Zepheros and Lordus - Joint Post
Lavaridge
Lordus was examining Aurora as she spoke to the Blaziken, his eyes unflinching. She giggled at the end to relieve the tension, a sound that brought memories of a Dratini back to his stormy mind. Tray spoke in reply, drawing his attention away from the unwanted thoughts.
"Nothing is wrong... because war is natural for us. We are at war with the Ruber Tribe everyday. So what if our enemy is the Ruber scum or the humans? All we need to know is what to kill... if it comes down to war, that is." his words left Lordus unsmiling, staring at the ground. "I know as much as you do when it comes to the human threat. Adamantius is doing everything he can to help us. And we have to cooperate to survive."
He barely listened, only lifting his eyes to glance at the aether form of the slender dragon before him. Her purple bulbs about her neck were shining in a ray of sunlight. She's the perfect distraction, he thought darkly, deciding to disregard her. For now. A great frown was all that showed in his face when he turned to Trev once again, who appeared to be leaving.
"I'll talk to you two chaps later, for now, I have a job to handle. Please proceed to the town square where we have an important announcement to make."
"I'll be sure to hear you announce we're having war and that it's nothing out of the ordinary," his voice trailed off, his head slightly tilting, his dark blue eyes fixed on this Blaziken called Trev. He figured Trev thought himself smart and important, but he minded none. The warchiefs could play their game of power. He wondered how many people of his tribe actually shared the views of this one - that war is within the norms. A poor lie he told him and Aurora, was he thinking they were oblivious of what the mechanical birds of the humans scourging the skies meant? Lordus's cocky pride would have been wounded once, when somebody thought him stupid, but now he just stared at Trev in a blank expression. Anger was beneath it, nagging him as if to come out. He detested dishonest men who did not speak of things with their name, but he knew better than to start a quarrel within the tribe before their enemies could even have a chance to destroy it.
The edge of his eye caught the Aggron, their withered leader, coming to town, but there were things of more import to think about. One of these was Aurora, but he waved her image off and turned his spiked back to her.
"War is ordinary, according to this lad. Might be he thinks it's a game, too, but he'll soon learn, I wager." His eyes were scourging Lavaridge from the small hill they were up to, for the familiar figure of the bird he had seen before. A Staraptor. He found him right there, deeper within the small town, close to the crowd that was forming on the square of the town. "You'll have to pardon me, lady," he said curtly and without the courtesy that usually went along with the words he spoke. Nothing he ever said sounded kindle at all. As he descended, the tips of the bandages of his left arm billowed behind him, racing with the wind, the tips of his black swords scratching the yellow, withered grass.
Zepheros. An Ampharos was right next to him and a Rufflet about them; a quick glance was all he spared for them, but he did not know any them. "Zepheros," he called out once in range, and once their eyes crossed, he said, "there's to be a telling of sorts from Adamantius." Lordus's eyes traveled past the company of the three Pokemon to the square, where more and more Pokemon were gathering from all around the town to hear whatever was going to be said. Then he was back looking at the Staraptor in a face that would be made out of stone. "A word, if you would," he said.
"I heard," said the bird with a flat, serious tone. "And of course, Lordus. You never fail to intrigue me."
Glancing at Galeno and his apprentice, Zeph dipped his head as a sign of apology. It was rather impolite to leave a budding conversation mid-way, but this could be something important. Who knew? "I'll be right back. If the meeting starts, go there without me."
He then turned towards the Haxorus and looked into his eyes, giving him a nod of approval. Only now could Zeph truly feel the tense atmosphere of the approaching war and the confusion shared among almost everyone in the tribe. Upon spotting a vacant area of the town center, Zepheros lifted himself off the sand and landed gracefully on the ground, signalling Lordus to join him. When he did, though, his facial expression stayed the same - emotionless and cold. 'It's like I'm talking to a Magnezone...'
Clearing his throat, Zepheros tilted his head and asked the dragon with a soft yet neutral voice. "What's on your mind, Lordus?"
Lordus took his time before answering, all the while staring at the crowd forming at the square, distant fuss. "War is upon us, but hell, it won't be nothing like our past quarells with Ruber." He turned to look at Zepheros intently, so that the bird could grasp his meaning. "Beings that live under the water are treacherous. I smell a foul stench, and it's not piss for a certainty... it's worse. No good will come out of this meeting Adamantius and that Trev are preaching. Not for us of Caelurus. I reckon..." his voice lowered and he leaned forward, so their eyes were at the same height. "The frogs will consort with the humans. They will push us up the north from all sides, until we're well done and cooked."
"And once we're done for, the humans would turn against the Ruber tribe and get rid of them as well. They're not that stupid," Zepheros pointed out with a frown, revealing the flaws in Lordus' wild guess...at least, he assumed they were flaws. "They're as clueless as we are, Lordus. We don't know what the humans are capable of, and we could be the sea-lovers' last hope for survival."
Looking away from the Haxorus' gaze, Zeph looked at the buzzing crowd gathered at the town center and sighed. "I have my doubts, but I don't think Ruber would join the two-legged scum just yet. The worst thing that can happen today would be Adamantius' death, followed by a heated conversation between the two tribes. To be honest, I don't care that much about the Ruber Tribe anyway - it's these new pests that are bothering me."
Lordus grinned slightly in response, disagreeing quietly with the Staraptor before him; if anything should happen on this meeting, even the slightest misstep, there would be war. And the war would explode like the black eggs the fleshlings were tossing; heated, should anything happen to their precious Adamantius. Or any of the leaders, for that matter. He was looking south, to the forests and mountains below Lavaridge, knowing somewhere in the distance was the colony the humans had built in Slateport. Perhaps they were trouble worth more attention, on that matter he agreed with Zepheros. But then he convinced himself otherwise.
"The fleshlings seem unaware of nature, Zepheros. They're wielding these weapons that shoot death, be that as it may. But in the end they're as fragile as cublings to the breast of their mother. They've claimed but a little part of our homeland, and they're weak as it is. I see them trying to survive, and if they are to survive on our land..." he paused, his grin long gone. "The sea's gonna help them." The implication was strong in the word sea.
Uneasiness took Zeph over the truth made its way into their minds. "Either way, we shouldn't dig our own graves," Zepheros started with small gulp of uncertainty, "But what you said is undeniable. If the Ruber tribe has the golden opportunity to destroy us, they might as well help these 'fleshlings', like you just said. Still, a couple of things do make me wonder..."
The Staraptor spun around and looked south, picturing the watery tribe within his mind. "If memory serves me right, Aecor hasn't exactly started any wars before. To be honest...our tribe have always been the offensive. If you, Lordus, were leader of the tribe," Zeph met his gaze and continued with his question. "What would you do about this matter, then? It feels like we're playing 'cat and mouse' blindfolded, don't you think?"
Lordus threw back his head, roaring his raspy, coarse laughter to the skies. It took him three seconds to stop, all the while grabbing the belts around his thick waist. "Me? Leader? Ah... no." His otherwise stony face did have the slightest hint of amusement, though. He looked down upon Zepheros, leaning forward as if not to be heard by anyone but him. "That's treason you speak of, Zepheros. T'least it might sound so in the wrong ears. Our leader is still alive and well... though he might be short a head soon after this meeting." To answer your question, feathered lad... "I'd strike first. The dagger at the throat from the shadows thinks it given that it's taking the man it's pointed at unawares... I'd make them bloody sure they remembered that mistake, was I the leader."
"It's not treason when it's only a couple of 'what ifs'," Zeph defended himself, smiling back by just a little bit. "And it's also a little risky to strike when we don't know what shenanigans they can pull off, don't you think? When the time is right, maybe, but not now. Either way, it's still better than Adamantius' 'plans'. I can give you that." It's always good to have someone who could talk to you about wartime tactics; exchanging viewpoints and perspectives had always been pretty fun.
Risks were something Lordus would gladly take, however, and the Haxorus had to silently disagree with his ally - he just didn't say that part out loud. He nodded simply and looked toward the square. "I'd get us to hear what they have to tell us, before speaking further of war. Rather let us be informed."
Zepheros agreed and turned towards the buzzing crowd, using his talons to maintain his balance while walking on the sand. "Let us see if Trevalyn has something worth listening to then."
On the way, the Staraptor went past a familiar Dragonair who seemed to be standing there alone for the time being. What's her name again...? Aurora or something? Realizing that this was a good spot for the meeting, he decided to stand beside her and waited calmly for the briefing to begin.
(WALL OF TEXTTTTTTTTTTTT. Oh well it's a good read xD)