[ The beast had been spotted some days go, over the body of a young girl. Gore on it's jowls, the thread of tendons between its claws. Wet and smattering in the early morning fog, - the body of a man, and the face of a animal. Nothing that could be defeated easily, and so the village from where the creature had crawled its way into came calling, sent the fastest runner to beg for help.
Uther, high and mighty, and with a kingdom to run, had not of the time he had once had to see to all such matters personally. But now, he did have civilians, soldiers, mages and knights, to call his own. Who would all gladly step forward and as the runner, frantically began to describe what he had seen to the court that listened. It has many heads, he stuttered out, repeating loudly as he could when Uther bayed him speak. Many arms, and each clawed hand holds a sword, the look of uneasiness spread, it devoured, it takes girls, young girls, loved girls, newlywed and beautiful.
And where the those of Uther's court winced, where Manu - now Lakshmi, she reminded herself daily - stood, they hissed in instant recognition. Rakshasa, they whispered, mouthing it in horror, Ravana. Lakshmi snapped at them to hush, swallowing down as Uther - she had come to respect him for how keen he truly could be, turned his gaze to the sound of recognition rather than just horror. It was not unheard of here, in Camelot, to have many come in on the old roman trading routes. Come she had, by invitation not of his courts, but of his mages to share the knowledge of their home with that of her own. Not her alone, but a half dozen that had made this journey. Like the universities of Hindustan, of Rome, of Bagdad, many poured into see what could be learnt in this prosperous place, encouraged by Uther and the Mage King in turn.
For just this reason, it seemed, when strange things, unknown things, walked from one pathway into another. Makes sense then, that if they could make their way here, so could the other creatures of their home. The winding roads of the dark lands, the other world. Stock stiff in that thought, when Uther calls for silence, the boy chattering and a half dozen men all press their voices forward to fight this creature, he holds them all silent in a lift of his hand, and with that same movement singles out their group, gesturing one - any of them it seemed - to speak. You. You know what this is. Not a question, but a declaration for them to reveal that knowledge.
Lakshmi's hand stayed grip to her veil, to see who would and - in that silence, she weighed which one of them could be lost, if this demon was as she thought it was - and in the moment she realised she could not bear any of them going, she stepped forward before anyone could stop her. Pulling out of the ranks, her approach chimed by anklets she wore, measured to come to stand before him and bows her head to her own custom, her hand raising in front of her briefly to raise to her forehead and sweep away again. Light stepped perhaps, but she holds herself absolute and firm when she raises her voice to speak for them all to hear. ]
It is what we call Rakshasa, your majesty. [ Her voice calls out from behind the embroidered heavy red material drawn over her that obscures her face. ] They are devourers, made by the God Brahma. The Demon King, Ravana, was defeated when he stole the wife of the great Hero, Rama. But many linger, still, and their hunger is insatiable.
[ Whispers breakout, she feels them, but she carries on before the question can even be posed by Uther or otherwise, she declares it. ] I will go to defeat it - and find whatever true reason it has come so far and rid your home of this trouble. Alone, if I must, for to its realm is where it must be followed to be defeated. I would not ask anyone to risk their life if they are not aware of the cost.
[ She doesn't expect anyone to follow her, she never has, even as immediately, she hears the cry from the other men and women of her own party that she should face such a thing by herself. Something acknowledged by Uther in turn, that it would not be fitting for her to go in a foreign land without the help of his own brave Knights. But for her part, Lakshmi stays iron-spined and stiff, waiting if anyone else would be fool enough to follow her, feeling the silence around her spread as people realised they would not be facing one small creature. ]
no subject
[ The beast had been spotted some days go, over the body of a young girl. Gore on it's jowls, the thread of tendons between its claws. Wet and smattering in the early morning fog, - the body of a man, and the face of a animal. Nothing that could be defeated easily, and so the village from where the creature had crawled its way into came calling, sent the fastest runner to beg for help.
Uther, high and mighty, and with a kingdom to run, had not of the time he had once had to see to all such matters personally. But now, he did have civilians, soldiers, mages and knights, to call his own. Who would all gladly step forward and as the runner, frantically began to describe what he had seen to the court that listened. It has many heads, he stuttered out, repeating loudly as he could when Uther bayed him speak. Many arms, and each clawed hand holds a sword, the look of uneasiness spread, it devoured, it takes girls, young girls, loved girls, newlywed and beautiful.
And where the those of Uther's court winced, where Manu - now Lakshmi, she reminded herself daily - stood, they hissed in instant recognition. Rakshasa, they whispered, mouthing it in horror, Ravana. Lakshmi snapped at them to hush, swallowing down as Uther - she had come to respect him for how keen he truly could be, turned his gaze to the sound of recognition rather than just horror. It was not unheard of here, in Camelot, to have many come in on the old roman trading routes. Come she had, by invitation not of his courts, but of his mages to share the knowledge of their home with that of her own. Not her alone, but a half dozen that had made this journey. Like the universities of Hindustan, of Rome, of Bagdad, many poured into see what could be learnt in this prosperous place, encouraged by Uther and the Mage King in turn.
For just this reason, it seemed, when strange things, unknown things, walked from one pathway into another. Makes sense then, that if they could make their way here, so could the other creatures of their home. The winding roads of the dark lands, the other world. Stock stiff in that thought, when Uther calls for silence, the boy chattering and a half dozen men all press their voices forward to fight this creature, he holds them all silent in a lift of his hand, and with that same movement singles out their group, gesturing one - any of them it seemed - to speak. You. You know what this is. Not a question, but a declaration for them to reveal that knowledge.
Lakshmi's hand stayed grip to her veil, to see who would and - in that silence, she weighed which one of them could be lost, if this demon was as she thought it was - and in the moment she realised she could not bear any of them going, she stepped forward before anyone could stop her. Pulling out of the ranks, her approach chimed by anklets she wore, measured to come to stand before him and bows her head to her own custom, her hand raising in front of her briefly to raise to her forehead and sweep away again. Light stepped perhaps, but she holds herself absolute and firm when she raises her voice to speak for them all to hear. ]
It is what we call Rakshasa, your majesty. [ Her voice calls out from behind the embroidered heavy red material drawn over her that obscures her face. ] They are devourers, made by the God Brahma. The Demon King, Ravana, was defeated when he stole the wife of the great Hero, Rama. But many linger, still, and their hunger is insatiable.
[ Whispers breakout, she feels them, but she carries on before the question can even be posed by Uther or otherwise, she declares it. ] I will go to defeat it - and find whatever true reason it has come so far and rid your home of this trouble. Alone, if I must, for to its realm is where it must be followed to be defeated. I would not ask anyone to risk their life if they are not aware of the cost.
[ She doesn't expect anyone to follow her, she never has, even as immediately, she hears the cry from the other men and women of her own party that she should face such a thing by herself. Something acknowledged by Uther in turn, that it would not be fitting for her to go in a foreign land without the help of his own brave Knights. But for her part, Lakshmi stays iron-spined and stiff, waiting if anyone else would be fool enough to follow her, feeling the silence around her spread as people realised they would not be facing one small creature. ]