Sven's lips twitched… was that all it took to seduce a snake?
Frigg glanced around, "Aye heard tell, out in the deserts, ah snake charmers. Captivating deadly snakes usen music… think this be ta same?"
Eir wanted to refute the statement… but, if a god was so easily swayed… how could lesser resist? He was distracted when the laddie came hopping over with the seven little ones in tow.
"The barter was struck, and now we have paid, now for your buckle, to complete our trade." Ashton reminded.
Sven was reluctant, but removed his belt, two small snakes wrapping around his neck as they stuck their tongue out repeatedly.
Ashton accepted the belt that was longer than he was tall. He'd have to adjust it before Beloved could wear it. With a hum of delight he sat down, getting to work.
Frigg hesitated, "Are ye no worried?"
Ashton tilted his head up in confusion, "Worried? Me? For who? Why?"
Frigg was flabbergasted, "Are ye nay worried for the lassie? She's a wee one."
Ashton blinked, "She is of age."
"Well, aye, but…" Frigg didn't want to say the snake might force her… but, shouldn't there be some concern leaven them be?
"She went with him willing, plans of her own, she may be a wee one, but her will won't be ignored." Ashton stated with a nod as he removed the fur lining the cores. He quickly found feathers of all colors, lining them up according to shade.
Frigg felt a cold nip on the back of his neck. It wasn't even half an hour when the snake god returned, looking quite pleased as he carried the lassie in his arms.
Ashton was quickly gathered up in the large snake tail, he didn't protest as he was carried up into the tree. He'd already sized the belt down, organized the feathers, and was now sewing them into the paper thin leather. When Beloved wore it, it would be more a corset than belt.
Ashton thought about getting the big fox to cast another size adjusting enchantment. This would be a useful tool to nurture the eggs before she lay them.
Sven couldn't shake the feeling something was off. His shared glances with the others confirmed they felt the same.
Sven nodded to the other delegations. Frigg gave a sloppy salute before he and Eir walked over. Sven took his little guardian snakes to meet the rest of the other men.
Sebastian watched as the hulking warriors approached. Despite the much warmer temperatures of the empire, they all wore leather armor and furs. Descendants of Vikings or some such. They used to be a raiding, pillaging pest, until the empire came into power. Now they were holed up in their mountains.
Sebastian didn't dislike them per say, but their… gruff, rude, barbaric behavior left much to be desired. Their speech… wasn't much better.
Rommel was actually a little relieved that his next report would be about another, much less threatening delegation. Though, to know their king came was significant, it was clear the party intended to leave before nightfall like all the years prior.
"So, ye be sayin. The male bird, Nix, he be ah phoenix?" Frigg asked as he shared some of their honey mead.
Rommel took a tentative sip of the mead, he just… didn't like it. "Yes, Lord Nix is the phoenix of legend."
Eir rubbed his beard, "He donna look like some mad beast. Nor do he seem unreasonable. He said he was ah phoenix, or the phoenix."
Rommel hesitated, "He confirmed he was the phoenix to fight the gods a thousand years ago."
Eir leaned back, something wasn't adding up. He took a moment to watch the bird, Nix, adjusting the belt for the female. Then he bowed his head to continue his work. "He looks… gentle. I donna ken if aye should be believen such legends… no if he be considered crazed."
Frigg nodded, then stood up as he downed his mead. Liquid dripping into his beard. "Aye then, Aye be up for ah challenge."
Rommel stared dumbfounded as the hulking man completely disarmed, then started walking up to the snake god. "What… is he doing?"
Eir let out a long sigh, "Aye, if someone be mad, surely it would be Frigg the Fearless." Ever since he was a lad, he'd go into bear caves, chase tigers, swim in frozen lakes. There was no challenge he did not partake in.
Frigg didn't hesitate has he vaulted himself over the snake tail. He stood over the wee lad. The laddie blinked up at him, with a shrug, Frigg lifted Lord Nix under his arms so they were face to face. "Aye be Frigg, Aye donna believe aye introduced meself."
Ashton blinked as he tilted his head. "Hello Frigg, fearless and bold, is this a challenge, or to confirm what you know?"
Frigg grinned as he set the laddie back down. "Tis ah bit ah both, ye be… ah conundrum."
"Oh? How so?" Ashton asked as he finished the last stitch. Seeing the feathers secured around the beast cores, all that was left was the enchantment.
"Ye donna rise me hackles, even ye lady sets off alarms in me mind, yet ye… donna." Frigg explained as he sat on the giant snake tail. Honestly, he'd thought the snake god might object to a mere mortal using his tail as a seat.
Haven blinked as he turned his attention to the tense human. "Do trees raise your hackles?"
Frigg blinked in confusion, then eyed the giant mostly transparent tree, "Aye, well, I donna believe they do."
Haven smiled as he had everyone's attention. Coiling his tail around Nix's ankle to dangle him over the watching humans, "Nix, is like a tree."
Ashton blinked as the world was upside down, "Cheep?"
Haven chuckled, "People, animals, beasts, can all enjoy the bounty from trees without worry. Eat their fruit, sleep in their shade, know their roots will keep the earth from eroding away." Haven further explained as Beloved fell through a rift, laying herself out on his tail to poke at the dangling Nix.
Frigg nodded, "Aye, so, he no be a threat?"
Haven turned his reptilian smile on the humans, "Not without cause, for instance, if someone were to taint the water he drinks, his fruits could become toxic. If someone sets him on fire, the fire could rage out of control. If someone cut the trunk, they could be crushed."
Eir watched as Frigg was unceremoniously dumped on the ground.
Frigg rubbed his smarting backside, "Aye, so, our instincts donna see Lord Nix as a threat."
"He… is a beast of pride. A sin beast," Zane ventured he watched the seemingly harmless lord Nix.
Haven stilled, then brought Nix to his face for a better look. "No, Nix is not a beast of sin."
Zane froze… not a beast of sin? But… he'd admitted it… when they'd first met. Said he wasn't a beast of virtue.
Ashton covered his face, but peeked through his fingers. "If you don't really think."
"And you turn a blind eye." Beloved added covering her face as she peeked through her fingers.
"You squint real~ly hard." Ashton dragged out.
"Ashton could be mistaken for pride." Beloved whispered.
Haven stared at Nix, then at the dumbfounded humans. "Nix is a beast of pride, the way… that dragonkin is a prince."
Sebastian blinked as he looked at his emperor. So… Lord Reece… was a tier higher?
Haven sighed as he dropped Nix back among his coils. Beloved jumped to land on his back, as if she could hide him. With a flick of his tail a triangle was cut into the earth. "Humans and their need to change history. Being a beasts of sin or virtue, simply means they have enough power to influence emotion. Think of them as… princes or princesses."
The bottom of the pyramid now had the word prince.
"Some princes are strong, some are weak, some are well spoken, some are crafty, some die without ever knowing how." Haven continued. "Some princes are heir to the throne, typically such princes are more well rounded, but not always. Does that make sense?"
Everyone nodded along.
"Ashton might be considered a beast of pride, but Nix is not." Haven emphasized. "Nix, is a monarch."
Neolani's gut lurched, "What's the difference, Ashton is Nix."
Haven gave the human a condescending, pitying smirk. "Again, not so. Ashton is… the wood. Nix, is the fire. You might think the burning log, but that log will never be the flame. It is merely the sacrifice."
Sebastian felt his heart drop into his stomach. "I… do not understand your… godship."
Haven glanced over the hiding birds. Both were now under his wing, little more than their eyes could be seen. "I'm saying, Ashton was offered to the gods as sacrifice, and one accepted."
Haven felt a small surge of exhilaration as the humans were mystified by his revelation. Perhaps this is why beings of lesser power kept humans around. To feed their vanity.
"But, his parents… they should have known…" Neolani denied staring at Ashton.
Haven's smiled widened, "I don't recall saying he was the only sacrifice. If I recall, three were accepted as sacrifice, the rest… were burned."
Neolani shivered as the snake glanced her over, pity, distaste, dismissal…
"The real wonder, is why the heart bearer did not offer up suitable kindling." Haven smirked as his coils tightened around the birds, "Well, you cannot even keep Nix from enduring so much taint. Perhaps the gods did not find your offerings acceptable."
Alexei stepped forward just enough to draw attention away from his Regina, "I'm sure offering a living child as sacrifice, was not what he wanted."
Haven chortled, "Who said it had to be a human? A few feathers, and enough happiness would have been far more suitable." Haven turned back to the humans draped in animal furs and hide, "All that to say, Nix is only a fraction of the threat you would make him. He is more likely… to simply fly off."
Frigg eyed the hiding lad, "What be ta difference between ah beast prince… an ah monarch?" The idea that the lad was offered to a god… that be ah concern fer later.
Haven turned back to his triangle, adding another layer, "Monarchs, kings if you like the term better, must be powerful. Unlike beast princes who may liv in peace, affecting only those they make contact with. Monarchs have… established domains. Territories, kingdoms. Whatever word you wish to use, they are regularly challenged for their crown. In fact, there are only two ways to become a monarch. Kill the reigning king and survive or create a new kingdom."
Devlin pursed his lips… Ashton… wasn't exactly some harmless tree. Nor did he seem to have a territory to speak of.
Sebastian nodded, that made sense, but… if Lord Reece had a territory… the dragon of greed's territory was the empire… was he also a monarch?
Haven glanced around the clearing, "Their territory is not determined by land. Monarchs are defined by their ability to influence the physical world around them. So, a monarch of earth can control if the soil is fertile or becomes a desert."
Sebastian glanced around… he hadn't noticed any changes to the physical environment since meeting Lord Reece.
Devlin cleared his throat, "Your Godship, then… what is the difference between a monarch… and a god?" Suddenly he couldn't exhale. Gripping his throat, he fell to his knees. Devlin stared in horror as the snake god opened his free wing, rising his body up above them.
Haven gave the human a tight smile, "A god is the pinnacle of their chosen element. Not only that, our territory does have physical boundaries like human settlements. In our territory, no one uses our chosen element on accident."
Leonard darted forward, trying to figure out what was wrong. As Devlin started to go blue in the face he realized Devlin couldn't breathe.
Haven sneered as he released the human. Only because beneath his wing several small birds were blinking up at him. "That is to say, without my permission, you cannot even draw breath into your lungs."
Devlin choked on the fresh air.
Beloved poked her head out, "That is to say, you are the best, but is there not a wind god, one of the west?"
Haven lowered his head to peer under his wing only for the birds to pull his feathers down. "Yes, though… he may be wishing to relinquish his godhead. Just as there are 9 sea gods, a rain god, lake gods, river gods. A god's hierarchy is determined by how much territory they hold, and how close to quintessence their chosen element is."
Beloved peeked her head out again, "Is that why you ate them? Three of the four, to become the best? Eating their power and more?"
Haven smiled, "Of course, it's an eat or be eaten world."
Beloved nodded along, then opened a small rift. Screams of agony, the clash of swords, the wet squelch of flesh being torn asunder, words of power suddenly engulfed the clearing. Beloved looked for said west god of wind… oh… he was currently being burned in a raging tornado of flame… "Maybe… tomorrow. Crispy wind doesn't sound yummy."
Haven blinked, "You… can remove them from Ru's realm?"
Beloved blinked. "Uhh… yes? We sometimes go to play, Ru sometimes gets lonely, death is not his only game."
Haven tucked the information away. To play is it? Of course, he remembered Nix was always around Ru. Even when Ru fought to become a god, then as he defeated all others who dared claim to be a sun god.
Devlin forced himself to look up, "I cough cough, saw it, Ashton, Nix, cough, fighting a dragon. I saw him, stab it, cough, in the eye!"
Haven raised a brow, then once again lifted his wing to see the birds huddling together. Then he opened a rift on the wandering three. They appeared to be playing with more unsavory types.