Bold Moves [Amala]

[Deleted]

The draft throughout the halls were nothing like the heat outside. His eyes shifted about as he took in his surroundings. Vandal had not been here for thirteen years, and now so much had been given to him. Immediately in front of him sat a great table with a large feast meant solely for him. At the moment, the young Gerudo male was not interested in such things. He had already been told that much was expected of him, and he meant to make sure that things were done accordingly. A young woman that had served him his meal on several trays made of precious metals came up to him.

"Your highness, why do you not eat?"

Vandal looked her over. He was definitely not used to this life. For the past thirteen years he had fended for himself. The meals he ate were not on par with the treatment he now received. He would eat in due time, but now was not the right occasion. Instead, he looked beyond her and into the hall extending directly from the throne room. He motioned for the others around him to leave. The others quickly did so and shot dirty looks at the woman that asked him the question. As they left she began to speak.

"My--"

We motioned for her to stop. Vandal was deep in thought. It then occurred to him that there was another who was equally as qualified as he. He brought his left hand to his chin as if to illustrate his level of pondering. Still looking beyond the woman he finally spoke.

"Bring me the Champion. I have much to discuss."

The woman bowed, turned away, and made her way down the hall. The echoes of footsteps assured him that she was gone. He really wanted the Champion to be here, but he also didn't like the idea of people watching him eat. With that, he took the goblet near him and began to drink the water he had been provided.

[Deleted]

my soul was filled with crystal light.

Amala enjoyed her travels, she really did, but nothing quite beat the dry, oppressive heat of her desert home and the sheer amount of life that flourished within despite all its hardships. She loved it. She loved her home, her people, her sisters. The desert seemed to agree with Garrus as well; the normally grumpy wyvern was downright cheerful as they flew across the vast sand seas, the dark silhouette of the Fortress looming closer with every beat of his wings. Every day Amala was more and more grateful for Garrus' companionship. The journey back to the Fortress would have taken much longer by caravan, and it was a complete nightmare on foot. She was used to the desert, of course, she had grown up in it, but that didn't mean she wouldn't save herself the trouble when she had to. They landed just outside the Fortress, Garrus patiently waiting as Amala carefully extracted herself from his spiky back, and tolerated her goodbye kiss before taking off to hunt some 'blins or other roaming monsters. He wouldn't roam too far from the Fortress, she was sure, and as she improved the volume and quality of her whistling he got better and better about responding in a timely fashion. The wyvern would show if she needed him. Amala turned and gestured to the guards posted above the Fortress gates with her spear; they recognized her on sight, and were quick to let her in. She waved off their salutes as she entered. "Good timing, Champion," one of the guards called down to her after they closed the gates. "We got word that the Pharaoh commanded your presence not ten minutes ago. Best not keep him waiting." Amala blinked in surprise at the news, then nodded. "Alright, I'll head straight there," she said. That really was good timing; she didn't want to make a bad impression before she even met the man. "Thanks." The guard nodded in response, and returned to her post. Amala set off for the palace. It only took her another five minutes to reach her destination, but still she worried that she had been too slow; there was no way she could have known, but she really had spent too much time away from home. She'd be better about straying for a while. One of the servants ushered her in as she approached the palace, directed her to the dining hall, then went ahead to announce her arrival, probably. Amala quickened her pace, slinging her spear through her belt as she walked. She had been holding it out of habit, but it probably wouldn't be good to introduce herself to the Pharaoh with her weapon drawn. Her bottle clinked softly as she moved. She hadn't had time to drop off her belongings, or even freshen up; her skin gleamed with a sheen of sweat and she probably smelled of wyvern. It was a good smell, in her opinion, smoke and scales, but she had no idea if the Pharaoh would agree. She arrived at the dining hall just as the servant was informing the Pharaoh that the Champion had responded to his summons. Amala entered, bowed, and stood with her body squared and straight and her hands at ease behind her back. "Sir," she said, crisp and attentive and not dicking around for once, "Amala Ashaliya at your service. How can I help you?"

TAGGED: @vandal NOTES: LET'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS

[Deleted]

He looked her over. She was aesthetically pleasing. It was then that an inexplicable wave of warmth washed over him. He turned his lips upward into a smile a motioned for her sit on the opposite side of the table. He then picked up his goblet and drank from its contents once more. After returning the goblet to the table, he brought his gaze back to her. It was then that he realized that she had been somewhere. He could see the small beads of sweat on her skin, and she slightly smelled of smoke. The pharaoh exhaled before deciding to talk.

"Amala.", he said letting that sink in before continuing, "There is no need to call me sir. You may call me Vandal as long as the others are not around."

He then offered her food and drink that he had been provided. Vandal had after all been given much more than he needed. His current concern was making sure that Amala was comfortable around him. More than anything, he needed her trust. This would be his way to gauge where he stood with her.

"My reasons for calling you are plenty. My main concern is expansion. I have been tasked to do that above all else. I do not know much beyond the reaches of this desert. I am sure that you have been to other places. As such, I require your experience and your judgement. I will not go against you as long as your assertions are logical and beneficial for our people. Because of this, I have a few questions. Where do our forces stand in terms of might? Secondly, what point can we push for first?"

[Deleted]

my soul was filled with crystal light.

Vandal. Alright then. That worked, she supposed; it was nice to know that the Pharaoh wasn't unbearably stuffy. He'd have her respect and her loyalty regardless, but it would make matters of business go faster and more smoothly. She took a seat at his gesture, pulling out a chair on his right side, and though she was tempted to have at the proffered food it would likely be best if she contained herself. For now. So she took a long, deep drink of water, and let the food be. She perked up at the word expansion, a smile rising to her lips as she leaned forward, immediately interested. Expansion. The Gerudo had been limited to the Desert Province since what seemed like the dawn of time, and it was home, but it was a damnable wasteland. The Gerudo survived, but they did not thrive. With even just one or two more territories they could be so much more than they were - they could have an honest-to-goddess presence in the world, and shut down the stereotyping and hatred they suffered for good. Amala liked this Pharaoh, she decided instantly. This was good. He could do good things for their people. She was silent for a long while, mentally flipping through her own experiences and what she knew of the world and warfare. "We're hardly ready for a full-scale assault against the rest of Hyrule," she said eventually, scratching her cheek. "We have a good-sized force, and they're well trained, of course, but arms and armor are shaky. Even the most capable military force can only do so much if their equipment is subpar. The Exalt's conquest did a number on us, honestly, and we've had time to recover, but we only have bronze weapons and shoddy armor at the moment. "I've never been overseas, so I can't tell you anything about Ylisse, but most of Hyrule's provinces will be difficult to take by force, considering that we'd be up against the Hylian monarchy as well as the Zora, unless we forge alliances. The Goron are unlikely to fight; they're largely pacifistic. Diplomacy is likely a better option, at least at first." Really on a roll now, Amala stood and began rearranging plates and goblets on the long table, clearing out a large space and placing different items within, making a map of sorts. She gestured to the ludicrously large goblet that represented the northern mountains. "Peak is uncontested at the moment, though it's got some real shitty weather and no benefits to speak of. Nothing that's glaringly obvious, anyway. We'd have to fight for any other province in Hyrule, as they've all been claimed by the Hylians. The Goron and Zora have control of smaller areas within the provinces, like Death Mountain in Eldin," she tapped a slightly less ludriciously large goblet, "and Lake Hylia and Zora's River in Lanayru," pointed to a fork that rested on the lip of a small plate of vegetables, "but overall it's all under the Kingdom of Hyrule."

TAGGED: @vandal NOTES: look at all this knowledge

[Deleted]

He shifted in his chair as he watched her presentation. If nothing else, he was legitimately fascinated by her. Much was running through his mind, and Vandal admired Amala's opinion. She seemed to be well versed in all matters of the land. The Gerudo were indeed denied their birthright. Growing up in the desert, Vandal knew well the harsh realities of his people. Still, he was a bit mesmerized by her presence.

"You are beautiful.", he blurted out.

"Yeah, wow. I don't think I should have said that."

He turned away for a moment to regain composure. The pharaoh then cleared his throat and returned attention to the matter at hand. Much of the immediate lands were controlled by the Hylians. The thought sickened him a bit. Still, as Amala had suggested, diplomacy stood most likely as a favorable option. He thought for a moment before speaking.

"Diplomacy may work in our favor. As you have stated, our armies may falter due to the budgetary restrictions we currently face. I will set up a meeting with the Crown Pince of Hyrule. I would like you to be in attendance. You would be of major help to me. This especially rings true because I have just returned home. It is blatantly obvious that you know more about the politics of the surrounding lands than myself. Can I trust you with this?"

His gaze did not leave her. Vandal wanted to know her response more than anything else. Once more, he took a deep drink from his goblet. The water was refreshing. He began to eye the food between the two of them. Hunger was definitely with him.

[Deleted]

my soul was filled with crystal light.

Vandal's observation distracted her from her enthusiastic rearranging of his dinner table, and his quick remission had her stifling a laugh against the back of one hand. Amala calmed herself quickly enough, coughing in an attempt to cover up her amusement, though she couldn't keep her sheepish grin at bay. "Sorry, sir, not laughing at you. It's fine, though, I never get tired of compliments, especially honest ones. Thank you." She got back to moving dishes around, and once she was satisfied with her diorama she sat down again and looked to the Pharaoh expectantly. Her demonstration was pretty impressive, if she did say so herself. Another retirement option - food sculpting. Could be fun. She filed it away in the back of her mind, then quickly returned her focus to the more serious discussion at hand. Her brow furrowed and she chewed on her lip as she thought. "I've traveled, yes, but I'd hardly say I'm an expert in politics. I was named Champion because I am really good at killing things and not dying. Talking nice isn't really my style." It occurred to her abruptly how that might sound, and she hastened to correct herself. "That's not to say that I'm saying no! Of course I'll do my best, I'll research as much as I can before we leave, but I think it's fair warning that my best may not be good enough. At least in this area." Self-awareness had been instilled in Amala since she was a child; she knew her skills, her faults, her limits, and was capable of honestly gauging what she was good at and what she was not. She'd hate to say yes, I can do this, and give the Pharaoh false expectations. She was good at what she did, but generally speaking what she did was fight and lay down the law, not meet with kings and blow smoke up their asses in an attempt to peacefully claim territories.

TAGGED: @vandal NOTES: it's about to get political

[Deleted]

Vandal processed the information she had given him. She was in the very least amusing with her modesty. He knew that she wasn't a politician, but the things she had said since the start of this particular dialogue had proven her worth several times over. The young pharaoh waved his fingers through his hair before completely returning his attention to her.

"I have ideas of my own as well. We have all grown up in this desert. As such, it is common knowledge that control over it all is not ours. Seeing that this is the Gerudo homeland, I do believe that we should take control of the entirety of the Desert Province before we expand towards the ocean. Tell me, what do you think?"

With the entirety of the desert under Gerudo control, Vandal would not have to worry about fighting a war on two fronts. Yet, he was still new at this and as such he lacked military knowledge. The leader of the Gerudo began to finally grow hungry. As he awaited his answer he took some bread and buttered a slice that he cut away from the loaf. He then sliced a few pieces of flesh away from the roasted pheasant. After plating the food he repeated the process on another plate, and motioned for Amala to join him.

[Deleted]

my soul was filled with crystal light.

That... was a good idea. Amala had honestly forgotten that much of the desert was not, in fact, strictly under Gerudo control; it was terribly vast and their community was very concentrated. She had always thought of it as hers, but that was not actually the case. "It's a good idea," she said, and took another drink of water. Her lip was growing ragged from how much she was chewing on it today, and the water stung slightly as she drank. She took a moment to run over her briefly blanked knowledge of desert territories. "Easier said than done, though," she continued. "The Blins control the sand seas and that abandoned mine. They're not terribly organized in general and shouldn't be too difficult to launch a properly coordinated assault against, but they control very large areas and there are a lot of them. And we have the wolf tribes of Hatari to contend with." Laguz suffered easily as much hatred from Hylians and their ilk as the Gerudo, but many Gerudo also thought poorly of the beast-people. She doubted they would respond well to forging an alliance with the desert Laguz, but the potential violent alternative was not exactly appealing. Blins were one thing - they were just monsters, plain and simple. Laguz were not. "We could leave them be. They've never done us harm, and the desert is their home as well; ousting them would be unwarranted. We could maybe form an alliance with the tribes, but I'm not sure how well that would be received." She wasn't sure what the Pharaoh would think of it, either. He grew up alone in the desert. Was he even aware of tensions other than those between Hylian and Gerudo? "Maybe write the leader a letter or something, give them a heads up that we're taking the surrounding territories from the Blins and not infringing on theirs, and leave it at that. No violence necessary. We wouldn't have complete control of the desert, but I think it'd be best to focus our attention on the Blins. Unless the Laguz want a fight, of course, in which case they'll get one." She was growing more and more sure that they should at least try for diplomacy before declaring war on the whole damn continent. She was good at violence, took pride in her abilities, but the thought of all the lives that would be lost in the fray made her sick. She wouldn't send her sisters-in-arms out to die needlessly, and she was not entirely devoid of compassion for the opposing sides, either. Except for the Blins. Seriously, fuck the Blins. Vandal started eating, and gestured for her to join him, and tentatively she took pieces of bread - no butter - and pheasant, same as him, and she also lifted some vegetables from the plate that represented Lake Hylia. Balanced diet, and all that. "Thank you," she said, and had at the food with all the grace and dignity of her baby wyvern. That is to say, it was gone in a matter of minutes. At least she wasn't leaving bones and entrails everywhere like Garrus tended to.

TAGGED: @vandal NOTES: such class

[Deleted]

"Intriguing. It's great that you've said that. It actually paints a clearer picture. We and the Wolves don't really like each other. Come to think of it, does anyone like us? Haha! Just joking. I am sure that we can just go around the Wolves, but conquering the surrounding territory might seem threatening. I like your idea. Remind me to send word to them before we proceed with this plan."

He didn't want to stretch the army thin. They were already in dire need of further training and upgraded equipment. Vandal began to wonder how things were run before he ascended. It was a head-scratcher for sure, but he was sure it was something that could be overcome. His mind then traveled back to the forces that held the outer territories in the Desert Province.

"Damn, I hate Blins. I had a few run-ins with them while I lived in the desert. I wouldn't mind painting the Sand Sea red with the rivers of their blood...oh, wow. That was pretty personal."

Still, he didn't know of anyone that valued the presence of the Blins. She had thanked him for sharing in his feast, and he had told her it was nothing. It really was. They had given far more food than he was capable of consuming on his own. Vandal watched for a bit as Amala consumed her meal. He himself took some meat and placed it on his bread as he took a bit. To his surprise it was better than anything he had ever eaten. The seasoning was done right, the bread was soft, and the combination of the two flavors did wonder for his palate. He switched between his drink and food until he had his fill.

After he finished he washed his hands in a bowl of water and dried his hands with a warm cloth. Vandal then tapped his trident to the stone floor twice and several women came into the chamber. He told them to sit and eat. He then moved away from the table and walked of the chamber and on to a balcony.

"Amala, join me when you are finished."

[Deleted]

my soul was filled with crystal light.

Amala let out a dry snort at his joke. Individuals were nice enough, but as a whole she didn't think anyone but the Skylofters really actually tolerated Gerudo. It was a bit depressing to think about, so she tried not to. "Will do, sir," she said, making a mental note to remind herself to remind him to shoot off that letter. She laughed outright at his mildly graphic confession. "Thank you, Din. Really, seriously, fuck Blins." Amala hated Blins almost as much as she hated Stalfos, but she had old personal beef with the shambling skeletons and she was grateful for anything she didn't have to blow up to kill it dead. Blins keeled over and perished if you stabbed them enough. Stalfos did not. Amala sat back after she finished eating, which she had done with a single-minded purpose born from a lifetime of military-esque conditions, patting her stomach as if that would help her digest. She shot up when Vadal tapped his trident, but he was only calling the servants, apparently; Amala recognized all of them, was well-acquainted with most, and had dated one for a short while as a teenager. She grinned, said her hellos, and quickly mimicked the Pharaoh in washing her hands. "Coming, sir," she called when he summoned her, waved to the Gerudo at the table in goodbye, and followed Vandal out onto the balcony. Standing next to him she realized that he was only slightly taller than her, maybe an inch at most; he had seemed taller sitting down, but maybe that was just a mistaken impression based on uncertain expectations. She said nothing when she approached, just waited for him to speak.

TAGGED: @vandal NOTES: very language

[Deleted]

He nodded in acknowledgement of her arrival. For the first time he realized that she was nearly his height. Once more Vandal found himself looking her over. Amala was the Champion, the most proven of all Gerudo in terms of physical combat. There were only two others on par with her besides the Iron Knuckles. Those two were himself, and the Witch. That's right! I forgot all about the witch! Perhaps I should call for her as well. No, never mind. I will just meet with her later. Besides, I don't know if it would be as pleasant as this. The pharaoh exhaled deeply as his focus wander off to the world beyond the desert horizon. From where they currently stood, they were closer to the Hylians than the lot of Blins they would soon likely encounter. From within his cloak he took out parchment and a quill. He scribbled furiously on the parchment before rolling it up, and tying it with twine. He then called for one of the women, and they came with a hawk. The pharaoh placed the parchment in a pouch on the left leg of the raptor, and sent the bird flying off. He then returned his attention to Amala and tapped his right temple twice with his right index finger.

"See, I remembered. I just sent word to the wolves. Several other things have crossed my mind. Do you know the Witch? If so, would you mind setting up a meeting? I want to get to know her. If not, I'll ask someone else. It's not of the utmost concern."

He paused. For whatever reason he had lost his train of thought. Everything seemed still and he reveled in the oneness of the moment. The sun began to fade and the sky turned a purplish-orange. The once hot desert began to chill as night slowly crept in. Her hair blew about gently in the breeze. He then turned his attention back towards the hall before speaking.

"We're going to have to raise funds. I don't want my warriors going in to the den of Blins without proper equipment. While our training is superior, their sheer numbers can overcome our forces without the proper supplies. So, how do you propose we go about this?"

[Deleted]

my soul was filled with crystal light.

"Good job, sir," Amala said wryly. "I'm proud." She leaned on the railing of the balcony, one leg crossed over the other and her arms folded across her chest. "Yeah, Mordra's a good friend of mine. Really good, actually. She's good people, I think you'll like her. I'll let her know you want to talk to her the next time I see her." That would be soon, she wagered. Really soon. Coming back to the Fortress after so much travel inevitably made Amala a little restless, and when she was restless she got bored and when she got bored she annoyed Mordra. The cycle of life. Amala just stood quietly when Vandal fell silent; a breeze drifted across the balcony, much cooler than the blistering heat she'd endured on the flight back, and she welcomed the feeling against her skin. The sweat had long dried and she desperately wanted a bath and a nap, but this was nice. When Vandal spoke up again she looked over to him, poorly masking her expression of complete and utter horror at the question he'd posed. Raising funds. Oh, goddesses, raising funds. How did you go about raising funds for a military campaign? She was just a normal-ass, albeit real fuckin' lucky, soldier the last time she'd fought in a war. She was the best fighter the Gerudo had to offer, but that didn't make her an expert in moneymaking. Warfare, sure. Tactics, absolutely. Getting people to hand her money, not so much. "...Taxes?" she offered eventually, sounding only half as unsure as she felt. She felt really unsure. "Make a royal announcement that we're getting ready to send the Blins six feet under and we need as much monetary support as we can get? I'm sorry, sir, I really have no experience here." She let out a soft snort. "Some kinda war councilor I'm turning out to be."

TAGGED: @vandal NOTES: ack sorry for the delay!! i got swept up in school anxiety and was useless for a few days orz

[Deleted]

"Hahaha!", he looked at her an then continued, "Hahaha!"

"Oh man, you are so funny!"

He came to after some time, and still held his side. He turned back towards the horizon and thought long about nothing. It was the only way he'd be able to stop laughing at the moment. She was of course right. They would definitely need to raise funds, but taxing was not the way to go about doing it. He had only just been welcome in the Gerudo Fortress. Throughout his time in the desert he had come to see how his people lived. The Desert Province was not exactly what one would call prosperous. Many Gerudo had to take up mercenary work, or outright became thieves. Vandal's plan was to make sure that none of them ever again had to resort to such measures to achieve what they wanted. He then turned back to her and frowned. 

"No need to beat yourself up. I value your opinion. Remember, I am new to all of this myself. Your words have already proven to be priceless. It may not look like it, but I am already formulating a plan and several contingencies."

He placed his right hand on her left shoulder and looked at her. Vandal hoped that she would be there for him. He let out a heavy sigh, and removed his hand. He then reached up with both arms and stretched before returning to what he had asked before. Amala stated that she and the witch were friends which was great. He could ask the witch's opinions as well. The three of them together would have to spearhead much in the coming era.

"Awesome. I'm glad that you know her. Whenever you can, we should all talk. As I said though, there is no rush. Right now the most important thing is ridding the province of the Blins. You have said that they are pretty disorganized. From my time in the desert they are rather decentralized, but I have heard rumors of there being a Moblin leader. I have no idea if the rumors are true, but I think it would be fun to see if that were true. At the very least we'll get to kill some Blins!"

With that, Vandal gave Amala a thumbs up. 


@amala

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my soul was filled with crystal light.

Amala just grinned through Vandal's laughing fit, pleased that she had managed to get such an enthusiastic response out of him. She had made a decent impression, then, she supposed; having a friendly rapport with her Pharaoh may not have been strictly appropriate, exactly, but then Amala had never been one to worry about appropriateness and the more frank they could be with each other, the better. So all was good. "Contingencies are good," she said, somewhat put off by his sudden staring into her eyes but rolling past it as best she could. "If your backup plans don't have backup plans then you're not doing it right, right?" Idly she cracked her knuckles, considering. It was definitely possible that they would have a leader; it was also possible that taking out the leader would scatter at least the Moblin forces. "It'd be good to send out a few scouting parties at first," she mused aloud. "Try to gather information on approximately how big a force and what kind of leaders we're dealing with." She snorted, grinned, and shot the Pharaoh a thumbs-up in return. "Killing blins is always good. Always."

TAGGED: @vandal NOTES: blin genocide

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"Haha. Right you are."

As he listened to her advice new thoughts began to flood his mind. The thought of the Blins being organized was not good. It wasn't good for the Gerudo. It wasn't good for the Wolves. It wasn't good for the neighboring provinces. He cracked another smile when she reciprocated his thumbs up. He was just glad that she wasn't uptight. While he did have to follow certain customs, that didn't mean that he had to be stuffy.

"Killing Blins is indeed fun.", he paused and reflected before continuing, "I will make sure that this desert becomes a gem. Our brilliance will shine far beyond the reach of our borders."

A chill ran down his spine as he finished his words. For the first time the gravity of his position began to affect him. He slammed his fist on top of the stone railing of the balcony where he stood with Amala. His gazed then returned to her. Now no longer smiling he spoke again.

"When is the soonest we can ready the troops to move forward? We will clear this desert of the Blin menace. At last the prestige of the Gerudo will begin to manifest."

@amala

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my soul was filled with crystal light.

A gem, Vandal said. Amala believed him. "We deserve it," she said softly, her mood suddenly sobered. "All the shit we've been through, we deserve it." She jumped slightly when Vandal brought his fist down, startled by his sudden vehemence. "Depends on if you wanna take the time to get our gear up to par," she replied quickly, getting back into business mode. "Collecting funds and getting everything forged will take time. A couple of months, probably. If we go as is the army should be mobilized within two and a half or three weeks, maybe two if we hustle. Better to take a bit of extra time and make sure everything and everyone is in fighting shape, though. It's not like the blins are expecting an assault. We can afford to take that time, and while the army's mobilizing we can scout for information." Even if they didn't equip the army with upgraded weaponry, Amala felt fairly confident that they could manage. Lives would be lost, no doubt - there was no way to avoid that in a conflict of this size - but if they took the time to prepare, the casualties would be... acceptable, she supposed. Relatively speaking. Unless they got severely unlucky. But then, she supposed it was her job to prepare for those severely unlucky contingencies. No pressure.

TAGGED: @vandal NOTES: yeha