The dove was greeted with a soft nicker and a smile from Africa, to which she responded with a respectful dip of the head. Astraeus crooned his own greeting before settling carefully upon his bonded's withers, gentle sparks radiating across his wings. The golden tiara atop the angel's poll twinkled merrily in the sunlight, twining beautifully with her ivory mane and marking her new position to any who had yet to hear the news. She smiled shyly at the group, bashful in her inexperience, hopeful that they would accept her as a second leader as easily as their God had.

Africa went on to address the herd, taking the first step into their herd meeting. As it was the first time the angel had stood before her family as a leader, she was happy to allow her one-winged friend the spotlight. A naturally shy creature, it was not in Sohalia's nature to stand before them and recite some lovely speech, however adept she may be with one-on-one diplomacy. She watched the Starry-Eyed with admiration, for Africa showed no nerves as she spoke to the gathered audience. It appeared that the pair complimented one another - where Sohalia had taken the lead in discussing alliances with Midas, Africa would prove better able to discuss their decisions with the herd.

But as Africa paused, the dove realized that it would soon be her turn to speak. There were many changes to be made in their homeland, and as several of them had been her idea, it was only fitting that she would be the one to bear the news. And, of course, it wouldn't hurt to give herself a voice. Before she could speak, though, she noticed the look of despair on Sacre's face, the gentle rebuke from his lips, and she frowned, upset for him. She did not know his history, did not know of his family, but she could clearly see the emotions playing across his features. Hoping to dispel his concerns and ease any thought of reverse racism, she spoke up. "It should be noted that although we do not welcome those of the Aurora Basin within our borders, they should still be treated with respect and dignity should they be encountered elsewhere. It is unfortunate," she added with an apologetic glance towards their Sleuth, "But we are charged with the protection of our herd, and we feel this is the best decision at this time.

"We have other news, though, and it is my hope that this news will be a step towards bridging the gaps between the herds and forging strong relationships with our neighbors." She smiled then, barely able to contain her excitement. "After a great deal of consideration, we have decided to found an academic institution within the Dragon's Throat. We will welcome anyone, from any herd, who would like to pursue a discipline that we offer. We would like to teach combat skills, magic skills, and support the development of wisdom, history, and the like. We are very optimistic about this idea, and we hope that you will all find it as exciting as we do! We will be looking for instructors in the three areas I mentioned, so if you are interested, or if you would like to be a student, please let us know."

"Finally, we will soon be holding a tournament to decide a Gladiator to lead our soldiers! A timeline will be determined shortly, but should you have an interest in combat, we would like you to enter."

"talk talk talk"
@[name]

Live... I want to live on fire
Die... I want to burn out brighter
Brighter than the northern lights
Want to live to feel the daylight