Late Comings (Rwaht)

[Ryst Seraphine]

The throne room was empty today. No business, no guards, none of the various courtly staff who meandered about trying to look important purely because they weren’t dragged out of the throne room. It was just an empty day. Or night, as it were, since the throne room constantly had guards in it during the day. At night it was visited occasionally by the night patrol, but as it were they were rather lax in these peaceful times. The City in the Sky was rarely snuck into; it was hard considering you had to fly there first and that made you quite exposed.

Ryst sat on his throne. Well it wasn’t so much a throne, as the chair backs really got in the way of the large feathered wings that sprouted from his back. Of course he could tuck them away, disguise himself as a human being of sorts, but that was not customary. When sitting on the throne of the Sky Lord, one should display their wings proudly, to show that the skies belonged to them. Ryst always found that to be a questionable custom since they were living in a floating fortress, but he was not one to question that either. It made him look much more regal, since the chair had no back and it looked strange to see a wingless individual sitting in it.

Outside a night bird chirped its merry song. There was a garden outside the throne room windows, and as it did not rain often up there due to them being above all but the most fierce of storms, the windows were opened to let a pleasant draft blow through. It was all a sight Ryst was used to, though not so much at this hour. He was a denizen of the night, he did enjoy the darkness and didn’t sleep much because of it, but it was strange for him to be sitting on the throne.

He had been roused by a messenger. Something about an arrival, a late night comer requesting audience. So there he sat, a meagre guard standing watch outside the door. It wasn’t like Ryst couldn’t handle himself, his mighty sword Iron Maiden resting across the queen’s throne beside him, within arm’s reach. And the placing of the sword did not escape him; Ryst had no queen, nor any suitors that pleased him just yet. Oh the workings of the court, they were such a bother sometimes for the young lord.

[Rwaht]

The biggest concern on Rwaht's mind had, honestly, been what to do about his wings.

He could display them or not by choice, but he felt that somehow the wings might wind up presenting an egregious social faux-pas. Would it be respectful to display them, or would it be considered an affront to good feathered wings everywhere? It wasn't worth the headache to Rwaht, truthfully, and as he didn't think many Oocca knew about his wings, he tried not to trouble himself with it. His gunblade, the Leoking, was at his hip, and though no one had asked him to take off his weapon, he was wondering if he perhaps shouldn't have brought it.

So he walked forward, into the throne room, gunblade at his hip, wings thoroughly non-existent, and looking generally cautious. He was out of his element, and it had taken a long time for the Hylian knight to fly all the way to the City in the Sky. He'd used his wings then, not for their faculty of flight, but for their warmth. Suddenly, he found himself wishing he knew where his sister was, as he approached the Oocca Lord. He was really here on behalf of the girl who he'd found out was the Lord's sister. Vriska. She was almost as much his sister now as Jackal had been....

Wherever she is,

[/color] Rwaht thought bitterly. He hadn't seen his sister in years, not since she'd been accused of starting that fire ... he bid the thought away. There was no sense in dwelling on the past, especially now. This was exactly the sort of chance he'd been waiting for. Once he was close enough to the throne to speak comfortably to the Lord, but not close enough to pose a threat, Rwaht descended to one knee, though he looked the Lord in the eye.

Young, Rwaht thought, though he wasn't surprised. Then again, only as young as me. And he was born into the role.

"Lord," Rwaht said respectfully, his voice even and clear, though not betraying much feeling. He would've said "My lord", but he wasn't actually ruled by Oocca anyway. "I am Rwaht Orin, Hybrid Praetor, as the title serves. I come here today on behalf of all the hybrid races in Hyrule. And more specifically," Rwaht added, with half a smile making it onto his face, "On behalf of your sister."[/size][/blockquote]

[Ryst Seraphine]

He knew how to hold himself, that was for sure. As the man who’d given his name as Rwaht to the steward walked into the throne room Ryst couldn’t help but feel he needed to stay on edge. Not out of any hostile action, but the general confidence with which the man, the hybrid man, walked in showed that he was not afraid. That was something Ryst respected, though he did not fear it himself. On edge was different than afraid; one was wise, the other was foolish. Rwaht may have confidence and seemingly have ability, but he would be a fool to try anything in Ryst’s own court.

Where the man’s posture had failed, his words succeeded. Few people actually knew Ryst had a sister; that whole ordeal had been on a need-to-know basis, or else Ryst would’ve exiled his own mother by now. As it were he stripped her of her power with claim that she was a grieving widow and liable to make mistakes. The fact that Rwaht opened with such information was enough to send a brief shiver down Ryst’s spine. If his sister was coming up now it meant things may not be well, or things were too well. The Lord knew things were rocky for hybrids down in Hyrule.

But Ryst did not break his composure. His back straightened as he looked down at the Hybrid Praetor and considered his opening. ”There’s no need to kneel,” he murmured as he thought. Faded blue hawk eyes studied the man carefully, including the gunblade at his side. A wingless man, that raised another question for Ryst to ask on top of all the other ones that swam through his head. An older part of him that had been buried away after his strife with his mother rose up and tried to break free, overwhelming concern for the sister he cared for, the sister who had torn apart his family wanting to wash over him.

Ryst shoved it back down. This was not the time, especially considering the ranking of the man who had come to represent his sister. Hybrid Praetor, Rwaht Orin. Ryst recognized the name, which was all that was necessary to establish the man. If a name reached Ryst in the court, it meant they were important enough. ”I have no sister. What game do you play?” Ryst asked, decidedly taking the defensive posture here. Knowledge of his sister was limited, there was no promise this involved Vriska.

[Rwaht]

Rwaht measured the man on the throne with some curiosity. He'd heard a bit about this Oocca Lord--a man in Rwaht's line of work would hear about all such people inevitably--and was glad to get a chance to see the elusive ruler in person. Few could visit the Oocca, but Rwaht had wings of fire. He could also control his own momentum, which was considerably more handy in that respect. He wondered how Ryst would react to the prompting about his sister; he'd expected the Oocca Lord would've heard that a girl named Vriska, particularly one with Vriska's "unique" appearance, was a Lieutenant to the Hybrid Praetor, but he supposed not.

A subtle grin marked the corners of his lips as he rose slowly, uncrossing his arms. He had to resist the urge to lay his hand on the hilt of his sword out of habit, since he knew such a thing could be misconstrued as offensive. He had no idea how the Oocca handled things, but Hylians were very particular about such matters. The Oocca Lord was very carefully masking what he thought, that much was clear. Then again, so was Rwaht. At the remark about Vriska not existing, Rwaht chuckled a little.

"If I could choose what game I played, I suppose I would play a fun one. As it is, I play the only game there is. The game of thrones," Rwaht said, gesturing to the hall around him. "Hyrule is filled with all kinds of Lords and Kings and Princesses and the Goddesses know what else, all ruling their own race and their own little corner of the world. And things have stayed the same for so long because a Goron leads the Goron, an Oocca the Oocca, and a Hylian ... well, the Hylians seem to think they get to rule whomever they damn well please," Rwaht noted, with a slight scoff. He paused, then started again.

"But now the game is changing, isn't it? Hyrule is getting more and more filled up with hybrids, and calling them half-blood freaks and shuffling them off to poor corners of the world isn't going to cut it. So I play the game for them, milord. And that does include Vriska," Rwaht finished, figuring that the name, at least, would prove to Ryst that he was not lying.

[Ryst Seraphine]

Words. Always with the colourful words and clever phrasing. A game of thrones indeed, as it was an entirely different world in and out of that throne room. But Ryst had to play to conventions. His posture relaxed some, however, as Rwaht continued on with his speech. The warrior, as was apparent from the gunblade, was like the rest. He was trying to please the lord and not make offense in a realm outside his own. It was all the same anyway, just different mannerisms. If you ate with the wrong fork in some places they’d practically behead you for treason.

However when Rwaht dropped the bomb, laid down Ryst’s sister’s name, things got a bit more interesting. Ryst hadn’t heard from his sister in a long time. When he stepped up to lordship it became far too risky to keep in contact with the exiled hybrid. And then he heard nothing and assumed the worst. But now this man, Rwaht, brought up her name here in the very court from which she was exiled, using it to gain favour. But he had to know her, or at least know of her, in order to know that name. Ryst’s hard gaze softened by a fraction—it rarely held characteristics that couldn’t be described as hard.

”If you come from Vriska then you can relax,” Ryst said with a casual bat of his hand. ”The very nature of this discussion is informal.” That, and when someone was trying to meet standards they didn’t act themselves, making it hard to read them. When they relax they take up their typical mannerisms, which could including easy tells and better reads. It was something Ryst wanted to do in court, but there were too many prim and proper nobles who wouldn’t relax and say they were for the sake of formality.

They must think the ones who were natural pricks would gain more favour.

”We have no room for thoughts of ‘half-blooded freaks’ up here. If it can step into my city, it is of the sky and thus falls under my protection as my subjects. I rule over the skies, and the prejudice of the land does not reach this high. What business do you bring that involves Vriska?” Ryst said in the same courtly tone he’d maintained this entire time. He was raised and practice in the court; it was second nature to mask himself.

[Rwaht]

Rwaht was silent as he watched the Oocca react, neither betraying their thoughts. They were both, clearly, used to this, though the Oocca Lord had no doubt been doing it for much longer. If Rwaht had ever been anything, though, it was a quick study, and he'd learned how to deal with this sort of person long ago. He was beginning to suspect that Ryst was quite a sight different from the norm, but he still didn't want to show all his cards just yet. Rwaht was not quick to trust, as his experience did not warrant such trust.

"I will drop my act, milord, when you drop yours," Rwaht said with the slightest of grins. "I do not want to find my way into a hangman's noose again. I know Vriska, and while she assures me that there was no ill will between the two of you when she left ... the fact remains, she's an exile. One I'm associated with."

Rwaht sighed, and crossed his arms. He wasn't entirely sure how to proceed, but he felt that this was something he had to do. Both for himself, and for Vriska, and for the Hybrids that he was charged to protect.

"I'm here because I know Vriska can't. I'm also here because of the people I defend. Hybrids come from nearly every race, so it helps if I know what that race's Leader thinks of them." Rwaht supplied simply.

[Ryst Seraphine]

Ryst drew an exasperated breath at Rwaht’s refusal. People were so eager to please the lord but always refused that one simple request when it was given. His back straightened and he sat up straight in his seat, looking down at Rwaht in his court. The man was determined to his cause, that was for sure, and he knew Vriska. She was young when she had left, but Ryst could recognize the type she was drawn to easily. And in that way, Ryst and Rwaht were two very similar people. Except Ryst was the one sitting on the pretty little throne and Rwaht was the one bowing to him.

”The noose is one method, but up here there’s one that’s so much more fun. See, we’re very high up and for the most part anyone who reaches us can fly. However you take away their means of flight, give them a little nudge and they have a long time to think about their crimes and repent to whichever goddess they praise most,” Ryst said with a sardonic grin. ”However people who associate themselves with exiles needn’t fear that. It’s no crime up here to have friends.”

He stood up off his throne and stretched his wings and took a step down from the upraised platform the throne rested on. He stepped close to Rwaht. ”And you have less to worry about, since I’m lifting the exile off of Vriska. Had I known she was well I would’ve sent for her myself, but I had not heard anything in years and thought the worst.” He sat down on the last step from the platform, easily mounting a more relaxed posture. ”And that had better be the first thing out of your mouth when you see her again.”

Then there was the other piece of business Rwaht brought with him. ”As for your Hybrids, there is no animosity from the sky. In fact, considering my own sister is one, you can consider me a friend of the hybrids. As for what that entails in your grand picture, well that’s another question entirely, isn’t it?” the Lord said flatly.

[Rwaht]

Rwaht couldn't help but grin and cross his arms when Ryst explained their methods of dealing with visitors.

"I'm afraid with me, the noose really is your best bet," Rwaht replied dryly, extending one of his flaming wings casually, though the effect was somewhat less casual. He figured he'd might as well satisfy some of Ryst's curiosity. Call it an extension of goodwill.

Plus, he did so like to surprise people.

"I hope that explains how I got here," Rwaht said, letting the wing sputter out into nothingness. His clothes remained unburnt; the reason he wore that jacket of his everywhere was because it had been specially designed to resist the heat of his wings. He frowned. "As for Vriska, I'll tell her. But I don't know how she'll respond. However," and all of a sudden there was a quiet, cold note in Rwaht's voice, "I will respect any request you make as a Leader of one of the races of Hyrule, particularly if you treat hybrids with kindness. But I am not yours to order. Nor anyone's."

He paused, then looked closely at the young Lord.

"I came here for more than Vriska, that's true," Rwaht admitted. "I came because, if you're agreeable, I think there can be a mutually beneficial ... arrangement made between you and me on this, the day of my daughter's wedding."

[Ryst Seraphine]

Ryst was the Sky Lord. He had been for many years and the years before that he spent observing the court. So it wasn’t uncommon for folk to arrive via alternate means than the giant feathery wings of the Oocca. Giant flaming wings was a first, of course, and Ryst raised an eyebrow. The Lord was known to be quite stoic, so such a reaction was perhaps the best Rwaht could ask for in this situation. The Oocca Lord remained seated on the steps, watching the hybrid.

”I can imagine she holds certain hostilities. She’ll get over those in time. Eyr is gone, she’s been stripped of everything she could use against Vriska and I’m in charge. So let her come back on her own time, but she’s free to do so whenever she wants.” The Oocca Lord shrugged. The edict was laid. That was enough of that business.

He did find himself getting quite curious at Rwaht’s next words. Arrangement. The Hybrid Praetor was not necessarily in the position to deal. He’d already laid down his only chip. ”What do you have to deal with? And what sort of arrangement are you looking for?” he asked, still quite indifferent in tone. ”I am in your favour for bringing me word of Vriska, though I don’t think that would get you far.”

[Rwaht]

"Count on that time being a long time," Rwaht warned, having known Vriska for quite some time now. "Vriska's complicated. And not one to forget a hurt very quickly. Nor a kindness, which may be turned to your benefit. I hope things will work out in time. For her sake."

Rwaht's grin, barely noticeable, broadened in the slightest when the Lord spoke. Of course, no favours were given amongst nobility, none that were not expected to be repaid. Luckily, Rwaht had learned this lesson long ago, and he had not come to the City in the Sky armed only with the knowledge of Ryst's sister.

"As I said, a mutually beneficial arrangement. That is the sort of arrangement I wish to enable. You see, I think we both have things which the other could make use of. Is there, perhaps, somewhere we could sit? And discuss? Your throne room is exquisite, but I find business is best made while sitting down."

[Ryst Seraphine]

Ryst nodded as Rwaht spoke. ”She hasn’t changed much, then. But I have something that might win her over if she comes. Trust me when I say I’ve learned to deal with my family long ago, for better or for worse,” he said with a little laugh, as if there was an inside joke there. Which there was, in a ways, as his family had been plagued with issues and it had all left a giant mess for him to clean up. The words were quite true, but it was the deeper implicit meaning that Ryst found amusing.

But as Rwaht carried the subject in another direction Ryst nodded and motioned to a door on the side of the room before getting up and walking through it himself. ”Are you hungry? Once this meeting is over you can take a guest room here in the castle to rest up; the journey isn’t exactly an easy one,” Ryst said as he walked, taking a seat at the head of a table in the council room that sat beside the throne room. He motioned then to another chair for Rwaht to take up. ”I can have servants bring something in if you wish,”

His hands clasped together on the table. ”You have business, though, so state it and let’s get on with this,” he said, unable to deny the slight curiosity from his voice. Rwaht had nothing but seemed quite confident in his stakes. Something mutually beneficial, that was interesting enough. Ryst was always looking to help his people, anyway.

[Rwaht]

Rwaht followed Ryst through the door, idly thinking that if he wanted to kill the Oocca Lord, the man was making it a very easy job for him. He hoped that there were either unseen sentries, or that the Oocca Lord was an extremely competent warrior ... else he was rather foolish. Then again, the City in the Sky probably did not play host to many assassins, given that so few could even reach the place to begin with. Most people never saw it, let alone walked there. And Rwaht was hardly the sort of person who could safely assassinate any public figure, without the word travelling like wildfire.

Wildfire. Pangs of loss and loathing shot through his heart for the briefest moment, attached to the word as it flitted through his mind. He ignored them. "Once the meeting ends, I'll be leaving," Rwaht explained, "I'll want to bring word to Vriska."

He took the seat Ryst indicated, leaning forward onto the table, rapping the fingers of his right hand on the hard surface. He stopped, and took a breath.

"We both find ourselves in unique situations. You lead a people who are secluded, separate, and are altogether content in their own corner of the world." He frowned, and gestured vaguely to the castle, "Figuratively speaking. The problem, we both know, is population. You have more space than you know what to do with. And not enough people willing to fight to fill out your ranks." Rwaht pulled a handful of dice out of one pocket, and dropped one on the table. He pointed at it. "The table's the sky. Those are your people, the ones who can fight a war for you.

"The Hybrids, meanwhile," Rwaht continued, rolling a few dice around in his hands, "Have nowhere to call their own. But there are many of us. And I do not lead the Hybrids. I lead only the fighting men. These fighting men." He dropped the dice on the table, six or seven of them scattering about. He flicked his fingers, and several dozen crystalline fragments appeared in the air, hung there, then dropped. "Those are the Hybrids who are unwilling, unable, or disinclined to fight." The table was covered with crystal shards, which were behind Rwaht's few dice, which were next to the one that he'd allotted for the Oocca warriors. Rwaht paused, and picked up a crystal shard. "Fragile, this. When divided." He crushed it between his fingers. Then he gathered up all the Crystals with his Vis Imperium, and crushed them together, forming one greater crystal. "But together ... much harder to assail. You have an old sky fort called the Sky Rim that you no longer use, do you not?" He let the question hang. He'd given the Oocca Lord a fair bit to think about.

[Ryst Seraphine]

Ryst wasn’t so much confident in his sentries, as at night it was a skeleton shift, but rather that all he’d heard about Rwaht was true. Namely, that he had a cause, a cause that would suffer if he assassinated the Oocca Lord. Not only would it be very hard for him to get away, but that would haunt his cause for the rest of his life, affecting everything he tried to do. The hybrids already had it hard enough landside; to assassinate one of the most powerful figures in the world, the leader of the entire Ooccan race, would doom his people.

Such things were easy shields.

He watched as Rwaht gave his little speech and his demonstration. The man had come prepared. The Sky Lord had to wonder if the man had practiced this much beforehand, before his journey upward. Curious as he was, Ryst let Rwaht finish his speech and then thought on the points raised. ”Sky Rim. I hadn’t heard about that place for years. It’s been long abandoned and I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the more fearsome denizens of the sky have inhabited it now and made their nest,” the Oocca said dismissively.

But Rwaht had raised some points. The world was in a very unstable condition right now, and the hybrids would be a force to add to his own. Of course they couldn’t all fly, which made the sky a very dangerous place for them. ”You intend to ask me for use of Sky Rim in exchange for a ragtag band of mercenaries to bolster my guard?” Ryst remarked with a scoff and a laugh. ”Then again I have heard you’re not known to be a coward.”

The Sky Lord stared down at the table where Rwaht’s demonstration had taken place. ”Know that I rule the sky, and if you inhabit Sky Rim then you’re within my dominion, under my rule. Do what you wish with your hybrids, but just as most of Hyrule answers to Zelda, so does the sky answer to me.” He let that sink in. ”And I have nothing to offer to help you with the ones who cannot fly. You’ll have to figure that out. The cannons only come here, and Sky Rim is an awfully far jump with a long fall.”

[Rwaht]

Rwaht smiled.

"Some of the more fearsome denizens of the sky have yet to meet me. And nests burn." As Ryst continued, however, the smile turned into the subtlest, coldest frown.

"A ragtag group of mercenaries? You have not met the Sentinels. Their birth was in the Hylian Knights, and I do not simply accept anyone into our ranks. The fact of the matter is simply that I have plenty of material to recruit from. The country's practically bursting with Hybrids, and well apart from giving us numbers, it also lends us the advantage of flexibility. Your sister is one of my Consuls, as a matter of fact."

He paused, and flicked a finger, causing the Crystal to vanish. That left only the dice.

"I do not intend to ask you anything. I am asking you. As a favour. You give my people the Sky Rim--a large fortress that you do not have the numbers to populate, defend, or make any use of--and I will return such a considerable favour. For example, if you find yourself in need of military aid. Or if, perhaps, you require additional warriors able to fight in the skies. Many Hybrids can fly." He paused, and tented his fingers. "But the whole reason I have come here is because I am tired of functioning beneath Zelda's banner. In a world ruled by Hylians there can never be a place for the half-bloods. Answer to you? This is reasonable, depending on what one means by answering. In return, you must also answer to me. Answer for any promises you make.

"In return, I will respect your word as Lord of the Skies. But there will be no taxes, no crown, and no bended knee. I need a place for the Hybrids, a place to call their own with no rulers but the ones they choose. If things stay the way they are now...." Rwaht gestured with a hand. "Chaos. Then you will have your ragtag mercenaries, which will be nearly every Hybrid that can find a weapon. And no one will be able to control them."

He looked Ryst in the eye, his gaze never leaving him. Then he shrugged.

"As for transportation, that can be arranged. I have ideas in mind, though nothing definite at the moment. With my proposal, neither of us loses anything," Rwaht said, scooping the dice back into his hand with a shrug. "And both stand to gain quite a great deal."

[Ryst Seraphine]

There was a certain arrogance in Rwaht’s tone that annoyed Ryst. But then the Lord had asked him to drop the game, had invited him to speak as he was, so it was not Ryst’s place to do anything but try to overlook it. Which was easy enough as there were a lot of words to think over that did not require that particular tone. Sky Rim for the backing of the hybrids. A fortress long ago abandoned for a military force that might just make the sky as formidable as the land.

Ryst couldn’t say he was entirely comfortable with Rwaht’s terms. The hybrids would essentially be an entire nation within his own. That had to be addressed. ”I will give no tax nor command to those within Sky Rim, though you have to agree that my peace is your peace, and my wars are your wars. If I determine something to be worthwhile enough to go to war with, know that it is for the benefit of my sky. That includes your people. You fall into my kingdom, so I will include your people in my decisions. But only if I have your word that you will back up these choices. There will be no civil war in my skies.”

He thought for a moment. ”And while I’m not one to normally give threats, just remember if you do not hold through on your word . . . what goes up can go down, and there’s a lot more City in the Sky than there is Sky Rim.” He stood up from his chair, signalling the end of the meeting was nigh. ”I will not have civil war in my sky, so if I’m to let you in you mustn’t turn. My force is small, but I can guarantee you your hybrids are not used to the elevation as my own troops are. The air is thinner, and my troops know how to use the cloud cover. The war will be gruesome and cost us both.

“Take Sky Rim, live under my rule, and don’t try to tear the sky apart.”

[Rwaht]

Rwaht nodded.

"That is precisely the arrangement I was hoping for. The Hybrids have no wars to fight, you see, with no nation to be held under. If the Minish Chief decides to go to war, maybe only a quarter of the actual Minish hybrids will consider it a personal affair," Rwaht said, scooping up the dice briskly. "As for civil war, without my leadership, the Hybrids cannot war in the first place. I command the Sentinels; not the Hybrids as a whole. As a people they are splintered. That is what I hope to rectify in the long term, of course ... but as of now, my word is the only thing one needs to ensure the allegiance of the Sentinels. You need not fear any betrayal. We're the Sentinels, our only goal is to defend. I don't want to tear the sky apart. I just want to have somewhere my people can live without fear. Somewhere where they don't have to worry if this vendor or that will loathe them, or maybe if the town's best tailor doesn't want their kind on his doorstep. And please, don't mistake my forwardness for anything but concern for my people. I've seen enough to thoroughly concern me."

He picked the dice out of his pocket and examined them. He didn't mention it for fear that Ryst might take it the wrong way, but the one dice he'd used to represent the Oocca ... that one had been Vriska's. He'd won it off her in a game, after considerable swearing.


"If that's everything, then, I think I'll be going, for now. I'm needed back home," Rwaht said, getting out of his seat and extending a hand to the Oocca Lord. "Vriska needs to be told she can come back, after all." He sighed, and relaxed. When Rwaht went into "serious business" mode, it was more than a little tiring, but also necessary. He was glad that it was over, at least for now.

[Ryst Seraphine]

Ryst nodded. The terms were agreed upon. It was a major diplomatic act considering all the tension Rwaht and his people were trying to escape, but not one outside of Ryst’s comfort zone. The sky was different than Hyrule. The racisms, prejudices and general rulings of the land did not affect them up there, so why would the hybrids be treated any differently? His own people would get used to it in time; it’s not like Sky Rim was near enough to the city to bother those who were uncomfortable with the hybrids, and those who didn’t like the idea would have to get over themselves.

Then there was the rest of the world to consider. How would they react to the hybrids getting a home? It didn’t matter. Ryst owed Rwaht on a personal level for looking after his sister. That meant more than the Oocca Lord let on.

Ryst reached out and shook Rwaht’s hand. ”Send word when you look to take Sky Rim and I will give you what aid I can. Other than that our business is concluded. A guard will see you out,” Ryst said and then walked to the door. ”And thank you for taking care of Vriska,” he added before leaving. It was late at night and he did enjoy sleeping when he could. On his way out he gave a guard the order to escort Rwaht—just in case the Praetor expected to take care of some other unsavoury business. It was a precaution, nothing more.

The Sky Lord found he liked Rwaht. Quick and to the point, their business had taken barely half an hour when all was said and done. Better than most of the nobles who visited the court.

EXIT

[Rwaht]

Rwaht didn't show it, but he relaxed considerably after the Oocca Lord nodded and shook his hand. When he thanked him for taking care of Vriska, Rwaht paused, but didn't say anything. That was a complicated issue. Taking care of Hybrids was his duty, of course, but Vriska was special. Almost like a little sister. He didn't think that Ryst would appreciate that sentiment, or at least there was enough of a risk that he wouldn't that Rwaht would never have said so, not so shortly after securing what was, in truth, one of the greatest victories his people would see in a long time.

When Ryst left, Rwaht frowned, and followed. He passed through the throne room on the way there, and looked at the empty throne. It felt strange to look at such a thing. He'd never wanted one. Truth be told, he had a special loathing for those who called themselves kings and lords, who deigned to rule. But he had a feeling--one which he hoped was accurate--that this Ryst might be different.

He walked out of the hall, and ignored the guard that followed him. The second he was off of the castle grounds he unfurled his flaming wings--the guard gasped, which entertained the Praetor, at least--and flew away, back to the house where he lived. It was not, of course, home. Rwaht's home had burned down long ago.

Having a home was important. Rwaht wanted to ensure that his people would have one.

[ EXIT & FINISHED ]