A late Xmas gift is coming... · 5:06pm January 1st
... In the form of a new Feathered Hearts: Continuation and Chronicles chapter which has just been sent off to prereaders. So get ready to ring in the new year with the start of a new story arc that picks up after the events described in the latest chapter of Eros. It’s back to business—mostly—but the new chapter will recap events in the Eros arc (including the as-yet unreleased chapters there) and start laying the groundwork for the next phase of the story, which will borrow quite liberally from the original in coming chapters as we build to a new story and combat climax.
It’s M-rated in places, though only mildly, so I’ll be releasing a T-rated variant as well. I’ll publish them likely later this week, after everyone’s had a chance to hit it and I’ve given it a couple more editing passes. In the meantime, as you’re shaking off your New Years’ hangovers, have a teaser:
“Greetings, honored defenders of Aricia,” Gilda‘s voice boomed out as she addressed her newly assigned soldiers, consisting of two Paladin decades and four Auxiliary Guardsgriffon standing in Turma formation before her. “And welcome to your new posts. Know that you will be replacing many good and honorable soldiers who fell in defense of the Kingdom and the force of humans we were escorting. Soldiers and humans who accounted for several millennia of Cloven soldiers as they tried to kill and corrupt us to no avail,” she recalled, suppressing a shiver at the memories of all the close calls she and her entire force had endured.
“It was thanks in large measure to their skilled and determined efforts that their assaults were repeatedly smashed and the city was spared further attacks, drawing an Overlord into the open where the Hive of Queen Lepidoptes could surprise and kill it. Efforts that were in turn due to the orders of Tribune Cipio,” she hastened to add, having more or less resolved her anger at him the previous night.
When she couldn’t pick up any immediate reaction other than what appeared to be a quickly suppressed sneer or two at her statement, she went on, starting to walk up and down the line. She was trying to get a sense of their bearing and who might be insubordinate, realizing only too quickly that from what she was picking up from their half-ruffled feathers and clenched beaks that all of them might be.
Great. Now what? Gilda wondered how she was doing to win them over, deciding that the company she kept might be a good start. “I remind you that your assignment is at his orders as well. I realize that some of you may doubt these tales I tell and resent your new duties. Perhaps you do not trust or respect the humans and Changelings. Perhaps you do not trust or respect me. Unfortunately, there is little time to coddle or convince you. So if you think I have not earned respect through my command and combat ability, then I suggest you simply look up at the airship deck.” She motioned up with her head to where her friends and comrades lined the deck, staring down at the new arrivals from below.
She waited until they obeyed, if somewhat grudgingly. “I commanded every being you see above you into battle, whether dragon or ibex, griffon or human. We all fought together as one regardless of race or rank, service or station. Fought together under my leadership,” she said, noting Obsidian Ire was giving the new arrivals the same disdainful stare she’d originally given Gilda herself.
As she spoke, everycreature else came to attention at Giraldi’s order and saluted her crisply in their own manner; even the two Archons offered their own honor in the griffon manner, though a frown on their faces told her they were reading the same attitude issues in the new arrivals that she was.
She returned the respect with equal acclaim before speaking. “That they are here now means they trust me. And that they trust me means that I earned their respect by leading them through battle after battle as we not only survived, but won against overwhelming odds. I know their quality and they know mine. But I do not know yours.” She stopped to stare one of the turma-commanding Paladins in the eye, who pointedly did not look at her or speak, though his gaze was near a glower.
Trying to cow him, Gilda was given a sudden flashback to her time in Ponyville, seeing herself trying to intimidate various ponies into obeying her—or in the case of Pinkie Pie, to stop bothering her. Drawing on her membered resentment for both Pinkie and Rainbow Dash, she ruffled her feathers hard and lowered her head, lashing her tail for emphasis. “Is there a problem with that, Prime Pike?” she then asked the Turma leader, who remained silent at first. “Speak!”
He made her wait for several seconds before obeying, but still didn’t meet her gaze. “Yes, there is a problem, sir. Or actually, several. First and foremost, a Guard soldier has no business commanding Paladins,” he told her through a clenched beak, causing her eyes to narrow.
“Second, we are not impressed by your claims, given we fought for an entire day to save this city, holding off over ten thousand pure and corrupted Cloven. And third, you were assigned a diplomatic command chain and promoted to Centurion years early? Was that before or after you laid with an alien ape, sir?” He made an expression of extreme distaste, resulting in audibly ruffled feathers above and behind her as the Ravens and Giraldi took offense to his statements.
Though Gilda was surprised at how quickly word of that had spread throughout Aricia, she held up her own ruffled wings in a halting gesture. “That depends. Do you mean my first time with him, in which case the answer is after. Or the latest time, which means before?” she answered him unrepentantly, then got in his face, forcing him to meet her eyes.
“I earned my post, Prime Pike—I’ll have you know that my promotion was recommended by now-Legate Narada of Arnau and sponsored by Queen Molyneux herself! In any event, that ‘alien ape’ is my mate, and you will not slander him or any of the humans in my presence again. Do so, and we will duel, and trust me when I say that if the Cloven and a crow-cursed dragon couldn’t slay me, then you have no chance against me,” she told him, wondering if she could call up the cider effect on cue to boost her strength and speed. “Is that clear, Prime Pike?”
“Clear, sir,” he said sullenly. “Will that be all?”
“Not even close. Please allow me to deal with this insulting idiot, Centurion,” Archon Archex suddenly spoke up, his voice even deeper than usual as he stepped up beside Gilda. “As the Queen does not wish for needless violence in the presence of our drones or eggs, I believe that I can put him in his proper place without bloodshed. With your permission, of course.” He bared his throat at Gilda like a griffon.
Though she was tempted to tell him no—that she needed to do this herself—she decided that the new arrivals also had to get used to the presence of the Changelings, and even take orders from them if need be. “As you wish, Archon. Know, Prime Pike, that he bears a high rank in his hive that is roughly equivalent to Centurion. So you will show him the same respect due me,” she warned, wondering how Archex would handle it.
“So in other words, none at all?” the Turma leader offered with the first smirk she had seen on his face as Archex stood before him, then sneered. “I am ordered to obey her, Changeling. And so I will—at least until the Tribune comes to his senses or I can defeat the Centurion in a duel. But such respect is not extended to you or any or your ilk.”
“Then it would seem you are owed no respect of your own, Prime Pike Erexit Caudam,” Archex informed the other male coolly, causing him to blink at hearing his name recited. “This is your only warning: you will obey her orders without question, or by both the Griffon Ancestors and our Hive Mother, you answer to not just her, but me.” He bared his teeth hard.
“A laughable threat from a shapeshifting abomination, whose only military experience is no doubt seducing easily fooled and weak-willed soldiers in disguise,” the Prime Pike sneered. “So who are you to give me orders, insect?”
Though a griffon would have instantly issued a demand to duel over such an affront, Archex simply gained a sly smile. “Easily fooled and weak-willed indeed,” he said dryly, and then stepped back slightly as a now-familiar eruption of green fire suddenly and completely consumed his form.
It’s currently weighing in at just shy of 12,000 words and will probably well exceed that by the time it’s published. And in the C&C chapter after this, you’ll get a Firefly-style treat in that I’m going to have Gilda attend a council of war with Cipio where the greater situation of the Kingdom is explained to all, including battle and campaign maps. They’ll be a lot of work in Photoshop to create, but hopefully will be worth it.
This is where the fun continues
Poor Prime Pike... Is he going to get his pike primed?
5762134
He only wishes.
Only a few paragraphs a preview and I am already LOVING this chapter! 👍👍