliance, rather than defending his current allies from terrorists set on conquering them, who he'd seen marching from their headquarters armed with chinades and supernatural weapons he'd had firsthand experience with. Unsurprisingly, the long-lived King Guernica picked up on this, reading the younger King's expression like a book. "Aether...is not a bad ape. He means well, for his tribe and for Chima as a whole. He just...gets obsessed with things. I presume you've noticed, by now, his obsession with 'destroying' the Rupture crystals? How he blames these inanimate objects for his father's death and wants to wipe them from the face of the planet, despite the fact that they'd make for amazing weapons of defense, and would actually limit casualties by freezing attackers rather than slaying them." In a single statement, Guernica had defended Aether, begun to explain his mentality, and concisely explained his own reasoning for wanting the Rupture vehicles. Just a few minutes into the meeting, this old gorilla had answered questions Valum hadn't even asked... But I was going to ask them, he realized.
-last edited on Feb 16, 2024 19:39:31 GMT by The J
Post by The J on Feb 16, 2024 19:38:46 GMT
Valum was humble enough to admit that the far older monarch was the one in control of the conversation. He did, however, think of a counterargument. "In regards to your point about the Rupture crystals limiting casualties, King Guernica," he said aloud, "I must say, that wasn't the case when Icescale brought down two of the helicopters trying to take control of his base; the rest of us barely escaped with our lives, and then our pilot lost his life when Icewing crashed us in the same way..." Valum realized the error he'd made as the last statement was leaving his beak, and cursed himself internally. Guernica, to his credit, didn't rub it in despite undoubtedly picking up on this flaw in the argument. Instead, he nodded solemnly. "What happened above the Iron Mountains, and above our jungle, were indeed grim reminders of what the Rupture powers are capable of...in the wrong hands. Yet you, of all people, ought to agree that there's no such thing as an 'evil' weapon; that it's all dependent on the morality of the user, seeing as Icewing's former blade now hangs from your belt." The younger monarch glanced down at the glowing Rupture Blade and nodded, unable to refute the point without turning himself into a hypocrite. I would've claimed this sword even if Icewing hadn't given it to me, he realized. The entire reason me, my father and Aeon Gulikovsky had embarked on the expedition to the Elemental Rupture in the first place...was to use these crystals as weapons of defense and deterrents against attacks. I hate how that expedition turned out, but in ten years, I've never hated the crystals themselves. Indeed, Valum found that he intuitively agreed more with Guernica than with Aether on the matter. "Aether understands this as well, of course," the Gorilla King continued, "but in addition to his personal bias against the crystals, he worries that the Rupture weapons and vehicles, after we claim them, could simply be stolen by criminals and terrorists who'd repeat the Ice Hunters' actions. First of all, that's technically true of any weapon, but it would be ludicrous for every tribe to dismantle all our weapons, our means of defense; especially after what we experienced in the most recent war. "Second of all, what Aether fails to realize is that this 'isolationism', as he calls it–though it really isn't isolationism, since if it was, I wouldn't be meeting with you right now–is, in actuality, an increase of security and defenses...but I won't get off-track and bore you with the dry details. The point is, Aether's an excellent diplomat and even spy, but he doesn't have the mind of a soldier, or of a king, like you and I." Valum noticed belatedly how dark the old gorilla's fur was, as pitch-black as a raven's feathers; and how pale his light blue eyes were, almost silver in hue. Guernica and Aether truly were polar opposites, even in physical appearance.
-last edited on Feb 19, 2024 20:32:42 GMT by The J
Post by The J on Feb 19, 2024 20:30:10 GMT
Yet despite being so utterly different, despite disagreeing on so many things, the two Gorillas still had a clear mutual respect for one another. It reminded Valum of himself and Leodus....which in turn reminded him of another pressing matter. He turned his head right and left, peering into the depths of the vines on either side of him; only small portions of the stone wall were visible beneath the layers of green. "By the way, King Guernica, are we...truly alone right now?" he asked aloud. "Why do you inquire?" Guernica replied casually. "I thought of something else I wanted to discuss, regarding the Ice Hunters," Valum explained slowly, "...it's about the identity of their leader." After a moment, Guernica made a motion, and two armed guards stepped out from the shadows on either side, emerging from between the vines with such speed that they could've taken Valum completely off guard, had their intent been to spear him then and there. He made a jolt and reflexively moved his hand to the hilt of the Rupture Blade. "Be at ease, King Valum." Guernica held up a hand. "If I am to order my guards to leave me alone with you, I must also have them remove any weapons on your being for the duration of the meeting." "Right...of course." Valum relaxed his hand and slowly pulled the Rupture Blade from its makeshift sheathe, holding it out flatly in both hands for the guards to take. One of the Gorillas stepped forward and silently took the sword by the hilt with his free hand, while the other still held a razor-sharp spear upright. The guard to Valum's right stowed his spear at his back before patting down the Vulture King, and, finding no more weapons or sharp objects on him, turned back to their king. Guernica gave a final nod to his men, and they walked out of the room with some reluctance, Valum noted. After he heard the door close, Valum said, "Thank you, King Guernica. I presume these walls are soundproof?" "Even if they weren't, all these layers of vines would make them so," Guernica chuckled. "This design was insisted upon by my Chief of Security, you see. My son doesn't like it; he says it's 'stuffy' whenever he's in here, so it probably won't be around much longer. "Anyhow, you meant to ask if I know that Iceclaw is King Leodus' elder half-brother, yes?" Valum felt his throat go dry. Well, that's that, then. Still, he wanted to confirm exactly how many Gorillas knew. "Aether told me that you, him, and the operator he reported to were the only ones who were aware of this. Is that still the case?" "The operator?" Guernica seemed surprised. "Oh, of course; Aether hadn't actually been here for a good while, so he wouldn't have known. After 'Agent A' had made the initial report, and after the operator passed it on to me, he erased his own memory of that specific detail." "Erased...his own memory?" Valum was bewildered. "With self-hypnosis," Guernica explained. "A strange method indeed, isn't it?"
Valum nodded. He'd never known such a thing existed. "I was concerned about this at first," the Gorilla King commented, "but the operator assured me that his mind would be undamaged; that he'd only erase, or rather, suppress, that one fact." "That's incredible," Valum replied, with an equal measure of wonder and shock. "So, you and Aether are now the only Gorillas who know Iceclaw's...heritage?" "Correct," Guernica confirmed, "the secret is safe with us, I can assure you. The only person who'd have reason to reveal this to the public is Iceclaw himself; we want no issues with the Leopards, and by extension, the Vultures." Valum nodded again, and, though he'd shown his surprise at the mention of self-hypnosis, he now hid his satisfaction. What Guernica doesn't realize is that I wasn't one-hundred percent sure of Iceclaw being the Mad Prince, and he has now confirmed it for me. The younger monarch was able to gain an advantage over the elder in the conversation, after all. As long as he doesn't realize what I did there, we're both happy and there's no harm done. Aloud, he said, "I have two more questions regarding the Ice Hunters–since, though we're not allies, the Gorillas and Vulture-Leopard alliance are now in partnership to take down this common enemy of ours, yes?" After the old King nodded, Valum continued. "First, Aether was rather insistent that the rogue Leopards who were infamously behind the Rupture Incident have already been found and wiped out; is this true?" "It is indeed," the old ape stated confidently, "though it concerns me somewhat that Aether would provide you this information without my consent, even if I would've told you myself anyhow." "I hope you won't fault Aether for this," Valum replied hastily. "Icewing mentioned it in her final moments, and I pressed him on it. Anyway, my point is, can we really trust Iceclaw's word? I suspected that he was lying in a roundabout way to motivate the Hunters, but Aether denied this." "In this case, yes," Guernica answered the query, "because it wasn't just Iceclaw's word. The news of the miners' end was corroborated by a then-new recruit, the white bear going by 'Icestrike', who'd assisted in their destruction. "Aether didn't tell you this? In his report to us, he had described the teenage bear appearing 'immensely satisfied', as if he'd just taken revenge on his oppressors." Even more odd, now, Valum thought, that Aether completely danced around mentioning Icestrike's recruitment. Why, indeed, was he so hesitant about telling me this? It makes no sense. Putting that aside, Valum asked, "That was earlier this year, right? And do you know anything about this Icestrike's past?" "Yes to both," Guernica confirmed, "but only very little about the boy's life. Our agent, of course, had pressed him for details; in his report, Aether said that Icestrike vaguely remembered being kidnapped by five Leopards when he was quite young, but nothing before that."
"And can we trust Aether's word on that?" Valum blurted in growing frustration, then immediately regretted it, cursing himself silently. The silence lasted for a few seconds as Guernica didn't reply, until Valum said, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that. I didn't mean to sow distrust between you." "It's alright; it was a fair question," the gorilla decided, "but yes, I do trust Aether. I wouldn't have made him my spy if I didn't." "Of course," the vulture agreed, feeling a strange mixture of guilt and validity in his distrust of Aether at that point. "So, if I'm understanding correctly, the miners kidnapped Icestrike for some unknown reason, at some point after the Rupture Incident...and Iceclaw finally found them this year, helping Icestrike to escape from their captivity and wiping them out?" "Precisely, King Valum," Guernica answered approvingly, "and though we know little of Icestrike's past, I've concluded that the town he hails from is–or was–in the Arctic. After all, have you ever seen a bear with all-white fur and blue eyes in the south?" "A good point," Valum concurred, and silently he thought, Why would Aether try to prevent me from getting this lead? Does he have a vested interest in the same Arctic settlement from which Icestrike was born; a loyalty to it? He dismissed the thought almost immediately, however. No, that couldn't be it at all. Aether grew up here, in the Gorilla Jungle; his story of being born and raised in a northern colony was but a fabrication for the Ice Hunters, when he was spying on them. He moved on to his next point: "That aside, my other question is...would you be willing to provide us–the Vultures and Leopards–with the exact coordinates of the Ice Hunter HQ? I only got there by following Icewing, and that was in the air, hiding any direct route to the base." "Cutting right to the chase, are you?" the gorilla chuckled, but shifted in his throne and rubbed his strong lower jaw, in what seemed uncomfortable contemplation. "Ah... As you know, I plan to take control of the base and the Rupture vehicles within, so I understand your implication with that question; a joint effort between our tribes, yes? "I...cannot, however, provide the coordinates...knowing you may interfere–intentionally or not–with the Gorilla Tribe's claiming of the vehicles. I hope you'll understand, and won't take offense at this." "Say no more, King Guernica," Valum held up a hand diplomatically. "I understand completely; no offense taken." The points where his beak met his head curled into a good-natured grin. "I simply thought it was worth a try." As intended, the tension visibly left the old gorilla's shoulders as Guernica unconsciously relaxed. Valum concluded: "Thus, I'd say that about wraps up this talk, unless there remain matters to discuss?" "None that I can recall," Guernica agreed.
"This meeting may not have gone the way Aether hoped it would when he suggested it to you, but I believe it proved very fruitful for both of us. Safe travels, King Valum." "I thank you for this audience, King Guernica," Valum nodded and turned, walking to the end of the throne room and opening the door. The guards on either side immediately turned inward at the noise, one looking at the vulture whilst the other's sight went straight to Guernica. The king presumably gave the latter gorilla a nod, and he gingerly handed the Rupture Blade back to Valum. He slid the sword back into his "vine sheathe", began to walk out the doorway, but then stopped again. "Oh, one more thing," the vulture called, turning back toward Guernica. "If you mean to take the Ice Hunters' base by overpowering Icescale, I must warn you: they seem to have a lot of chi in reserve." "...I see." Guernica replied after a moment. "Thank you again. I'll keep that in mind." Valum left the room with a casual wave, satisfied with how the interaction ended. On the one hand, it was a genuine warning for the Gorillas, seeing as their last attempt to take the headquarters was disastrous, precisely due to Icescale's chi; but on the other hand, the statement was somewhat of a half-truth, as Valum didn't really know whether the Hunters had "a lot" of chi left after their recent battles. This ought to cause Guernica hesitation...which may stall the Gorillas long enough for Leodus and I to find the HQ ourselves. Rather than walking back down the stairs to the castle's main entrance, the Vulture King went to the nearest balcony, spread his well-rested wings, and took flight from the Gorilla Jungle.
-last edited on Feb 27, 2024 19:47:52 GMT by The J
Post by The J on Feb 27, 2024 19:46:48 GMT
Chapter 23
Guernica watched as the young Vulture King took an immediate right turn in the hall; the opposite of the way he'd come in. The old gorilla was puzzled by this for just a second, before remembering that Valum could simply fly out from a window or balcony. Perhaps he'd think it awkward to cross paths with Aether on his way out. "Don't," Guernica ordered quietly as he saw his two guards beginning to close the door to the throne room. "One of you, summon my aide." "Yes, Sire," a guard bowed and immediately turned left to find the aide. The Gorilla King sank back in his seat, pondering the meeting. He wasn't entirely sure what to make of the younger monarch. Valum appeared somewhat easily manipulated–as observed by his coming here, initially, just to vouch for Aether's desire for an alliance–yet not unintelligent, as observed when he used the meeting to shift to topics that were of his own interest, after realizing Aether's designs. He seemed emotional, yet not overly so; laid back, yet diplomatically skilled. Out of the two most common types of leaders Guernica had met in his long life–the casual and free-spirited being you'd never guess was a king unless you knew he was of royal blood, and the stoic, serious, rational animal who was deeply aware of his responsibility and duty–Valum seemed more the former, with a touch of the latter. Leodus, on the other hand, was almost entirely the latter. Or at least, he had been ten years prior. Though Guernica had never met Valum in person until now, being instead visited by Vulture Tribe diplomats in the immediate aftermath of the Rupture Incident (in their words, on behalf of their still-traumatized prince who'd not yet reached kingship age, but was allegedly speaking through them), he had met the Leopard King in person. Leodus had used the logical appeal to stoke Guernica's anger over the death of Aeon Gulikovsky; explaining perfectly, after his initial apology, why him ordering those Leopards to do what they did would've been completely irrational and counter-intuitive. Whereas Valum had used the emotional appeal, pointing out Icescale's amoral Rupture crystal-enabled actions to support his–no, Aether's–argument against usage of the material, before being reminded that he, too, now possessed a Rupture weapon. Guernica thought more on Icescale's actions, and on Valum's warning about the Ice Hunters' chi reserves. While the Vulture King could've been bluffing, to stall the Gorillas so that the Vultures and Leopards could find the terrorists' HQ first, Guernica couldn't help thinking about what the arctic crocodile had managed to accomplish with a Rupture weapon and two chi orbs... "Yes, Sire?" He looked up to see his aide standing before him. "Is Field Marshal Lyrene still in the jungle?" "I believe so, Your Majesty," she answered. "Tell her King Guernica has changed his mind about her proposition, and humbly wishes to discuss it again."
-last edited on Feb 28, 2024 19:17:51 GMT by The J
Post by The J on Feb 28, 2024 19:14:24 GMT
***
Aether turned at the sound of an approach. "Oh, it's you." The other gorilla who'd been aboard the helicopter, whom Valum had rescued from the crash, now stood before him in the vast castle courtyard. "So, you were the one who went straight to His Majesty and reported on the events of today, right after the fight." Aether stated it as an observation. "Aye," the other gorilla confirmed, then looked to his right and left, "and now I've something to discuss with you, Gulikovsky. Mind if we go somewhere more private?" "Very well," Aether replied, intrigued, "but not yet. I'm waiting for King Valum to return from his meet–" He stopped himself short as he caught a blue glow out of the corner of his eye–the Rupture Blade–looking up and to his left. The vulture in question had his wings spread, having just leapt off a balcony on the left wing of the castle, swiftly flying north without another look at the Gorillas' lands. An alliance probably fell through once again...but why does he seem to be avoiding me? Aether narrowed his eyes. What exactly did you tell him, Guernica? Yet, as he gazed at the Rupture Blade hanging from Valum's belt, a sudden realization struck Aether. "He left his original sword here..." "King Valum?" the other gorilla asked, following his compatriot's gaze. "Aye, he did, didn't he?" Aether recalled, then, the immediate aftermath of Icewing's demise. Valum had set about the proceedings, asking the Gorillas to cremate the body and later send him the ashes, which he'd then scatter over the Great Desert's sands in traditional Vulture Tribe custom. The Gorillas, of course, agreed to this, and after the body was carried off, Valum plunged his sword–his old sword, not the Rupture Blade–into the spot on the ground where the other vulture had fallen. The blade was battered, graying and losing its silver sheen, but it could've still been polished and reforged. Still, Aether had understood the meaning of the gesture (or at least, he thought he had): the Vulture King's sword would serve as a monument to the duel, not necessarily to honor Icewing, but to serve as a historical moment forever frozen in time. Now, though, seeing Valum fly off with the Rupture Blade where he'd once stowed his silver sword, Aether finally realized the other meaning of the gesture, the implication that may have been subconscious on Valum's part... He left his sword, his normal, conventional sword, here...in favor of the Rupture Blade. In that moment, Aether knew that the Vulture King would not, could not be swayed to the gorilla's beliefs, and Aether felt ashamed for attempting it. "So...our meeting?" the other ape asked at length. Aether had almost forgotten he was standing there. "Right," the albino gorilla acknowledged, "follow me."
Aether led the soldier to his home, one of many nestled in the branches of an enormous tree in the capital city. The guest didn't speak until Aether closed the door behind him.
"After witnessing what Icescale and Icewing were capable of with their simple Rupture weapons," he began, "I now agree with you regarding the vehicles in their headquarters." Aether nodded, keeping his expression neutral as the other gorilla continued: "While it's true that our tribe, under King Guernica, would use the vehicles for self-defense, and that any weapon in existence could be stolen and used with nefarious intent...these ice powers are in a league of their own. They're far more dangerous, and harder to counter, than any chi lasers. An aggressive faction, possessing this power to freeze almost anything, could be the greatest threat Chima will have ever faced." Finally, someone gets it. King Guernica has good intentions, but overestimates his security; the Rupture vehicles being in the possession of the Ice Hunters is bad enough already, but should they be taken and mass-produced by a much larger criminal group, it'd be an existential threat to us all. Yes, any weapon could be stolen, but only the Rupture crystals could be used to freeze the continent over. I suppose there are the Phoenix and Tigers who can counter this with fire chi...but I can't honestly say I trust them to be our "guardians", after the Great Illumination, nor do I trust the fire chi itself, another worrisome elemental power. Out loud, Aether replied, "I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one who's realized the full implications of this...but I must warn you: if what you're implying is that you wish to help me destroy the Rupture vehicles, you'll be going completely against His Majesty's wishes to do so." "I'm well aware," the gorilla said gravely, "and I had plenty of time to mull that over in my head, ever since King Valum's duel concluded; even as I was making my report. If I must go behind my king's back for the safety of my tribe and all of Chima, I will." Cut from the same cloth as me, this one. Aether said aloud, "Are you absolutely sure?" It was a genuine question, not one designed to pressure a liar. Aether had already deduced that this wasn't a trap; that this gorilla wasn't ordered by Guernica to say these exact things to him. For one thing, this normal soldier clearly lacked the training as a spy necessary to put on a good performance and hide his true feelings. An agent as experienced as Aether could tell the difference between the fabricated persona and the real one; his fellow ape's personality was the latter. Second of all and much more obvious: how could he have been ordered by Guernica to express an epiphany that the Gorilla King himself hadn't experienced? "I am," the gorilla confirmed, "and since you know much more about the subject, I'll do whatever you say to bring about the Rupture vehicles' destruction, within reason." Aether thought for a moment, and allowed himself a smile. "Get in contact with the Ravens...and don't worry about money; I'll pay for their services."
-last edited on Apr 28, 2024 17:11:39 GMT by The J
Post by The J on Apr 28, 2024 17:10:50 GMT
Valum grinned as he saw Leodus standing on the landing pad's walkway. The Leopard King looked almost comical with the earmuffs on his large feline ears, though the vulture dared not say that aloud. "I'll get off here," Valum shouted to the pilot over the sounds of the whirling blades, when the helicopter was still over twenty feet above the landing pad. "What, Your Maje--?" the vulture shouted back in confusion, but his king had already pulled the side door open, leaping out of the craft. Rather than immediately taking flight, Valum allowed himself to free fall straight down, his wings flattened at his back and his eyes closed; he enjoyed the thrill. It occurred to him how long it'd been since he'd done this. Only two days had passed since the events in the Iron Mountains and the Gorilla Jungle; one day since he'd scattered Icewing's ashes into the Great Desert's sands, yet Valum already felt liberated from the stress. The conflict with the Ice Hunters was likely far from over, but the vulture allowed himself this brief moment of feeling carefree. When he was just above the landing pad, Valum snapped his eyes open and unfurled his wings, gliding over the surface with his beak almost touching it. As he swooped upward to land in front of the Leopards, he chuckled as he saw the two present guards flinch reflexively at the sight, while their king remained still as a statue. Valum alighted a few feet in front of Leodus. "I see you're back in good spirits," Leodus observed. "You were more serious than me, when last you came here." "That I was," Valum agreed, raising his right hand as if to arm-wrestle. Leodus firmly clasped it, then brought his friend in for a brief hug as the helicopter landed. "I presume you bring good tidings, then?" he asked as the two kings went side by side across the walkway. "Oh, of course!" Valum stopped. "How could I forget? They'll be bringing it from the helicopter." "'It'?" Leodus turned to see two vultures step out from the back of the landed craft with a long sheathe held between them. They held it reverently to their king, and Valum stepped away from Leodus as he carefully unsheathed the Rupture Blade, its crystalline sheen reflecting the daylight. Valum saw immediate recognition in his friend's eyes, even though the Leopard King hadn't seen this sword in person until now. "A Rupture weapon," Leodus observed, "or is it?" Unexpectedly, the leopard pulled an orb of fire chi from the belt pocket of his modified Phoenix armor, and held it up to the blade. Valum was surprised, but didn't move, still holding up the ice-like sword as it remained solid. "Not melting; a crystal indeed," Leodus confirmed, putting the fire chi back. "You thought the Ice Hunters may have duped me with a fake?" Valum grinned. "Nay; to make a long story short, Icewing took her own life with this sword to avoid interrogation, but she handed it to me in her last moments."
"Make the story longer," Leodus remarked, taking off his earmuffs as the landed helicopter's whirring blades slowed to a stop. "We'll both need the full details of our respective debacles with the Ice Hunters, if we're to prevent this from spiraling even more out of control." "Agreed," Valum nodded, sheathed the Rupture Blade, and hooked the newly custom-made sheathe to his belt. He took off his earmuffs, handed them to his guards as Leodus did the same, and walked with his friend across the platform. The present Vultures and Leopards took up positions on either side of the walkway to let their kings through, awkwardly facing one another in stern silence until Valum turned and said, "You fellows can talk amongst yourselves if you wish; our meeting will probably last a while." "By the way," Leodus said as they entered the castle, "I'll want to have another look at the Rupture Blade–" "You need not ask permission–" "–and I'll want my blacksmith to have a good look as well," the Leopard King finished. "I have an idea..."
