Queen of Beasts
Lamina sat in her throne of obsidian and bone. Her skeleton wings spread out to her sides, hanging loosely in boredom. She rested her chin in the palm of her clawed hand, the fiery glow of her eyes staring distastefully at the scene before her. Her commanders were arguing once more, discord filling the air like the drone of locust swarm. Irrelevant arguments and accusations were flung from monster to monster. The Northern Beasts thought the Southern Scavengers were cowards. The Black Pond Coven accused the Great Oak Coven of being weak willed and worn out. The Fallen Star were cross with the Dark Savages because their rotting flesh stunk up their camp when the Savages forced the Star to shelter them. Despite all the points each of them were trying to make, Lamina seriously doubted that even one of them had been heard and understood. “Shut up.” The Queen of the Nefai spoke, rising from her seat. The room went quiet. “I don’t care about your squabbles and feuds and trivial little fights. Honestly, I couldn’t care less what you do to each other. But-” She narrowed her eyes. “How can we protect the Black Forest and the Nefai from outside forces, when we’re too busy tearing out each other’s throats?” She walked forward until her thighs leaned against the stone table where her commanders sat. “I don’t need to tell you that the hunters that serve the Horned God have been more aggressive of late. They’re abandoning the natural order between hunter and beast and now, they are quickly losing their honor and quickly losing my respect.” Cassis, a large hideous beast, barked in agreement as he nodded his ugly head. “A whole tribe of Northern Beasts, slaughtered by those so-called hunters. Not even a big tribe. Not even a fierce tribe. They were shepherds.”
Atropos Eyesnatcher, a hooded hag with pale hair and red eyes, played with her metallic claws as she spoke. “They never showed any real interest in hags before, I suppose our heads aren’t very tasteful when they’re mounted on walls. However, I heard that the Artrabi burned half of a coven just because they could ” Belladonna, a hag with golden hair and skin like marble, looked at Atropos with distrust. “Did this coven practice any dark arts that harmed the Artrabi?” Atropos glared at her fellow hag. “Would it matter?” Lamina rolled her eyes and placed a finger to her lips, silencing the hags. “Regardless of what tribes or coven you represent, the Artrabi should be your biggest threat, not each other.” She walked back to her throne and sat back down. “I understand peace among all the Nefai is difficult. We’ve been fighting and struggling with each other since the days of the First Mother. But when she was taken by the Hunter, the Nefai banded together to show the children of the Horned God what real predators are like. Let us do so again, my brothers and sisters.” A sense of understanding came over the room, each of the commanders suddenly looking ashamed for their actions. Lamina sighed. “You may all leave, except for you, Belladonna. We need to discuss some important items.”
As the other left, the hag walked up to her queen and bowed. “How may I help you, my Grace?” Lamina smiled. “It stills feel strange, after all these years to hear you call me that, Witchmother.” Belladonna smiled. “And it’s strange for me, after all these years, to look at you and see a queen, not the little Oakborn that I raised.” The Queen laughed. “That’s actually what I wanted to speak with you about. The Oakborn from the spring, how do they fare? Are they grown?” Belladonna sighed. “They grow at different rates. Some will need many years to grow, like the humans and like you at one time. Others will be leaving the coven within a week. Others will need until the winter. Why?” Lamina took her former caretakers’ hand. “I need as many warriors as I can obtain if we are to protect ourselves.” Belladonna shook her head. “You have many great warriors. Even if these Oakborn were grown and strong, they are untrained and unseasoned. They’ve known nothing but the forest.” “Monsters don’t need much training, dear Witchmother. Hunting comes naturally to us.” “But war does not. Do not confuse the two, my queen.” Lamina sighed. “True.” She paused. “Would you mind reading some omens tonight? And also sending some spies to the Artrabi?” The hag bowed. “Of course, Queen of Beasts.”
Lamina sat in her throne of obsidian and bone. Her skeleton wings spread out to her sides, hanging loosely in boredom. She rested her chin in the palm of her clawed hand, the fiery glow of her eyes staring distastefully at the scene before her. Her commanders were arguing once more, discord filling the air like the drone of locust swarm. Irrelevant arguments and accusations were flung from monster to monster. The Northern Beasts thought the Southern Scavengers were cowards. The Black Pond Coven accused the Great Oak Coven of being weak willed and worn out. The Fallen Star were cross with the Dark Savages because their rotting flesh stunk up their camp when the Savages forced the Star to shelter them. Despite all the points each of them were trying to make, Lamina seriously doubted that even one of them had been heard and understood. “Shut up.” The Queen of the Nefai spoke, rising from her seat. The room went quiet. “I don’t care about your squabbles and feuds and trivial little fights. Honestly, I couldn’t care less what you do to each other. But-” She narrowed her eyes. “How can we protect the Black Forest and the Nefai from outside forces, when we’re too busy tearing out each other’s throats?” She walked forward until her thighs leaned against the stone table where her commanders sat. “I don’t need to tell you that the hunters that serve the Horned God have been more aggressive of late. They’re abandoning the natural order between hunter and beast and now, they are quickly losing their honor and quickly losing my respect.” Cassis, a large hideous beast, barked in agreement as he nodded his ugly head. “A whole tribe of Northern Beasts, slaughtered by those so-called hunters. Not even a big tribe. Not even a fierce tribe. They were shepherds.”
Atropos Eyesnatcher, a hooded hag with pale hair and red eyes, played with her metallic claws as she spoke. “They never showed any real interest in hags before, I suppose our heads aren’t very tasteful when they’re mounted on walls. However, I heard that the Artrabi burned half of a coven just because they could ” Belladonna, a hag with golden hair and skin like marble, looked at Atropos with distrust. “Did this coven practice any dark arts that harmed the Artrabi?” Atropos glared at her fellow hag. “Would it matter?” Lamina rolled her eyes and placed a finger to her lips, silencing the hags. “Regardless of what tribes or coven you represent, the Artrabi should be your biggest threat, not each other.” She walked back to her throne and sat back down. “I understand peace among all the Nefai is difficult. We’ve been fighting and struggling with each other since the days of the First Mother. But when she was taken by the Hunter, the Nefai banded together to show the children of the Horned God what real predators are like. Let us do so again, my brothers and sisters.” A sense of understanding came over the room, each of the commanders suddenly looking ashamed for their actions. Lamina sighed. “You may all leave, except for you, Belladonna. We need to discuss some important items.”
As the other left, the hag walked up to her queen and bowed. “How may I help you, my Grace?” Lamina smiled. “It stills feel strange, after all these years to hear you call me that, Witchmother.” Belladonna smiled. “And it’s strange for me, after all these years, to look at you and see a queen, not the little Oakborn that I raised.” The Queen laughed. “That’s actually what I wanted to speak with you about. The Oakborn from the spring, how do they fare? Are they grown?” Belladonna sighed. “They grow at different rates. Some will need many years to grow, like the humans and like you at one time. Others will be leaving the coven within a week. Others will need until the winter. Why?” Lamina took her former caretakers’ hand. “I need as many warriors as I can obtain if we are to protect ourselves.” Belladonna shook her head. “You have many great warriors. Even if these Oakborn were grown and strong, they are untrained and unseasoned. They’ve known nothing but the forest.” “Monsters don’t need much training, dear Witchmother. Hunting comes naturally to us.” “But war does not. Do not confuse the two, my queen.” Lamina sighed. “True.” She paused. “Would you mind reading some omens tonight? And also sending some spies to the Artrabi?” The hag bowed. “Of course, Queen of Beasts.”