Ashes of Honor, part 3/
Oct. 24th, 2017 09:09 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowandsnarkSomewhat calmed by his visit to Milliways, Tybalt returned to the Court of Cats and found himself intruding on the kittens practicing their hunting skills. Any last vestiges of vexation he felt was quickly chased away by the tiny heads of kittens, both as cats and fae, popping in out of the worn furniture and detritus that collected in his Court. He could even feel the corners of his mouth pull towards the heavens.
Of course, this was when he noted Sampson and Raj enter, and so he schooled the smile before it could claim him. Raj and his Court could see him smile, and know it for the pleasure at his strong Court. Sampson would read it as mocking at best, and a challenge at worse. And as much as Tybalt loathed the man, he was Raj's father and he would grant the man mercy for that.
This tableau held for some minutes when Tybalt caught a whiff of calla lilies. It was all the warning he, and the Court, received before a portal opened and a screaming, panicked changeling girl burst through. She ran straight at Raj and before Tybalt could cry a warning, lava poured into the Court from the portal. For the briefest of moments, Tybalt became Rand and he was in the Great Fire of London again, frozen in terror before Tybalt leaped for the nearest of his subjects and threw them from the room. A Prince is allowed to fear, but a King must act.
The smoke came quickly as he worked, throwing furniture aside to reach the kittens within. Coughing, he heard others grasping and pulling the children from the room, but it was all too slow. The fire, a hungry beast at the best of times, was ravenous.
Tybalt's jacket caught fire then, so he jumped through the Shadow Roads to the far side of the room, both to pull more of his people to safety and to extinguish the flames. He did this several more times until the smoke was choking him and the light from the flames chased away any shadows.
Still Tybalt fought on. He would save his subjects. Every last one. He was King and nothing so lowly as fire would end his Court. Silently he raged at the flames, for the smoke stole his breath.
And still he fought to find his people and get them to safety.
Pain was beneath him. Air a weakness he could ignore.
Of course, this was when he noted Sampson and Raj enter, and so he schooled the smile before it could claim him. Raj and his Court could see him smile, and know it for the pleasure at his strong Court. Sampson would read it as mocking at best, and a challenge at worse. And as much as Tybalt loathed the man, he was Raj's father and he would grant the man mercy for that.
This tableau held for some minutes when Tybalt caught a whiff of calla lilies. It was all the warning he, and the Court, received before a portal opened and a screaming, panicked changeling girl burst through. She ran straight at Raj and before Tybalt could cry a warning, lava poured into the Court from the portal. For the briefest of moments, Tybalt became Rand and he was in the Great Fire of London again, frozen in terror before Tybalt leaped for the nearest of his subjects and threw them from the room. A Prince is allowed to fear, but a King must act.
The smoke came quickly as he worked, throwing furniture aside to reach the kittens within. Coughing, he heard others grasping and pulling the children from the room, but it was all too slow. The fire, a hungry beast at the best of times, was ravenous.
Tybalt's jacket caught fire then, so he jumped through the Shadow Roads to the far side of the room, both to pull more of his people to safety and to extinguish the flames. He did this several more times until the smoke was choking him and the light from the flames chased away any shadows.
Still Tybalt fought on. He would save his subjects. Every last one. He was King and nothing so lowly as fire would end his Court. Silently he raged at the flames, for the smoke stole his breath.
And still he fought to find his people and get them to safety.
Pain was beneath him. Air a weakness he could ignore.
