[Sybil POV]
"Welcome to our home. I must apologize, we don't yet have the type of relationship with citizens of your country to give you free reign in Nievtra, but I do hope that you enjoy what you see."
"Thank you for your generosity," came the hesitant answer as it looked around. Wuarmi, as the creature called itself, looked at the clothed, industriously working Kha and Khatif that Sybil had filled the street with. Everything was a presentation, every step was a plan, and every sight was a spear or a fang pointed to inflict the most damage.
There was much to do before the real negotiation would begin. After all, at what point would she ever allow the duplicitous killers of the young and unborn to gather themselves? Beginning with hospitality was the best way to keep them from understanding how best to engage. Now, to be frigid, but to maintain professionalism. Before long, the intimidation would begin, then the kindness once more, keeping the fools guessing at every instance. Farahlia and Shemira had been working on that female to coach her to best ensure that she would be obedient when the time came for her to do her part as well. After all, hearing that the filth had been treated well would further muddy the waters for the confused visitors. They'd begin to wonder if the Empire truly was made of the same beasts they'd always hunted.
That wouldn't change the way that they thought of the Saharliard, of course. They'd just think of their enemy as weak. Again, they would engage on false terms, but this time, the Zaaktif had prepared his people for war. The blood of children would no longer stain these ones' claws, because those same paws would feed the young of her people.
"And where are we going, Zaaktifi?" the scaleless liar asked. Sybil could feel the deceit dripping from every hair of the furry beast's body. There was something about her that schemed. Not as deeply as Sybil herself, but there were plans, plans that she had to sort out without knowing them. And that was her job, as the Zaaktifi.
"To speak." Sybil pushed a thread of her magic into hatred, letting slip a minute fraction of her true opinion of the Misti Hawar. She refused to look back instead turning to step into the "room" that she'd prepared for hospitality. As she approached the building, she met eyes with Foire, who flared his frills slightly as he maintained specific attention on the stragglers in the back of the enemy's ranks.
"Did… did we do something incorrectly? Where does this new hostility come from?" The off put leader asked, her tilt of her head trying to communicate, genuine curiosity, but Sybil understood that everything she was doing was a front. She was worse at hiding it than Sybil herself was, and Sybil knew what her enemy's magic was. She had no ability to understand Sybil, leaving her confused and unable to do anything.
"Your leader came into my home and slaughtered dozens of unborn babies. Did you expect me to have a particularly high estimation of you? Were I to enter your nurseries and rip the heads off of your infants, leaving them bleeding and broken on the ground before you, would you consider me to be a particularly good houseguest?"
Did she let too much of her true opinion slip there? Perhaps. The vitriol would serve to put them off the continued conversations, though.
Interestingly, her mention of the Misti Hawar leader elicited a quiet reaction from this representative of theirs. She bristled… Was it admiration? Love? Devotion? No. Worship. She worshiped the egg destroyer. Disregarding the misplacement of the worship, this was something she could use.
"Forgive me. Some of my own young were killed in that. I retain some measure of anger from that time. However, it was understandable what she did, as she considered us to be beasts that needed to be culled." The words burned on her tongue, but still she said them.
"There have been wrongs on both sides." The creature seemed to think that her acknowledgment with no heart in it would mean anything. Even if it had been a genuine apology, with tears and on bent knee, it would've meant nothing compared to the sight of her own eggs threatened by shadows grasping for their tender shells, for the potential view of her three little ones shredded before her helpless eyes.
"Now, please, tell me, how can I help you?" Back to cordial. Maybe they would think of her as a distressed mother now. That she was, but before that, she was Sybil Zaaktifi, Ashlani's mate and second in command. She controlled the vast majority of their country, and she would cast aside any emotion necessary to serve her country.
"We come in search of answers regarding some of our number who were captured near the end of this past winter. Do you know what happened to them?"
"Of course. They were brought into custody. Some attempted violence in escape and were killed, but there are four that remain in prison. If you'd like, we can bring one here. I will caution you," Sybil allowed her voice to drop as she said it, "if you begin to speak in your tongue or use your magic while they remain prisoners here, you will die."
Again, the sudden switch of demeanor took the creatures by surprise. Keeping them on the back foot always, successfully keeping them from asking questions other than those that she wanted them to.
"Would you like us to bring one?" Sybil asked again. "Anticipating this, we prepared one."
"Yes, verifying the health of our people is key to our continued negotiations."
"Oh, are these negotiations now? I was unaware that there had been any terms provided. What kind of payment will you give for their safe return?" Sybil leaned forward with a toothy grin that she knew was more menace than welcoming. "Oh, but I get ahead of myself. Bring her in."
As she spoke, she gestured for the mostly brainwashed prisoner to be brought forward. The best part? The poor little puppet had no idea that she'd been so completely subverted and still considered herself to be the same as she always had been. Sybil smiled as the two beasts engaged in quick polite conversation that they thought she couldn't understand. The subtext, the hidden words, they were all there, and she understood the report being given.
Maksulah, broken slave that she was, gave the information that she was supposed to. That the Saharliard were harsh, unreasonable, but keeping the four fed. That was as much as they could expect from so-called civilized beasts, and it was, beyond what Sybil wanted the beast to say, the truth. Then, when the prisoner was returned to her jail, the next step of this force could begin. Until then, Sybil was stuck playing the eccentric, unpredictable host until she could finally bury her claws in the eyes of these beasts.
It wouldn't be long until, finally, she could feed her children on the flesh of their true enemies.
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