Nahyuta Sahdmadhi (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ephemerous) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
candybox2016-12-28 12:01 am
ephemerous) wrote in candybox2016-12-28 12:01 am
FOR TAISA - Reincarnation AU
It had been two weeks since the attempt on the Regent of Khura'in's life. He had given a speech in the temple plaza, which coincided with the annual festival of Khura'in's founding and continued sovereignty. Now, it also became a festival to celebrate its freedom from tyranny once more, mirroring the acts of the Founder and of Lady Kee'ra all those centuries ago. The political nature of the celebration was important, but it also made it a perfect time for Ga'ran loyalists to strike. A sniper had narrowly missed a shot and had been apprehended at the scene, as had several other armed individuals, all shouting, 'Ur dihara Ga'ran!'. Since then, a search had been on to find the one who had coordinated the attackers.
Unease had spread throughout Khura'in, and with it, the rumours. A masked figure had been spotted, some said, stopping the sniper from taking a lethal shot. Others denied it, not wanting to pin their hopes on what could turn on to be a fraud like the rebel-hunting Lady Kee'ra.
As for Nahyuta, he had heeded Amara's advice, retreating from the public eye for the time being except to prosecute in court. The rest was televised statements or interviews of reassurance to the public that all was in hand, and that the revolution would not be quelled so easily. To the public, he embodied the perfect combination of the unwavering determination of his father, and the pragmatic caution of his mother.
Privately, however, was a different story. Fear hounded Nahyuta everywhere, because he knew if something happened to him, Khura'in would likely be ruined, Apollo would be in danger, and his mother and sister would be prisoners once again. Not only did he have a family to protect, now, but an entire kingdom, and once again he needed to be prepared to lay down his life for that.
So his nerves were frayed, he was becoming increasingly on edge which each day that turned up no new information or leads. Even meditation did not help. So when he went to sleep at night in the palace, it was a fitful sleep, wracked with dreams of spiders ensnaring him and the palace burning. Tonight, however, was different. Tonight, his dreams were interrupted as he was struck in the world of the waking -- hard -- across the head. Dazed, he could feel someone yanking him upright by his silvery hair, and the feeling of cold, sharp steel at his throat.
If he was half asleep before, he snapped awake in an instant. The assassin was a dark silhouette, their face covered, so it was impossible to discern their identity even with the pale strand of moonlight streaking across his bedchamber. Then they spoke in a low voice that identified his assailant as male.
"Before I kill you, tell me where the Founder's Orb is."
Nahyuta swallowed, trying neither to flinch or cringe away at the blade at his neck, but instead to lift his chin in defiance.
"You cannot threaten a dragon. I would sooner cut out my own tongue than tell you."
Despite his confidence, Nahyuta knew how dire the situation was. The guards outside were surely all incapacitated; no one would come to save him this time. All he could do was pray to the Holy Mother that if this was the end, his soul would be safely conveyed to the Twilight Realm.
Unease had spread throughout Khura'in, and with it, the rumours. A masked figure had been spotted, some said, stopping the sniper from taking a lethal shot. Others denied it, not wanting to pin their hopes on what could turn on to be a fraud like the rebel-hunting Lady Kee'ra.
As for Nahyuta, he had heeded Amara's advice, retreating from the public eye for the time being except to prosecute in court. The rest was televised statements or interviews of reassurance to the public that all was in hand, and that the revolution would not be quelled so easily. To the public, he embodied the perfect combination of the unwavering determination of his father, and the pragmatic caution of his mother.
Privately, however, was a different story. Fear hounded Nahyuta everywhere, because he knew if something happened to him, Khura'in would likely be ruined, Apollo would be in danger, and his mother and sister would be prisoners once again. Not only did he have a family to protect, now, but an entire kingdom, and once again he needed to be prepared to lay down his life for that.
So his nerves were frayed, he was becoming increasingly on edge which each day that turned up no new information or leads. Even meditation did not help. So when he went to sleep at night in the palace, it was a fitful sleep, wracked with dreams of spiders ensnaring him and the palace burning. Tonight, however, was different. Tonight, his dreams were interrupted as he was struck in the world of the waking -- hard -- across the head. Dazed, he could feel someone yanking him upright by his silvery hair, and the feeling of cold, sharp steel at his throat.
If he was half asleep before, he snapped awake in an instant. The assassin was a dark silhouette, their face covered, so it was impossible to discern their identity even with the pale strand of moonlight streaking across his bedchamber. Then they spoke in a low voice that identified his assailant as male.
"Before I kill you, tell me where the Founder's Orb is."
Nahyuta swallowed, trying neither to flinch or cringe away at the blade at his neck, but instead to lift his chin in defiance.
"You cannot threaten a dragon. I would sooner cut out my own tongue than tell you."
Despite his confidence, Nahyuta knew how dire the situation was. The guards outside were surely all incapacitated; no one would come to save him this time. All he could do was pray to the Holy Mother that if this was the end, his soul would be safely conveyed to the Twilight Realm.
no subject
[He didn't seem to notice what the issue was when he mentioned Datz.] You're going to need more than my words to lure out the true culprit.
no subject
Still: the spirit before him is not his father. That is what they agreed, and he needs to remind himself of that. Satyendra trusts Nahyuta with his plan, and of course Datz does, too.]
... Is that everything?
[It's not clear whether he's asking himself in an attempt to get his focus back, or Satyendra.]
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Say I was found guilty, what would they actually do to me? [A valid, if not an inappropriate thing to be asking right now, but he was curious how they would punish a divine being.]
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That will be a matter for which we would seek guidance from the new high priest of Khura'in. If it is decided you are in fact a malevolent spirit, no doubt the clergy will attempt to banish you to whence you came. Failing that, they would seek to seal you away, or drain you of your power in some manner.
If the crimes are deemed serious enough, or you as powerful enough, the grand priestess may even be asked to assist in such rituals.
[By which he means Queen Amara. Whether such things could actually prove a danger to Satyendra, though, Nahyuta couldn't say. Satyendra is a dragon after all, not a demon or some wicked ghost. That does not mean the Holy Mother's rites are completely impotent either, though, particularly not when wielded with power like Amara's.]
no subject
I almost want to see if any of that would actually work on me. [Dhurke no.] But I rather not upset the grand priestess unnecessarily, so let's make sure we win tomorrow. [He'd have a confident smile on his face right now if the mask wasn't there.]
gets swallowed by January and spat out a month later
I trust Apollo, and I trust Datz. [Even if he still has no idea what he and Satyendra have been planning... and Datz tends to be a wildcard even at the best of times, he's still dependable.] These are Ga'ran's courts no longer; so long as all goes well, the truth will be found.
[It goes without saying he agrees Amara shouldn't have to go through any more distress than she needs to, either, so the less involvement she has with this trial or its consequences, the better.]
Barfs back exposition of a trial I barely remember what it was about
[That unfortunately never happens. When Nahyuta goes to see Datz, he will present him with what looked like an earpiece and a note containing a place to meet and an image of a random civilian. It was like a hit list. They were apparently found in an empty bottle of wine. At a glance, the evidence looked like it could damage Satyendra's case even more, considering they were found in his network of operations. It'll become clear during the trial the next day that, thanks to Apollo's workaround, the items actually belonged to someone working for Satyendra, a potential mole.
It'll turn out the true culprit was someone who believed in Satyendra, who worked in his network because he wanted to save Khura'in as much as he did. That ended after the raid to rescue Nahyuta. They had a younger brother, who wanted to save Khura'in, but he sought what the insurgents wanted, to bring back the Ga'ran regime. His brother had participated in the kidnapping of the regent, and no matter how much his older brother warned him, he didn't budge. He too had something to believe in as well. When Satyendra came to rescue Nahyuta, his younger brother perished in the skirmish. Brought to despair, the insurgents took advantage of him and thus the killing spree began, to get back to Satyendra, for going against his own code to fight a bloodless battle.
After that rescue, the whole thing left Satyendra uneasy. He believed, or at least told himself that he hadn't killed anyone during the rescue. Yet he can't deny that moment of blind rage he felt when he believed his son was in danger. Did he really kill someone then? Were there others?
In the end, Satyendra was proven innocent of the murders that were happening in town, but what the culprit brought to light about Nahyuta's kidnapping and Satyendra's underground network has left the people of Khura'in uneasy. Who were these people that worked for Satyendra? Were they really any better than the insurgents? Would their lives be in danger if they crossed Satyendra? Whispers of doubt and fear spread like wildfire throughout the kingdom. Can Satyendra be trusted? Was he truly a celestial being sent to save them? Although Satyendra gave a small speech to reassure the people that he was here for them, he could not quell all of their doubts. He soon disappears for the rest of that day to do his own investigation of the place where the insurgents had kept Nahyuta.
There was an overcast over the entire kingdom that day and it remain into the night, when Satyendra finally returns from his long trip. He had gone to the royal palace once more, and settled in front of the shrine meant for him. Despite what happened today, he still found offerings left for him. Unfortunately he wasn't in any mood to drink the wine or eat the magahtah'man that was left for him. For a victory, it didn't quite feel like one for him.]