How did it come to this?

To what?

Look at them, Akaith. Look at how they come, with hope in their eyes and ears open and willing to hear my voice. Look at the devotion they show, the strength and love with which they cling to one another - to us.

Not all of them.

No, not all of them, my dear. But they all have potential, and I hope to help each of them realise that. How did I get here?

On your feet.

Akaith!

The banter was silent, playful, coated with love and devotion shared between dragon and equine. The golden one flittered above the gathered, who grew in numbers with each passing moment, who all accepted the announcement of the great Thor rising in ranks, who celebrated the adjustment of Aaron's rank, who requested changes of their own. Mirage admired the keen enthusiasm her members held, and would do her best to accommodate them all. She was quite surprised, at the way the youth of the lands showed a willingness to learn, and acknowledged each of them with a kind smile and a gentle nod of her crown to show that she had heard their requests.

Ink's communications were not lost upon her, she did intend on speaking of the Throat - the request he weaved about his drawings did bring another thought to the forefront of her mind, and Kaj's offering of taking him there brings another small smile to her shadowy lips. She was pleased that they seemed already so comfortable about going to the Throat, for very soon, all of them would need to know both lands as well as their current one. The subtle hint of ivory amongst the outskirts of the meeting reminded her of Hellena's eternal presence upon the lands, and the warning that the Seer gave to her in the depths of the mists just the other night. Yes, there was much to be done.

They continued to arrive, and it was brought to attention just how many they had become, and what diversity now existed within her home. They were a collection of misfits, outcasts, former leaders who had chosen instead to respect her rule, wise, older creatures who offered their knowledge to the lands, young, proud souls willing to be shaped into something grand, all in the name of- what? The World's Edge? Mirage? The mare was forever proud of those who called her their WeyrLeader, for she would never force them to do such, but at the same time, she would never deny them the chance to. The mare with liquid gold eyes hushed the crowd with a subtle shift of her posture, Akaith gave a low warble as she flew above their heads, before landing upon her back, and then, her voice was summoned from the depths of her throat once more - she hoped she did not neglect anyone.

"All who have arrived here are welcome here." She began, hoping to instil upon those she may not have known intimately the fact that this was their home, as much as it was hers. "The time for celebration is short lived, though I am glad my decisions are so well received." It was a curious thing to wonder, what the mare would have done had the reception to her news been different - a prospect not worth pondering on for too long however, for Mirage lived in the present, not in the 'what if's of a situation.

"My kin, our time of peace, whilst blissful, will not be everlasting, even though our goal as the Qian is to always try to restore its hold. It is the way of the world to always descend into chaos, it is up to us to restore the balance that holds the world steady when such events occur."

"Several things have been brought to my attention, several threats to our balance, our peace that we hold dear."

"There is a stallion, who has named himself Tio, claiming to be in preparations to take over the Dragon's Throat. I have seen this steed with my own eyes, and while his following is not large, the fact that he has followers at all is something to be concerned about. An insult against the Dragon's Throat is an insult against us, for we are one and the same family, if under different titles - if any of you have information on his actions, do not hesitate to inform your Spectre, or your WeyrLeaders."

"There is another group who have named themselves the Assassins, led by the unicorn mare Ignita, whom my brothers have had dealings with. We do not know for sure who their target is, but they have been caught trespassing upon our lands before. If you do not recognise someone who walks in your home, call for the attention of a Protector immediately."

"As I have stated earlier, I must remind everyone that the Dragon's Throat is our sister herd, they are run by Kri the Resolute and Sumati the Sinbird, and we welcome those who call themselves Throat as readily as we welcome our own members. Because of this relationship, we have been planning to send members to become familiar with each of the lands on a regular basis - Ink and Kaj, you will be the first of these members. Represent the Edge well, learn as much as you can, and return to us once one season has passed."

"The Dragon's Throat have also given us information on the former residents of this land. The Qian invaded the World's Edge with the aid of the former Foothills and the Throat - and while the lands remain open to any who would accept the ideals of the Qian here, the former residents have found a home to the north, the Aurora Basin. Even before that, however, they accepted only unicorns into their midst. At first this was seen as nothing more than a harmless preference as to who one would associate with, but it has been brought to light that they are planning something far more sinister."

"They seek to dominate and destroy any who are not unicorn. We must be wary for the strike that will come - their exact numbers are unknown, but in my time there as prisoner, and with what we have been told since, they are too great for us to hope to make a strike against them. All we can do is prepare, fortify, and strengthen our forces. The trees of our land provide a natural border - I ask our new Glazier to learn the limits of his new magic to further reinforce a wall about our borders, similarly to that under construction in the Throat."

"We stand upon the lands of the Moon Goddess, and she has delivered to our Seer a warning. As if we do not have enough mortal dangers to plague us, we are told that times ahead will be full of trials. Those of you who were here a year ago know what I mean when I speak of the unbearable TallSun we endured - a heated season wrought with fires and scorching droughts - it was a reminder to us all of our mortality, a demand of respect brought about through fear and violence. I remind everyone here that we are not Gods, and it is they, through their benevolence, who allow us to reside here, their humble creations. I know not what the future will have in store for us, but the advice given is to know your friends intimately, know who you can trust, and who you cannot. Learn a unique fact about each of your comrades here, and as many as you can about our friends in the south, so that if you are presented with difficult circumstances, you can know when you have a true friend by your side."

"In light of the many requests by our youths to learn the ways of their senior members, I propose a new rank for those enthusiastic, willing youths - that of an Acolyte, so that they may study beneath their chosen mentors, and learn the art of the ranks they might desire in the future as soon as they want."

"We are a family here, and families forgive together, they grow together, they learn together. We have all come from different walks of life, and while it is often difficult to look past initial judgements, I wish to remind everyone that you have been accepted here for both your perfections and imperfections - I ask that you do the same for your kin."

It was a lengthy speech, broken up by pauses to allow the newest set of information to settle, before more was proffered. It was spoken with her strong, vibrant voice that seemed to reach into every corner of the land. Her accent made it known that it was the DragonHeart who spoke, her passion lending her speech wings so that it may be heard and understood by those even with a less firm grasp upon the language. Upon its finish, she bowed her head once more, looking to each of them, to her brothers and sister, to those tied to her family not by blood but by the Qian. She hoped she addressed everything fairly. She hoped that she was a suitable leader for them, her faithful followers. What would she be without them?

Nothing more or less than what you are now.

How so, my love?

You are Mirage. You have always been Mirage.

I suppose you are right, little queen.

I am not little!





[ ooc : Posting order is not strict in this thread, feel free to post out of order a response if you so desire. I will get to the rank updates as soon as I can! ]