The merwin warrior placed a bright orange and black striped fist across his chest in a salute to the late Queen’s consort.
Don’t attach your suckers too hard, Slone , Kiva mused. It might be difficult to extract yourself from Iago’s carcass as it sinks into the Deeps. The head of House Tigin was fiercely loyal. However, Kiva knew that Slone wasn’t entirely happy with the status quo in Mervidia. The neondra warrior felt that too much time was wasted on discussion and politics, that the Merwin should return to their past when the strong of limb ruled. At least that is what your lover tells me, Kiva thought. Still, it was never a bad idea to support the popular opinion, on the surface at least. Though Slone appeared to be all brawn with very little brain, he was not an idiot. He knew that the tides of influence were as fickle as a grogstack’s attention.
As if on cue, Kiva’s head turned to Quag, the representative of the loathsome grogstack. The merwin was hideous, hardly a proper merwin at all, and his presence here was an abomination. Though technically the grogstack were one of the seven races of Mervidia, to Kiva and many others, they were barely sentient fish with delusions of civilization. It is like putting a pet shark in a seat and calling it a dinner guest, Kiva said inwardly. She knew that this particular shark was deceptively smart. Though saying smart for a grogstack is not saying much. Quag looked around the table in the intervening silence, as the other members of the Assembly waited patiently for him to realize that it was his turn to vote. Not the first time we have had to wait for Quag to catch up, and I doubt it will be the last. Quag, like most of his kind had no hair on his head, just strange ragged tentacles that trailed off with no apparent rhyme or reason. Similar growths sprouted from his torso, just below his breastbone, though these were longer and thinner than the ones that grew from his misshapen skull. He had a long sinuous tail, like many of his kind, but his had small fins about half way down his back, one on top and two below, that reminded Kiva of a malformed shark. It was an impression that was further strengthened by his noseless face and thin-lipped mouth, full of rows of sharp jagged teeth. He had webbed hands, like a proper merwin, though his fingers were much longer than they should have been, containing an extra joint and ending in sharp curved claws. Kiva couldn’t keep a tiny shudder from her stomach as she stared at the beast. Grogstack were known cannibals.
How was your kind even able to secure a seat on the Assembly? she wondered inwardly and not for the first time. Quag finally realized that it was his turn to cast his vote. As he turned his gaze to Uchenna from House Chimaera, Kiva answered her own question. Uchenna had been an ardent champion of grogstack rights, convincing the other members of the Assembly that to truly represent the Merwin as a whole, they had to have a seat for the grogstack. The number of clandestine deals and convoluted arrangements that had to be made for the vote to come out in the grogstack’s favor made even Kiva’s involute brain hurt.
The faera kept an eye on the head of House Chimaera at all times. He was the only merwin on the Coral Assembly whose mind rivaled her own when it came to devious deals and malicious machinations. Though I know something about your own house that even you do not, she said silently to Uchenna, keeping her face impassive the whole time.
The octolaide nodded his head faintly in response to Quag’s look. The grogstack immediately turned to the rest of the Assembly. “We grogstack support Iago for king,” he said and then was silent. Several representatives opened their mouths, as if to correct Quag’s mistaken use of the word “king,” but apparently thought better of it.
We are installing him as temporary regent, you misshapen buffoon, Kiva thought. He is not even of royal blood. He has as much right to
Don’t attach your suckers too hard, Slone , Kiva mused. It might be difficult to extract yourself from Iago’s carcass as it sinks into the Deeps. The head of House Tigin was fiercely loyal. However, Kiva knew that Slone wasn’t entirely happy with the status quo in Mervidia. The neondra warrior felt that too much time was wasted on discussion and politics, that the Merwin should return to their past when the strong of limb ruled. At least that is what your lover tells me, Kiva thought. Still, it was never a bad idea to support the popular opinion, on the surface at least. Though Slone appeared to be all brawn with very little brain, he was not an idiot. He knew that the tides of influence were as fickle as a grogstack’s attention.
As if on cue, Kiva’s head turned to Quag, the representative of the loathsome grogstack. The merwin was hideous, hardly a proper merwin at all, and his presence here was an abomination. Though technically the grogstack were one of the seven races of Mervidia, to Kiva and many others, they were barely sentient fish with delusions of civilization. It is like putting a pet shark in a seat and calling it a dinner guest, Kiva said inwardly. She knew that this particular shark was deceptively smart. Though saying smart for a grogstack is not saying much. Quag looked around the table in the intervening silence, as the other members of the Assembly waited patiently for him to realize that it was his turn to vote. Not the first time we have had to wait for Quag to catch up, and I doubt it will be the last. Quag, like most of his kind had no hair on his head, just strange ragged tentacles that trailed off with no apparent rhyme or reason. Similar growths sprouted from his torso, just below his breastbone, though these were longer and thinner than the ones that grew from his misshapen skull. He had a long sinuous tail, like many of his kind, but his had small fins about half way down his back, one on top and two below, that reminded Kiva of a malformed shark. It was an impression that was further strengthened by his noseless face and thin-lipped mouth, full of rows of sharp jagged teeth. He had webbed hands, like a proper merwin, though his fingers were much longer than they should have been, containing an extra joint and ending in sharp curved claws. Kiva couldn’t keep a tiny shudder from her stomach as she stared at the beast. Grogstack were known cannibals.
How was your kind even able to secure a seat on the Assembly? she wondered inwardly and not for the first time. Quag finally realized that it was his turn to cast his vote. As he turned his gaze to Uchenna from House Chimaera, Kiva answered her own question. Uchenna had been an ardent champion of grogstack rights, convincing the other members of the Assembly that to truly represent the Merwin as a whole, they had to have a seat for the grogstack. The number of clandestine deals and convoluted arrangements that had to be made for the vote to come out in the grogstack’s favor made even Kiva’s involute brain hurt.
The faera kept an eye on the head of House Chimaera at all times. He was the only merwin on the Coral Assembly whose mind rivaled her own when it came to devious deals and malicious machinations. Though I know something about your own house that even you do not, she said silently to Uchenna, keeping her face impassive the whole time.
The octolaide nodded his head faintly in response to Quag’s look. The grogstack immediately turned to the rest of the Assembly. “We grogstack support Iago for king,” he said and then was silent. Several representatives opened their mouths, as if to correct Quag’s mistaken use of the word “king,” but apparently thought better of it.
We are installing him as temporary regent, you misshapen buffoon, Kiva thought. He is not even of royal blood. He has as much right to
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