Welcome to Gaia! ::

Mat scratched lightly at the rock as the talk began to bore her, her tiny claws leaving behind little lines on the dark stone. She could sense the tension in the air from the adults, but she had no idea what it was for. She didn't have the desire nor the capacity to understand what was going on, but maybe someone would grow bored and come talk to her.

She nearly fell off her little rock when a very angry, very loud voice suddenly boomed overhead. She looked up at her father, ears turning back and pressing against her head as she lowered herself to the ground. Uh oh.

"I was bored," she said honestly, if meekly. Daddy was scary when he was angry. "I wanted to know what everyone was doing. There was a big crowd and lots of talking!" She tried to offer the looming figure a weak smile, but it was more of a grimace from her nerves.

Mwako'Damu listened as others made decisions, watched as the ambassador, as plain, dark and untrustworthy as he was, come forth and speak. Mwako'Damu dug his claws into the sand, his eyes narrowed, face a scowl, and he grit his jaw together, thinking of how to choose his words carefully.

"Conversion-" he said harshly, "you think us a pride that will be moved from who we are? If so, you have traveled far to speak upon deaf ears," conversion, his blood boiled, "was that what the attacks were for, to try and convert those that would resist you?" and the nergui mongrel ways, he wished to say. But he hesitated, perhaps he was already speaking out of turn. But he was not the only one to lose family...there had been another life lost in this war.

To think they would use a brute force on allies, it made Mwako'Damu wish to place a paw to this one's throat.

"You do not want to be enemies, but you wish to come to our pride, our lands, and have them for your own. We are not a pride to let loose our roots for the sake of another's selfish greed."

Kosuke scoffed, much like his mate's half-sister had, and moved just a bit closer. "You know... I don't think this... Graos Oma exists. Some sick individual in the history of your pride of rag-tag filth made him up to get out of having done something stupid, and didn't want to face the consequences." He then took a bold verbal stand, looking over to Kidondo and No very pointedly. "THIS is what we get for abandoning Finar-si, who CREATED our pride! You have us leave our root and core belief behind, instead of adjusting the ways of life to still accommodate it, and we get this horde of fools threatening to magically kill a third of us!"

Aquila also loosed her tongue. "Besides that, if you treat those you feel neutral about with 'death to a third of you,' what exactly makes you think that the other two thirds would be so willing to join you? I've never heard of the sane killing off those who aren't their stated enemies," Aquila added, brows furrowed with a frown across her maw. Indeed, while she enjoyed battle as much as other firekin, she was not, nor did she condone, bloodtlust for the simple act of bloodlust. Those that behaved that way were disgusting, and needed dealing with- randomly killing was chaotic.

And thus far, from both word and action, that was all that had been seen from the Nergui- random killings.

She agreed with Kosuke on one point, though- Graos Oma may full well not exist, and she personally thought the same.

She listened to his words on letting him go, but in her mind... Letting the male go was absolutely not an option. He had seen too much and heard too much to be allowed to return with said information. He would have to be kept or killed, the latter seeming too hasty.

Tarak did not seem surprised that is suggestion had caused a bit of a reaction. "I am an honest ambassador, nothing more. You are here talking about war, there will be deaths in war. I have been around long enough to reasonably estimate the kinds of casualties one can expect. As it is, our kaars and warlords believe that it would take a casualty rate of about a third to begin assimilation. This is not a dishonorable number."

Kosuke's outburst caught a curious glance, but because of the guards he could not really get a good look at the wild fellow. The black lion simply continued his oozing speech. "If you wish to believe that, you may. Perhaps I shall believe your pride has no reliable leaders as well. In the end, we will both look just as foolish."

At about that point, No had had enough of this fiasco. If Tarak's oily words were not bitter enough, Kosuke's repeated outbursts were trying the last of her patience. "Kosuke, there are words for you best not said in front of strangers. You have been warned repeatedly. Another word and you will join our esteemed ambassador."

The black cat straightened herself out. Her eyes bore down on the nergui. "As for you, I believe we've heard about enough. You have no interest in talking terms that can actually be considered such. And for that matter, neither were you invited. You are more stranger than ambassador, and I am cautious even placing such a title upon you."

But what to do with him? That soured her the most. She looked towards the pride. "Do we make our prisoner count two, or do we send him back with a message for his leader?"

At this, Elcca suddenly spurned back to life. Everything seemed to be wrong about this Tarak. His manner of speaking, his resemblance to Yoan... "Do not allow him to stay! There is something wrong with this one."

arrow Deciding time! This choice is important for Act III.



Take the "ambassador" prisoner?

or

Send him back to Graos Oma with a message?

Aquila's ears remained perked, but her scowl grew even more apparent. To come with such statements and demands and expect the Firekin to cave- how utterly and madly foolish. It was almost beyond her ability to even speak- to think that lions would go to this for a cause that wasn't even just in the first place.

She too had heard enough. More of the lion's poisonous words would simply prod the pride closer to ending him.

Keeping him would be good, she thought. He knew too much, even before Kosuke's comments. Though, she couldn't help but wonder just how much that would have told the stranger. Likewise, having a message sent off would be useful as well. And it would allow more lions to be free to fight- it seemed inevitable, regardless of which way this decision swung, that there would be a fight. Fewer lions guarding prisoners meant more on the field. And besides, they didn't need anyone springing from within their lands when the fight did come.

Plus there was Elcca's reactions, odd as they were. Though, she wasn't sure they would be significant in the long run. Anyone could be freaked out by him.

His cocky attitude made the lioness want to see him punished. But was it truly the smartest thing to do? Keeping him seemed to be too much effort, so she made up her mind.

"Send him off." In what condition, she was unsure. Personally she liked the idea of beating him first. She would leave that decision to others, unless it came to be left to the pride as well. She found it best not to explain her logic in front of him, though he would probably put it together. It was either kill him, or get rid of him, in her mind. Resources shouldn't be wasted on prisoners. Since death was not a sentence given by the Regents, she had to go for the next best thing.

Azar'bijan did little more than growl and curl a lip as and when required to lay bare some teeth. What they should do with the 'ambassador' he didn't know, but no options open to them seemed particularly good at that moment in time. Keeping him here might have been the riskier option especially with the Nergui's infamous abilities at plotting and backstabbing. On the other paw, sending him back would look weak. As if they were frightened.

Wounding him before letting him return would send a message, though...and maybe it would hurry up this damned war! He was fed up with the waiting now. He wanted action. He wanted a battle that would write his name in glory.

Still, Azar said nothing. Just as his son, Heti, also said nothing.

--

Roho opened her mouth to cast her vote when suddenly Nawvlee was making his move - slipping closer to the platform where the regent pair were seated. Did she dare follow him over there? No...no she didn't. She wasn't getting anywhere near that Nergui scum. And neither did she like the options that had been given to them.

If she'd had it her way, she would have killed him and Miah both. She doubted that opinion would be welcome though and kept it to herself. Still, sending him away was better than keeping him here. Roho didn't particularly like Elcca but she'd never seen the brightly-coloured female act like this, either.

"I say send him away. The quicker the better." She snapped at last, still not completely content.

--

Kidondo's voice was stern.

"Shula, you speak as if he is the only one to have suffered loss. Do you see anyone else causing a scene?" He indicated Mwako'damu, Karana's own son. "This is not about the death of Karana'Mzaana and this is not the first time Kosuke has spoken out of terms. When the first outburst happened, there was no recent death for him to use as an excuse."

No. As far as he was concerned, Kosuke was treading on thin ground. He'd accept the punishment given to him or be dealt a far worse hand.

Only then did Kidondo turn back to survey the group, listening in to the votes whilst being careful to mask his own thoughts on the situation. He was especially thankful when Nawvlee sidled up to them and offered the lion a short nod of greeting. "My instincts crawl with suspicion." He murmured, loud enough only for No and Nawvlee to hear - and perhaps the guarding Azar'bijan.

Kidondo also didn't think that the Nergui would be too bothered about what condition their ambassador returned in, either. They would certainly not have sent anyone important. Perhaps they'd even sent him here to die. Who knew what those strange lions were thinking...

The lioness sighed. "That may be... I don't doubt he's very outspoken. Does he not usually refrain from bringing up Finar-si in such situations, though? This is the first I've heard him speak of that matter in public." She then bowed her head a bit. "Speak to him in private, where he won't stir others. As I recall the story from my father... You were somewhat similar, to a different direction. You Saw the problems of the pride, and decided to change things... I beg you to talk in private, before Kosuke tries to do the same, and takes part of the pride with him at the wrong time. I will talk to him, to try and stem further outbursts, but don't simply dismiss him, or punish him because his opinion differs from yours, or even I will say words that will be regretted later." She then looked over at Mwako'damu, then back to Kidondo. "And remember that everybody grieves different. Have we not all lost a parent in our lifetime?" Not opting to give him a chance to answer the last question, Shula turned and left, leaving them to their ways.

Aurinko scoffed at Aithne. "If we kill him, then they'll send MORE. I still say we mess him up, then send his sorry tail back!" She still figured, if they sent him back with injuries, it would make the point clear - They were NOT a pride to be messed with.