"Yep, we had all the forces of Asmund. We still died."
Xovious looked up from polishing his sword. I wondered why he even bothered if it was to be stained with enemy blood by the end of the week. It seemed that as High King, skill was just as important as impressions.
"You're unusually pessimistic today," Xov said. I shrugged at him in response.
"It's true though," I lamented, bottling the contents of a cauldron after glancing at my clock. "No matter how many soldiers we have, we can't ever seem to match them. It's like fighting fire with pebbles. Before you can throw enough pebbles to cover it, it spreads to devour something else."
Metal clanked as Xov put his weapon down, apparently satisfied with it's renewed lack of red. "Don't stress it, Falk. We're going to figure something out and take them out for good."
I considered for a moment whether I should bring up the topic of peace between us and our enemies but figured that it would most likely lead to a loop of circular arguments. Pacifism didn't seem to be regarded as an attribute so much as a failing ideal on Loka. No matter how much the idea of peace was pushed, some deep and primal distaste kept The Covenant and Asmund glued together in their heated war. I wondered if either even knew what they were fighting for.
"All I hear from this room is Falksi's gloom and Xovious's bloody sword. What's goin' on?" Thanatos's voice suddenly cut in, followed by his footsteps as he bounced into the room. Before I could respond, something lightly bopped me on the head and I looked up in time to see Xovious given his own bop.
"Love tap- OWW!"
Xovious instantly had Thanatos in a chokehold, and I couldn't resist a giggle at the expectedness of it. Even leaving Auru hadn't changed a single thing between those two, although now one could spot the revitalized determination in their eyes as they worked to build up a town worthy of it's name, Draekonfell. I could also spot that Thanatos was soon to be out of breath, indicated by the uncomfortable shade of purple his face had become.
"We were just discussing the recent battles against Eldritch," I said, eyeing Xovious in warning. Thanatos risked asphyxiation at that point.
Fortunately, Xovious released his chokehold and Thanatos was able to catch enough breath to speak. "Wha-whaaat about it?" he gasped in between breaths. "W-was it about the teamwork, because- huff- I've already been yelled at about that plenty."
"No," I said. "About how we can't even win a battle with over twice as many soldiers as them. We need to up our game or our alliance will suffer a fatal blow."
Thanatos laughed suddenly. "When I said gloom, I wasn't kidding!"
"It's not a joke!" I snapped, throwing my hands up in distress. Xovious sniggered. Then he spoke.
"It's not a joke, but you really need not be such a worrywart over it. We're already making plans to knock their alliance down once and for all and they won't see it coming. Asmund will rise to any challenge." Xov finished with a proud look, and I was impressed with the High King's confidence in the alliance. After being beat back and forth, it was hard for anybody to have much vigor left.
"Ooh inspiration."
"Shut up, Thanatos."
"I would, but I'm too inspired!"
"Come here and get inspired by my fist to your face!"
I sat back, watching the two town members banter, my consciousness temporarily sated by Xovious's words. Would Asmund really recover from it's wounds or would it split and break from the pressure?
See, hopes were like fine pottery. The harder you held them, the more likely they were to crack. And when they did, every foundation one might have built themselves up on shattered to pieces and was lost. It could be recovered, albeit never to its original glory. The hopes and ideals Asmund held itself on were similar, hovering on the verge of destruction, but...
With enough strength of will, I supposed, any crack could be sealed.
(Note: Thanatos is turtlemaster01's character)
Xovious looked up from polishing his sword. I wondered why he even bothered if it was to be stained with enemy blood by the end of the week. It seemed that as High King, skill was just as important as impressions.
"You're unusually pessimistic today," Xov said. I shrugged at him in response.
"It's true though," I lamented, bottling the contents of a cauldron after glancing at my clock. "No matter how many soldiers we have, we can't ever seem to match them. It's like fighting fire with pebbles. Before you can throw enough pebbles to cover it, it spreads to devour something else."
Metal clanked as Xov put his weapon down, apparently satisfied with it's renewed lack of red. "Don't stress it, Falk. We're going to figure something out and take them out for good."
I considered for a moment whether I should bring up the topic of peace between us and our enemies but figured that it would most likely lead to a loop of circular arguments. Pacifism didn't seem to be regarded as an attribute so much as a failing ideal on Loka. No matter how much the idea of peace was pushed, some deep and primal distaste kept The Covenant and Asmund glued together in their heated war. I wondered if either even knew what they were fighting for.
"All I hear from this room is Falksi's gloom and Xovious's bloody sword. What's goin' on?" Thanatos's voice suddenly cut in, followed by his footsteps as he bounced into the room. Before I could respond, something lightly bopped me on the head and I looked up in time to see Xovious given his own bop.
"Love tap- OWW!"
Xovious instantly had Thanatos in a chokehold, and I couldn't resist a giggle at the expectedness of it. Even leaving Auru hadn't changed a single thing between those two, although now one could spot the revitalized determination in their eyes as they worked to build up a town worthy of it's name, Draekonfell. I could also spot that Thanatos was soon to be out of breath, indicated by the uncomfortable shade of purple his face had become.
"We were just discussing the recent battles against Eldritch," I said, eyeing Xovious in warning. Thanatos risked asphyxiation at that point.
Fortunately, Xovious released his chokehold and Thanatos was able to catch enough breath to speak. "Wha-whaaat about it?" he gasped in between breaths. "W-was it about the teamwork, because- huff- I've already been yelled at about that plenty."
"No," I said. "About how we can't even win a battle with over twice as many soldiers as them. We need to up our game or our alliance will suffer a fatal blow."
Thanatos laughed suddenly. "When I said gloom, I wasn't kidding!"
"It's not a joke!" I snapped, throwing my hands up in distress. Xovious sniggered. Then he spoke.
"It's not a joke, but you really need not be such a worrywart over it. We're already making plans to knock their alliance down once and for all and they won't see it coming. Asmund will rise to any challenge." Xov finished with a proud look, and I was impressed with the High King's confidence in the alliance. After being beat back and forth, it was hard for anybody to have much vigor left.
"Ooh inspiration."
"Shut up, Thanatos."
"I would, but I'm too inspired!"
"Come here and get inspired by my fist to your face!"
I sat back, watching the two town members banter, my consciousness temporarily sated by Xovious's words. Would Asmund really recover from it's wounds or would it split and break from the pressure?
See, hopes were like fine pottery. The harder you held them, the more likely they were to crack. And when they did, every foundation one might have built themselves up on shattered to pieces and was lost. It could be recovered, albeit never to its original glory. The hopes and ideals Asmund held itself on were similar, hovering on the verge of destruction, but...
With enough strength of will, I supposed, any crack could be sealed.
(Note: Thanatos is turtlemaster01's character)
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