Hi there. I've not had the motivation to write this, but it's been an idea for a few months. Someone asked me for Corvus angst and this is purely Corvus angst. Eventually.
"The Six Horns have called them Shadowbeasts." Kazi translated, watching Amaya's hands carefully. "Creatures infected by the Sunforge, elves included." Their ears twitched down.
Amaya cast them a gentle glance. She knew they had lost a friend to the Corruption early on; Femi had been one of the first victims. Once she was sure they were okay enough to keep going, she continued signing.
"Most of them are deep within the heart of Lux Aurea, and their strength varies on how long they've been corrupted and their proximity to the Blackened Orb." Amaya's eyes roved over the people in the master tent, human soldier and Sunfire warrior alike.
"I will take a party at sundown to investigate the Shadowbeasts' habits." General Solar declared, looking at Kazi to translate to Amaya. She was of rather short stature - at least compared to Janai and Kazi - but made up for it in strength. Amaya and Gren had both observed the Six Horns Generals overtime, and came to learn that this albino Sunfire woman was all core muscle and speed. She had a certain arch to her back and her nose was slightly crooked, apparently from an incident when she was a trainee. "I would prefer three quarters of them to be human soldiers, if you can spare them to me?"
Kazi paused mid-sign, but quickly finished when Amaya nudged them. The general blinked in surprise. That was new. "You want human soldiers with you? Why?"
Solar cracked her neck and shrugged. "I want them to see what their filthy selfishness has led to." Amaya didn't need a translation; she could see Solar's bright blue eyes narrow and the way her teeth lingered over her bottom lip both times she hissed the letter "F".
Amaya closed her eyes, thought, then nodded. Solar bowed her head, a simple way to convey "thank you" commonly used in the army. Amaya may have been a human, but an ally military figure was to show respect despite race. Janai had made that clear.
"I volunteer."
Heads whipped around for the unfamiliar voice. Towards the back, Corvus stood next to a woman taller than him. Her black hair was done in tight braids save for her long fringe boasting four dreadlocks; two weaving around the sides of her head and two criss-crossing over her scalp to meet in a ponytail at the back. She had heavy eyeliner and sirenlike hazel eyes that complimented her full lips.
"My brother and I will go with you." She flicked her head up. Solar hesitated, but hummed in acceptance anyway.
Corvus shifted nervously beside her. "Can I-" he grabbed her wrist when everyone had turned their attention back to Amaya. "Come here." He pulled her out of the tent and into the sunlight. "I don't want you volunteering to go into a place of death!" He whispered urgently.
"Well, I volunteered you too." She tilted her head and raised a thick brow, the purple beads of her braids jangling as her hair fell over her shoulder.
"I don't care. I'm willing to go into Lux Aurea and reclaim it, but I don't want you to." Corvus sighed at her crestfallen expression. "I'm not saying you don't care or-or don't want to help, Coyote, I know you do. Just...you don't know Lux Aurea."
Coyote, for a second, mulled it over. Then she burst out laughing, catching the attention of a handful of Sunfire elves. "You're my little brother, Crow. I'm supposed to criticise your life decisions, not the other way around." She clapped him on the shoulder, her sharp nails digging into the thin pad he wore over it. She skipped off into the camp, throwing a toothy grin at him.
Corvus picked at his nails. He loved his sister, both of his older sisters, but Coyote just wasn't ready for this. She fought with a lance in the Crownguard, she wasn't in the Standing Battalion or any of the Six Sunfire Armies. He'd been into Lux Aurea three times before, just not under Solar. He'd have to try and talk the albino general out of letting Coyote come. If that was possible.
