this is the first meeting between Oesala and Erundur, and Eqquā. Ñiettaquoua has saved the two, Oesala wanted to build and empire, Ñiettaquoua was like 'oh I'll take you to the right guy yay'
now they're here :3
“Introducing to you, lord Eqquā, the heir of the God-Empress of the Eastern Slaver’s Empire and her brother, the prince.”
Ñiettaquoua had landed in a clearing in the middle of the jungle, near a city there. He seemed to know a lot of spirits, and had decided to bring the two of them here, to this spirit named Eqquā who was a lord of this random primitive city state in the wildernis.
Being known in the city, he was quickly let through to meet the lord, who was bowed over a lot of paper, ink somehow flowing over it without permanently attaching, until it had found its place. He was simply staring at the paper all over his desk, and some on the floor, even on the walls, and the ink did all the work on its own. Now, though, he looked up from his work.
Oesala looked at him, dressed in the formal clothes of her fallen empire, even though it seemed not to fit with the clothes here at all.
“It’s been a while, Ñiettaquoua. Knowing you, bringing these spirits, all of you want something of me?”
“That’s not completely inaccurate, but don’t tell me you only remember me for my requests.. I’ve given you advice as well.”
“That’s true, that’s true..” Eqquā stretched out and stood up from his chair. “But the prince and princess of a fallen empire won’t have much advice, except how to destroy my city, will they??”
Oesala already hated his guts. Who did this spirit think he was, what did he think his tiny town was worth?? She looked at Erundur besides her, who was showing a childish ugly face at the man. She wanted to leave already. “Let’s leave this self-important asshole of a spirit with his pathetic little jungle town.”
Eqquā laughed, and Ñiettaquoua extended his hand to stop Oesala from turning around. Erundur took a few steps backward and lazily leaned against the wall of the room. The air was warm and moist, and especially the moisture.. They both weren’t used to that.
Eqquā guestured vaguely in front of him. “Sit down, my friends, let’s discuss what you came here for. It’s been a long time since I had any spirits here, and with the two of you.. I suppose I’m finally not the youngest spirit in the world anymore.” He was smirking.
Ñiettaquoua sat down in a chair, Erundur sat down against the wall, and Oesala kept standing. “As you wish. So tell me, what made your empire fall, princess?”
She teared up of a combination of anger, regret, and shame. She couldn’t answer. She wouldn’t answer, even if she could. So, Ñiettaquoua did. “The mechanism they used to control their slaves broke down, and all the slaves revolted. These two children fled their capital city, and I found them on the verge of death by blade or thirst.”
“Ah, so you’ve finally found yourself some children ot take care of?? Good for you, old man.”
Oesala felt herself well up with even more fury. He was treating her as a child. As a lesser person. She stood up, the pendant around her vessel’s neck glowing. “Let’s leave, and return once we have an empire whose shadow is greater than this pathetic jungle village, and then crush this bird and make him regret his words.”
“I’d like to see you try, princess. Our gods are great and terrifying, and they those me to become immortal. The princess of a dead empire, in comparison...”
A flash of light came from the pendant. Then cold wind. Then, the smell of fresh paper, and blobs ink started floating. Paper started flying around the room, obscuring sight everywhere, only showing the ice crystals flying at terrifying speeds, hitting the yellowish paper and as a seed, starting to cover the sheets. The white ice crystals, on their turn, were hit by the ink, turning black, as if being corrupted. The two spirits were trying to hit eachother with their respective magic, but both kept theirselves safe enough.
Suddenly, it all stopped. Paper scattered everywhere, a thin layer of snow covered the ground, probably the first time this place had ever seen snow. Ink fell on the snow, soiling the pure white with spots of deep black.
Oesala’s vessel was revealed, standing there, trying to control ice and wind, her bird form chaotically flying around her head.
Eqquā’s vessel was standing there, drawing symbols in the air with his hands, as his form was standing there, flapping its wings.
Erundur was still sitting against the wall, shooting fire at the ice and wind at the ink to protect his clothes from getting soiled, as his form was sitting on his head.
Ñiettaquoua, only his vessel being here, stood in the middle, covered in ice and ink, with his arms spread wide, one towards Oesala, one towards Eqquā. “SILENCE, YOU CHILDREN!”
The two stopped, unable to use magic. This was one of Ñiettaquoua’s powers, an incredible control over mana itself, which allowed him to stop magic. His other power was the ability to exchange knowledge of languages, which was the only reason everybody here could understand eachother.
Guards came in. Eqquā turned to them and told them off. They left again, surprisement on their faces.
“I friendly first meeting. I thi-” “Erundur, shut up!” Erundur’s words were interrupted by a very angry Oesala, and he was sitting there, a wide grin on his face.
Ñiettaquoua was looking extremely irritated. “Oesala. Sit down, now. Tell lord Eqquā what your aims are, or I’ll leave you behind to fend for yourself.”
She stared at him, half disbelieving his words, and after a stareoff between the two, she sat down, reluctantly.
“As I mentioned...” She stared at Eqquā, the rage still flickering in her eyes. “...I will build an empire, greater than my parents’ empire ever was, and then crush everybody who has been incredibly rude to me, make them regret ever being born.” Her eyes narrowed and she looked at Eqquā through here eyelids.
“Right..” Ñiettaquoua decided the best course of action was to pretend the hostility wasn’t as present as it was. “And what do you lack to reach that goal??”
“What I lack?” She laughed, spread her arms wide. “A whole fucking empire is what I lack!!”
“Right....” A very deep sigh, and a giggle from the side of the room. The source of the giggle spoke. “What my sister means - she can’t express her thoughts that well when she’s upset, and that’s often - is that we lack a place to start from, and we lack the people to follow us.”
Eqquā looked over to the side to the room, at Erundur, who was standing up. “Well, aren’t you much nicer to talk to than your sister? So, you would like my city, my people, as a start to build that empire you two dream of? And what do I gain from offering it all to you?”
Ñiettaquoua answered. “We will build an empire led by four spirits, unseen in history, and greater than any empire that hasn’t been forgotten already.. maybe even greater than all those that have been forgotten. And you, Eqquā, will have the leadership over all of the economy, what we will build, and where... you'll design new cities and see them rise out of the ground before your eyes, see them lived in and your infrastructure running perfectly. And we’ll surpass your terrifying gods and become even more great and terrifying ourselves.”
Oesala was confused, but she saw sparks in Eqquā's eyes, who was trying to hide his excitement. “Hmmm.. and why shouldn’t I just do this on my own, flying mountain?”
Ñiettaquoua spread his arms to guesture around him, at all of the city.
“What have you been doing since you became a spirit? You lack initiative, leadership.. but you’re the best in the world at numbers, production, supply lines. Oesala can lead, Erundur can keep the masses happy, you can do logistics and design for expansion, and I will keep us together and aimed at a common goal.”
“And if I don’t accept?”
Oesala had been sitting there, sulking, but now... “If you-” Before she finished her sentence, Erundur was suddenly in between them, spreading his arms to the heavens. “Then I’ll crush you with my greatness!”
Erundur grinned. Eqquā grinned back. “Understood, teacher. I accept. We’ll form a beautiful family. The travelling spirit will be the father, the orange bird the wise child who’ll be a great teacher of the Gods someday, the blue bird the annoying moody teenager, and I will be.. the very wise and cool uncle.”
Oesala stood up, without a word, and left the room, slamming the foor shut. Ñiettaquoua sighed deeply, half regretting taking the two young spirits here, and Erundur and Eqquā were grinning at eachother.
“So.. When do we start??”