Syrin watched Regan as she fought off one of her kin, the swift strikes of young Coda deflected away by the sturdy shield on her arm even as she struck out with her wooden spear.
The younger lad darted to her left to avoid the spear by a hair. A sharp breath escaped him as it darted past his face. The boy had become more toned in the short time since he had arrived. His baby fat slimmed into a sharper, angled visage. The short spear in his hand darted out quickly, searching for a weakness in his opponent’s defences. Each blow deflected off of the shield of his training partner.
The Lady of Wrath nodded her head, happy with the progress that the girl had made. For a time, Syrin had all but given up hope on the stubborn girl. After Ashlin had forbidden Regan’s interaction with Galliard, the bunny had slipped into a depressive state. To say the Lady of the house had found the younger girl’s reaction disappointing would be putting it mildly. For the Rabbitkin to allow something like that to disturb the pursuit of power, the very thought of it vexed her. Her house did not need servants who would be distracted by such foolish frivolities.
Syrin paused at the thought, when had she begun to think of the House of Wrath as hers? It had only been a little over a year, yet this place and its people had affected the scion of Envy. The Lady of Wrath hummed to herself as she looked over the training grounds. The Fluffle was growing in both strength and will. The skinny, malnourished and desperate Rabbitkin were no more.
Now, where there was once fear and despair, shining eyes looked up at Syrin when she called for them. Smiles were plastered on faces once caked in blood and shame. Her poor brooding husband had even been assaulted, his words, by the littlest ones looking for their new Lord’s approval. The annoyance was evident through their bond when they ran up to hug his legs, jabbering about how they were growing stronger. Some were even brave enough to demand head pats and ear scratches as a reward for their efforts. Much to the temporary horror of their mothers and the amusement of Syrin. The memory of a young mother nearly fainting when her son had embraced the Lord of One Thousand still made her smile occasionally.
Still, the lesser beings were progressing swiftly even for desperate beings looking to prove their usefulness. Monica had grown beyond her expectations, not only in her training but as a leader as well. The short woman had taken up the responsibility of encouraging her fluffle to push forward through the last of their daily training.
On the other hand, Harvey took it upon himself to educate himself in all things historical. The young man seemed to have tasked himself with understanding every great event since the dawn of creation. When he was not training he was seen worrying over scrolls and texts. To her dismay, Syrin often found herself buffeted with questions of ages gone.
“How did the civil war between Wrath and Pride start?”
“What happened to the Vampires after the shattering?”
“During the second incursion, how did your family turn the tide in the Battle Of Helsthold?”
The boy was more interested in their history than even her people. By the Abyss, soon he would know more about her clan than she did. Would she be forced to revisit her early studies simply not to lose face before the bunnyboy? Of all the challenges the Lady of Wrath had faced over the past few months, why was this one the most tiresome?
A chuckle drew Syrin out of her musings, the annoyed glance she gave her former clansmen only causing his amusement to rise. Tristan evidently found the situation far more entertaining than the Lady herself did. Normally, the young ruler enjoyed the presence of the older man, in the rare moments they had free. However, lately, her cousin had made it his self-imposed mission to needle her. To keep the new Lady’s head from getting too big, or so he claimed. If he wasn’t kin she may have tossed the man off of something by now, something elevated, preferably.
“Cousin, here watch the lesser beings or to annoy me once again?” Syrin asked, giving him a vexed look.
“Why nothing of the sort, just here to keep my dear leader company.” The scroll he was penning lowered slightly, revealing a smug smirk on his face.
“What is it you are reading?” She questioned, looking back to the Rabbitkin idly.
“A report on the present standing of the other great powers in the Shattered Isles.” He replied curtly, humming as he marked something off.
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“A report from Sophia I presume.” The Lady of One Thousand spoke, a grimace marring her features.
“Yes, also, you look ugly when you scowl.” The retainer sniggered when the Lady of Wrath narrowed her eyes at him.
“Kiss an Antecta’s arse, what about them?” Syrin questioned curiously, eyes returning to the Rabbitkin.
“She and her father have been keeping track of the situation between the Pirate lords of Omira and the Equea Principality.” He spoke, underlining a spelling error in the report with an annoyed murmur.
“What about them,” Lady Wrath shrugged, not seeing the issue. “Both are wise enough not to pester our fleets, Lord Misery would turn their pathetic nations to ash within the day.”
“True that may be, nevertheless, they are not so cautious of each other.” He noted waving a quill in his cousin’s direction. “The Admiral of the Omiran fleet has been amassing quite the armada, war is coming to the Isles and with it comes opportunity.”
“Ah, House Passion and House Truth have taken interest then.” A statement rather than a question, the two were well known for using lesser beings for their own ends.
“Well yes, but it’s not them that I worry about, House Righteousness has openly acted in the region.” He noted with a sigh, putting his quill behind his ear.
“That…is interesting,” Syrin blinked at the man, finally seeing the cause for Tristan’s stress. “I fail to see what Daria would want in such an anarchic territory.”
“The High Priestess normally acts as the Divine bid her to, and so, she rarely acts out of self-interest.” Tristan noted with a huff.“That is what has me uneasy, the Holy Matron has made no divine proclamation, this is her own will.”
“That is cause for concern, does she not yet remain in the Twilight Cathedral?”
“She does, Orran is currently away on assignment from your Lord Husband, his second in command however is absent.” He glanced at his cousin with naked concern on his face.
“Nightbane, what is he doing out there?” Syrin asked, a single brow raised.
Ormond of Clan Justice, otherwise known as Nightbane, was an infamous Paladin of the Twilight Church. From what she knew of the man, he lacked his older brother Orran’s penchant for assisting the weak or preaching the good word. What the holy knight lacked in the more charitable parts of being a Paladin, however, he made up for on the battleground. The Paladin’s holy magic was legendary even among the Twilight Order. There were many songs of his holy light turning cold nights to blazing dawns across the Shattered Isles.
“Officially he is spreading the word of the Twilight church to the lesser beings,” Tristan chuckled to himself at the thought. “Unofficially, he appears to be dealing with Jesley in unknown matters.”
“Hmm, Jesley was that dying Diarchy to the south was it not?” Syrin furrowed her brows, trying to remember a map she’d studied years before. “Between us and the Ember region.”
“It is cousin, a couple centuries ago they controlled the southernmost portion of the Shattered Isles via their water magic.” The man took a moment to write something down, nodding at the scroll in his hands. “In the modern day, however, they have become more isolationist in nature.”
“Now I remember, the Hydromancers took over from the former royal family and erected great walls of water to cut themselves off from the other factions.” The Lady of Wrath placed a finger to her full lips in thought.
“They did, although a few of the clans trade with them from time to time.” He nodded in confirmation.
“Lots of money to be made from a land with no other trade I suppose.” She shrugged, wincing when an aged Rabbitkin overestimated his speed and received a swift kick to the face. “If I’m not incorrect, House Righteousness has never been one to do so?”
“Yes my Lady, you would be correct,” The retainer bobbed his head in affirmation to the question. “They’ve always been more interested in the spreading of the faith and recording of history.”
“It has been some time since I’ve been to the Twilight Cathedral, perhaps a visit is in order.” Syrin sighs heavily, not looking forward to dealing with the High Priestess of Twilight.
“Thank you, my Lady, for your swift action on this matter.” The Lord’s aid straightened as if a weight was lifted from his shoulders.
“Don’t be too content, you old fart, I’ll be expecting you to return the kindness sometime.” She smiled at him playfully, nudging her cousin with a hip.
“Yes my Lady, your wish is my command.” The older man said, rolling his eyes at the younger woman.
The two took a moment to watch as Harvey flew across the field, back hitting the dirt of the training grounds with a dull thud. His eyes widened as Monica’s faux spear lunged towards his face. Whispered words of power caused the earth below him to shift, moving him just enough to avoid the blow. A swift kick to his opponent’s shins forced the bunnygirl to join the man on the soil. The two were soon wrapped in an impromptu grappling match, cursing and grasping at anything they could hold. Tristan chortled in amusement when Monica let loose a particularly scathing threat to her rival’s manhood when the young man grasped the fluff of her tail.
Regan and Coda were no better at the moment. Regan actively bit one of her opponent's long ears as she choked him out. Although Coda had no intentions of giving up his movements were slowing, that bout would be over soon. The girl had become more toned from training and assisting the Blessed with tasks. It wasn’t surprising that the lankier Coda was having trouble dislodging the older member of his Fluffle. His being the younger of the two and built for speed was working against him.
“Good to see them getting along.” Syrin chirped merrily, earning an odd look from her kin for the comment.