| The Sea and The Sun | ||
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| Summary: Two rivaling houses prepare to set their differences aside. Kotal Kahn meets with Morgana to offer his blessing to her newborn child, and grant her the gifts of the God of War.  |
MURADIN'S DIGS ENTRANCE Ah, to think that there are people in this universe that would refuse an invitation from a GOD! It's been a day or two after Urus asked an audience of Kotal Kahn, albeit in incognito at first. It had been a visit for both pleasure and business, since after Urus took his revenge of D'vorah he had asked a favor of the great God of War. It was one that made Kotal think that his debt to the Bronzebeard family was repaid and that there was no longer any ill will between. Imagine his surpise when he found through Urus that the Siren still held it against him for controlling her so long ago, to the point that she wouldn't even bring her child to be blessed by him. Surely that could not be. However, once it was clear that Morgana wasn't coming to his temple, Kotal took up to himself to see what he could do to finally bury the axe. So he is here, before the entrance of the smith. No cohorts, no grand display, just him and a gift for the family. He clears his throat and knocks on the door awaiting an answer. Morgana had heard that Urus has gone to Kotal's palace and fought. She knew that he and Muradin had plans for a sword that needed a gods blessing. She had no regard for gods, they did not impress her, especially after having met Kotal. She had been tending her offspring when she heard the sound of someone at the forge gates. The siren settled her babe in her watery tidal crib to rest and wandered up to see who was knocking. Mura and Urus were both away and so it was only she about the family lair at the moment. The siren wore only a simple sarong made of some silvery fabric that whispered about her body but left nothing really to the imagination. Her long dark hair flowed in silky waves around her body , falling almost to her knees in the back. Her inky eyes still holding that odd alien look where one could see no whites to her eyes and it was impossible to see the difference between her iris and pupil. As she made her way up to the gates she pauses and looks through the iron bars of the gates and sees the great turquoise man standing there in all his glory, the night around him like a starry cloak. Dark eyes narrow and she sighs in a nearly musical note as she unlocks the gate and draws it open. One delicate brow arches and her chin lifts as she raises those dark eyes to golden ones. “Urus and Muradin are not available to attend you or your warrior needs. You will need to return another time.” Her tone is cool and almost business polite. She has learned to mimic this polite tone and not directly threaten all of Mura's customers, though there is a sign on the beach that reads “beware of siren, be nice or be eaten.” Perfect. When it is Morgana who appears by the door and reveals to Kotal Kahn that the men are out of the house, a somewhat devilish grin appears on the God of War's face. What dastardly deeds could he be planning!? "Hello to you, Morgana. That will be quite alright, as it is you that I have business with." That certainly does not bode well! "May I come in? I have brought gifts." He continues as he gestures to the neatly wrapped box he holds in his left hand. Clearly he is not intimidated at all by the Beware the Siren sign at the door. Beware Greeks baring gifts....they never warn you about War Gods. The siren arches her brow and looks from Kotal to the gift and back. It would seem that family life agrees with the siren, for she is clear of eye and her sleek form practically glows with vitality. Indeed it is good that Muradin had very recently seen to her feeding needs, not that she needed his powerful blood often but it kept her from needing as much lower level life’s blood and kept her fierce hunger quieted to the softest of whispers. The siren took a long slow breath and she turned the lock on the gate and pulled it open. The lady stepped back and inclined her head “It would be ungracious to refuse.” Oh my that sounded painfully civilized , who knew the siren had it in her. A surprise indeed, and yet a pleasant one! Kotal half expected for Morgana to turn away in a huff or at the very least fake him out by opening the gate half way and then slamming it on his face. Whether Morgana felt compelled to let him enter for the possibility of drinking his blood or because she truly had become more civilized meant little for the War God, as his intentions were perfectly pure. Sure, that one trick with the Greek city of Troy -had- been incredibly amusing but he's long stopped pulling such tricks with mortals, let alone other mythical creatures like Morgana. "Thank you." Kotal notes with no small amount of smugness to his voice as he is finally is treated with the respect he thinks he deserves. As he enters, he unravels the mysterious gift showing that it is a goblet masterfully crafted with gold and jewels. "For you and your family." He offers it to Morgana. "I know of how you like such trinkets and for your husband's practicality with gifts. May it delight both your hearts." Smugness, a trait in the war god that often annoys the siren. For in her opinion his smugness is ill deserved. He is a being of power, congrats, it doesn't mean he is truly a better soul then any other. She has met far weaker beings with greater worth. As she opens the gate she gestures for him to enter then closes the gate behind him with a click. The siren angles her head to watch the war god as she moves a slightly wide half circle around him so she can lead him into the family sitting area. Gesturing to a chair the lady puts herself between the god and the first door on the left. She stays out of hands reach even though its clear she has put herself, on guard, as it were. As Kotal opens the gift and shows her the goblet, her head tilts and her brows lift in gentle surprise. “its a very lovely item Kotal. It is a pleasure to receive it.” Though she does not come closer to Kotal, clearly keeping a more then polite distance between them. Any comfort that Kotal felt after he and his gift well received into the Siren's hold banished as soon as he was offered a seat. It did not take a God to feel the tension in the air, the dismissiveness! A trait from the Siren that never gave Kotal any joy. How quickly did he realize that all were naught but formalities from the mermaid. To her he may as well be scum from the bottom of the sea. A sigh came from the Aztec lord as he sat before Morgana, it was not a pleasant exhale of air. "As you might know Urus came to my temple seeking some favors. He also mentioned that you still hold ill towards me due to the friction we had in Twisted." Another sigh. "I had hope you'd put all that behind us.. for you see.. I was hoping you would bring your daughter to my temple so that I may bestow my blessing upon her." Oh the siren was far from dismissive when it came to Kotal, no, in him she saw danger, what she felt more akin to what the mongoose feels when they see a cobra. The siren is as clear headed as she has ever been, strong and well fed and as at peace as one such as she can attain. The greatly heaved sigh,from Kotal brings a little squinting of the sirens dark eyes, and though she rests on one hip on a plush pillow she looks ready to bolt at the slightest provocation. She is attempting to be polite, is this not a great deal better then she has managed to treat the war god before, should he not be glad of her attempt at human civility? “I am aware of what Urus has been up to. He is working with Muradin on weapons. I laughed when I was told that I had been commanded to come speak with you on your mountain, I found it amusing that anyone would think they could command me to leave my waters and travel so far inland, and up onto a mountain. And then I remembered who would dare issue such a command and I realized it was not meant as a joke. As to my ill will against you Kotal, how could you think it would be anything else. It was you who called me through the void and into Twisted. For that you have my thanks, but it was also you who bound me like a lesser thing, dangling your fragile friends before me, like dangling a steak before a starved hound and then punish me for taking the bait. It was also you who called yourself my friend but then made me beg for the one thing that could clear my mind and slake my hungers. Oh you shared your precious blood but stingily. I had hoped perhaps your having dealt with the loss of your chosen, even briefly would have brought you to understanding of the grief and madness I had suffered but I can hear in your tone you are no closer to understanding me then ever. Had I not escaped you and fled to the sea, I never would have found my chosen or been gifted with my offspring.” Her tone never lifts to argumentative, she is clear headedly explaining. Weather this “god” can learn and understand remains to be seen. Respect, fear, threatening. These are all things that a God of War such as Kotal Kahn find worthy of his presence. Even someone that despises him can still honor him by granting him the Kombat that he Kraves. But it is different with Morgana. Though she feels tense whenever he is near, it is clear she views him with contempt. He is no rival to her in her eyes, not one that can be worthy of grand battle. He's just a nusiance! And Kotal Kahn can feel it. If it was amusing to him at some point it has long lost its humor. The deity rolls his glowing eyes and shifts from his seat. "I did not command you to come to my temple. I commanded Urus to invite you." He explains, used to by now for Urus to get messages mixed up, ever the unreliable courier. A grumble comes for Kotal Kahn then as Morgana retells that Twisted story. The story of how they all came to be in the lands of Twisted. There is a calm fury in his eyes when the Siren finishes. Almost as if he's about to stand and throw furniture around. Just as it feels like he is about to glow with the power of the sun.. he deflates, his shoulders relaxing.. "I will not make excuses for what I did, Morgana. I acted in what I believed to be everyone's best interest. It might have looked to you that I was toying with you and your affliction, but to me I simply wanted to protect my friends and co-workers." The warrior grows silent again, thoughtful. "I cannot undid what has passed. But, if you felt like I offended you. I apologize, it was not my intention to do so." At the very least, he can learn to say sorry, it seems. As Kotal's eyes glow and he looks like he is about to erupt hotter than the volcano under which they reside, the siren draws in a great breath then holds it. Waiting perhaps for an attack to come. She shifts ever so imperceptibly to put her body between the war god and what ever lays beyond that door way. As Kotal quiets though and makes his explanations, the siren blinks. The apology genuinely surprises the siren and for a moment she must look quite comical in her shock. Releasing her breath, it sighs out in a gentle musical note. “you are as I am Kotal, made more by your chosen one. I see newness in you, a growing that did not exist in Twisted. Never before would you have offered me anything but scorn and a lack of understanding. I...accept...your offering. I will not say it is easy to forget what has been, but perhaps this is a time for newness for us both.” Those dark eyes soften and the tense wariness eases in her just a little. A smile draws across Kotal when Morgana mentions Minu. It is a surprisingly warm one, not the type that one would expect to see etched across the face of a War God. His mind goes to times spent with his beloved and indeed he agrees, he has become much stronger because of her. Not physically stronger-- but stronger as a person. Even a deity can still find spiritual growth. "You are correct, Morgana. I can see in you a new light as well. Perhaps we are more alike than we initially thought. For I too was once lost as you might have been." He draws in a calming breath and his smile widens. "Which is why I propose a new beginning. Your child, she deserves my blessing. Allow me to bestow her my power so that she may be the bridge between our two houses." Morgana tilts her head and gives the war god a skeptical look. Kotal should be pleased that she didn't scoff at him or dismiss his offer out of hand, but so long of being wary of him has taken its toll and she looks uncertain as to the manner of this offering. She never hoped to have offspring, in her thousand years and then she was gifted with Marina. The child has become everything to her mother. Though Muradin is her mate, there are promises she made Marina long before she was born that the siren will kill or die to up hold. A tiny frown creases the siren's brow. “I have seen the mark on my warrior, Urus from your blessing (remember she wasn't present for that event) and I am not sure I want my offspring so marked Kotal...” Clearly there is still much to learn between the two, for it is now Kotal who looks skeptical. Indeed, in a strange reverse of how the normal situations between these two play out, it is Kotal who can't restrain himself and actually scoffs. "Oh, you mean that!?" Laughs the War God dismissively. "Leave it to Urus to carry a mark of shame with pride. No, no. That is no blessing, Morgana. I put my mark on Urus back when we were in Twisted, it was a way to control him while he was under my employment." So essentially another leash. "I have no such plans for your daughter. I want our houses to be friends, or at least allies! Such is the way great dynasties like ours survive. With such a blessing she will be an even greater warrior and no mark from me will remain. She will still be yours." Morgana tilts her head thoughtfully as Kotal speaks. He can see how intensely she is contemplating his offer. It might well be the first time he has witnessed the siren being so very thoughtful and focused. She has not turned the war god away, she has not cast off his offer, she is actively thinking about it and what it will mean for her child. She is cautious though where her offspring is concerned. “I understand that you offer a gift Kotal, however, things between us have been challenging. If you swear, on the life of your Chosen one, that this gift will give you no control over my offspring and it will bring her no harm, I will accept it. I will do whatever I must to assure my Marina's safety and happiness.” Kotal's reaction is not immediate. The god does as he often does; when in Kombat there is no doubt that he is quick and precise, a blur of motion and explosive impact. But in a social setting-- when engaged in diplomacy, he is slow and deliberate, taking his time to think of his words and his action before moving. When he finally does know what to do though, he is fully committed just as he were in a fight. The Aztec god stands slowly and reaches for the hilt of his macuahuitl. The giant serrated blade is unleashed and it may look for a moment to Morgana that he's about to strike! A violent rebuttal for his offer being questioned. But its not the siren who is the target of his blade. Kotal's macuahuitl is brought gently to the ground and he leans on it before he himself takes a knee. To think, that a god would kneel before the mermaid. "I swear upon my life, and that of my entire family. That my blessing will give me no control over your child. She is your own, and thus she shall remain, no matter what power she attains from me." As Kotal rises from his seat and draws his sword, the siren sits on her pillow and though the sound is soft, she makes a hissing sound. There is an answering sound from the open tunnel at the opposite end of the room. There is a wet sloshing, like something big moving in water and a whispered dragging sound. When the war god takes a knee before her, she softly spills a gentle note of music onto the air then goes silent , as does all sound from the far tunnel. Was it all imagination or has the siren developed some interesting skills since she spent time with Kotal. Clearly its not only motherhood that has occurred to the siren. She doesn't so much as look toward the tunnel and there is no further sounds either from her or whatever was splashing about. Morgaa tilts her head as Kotal offers up his oath. Dark eyes half lid and she gently inclines her head in acceptance. The siren shifts from her hip to her knees then simply rolls to her feet. “We are honored to accept your offered gift of blessing.” The siren is grace incarnate as she holds a sleek and delicate hand out toward Kotal, a gesture for him to rise and join her as she looks toward the door she was guarding. “my offspring sleeps in her pool.” Kotal does not stir when he hears the hiss nor the grumbles echoing from the tunnels below. He is a Warrior! And the God of all Warriors no less! To quiver now or to show any sign of fear would mean to show that he does not trust Morgana. Only by showing that he himself has overcome his previous need to control her can he hope that Morgana will do the same and regard him as an ally from now on. If it means taking a stray blow, so be it. What is a strike against him from the countless blows he has taken in his long life as a fighter. Fortunately, Morgana has also grown wiser as well as powerful and she seems to know well the meaning of a God kneeling before her means. The Aztec smirks when he hears Morgana's melodic voice accepting his offer and he stands once more placing his serrated sword on his back once more. He holds a hand up though, gesturing Morgana to stop. "Not just yet, Morgana. I wish for this to be a grand ceremony. Might you give me some time to make the preparations for this celebration?" The siren tilts her head as the war god lifts his hand to hold her off a moment. She draws in a breath and lets it out in a melodic sigh. Her lips quirk in an expression of....humor? Oh yes, it does look as if Kotal has caught the siren on a rare day indeed, where did all this newness come from? Her lips curl and she shakes her head "you landed and your ceremonies, always making things far more complicated then they need to be." Her voice is soft and musical, again that musical lilt to her words and that clear expression of rueful humor. What has that dwarf been doing to teach the siren such things about landed folks? Kotal has always been a bit of a showman after all. You have to be when you're a god, not to mention the God of War at that where intimidation can win a battle from the very beginning. The Aztec puffs his chest proudly and puts his hands on his waist, grinning broadly. "Needless complications?? Nonsense! This is a grand occasion! And grand occasions require grand celebrations!!" He extends a hand out, as if addressing a large crowd. "Your whole family is invited to my temple- yes, even Urus. You shall be our honored guests and shall be treated as such! Let us be rivals no longer and this celebration shall mark the beginning of our union." | |
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